Bob Allen Recruiting

How to stand out when applying for a job....

2011-11-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

If you want to be in the top 20 percent of job applicants who get noticed and win interviews, you should be thinking about how to incorporate sales secrets into your job search strategy. John Kalusa is a nationally recognized writer who speaks about corporate sales, recruiting, and personal career management. With over 25 years of experience as a strategic recruiting, human resources, and sales and marketing management leader in start-ups and Fortune 250 companies, he's well qualified to comment on what the hiring manager wants to see.

"80 percent of candidates don't have a real chance of landing an interview because they don't do anything to set themselves apart from the crowd," says Kalusa. "After reviewing thousands of resumes and conducting nearly as many interviews, I'm amazed at how many people take an unfocused approach and send the same tired resume to every posting."

Kalusa reminds job seekers to identify their best, most unique qualities and to hone in on how they can solve the employer's problems. Do you need an incentive to make the extra effort to stand out? "Even though some statistics suggest there are 4.5 applicants per job, my own experience and that of my colleagues suggests the actual average is closer to 50-60 applicants per position, with some climbing into the hundreds," he says.

A forward-thinking job seeker needs to think like a sales person. Just as a company trains its sales and marketing people to identify and qualify prospects in order to argue why their company or product is the best suited to solve problems, "job candidates should view postings as a public bid for services and develop and execute their interview strategies like a sales process," he says.

Kalusa refers to this thinking as the "company of 1" approach, which he uses to coach job seekers. "I advise job seekers to think about the customer--the potential employer. Companies aren't in business to hire people. They are in business to provide value to their customer and seek to find people with the talent, skills, and motivation they can leverage to provide that value," he says.

One important part of selling yourself as a "company of 1" is knowing how to research your target organizations. "I'm constantly amazed at how little candidates (at all levels) actually know about the companies they are applying to when they sit down for an interview. Instead of being really prepared, they can only offer a snapshot of what they learned by visiting the company website. It's usually about a three-second quote, in the form of: "I know that _____ is in the _____ industry and makes/provides ____ to its customers," he says.

This sometimes comes across as: "I learned just enough to know that you are still in business, but other than that I didn't think enough of the opportunity to see if my experiences were really a fit, because I was just focused really on what was in it for me."

Whether you are applying for a position on the front line in a manufacturing facility or as the chief operating officer in the front office, Kalusa advises taking the following steps to set yourself apart:

Read about the company and the industry. Nearly everyone who applies will know something about the company. Go a step further and find out the details about the company and about the industry. Ask yourself what challenges the company is facing, and, more importantly, how will the role you are applying for affect those challenges or provide value?

You might be asking, "Why does it matter?" For example, if you know the company is in warehousing, and they have a reputation for having the best and most sophisticated distribution systems, think about the things that are probably important to them. Perhaps it is speed, reliability, and accuracy? During the interview, because you know a little bit more than the next guy, you could talk about your proven ability to get the job done and done right, or talk about your reliability or the different types of distribution systems you've used and how it will be easy for you to learn theirs.

Take a peek inside. Just like companies check their prospective customers out to make sure they are financially stable and not "hard cases with an attitude," so should you. If they are a public company, read about their finances and see how their stock is doing. Or go to Glassdoor and see if there are any postings from current or former employees. Do they talk about the company being a hard place to work or a collaborative environment where employees are valued? Do people feel like "cogs in the wheel," or do they feel like their contributions matter? Check out Twitter and Facebook, and see if they have a presence. What's being said? What's not being said? Are there articles about the company and their community involvement? Articles about less than positive activities? Better to know, so you can say no.

Find out who's who in the zoo. Go to their company website to learn about the top people. Follow up by visiting LinkedIn to investigate them and anyone else at the company. For most professionals, LinkedIn has become the de facto standard for posting a professional profile. You may be able to find valuable common connections or common professional or social interests of the people who will be interviewing or working with you. You may learn where they went to school and what books they are reading. You can also find and check industry or professional groups that they belong to, and see if there is any useful or interesting information available for you there.

Do your due diligence to stand out in a crowd, because it is a very big crowd. You'll likely be rewarded with interview opportunities.

Miriam Salpeter is a job search and social media consultant, career coach, author, speaker, resume writer and owner of Keppie Careers.

Smart Executive Job Interview Questions

2011-11-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

What are your team’s goals and how can I possibly help you meet them?
This is a great question to ask at the beginning of your interviews. It helps you get the big picture of where your prospective employer is at. It also helps position your skills and knowledge as potential solutions.

What are specific day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of the person hired for this position?
An excellent question that helps you understand your prospective employer’s particular needs. The question helps you determine the focus of your new job and what your main tasks will be on a daily basis.

Is this a good example or would you like another one?
This is valuable when you provide a prospective employer with descriptions of your past experience. The interviewer’s answer helps you determine whether or not they are content with your response.

Is there anything I haven’t covered that you would like to know more about?
This gives your interviewer a chance to elaborate on areas that are important to them. It also gives you the opportunity to convey your additional knowledge and strengths.

Are you satisfied with our interview?
The question essentially asks your interviewer to evaluate the quality of the interview. It also gives you a chance to ask additional questions that may help your interviewer to know you better.

What are the next steps?
This straightforward question can be asked at the end of your job interview. It allows you to evaluate your overall interaction with your interviewer, determine if the interview was a successful one, and how to follow up.

from Ladders.com

Improving Job Search Results

2011-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

I have talked with many job seekers who have sent out hundreds of resumes without ever getting results. In fact, they don’t even know if their resume is seen by a manager within the company. This is a tough job market but looking for work is a job in itself and especially in today’s market, we have to step back to analyze our results and the process we are using.

Many of you have told me that you have sent out hundreds of resume, without results so it is time to do something different. If you aren't getting results from your resume, stop sending it out en masse and review it. Have a trusted friend or colleague check it for errors and presentation.

Then, change how you look for a job: Even in good times, it's probably still twice as hard to get a job by limiting your search to job boards like Monster, Career Builder etc. Instead, try job hunting through friends, at church, and making connections through social media, (especially Linked In) , Twitter or Face book, applying directly through company websites, or even the old-fashioned walk-in application. I believe the key in this market is networking.

Target organizations you want to work for find a friend or linked in contact work works there and learn more about the company. Find out key managers with influence you could talk to. You might want to consider approaching them even if they don't have openings. Join civic clubs where you can meet and have access to key people in the business community.

Tell me about yourself...

2011-09-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

One of the common questions asked during an interview or when meeting your potential father-in-Law for the first time. “tell me about yourself?” Like the funny commercial...what makes Peter Peter?

On the surface this looks like an easy question but is often a question that sets the tone for the interview and forms an impression of you at the start of an interview.

Your response to this question does not give the interviewer a lot of information about your talents for this position but gives you a great opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm, confidence and energy and gets the attention of your interviewer. We all need a brief one or two minute ‘elevator talk” for cocktail parties, or interviews that gives brief picture of who you are.

Scott Ginsberg, The Nametag Guy," offers us a few pointers to prepare for the next time you are faced with this question. He suggests you try one of these;

“I can summarize who I am in three words.” Grabs their attention immediately. Demonstrates your ability to be concise, creative and compelling.
“The quotation I live my life by is…” Proves that personal development is an essential part of your growth plan. Also shows your ability to motivate yourself.
“My personal philosophy is…” Companies hire athletes – not shortstops. This line indicates your position as a thinker, not just an employee.
“People who know me best say that I’m…” This response offers insight into your own level of self-awareness.
“Well, I googled myself this morning, and here’s what I found…” Tech-savvy, fun, cool people would say this. Unexpected and memorable.
“My passion is…” People don’t care what you do – people care who you are. And what you’re passionate about is who you are. Plus, passion unearths enthusiasm.
“When I was seven years old, I always wanted to be…” An answer like this shows that you’ve been preparing for this job your whole life, not just the night before.
“If Hollywood made a move about my life, it would be called…” Engaging, interesting and entertaining.
“Can I show you, instead of tell you?” Then, pull something out of your pocket that represents who you are. Who could resist this answer? Who could forget this answer?
“The compliment people give me most frequently is…” Almost like a testimonial, this response also indicates self-awareness and openness to feedback.

These examples may not be for you, but you can prepare your own attention grabbing summary of who you are.

Ginsberg states the key to this is “ it’s about answering quickly, it’s about speaking creatively and it’s about breaking people’s patterns”

Develop your own response to “tell me about yourself” in your interview preparation and be ready to respond quickly to this question.

Today's Job Candidates Fail to Make the Grade

2011-08-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article by Abby Tracy in Forbes magazine outlining some issues discussed by some Women CEO that apply to both men and Women job candidates.

Women CEOs who comprise membership in The Commonwealth Institute offer the following strategies for success:

Carefully review your resume for mistakes. Grammar and spelling speak volumes about your capabilities as a future employee. Spell check exists for a reason – use it on all materials that you distribute.
Honesty is the best policy. Don’t pump up your resume with lies about your background and skills. If you are hired, any fabrications can easily be discovered by your new colleagues and supervisor.
Perform due diligence and research the companies to which you are applying and prepare a list of relevant questions to ask during the interview.
Weave professional attire choices into your overall job search strategy. How you present yourself not only helps your self-confidence, it ensures a positive first impression.
Set boundaries on what you share about your life – both on the web and in person with potential employers, and don’t ask personal questions of your potential employer and/or interviewer. Some people share too much personal information in interviews.

Assessing the Job Offer

2011-02-04T16:33:00.000-08:00

In this economy, when you have been out of work for some time and are desperate to find a position getting a job offer can feel like a victory. But if might be just the end of a battle, not all job offers are not equal, and it pays to do your homework before accepting. Here are some tips for doing the right research before you say yes.

Know what the boss is like to work for. Do a quick check on linked in or other social networking sites for past employees to see what the turnover has been or check with some friends who might know someone who worked there and you might be able to get some idea of what the boos is like to work for.

Know the company's financial situation. Don't assume that just because the company is making an offer, there isn't trouble ahead. Find out as much as you can about the company's financial stability and market position.

Assess your cultural fit. Yes, the company will be assessing your fit during the interview, but you are the one who will suffer most if there is a mismatch between the company culture and your working style.

Don't rely on the job description. The job descriptions we see today are so generic and all aspects of the job are not covered. Ask specific questions about what you will be doing, who you will be working with, and what the expectations are for your role.

Job Seeking Advice

2010-12-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

When you are without a job it is so easy for a job seekers to press and spend time on activities that don’t yield effective returns and many even give a negative impression.

Don't talk about how you lost your job; focus on your accomplishments and the unique value you bring to your next company. It is so easy to start a pity party and commiserating with others in a job search or making a point about the injustices of the economy. move on and maximize the time you have with someone to focus on positives.

Looking for a new job — the right new job — is hard work. Simply broadcasting your resume is not. Take some time to figure out what you want to do; research to find the places where you can do it; develop the right connections to get you in the door; explain how you solve a problem.

Be more specific in who you are sending your resume to. Don’t just broadcast it. This includes sending it to countless online job postings; every recruiter you can find; mass emailing your business contacts, family, friends, former classmates, and anyone you've ever known. Be targeted and focused; you have to know what you want so you can get what you need.

Don't keep your job search a secret from your social friends and friends/acquaintances from civic clubs and churches. More job opportunities come about through informal networking. These are the people that know you personally and hopefully have a good impression of you. They can put in a good word for you as you try to get your foot in the door or your resume to get some personal attention.

Job Seeking When You're Over 50

2010-11-24T13:45:00.000-08:00

I recently read a blog by Priscilla Claman who runs a career coaching firm in Boston.
In the article, she described her conversations with some recently laid off engineers who voiced their frustration about the job market and hearing the frequent comment from companies “Overqualified.”
She made some excellent points. If you are over 50 and looking for a job or a promotion consider these
Are you energized and excited about what you are doing?
It is easy to lose your excitement about your work when the company is constantly downsizing , when you have been recently downsized, or when you haven't had a raise in a while, or when you feel overworked. Not only is it easy to lose your excitement but it's easy to get negative. A negative attitude at work causes people to avoid you that often puts a target on your back during layoffs. People prefer to work with positive, upbeat colleagues.
During the interview process people are looking for energy and enthusiasm in your voice and in your step. In the interview process the last thing they want to hear is dull recitation about your past and complaints about your last boss.
Are you wearing to work what you wore fifteen years ago? Upgrade your clothing and appearance to perk up your presentation and your self-confidence. You may not have to wear your son or daughters cloths but you might want to get some advice from them. And The search process is completely different than 15 years ago. Get familiar with some new places such as Linked In.com or networking.
Are you fooling yourself about your skills and experience?
Take a peak at what skills and experiences they are looking for in the positions that interest you and take an honest assessment of where you are. Now might be a great time to pick up some skills and training you have avoided and polish up those skills that have gotten rusty. Just how good are those computer skills?
Even senior managers need to maintain some technical expertise to be viable professionally. You will find that there are plenty of online courses, seminars, and professional organizations who are willing to help keep you up to date. I have a number of friends working on their six sigma black belt while searching for a job.
How is age an advantage in your industry? Expert are needed in every industry and often those experts have been around the block a few times. But, every position you are applying for does not need “an expert” they need someone with a certain level of experience. I think one of the greatest resources you have is your wealth of contacts both social and professional. Get busy contacting them.

Priscilla Claman is President of Career Strategies, Inc., a Boston-based firm offering career coaching to individuals and career management services to organizations. Priscilla is a former corporate Human Resources executive and author of the book, ASK: How to Get What You Want and Need at Work

Handling Criticism

2010-11-16T08:16:00.001-08:00

I you work in a business you are sure to receive “advice” from all quarters. This “advice” or criticism is tough to take when you are expecting it, but, it is especially hard on us when it is unexpected. This unforeseen negative feedback can be unsettling and difficult to swallow, but can also be incredibly valuable. Here is a little pointer I read a few weeks ago, the next time you are blindsided by what someone has to say about your behavior, take a deep breath and try doing these three things:
1. Move beyond your feelings. You're likely to feel hurt and angry. Recognize those feelings and then put them aside so they don't negatively influence your reaction to this “advice”.
2. Look beyond the specific comments. Few people are good at giving negative feedback , it is really hard. In fact, I suspect that some people you know can hurt your feelings when they give a compliment. But, don't dismiss the feedback just because it wasn't delivered well.
3. Collect information. Don't respond right away. If you do, you'll likely regret how defensive and angry you sound. Instead, listen. Take in the criticism. Once you've had time and space, you can decide how to react and whether to change.

What is the STAR interview process? Or Behavioral Interviews

2010-11-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

I believe the star interview process you are talking about an interviewing style called a behavioral interview. In these interviews the interviewer asks questions relating to 4 STAR Areas

Situation – TASK You are asked to describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

A – Action you took - in this step you describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did.

R – Results you achieved What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What

did you learn?

How to be successful in this type of interview. To prepare for the interview.

Think of a number of situations from your past work experience that show you accomplishing something positive. (For example, how you negotiated with a supplier for a lower price, or how you mentored a co-worker on a difficult subject, how you handled a difficult employee performance issue). The stories should cover a broad range of your abilities.

In preparation for your interview write the down these situations in the STAR format (which stands for Situation/Task, Action, Result).
example Situation/Task: An employee I supervised performance was not up to par and below the performance of the group. Action: I had a meeting with the employees to discuss his performance and how it was effecting the group and asked if there was some issues that were causing these performance issues. We discussed a couple of problem areas and the correct methods to handle the job. (you might even be more specific about the steps) We set a follow up interview in a week and two weeks Result: The performance improved 20% over the past 3 months and we discussed a couple of improvement area to try during the following week. In our second interview performance improved again.

Review the situations and list the effects (positive or negative) each one had on the following:
-Yourself or Your co-workers or Your boss or maybe Your customers and of course your company and department

When you are on a behavioral interview you will be asked to give specific examples of how you demonstrated certain traits. For example, a question might be "tell me about a time when you worked under pressure to meet a deadline" or "tell me about a time when you had to communicate something difficult to a co-worker".

Each of your 10 situations can potentially be the answer to many behavioral questions. Based on the information you prepared in steps 1, 2 and 3 you need to be able to think on your feet and use any of your stories to answer a behavioral question.

Killing that face to face interview

2010-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Getting a face to face interview these days is hugs. There are so many candidates for so few jobs so if you get your foot in the door you better make effective us of it. I would like to offer a couple of pointers that might make a difference.

Find out about the company

It is crucial that you learn s much as you can about the company and the people you will be interviewing with to help you determine what has been the track record of the company and what is the future, who are thier competitors, who are the key players in organization, how will t he position you are interviewing fdor fit with these individuals.

Find out who you are replacing

If the job opening is because the previous person was terminated, you can bet that there were probably some major performance or personality issues the resulted in the termination. And you can be that the people who will be interviewing you will focus their questions to you based on the previous employee's shortcomings in the job. If the last person had deadline issues, you are going to hear all kinds of questions about deadlines.

Using a Google search or Linked In you might find someone you know who works for the company interviewing you or know the previous position holder. Talk to people who wok for your potential employer. The more you can find out about those who were in the job before, the more insight you'll have into what's important to the interviewer.

Refine your story

If you had a bad situation in a previous job that resulted in your termination, find a good way to explain it honestly. IF you make something up, a good interviewer will figure it out right away. Likewise don't take credit for something if it was team effort, give credit to the team and stress you role on the team. We have a natural tendency to want to embellish our achievements to help us get a job, but there of many examples of people who stretched the truth a bit and were caught and lost the opportunity.

Honestly has become very important so the interviewer will weigh negatively any suggestion that you're
covering up something or stretching the truth.

Be Prepared

It is important to have a short list of strengths that you want the interviewer to know about you. Many interviewers often end by saying, "do you have anything else to tell me, or is there anything we didn't cover?"
this is a great place to use your prepared few sentences highlighting your strengths and covering why you believe you would be a great fit for t he job and the new organization. Don't miss this opportunity.

Presenting yourself in the best light

2010-10-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Explaining why someone should hire you, or introduce you to a friend who is hiring, is not easy and can be uncomfortable. We have learn over the years that bragging is bad. This is different, you are looking for a job and want people know your abilities.
Yes it is uncomfortable to talk about your strengths.

But, You need to sell yourself and you must do it without sounding like a salesperson. Here are a few pointers:

Instead of detailing what's so great about you, tell a story that covers the following:

Situations. Explain the problem or situation that you, your unit or your company faced.
Tasks. Outline what your responsibility was in solving the problem
Achievements. Make clear what you did to meet your responsibility
Results. What happened as a result of your achievement? Did revenues increase? Did customer satisfaction improve? Did costs decrease? Use examples that will generate interest with the people you are interviewing with.

TOP PHONE INTERVIEW TIP

2010-08-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

I recent had a discussion with some recruiting partners about problems on phone interviews. One candidate I sent into to a company had leading qualifications but the company felt after the phone interview that he had “low energy” How can we help people in phone interview project more energy and enthusiasm.

Communicate energy and enthusiasm
* When searching for the perfect candidate organizations often make an initial decision from the way in which candidates answer the phone.

* If you answer yours in a casual and disinterested manner, you will make a poor impression.

* Energy and enthusiasm in your greeting and in your responses to questions demonstrates your interest in the conversation and in the job.

* Companies want motivated employees.

* Consider your own reaction when you call someone who is pleased to hear from you and contrast this with the feeling you get when you call someone who is not pleased to hear from you or who is just plain distracted or disinterested. Which conversation leaves you with a positive impression of the person you are speaking to?

Energy equates to confidence in and passion for what you do.

* Some of the things you mentioned deal with enthusiasm and interest (asking questions, deportment etc.) But energy comes from having the level of confidence in the job you are interviewing for - not because you can do it - but because you have done it and are eager to talk about your accomplishments (passion).

How to show energy

* Sit forward in your seat as the interview begins.

* Sit up straight.

* Explain how you’re capable of handling multiple tasks; show commitment to job

* I’ve worked 14 hour days and work all night when required

* Show your excitement about the opportunity for which you're interviewing.

* Stand up, look in their eyes and smile when shaking their hand

* The questions you ask show how much effort you’ve put in to the job search, and are an indicator of the kind of energy you might bring to the job.”

* Don’t over talk thinking this will show high energy.

Phone interview

* Stand up and smile

Don't

* Speak in a monotone or use too many filler words such as "er," "and," "then," pet phrases you use repeatedly.

Do's

* Keep your answers brief but give enough of an answer so they know you know what you're talking about.

* Take a hint if you're being asked to repeat your answers speak slower and speak up and it will be easier to understand you.

* Ask at the end of the conversation ask if the interviewer needs any additional information or has any other questions

Do you have any concerns about my abilities?

How do my skills compare to others you've interviewed?

Will you recommend I received a 2^nd interview?

Keep a pen and pad by the phone and jot notes during the interview regarding any concerns or uncomfortable questions so you can offer additional information in a thank you letter afterward,

* If possible, ask a question in the letter so that the interviewer will need to respond back to you.

* Always send me the thank you letters in advance to double check for typos. I always seem to find something that needs to be re-worded.

* Always copy me when emailing them

You need to be prepared to discuss accomplishments and explain in detail how they will maximize the company's return on their staffing investment.

Phone Interview Tips

2010-07-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Companies are using phone interviews more frequently as a time and cost efficient method of identifying the most promising candidates . The telephone interview may be a quick chat to find out a bit more about you, or it may be an in-depth, behaviorally based formal interview. Whichever one it is, it is one where your verbal skills are tested. They are not only assessing if your past work history is a fit for the position but they are assessing your communication skills as well as your job related abilities during the conversation. Phone interviews can be tough. With the lack of visual communication, you must be able to rely on auditory feedback and be disciplined enough to keep focus.

Your phone voice mail message;

Make sure the message on your home and cell phones reflect a professional image? Cute messages might be OK sometimes; but your want anyone calling you understand your ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner verbally not cute? Or is your message casual, off-beat that is possibly discouraging potential employers from pursuing further contact with you? Depending on the type of employment you are seeking, a message that is too casual can ruin the impression you are looking to make on prospective employers.

Communicate energy and enthusiasm

When searching for the perfect candidate organizations often make an initial decision from the way in which candidates answer the phone. If you answer yours in a casual and disinterested manner, you will make a poor impression. Energy and enthusiasm in your greeting and in your responses to questions demonstrates your interest in the conversation and in the job. Companies want motivated employees. Consider your own reaction when you call someone who is pleased to hear from you and contrast this with the feeling you get when you call someone who is not pleased to hear from you or who is just plain distracted or disinterested. Which conversation leaves you with a positive impression of the person you are speaking to?

Develop rapport

Building a relationship with the interviewer on the phone is a great way to not only demonstrate your interpersonal skills but is also likely to increase the amount of information that is exchanged. You should communicate in a positive and pleasant manner throughout the conversation and remain professional in your language and approach.

Prepare for a phone interview just as you would for a regular interview. Compile a list of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as a list of answers to typical phone interview questions. In addition steps;

Keep your resume in clear view, on the top of your desk, or tape it to the wall near the phone, so it's at your fingertips when you need to answer questions.
Have a short list of your accomplishments available to review.
Have a pen and paper handy for note taking.
Turn call-waiting off so your call isn't interrupted.
Clear the room - evict the kids and the pets. Turn off the stereo and the TV. Close the door.
I recommend using a land line rather than your cell phone to avoid a dropped call or static on the line, it possible

Practice Interviewing

I've always found it's helpful to practice. Consider having a friend conduct a mock interview and record it. You'll be able to hear your "ums" and "uhs" and "okays" and you can practice reducing them from your conversational speech. Also rehearse answers to those typical questions.

During the Phone Interview

Don't smoke, chew gum, eat, or drink.
Do keep a glass of water handy, in case you need to wet your mouth.
Smile. Smiling will project a positive image to the listener and will change the tone of your voice.
Speak slowly and enunciate clearly.
Don't interrupt the interviewer.
Take your time - it's perfectly acceptable to take a moment or two to collect your thoughts.
Give short answers.
Remember your goal is to set-up a face-to-face interview. After you thank the interviewer ask if it would be possible to meet in person

Listen Some times during the interview nerves take over and we make the mistake of saying too much. Make sure. When you have answered the question, allow for that possibly uncomfortable moment of silence. This will let the interviewer know that you are through, and then they will proceed.
Listen and wait for them to finish with their next question, and then proceed.

Continuing Career Development in a Down Market

2010-07-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

The economic downturn has not only eliminate thousand of positions but has slowed down advancement opportunities for those remaining.. Most career development efforts are focused on achieving success by completing a series of assignments with an increasing level of responsibility. The downturn has slowed down or even shut down these opportunities that are critical in making your talents visible to organization and in preparing for you for future advancement.
There are ways that you can continue to build your career options:
Focus on your strengths. Do more of what you do best. Early in a career, it makes sense to try a bit of everything and push to improve in areas of weakness, but at a certain point, it is better to focus on your strengths.
Reinforce these strengths. If the opportunities to show your strengths are not available on the job. Choose activities outside work at church or school or within community that develop the image you want to convey. For example, volunteer for the church or school building committee if you're good at managing projects. These outside activities can help broaden your experiences and help you become conversant in ways to reinforce your capabilities at work.
Network. Surround yourself with people with talents and skills that can complement your skills, not just with those with experiences exactly like yours. People have to recognize common values and goals before they're likely to share what they know, so cultivate these relationships.

Cover Letter Writing

2010-03-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

In today’s job market, are cover letters still necessary?
We say yes.

Cover letters are where you do your own personal marketing. It is through the cover letter that you can show the hiring manager your strengths, your attention to detail and ability to follow instructions, your interest in the opportunity (versus desperation for any job), and your enthusiasm and communication skills.
As yet another tool to differentiate yourself from the competition, why wouldn’t you take advantage? Just make sure you are effective in doing so…here are a few tips on how:
• Avoid using form letters. Cover letters that appear generic do little to separate you from the crowd and make you appear lazy and uninterested. Make sure to customize each letter, and if you’re using a template from another letter, triple check that the “variables” like salutation and company name match up.
• State the position to which you are applying and make sure to adjust this for each posting.
• Match your skills and experience to those noted in the job posting. Use specific examples from your background to provide evidence. Don’t make the hiring manager “work” to figure out your qualifications.
• Be brief yet specific. With hiring managers spending less than 20 seconds on each letter, you want to supply the necessary information in as little space as possible. Three to four paragraphs is sufficient.
• Refrain from asking for a specific salary or making other work-related demands. The purpose of your letter is to explain what you can do for the company, not vice versa.
• Check for errors. As the first document seen by a prospective employer, it must be very well written and free of spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors. Always ask a trusted friend or colleague to review the document before sending it out.
The number one factor to keep in mind when deciding on whether or not to include a cover letter is to follow instructions. Though most industries and most companies seem to prefer a cover letter, there are some situations where it is not required. At the very least, include a short paragraph of three to five sentences describing how you learned of the position and why your qualifications are a perfect fit.

By Sharon Rivera

What Is Your First Impression?

2010-03-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

Less than 5% of executive applications for posted positions get consideration from employers and recruiters. This is not because candidates lack required credentials, but due to the fact that the vast majority of executive resumes look and sound alike.

Most applications are either rejected or ignored because they never answer this key question – WHY YOU? Without a prior history with employers, you are asking them for a lot - to grant you interviews, hire you, and pay you a high salary. Therefore, your message needs to be exceptional and impactful, without sounding like a recycled commercial.

In this job market, employers are more cautious about recruitment. They also have a larger pool of applicants to choose from. The main way, at least initially, for employers to determine the best fit is from executive resumes. Therefore, having a powerful, action-focused message is no longer an option for a serious job seeker. You can either present yourself as an average, mass-market applicant or convey that you are a stronger candidate who is offering superior value. By effectively communicating your real and unique strengths, you can significantly boost employer response.

HERE’S HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MESSAGE:

Aim to position yourself as a specialized generalist, i.e. someone with a well-rounded general background but also with one or two specific areas of expertise that distinctly make you more attractive than others in your peer group. Promote yourself a value-added candidate.
Instead of merely describing your previous duties and responsibilities, give special attention in your resume to factors that will give your candidacy a notably higher appeal. For instance, if you are a CIO, explain how you can bridge business and technology within an organization.
Translate your executive experience into potential financial benefits employers can expect to receive. Clearly convey – on paper and in interviews - how you can help new employers make and save money. Give illustrations of prior successes but most importantly, expand on the likely gains these can bring to companies.

By enhancing the quality of your executive message, you improve your first impression. This is essential for staying ahead and getting the opportunities you deserve.

By Wayne Richardson

Tips for Assessing a Job Offer

2010-03-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

Getting a job offer in this environment can feel like a victory. But all job offers are not equal, and especially in the recession, it pays to do your homework before accepting. Here are three tips for doing the right research before you say yes:

1. Know the company's financial situation. Don't assume that just because the company is making an offer, there isn't trouble ahead. Find out as much as you can about the company's financial stability and market position.

2. Assess your cultural fit. Yes, the hiring manager should be doing this, but you are the one who will suffer most if there is a mismatch between the company culture and your working style.

3. Don't rely on the job description. Ask specific questions about what you will be doing, who you will be working with, and what the expectations are for your role.

Today's Management Tip was adapted from "Managing Yourself: Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change" by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams.

Top 3 Ways to Find a Job

2010-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average job search as of November 2009 took 28.5 weeks -- more than 7 months. That's the longest since record keeping began in 1948.

But there is good news: People are still finding jobs, often faster than average.

How are they doing it?

From what I can see, talking to and counseling hundreds of people in 2009, successful job seekers do three things that can get you hired faster in 2010 .

1. Start with clarity

Here's the best predictor of job-search duration: To the extent that you can clearly describe your target job title and a shortlist of 10-20 ideal employers, you will find work fast.

To the extent that you can't, you won't.

Think of it like this. If you walked into a bank and asked for a loan, they'd ask you a series of questions: How much do you need? What is it for? How will you pay it back?

If you can't clearly tell the bank what you want, they can't help you.

And if you can't clearly tell networking contacts and potential employers what you want, they can't help you, either.

2. Stop "networking" and start being helpful

Hands up -- who loves networking? I thought so.

Like eating your broccoli, most people see networking as a necessary evil.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

You can make better connections that lead to better job leads -- and have a good time doing it -- by helping other people.

Fred Stuck, from northern New Jersey, was hired last month for an IT position after networking effectively. Did he "work the room" at networking events or spring a "30-second elevator pitch" on friends and family?

No. He simply tried to be helpful.

"When a recruiter contacted me, I would say, 'Send me the full job description,' even if I wasn't really interested in the job," says Stuck.

He then offered to help the recruiter find candidates by forwarding the job description to friends and colleagues who looked like a good fit.

Stuck did more.

After being contacted by a recruiter, he asked to connect with them on LinkedIn, where many recruiters update their status with jobs they're trying to fill. "I saw one update that said, 'I'm looking for a Linux Systems Administrator.' I knew someone and asked if they were in the job market. They said, 'Yes,' so I forwarded their LinkedIn profile to the recruiter. That person didn't get the job, but they did get an interview."

Meanwhile, Stuck was hired from a networking contact he made at a prior employer, in a job search that took only about half as long as the national average. He got what he wanted while helping others get what they wanted.

(my take is; keep networking and networking but keep in mind that it is not just you getting help from those you meet but helping each other. I think networking is especially critical if you are looking for a position different that you have been in for the last few years)

3. Go beyond email

Finally, let's look at how most job seekers communicate with employers and networking contacts. It's probably how you communicate, too.

It's email.

And I submit that email is the root of most employment struggles.

Yes, email it convenient. But is it effective?

Put another way, if you had to get a message to someone across town by 5:00 tonight or face certain death, would you email it and then update your Facebook profile until dinner?

No. You might email that message, yes, but here's what else you would do, in this order:

pick up the phone, call, and ask if they got it;
fax the message, call, and ask if they got it;
get in your car and hand-deliver the message yourself.

So. If you wouldn't trust your life to email, why trust your career . which provides the money you need to live your life?

If you make one resolution in 2010 make it this: Stop relying on email and online applications to find a job, and start doing whatever it takes to make personal contact at companies you want to work for.

To prove this non-email approach works, here are three mini-case studies from the Guerrilla Job Search files .

1) Jeff Donaldson, former Chrysler program manager, hired in November 2009. He got his winning job lead from a letter he mailed to networking contacts. Time to hire: 45 days.

2) Gail Neal, sales rep, hired in November 2009, after mailing her resume and cover letter in a thank-you note to an employer she learned of by meeting a LinkedIn contact offline. Time to hire: 52 days.

3) Mary Berman, marketing executive assistant, also hired in November 2009, after mailing her resume and cover letter in a box, with a coffee cup, asking to meet the employer for coffee. Time to hire: 53 days.

Now. What do the three success traits in this article -- clear goals, helping others, going beyond email -- have in common?

Interview Myths That Keep You From Landing the Job

2010-01-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

With so few jobs currently available and so many people currently hoping to fill those jobs, standing out in an interview is of utmost importance. While jobs themselves are scarce, job advice is overly abundant. And with an influx of information comes an influx of confusion. What career counsel do you take, and what do you ignore?

There are a number of common misconceptions related to interview best practices, experts say. Kera Greene of the Career Counselors Consortium and executive coach Barbara Frankel offer tips below that can help you stand out from other interview subjects, avoid frequent pitfalls, and secure the job.

Myth #1: Be prepared with a list of questions to ask at the close of the interview.

There is some truth in this common piece of advice: You should always be prepared, and that usually includes developing questions related to the job. The myth here is that you must wait until it is "your turn" to speak.

By waiting until the interviewer asks you if you have any questions, "it becomes an interrogation instead of a conversation," says Greene.

Greene recommends that you think of an interview as a sales call. You are the product and you are selling yourself to the employer. "You can't be passive in a sales call or you aren't going to sell your product."

Frankel mimics Greene's comments. "It's a two-way street," she says. "I recommend asking a follow-up question at the tail end of your responses."

For example, Frankel says, if the interviewer says, "Tell me about yourself," you first respond to that question and complete your response with a question like, "Can you tell me more about the position?" The interview should be a dialogue.

Myth #2: Do not show weakness in an interview.

The reality is that it is OK to have flaws. In fact, almost every interviewer will ask you to name one. Typically job seekers are told to either avoid this question by providing a "good flaw." One such "good flaw" which is often recommends is: "I am too committed to my work." But, these kinds of responses will only hurt you.

"Every recruiter can see through that," Greene says of faux flaws.

Recruiters conduct interviews all day, every day. They've seen it all and can see through candidates who dodge questions. "They prefer to hire someone who is honest than someone who is obviously lying," Greene says.

And for those of you who claim to be flaw-free, think again. "Everybody has weaknesses," Frankel states. But one is enough. According to Frankel, supply your interviewer with one genuine flaw, explain how you are working to correct it, and then move on to a new question.

Myth #3: Be sure to point out all of your strengths and skills to the employer.

Of course, you want the interviewer to know why you are a valuable candidate, but a laundry list of your skills isn't going to win you any points. Inevitably, in an interview, you will be asked about your skills. What can go wrong in this scenario?

"You don't want to list a litany of strengths," Frankel says.

"What is typical is that they will say: 'I'm a good communicator,' 'I have excellent interpersonal skills,' 'I am responsible,'" Greene explains. "You have to give accomplishments. I need to know what did you accomplish when using these skills."

Frankel recommends doing a little groundwork before your interview so that you are best equipped to answer this question. She tells her clients to find out what the prospective job role consists of. "What makes an interview powerful is to give an example related to their particular needs or challenges that you have demonstrated in the past."

Provide three strengths, with examples. You will get much further with a handful of real strengths than with an unconvincing list of traits.

Myth #4: Let the employer know your salary expectations.

One of the trickiest questions to answer in an interview relates to salary. Money talk can be uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be. The fact is you don't even have to answer when asked about desired salary.

According to the book "Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions That Will Get You The Job!" a perfect response would be: "I want to earn a salary that is commensurate with the contributions I can make. I am confident I can make a substantial contribution at your firm. What does your firm plan to pay for this position?"

Greene suggests a similar response: "I prefer to discuss the compensation package after you've decided that I'm the best candidate and we can sit down and negotiate the package."

Myth #5: The employer determines whether or not you get the job.

While yes, the employer must be the one to offer you the position, interviewees have more control than they often realize. According to both Greene and Frankel, candidates have a larger say in the final hiring decision than they think.

"They should call the interviewer or hiring manager and say: 'I'd really like to be part of the company,'" says Greene. "It can't hurt you. It can only help."

"Acing the Interview" encourages all candidates to conclude their interviews with one question: "'Based on our interview, do you have any concerns about my ability to do the job?' -- If the answer is yes, ask the interviewer to be explicit. Deal forthrightly with each concern."

2009-12-21T10:39:00.000-08:00

Nail the interview

It has not been easy, you have worked hard networking and connecting with people you have not talked to in years to help you find a job opening. Your resume and cover letter apparently were just the ticket to get the attention of the HR manager and make it thru the screening process. You successfully handled the phone interview and you finally get an interview for the job you want.
You have researched the company’s website, and talked with people who have worked with them to anticipate questions that could be asked and have rehearsed your planned responses.
How can you make sure this story turns out positively:
1) Show up 15 minutes early: if you’re much earlier than that, you can appear desperate and make the interviewer uncomfortable. Later than that, you’ll leave a bad impression and start the interview frazzled.
2) Dress appropriately: What is appropriate is a point of contention but my vote is dress up. The company may have a casual dress code and you might stand out in your suit but for one day it might make the difference.
3) Be polite to EVERYONE you meet: this including receptionists and the people you pass in the hall and on your plant tour It is the right thing to do and everyone talks about the new people. Your interviewer will be aware if someone is not impressed. I have heard of one company who gave a score card to the receptionist to evaluate each candidate.
4) Follow directions: if you’ve been asked to bring your resume, bring it. If you were told to fill out an application online, make sure it’s been done. Pre-interview work is also a part of the interview and gives the interviewer some insight into how you will complete tasks on the job.
5) Wow them by going above and beyond: people love seeing their name in print and you will score major bonus points by bringing a resume and cover letter packet addressed to the interviewer.
Attempt to find out who you will be meeting with and make sure that you have one addressed to each person in the interview. Your attention to detail will impress immediately and show that you are excited about the opportunity.
These tips will let you put your best foot forward and differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. Once you have their attention, make sure to be friendly and positive regardless of how the interviewer behaves: you want them to only be able to say good things about you.

3 Reasons You Should Wear a Suit

2009-12-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

In the tech boom of the 1990s, people began to trade in their suits for business-casual khakis and sweaters; and business attire has continued to get more casual ever since. Dressing appropriately is critical to landing clients, impressing your boss, and making business interactions easier. Here are three reasons to consider going old school and wearing a suit:
1. Ease. There's no need to agonize over whether you're dressed up enough. Because a suit is at the top of the dress-code hierarchy, you can wear it worry free.
2. Professionalism. There is no doubt that wearing a suit makes you both look and feel professional. It can be a good way to raise someone's opinion of you — perhaps even your opinion of yourself.
3. Respect. Wearing a suit shows whomever you're meeting with that you value the meeting enough to dress up for it.

Today's Management Tip was adapted from "What Your Suit Says About You" by David Silverman.

Follow up letter

2009-11-09T07:58:00.002-08:00

Some thoughts I have about following up with a letter after your interview. I would email o snail mail a letter to each person you talked to. Some of the areas you should cover

1) Thank you for your time etc....

2. A few sentences indicating why you are interested in it and what you understand about the job such as I understand that the acme company is poised for growth the xyz market". As I understand it, you need someone who can do ABC for you (spell out ABC in detail using the same words the client used during the interview)
and

3. List why you thing you are qualified such as “My experiences doing XYZ demonstrate that I can hit the ground running and make an immediate contribution toward your ABC goals”

4) (If there were any areas where the you might feel at disadvantage, take a few sentences here to address it head in and turn it into an advantage...such as "I'm excited by the challenge of becoming expert in X technology. Everything else I am currently expert in is something I once knew nothing about and I'm always thrilled to expand my horizons.")

5) Thanks again for your time and consideration. I want to be the candidate you pick, so if there are aspects of my background you would like to explore further in order to feel comfortable choosing me, please feel free to contact me anytime.

This demonstration to the client that you "gets it" and "wants it" is something the competitor won't have the opportunity to do, and might not have the coaching to do even after the interview.

Interviewing with a Japanese Company

2009-10-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Following established protocols is key to a successful interview with a Japanese company. Japanese business culture values peace, harmony and long term relationships. In conducting business, Japanese hve established rules for communication, decision-making, meetings and presentations. Contrasted with these formal codes of behavior are the American competitive, casual attitude and a tendency to form short-term liaisons for short-term gain.

Adhering to established Japanese business etiquette will improve your chances of a job offer. Follow these conventions from the moment you open the door until the time it is closed behind you.

Keep in mind that your Japanese interviewer will form an opinion about you based at least as much (maybe more) on what you do as on what you say.

Japanese appreciate when others make an effort to learn about their culture. Prepare for the interview by learning enough about Japanese culture so that you will be comfortable during your interview.
Choose samples of your work that represent your accomplishments related to the position for which you are interviewing. Ask your search consultant what type of graphic examples would be best.
Learn the names of those who will be interviewing you and how to pronounce them correctly.
Unless the interviewer requests otherwise, address everyone by last name with an appropriate title. If the interviewer asks you to use first names, do so until time to say goodbye. Goodbyes are more formal; don't feel you have to jump in to fill the quiet with unnecessary words.
Say enough to completely answer questions, but don't talk too much. Japanese use silence as a way of communication; don't feel you have to jump in to fill the quiet with unnecessary words.
When answering questions, speak slowly so Japanese listeners can understand, but not so slowly as to be condescending. Use short concise sentences. If you don't understand a question, it is better to politely ask the interviewer to repeat it rather than forge ahead with an answer that may not be correct.
Pay attention to all who are in the interview. Answer your questioner first, but from time to time, turn your face to those who are silent during the interview. In many cases, the highest appropriate manager will attend the interview. He may not be fluent in English, but it is important to acknowledge his presence and position.
Show a willingness and motivation to learn and apply new concepts and ideas. Exaggerating your experience or knowledge will not make a favorable impression.
Strengthen your position by indicatin or being in a postion to indicate that other companies are considering you. Be careful not to appear too needy by overstating your interest in working for this company.
If you want to be considered for the position, follow your interview immediately with a thank you email or letter to the interviewer.

Asking Questions During an Interview

2009-10-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

Asking Questions During an Interview

It’s called “Ask and ye may receive…that job you want” and it’s includes some questions you should and shouldn’t ask a potential employer during a job interview.

It’s important to note that, the worst thing you can do is decline to ask questions, said Stephen Tryon, senior vice president of logistics and talent management at Overstock.com. It could show laziness or, worse, a lack of interest. Still, you want to avoid asking questions that can easily be researched on the company’s Web site, or about pay and benefits packages ” at least during the initial interview.

“Hiring is like a blind date, and nobody knows how it’s going to work out,” Tryon said. “But in that encounter, you should offer good value for their time and ask questions that will really determine whether you’re a good match or not.”

Do your homework
It’s a good idea to ask very specific questions that demonstrate your knowledge about the company and that you’ve done your research, said Doug Arms, chief talent officer for Ajilon Professional Staffing. This can be about products, competitors or the company’s strategic plan.

“It’s important how you phrase the questions and cite things you’ve already learned,” Arms said. “A good question might be about how the company has poised itself for growth in the past. You might be able to use that response to help formulate your own answers during future interviews.”

You should limit yourself to three questions, Arms said, and make sure they’re short and to the point.

Showing an interest in the company’s culture and asking about management style will also help you determine whether the job is a good fit, said career coach Jo Singel.

Learn about the job
Finding out why the position is open is great for insight about the job itself and what the employer would like done differently, according to Jennifer Warne, senior recruiting specialist for consulting firm Towers Perrin.

You’ll also want to ask for specific details about how performance is measured, and whether your interviewer sees potential gaps in your experience, she said.

“This can be a really great opportunity to assess and address problems head on,” Warne said. “Often times the interviewer will give you an honest response, and it will give you a good idea of where you stand.”

Arms and Singel give these examples of strong questions to ask about the job:

How long have you been trying to fill this position?
What does daily life in this job entail?
How do you evaluate success?
What are you expecting from me in the first 60 days I’m working here?
What kind of orientation program do you have for new employees?
What have others who’ve worked with you said about your leadership?
How much confidence do you have in your team right now?
What’s more important to you, productivity or creativity?

“At the end, don’t forget to ask for the job,” Singel said. “Tell them you want it. A lot of people forget to do that.”

Tie in your qualifications
It may be a good idea to thread five strengths into questions to use as emergency backup in case they haven’t already surfaced in the interview, said Bob Daugherty, head of recruiting for the U.S. at accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“You’re going to need a game plan, but you’ll still need to customize your questions based on what’s happening during the interview,” he said. “What’s most important is that you stay on your toes and get those qualifications and strengths out on the table â€” no matter what.”

Avoid salary and benefits
Hiring managers agreed that the last thing they want to hear is, “What’s in it for me?”

“The function of asking questions isn’t so much about getting information about the company as it is about conveying your own talent,” Tryon said. “The purpose of the interview is to get the job, and asking about medical benefits isn’t necessarily working toward that goal.”

Susan Leonard, human resources business partner at ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, said there’s a tactful way to navigate the issue of salary. The interviewee shouldn’t ask about pay or benefits during a first interview, but if it comes up, ask what the hiring range is to get a sense of whether it’s in your ballpark.

“As part of the dance, the interviewer may ask you what your salary history is,” she said. “Avoid the question completely and say it’s too early to discuss salary. Gently turn it around to ask what they’re offering, so you don’t oversell or price yourself out of a job.”

Know what not to ask
Avoid questions that are aggressive and can display a “lack of emotional maturity,” said Kristen Weirick, director of talent acquisition for Whirlpool Corp. Some of the questions on her forbidden list:

Are you going to hire me?
When will I be promoted?
How much does this job pay?
Am I more qualified than the other applicants?
Can I call you tomorrow?

The worst question Weirick has heard from a job candidate: “That’s a really good question. What do you think the answer is?”

10 Ways to Be Liked in Your Job Interview

2009-08-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

10 Ways to Be Liked in Your Job Interview

No matter your resume and talents, if you mess up a job interview you won't get that position. In today's tough economy you need every possible edge. As authors of the new book, "I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What you Want Out of Your Job," we see it as a simple equation: You want to be liked -- not hated. Here are 10 simple things to do that will dramatically increase your chances: from wearing the right expression, to knowing what not to say, to never ever breaking a sweat.
1. Don't be a "smiley face." Excessive smiling in a job interview is seen for what it is -- nervousness and a lack of confidence. A smiley-face person exudes phoniness, which will quickly be picked up by the interviewer. Instead be thoughtful and pleasant. Smile when there's something to smile about. Do a practice run in front of a mirror or friend.
2. Don't be a small-talker. Your job is to be knowledgeable about the company for which you're interviewing. Random facts about last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" or your favorite blog will not get you the job. Never feel you have to fill an interview with small talk. Find ways to talk about serious subjects related to the industry or company. Pockets of silence are better than padding an interview with random babble.
3. Don't sweat. You can lose a job by wearing an undershirt or simply a little too much clothing. Sweaty palms or beads on your forehead will not impress. You are not applying to be a personal trainer. Sweat will be seen as a sign of weakness and nervousness. Do a practice run with your job interview outfit in front of friends. The job interview is one place you definitely don't want to be hot.
4. Don't be a road block. Interviewers are seeking candidates eager to take on challenging projects and jobs. Hesitance and a nay-saying mentality will be as visible as a red tie -- and seen as a negative. Practice saying "yes" to questions about your interest in tasks and work that might normally give you pause.
5. Don't be petty. Asking the location of the lunchroom or meeting room will clue the interviewer into your lack of preparation and initiative. Prepare. Don't ask questions about routine elements or functions of a company: where stuff is, the size of your cube, and company policy on coffee breaks.
6. Don't be a liar. Studies show that employees lie frequently in the workplace. Lying won't get you a job. In a job interview even a slight exaggeration is lying. Don't. Never stretch your resume or embellish accomplishments. There's a difference between speaking with a measured confidence and engaging in BS. One lie can ruin your entire interview, and the skilled interviewer will spot the lie and show you the door.
7. Don't be a bad comedian. Humor tends to be very subjective, and while it may be tempting to lead your interview with a joke you've got to be careful about your material. You probably will know nothing about the sensibilities of your interviewer, let alone what makes them laugh. On the other hand, nothing disarms the tension of a job interview like a little laughter, so you can probably score at least a courtesy chuckle mentioning that it's "perfect weather for a job interview!"
8. Don't be high-maintenance. If you start talking about the ideal office temperature, the perfect chair for your tricky back, and how the water cooler needs to be filled with imported mineral water, chances are you'll be shown a polite smile and the door, regardless of your qualifications. Nobody hiring today is going to be looking for someone who's going to be finicky about their workspace.
9. Don't be a time-waster. At every job interview, the prospective hire is given the chance to ask questions. Make yours intelligent, to the point, and watch the person across the desk for visual cues whether you've asked enough. Ask too many questions about off-target matters and you'll be thought of as someone destined to waste the company's resources with insignificant and time-wasting matters.
10. Don't be a switchblade. Normally the switchblade is thought of a backstabber, often taking credit for someone else's work. In an interview setting, the switchblade can't help but "trash talk" his former employer. If you make it seem like your former workplace was hell on Earth, the person interviewing you might be tempted to call them to find out who was the real devil.

by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon

10 Boilerplate Phrases that Kill Resumes

2009-08-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

by: Liz Ryan
The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop. One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume. Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or I would actually say. Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:

Results-oriented professional
Cross-functional teams
More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
Superior (or excellent) communication skills
Strong work ethic
Met or exceeded expectations
Proven track record of success
Works well with all levels of staff
Team player
Bottom-line orientation

You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example: "I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result." You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!
Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, former Fortune 500 VP and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. Contact Liz at liz@asklizryan.com or join the Ask Liz Ryan online community at www.asklizryan/group. The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.

5 Fatal Job Search Errors

2009-08-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

by: Liz Ryan

The other day I received a resume attached to an email message. The email message itself was lovely, but the attached document was labeled "BrittneyRoxYall.doc." Evidently young Brittney (let's hope Brittney is young) forgot what she'd titled her resume and sent it off as an attachment, without changing the document's name.
It is fantastic to see that Brittney has healthy self-esteem. That's a big plus for Brittney in her job search. However, I couldn't consider Brittney a candidate for the job I was filling, once she'd made that unfortunate clerical error. Little items like a mislabeled resume can hurt a job seeker, so take note of these five fatal job-search errors:
Mislabeling Your Resume
Brittney learned the hard way that a resume on your hard drive must be labeled BrittneyJonesResume.doc or some other simple and obvious name when it's sent to employers via email. Even better is to label each resume with your name and the name of the employer it's going to, a la BrittneyJonesResumeAbbottLabs.doc. That way, if you tweak your resume for different job openings (and I hope you do) you'll always know which version of your resume you've sent to each employer.
The Shotgun Approach
A resume that starts out "Objective: to make a contribution to my next employer in any Marketing, PR, Product Management or Operations role" is bound for the trash bin, whether the job in question is a Marketing, PR, Product Management or Operations job. These days, you don't go to the print shop and order resumes in boxes of 100 anymore. You can and must customize your resume as often as needed, and very possibly for every job you pursue. So why would a prospective employer want to know about your qualifications for jobs you're not applying for? Take out the extra roles and focus your resume on just the job you're applying for today.
Ignoring the Job-Ad Instructions
I wrote a job ad that said, "Please send me an email message that answers these three questions." Then, I listed three questions that job applicants should answer in a paragraph or two. Oh dear! Of 95 applicants, only a handful answered the questions. That's an easy way for employers to screen out candidates, so it's worth your time to read and re-read the job ad carefully, and respond to it in the way the ad specifies. No sense being dropped out of the pipeline before you've had a chance to shine!
Failing to Customize
When a job opening gives you a chance to write a cover letter, write a good one! Take 15 or 20 minutes to research the employer online (visiting the company's own website and news sites, for starters) in order to say something company-specific in your cover letter. "I am interested in the job because it sounds interesting" doesn't cut it in this job market. Try, "Given your recent acquisition of Sun Microsystems, I'm guessing that the IT Integration Specialists you're seeking now should be folks who've been through data-integration projects in the past, as I have. At IBM, I ..." and so forth.
Drowning in Boilerplate
A good 2009 resume or cover letter is strong and human-sounding, not dry and full of corporate-speak fluff. Take out the "strong team orientation," "results-oriented professional," and "bottom line focus" before you send another resume into the market. Replace that awful stuff with mini-stories that point out your best qualities, like "At ABC Graphics, our team won the President's Award for on-time delivery."
Don't let a basic job-search error slow down your job search!

Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, former Fortune 500 VP and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new millennium workplace. Connect with her at www.asklizryan.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely the author's.

Questions to ask the Interviewer

2009-07-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

Interview Questions to Ask

· How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?

· How would you describe a typical week/day in this position?

· Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do?

· What is the company's management style?

· Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her?

· How many people work in this office/department?

· How much travel is expected?

· Is relocation a possibility?

· What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected?

· What are the prospects for growth and advancement?

· How does one advance in the company?

· Are there any examples?

· What do you like about working here?

· What don't you like about working here and what would you change?

· Would you like a list of references?

· If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?

· What can I tell you about my qualifications?

· When can I expect to hear from you?

· Are there any other questions I can answer for you?

Interview Questions NOT to Ask

· What does this company do? (Do your research ahead of time!)

· If I get the job when can I take time off for vacation? (Wait until you get the offer to mention prior commitments)

· Can I change my schedule if I get the job? (If you need to figure out the logistics of getting to work don't mention it now...)

· Did I get the job? (Don't be impatient. They'll let you know.)

Job Search Mistakes

2009-07-28T06:34:00.000-07:00

Desperation, and six other mistakes job-seekers should avoid

Economists call it the labor market, but for job hunters competing with almost 15 million unemployed workers, it probably feels more like a labor jungle.

And many economists expect the current 9.5% unemployment rate to get worse before it gets better, possibly topping 10% -- a situation not seen since the early 1980s, when for a 10-month period the jobless rate hovered between 10% and 10.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In times like these, bad news isn't hard to find. But jobs are -- and job seekers are all too aware of it. That alone can have negative ramifications, some experts say.

"Job hunters, because they are so fearful and full of anxiety, the way they are approaching job hunting is more off base than ever," said Andrea Kay, a career consultant and author of "Work's a Bitch and Then You Make It Work."

They're "not taking time to think about strategy," Kay said. "They're merely reacting."

Hide Your Desperation

When asked about the biggest mistakes job seekers are making, the three most-cited problems were "too desperate/willing to take anything," "poor interview preparation" and "weak resumes," according to a survey of 500 executive recruiters conducted for TheLadders.com, a career site for executives.

In this job market it's not surprising people are "willing to take anything." Still, career experts say it's important to spend time digging up information on jobs that are well suited to you, rather than applying to any open position.

"It's not about how many jobs you apply to; it's applying to the right one," said Alex Douzet, president and co-founder of TheLadders.com. "The skill and preparation is in narrowing down the right job for you."

The right strategy is not complicated, Kay said. "A good job hunter has two jobs: They should be discovering the problems that employers have for which they need help and then they should be presenting themselves as the solution."

Is the company struggling to stay in business? Developing a new product? "What are their issues that I as an IT person or a marketing person or a customer-service person can help them with?" Kay said.

Others agreed that in job hunting, strategy is all-important. "Even during good times, there are still people competing for virtually every job listing," said Richard Bolles, author of "The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide" and "What Color Is Parachute?"

"During hard times, you have to have better job-hunting skills to compete," he said.

Developing a strategy can help you focus your search and, ideally, help you overcome that sense of desperation. Also, consider these other mistakes to avoid when job-hunting:

1. Relying Solely on Ads and Online Job Sites

Jobs often are not advertised, and the only way to find them is by networking. "Many employers prefer not to advertise on the Internet. They prefer to fill vacancies in more personal ways. Job hunters who go on the Internet, typically only 10% or less" are successful, Bolles said.

That means finding and contacting companies that can use your skills, Kay said. "Find a live human being there that you can connect to so you're not just another resume coming in the door."

Contact that person via email or telephone, and say, for instance, "I understand you're in the process of rolling out a new product. I would like to talk to you about how I can support you in this," Kay said. Also send your resume and a letter "packed with reasons for them to want to talk to you."

At small to mid-size firms, try simply walking in the door, resume in hand -- but keep in mind that not all employers appreciate this.

"I'm a fan of physically going to the company," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam, a temporary staffing agency for administrative professionals and unit of Robert Half International.

"Get yourself looking professional. Walk into reception. 'I understand you posted an ad for this. I know it said to email the resume. I personally wanted to drop one off,'" Hosking said. "It shows tremendous initiative to be able to do that. It sets you apart from 90% of job seekers out there, and it gets your resume to the top of the pile in hardcopy."

Still, at a larger company, you'll likely need to find somebody to drop off your resume for you, Bolles said. In that case, your network, as well as online sites such as LinkedIn can be invaluable for making connections.

2. Don't Make Your Resume a List of Activities

Job seekers often think their resume is for listing "everything I've ever done in my life," TheLadders.com's Douzet said. "No, no, no. This is a marketing vehicle. This is your company brochure. It's your brand statement. It's got to tell your story."

Focus on detailing your achievements, not listing what you've done. Quantify your successes, whether in dollars or time saved for your previous company, or in customers retained, experts said.

Also, your resume should be tailored to fit the company's job description so it catches the eye of the person doing the initial resume sorting. Also, your resume's story should parallel what you say in the interview. "When I meet with you and I've read your story on paper," Douzet said, "there shouldn't be a disconnect."

More resume rules: Two pages maximum, and no colored paper or cute graphics, Hosking said. If you drop off your resume, use a slightly heavier paper so it stands out from the stack the company printed out from emails.

3. Don't Go to the Interview Unprepared

If the company recently made an acquisition or unveiled a new product, you need to know, and be able to speak intelligently about the company's needs and culture. "Companies loved to be loved, just as much as individuals," Bolles said.

Another way to prepare: Come up with two or three messages you want to get across to hiring managers. Again, tailor these to match the job description, Douzet said. Why? More than one person is going to have to approve hiring you.

"These people are going to get together later and discuss your candidacy," Douzet said. "They have to remember something about you and they have to convince each other that you are the right person to do the job."

If you've presented a coherent story about your achievements and how they fit the job's requirements, you're more likely to be considered as a contender.

4. Don't Confuse 'Networking' With Asking for Work

Networking is about developing relationships, Kay said. Contact people you know to ask for advice; don't ask for work. Tap their expertise about their industry and company, and what advice they have for you on the job hunt.

Also, don't ask chance acquaintances for a reference, but tap them for information on their firm's hiring process, its culture and even the name and number of the person doing the hiring.

Networking "is developing relationships that may not have an immediate payoff tomorrow but certainly in the long run are very helpful," said Judith Applebaum, director of career services at the University of Buffalo.

5. Don't Treat Support Staff Poorly

Sixty-one percent of executives said they considered their assistant's opinion important when evaluating job candidates, according to an OfficeTeam survey. "No matter how stressed you get, keep in mind that if you're not as nice to the front desk person as you could be, that information always gets back," Hosking said.

6. Failing to Tap Resources

Many college career offices offer their services to alumni of all ages, Applebaum said.

"At the University of Buffalo we provide individual assistance through career counseling, we have vacancy listings, resume databases that we offer to employers, job fairs [and] networking opportunities with employers and with alumni," she said.

Also, search for local nonprofit and for-profit career-counseling agencies, she said. Along with networking opportunities, support groups can help job seekers maintain a positive attitude.

Finally, while you're job-hunting, consider volunteering or taking a class at a local college. The experience will keep you connected and may lead to achievements that will serve you well on your resume.

After you have sent in your resume....what next?

2009-07-27T05:43:00.000-07:00

You’ve spent the last week sending out your resume to several companies and have yet to hear back. Lack of feedback can make you discouraged but just because they aren't calling doesn't mean they aren't interested. The hiring manager or the HR manager may be on vacation or they could be involved in some other issues the company. It's not uncommon for hiring managers of a company to become so busy that they don’t get screening resumes for a month. So don't let this discourage you.

There are some steps that you can take. That is following up after submitting a your resume. It’s recommended. I believe that most hiring manager expect follow up contact you. Why?
1. Because it demonstrates initiative and interest in a position,
2. You can verify that your resume was received and not lost in a spam filter somewhere.
3. it can help you stand out in the crowd of qualified candidates.

That is following up after submitting a your resume. It’s recommended. I believe that most hiring manager expect follow up contact you. Why?

1. Because it demonstrates initiative and interest in a position,
2. You can verify that your resume was received and not lost in a spam filter somewhere and
3. it can help you stand out in the crowd of qualified candidates.

What's the best way to follow up with prospective employers? There’s no one-size-fits-all formula, but here a couple of pointers:

When should I Check back? Following up too quickly may annoy hiring managers, but letting too much time elapse can cause them to forget about you. Most executives recommend contacting the company within two weeks of sending a resume. That's approximately the length of time hiring managers need to review application materials and get back in touch with candidates.

What is the best way to follow up? E-mail, phone, and a handwritten note all are acceptable forms of communicating with hiring managers.. E-mail can be a useful tool for reminding recruiters that you've applied for the job and for resubmitting your resume without seeming too pushy. Alternatively, if you have the hiring manager's name and phone number, you may have luck with a follow-up phone call. Just make sure to rehearse what you will say beforehand, and call when you think the person is likely to be free. (Early morning and late afternoon are typically good times to phone.)
Keep your conversation brief, and only leave a message if you've gotten the hiring manager's voice mail at least two times. Finally, a personalized note is another way to express genuine interest in the job and to indicate that you're not submitting blanket resumes; just realize you may have to be a bit more patient in receiving a response.

What should I do if I applied for a job online and there is no contact information?
Do a Google search for the company to identify a name of the HR, recruiting manager or even the department manager of the department manager you believe the job is located , search the company on linkend in, often a vey complete listing of the departmental managers are listed. Or occasionally you can call the company switchboard and ask the receptionist to speak to the person in charge of the job opening for which you applied.

Finally, If no contact information is available, you can at least send a follow-up e-mail to the same address to which you sent your resume.

What points should I communicate? You want to follow up to see that your resume was received and In addition you want to express continued interest in the position, you should reiterate the value they can bring to the organization by citing specific professional accomplishments and in-demand skills they possess. These examples should relate in some way to the requirements of the open position. Often, a short, simple message is enough to prompt a hiring manager to take a closer look at your application materials. If you don't receive a response after all your efforts, at least you can rest easy knowing you did everything in your power to make it happen.

The Ins and Outs of Group Interviews

2009-07-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

Group Interviews: How to Deal with Group Interviews

A group interview, sometimes known as a panel interview, is different than a one-on-one interview because it is conducted by a whole group of people. If you know you are facing a group interview or if you think it might be a possibility, learning more about what you can expect from a group interview is a good idea.

Types of Group Interviews
There are two basic types of group interviews:

· A Candidate Group

· A Panel Group

In a candidate group interview, you will most likely be put in a room with other job applicants. In many cases, these applicants will be applying for the same position that you are applying for. During a candidate group interview, you will definitely be asked to listen to information about the company and the position, and you may be asked to answer questions or participate in group exercises.

In a panel group interview, which is much more common than a candidate group interview, you will most likely be interviewed individually by a panel of two or more people. This type of group interview is almost always a question and answer session, but you might also be asked to participate in some type of exercise or test that simulates your potential work environment.

Why Companies Use Group Interviews
An increasing number of companies are using group interviews to screen job applicants. This change could be attributed to the desire to reduce turnover and the fact that teamwork is becoming more critical in the workplace, but the easiest way to explain it is that two heads are almost always better than one. When there is more than one person doing the interviewing, the chances of a bad hiring decision being made are reduced.

What Group Interviewers Look For
Group interviewers look for the same things other interviewers look for. They want to see a strong candidate who knows how to work well with others and behave properly and competently in a work environment. Specific things that group interviewers scrutinize:

· Your Appearance. Attire, hygiene, and anything else that relates to your physical form will be judged. If you wear too much make-up or cologne, at least one of the interviewers will notice. If you forgot to put on deodorant or match your socks, at least one of the interviewers will notice.

· Your Presentation Skills. Interviewers will be paying special attention to how you present yourself. Do you slouch or fidget? Do you make eye contact when you converse? Did you remember to shake hands with everyone in the room?

· Your Communication Skills. No matter what type of job you are applying for, you will need to be able to communicate. Specific skills that group interviewers look for is your ability to listen, follow instructions and get your ideas across.

· Your Interest Level. From the time the interview starts until it ends, interviewers will be trying to assess how interested you are in the job you are applying for. If you seem bored and unengaged during the interview, you will probably be passed by for someone else.

Tips to Help You Ace Your Group Interview
Preparation is the key to success in any interview, but this is especially true for group interviews. If you make any mistakes, at least one of your interviewers is bound to notice. Here are a few tips to that will help you make the best impression possible:

· Greet all of your interviewers individually. Make eye contact, say hello, and if possible shake hands.

· Don't focus on any one individual. You should make an effort to engage everyone in the group when you are asking or answering questions.

· Don't show surprise or annoyance when faced with a group interview.

· Prepare for the group interview by making a list of questions that you may be asked and practicing how you might answer them.

· If you are interviewed with other candidates it is better to lead than to follow. Interviewers may not remember you if you blend into the background.

· Skills you will be expected to demonstrate during group interview exercises include leadership skills, your ability to handle stress and pressure, teamwork skills and how well you take and give criticism. Be sure to keep this in mind when you complete the exercises.

· Thank everyone who interviewed you and remember names and titles so that you can send a written than you note afterwards.

Ace the Interview

2009-07-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Let's say you followed my advice on resumes and cover letters. If it worked, you're very welcome. Or, if you disregarded what I said and wrote a 10-page cover letter and 20-page resume and still got the interview, congratulations and mea culpa. (If I were always right, I'd be filing this post from my own tropical island — not my dining room table-slash-desk.)
In any event, through a combination of skill, perseverance, and luck, you've landed the interview. In short order, you'll be alone in front of a gauntlet of interviewers with no recourse to the backspace key to fix any verbal gaffes. Now what?
Number one, understand that you are applying for a job someone needs doing and they're trying to figure out if you're the person. And to do that, the interviewer will rely on their perceptions and beliefs about interviewing.
For example, I like to know that an employee has a desire to get promoted and move ahead. My reasoning is that an employee who mentions promotion in the interview will work harder on the job.
But other interviewers may have had a bad experience with an employee focusing on advancement to the exclusion of finishing the job they were hired to do. If you're not sensitive to that manager's fears, and continue talking about how you're getting your MBA at night, you won't get that job.
So with that thought in your pocket — that you need to listen and react to the person in the room with you, not slavishly follow any list of rules — I present to you my list of rules for interviewing:1. Dress appropriately. If you're going to Amalgamated Ginormous Finance, Inc., a business suit is appropriate. If you're a man, wear a tie. Even in California.
2. Shut up. Did I tell you about the time someone came and told me his life story for 45 minutes and then allowed me 10 minutes to explain the job? I think you know how that story ends.
3. Listen. The most useful skill in sales is listening — and in an interview, you're selling yourself. If you say, "I think the best computers in the world are PCs and people who use Macs have more style than substance" after the interviewer mentions his iPhone, you could be left with your opinion and no paycheck.
4. Ask questions. You can avoid the problem above by responding to the question, "Do you think we should scrap all the PCs here and buy Macs?" by saying, "That depends on lots of factors. What would your requirements be?"
5. Show interest. This could also be called "sucking up." When an interviewee doesn't ask me anything about myself, she's not just saying "I've got pride in my accomplishments and don't need to pander to you." She's also showing me that she isn't good at showing interest in other people. Which means she's going to have a hard time politically in the company. And since that's going to reflect badly on me...no job for her.
6. Do your research. Some people find being Googled creepy. But if you do it carefully, you can show the hiring manager that you took the time to learn something about them. Feel free to quote what they said in CIO Magazine about the challenges of technology in the office. Just don't mention the size of their swimming pool as viewed through Google Earth.7. Answer the question you wish they'd asked. Robert McNamara said that about dealing with the press, but it's also very good advice for interviewees. How many times have you left an interview thinking, "I never got a chance to tell them about my Nobel Prize in possum research?" Don't wait for the question. Answer "What did you do at your last job?" with "Actually, it was my work on possums two jobs ago that you might find most relevant." (Well, maybe for you it wasn't specifically a Nobel or about possums, but you get the idea.)
What about you? Any horror stories of interviews gone wrong as either the interviewee or interviewer? Any thoughts on how to stand the best chance of success in an interview?

Tell me about yourself.......

2009-05-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Answering the Tell Me About Yourself Question

A Candidate’s Guide to Making a Great First Impression While Interviewing

Let’s face it, interviewing is stressful enough without having to answer stupid interview questions. But unfortunately, many interviewers, because of habit, lack of preparation time, poor training, or yes, even laziness, often ask stupid questions. Of those, one of the most challenging is the oft used “Tell me about yourself” interview opener.

What most candidates ask me about this insipid interview question is: “What do they want to know?” They want to know about you the candidate as a potential employee. They don’t want to know about your family, your last vacation, your hobbies, your religious beliefs, that you like the Cubs, or that you are a proud member of AA. Yes, I have had candidates give each of those responses to the infamous “Tell me about yourself”question. I don’t recall any of them ever getting hired by the employers who interviewed them.

Interviewers also think it is improper, a sign of your lack of preparedness, or even rude, for you to answer their “Tell me about yourself” question with a question of your own like,“What would you like to know?” If you are prepared, and seriously thinking about making a career change, you will have a prepared and thoughtful answer to this question BEFORE you begin interviewing.

Why? I am glad you asked, and I think one example should convince you I am right.

Let me share just one story about this opening interview question that cost a candidate a job she REALLY wanted. It is a perfect illustration to make you understand why you must plan a response for this question whether you are asked it or not. The scenario was this: The candidate was a financial services professional, her recruiter had a financial services client that was looking to fill a VP position for a 125k base + 25k bonus. The candidate had an ideal background and skill set, and the client thought she was a perfect fit. The candidate knew the client and was thrilled to interview with her. The client joked that when the candidate came to the interview the recruiter should send the candidate with an invoice for the fee, because they thought they might make her an offer on the spot.

You can more or less guess how the story ended. The candidate didn't get the job, but please pay attention as to why, because that is the part of the story that matters most. To start the interview the candidate was asked the dreaded “Tell me about yourself” question. Thinking that it was an inconsequential icebreaker question, she retorted, simply intending to cause an opening chuckle, “Well, as you can obviously see, I am 15-20 pounds overweight.”

She was only joking! Yet, due to the impact this answer had on the client, for all practical purposes the interview was over as soon as she said this. That “amusing” answer to what the candidate viewed as a seemingly innocuous question convinced the employer that this $150k VP had an image or low self-esteem problem. Despite the recruiter’s insistence that it was just a joke, the employer declined to make the candidate an offer. The retort was just a joke! But not really. It was no joke to the candidate who lost the $150k dream job. It was no joke to the recruiter who had invested so much time in finding the employer this ideal candidate. This candidate attempted to humorously break the ice, but the interviewer misinterpreted the response to a stupid question, and became convinced the candidate was not VP material.

This whole fiasco could have been avoided if the candidate had just been taught a very simple formula for answering this question. Sure, we know this question is a stupid and unnecessary one with which to begin an interview. But because interviewers open interviews with this question, candidates need to know how to respond to it intelligently. The formula I’ve learned has worked wonders for hundreds of my candidates, and those of thousands of recruiters I have shared it with over the last half dozen years.

Many, in fact a sad majority, of interviewers open with some form of the “Tell me about yourself” question. It would be an easy question to answer if candidates answered with a prepared and well thought-out initial marketing statement of themselves and their skills, which are applicable for the open job. This sounds pretty straightforward, but few of the thousands of candidates I have interviewed in the last 15 years have EVER been able to answer this question in this intelligent manner. The best candidates typically respond with a narrowing question like: “What would you like to know?” But let’s get one thing straight: It is extremely poor form to answer the opening interview question with another question. Yet, that is how the BEST candidates do typically answer this question, due to its ambiguous nature. Though it seems to be a logical approach, you must prepare to do better.

Candidates must teach themselves to answer this question with a three-part, pre-planned marketing statement that can more or less be reused from interview to interview.

Part one of that three-part marketing statement is always a one-sentence summary of the candidate’s career history. For example, let me share with you a former candidate’s opening sentence:

“I am a five-year veteran of LAN/WAN Admin and Systems Engineering with substantial experience using Novell, NT, Cisco, and Lotus Notes/Domino.”

You get the picture; your whole career needs to be condensed into one pithy sentence that encapsulates the most important aspects of your career, the aspects that you want to leverage in order to make your next career step. Few candidates seem to be able to condense a career into one sentence, but it must, and can be, done. Ask any recruiter for help here, this is what we do.

Part two of the pre-planned marketing statement will be a one-, maybe two-sentence summary of a single accomplishment that you are proud of that will also capture the potential employer’s attention. It immediately follows your initial career summary sentence from above. This accomplishment should be one that the employer will be interested in hearing, one that is easily explained or illustrated, and one that clearly highlights a bottom line impact. When done correctly this will build interviewer intrigue about the accomplishment so that they inquire further, giving you an opportunity to further discuss a significant career success. The above candidate’s accomplishment statement was:

“Recently, as a long-term contract employee at a local regional bank, I learned they were about to install Lotus Notes/Domino and were planning to use outside consultants for the project. I let them know I had done a similar installation at my last assignment, outlined how we could get the job done with in-house staff, and successfully completed the install for $55-65k less than it would have cost with outside consultants.”

Part three, the final piece of the marketing statement, is probably the most fluid piece. It needs to be a one-sentence summary of specifically what you want to do next in your career. The reason this third part is difficult is that it needs to specifically address what you want to do next, AND it needs to change from interview to interview to make sure it matches exactly what the INDIVIDUAL employers will be interviewing you for. Continuing with the above example of one of my past candidates, two of his final sentences, which were used for two different employers, follow:

“For the next step in my career, I would like to move away from contract work and find myself as a direct employee of a large firm where I could join a substantial IT team and be involved with a group that focuses on email and network security applications, while having access to the knowledgebase that would come with a large, diverse IT group.”

But for a second employer, this ending was significantly altered because of the candidate’s multiple interests in differing opportunities, to:

“For the next step in my career, I would like to find myself as a direct employee of a small to medium sized firm that was looking to hire an in-house IT generalist so I could continue growing my career by getting exposure to multiple IT areas, such as networking, help desk, security, and application issues for the users of the organization. As the firm’s IT needs grew, I would love to apply my past team project management skills to managing the second or third members of a small but growing IT team.”

These were two very different endings that perfectly matched two very different employer needs. Clearly you can see why the first ending wouldn’t have worked for the second employer or vice versa. With some simple revising, the candidate made sure that each employer heard that they were interested in doing exactly what the employer was interested in hiring them for. That revising is what makes the third piece fluid and sometimes challenging, as candidates don’t always see the need for being this specific from job interview to job interview. Most tend to be generalized, hoping that a shotgun approach will work. But it is the rifle sharpshooters, those who get specific in what they want from interview to interview, who get the best results. With some simple planning BEFORE an interview, you, the candidate, will quickly realize the benefit of a targeted third sentence in these pre-planned opening statements, as employers feel you are perfectly suited to do just the job they are interviewing you for.

If you take the time to prepare this way as a candidate, it will be apparent to an interviewer that you are a prepared and serious candidate right at the beginning of the interview when you answer the “Tell me about yourself” question with this memorized, brief marketing statement, which combines a career summary, an exceptional accomplishment, and employer-specific career goal as in this example:

“I am a five-year veteran of LAN/WAN Admin and Systems Engineering with substantial experience using Novell, NT, Cisco, and Lotus Notes/Domino. Recently, as a long-term contract employee at a local regional bank, I learned they were about to install Lotus Notes/Domino and were planning to use outside consultants for the project. I let them know I had done a similar installation at my last assignment, outlined how we could get the job done with in-house staff, and successfully completed the install for $55-65k less than it would have cost with outside consultants. For the next step in my career, I would like to move away from contract work and find myself as a direct employee of a large firm where I could join a substantial IT team and be involved with a group that focused on email and network security applications, while having access to the knowledgebase that would come with a large, diverse IT group.”

Clearly you can understand how the candidate who opens with this type of prepared response to the “Tell me about yourself” question will make a significantly better first impression than a candidate who responds by answering, “What would you like to know?” or worse yet, “Well, as you can obviously see, I am 15-20 pounds overweight.” Plus candidates who prepare in this manner are typically more confident at the interview’s start, make a substantial and positive verbal first impression, give a clear indication of their interest in making a career move, and force the interviewer to get past the icebreaker questions to the parts of the interview that will help both parties begin the process of seriously determining if this is a solid match. As you can see, there is a great deal of bang for your preparation buck.

Clearly these three simple steps — summarizing what your experience is as candidate, sharing an impressive career accomplishment, and then summarizing what would be an ideal next career step for you, one that matches what the employer is looking to hire—are the keys to beginning your interview with a competitive advantage. Candidates who take the time to do this significantly improve their initial verbal impression, get their interview off to a confident and focused beginning, and more often than not get called back for second interviews, or better yet, for offers of employment with employers who are impressed.

Jeff Skrentny, CPC/CTS, ATMS, began his career in the recruiting industry after graduate school in 1987 with one of Chicago's largest recruiting firms. In 1996 Jeff successfully started his own technical search firm, the Jefferson Group. Since 1987 Jeff has placed more than 1,000 Chicagoland professionals. Jeff also does motivational training for numerous recruiting companies & associations, and publishes a free electronic newsletter for recruiters, the JEFFERSON RECRUITERS REPORT™. He attended Marquette University from 1980-86, where he studied English, Economics and Political Science for his BA and English for his MA work. Jeff is a hopeless Cub fan, a marathon runner, and an award-winning speaker with Toastmasters International.

Any questions, problems, feedback, successes or criticisms you’d like to share can be emailed to him at AskJeff@JeffersonInc.com. He will gladly respond as time allows.

Copyright © 2000-2003, Jeff Skrentny & Jefferson Group Consulting

7 rules to become a master of interpersonal relationships

2009-03-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

7 rules to become a master of interpersonal relationships
Be a rays-of-sunshine experience for others

If you want to move up the ranks of masterful communication, you have to watch what you say to others. Not just in the showpieces of communication such as a presentation, a memo, or a meeting, but in everyday interaction. Learn these 7 rules and you can quietly and unobtrusively become a master of interpersonal relationships.

1. Be kind. No matter what you say or how you say it, at bottom your communication will always reveal your true thoughts and attitudes. As such, you always have two choices. You can communicate from a standpoint of love or from one of fear. When your communication is laced with sarcasm, blame, threat, anger, anxiety, worry, and control, you are essentially communicating fear. When your communication is laced with respect, appreciation, acceptance, joy, delight, wonder, and acceptance, you are essentially communicating love. If you don’t quite understand the difference, there is an easy way to communicate love not fear: always be kind.

“Words are but pictures of our thoughts.” (John Dryden 1631 – 1700)

2. Be aware of your effect on others. We often use language to criticize and attack others. Some people are masters of doing this in disguise; others do it openly. For many, communication is a battle that they have to win and words are their chief weapons of war. Harsh words can cut people deep and leave their scars for days if not years. That’s why the mark of the true communicator is to know what effect their words have on others and to adjust them accordingly.

“Some words are like rays of sunshine, others like barbed arrows, or the bite of a serpent. And if hard words cut so deep, how much pleasure can kind ones give?” (Sir John Lubbock 1834 – 1913)

3. Emphasize the positive. Really masterful communication doesn’t just depend on getting your message across or even clarifying what someone else is trying to say to you. It goes much deeper. Great communicators leave people feeling better than they did. They said something of value to the other person. Or they appreciated what the other person was saying to them. This happens when the communication isn’t just about the words; it’s about the people.

“There is a subterranean emotional economy that passes amongst all of us. In every interaction, we can make people feel better or worse.” (Daniel Coleman)

4. Don’t assume you’ve been understood. The history of relationships is littered with the history of misunderstood communications. A word gone awry here, a meaning missed there: they all add up to distorting your message and being mis-received.

The story is told of the teacher who handed out a set of worksheets to the pupil at the front of her class with the words, “Please pass these around”. She then turned her attention to the next topic. A few minutes later, she looked up to see the pupil at the back of the room sitting with all the worksheets wondering what to do with them.

As Stephen Covey reminds us, “First, seek to be understood; then understand.”

5. Know when to shut up. If you’ve ever attended a workplace meeting, you’ll know how hard it is to say nothing. Many people attend business meetings with the sole intention of talking, even if it isn’t relevant, even if the point has already been made. Talking is a way to impress. As a result, many meetings waste time and are unproductive. The best communicators are those who are secure enough to admit when they have little to say or little to add. They know when to shut up.

“If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, where X is work, Y is play and Z is keep your mouth shut.” (Albert Einstein 1879 - 1955)

6. Don’t interrupt. If you’ve ever eavesdropped on a conversation between two people, you’ll probably have noticed that, instead of there being a progression of ideas building one on top of the other, most people talk over one another. It resembles a contest more than a dialogue. It is rare to see people listening with openness and non-judgment until the other person has stopped speaking. And even rarer to hear people asking for clarification and help with understanding. But holding back while you listen to others is the mark of the real communications expert.

“There is no such thing as conversation. It is an illusion. There are intersecting monologues, that’s all.” (Rebecca West)

7. Don’t gossip. Gossip is a particularly pernicious form of communication. It is idle, often indulged in merely to pass the time, and serves no real purpose other than to make ourselves feel better at the expense of others. If you work with others who like to gossip, simply learn the trick of disengagement: don’t reply, don’t be drawn in, and never do it yourself.

“Great minds think and talk about ideas. Average minds think and talk about situations. Little minds think and talk about other people.”

Working on improving your communications is a broad-brush activity. You have to change your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical connections. That way you can break down the barriers that get in your way and start building relationships that really work. Communicate with others like rays of sunshine, not poisoned arrows.

Eric Garner is one of the foremost leaders in management and personal development with a personal guarantee to make you a better manager, trainer, and learner. His company, ManageTrainLearn, runs corporate training programmes in the UK and since 2002 has published a website at www.managetrainlearn.com that provides a wide range of exclusive digital learning products.

Fifty Success Habits

2009-03-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

Habits of successful people....

1. They look for and find opportunities where others see nothing.

2. They find a lesson while others only see a problem.

3. They are solution focused.

4. They consciously and methodically create their own success, while others hope success will
find them.

5. They are fearful like everyone else, but they are not controlled or limited by fear.

6. They ask the right questions - the ones which put them in a productive, creative, positive mindset and emotional state.

7. They rarely complain (waste of energy). All complaining does is put the complainer in a negative and unproductive state.

8. They don't blame (what's the point?). They take complete responsibility for their actions and outcomes (or lack thereof).

9. While they are not necessarily more talented than the majority, they always find a way to maximize their potential. They get more out of themselves. They use what they have more effectively.

10. They are busy, productive and proactive. While most are laying on the couch, planning, over-thinking, sitting on their hands and generally going around in circles, they are out there getting the job done.

11. They align themselves with like-minded people. They understand the importance of being part of a team. They create win-win relationships.

12. They are ambitious; they want amazing - and why shouldn't they? They consciously choose to live their best life rather than spending it on auto-pilot.

13. They have clarity and certainty about what they want (and don't want) for their life. They actually visualize and plan their best reality while others are merely spectators of life.

14. They innovate rather than imitate.

15. They don't procrastinate and they don't spend their life waiting for the 'right time'.

16. They are life-long learners. They constantly work at educating themselves, either formally (academically), informally (watching, listening, asking, reading, student of life) or experientially (doing, trying)... or all three.

17. They are glass half full people - while still being practical and down-to-earth. They have an ability to find the good.

18. They consistently do what they need to do, irrespective of how they are feeling on a given day. They don't spend their life stopping and starting.

19. They take calculated risks - financial, emotional, professional, psychological.

20. They deal with problems and challenges quickly and effectively, they don't put their head in the sand. They face their challenges and use them to improve themselves.

21. They don't believe in, or wait for fate, destiny, chance or luck to determine or shape their future. They believe in, and are committed to actively and consciously creating their own best life.

22. While many people are reactive, they are proactive. They take action before they have to.

23. They are more effective than most at managing their emotions. They feel like we all do but they are not slaves to their emotions.

24. They are good communicators and they consciously work at it.

25. They have a plan for their life and they work methodically at turning that plan into a reality. Their life is not a clumsy series of unplanned events and outcomes.

26. Their desire to be exceptional means that they typically do things that most won't. They become exceptional by choice. We're all faced with live-shaping decisions almost daily. Successful people make the decisions that most won't and don't.

27. While many people are pleasure junkies and avoid pain and discomfort at all costs, successful people understand the value and benefits of working through the tough stuff that most would avoid.

28. They have identified their core values (what is important to them) and they do their best to live a life which is reflective of those values.

29. They have balance. While they may be financially successful, they know that the terms money and success are not interchangeable. They understand that people who are successful on a financial level only, are not successful at all. Unfortunately we live in a society which teaches that money equals success. Like many other things, money is a tool. It's certainly not a bad thing but ultimately, it's just another resource. Unfortunately, too many people worship it.

30. They understand the importance of discipline and self-control. They are strong. They are happy to take the road less travelled.

31. They are secure. They do not derive their sense of worth of self from what they own, who they know, where they live or what they look like.

32. They are generous and kind. They take pleasure in helping others achieve.

33. They are humble and they are happy to admit mistakes and to apologize. They are confident in their ability, but not arrogant. They are happy to learn from others. They are happy to make others look good rather than seek their own personal glory.

34. They are adaptable and embrace change, while the majority are creatures of comfort and habit. They are comfortable with, and embrace, the new and the unfamiliar.

35. They keep themselves in shape physically, not to be mistaken with training for the Olympics or being obsessed with their body. They understand the importance of being physically well. They are not all about looks, they are more concerned with function and health. Their body is not who they are, it's where they live.

36. They have a big engine. They work hard and are not lazy.

37. They are resilient. When most would throw in the towel, they're just warming up.

38. They are open to, and more likely to act upon, feedback.

39. They don't hang out with toxic people.

40. They don't invest time or emotional energy into things which they have no control of.

41. They are happy to swim against the tide, to do what most won't. They are not people p leasers and they don't need constant approval.

42. They are more comfortable with their own company than most.

43. They set higher standards for themselves (a choice we can all make), which in turn produces greater commitment, more momentum, a better work ethic and of course, better results.

44. They don't rationalize failure. While many are talking about their age, their sore back, their lack of time, their poor genetics, their 'bad luck', their nasty boss and their lack of opportunities (all good reasons to fail), they are finding a way to succeed despite all their challenges.

45. They have an off switch. They know how to relax, enjoy what they have in their life and to have fun.

46. Their career is not their identity, it's their job. It's not who they are, it's what they do.

47. They are more interested in effective than they are in easy. While the majority look for the quickest, easiest way (the shortcut), they look for the course of action which will produce the best results over the long term.

48. They finish what they start. While so many spend their life starting things that they never finish, successful people get the job done - even when the excitement and the novelty have worn off. Even when it ain't fun.

49. They are multidimensional, amazing, wonderful complex creatures (as we all are). They realize that not only are they physical and psychological beings, but emotional and spiritual creatures as well. They consciously work at being healthy and productive on all levels.

50. They practice what they preach. They don't talk about the theory, they live the reality.

Craig Harper is Australia's leading motivational speaker

5 Resumes Mistakes

2009-01-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

5 Résumé Mistakes You're Probably Making

Careers expert says most people have no idea how to sell themselves

By Liz Wolgemuth

The résumé has always been an important aspect of the job hunt, but it seems to keep growing in importance. As the recession continues to cause a deterioration of available jobs, openings are being greeted by floods of applicants. That means recruiters have less time than ever to size up candidates when scanning résumés. Brad Karsh, now president of JobBound.com, used to read through piles of job applications as a recruiting director for ad agency Leo Burnett and is co-author of the recent book How to Say It on Your Résumé, where he explains how to avoid many of the mistakes that get résumés scuttled.

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Here are five very common résumé mistakes:

Your colleague could write the same thing: The biggest blunder among résumé writers—CEOs and college students alike—is their similarity to human resources executives: They both seem to like writing clear, concise job descriptions. While this is a good idea for HR departments trying to post openings that draw the most relevant candidates, this isn't what job seekers should be doing with their résumés. This is no time for broad strokes. "Most people just write in very general terms that speak not only to what they did, but what anyone has ever done in the history of that position," Karsh says. If a colleague, or the employees who had your job before or after you, could write the same thing about the position on their résumé—you've got a problem. You should be homing in on your very individual accomplishments in the position.

There are no numbers on your résumé: Accomplishments are measurable. Karsh focuses on two forms of accomplishments: scope and results. When thinking about scope, consider questions like how much, how many, how often, how frequently. When it comes to results, think about accomplishments that were singular and superlative—were you the top seller, the only person chosen, the grand prize winner? Numbers are key to elucidating and proving what you've done in an especially concise fashion. "I tell people that within each section of your résumé, in each job you write about, you want to have at least four or five numbers that quantify what you've done," Karsh says. The phrase "prepared reports" means nothing to a recruiter, while "prepared 500 reports" means quite a bit. "If I hear 'prepared reports'—and most recruiting directors, like I was, are very skeptical—I assume that it was two [reports]," Karsh says.

You're using full sentences: Résumés often get little more than a 10-second scan by a recruiter, and that dictates a lot about how they should be crafted. It does not mean that you should use fuchsia pink paper and glitter ink, or stuff your résumé into a shoe with the note that you're just trying to get your foot in the door. It means you have to make your résumé as easy as possible for your target audience to read. Karsh compares the process to flipping through a jumbo-size magazine. Readers don't spend a lot of time on each page. Flashy ads don't sell products. Rather, effective ads give people the information they need quickly and clearly. Full sentences are, quite simply, too time consuming in today's hiring world.

You always use an objective statement: Simple objective statements are typically only necessary when an applicant is interested in a specific job and is sending a résumé to a human resources department cold, rather than responding to an opening or job posting, Karsh says. Otherwise, objectives are best left off, as they can ring artificial thanks to their often unprovable, self-ascribed attributes. (You write: "Excellent communicator seeking to contribute dynamic style to growing company." How exactly do you prove your communication skills are "excellent" or your style is "dynamic"?) Employees with longer work histories can write a brief summary section at the top with bullet points of relevant measurable successes that speak directly to the company's job requirements. The goal here is to draw up high some of the highlights that would be closer to the bottom of a long résumé.

You're still putting college accomplishments front and center: As young job seekers head out of college into the working world, college accomplishments may still seem like their best selling points. But as professional experience is acquired, the college highlights should begin to be rolled off, Karsh says. Internships and summer jobs should be highlighted ahead of the GPA or the tenure as captain of the soccer team. Karsh suggests a rolling four-year tableau—the résumé should always reflect the accomplishments in the most recent four years.

Helping a discouraged employee

2008-09-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

An employee who has become discouraged will not perform at the level he or she is capable of achieving. In addition, they can begin to draw others down to their level. It is important for a manager to know how to recognize a discouraged employee and to know what to do to help them return to their former level of production.

How To Recognize A Discouraged Employee

There are many reasons an employee might be discouraged. The symptoms can be as varied as the causes. Here are a few of the signs you can use to help you identify a discouraged worker who might be at risk and in need of your help.

· They complain that work is not fun anymore

· They overreact to minor hassles and are easily irritated

· They complain about being overwhelmed

· They question the value of tasks they perform

· They are lethargic and often comment about feeling empty at
work

Find Out Why The Employee Is Discouraged

After you have identified discouraged employees, and before you can effectively help them, you have to find out why they are discouraged.
Sometimes they don't want to tell the boss, so you may have to be persistent or innovative. Sometimes they don't know themselves why they are so discouraged. Usually they try to hide it.

Here are some ways you can try to find out why the employee is discouraged.

· Ask them. Try to pick a quiet time. Keep it private.

· When they make a comment about the job, really listen. And try
to "listen between the lines". Listen for what they are saying, not just the words they say.

· Ask their colleagues. The other employees on your team may be
more aware of the condition and the reasons than you think.

· Ask the Human Resources (HR) Department to get involved.
Someone the employee sees as a neutral third party may be able to get more information than you can.

· In a severe case, refer the employee to your Employee
Assistance Plan (EAP) if your benefits plan includes one.

Helping The Discouraged Employee

The employee may be discouraged because of burnout, may suffer from a lack of confidence, or may have discouraging problems outside of work that are bleeding over into work hours. The cause will guide the steps you can take to help the employee, but here are some common suggestions.
· If they are burned out, and you can't reduce the load, try to
vary it. Give them different tasks or give them more latitude in how they do them.

· If they lack confidence (courage), give them tasks they can
do. Set them up with a couple of tasks that are challenging for them but not too difficult. Let them "win" a few.

· Encourage them to talk with you. This motivates them. It gives
them a safety valve for their frustrations. And it helps build their confidence.

· Don't be afraid to refer them to the EAP if they need
professional help. Your job is to keep them a productive member of the team, not cure potential mental health problems.

Preventing Discouraged Employees

Rather than discovering discouraged employees and figuring out the cause and cure for their condition, it is always preferable to prevent it when possible. Here are some things you can do proactively to reduce the likelihood of discouraged employees in your department.

· Keep them motivated. The bottom of this article contains links
to specific articles on this topic. If you keep them motivated, they won't get discouraged.

· Communicate openly and freely with your employees. Let them
know what is going on in the company and why. Let hem know why what they are doing is important and how it contributes to the overall success of the department and the company.

· Listen and keep listening. Listen to what the employees say
and what they don't say. Listen to what employees say about each other, about the job, about the company. Let them know you are listening and will take action on what you hear to the extent you can.

· Get out of your office and wander around. The best way to keep
employees from getting discouraged is to be among them. Yes, you have a lot to do and you need to be in your office working, but the time you spend out in the department, listening and observing, will more than make up for the effort it took.

Bottom Line

You can do a lot to prevent discouraged employees, but you can't prevent it completely. Be alert for symptoms of the problem and take action to help the employee as quickly as you can. It will benefit both the employee and the rest of the team.

By F. John Reh

Improving your interaction skills

2008-09-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

Most people feel uncomfortable starting conversations with people they don’t know but did you know that many people feel equally uncomfortable having conversations in a non-work situations with people we know on the job? Some people always seem to be comfortable in every setting, on the work floor, in the meeting and in the company party.
Companies are always looking for individuals with “excellent interaction skills”, a talent that is equated with leadership and managerial skills. People with these skills have an advantage, they are more lively to get the deal done, gain favors from others and in a personal situation, they are likely to gain trust and develop loyal friendships.
If you don’t think you have this quality, here are a few pointers that can help you become more engaging, more memorable, more confident and more trustworthy.
Shake hands- Get in the habit of being first to stick out your hand to say hello or to introduce yourself. If an introduction always include your first and last name.
Remember names- This is an essential business skill. People love to be called by name. Find a technique to learn the names of people you meet

Take time to get to know others first. Remember, people don’t care about you until the know you care about them. We all have a tendency to want to tell others what we know rather that hearing the other person out. You can show your interest by having good eye contact, nodding your head, and by asking questions.
Smile -We often show our interest or lack of interest in meeting new people by our facial expression, but putting a smile on your face is powerful communications tool. Smiling transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, liking. If you smile frequently you will be perceived to be likable, friendly warm and approachable.
Body Posture- Standing erect but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates that you are approachable receptive and friendly. Mirroring is a technique where you subtly mimic the other person’s physical behaviors. People send and receive non-verbal signals all the time and by mirroring the positive behaviors of the other person we are non-verbally showing our approval. Mirroring involves synchronizing your body language such as posture, gestures to match those of the person you are speaking. Ability to do this helps develops rapport and gain trust.
These few pointers can help you on the job and in social occasions. Get in the habit of finding one tidbit from the news that you can use to start any conversation and approach each communication interactions as an opportunity to learn something about someone you did not know.

Make Sure You Are Never Without a Job

2008-07-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Did you ever notice that there are certain people who have great jobs? People who are always working on a consistent basis, even in shaky industries and uncertain times? And then there are those who are either constantly unhappy in their careers or who go for long periods of time without work. They blame the world and wonder why bad luck always seems to happen to them.

You make your own luck. Your career is great when you focus on making it great. This means not waiting for things to happen, but making things happen instead. It means being proactive instead of reactive. Rather than blaming others, you are passionate about new possibilities. You are excited about what you do and what you contribute every day.

So, how do you make sure you are never without a job? Follow these five steps.

1. Tell Yourself That You Will Always Be Employed

What you say matters. Your words have power, meaning, and intention. When you tell yourself something bad will happen to your job, something bad will probably happen. If you tell yourself that you are marketable and confident and that you will always be working, your words can make this true.

2. Anticipate Trends In Your Industry

If your job is being eliminated or outsourced, you will want to know about it before you are in the room with the human resources person telling you that your job is going away. Research your industry. Know what's happening and what the experts say will happen. This way you can make informed decisions. Look for trends. When you find them, start to train yourself in these areas. Knowledge is power. Having the right skills at the right time ensures that no matter what is happening around you, you will be needed and employable.

3. Have An Updated Résumé

Your résumé showcases your skills and abilities to the world. It is a selling tool that outlines your unique qualifications so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the employer's workplace. When you are looking for work, prospective employers know immediately whether or not you are a fit for a position. Even if you are not looking for work, your résumé reminds you of the contributions you make on a regular basis, something you can easily forget when you are immersed in the day-to-day. Whether you are looking for a job, or you already have one, an updated résumé is essential for your career.

4. Network On A Regular Basis

If you start to network only when you need something, you will have a lot of catching up to do. Therefore, network every day. Wherever there are people, there is an opportunity to network. You do not always have to go somewhere to network successfully. You can network within your own company. Are there opportunities for you? Ask people and find out. People are your best resource for information. Invite co-workers to lunch. Take the time to walk by someone's office to say hello.

In addition, who can you tap into outside of where you work? Every industry has an association. When is your industry's association meeting in your area? Check the date and go. Get involved in this group so more people can get to know you. That way, if something happens to your job, you'll have people to reach out to.

Lastly, send an e-mail to or call people you already know on a regular basis. If you are always keeping in touch, then you will not feel bad that you are bothering someone when it's time to reach out and ask for help.

5. Always Be On The Lookout For New Opportunities

Read trade publications. Read memos-not only from your area, but from others as well. Think about what you could be doing differently. Get your creative juices flowing. Think positively. Rather than thinking, "It cannot happen," believe that what you want is possible and is within your reach. Then, make it happen.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

6. Check www.boballenrecruiting.com for new job listings

By Deborah Brown-Volkman
Deborah Brown-Volkmann is the President of Surpass Your Dreams, Inc. a career and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998. We work with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents, and Managers, who are out of work or overworked, and Coaches who want to build profitable coaching practices. Deborah is also the author of "Coach Yourself To A New Career: A Book To Discover Your Ultimate Profession," a book that can be found on Amazon.com..

Job Interviewer-Prepare to test your interviewing skills

2008-07-21T14:29:00.000-07:00

Just about everyone has figured out by now that when they go for an interview, they're likely to be asked by the hiring manager to talk about their strengths and weaknesses. And, most people also know they'll be quizzed about how their skills would be a good fit for the job.
But how many will be prepared to answer the question: "If you were a car, what type would you be?"
Welcome to the tough -- and often bizarre -- new world of job interviews.
"Because people are so much better prepared for interviews, they're getting asked some off-the-wall questions that let interviewers see how they react when caught off guard," says Lynne A. Sarikas, director of the MBA Center at Northeastern University in Boston.
While high-tech companies are credited with starting the new trend of creative interview questions, more companies are seizing the chance to try and rattle interviewees who often are armed with well-rehearsed answers. So, now job candidates can expect to hear something along these lines:
- If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
- If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play you?
-If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
-If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?
-If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you be?
But if you claim you would be bleu cheese dressing rather than raspberry vinaigrette, are you really affecting your chances for getting a job?
"It's not about getting the right answer, it's about showing grace under pressure," Sarikas says. "They're looking for how you react in that unguarded moment -- just like if a customer would call with an unexpected question. They want to know whether you would be able to handle it, or fall apart."
Still, it can be daunting for interviewees to enter such an environment, where they're not sure if they're going to be able to answer such a question without drawing a complete blank or saying something completely inane.
"You can't possibly be prepared for all these types of questions," Sarikas says. "But practice, so that you get a feel for them. Don't be afraid to take a deep breath before answering, but they are expecting some kind of response. You won't be able to say you need to go collect data and then get back to them. They're trying to see what your initial reaction is
In addition to the creative questioning, interviewees also should be prepared for thought-process questions, such as: "How many cars would you expect to see parked in the parking lot of the local grocery store at 10 a.m. on a Monday morning in January?"
Such questions are used so the candidate has to talk about population assumptions in the area, the number of competitors, shopping trends for the month and day of the week. While not all job candidates will be asked such a question, it's more common for hiring managers to look for ways to get an interviewee to demonstrate thought processes and recognize that appropriate data is required.
At the same time, hiring managers may use behavioral interview questions, such as: "Describe a situation you feel you should have handled differently" or "What is the most stressful situation you have handled and what was the outcome?"
Sarikas says that there are some ways that job candidates can prepare for the tough and unexpected questions:
-Be very well-prepared to answer common questions such as "why did you leave your last job?" so that you are more confident and at ease when the tough ones come along.
-Think about situations in your life that you can apply to many of the same questions, especially when it comes to behavioral issues.
- Have several questions prepared in advance to ask an interviewer. Do not ask about salary or benefits, but rather about the organization's culture or long-term goals for the job and/or department.
- Create a bond with the interviewer. "So, what you do like most about working for this company?" or "Why did you start working for this employer and what has been your career path?" allows you to hear a personal story that helps you find common interests.

By Anita Bruzzese

2008-07-21T14:27:00.001-07:00

Things recruiters do without knowing.....

2008-01-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

by Reut Schwartz-Hebron

After years of interviewing and hundreds, if not thousands, of opportunities to practice, you are an expert when it comes to sensing who is sitting right in front of you. You are so good at it that sometimes you surprise yourself with how quickly you pick up on things about candidates inside and outside of an interview session.

That's intuition and, if it's built on a feedback loop, it's one of the best tools at your disposal when you need to identify traits and uncover delicate and important factors such as authenticity and flexibility.

The difficult part is that you can't share this type of knowledge with new recruiters. Intuition and other automatic and subconscious thinking patterns (yes, intuition is a thinking pattern) often seem out of reach, and we assume the only way for people to learn them is to go through a learning process similar to the one we had to go through ourselves.

There are certain things we can't trace and, hence, we can't teach. We can't trace the values we assign certain behaviors. When you notice a certain behavior during an interview and you instantly have a value assigned to that behavior (say you notice the candidate drumming his or her fingers on the table and you instantly know it is a sign of resistance to authority) the value-assigning part is out of our reach. You don't know why you interpret a certain behavior in a specific way; if someone asked you to explain most of these conclusions, you probably wouldn't know what to tell him. But, what you are actually doing is a lot more than assigning value to a specific behavior. Your mind is noticing gesture, tone of voice, and combining those and other clues to produce a conclusion.

We can't teach new recruiters which values to assign. Though there are many theories that try, the result is a long list of combinations which, even if we put validity aside, are too numerous to remember and apply. But we can teach recruiters where to look for signs and how to practice combining them. Though experience and feedback loops are indispensable, knowing where to look cuts the learning curve dramatically.

Here are seven techniques you are probably using without knowing:

Make the Most out of the Resume. Expert interviewers prepare well. They read and re-read a candidates' resumes, treating these documents like a detective would a crime scene: Anything can be a clue, but nothing is valid until it is supported by concrete evidence. They look at the resumes for anything that could be even slightly off, and they assign meaning to the length of the sentences, the richness of the language, the use of space on the page, repeated words or themes, and much more. Expert recruiters build the most unsympathetic theories as they read through a resume, but they stay clear of coming to any conclusions.
Use Introspection as a Mirroring Technique. Introspection is often used by experts to identify areas that need attention. By assessing their own reaction to the candidate's behavior, interviewers can pinpoint manipulations of different kinds. If, for instance, a candidate is triggering a protective response in the interviewer, the interviewer (alerted by his or her own emotional response) can track back the behavior or response that triggered the reaction and assign it meaning.
Peruse Emotional Triggers. We are most authentic, exposing our basic assumptions and values, when we are emotional. Any reaction that is off balance, and that includes an excess of positive or negative response (you are just as emotionally vulnerable when your team wins as when your team loses), falls into this category. Experienced interviewers notice emotional responses and follow their paths with additional questions that intensify emotions to asses the candidate's evasive values, attitudes, and basic assumptions.
Collect Contradictions. Anything that might seem like a contradiction that comes up through context or content is a great place to dig. When candidates have seemingly contradicting areas of interest or have invested time in contradicting efforts, expert interviewers pick up on that and ask for interpretations. The same principle applies to content, when things that have been said earlier could be interpreted as being contradictory to things that are being said now. It's not so much the explanation that interests experts, but the way in which the response is presented. The response is a great telling sign about abilities like handling criticism, working with authority, accepting ambiguity, and much more.
Collate Repetitions. Certain behaviors mean very little by themselves, but put together with other behaviors, when a pattern is created, they are very indicative of a personal of professional trait. Let's look back at the example of drumming on the table. That behavior, if interpreted by itself, could mean many things. It could, in fact, mean the exact opposite of a defiant candidate and indicate insecurity and shyness. How did you know it was one and not the other? You looked at one behavior and created a pattern.
Look for Core Reasons. Direct answers are often just the beginning of a long discovery trail. An effective interview feels more like a conversation to the candidate because the interviewer is focusing and stretching the understanding of the candidate's basic assumptions through a certain example. Most soft skills can be located in pretty much any discussion, and as the interviewer asks core questions like why, the answers become more revealing.
Detach Yourself of Your Own Emotional Limitations. Like therapists or anthropologists, interviewers must know how to leave their own imbalances and limitations outside the interviewing room. To interview well means to have control of the emotional responses you are trying to elicit. I know recruiters and managers who build up tension and as soon as they feel they made the candidate uncomfortable, they back away and try to soften the blow. That, of course, requires your new interviewers to be aware of their own limitations, but they'll master this knowledge a lot faster if they know what to look for.

All of these techniques are expert skills that can easily be taught to a novice. All you need to do is provide practice, coupled with a feedback loop. If you can do that, mastery will come about faster than you could ever imagine

Body Language during the interview

2008-01-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

Make Sure You ‘Fit In’ One of the key questions in the mind of the interviewer will almost certainly be ‘Will this person fit in?’ Therefore, if you are perceived as being a good fit with the prevailing corporate style and culture you will be strengthening your case. Here again, what you wear can have a disproportionate effect on the interviewers perception. So, you might be wondering how you can predict what to wear in order to fit in. It is actually remarkably easy to get information about the prevailing corporate style. If they have a website, visit this and see if there any pictures of people at work (but do be aware that some organizations use library pictures for this). Alternatively, try getting hold of a copy of the annual reports. Another useful tactic can be to visit the site at the start, middle or end of the working day and observing the prevailing dress code of the staff as they come and go; before assembling a smart version of this for yourself; ahead of the interview.Recognizing Physiological ResponsesWhen you attend an interview, you are likely to notice one or more of the following: Firstly, your temperature is likely to increase and you may notice that you have sweaty palms, that you feel slightly flushed and maybe even clammy. Secondly, adrenaline may be pumped into your system and this may make you feel shaky. Thirdly, your respiration rate is liable to increase and this may make you feel stressed and panicky.Finally, nervous energy may cause you to consume body sugar with the result that your mouth starts to feel dried out. These effects - increased temperature, shakiness, panic, stress and a dry mouth can interact to make you feel extremely nervous, uncomfortable and tongue tied. However, research has shown that they are not necessarily signs of fear but may indicate that you are gearing up to perform. Many entertainers, public speakers and competitive sports people report the same four symptoms immediately prior to performing - often before giving the best performance of their lives. In the context of an important interview that is precisely what you should be aiming to do. Therefore, recognizing the symptoms for what they are shouldn’t panic you, as they may well enable you to perform better on the day.Positive Visualization The subconscious mind works on past experiences, hopes and fears. In being apprehensive ahead of an interview it is easy for your sub-conscious to focus on negative outcomes and thereby magnify your concerns. If you concentrate on your own nervousness then you will be drawing this to the attention of the interviewer and the impact of your message will be weakened. If you become aware that the interviewer is observing your nervous state this can serve to heighten your self-consciousness. Before the interview, you should try to visualize an enthusiastic interviewer; who is reacting positively to your responses. Picture yourself delivering a clear and interesting presentation; admit to yourself that you may be nervous but that you are going to use this in a positive way. Remember that the interviewer is not your adversary and they are not attending the interview in order to pull you apart. Their interest lies in what you might say and show them. If you keep your responses focused on the message and try to relax then they will be able to concentrate on taking your message on board.
Overcoming Negative ThoughtsYou may be convinced that they have formed an unfavorable first impression of you. Ignore this thought. Professional interviewers and other managers are increasingly trained to overcome their initial reactions and to apply more scientific interview techniques. Even if you have stumbled and made a weak first impression you can turn their opinion round, so keep working hard at making the right impression throughout the remainder of the interview. The first impression is important; but always approach the interview in a holistic manner, you are a winner and you are there to win!Aspects of Body LanguageBody language is a very important part of any communication. It will be analyzed by the interviewer; even if they are unaware of this at the conscious level. A brilliantly prepared interview delivered in an interesting voice will fall well short of the mark if accompanied by negative, intrusive or hostile body language. There are three main aspects of body language that you should consider: what to do with your eyes, what your facial expressions indicate and the positioning and movement of your torso and limbs.MirroringIn any intimate communication there is a natural tendency to mirror the pose and position of the person you are talking to, and this behavior tends to result in a more relaxed and agreeable atmosphere. You can help to put the interviewer at ease by being aware of this and making a positive but subtle effort to mirror their body language. The concept of mirroring is based on the well-known human trait of like attracting like. People generally like people that appear to be similar to them. Therefore, by observing the interviewers body language and reflecting this back at them they are likely to feel more at ease and friendly towards you. An individual’s facial expression, tone of voice, body posture and movement often convey a world of detail about what they are thinking and feeling and how they are reacting to what you are saying. The effective use and interpretation of body language communication will help you to identify subtle aspects of the interviewer’s attitudes and reactions. This understanding and interpretation of body language is a key component of intelligent listening.
Maintaining LPMAs most interviews are held with both parties seated it is important to convey a positive message in the way you sit. In particular, this comes down to the placement of your arms and legs. With the upper limbs the guideline is that the less a person moves their hands and arms, the more powerful they are. This supports the view that they are used to people listening to them and they therefore do not have to resort to gesticulation to get their point across. The technical term for this is Low Peripheral Movement, or LPM. When being interviewed, maintain LPM and you will make a more impressive impact with your interviewer. Try to keep your hands lower than your elbows; rest them on the arms of the chair, your thighs or even make a low steeple with the fingers of both hands.How to Sit at InterviewThe everyday seating position, with legs crossed high-up is not suitable for the interview setting because in this intimate context it actually conveys a defensive attitude. Your legs need to convey confidence and there are two key positions that can communicate this - the low cross or athletic position. The athletic position is where one leg is brought under your chair so that only the toe of that shoe is in contact with the floor. The other leg is firmly planted on the floor, parallel with the direction of the chair, with the entire sole of that shoe on the floor. This is a powerful position, conveying a readiness for action. The athletic position is often not suited to female clothing and here the low cross position, where the legs are kept together and crossed at the ankles is often the best option. Effective Eye ContactThe face shown below has a shaded area that indicates the correct target zone for positive eye contact. Looking anywhere within this shaded zone represents positive eye contact. Think about where else you might be tempted to look at someone’s face during a conversation; which area of the face do you think would cause the most discomfort to the person being looked at? Looking at someone’s face anywhere outside of the triangular target zone is likely to cause some degree of embarrassment. However, the no-go zones shown are both associated with strong adverse reactions.Zone A represents the intimate zone and by moving just a fraction below the base of the target triangle you will enter it. When this happens people typically react by feeling that the other person is staring at them, or that the observer looks shifty.Zone B represents a dominant zone and by looking at the forehead of another person you are likely to invoke a reaction that you appear to be arrogant, that you are staring straight through them or more commonly that you are talking down at them.As well as understanding how to make positive eye contact it is also important to ensure that you do maintain this form of communication even if the interview does not appear to be going as well as you had hoped. If this is the case you will need all of the help you can muster to get the interview back on track and maintaining the correct amount of positive eye contact may help to do this. Eye contact with the interviewer is an essential part of the interview process. Without it they will feel remote from you and are unlikely to relate to one another, or what you are saying in a meaningful way. Not many people realize how important eye contact is, or how sensitive people are to it. Eye contact should be a positive form of body language communication, but if it is not used correctly it can easily become negative.
Instigating Eye ContactUnderstanding where to look to make positive eye contact is only part of the story. You also need to know how and when to use this non-verbal communication. The amount of eye contact you make should differ fundamentally depending on whether you are in the role of speaker or listener. It is in the role of listener that you should instigate more eye contact and hold it for longer periods of time. It supports your role as an attentive listener, whereas overusing eye contact when speaking may appear a demand for the interviewer to pay attention. As a speaker holding eye contact initially for 5 to 10 seconds and after that using it in an intermittent way is ideal. This way you do not appear to be lecturing or hectoring and the listener does not feel that they are being challenged to a staring contest. It is normal for the listener to maintain eye contact for longer than the speaker who will typically break off and then revisit this form of contact as they are speaking. Eye contact when used positively can be a very effective form of non-verbal communication. However, excessive or inappropriate eye contact will prevent you establishing a good relationship with your interviewer.

How to spot a Leader

2008-01-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

By Ram Charan
Leadership is predicated on the ability to mobilize others to accomplish a vision, a goal, or a task. Leaders can't do everything; they get other people to do things through managing. They increase their capacity -- the ability to get more done -- through delegation combined with a methodology for ensuring follow-through. They set expectations, get the best people to do what needs to be done, and oversee the relationships among them to ensure that destructive or self-interested behaviors don't subvert the group's common purpose.
You know you've discovered a leader with people acumen when you see evidence that the person selects the right people and motivates them, gets them working well as a team, and is able to diagnose and fix problems in coordination and social relationships among groups of people.
Real leaders, I have found, exhibit an enthusiasm for selecting people who are better than they are -- whether or not they have worked with them before -- and then using those subordinates to lift the organization and themselves to new levels of accomplishment. They motivate their people and develop them as conditions change, retaining those who advance the business and having the courage to deselect with dignity those who don't. Such leaders show a repeated pattern of accurately identifying other leaders' talents, helping them flourish, or easing them into other jobs where their talents fit better. You can often identify a true leader because the people working under that person are of high caliber, are energized, and have a natural affinity for the leader and want to see him or her succeed.
Leaders with people acumen get the most out of their people by setting clear goals, then giving feedback and coaching judiciously to help achieve them. Most use some kind of performance indicators (the term I use is key performance indicators, or KPIs) that not only measure progress in quantitative terms but also influence behaviors. A KPI may be as simple as the percentage of customer calls answered in the first minute or may be as broad as corporate profitability measured against competitors. They watch for problems that might get in the way of achieving the KPIs and don't hesitate to give people unvarnished feedback. They are keen judges of when someone is not up to the task and don't back off from making the hard decision to replace him. Many people who think they're leaders are terribly uncomfortable and indecisive in the realm of personalities, even when they have the insight into who and what needs coaching. Some have a deep-rooted need to be liked that compromises their judgments of people.
Anyone can improve his or her ability to select and develop people's talents, but other aspects of people acumen are hard to teach. Leaders with people acumen have good instincts to anticipate problems among individuals who must work together and to get them resolved. They size up the group dynamics and pinpoint simmering conflicts, then draw them to the surface to unblock the group's progress. They intervene when they detect behavior that disrupts the working of the group. These leaders are fearless where many people are unconsciously concerned that if they try to change the group dynamics, they'll be cut apart or ignored and lose face.
Social acumen also manifests itself in network building. Leaders who possess it are not loners or bookworms. They have an innate desire to work with diverse people and naturally cultivate a broad range of social networks that permeate the company, including subordinates, peers, and superiors. As these leaders develop their social acumen, their networks often extend beyond the business to include customers, suppliers, regulators, politicians, and various interest groups. The relationships tend to be durable because they are built on trust, and that trust allows information to flow both ways, exposing the leader to new ideas and different ways to see things. The social networks also allow him or her to energize and synchronize people's energy and actions and to do a better job managing a crisis than would otherwise be the case.

Ram Charan is the author or coauthor of many bestselling business books, including What the CEO Wants You to Know and Execution. For more than thirty-five years, he has worked behind the scenes at Fortune 100 companies like GE, Bank of America, DuPont, Thomson financial, Honeywell and Home Depot to help senior executives develop and implement strategic plans.

2007-11-10T10:22:00.001-08:00

I thought we’d share a bit our short trip to Tanzania and Bishop Bomani’s funeral, just to give you a little cultural insight. I’m writing a separate, more formal note to the people who shared official condolences via Claude at the funeral, including President Kieschnick, former and current Africa Regional Directors, and other missionaries. (Note to Scott – Claude did not tell them you felt like you had been kicked in the stomach when you heard the news, but I did mention that to Pastor Francis earlier. I think he appreciated it because he felt the same way.)

We were picked up at the Mwanza airport along with three bishops from the ELCT and taken directly to the church. It's very large and called a cathedral. That's where the diocese offices are, and there were people all over the parking lot. Lots of clerical shirts. Lots of tears. The bishops who had just arrived and we were gathered together so Pastor Francis (the assistant bishop) shared what had happened to Bishop Bomani and how Francis had found out about it and was with him. There was a room where people could sign a book of condolences. Bishop Bomani's picture was on the table and two large bouquets of flowers. The church and buildings and even the ambulance that carried the body to the church that night were decorated with white and purple balloons and purple ribbons. It's kind of like everyone needed to do something to feel like they are helping, so there was lots of activity. There was also an amazing amount of organization behind such a huge event. Impressive.

Here’s what had happened: The Bishop was on leave this month to work on a new house that was being built next his old one. They were taking down the old house (made of mud bricks). He was walking between them when a wall of the old house fell down on him and knocked him down. They said those bricks wouldn't have hurt him that bad, but he fell against the new hard brick wall and hit his head badly. They got him to the hospital. Francis went to get medicine that the doctor asked for, but when he got back, Bishop had just died only a minute before Francis returned. The doctor told him not to get upset, but Francis said nothing would ever be the same, so how he could not feel very upset?

The night before the funeral, the other diocese bishops washed and prepared the body with vestments. (I think the body was at a funeral home or morgue since Bishop died.) Then the body was brought to his home, where family had gathered. (We were not involved in any of this, but I actually watched a video of it in the back of the church before the funeral.) Later, the casket was brought to the church for the night, and some people slept there. They broadcast the moving of the casket to the church, including the procession, on the local evening news. Bishop was a very important man in this area.

Claude was told ahead of time to wear his alb and black stole, except he didn’t have a black stole. So I made one quickly, just out of heavy black cotton. I have some pictures of all of the pastors processing, as well as all the bishops, I think one from each of the other 13 dioceses, as well as the Presiding Bishop. It was all quite striking. They do like the vestments here.

The service started about 9:45 and lasted inside until about 1:30. It was a nice service, but all in Swahili, so I can’t tell you too much about it. Claude sat with the pastors and got some interpretation, but they planted me with some other white people whom I didn’t know, so I didn’t really know what was going on.

All of the bishops had a part in the service, and the Presiding Bishop had the sermon. There were three choirs. At one point, different people and organizations came forward to share condolences and leave an envelope for the family. Again, we had been prepared for this. Claude shared his own feelings as well as those expressed by others in the LCMS. Many pastors told us later that it meant a lot that we had come and that Claude had shared all of the greetings. They said it was an encouragement to all of them. I am just guessing that there were at least 1000 people. Several covered areas were set up outside the church.

Note the bishop’s chair behind Paul – General Secretary for the diocese and interpreting for Claude. It is Bishop Bomani’s chair with a black cloth on it.

Bishop was just 49 years old. He leaves a wife and six children, none of whom are adults.

A big government official (Tanzanian Minister of Internal Affairs?) was there with his entourage, and that created quite a stir. They were showed a lot of honor, and you could tell it meant a lot to everyone as well.

At the end of the service inside, all of the bishops gathered around the coffin and read Bible verses. It reminded me of an ordination or installation. Then the coffin was closed and quite a few pastors carried it out of the church. Claude was one of those, and he said it was very heavy. They carried it around to the side of the church where the grave had been dug. This is not a cemetery; there are no other graves there.

Claude’s white head is barely visible behind the man in the tan suit. This was the procession to the grave site.
The hole was very large and had been lined with ceramic tile. The coffin was lowered by hand into the grave. More words were spoken, and then family members each threw a handful of dirt into the grave. It was covered temporarily with a large metal sheet. After that, family, bishops, church leaders, the government people, and organization leaders each placed flowers on the grave. When they called LCMS, Claude and I place the flowers together. There was a wooden cross made with Bishop Bomani’s birth and death dates. I took a picture after everything was done.
All in all, it was a beautiful tribute to a man who was loved by many. One of his strengths is that he was a strong leader, but he did not lead alone. So others are prepared to take over. A new bishop will be elected in 3 months. Pastor Francis will be acting Bishop until that time.

Thank you for letting us share this significant event.

Claude & Rhoda

_______________________
Rev. Claude & Rhoda Houge
LCMS World Mission - East Africa