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

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

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

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Learn the names of those who will be interviewing you and how to pronounce them correctly.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Show a willingness and motivation to learn and apply new concepts and ideas. Exaggerating your experience or knowledge will not make a favorable impression.
9. 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.
10. 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

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 — 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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.......

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

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

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

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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The Jobs We Lost in 2008
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.