Competition is Fierce

Came across an article entitled: Hundreds line up for possibility of a job

I hope you weren't one of those people. If you were, I hope you knew how important it was to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Ideally, you'll never be in a cattle call with hundreds of people to interview and fill out applications. That's just the worst way to try to get a job. I hope that you will know the techniques I teach in the "Five Finger Guide" and know there ways to connect with a company in a more effectively.

If you have done your research and know that showing up and standing in line is truly your only available option (this can be true in fields such as manufacturing), please make the most of the opportunity. Here are a few quick tips:

• Leaning up against a wall and trying to remember the dates where you worked in 2004 isn't an ideal scenario. Prepare for filling out the application by having all of the details you'll need about your past experiences written down in advance.

• Dress appropriately and be well-groomed. Nobody really expects you to show up at an interview for a loading job dressed in a suit and tie. But try to dress a couple of notches better than you would on a regular workday. If you are a forklift operator, be the one they want to put on their marketing materials -- one who looks shiny and happy to be working.

• Have a great attitude. This can be really hard if you have been looking for a long time or you are stressed out for any other reason. Try to leave that outside. Every opportunity to meet people who are hiring is just that -- an opportunity. Be upbeat. Listen, there is no guarantee that if you have a positive attitude, you will get the job. But I can guarantee that if you go in there seeming defeated or negative in any way, you won't get it. 

• Get talking before you go to the event, even if you are all alone. Practice talking about yourself in a constructive and clear way. If you have practice, you won't stammer and pause and miss an opportunity to say great things about yourself when asked in a quick interview where time is of the essence. Prepare a little summary about yourself. Also, know something about the company so you can tell them why you want to work there.

• Chequered past? Be honest. Look them in the eye and tell them if you were let go from a job and why. Explain what went wrong as quickly as possible and how you've moved on. Personality conflict with an old boss? Explain that you usually get on well with people. Mention your references who will be happy to tell them about how great you are. Don't dwell on the negative.

These are tough times. I wish you the best of luck with your job search. Please share your stories with us here on the Five Finger Guide website. Happy to give advice or comments to anyone who reaches out here.

Your Portable Job Resource

One reason why I sat down and wrote a book to teach people how to find a job is that a lot folks have old notions about how to do it. Many people who were looking for jobs twenty years ago by scouring want ads and sending out stacks of resumes, are still doing exactly the same things in 2010!

Times have changed. The job market has changed. It's time to do things a little differently.

A book is only good to you if you can actually find time to read it. You need to make time to do it, even if you have a busy lifestyle That's why I decided to have my book formatted for ebook readers (such as Kindles and iPads). Hopefully, by making the workbook for Getting the Job You Want, A Five-Finger, Five-Week Guide to the Best Job of Your Life available in digital form, tech-friendly jobseekers will leverage the portability and convenience of their devices to carry out successful job searches. 

If you are interested in finding out more about the ebook, the following links will take you where you need to go. We are looking at making the book available in other formats as well. Please contact us if you have questions.

Click here for Kindle version in the Amazon Marketplace

Click here for iBook version (iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch)

Interview Outfit Advice

Here is a link to a great article on Good Housekeeping's website regarding interview dressing makeovers for women. It proves that you don't have to wear old fashioned heels and pearls to project a polished, professional image in a business environment.

Let's not leave the guys out. Here's a good overview from Glass Visage intended to help men who want to look sharp for a formal interview.

Reinventing You During a Difficult Job Search

Finding a job can be hard for some. For others, it may seem impossible, particularly in this job market which has quietly shifted from challenging to kind of bleak. There is no arguing with the unemployment numbers coming out, except to wonder if they might be a little too generous.

So, what do you do? You've been looking for some time now and there aren't any jobs. You are tired. You are frustrated. What do you do next?

Well, first, don't lose faith in your self or your ability to meet this challenge head-on.

Next, get organized. Make sure you have excellent supporting materials to show people how great you are.

Get honest. Find two people.

First, choose a straight-talking friend with whom you can have an awkward conversation. The topic? You.  Ask your friend if there is anything in your demeanor, attitude or physical presence that might be coming across badly in your interviews or interactions. Ask them to be honest and don't hold it against them if what they have to say is hard to hear. It is the only way you will be able to fix the problem and they will be doing you a great service.Don't end things without asking what that person percieves your strengths to be. Those are important for you to know also, and they may surprise you.

Next, approach a former colleague whom you respect and ask them essentially the same questions. Once you get your critique, don't hold back in asking for suggestions on how you might improve your skillset in order to be more marketable and hireable. Once again, don't take this criticism badly. Be dispassionate. You want to improve. You want to overcome any obstacle that might be standing between you and your next job. Don't be shy about being blunt. Do you project confidence? Do you seem arrogant? Do you dress professionally? Are you a team player? Remember, you also want to know what a colleague thinks your strengths are so that you can focus on those things during your interactions with contacts and potential Hiring Managers.

Why two people? Two people who know you in different ways can provide you with a more complete perspective of the situation and yourself. Don't be surprised if their observations are similar.

Get busy. Process the observations that have been provided to you and come up with ways to address those things that are within your control (which is just about everything). These changes will lift your spirits and renew your confidence in your self. Next, revisit your resume. Does it reflect your strengths?

If you feel like you don't have a plan for your job search, make one. Find a resource to help you do that. A book. A coarch. You may have been wasting time up until now because you didn't have your act together.

It's time to do things differently because the old ways didn't work. You can do this. Don't lose your new momentum. make new choices. Hate reaching out to people you don't know? Get past that. Talk to people. Tell them about yourself. Reconnect with your network with renewed energy. Listen. Communicate. 

Take care of yourself. Get rest so you can be sharp. Eat decent food so you have energy. Avoid getting depressed by staying engaged in life -- your family, your friends, your passions in life. These things always get us through hard times and this qualifies as one of those times.

If you have suggestions for renewal during a lengthy job search, please share your comments. Everyone can benefit from each others' experience and wisdom.

Best wishes and good luck to you on your job search!

Be Your Own Rock Star.

Recently caught Ryan Star's "Breathe" video. Have you seen it yet?

The video addresses the challenging job market and features a number of unemployed individuals who hold signs telling us their vocations. At the end of the video there is a link to a website that features the video again and a way to contact the featured players for job inquiries. It shows that at least one person has been hired (but we don't know if it was through their appearance in the video or their own steam). 

Disruptive and attention-getting ideas makes some sense. If your old methods aren't working, you need to shake things up. You need to stand out. But the chance to be in a video doesn't happen to everyone. That's why we teach creative differentiation in the Five-Finger Guide to Getting the Job You Want.  They aren't crazy ideas. Just ones that can help make you be the star at the job interview...not just one of the featured players.  If you've been conducting your job search in much the same fashion for a couple of months now with little result, it's time to shake things up.  This week, try to think of some ways to disrupt and get attention in your own job search. If you would like some ideas, let us know in the comments section or contact us at info@fivefingerguide.com. Good luck with your job search!

Next Stop...Elevator Pitches

So, what is your elevator pitch? Do you have an elevator pitch? Do you know what one is?

The term "elevator pitch" developed in the business world to describe a short speech that entrepreneurs use to succintly communicate a great idea to a potential investor in the amount it might take to ride an elevator.  You need an elevator pitch too, because you are your own business venture, your own great idea, the solution to your next employer's problem.

If you are in the market for a job, it's vital that you be able to effectively (and confidently) tell other people who you are, what you've done, what kind of value you can offer and what you want to do next in a succinct way. Time and attention are at a premium these days, so your statement needs to be deliberate, confident and memorable. It should take about a minute to say out loud.

It can take a little work to organize your thoughts into a great elevator pitch, but it's well worth your effort. After all, how is anyone going to be able to help you find a great job if they don't know what that is? How are they going to know you are the absolute best person to do that job if you seem scattered and stumble through the act of telling them about it?

One quick point. If you aren't sure what kind of job you want, now is the time to figure that out. This task might help you refine your understanding of your own goals, or it may lead you to do more research to help you figure out where your skills, talents and experience should lead you. 

So, how to begin - here's where you are in luck. There are all kinds of tools to help you in this process right here on the web.

First, there is a thorough article on WikiHow called "How to Develop Your Personal Elevator Pitch."
Next, there's a solid piece called "Developing Your Job Search Elevator Pitch" by Scott Brown.
Finally, check out this cool Elevator Pitch Builder from the smart folks at the Harvard Business School, which can help you brainstorm.

Some final tips.

• Make sure you practice your elevator pitch out loud, in the presence of another person, preferably someone who will be honest and give you good advice on how to make your pitch better. The idea is to master your speech so it doesn't sound awkward or rehearsed.
• Don't be modest. This is your chance to tell people why you are the best, smartest and most valuable person for the job. But just saying you are great won't work in this case. Instead, make a few specific statements about your actual knowledge, experience and accomplishments. These things, all in one package are unique to you and will help you stand out from other candidates.
• When you have a job interview, you go in to meet the Hiring Manager and the first thing they'll typically ask is "tell me about yourself." Guess what? A strong elevator pitch is great way to break the ice and begin talking about yourself. Of course, in an interview you will have the time to elaborate on details, share anecdotes about your work experiences, talk more deeply about your goals and flesh out who you are as a person and an employee.

We hope that you will begin the process of crafting your elevator pitch. It's a very important component of your job search and worth as much time as you can spare to refine it to be the best it can be.  Please share comments below about your experiences or questions you may have regarding elevator pitches!

The Second Interview

Came across an interesting article about interviewing called "How to Pass that Second Job Interview" on Associated Content. Here's the Five-Finger take on Second Interviews.

First, congratulations for passing the first cut. That's great. Approaching the second interview, you'll need to do all of the basics you did the first time - dress appropriately, show up on time, be a great listener, bring copies of resumes and other collateral materials -- you need to bring your A-game to every interview, not just the second and third ones.

Hopefully, right after your first interview, you took some time to reflect on how things went and made some final notes with observations and follow-up questions. Now you can consult those notes to do some research -- on the company, on subject matter that you might have been soft on in the first interview. Determine what questions are still left unanswered about the position and the company. 

Research the position online. See if the responsibilities that have been discussed match up with the title of the job. Check out salary calculators to find out what is typical for the level, geographical location and experience. Salary may not end up being discussed in the second interview, but if it is, you will want to be knowledgeable about comps. By the way, it's still good form to wait for the interviewer/hiring manager to bring up the subject of compensation. Basically, use your interview opportunities to explain your experience and  value for an employer. Later, when compensation inevitably comes up, you can then be sure that your potential has been represented strongly and your negotiation position will be stronger.

Find out who will be in your second interview. Same person as last time? New faces? Find out names, titles and then Google away. It's a little like a blind date, right? Even a little insight into the person you will be meeting could help you hit it off better. 

In your second interview, be sure to acknowledge elements from your first interview -- people you met, information you learned, etc. By doing this, you will demonstrate that you were "present" in the previous interview, that you cared about it and processed what happened. In the second interview, be sure to mention the things about the job that interest you, acknowledge challenges that may be apparent, bring up ideas you may have had to contribute to the business.  Make sure to address any concerns or questions you still have about the position.

Obviously, when you get to the second interview, the stakes are higher. Don't be nervous. Remember to be the person that other people would want on their team. In the end, it won't matter how impressive you may be -- folks want to work with effective, pleasant people.

We discuss interviewing strategy in depth in the "Five-Finger Guide," including how to negotiate a great job offer.  It's important to find out everything you need to know about the compensation package being offered to determine if it's right for you.

Good luck on your second interview.  Make the most out of this opportunity to "wow" them again with your energy and smarts. Enjoy the momentum a second interview brings to your job search. Keep up the hard work to land a great job!

Do you have any thoughts on interviewing? Any questions?  Please post them in the comments below so we can address them.

The Proper Care and Feeding of References

In my book, I talk about how to use references to your best advantage. Here, I just want to talk a little bit about who you should approach and why. 

We all appreciate reviews on products before we buy them and movies before we see them. So it’s not so surprising that strong recommendations can also play a significant role in convincing an employer that the person they are interviewing offers exceptional value.

For many people, references are an afterthought in the job search process. Are you one of those who doesn’t think about them until the day before a big interview? What are you waiting for? Ringing up an old colleague the night before your interview almost guarantees disaster. What if the individual has moved on and you don’t have their recent information? What if they are not-so-inclined to sing your praises and you need to find someone else? That’s not something you want to deal with at the last minute.

Whether you are in the midst of a job search or comfortably installed in your dream job, it’s important that you have a short list of solid go-to people who are happy to tell the world about your dedication, professionalism, teamwork, intellect, resourcefulness, attitude, and passion.

Pick people who can help tell your story to a future meployer. Who might you approach?

• A supervisorat your current or a previous job (depending on your circumstance)
• A high-level executive who directly knows your work - this is important. Don't approach someone who can't really comment on your accomplishments. It might backfire on you.
• A co-worker you have worked closely with on key projects
• A professional from another company you may have teamed with on work
• A colleague in your industry whom you have known for a long time
• An academic advisor or college professor
• An individual who has worked with you on volunteer projects
• A coach (from the softball team, the chess club or some other pursuit that complements your work life).

Don’t be timid or lazy about references. Reach out now. If you are shy, you might need to go out of your comfort zone. Ask people if they would be willing to support you. Tell folks you would be honored by this--because it's true. If you don’t have direct dealings with your references currently, make an effort to stay in touch by checking in quarterly or at least twice a year with an email, phone call or a handwritten note. Connect with them via social media. Make a point to let them know how you are doing and find out what they are working on (you never know if they may have a good contact for your job search). Be interesting. Be interested. These relationships are important and need to be cultivated in a deliberate and thoughtful way or they will no longer be relevant.

Finally, are you a good reference for someone else? There isn’t a greater professional compliment you can pay a colleague than to offer to be a reference for them. It’s something that can truly make an impact on someone else’s career path.  Share your support and see that positive act come back to you in other ways. 

Why You Should Be on LinkedIn

Gone are the days when you could just sit down with the want ads on Sunday, send in your resume, and get interviews.  Now, everybody needs to work harder and leverage any advantage they can to find a great job. So, it’s more important than ever to have a strong network.

I actually remember the old days when we had Rolodexes. At the time, they were the best way to manage a network of contacts.  You would collect all of the information from somebody you met and transfer it all onto a small card. This was kind of neat because you could take the Rolodex with you from job to job and if you had a lot of contacts, they made a cool whoosh noise when you flipped through the stack of cards. They weren’t very convenient though. You had to keep updating cards all the time and invariably, some would get lost.  The Rolodex was a good tool for its time, but things have changed.

I like LinkedIn. You might be using it already and know everything there is to know about it. This post is really for those folks who might be thinking about joining, but aren’t sure it’s worth their time.

For the uninitiated, LinkedIn is a site where you can establish your identity and connect with people you know in a professional environment. Even better, you can see your colleagues’ networks. This creates the possibility of a referral down the road and those are what you will need to get your foot in the door to your next great job. A basic affiliation with LinkedIn is free.  You can also sign up for a paid monthly membership that offers some extras. Here are some of the basic things you can do on LinkedIn:

1. Create a profile that reflects your experience. Yes, this sounds a bit like a resume, doesn’t it? In a way it is, but it’s better. On LinkedIn, you get lots of space to write about your goals and to convey information about what you’ve done in the past. You can make changes when you want and on rare occasions, you might end up on a recruiter’s radar based on the information you post.
2. Look up people you know and connect to them. Remember that great guy who sat in the cubicle across from yours at A+ Software Company? Search for him on LinkedIn and you might find out he’s a Senior Director at an even better company now. Reconnect by sending him an invitation to join your network.
3. Send messages to contacts. There is an email client within LinkedIn that you can use to contact people in your network. This is great for staying in regular contact and making your contacts aware of your job search status.
4. Join groups. For just about any job or professional interest, there is a group on LinkedIn. Some are carefully moderated and you must apply for membership. Others are open and less formal. In any case, join some groups. Participate in conversations. If you have a meaningful dialogue, consider asking the other person to join your network.   
5. Ask questions and have them answered by people you don’t know yet.  On LinkedIn, you can post professional questions and solicit opinions and advice from other people. You can also act as an expert and answer their questions. This is a great way to create a conversation and make new contacts.
6. Research companies. When you are looking for your next job, you will need to find out about the companies where you want to apply. A Google search is a good place to start, but if you want to find out more, such as who is working at a company and, perhaps, whether you may know someone affiliated with that company, look them up within LinkedIn. 
7. Refer people to your other Internet activities. If you have a thriving blog where you write about your industry, or you are on Twitter, or if you just want to show people your company website, you can include links to those sites on your LinkedIn page.  Be mindful of what information you are putting out on the Internet and sharing with business associates when you link other social media to your LinkedIn profile. 

The above list is a general overview of some of the things you can do on LinkedIn. Once you get going, you will likely find other helpful tools and activities that can support your job search.

A note on social networks. As I have mentioned, LinkedIn is a professionally-oriented site, ideal for managing your network and your business identity.  You might be on Facebook or Myspace as well, but these are social networking environments that are designed for casual contact. I don’t recommend that you connect to a business associate in those networks unless you know that person outside of the office.   

Tax Time for Job Seekers

Last year was challenging for many people, especially those of you who were jobseekers for a lengthy period. Now, tax time has rolled around to remind you of those efforts in 2009. There are some changes in this year’s filing rules that may benefit you if you collected unemployment insurance last year.  A number of costs associated with your job search, such as travel expenses and postage, may count toward your deductions if you itemize.  There are caveats though. You have to be looking for a job in the same field as your last one and you can’t be a first time job seeker.

Recently, there have been some useful articles that address tax issues for unemployed folks.  Hope they will point you in the right direction in advance of April 15th.

How Unemployment Affects Your Income Taxes from SFGate

Tax Tips for the Unemployed and Financially Distressed from the New York Times

Jobless Taxpayers May Be Missing Key Tax Breaks, Costing Themselves Money  from CNN Money

Last but not least, this is right from the horse's mouth -- the horse being the IRS:

Miscellaneous Deductions 2009 Form 529 (Note: this is an Adobe Acrobat document)

If you are currently unemployed, keep in mind that this is a new tax year.  Tax rules are constantly evolving and you never know what may be relevant in the future. Start your record keeping now, related to your job search activity, so that next year’s filing will be as painless and financially beneficial as possible!   

Concept and Execution

Ran into a young man today who had a great idea, but dismal execution!  Here's his story:

He's moving to a new city to get an MBA.  He wants to work in the hotel industry after graduation.  Since he's in a night program, and needs a day job, he very reasonably decided to get an entry-level job in the hotel business, so he could gain some experience and confirm his appetite for that kind of work.  GREAT CONCEPT!  He had the right idea.

Unfortunately, he had given up on it.  "Economy stinks," he said, because he hadn't found a hotel job.  What had he done?  He had sent his resume to a few generic websites, like Craig's List, looking for hotel jobs, and hadn't been offered one.  So he was giving up and was going to take some other job while he went to school.  Leapin' lizards, dear readers!  He had given up on getting a hotel job without having visited a single hotel or talking to a single hotel company!  Good concept, bad execution.

I told him to plot a path from his new home in his new city, to his MBA school, and to find the 20 name-brand hotels closest to that path.  I told him to create a one-page resume with his photo on it, and to put on a suit, and to WALK INTO the 20 hotels closest to that path, and to offer his services as an entry-level front desk clerk.  He's smart, he's neat, he's professional.  He'll get a job.  I told him that if he walked into 20 places and didn't get a job, I'd buy him dinner.

I used to own a hotel.  I know I won't be buying him dinner.

Bottom line, dear readers:  concepts need execution to make them work.

Teach a Man to Fish...

There's an old proverb: If you want to feed a man for a day, give him a fish.  If you want to feed him for a lifetime, TEACH him to fish.

So it is with jobs.

Do you have a friend or relative who is unemployed, or underemployed?  Unhappy at work? Most of us do.  For me, it was my daughter, who was recently out of school and working at a dead-end, interim job.  Of course, I was the supportive Dad, trying to help her make the best of a situation.  But the best way to make her happy was to get her into a decent job.

Problem is, she didn't know how to find one.  (It's not an inborn trait, you know!) (smile)

So I bought her some books.  I wrote her a couple kindly "From your Father" letters.  And I encouraged her, and cajoled her, and even whined a bit.  I encouraged her, and helped her, and she applied to better firms for better jobs.  And when they didn't respond and she grew depressed, I cheered her up, and cheered her on.

And, eventually, it worked!  She got the job she wanted.  The job she deserved.  She's happier now-- making more money, having more fun.  Now, she knows how to fish.

Try it with that family member or friend of yours.  It works!

The Dream Job

You’ve heard the term “Dream Job,” haven’t you? Everybody wants one and hardly anybody knows somebody who has one. It’s the elusive grail that we fantasize about on those days when the job we have seems particularly lousy. Ever look for it in the want ads? Some wise guy always seems to post a job called “Dream Job,’ but it’s usually telemarketing (which might be somebody’s dream job, but it’s not mine).

As we approach careers in this new decade, let’s re-think the concept of dream jobs by considering what our dreams really are. To be rich? To be famous? Some folks fantasize about those things. But there are other dreams out there:

• Making enough money to stop living paycheck to paycheck and build a nest egg
• Creative fulfillment
• Working in a particular location (near family, near outdoor activities)
• A positive workplace (good management, nice people, pleasant space)
• Making a difference in the world
• Reasonable hours so you can see loved ones at night
• A place to settle into for an extended period of time
• Advancement opportunities
• Good benefits (varying according to need: tuition reimbursement, medical care, flexible hours, etc.)

These may not seem like big dreams to some people, but trust me…they are meaningful to others who are looking to make positive changes in their lives.  Identifying these dreams and their importance in your life is crucial to finding a great job.

Some people carry around the same dreams a little too long. Dreaming about being a major league pitcher is great when you are in high school. But when you are 50, you should probably take stock and come up with a new dream, if you haven’t done it already. It can still be ambitious. Just make sure it’s authentic to you.

Still dreaming about being rich and famous? That’s okay, I guess. But unless you are a socialite, those things are usually a byproduct of activity. What do you want to become known for doing? How do you do it differently than everybody else so you stand out? How do you let people know that you are great? If you have been sitting back, not acting on your dream, ask yourself what one thing you can do this week to move a step closer to where you want to go…and then do it!

What is a Hiring Manager?

In “Getting the Best Job of Your Life” I put a huge amount of emphasis on Hiring Managers. These people are the key to landing great jobs.  But who are the Hiring Managers, exactly? A Hiring Manager is anyone who decides who gets to work in a place of employment. This person might not necessarily have the title of “manager,” but he or she oversees the workings of a department or an organization and makes those choices. A Hiring Manager can even create a job for the right candidate in the right circumstances.

It’s important to correctly identify who the Hiring Manager is when you are approaching a company.  It may not be the person who heads up a department. It might be the Vice President he reports to. It might be the store owner, not the Floor Manager. Sometimes you need to do some detective work and ask around. So, don’t waste time in your search. If you have a contact at a company, ask them to help you identify the person who has the power to get you a job there.  

New Year’s Networking Resolutions – 10 for ‘10

Making the most of your network can be challenging. It’s a new year. A new decade. Why not take this opportunity to get serious about strengthening your connections. Think about doing things differently this year so that you can have different results. Here are some thoughts and tips for 2010…

1.       Think about how many people you know. Then consider that each of them knows just as many people as you do. Somewhere in this vast network of people you know and people they know is someone who can help you get a job. Take that network seriously.  A strong network doesn’t happen by accident.

2.       Make sure your business cards are fresh and up to date. Do you have a new title? Do you have a new career path?  Has your email or phone changed? Your business card should reflect the latest information on you. You’ve seen people who use old cards and cross out old information and write in new? Don’t be one of those people. It looks cheesy.  Get new cards made. They aren’t expensive.  I know what you are thinking…I’m a croupier, a gym teacher, a car detailer, a songwriter, a librarian…I don’t have a business card. So?  Get one anyway. You’ll stand out!

3.       When you meet someone new, and it’s appropriate, exchange contact information with them. Consider how you might help this person. That’s right – how you might help them. Too many times we look at other people as resources for our use and not the other way around. Trust me. If you can help out somebody else, even in a small way, they’ll want to help you back.

4.       Find an organized way to manage your contacts. Some people keep a Rolodex. Others store information on their PDA or phone or Outlook. Figure out which way you collect and store information most efficiently and create a consistent process for doing it. Each time you meet someone new, be sure to input their contact information as soon as you can, while you mind is still fresh. Follow up with a note. (Hey Joe. We met the other day at our sons’ baseball game. It was a real nail biter, wasn’t it? Enjoyed talking to you about our shared love of European beers. I was also interested to hear that you have done business with Carlton and Phipps, a competitor of mine.  I would really like to continue that conversation sometime – I’d even spring for a German Pilsner or two. In the meantime, I wanted to make sure I had your contact information right. I’ve included it below.  Once again, good to meet you. R. O. ) Make sure that your contact information is in the signature. By writing a note, you confirm your information and implicitly invite a reply. You also know they have your contact information handy as well.

5.       Even if you are happily, gainfully employed, don’t let your contacts get stale and dusty. This could be a huge task if you have a lot of contacts, so don’t think you have to do them all at once. Make a point, monthly, to take a portion of your contacts and send them each a brief note. It doesn’t have to be personalized throughout, but you should mention that you want to make sure that you have their latest contact information and ask them to put them on your list of people to inform if anything changes. Create a note you can send to everybody and just personalize the P.S. line. (e.g., P.S. I was visiting Los Angeles last week and remembered that crazy business lunch we had. Are you sure the paparazzi weren’t there to see you?)  If, for some reason, you do need help in a job search, you don’t want to be the long-lost pal who hasn’t been in contact for 6 years and now needs a favor.

6.       Online networking tools like LinkedIn have been created for the purpose of connecting with business contacts and staying connected over time. Use them! Keep your profile fresh and up-to-date. Include your recent endeavors as well as your accomplishments.  Folks will be interested in knowing what you are working on, even if you don’t have a “big win” attached.

7.       What if you aren’t “good at networking” or you aren’t a “people person?” Well, that’s a cop out. Everybody who knows anybody is a “people person” – you just might be picky about the kind of people you get close to. Do some soul searching to figure out the kind of people you connect with. They might be people who share the same hobby as you or folks who share your values at your church. Decide what arena feels comfortable for you and network there. Make an effort to meet new people.

8.       Have a good long think about all of the possible avenues of contacts you might have. Family members. Colleagues. Friends. Alumnae. People from the gym. From church. Fellow team members. PTA. Professionals you employ (your lawyer, your dentist, your hair dresser, your accountant, etc.). When you think about it, you probably know HUNDREDS of people. If any one of them told you they were looking for a job, you’d be very interested and want to be helpful to them, right? You’d put some brain power into thinking about whether you knew of a business that might be interested in employing them, wouldn’t you? So don’t be shy about approaching them yourself. Keep this in mind – if you are gainfully, happily employed, you will be in a better, stronger position to help others reach their goals.  

9.       If you are a shy person, here’s a trick for parties, business meetings or other social gatherings. Most shy people are observant and good at noticing the people in the room who are popular and seem to know everybody. Make it your goal to meet one of those people. Approach them, smile, and say “Hi, I’m John Smith.” Pull out your business card and hand it to them if it helps you break the ice. That person probably has good people skills and will be happy to meet you. They’ll make it easy.  After you have established contact, tell them that you are trying to meet new people and ask if there is anyone else in the room you should meet. You’ll be surprised how helpful they will be in connecting you with others. Be sure to get their card and drop them a note afterwards.

10.   If you are unemployed, you can become a little isolated. It can seem like there aren’t a lot of ways to get out and meet people in your field. Nonsense. You just need to get creative and do some research to find outlets. Go to trade shows. Attend lectures by professionals in your field. Go to community events, like Chamber of Commerce meetings. Join a professional organization associated with your field. Look for a Meetup group in your area (check out www.meetup.com for more information). If you have a skill or some area of expertise, figure out where you can volunteer to use it to get some visibility. Are you a barber? Volunteer to give haircuts one Saturday at the local retirement community. Are you a CPA? Volunteer to stop by the library and give a lecture about new tax rules. You’ll get new contacts and maybe even some new clients. Make sure when you do these things you get some photos. You can use this later to promote yourself to an employer.  

Some final word on contacts.  They are very important, these folks who will help you get your next job, the best job of your life. Treat them with care. Nurture them. Respect them. Cultivate these relationships. Spend some time considering how you can help these folks meet their goals. If they are successful, they may one day have the power to help you. In turn, share your good fortune with them. What goes around, comes around. It’s true. This is a great attitude to bring into the new decade, one which will likely be filled with serious challenges and, hopefully, great opportunity.  Happy New Year!

Interview Questions from Hell

There have been a lot of articles in recent months about the crazy interview questions that are lobbed at job candidates who have the good fortune to have an audience with Google. 

http://snipurl.com/tz6vp (Courtesy of the Business Insider)

Companies come up with interview questions for different reasons. Some want to know more about you. Some want to know how much you know about a work-related issue.  And then there are rare companies like Google, that ask “outside the box” or brainteaser questions that seemingly have nothing to do with the job. A lot of people hate these questions. I think they’re great.

Tricky or inscrutable questions are a way for employers to get an insight into the way you think.  (Or that you know how to think in the first place.) Often there isn’t a “right” answer. Hiring Managers are looking for creative and analytical employee. They want you to talk through how you would solve the problem. They’ll take note of the way you break down the issue.

Unusual questions can be a test to see how you handle stress too.  As a Hiring Manager, I might want to see if you have good coping skills, or if you react negatively to a tough situation.  There may not be a right answer and I’m checking to see how you handle that. Here’s a chance for you to prove yourself unflappable. If you get a crazy question from out of left field, don’t panic! Take a moment. Smile. Think. Give it your best shot. 

A Little About Me

I’ve been where you are. I’ve been out in the job world looking for work. A number of times over the past 30 years or so. I know that it can be hard out there. I did things the wrong way, at first – probably just like you. And then I figured out that getting a job is a job in itself and it has to be mastered, like anything else in life. Over the years, I’ve also hired people who were looking for work. Many, many times.  I know what Hiring Managers are looking for. I know what kinds of things impress them and what things don’t. After years of counseling friends and colleagues on how to get a job, I figured I would write it down. And then I decided that writing it down wasn’t good enough. I should have a video made, record the audio book version and make a poster to help folks follow along.  I would also make this website, so I could keep passing along information and get feedback from people who use the system I created. It’s called “Getting the Job You Want – A Five-Finger Guide to the Best Job of Your Life.” Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will visit often. If you are interested in the Guide, please click here.