HOW TO ANSWER DIFFICULT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
As much as we prepare for the job interview, there always seems to be something that comes up that we did not expect, did not prepare for, and are at a loss for words. Usually these are the hard questions, the ones that dig deeper into our past, why we were fired, why we left a job, how we got along with our boss or co-workers or why a project went off track, or why we lost a key client. You can be sure one of your interviewers is going to ask you at least one of these questions, so here’s how to be prepared. Why did you leave your last job? – I learned a lot and it was a great opportunity After two years I felt I was not learning anything new and wanted to get more challenging work. Or, you might say, the company was very small with a flat organizational structure so there was no career ladder to climb. Why were you fired? If you were fired because of underperforming you can say I should have asked for help when I needed it. I learned from that experience and am taking a course to gain extra skills. Or, perhaps there was a difference of opinion of how to handle the client or the board of directors decided they wanted to go in a different direction with the executive and chose someone with a stronger financial background. Or, the job turned out to be different from the original expectations and I struggled. We realized it was not a good fit. Or Why do you want to change jobs (for example, when you were in a higher level position before and this job has a lower title) I am no longer interested in being the boss and having that kind of responsibility or I no longer wish to deal with the board. I am happier working on programming at the computer or building a professional development program. How did you get along with your boss? They want to know that you are flexible enough to handle different kinds of people. You can say we got along well most of the time and even though we disagreed on some things I always respected his point of view and expressed my opinion. I learned how to ask more questions and communicate better in order to do a good job. What is your greatest weakness? or What was your biggest disappointment? Never answer with “I don’t have any.” The point of the question is to see how you handle adversity, how you learn from your mistakes. If the job does not require data analysis, you can use that as your weakness. If the job does require financial analysis, then you can say expository writing is not your strong point. If you can’t think of an answer immediately, don’t panic! Stay calm, say can I get back to you later on that? Buy some time by rephrasing the question, Do you mean do I have an example of how I overcame an obstacle? Then say, I remember a time when…. Then in your follow up email, you can expand on your answer from the interview. Amy Geffen is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in management, non-profits and associations. She has worked with finance, insurance and engineering professionals, as well as lawyers, editors, marketers, students, and those over 50 experiencing ageism. She has a Master’s Degree from Harvard University and a PhD from New York University. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
Are You Too Old to Get That Job?
I’M TOO OLD – Get OVER IT! We have talked about ageism in the workplace before…but ageism is definitely not a numbers game. It is about how you look and feel and act. So what can you do to improve your personal brand? Your look – that means hair, teeth and clothing. Gray hair on a man is a sign of maturity, wisdom, and eminence. Not so for a woman. Unless you are in an artistic or creative field, gray hair is not considered an asset. Try covering the gray by going to a good salon to get the right color for you. Your teeth – ever notice how younger people’s teeth sparkle because they are SO white? As we age our teeth get brown or grey…not very attractive. Talk to your dentist about whitening if the over-the-counter toothpastes and whiteners don’t work for you. Your Clothing – You have heard the expression “Clothes make the man” Old but true, and certainly true for women. Men have fewer choices, so a white shirt and suit and tie go a long way in any situation. A woman, on the other hand, has to put herself together. Look at your wardrobe and weed out the tired, worn or out of date dresses, blouses, slacks and suits. No big shoulders, please. Nothing too short or too long. Nothing too tight. What you looked good in a few years ago might not fit the same way as your weight goes up, or down, or shifts around. Your posture – Stand up straight. Smile. Be confident, feel confident ,when you look confident. The way we walk tells so much about ourselves. Are we tired and slow? or are we energetic and raring to go? Your resume – Do you cover your whole’s story? No need to. The resume is an advertisement for you to get your first interview, in what we hope will be a series of interviews. No need to go back to your first job out of college, unless it is absolutely relevant to your current job target, or unless you are in a field that covets many years of life and work experience. Your attitude – Are you willing to learn new things? Are you willing to work evenings and weekends? Are you willing to travel to other cities? Are you willing to do what it takes to work for this company? Are you wiling to report t osomeone much younger than you? It is all about YOU. You and only can make the changes necessary to stay in the job search. Amy Geffen is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in management, non-profits and associations. She has worked with finance, insurance and engineering professionals, as well as lawyers, editors, marketers, students, and those over 50 experiencing ageism. She has a Master’s Degree from Harvard University and a PhD from New York University. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
WHATS WRONG WITH MY RESUME?
If you are sending out your resume, whether in answer to postings or cold to companies where you would like to work, and you are getting few responses, it is time to revise and re-work. Remember, the resume is an advertisement for you. Its purpose is to get your foot in the door for the first interview. It need not tell your whole life story. It needs to be long enough to cover the topic and short enough to be interesting. Too much detail – Too long and no one will read it. Omit descriptions of your companies or summaries of your job descriptions. They waste valuable space and do not say anything about you. One or two pages is sufficient, unless you are an executive or an academic. Not enough detail – Be specific. Bulleted items for each job – Most recent jobs should have 4-6 bullets. Earlier jobs can have 2-3 bullets. Make sure to include your top skills and key words. Your details distinguish you from the next candidate with a similar work history. Too long /Too short – If you are a recent college graduate, you can use one page, otherwise it is okay to go to two pages, or more, depending upon your job function. Executives may have three or more pages. Academics may have more pages to include lists of publications and presentations. Job descriptions instead of accomplishments – Be specific. Use the P.A.R. approach – What problem did you solve? What action did you take? What was the result? Start each bullet with a strong verb. Use quantities, numbers, and percentages whenever possible. If you can’t remember exactly how many events you planned, guesstimate. Unexplained Gaps – obvious gaps in employment. If you have not done any volunteer work, consulting, or owned your own business, then you need to be prepared to answer that question during the interview. If you are currently out of work you need to fill in with volunteer work, consulting, or an interim position. Amy Geffen is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in management, non-profits and associations. She has worked with finance, insurance and engineering professionals, as well as lawyers, editors, marketers, students, and those over 50 experiencing ageism. She has a Master’s Degree from Harvard University and a PhD from New York University. GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How to create and effective "Personal Pitch"
What’s Wrong with My Pitch? (c) Amy Geffen Your pitch is your 30 -120 second advertisement for you. It is your commercial that you can use when you meet new people, in your cover letter, in your resume, in your interview, in your follow up letter. It is pretty much the single most important piece of promotion for your job campaign. But sometimes your pitch may not be working for you. What is wrong with your pitch? 1. Too short – If you just say who you are and what job you are looking for ..then it is too short. You need to be specific about yourself. Ten seconds is too short. Sometimes 45-60 seconds is long enough. 2. Too long – If you go on and on, people will get bored. They will tune out. They will stop listening and you will miss the point of the pitch. Two minutes is a long time. If you go beyond that you will lose them. 3. Doesn’t differentiate you – What makes you different? Do you make computers dance? Do you solve every problem that comes your way? Do you have a perfect record? Were you the first to do something in your company? The first to launch online learning? The first to use webinars? 4. Doesn’t talk about accomplishments – Don’t fall into the trap of simply repeating your job description. Everyone with your job title has the same job description. You need to differentiate yourself with the specific accomplishments. Use the P.A. R. method: what problem did you solve? what action did you take? what was the result? Talk about one or two accomplishments and your results that you are proud of. 5. Needs a specific job function – if you don’t know what you are looking for, the person you are talking to won’t be able to help you. You need to settle on one or two choices for a job function. That helps the listener to focus on your area of expertise. Craft your pitch. Include some specific accomplishments. Practice your pitch so that it comes naturally. You don’t want to sound like you are reading it. Amy Geffen is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in management, non-profits and associations. She has worked with finance, insurance and engineering professionals as well as lawyers, editors, marketers, students, and those over 50 experiencing ageism.. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How to create and effective “Personal Pitch”
What’s Wrong with My Pitch? (c) Amy Geffen Your pitch is your 30 -120 second advertisement for you. It is your commercial that you can use when you meet new people, in your cover letter, in your resume, in your interview, in your follow up letter. It is pretty much the single most important piece of promotion for your job campaign. But sometimes your pitch may not be working for you. What is wrong with your pitch? 1. Too short – If you just say who you are and what job you are looking for ..then it is too short. You need to be specific about yourself. Ten seconds is too short. Sometimes 45-60 seconds is long enough. 2. Too long – If you go on and on, people will get bored. They will tune out. They will stop listening and you will miss the point of the pitch. Two minutes is a long time. If you go beyond that you will lose them. 3. Doesn’t differentiate you – What makes you different? Do you make computers dance? Do you solve every problem that comes your way? Do you have a perfect record? Were you the first to do something in your company? The first to launch online learning? The first to use webinars? 4. Doesn’t talk about accomplishments – Don’t fall into the trap of simply repeating your job description. Everyone with your job title has the same job description. You need to differentiate yourself with the specific accomplishments. Use the P.A. R. method: what problem did you solve? what action did you take? what was the result? Talk about one or two accomplishments and your results that you are proud of. 5. Needs a specific job function – if you don’t know what you are looking for, the person you are talking to won’t be able to help you. You need to settle on one or two choices for a job function. That helps the listener to focus on your area of expertise. Craft your pitch. Include some specific accomplishments. Practice your pitch so that it comes naturally. You don’t want to sound like you are reading it. Amy Geffen is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in management, non-profits and associations. She has worked with finance, insurance and engineering professionals as well as lawyers, editors, marketers, students, and those over 50 experiencing ageism.. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
HOW TO USE LINKED IN for YOUR JOB SEARCH – Feb 2017
Your LinkedIn page is an integral part of your job search strategy. Hiring managers and search firms are using Linked In as their number one place to troll for viable candidates. Don’t worry what your current employer may think. Just click on the NO button so when you update your profile no one is notified of changes. 1.Use Key Words –The 140 characters at the top of your LinkedIn profile are golden. Use them to indicate your job target and your top skills. Key words used by hiring managers and search firms. They are probably the most important part of your LinkedIn Profile. Use key words from the job descriptions of your job targets. Use skills or competencies that you have listed in your resume. 2.Highlight accomplishments – should reflect your resume. Make sure you start every accomplishment with an active verb preceded by a bullet. Active verbs include e.g. created, analyzed, led, wrote, designed, developed. Make your accomplishments quantifiable with numbers, percentages, time frames, whenever you can. There must be a consistent branding message reflected in your resume and in your Linked In page. 3.Research companies – many companies have a Linked In page in addition to their regular website. The page will connect you to some staff and board members. 4.Research individuals who are interviewing you. Learn about their background, education, and work experience. Find something you have in common, such as a school you attended, or a person you both know, or at least know enough to know who they are. Never go into an interview without knowing the names and background of the person(s) who will interview you. 5.Network – Get introductions through your first level contacts to their contacts…Request an introduction from your contact with one of their contacts in a company or field where you would like to make a contribution. Ask for a 15 minute informational meeting or phone call. Remember, you can have more than one resume, tailored to your specific job target, but you can have only ONE linked in page. Make it count. Use key words. Make it complete. Add your photo, education, recommendations and skills. Amy Geffen, PhD is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in non-profits, associations and college administration. She has worked with financial, insurance and engineering professionals as well as academics and non-profit executives. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
Help! 5 Steps to Your Next Carer
If you think you want a change, or hate what you do now, but have no idea what you could do, you are not alone. After 10 or 20 years in a career many of us feel we are at a dead end, or we have lost interest. Even after a couple of years of doing one job straight out of college, we may feel this is not what I thought it was going to be. I am not happy. I want to do something else. But what? The way to find out what you want to do with your career is to follow these steps: SELF ASSESSMENT – Find out your skills, interests, work values, cultural fit List your top 25 accomplishments from your life, including school, extra-curricular activities, work experience, volunteering experiences, unpaid work, etc. Pick seven top stories – the ones that you enjoyed the most and feel great about. Write those up. Then compare them to see what are the skills that stand out for you? Is it planning, budgeting, working with people or animals, creative, analytical, writing or speaking? VALUES – work values. Picture yourself at work. Are you in a large office or small cubicle? Are you working from home? Are your co-workers young or old, or a mixed bag? Is your boss a micro-manager or a laissez-faire manager? Are there opportunities to learn, grow, take courses, and meet new people? INTERESTS – What are you passionate about? Taking care of animals? Fishing and the great outdoors? Reading? Traveling? Working with young people? Do you like volunteering in a soup kitchen? Make a list of your interests. Then… BRAINSTORM – What kinds of job titles are a match between each of your skills and your interests? Here are some examples. If you are a good writer and like to travel you could be a travel writer, food critic. If you like to write and are interested in government, you could be a publicist or speech writer. If you are a whiz at analyzing numbers and like sports you could do data analysis for a sports equipment or sports clothing retailer. If you are good with numbers and like theatre you can do the bookkeeping for a theatre company. If you are good at blank and like blank you could become a (fill in the blank). RESEARCH – Then research these job titles to see if they are realistic. Research consists of reading, searching online, and meeting with real people. What does this person actually do on the job? Look online for job descriptions. Talk to people who do these jobs and find out what they do all day. What was their career path? What challenges do they face? What is their typical day like? If you follow these steps and come up with three to five possible job titles, then you can pursue a job search, perhaps after taking a few courses if necessary, re-writing your resume, join a few professional networks. If this sounds too difficult to do on your own, hire a career coach! Amy Geffen, PhD is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in non-profits, associations and college administration. She has worked with financial, insurance and engineering professionals as well as academics and non-profit executives. To unsubscribe to this newsletter, reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.– GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How to Handle a Difficult Interview
5 Ways to Handle a Difficult Interview We all hope that the interview will go great. The interviewer will ask us all the right questions to elicit our best skills and accomplishments. And we all know that isn’t always the case. Some interviewers talk too much and don’t ask you the right questions. Some ask you inappropriate or illegal questions. Here are 5 ways to handle those situations where the interviewer: Talks too much – Some interviewers go on interminably about the company, its mission, why they like working there. Some of this information is useful, but spending too much time leaves you little room to discuss how you can help the company. You might say, May I tell you about a recent project I worked on that is relevant or Let me tell you about one of my successes… Asks inappropriate or illegal questions – When an interviewer starts asking about your family or the ages of your kids, that should raise a red flag. What they really want to know is will you be able to work late occasionally or on weekends or come in early. No need to get huffy and say, that’s illegal. You can’t ask that question. Better to say my family obligations will not interfere with my work. I am available to work evenings and weekends when required. Keeps harping on the same question or the same job you left or were fired from. Again, don’t get upset or irritated. Just keep stating your brief reason and then move on to how you can help solve the company’s problems. Don’t change the story or add more details. Keep your answer short and to the point. Doesn’t ask questions that go to the heart of why you are qualified. That is your cue to interrupt politely and talk about your accomplishments. Try to respond to one of their comments and then say, “yes, and I did this for xyz company which can help you solve your problem.” Each time the interviewer makes a point, say “Yes, and I did this at my last job and I can do this for your company too.” Asks about your salary on your previous job. If this is the first or even second interview that is too soon to talk about salary. There are several ways to handle this question. One is to say, “I have my research on this job title in your industry in this city and the range is from $x to $y”. Another way to handle it is to say, “This job is very different from what I did before. The responsibilities and span of control are not the same, so my previous salary is irrelevant.” Amy Geffen, PhD is a Five O’Clock Club Certified Career Coach with over 30 years of experience in non-profits, associations and college administration. She has worked with financial, insurance and engineering professionals as well as academics and non-profit executives. www.geffencareers.com GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
5 Tips for Over-50 Job Seeker
If you are over 50 you are probably feeling like things aren’t what they used to be. Are you feeling old? Left out? Are you getting excuses for not being hired? Are you told you are over-qualified? Whether you are over 50 or 60 or yes, even, 70 and still want to work here are 5 ways to deal with challenges in your job search. Energy – Some jobs require a high level of energy – lots of evening or weekend work, lots of travel to distant places. The underlying implication is that if you are of a certain age, you do not have the stamina or energy required to do the job. Make it plain during the interview process that you are fit, by mentioning any one of the things you do to stay in shape: e.g., you walk two miles a day at lunch, you go to a gym, you take yoga, you are a cyclist, a swimmer or you pursue some other physical activity. You want to give the impression that you are fit, you stay fit and you have lots of energy. Technical expertise – When you are a certain age, it is sometimes assumed that you are not conversant with the latest software, applications or social media. It is your job to learn the applications, be active on social media …if you do not have someone you can teach you go to a class or watch YouTube or take an online course or a free course at your local library. Don’t let your age be a detriment. Make sure you are familiar with and can use these apps and social media. Salary – Once again, the assumption is you have been working for a long time, therefore you want a certain salary and the company is not really interested or able to pay you what they think you want to earn. Save salary negotiations for when they actually offer you the job. During the process stay focuses on what you can do for the company, how you can solve their problems, how you have solved similar challenges for other companies and you can do the same for them. You may not require the high salary they think you want, or even as much as your last job. IT is important to emphasize your ability to do the job and that salary will not be an issue. Passion – Just because you are of a certain age, that does not diminish your passion for your field, your biggest asset may be your passion. You have dedicated a lifetime to doing a particular job, solving particular problems, and you are at the top of your game. You not tired, worn out, done with. On the contrary, you need to show that your enthusiasm for your field or job title is infectious….Don’t for a moment let up on your interest. Make your passion palpable during the interview, on the phone, and in all your written communications. What NOT to Do – Don’t forget to be prepared. Don’t forget to research the company thoroughly. Don’t be tired. When they say, “You are not a good cultural fit”, that is code speak for you are too old, you won’t fit into the young millennial atmosphere. Try to find a way to show you get along well with millennials. Nowadays, people are living to 95 and beyond and are still active mentally and physically. Any company would be lucky to hire you if you are smart, tech-savvy, passionate, and full of energy. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
5 REASONS to LEAVE or, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT’S TIME TO LEAVE?
It’s that time again. The end of year performance review, bonus time and also the time for new year’s resolutions. Have you stayed on one job too long? But feel too comfortable to leave? Afraid of making a change? Here are some reasons to start looking for another job. And there is no better time than now! You are bored – Tired of doing the same old thing day in and day out? If you are just going through the motions, not learning anything new, not being challenged, it is time to change. A new job will be more interesting, teach you new skills, and stretch your mind in different ways. Your boss or co-workers rub you the wrong way – Maybe you haven’t been there too long, but you are not feeling the love. Not that we look for love at work. We want to be respected and appreciated by our peers and our supervisors. However, when the feeling is not right, or there is verbal abuse, or the feeling of being left out of the loop, then it’s time to start looking. You did not get the raise or bonus you think you deserve – If you have gone above and beyond, worked your fingers to the bone, and still feel unappreciated, then it’s time to go. Places that just don’t give decent raises or big enough bonuses are a waste of your time and energy. Waiting another year, hoping things will change is foolish and unrealistic. If you got a smaller raise than other staff, that is a signal they are not as happy with you as they are with other employees. There is a re-org – When the scent of change is in the wind, or the handwriting is on the wall about a merger, re-organization, re-engineering or layoffs, it is better to start searching before you get laid off. Don’t take it personally. Some companies downsize and let people go regardless of how well they have performed or how much they like them. They want to avoid duplication of functions. You have changed – You are at a different stage in life, in your career, in your life plan. If you have done some soul searching and decided you want to move in a different direction, figure out what that direction is before you leave. GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com