5 Reasons not to go it alone
You are in a job search and you are feeling frustrated, lonely, exhausted and ready to give up. But you don’t have a job yet and you are wondering, how can this get better? By joining a group or workshop you don’t have to go it alone. Why join? 1) It keeps you motivated – Job hunting is an exhausting emotional roller coaster. Some days it goes great and other days its a bust. It may take weeks or months to get the interviews and find the right fit for you. Staying motivated throughout this marathon is important for your well-being and your success. 2) Keeps you accountable – By meeting with a group each week you are held accountable for what is happening in your search. What did you do last week? What are your plans for next week? How many meetings did you take? How many phone calls did you make? Who did you meet? 3) Gives you honest feedback – Are you going in the right direction? Do your job targets make sense? How do you come across? Handshake? Voice? Clothes? Attitude? Members of the group will share their thoughts and suggestions. 4) Sounding board – You can practice your two -minute pitch, your phone script for making calls, and how to answer those difficult interview questions. By practicing you will feel more confident and make a better impression on the phone, in an email or in person. 5) Someone to lean on – Everyone in your group or workshop is going through what you are going through. You may be able to talk to a friend, spouse or significant other, but no one can empathize and keep it real as much as other folks going through the job search. A group of people has more ideas and suggestions than just one person. www.geffencareers.com
How do I recover from a job interview rejection?
So you interviewed for a job and you thought you aced it. But you didn’t. You are feeling rejected, depressed, and at loose ends. So what do you do now? 1. It’s not you. It’s them. If they don’t want you you are better off not working for them. Maybe they had a particular person in mind from the get go. Maybe your potential boss feels threatened by you. Don’t blame yourself. 2. Get feedback. Ask the interviewer how did you compare to the other candidates. What was missing from your background that made them choose someone else.There are other jobs out there that will be a better fit for your skills, interests and personality. 3. Mourn the loss. It’s okay to feel sorry for yourself, for a few days. Console yourself with a meal, with a friend’s shoulder to cry on, go to a movie. But then, you have to move on. 4. Take a deep breath and get moving with your job search. Keep writing for informational meetings, keep calling to get those meetings, keep meeting with people and expanding your network. You need to have six to ten things in the works at different stages, emails, letters, phone calls, interviews, second interviews. 5. The job search is a numbers game. Remember, you have to get 99 “nos” before you get to “yes”. The more time you spend on your job search, the sooner you will get to “yes”. -(c) Copyright 2017 Amy Geffen All rights Reserved- GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How to handle the Interview
We’ve all seen the articles and books on 50 tips for interviews or 100 difficult interview questions. There are many different questions, but they all boil down to these questions, or some version of these. The best way to answer them is to have a couple of accomplishments you can talk about in detail that show what you can do for the company. Try to find out what their issues or problems are and give examples of how you solved those problems for other companies. 1. Why should we hire you? This really means, What are your best skills that you bring to the company?. How can you solve their problems with your skills? Tell a story illustrating your best skill by solving a problem on a prior job and the results. 2. Why do you want to work for us? It is all about the company, not about you. They have a reputation, a mission, a goal that you would like to be part of. Again. Tell a story that shows how you contributed to the mission of a prior organization. 3. What is your biggest weakness? Or biggest mistake? Ask yourself, can you sidestep the question. If not, be brief and then get back to giving information about how you can help solve their challenges.. 4. Why did you leave your last job? Or Why were you fired? Be prepared with a brief answer to these or any other difficult questions. Then move on to the important part – how you can help them. Illustrate with another story. 5. What is your greatest strength? My greatest strength is x. Why don’t I share a story with you of how I used that in a prior job. Then tell your story explaining the problem, what you did to solve it, and the results.. The interview is an opportunity for you to tell at least one story (or two or three) that illustrates your strengths and how you solved a problem in a former job. It is also the opportunity to ask the right questions of the interviewer(s) such as, what is their greatest challenge, how do you measure success, and who will you be working with. This was a great note from our friend Amy Geffen! GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How do you differentiate yourself from your competition in the job space?
When you are going on a job interview or following up after the interview, what makes you special? How do you differentiate yourself from everyone else who has the same job title? You need to show that you are better, different, and more qualified than the next candidate who wants that job. 1. Talk about your accomplishments – It is not about the job description and the kind of things you do or did. It is about what results you obtained. So write about and talk about your accomplishments using the problem, action, result method. What was the problem facing the company/team? What action did you take and What result did you obtain? Use numbers, percents and metrics whenever you can. 2. Ask questions to find out the problems facing the company now and in the next 3 to 6 months. Probe to find out what keeps the hiring manager up at night. Ask questions to find out problems illustrate how you would solve the problem. Be a problem solver: you did this for someone else, therefore, you can do it here. Then illustrate how you would solve that problem. . Follow up with a full proposal to solve the problem 3. Your Experience is unique to you. The specific companies where you worked, the projects you worked on, the teams you led, the countries you visited are all unique to you. Make sure to highlight your specific experiences and not simply repeat the job description. 4. Your Knowledge and how it relates – Sure, if you have the same education or degrees as the next candidate you pretty much have the same basic knowledge. What sets you apart is what you have learned from your experiences on the job, during an internship, a residency, and through volunteering. What have you learned from your mistakes? What have you learned lately? How have you continued your learning? 5. Follow-Up – It is not enough to send a “thank you for your time and I am very interested in the position” letter. Your follow up must emphasize the skills and accomplishments that directly relate to the job. You must acknowledge what you learned during the interview about the challenges facing the company and reiterate how you would help solve them. And one follow-up email is not sufficient. Follow that up with a phone call. And continue to follow up with subsequent emails, adding more information. Don’t assume the person(s) who interviewed you remembers who you are, what you have done, or how you can contribute to the organization. Repeat your message so that the hiring manager gets the picture. You have to connect the dots between your past experiences and how they can relate to the current problems of this company. — (c) Copyright Amy Geffen All rights reserved This note provided from our friends from GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How Do I Ace the Interview?
After you apply for a job, or write directly to a company,chances are if they are interested, they will call you for a phone screening, even before they call you for an in-person meeting. If the phone screening goes well, then they will call you in for the first interview. If that goes well, you will be called back for a second, or even a third interview. So, how do you prepare? 1. Research. Make sure you visit the company website and learn about the goals and challenges of the company. Visit the LinkedIn profile of the person(s) who will interview you. Find out as much as you can. See if you have anything in common – school, interests, work place. For non-profits, be sure to check out the 1099 tax return online which is free and open to the public. 2. Review the job description and make a list of all the requirements. Think about which ones you meet, sort of meet and don’t have a clue about. 3. Make a Check list ..on the left side of the page list the requirements. On the right side of the page write an accomplishment that illustrates how you have met that requirement from past experience. What is left? Are there any you cannot meet? What can you say about those? Are you a fast learner or are you taking a course in it? 4. Tell a Story and Check off the List – During the phone screening or in person, go down the list of responsibilities and relate an accomplishment from your past experience that proves you can do each of those tasks. For each of the tasks or requirements tell a short story (three sentences) of how you did that in the past. P.A.R. What was the problem? What action did you take? What was the result? 5. Rinse and Repeat – After the interview, write an email to the person who interviewed you repeating key accomplishments that relate to the job. Mention key tasks or problems and how you can solve them for this company. Then call the hiring manager to reiterate your interest and how you can contribute to solving the company’s problems. www.geffencareers.com
How do I effectively network for jobs?
Networking is one of the two best ways to find your next job. Are you going to at least one to three networking events a week? How do you start and end conversations? How do you keep track of the people you meet? Here are 5 tips to help you network more effectively. 1. Separate your business cards from the ones you collect. Wear an outfit with at least two pockets in the shirt, or the jacket or sweater. Keep your business cards in the right pocket. Keep the ones you collect in the left pocket. There is nothing worse than pulling out your cards and handing someone another person’s card. 2. Wear your name tag on the right side if you are right handed. When you shake hands, people will see your name. It is distracting for someone to shake your hand and then look to their right (your left) for your name. It is easier to make eye contact, shake, and see your name. Bring your own printed name tag, if you can. 3. Get the conversation started – A compliment is a good way to get going but be careful. You can always compliment a man on his tie. Or, for a woman, I like your dress, or hair, or necklace. But if that does not feel appropriate, then you can simply ask why did you come to this event tonight? or, what do you hope to get out of the event? 4. Offer your assistance – Before you go into your pitch ask is there anyone I can introduce you to help you get your next information meeting? Or, who is your ideal referral? 5. Launch into your pitch or elevator speech. Make sure to cover the three basic keys to any elevator pitch. Who are you? What is one big accomplishment? What are you looking for? (Perfect job, ideal referral). To end the conversation, simply say it was nice meeting you, I think I will get another drink, or something to eat, or I want to mingle. Remember, 40% of job seekers get their next job through networking. www.geffencareers.com
5 Ways to Distinguish Yourself from Other Candidates
You’re going for a particular job title. All the other people with that same job title have done the same things as you have. Or have they? Maybe not. So how do you distinguish yourself from the other candidates? 1) Talk about your Accomplishments – Think of your top accomplishments. What have you done in the past, whether it’s from a paying job, in school, volunteer work, internships, projects, or consulting. Write them up in this format: What problem did you solve? What action did you take? What was the result? Create a short story that adds some detail and personal touch to the accomplishment and use that story during the interview. 2) Use metrics – Quantify as much as you can. Use numbers to answer these questions: Did you save money? Generate revenue/ save time? Improve a process? How much? How many? How long did it take? If you can’t remember, try a guesstimate or a percentage. 3) Go above and beyond – Provide samples of your work. Create a proposal suggesting how you would solve one of the company’s problems. Create a newsletter or blog for the company. Do something that separates you from the rest of the pack. 4) Ask good questions during the interview..What is their biggest challenge? What keeps the hiring manager up at night? What do you want to accomplish in the next 6 months? And show them what you can do to make that happen. Never ask what is the salary, what are the benefits, what are the chances for promotion and raises. 5) Follow up – How many people actually write a follow-up letter that tries to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack? If you are just writing a “thank you for your time and I am very interested in the job” type of letter, you are missing an opportunity to distinguish yourself once again. Reiterate your accomplishments that are relevant. Respond to a problem the company is experiencing and how you would solve the problem. A couple of days later call the hiring manager to reinforce what you said and reiterate your interest in the position. (c) Amy Geffen All rights reserved 2017. — GEFFEN C A R E E R S
How to Deal With a Work Gap on your resume
At some point in our careers, we all have had period of job inactivity – at least most of us…when we were unemployed. We lost a job, left a job, had to take off time to take care of a sick family member, or we went to graduate school. So what do you put on your resume? How do you account for that time? It is not enough to say you have been job searching. Don’t wait around doing nothing but your job search hoping that you will find a new position. It could take you six months to a year to find a position. Here are 5 ways to can cover the job gap: Volunteer – for something that uses your skills that make sense for the job target you are looking for. The Taproot Foundation is a perfect way to use your skills in a real setting – they help non-profits with their organizational issues in the areas of IT, marketing, strategic planning, board recruitment, promotion, graphic design. Consult –This doesn’t mean you have to start a business, hang up a shingle. You may talk to your former colleagues and others in your field to line up project work to keep your skills sharp. Take a course– You don’t have to apply for a degree program or even a certificate program. Select a specific course that advances your skills in your area of expertise, or branch out and take a course in something you always wanted to learn, but never had the time to. There are lots of free courses online or low cost options in your local high school or community college. Meeting other people in your course expands your network further. Join a professional organizationand become active on a committee. If you are in technology, join the tech committee. If you are in education, join the education committee. If you are in marketing, join the membership or marketing committee. The work you do will be similar to what you do on a paying job, take fewer hours and still give you something to put on your resume. You also network with people in your field who know where there are job openings. Temp work – Sign up with a temp agency even though that is not your end goal. Get a part-time or short term job. It shows you are hungry for work, engaged, and not just sitting back and waiting for a job to come to you. A job search is a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you are doing something productive while you are job hunting. To unsubscribe from this blog, reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How to Deal with Rejection in Your Job Search
You are in a job search… you send out hundreds of letters, make dozens of phone calls, and get no response or rejection letters. You go on interviews. You get rejected. How do you deal with it? The short answer is: don’t take it personally. You may be rejected for reasons totally out of your control – they have an internal candidate, they are hiring a relative of the boss, they changed the requirements since you answered the ad, they decided they needed a younger, older, taller, shorter person. The job search process is a numbers game. It is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, perseverance, and dogged determination. Expect rejection. Make a poster with the word NO 199 times and one “YES”. Expect a “no” more often than a “yes.” Each time you get a “NO” cross it off the poster. You are one more “no” closer to “YES”! Unemployment is at a low which means there are fewer openings with more people looking…. Here are some concrete ways for you to take control of your job search: 1.Make a plan and stick to it. 2.Set aside several hours a day to work on your job search. 3.Meet as many people as you can to build your network 4.Write directly to companies to get information meetings, interviews, get career advice, and learn about industry trends. 5.Try something new – go to a meet-up, a networking event, a social event that you have not attended before. 6.Follow up with each and every person you talk to, meet, read about, are introduced to. Keep following up every 4 to 6 weeks. 7.Read voraciously in your field and contact people whom you read about for their career advice. Use those articles in your follow yup to others. If you keep doing the same thing – such as answering ads online–and keep getting the same results, it is time to try something different. –To unsubscribe to this blog, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. GEFFEN C A R E E R S www.geffencareers.com
How do I know when it is time to change jobs?
Have you been complaining about your job, how boring it is, or how you hate your boss, or you’re not learning anything new BUT you have done nothing about it? If this sounds like you, and you keep saying you are doing a job search, but doing nothing, that’s called procrastination. What are you waiting for? The time to start is now. To overcome inertia and procrastination, break down the overwhelming task of a job search into small, bite-sized pieces. Begin with one step today: 1) Call a friend to say you are starting. 2) Re-work your resume to meet your job target. 3) Make a list of companies where you want to work. 4) Answer one ad on the a job board or make one phone call to set up a meeting. 5) Set a schedule to work 3 hours a day on your job search 6) Get a buddy to call you once a week to ask what have done and what will you do next week. Does all this sound like too much? Then you need to take the next step: 7) Hire a career coach.. What can a career coach do for you? A career coach can help define your job target – if you want to change jobs, or job titles, or move to a different industry, or become a consultant. A job coach can make a plan for your job search that includes your targets, companies and networks. A coach can offer emotional support when you are anxious or overwhelmed and don’t know what to do next. A career coach can help you with follow-up. A coach can help you practice for the interview. And, probably most important of all, a career coach keeps you accountable and motivated to continue in the long haul. Remember: a job search is a marathon, not a sprint. It may take 3 months, 6 months or a year or more to find the right fit for you. Isn’t that worth the investment in yourself of one percent of your salary? www.geffencareers.com www.uspublishingjobs.com