"Tell me about yourself" - One more time...

I am pleased to present guest blogger Alex Freund writing about the critical first impression that job seekers make when asked the question "Tell me about yourself."

"Tell Me About Yourself" - One more time...
By Alex Freund

All of my career coaching clients go through “Tell me about yourself” during our first 10 minutes together. Why is this so pivotal? It is for several reasons. The most important one is that the first impression is a lasting impression. In a job interview situation it is of utmost importance to make a good first impression. If you don’t make that good impression, it will be very hard--if not impossible--to dig out of that hole. “Tell me about yourself” sets the scene. If you answer it well, you’ll be riding a good wave, and everything you say after that will be viewed through a positive prism. Otherwise, the opposite is true.

You may want to ask, ”So why am I being asked this question?” After all, the interviewer (hopefully) has read your resume and knows everything about your professional past and respective accomplishments. Nevertheless, the test contained within the question is twofold. First, do you know what your accomplishments are? And second, if you do, can you recount them eloquently and succinctly?

More important than everything I’ve said so far is your understanding of the reason you were called in for an interview. Think about it for a second. Oops, you’re wrong! It’s not about your having the opportunity to tell the hiring manager how great you are and to sell yourself. It’s clearly about one thing and one thing only: what you can do for the hiring manager. Now, if you agree with that contention, go back and rethink your personal marketing program. Your interview answers should universally focus on how your past experience and skills can help meet the hiring manager’s challenges.

*********

Career coach Alex Freund is known as the Landing Expert for publishing his Landing Expert job-networking list via his website . Based in New Jersey, Alex is prominent in a number of networking groups and also writes a blog for job seekers accessible via the same website. Previously, Alex had a successful career as corporate director at Fortune 500 companies.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Friday May 25, 2012

Tips for Graduates Starting To Search for Work

One of my nephews is graduating from Rutgers in a couple days. We are all very proud of him and look forward to his future accomplishments. As he gets ready to start his career, he is getting advice and input from all sides. Though a bit overwhelming at times, it's a good thing.

Being receptive to (and seeking out) the input of people who have already blazed the trail is a smart move. Like mentoring, this informal research is a process that can provide real benefits. There are tips and tricks you can pick up from "the old hands" that will help jump start your career progress.

One smart young person in my field (Learning & Organization Development) contacted me the other day for my advice on what she could do to accelerate her entry into the field. Here are the points I shared with her.

1. Network Network Network - NJ-based speaker and coach Michael Goldberg says, Always Be Connecting. It's the ABC of networking. You will meet people. You will learn. You will expand your horizons. And you will make valuable connections that will payoff later.

2. Know what you want - Have specific goals and go after them. Make sure that every day you have done something (even just thinking about your goals) to move the ball toward your goals.

3. Show up - Don't be shy. You've got to stand out. You can do this in-person by showing up at professional meetings, and on-line by establishing your brand image via LinkedIn etc.

4. Stand out - Early in the Great Recession, downsized New Yorker Charles Pixley said, You have to put yourself out there. You have to be seen. You have to believe in yourself.

5. Pitch in - Can you volunteer some of your time each week to help in some way? There are many needs. You just have to choose. Volunteering is good for others and good for you.

6. Keep learning - Just because you have graduated from college does not mean you can stop learning. Rather stay open, stay curious, keep exploring. Challenge yourself to learn something new every day.

7. Find your unique gift - There is so much competition in the market today. You must differentiate yourself. But how? Everyone has a unique gift, what writer Dick Richards and ex-monk Kenny Moore call your daimon. It's the special thing that no one has but You. Few find it and use it. But finding it is one of the keys to happiness and success.

Lastly, continue asking questions and seeking guidance! Kudos to you for reaching out and seeking such input. I did the same thing over 30 years ago and it got me started into the field. I still do it to this day.

There are so many young people like my nephew (and like the young woman who contacted me) who are just starting out on their career paths. Listening to "the old hands" may be somewhat tiresome, but their stories and their wisdom can be a gift, especially when it helps a newbie accelerate the start of a brilliant career.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Saturday May 12, 2012

Strength in Numbers

You've heard the old expression that "There is strength in numbers." For a job seeker or career changer, this means, Don't go it alone. Instead, band together with others and the strengths multiply!

Let me illustrate this with some local examples.

Job Search Support Groups abound throughout our central New Jersey area. Some are church-based, such as the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset and the St. Rose of Lima Transition Network in Freehold. The Jewish Family Service of Central NJ (in Elizabeth and Union) is also very active in helping job hunters. These faith-based initiatives are practical ministries driven by the desire to help one's fellow man or woman. Though sponsored by faith-based organizations, the resources of these groups are available to all.

Some other job search support groups revolve around an occupational affinity such as FENG (Financial Executives Networking Group) or MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group). In the spirit of these memorable acronyms, there is YANG (Yet Another Networking Group) in Ocean county. For people in the field of Human Resources, there are a number of focused groups for HR professionals who are in transition.

Some job search support groups meet at local libraries like the Neighbors Helping Neighbors groups in northern NJ. Others like The Career Forum (in Basking Ridge) and The Breakfast Club (in East Brunswick) were started by job seekers who wanted to help other job seekers.

NJ-based career coach Alex Freund has done a fine job of maintaining an up-to-date list at his website.

The NJ State Libraries have also stepped up to the challenge of helping job hunters. Through the statewide NJ Works program, where librarians have been specially trained and certified to assist job seekers in research, resume writing and other tasks associated with the job search, those who are out of work in NJ can now go to a local library for the expert support they may need.

The Professional Service Groups (aka the PSGs) are a network of twelve job search support groups, from Dover up north to Vineland down south, that are sponsored by the State of New Jersey. Further evidence that if you are you looking for work in the Garden State, you are in luck because NJ is rich in job search resources! In central NJ, there are several: New Brunswick (the oldest and original PSG), Somerville (the newest), and Neptune "down the Shore." For a full list, go to this website.

Begun in 1989, the PSGs are self-managed groups of business and technical professionals who are helping one another through their career transitions. Their aim is to be a One-Stop Center for anyone who is out of work and seeking networking, job leads, and job search skills training. What makes the PSGs unique is that, while connected to the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development, they are self-managed and highly organized by the members. The job seekers themselves do everything, and everyone serves on a committee, such as Publicity, Training, Programming, or Marketing.

They even have a LinkedIn group and a facebook page.

Soon, according to official sources in Trenton, the PSGs will be revamped and expanded in order to serve and support even more residents of the state. Stay tuned for news.

So, if you are looking for work, and you don't live close to any of the above resources, what can you do? You can start your own group! Chances are, there are others near you who are also looking for work. You can get started right away with the help of The Riley Guide.

All it takes is for one job seeker to reach out to another one and ask, "When can we meet?" And then "Who else should we invite to meet with us?" You can start at a local library or church meeting room or even a Starbucks. And take it from there.

In the State of New Jersey, you do not have to go it alone when looking for work.

Posted by Terrence Seamon on Sunday May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), 2012