The other day, someone that I've been coaching called me with good news: "I've got an interview!"
I was happy to hear that. So many persistent job hunters are out there, putting in the hours each day, but not getting the traction that they seek. So when an employer shows some interest in you, that's great.
She asked me if I had any interviewing suggestions. Here are a few of the tips I passed along.
Go in prepared - Preparation for an interview is perhaps the most important ingredient in the recipe for interview success. The better prepared you are, the better you will feel about yourself and your chances.
Preparation includes a number of things, especially: Know the Company. Know your Self and what you bring to the table. Know the Position you are interviewing for. And know the Questions you want to ask.
Manage your stress - Interviewing can be incredibly stressful. The performance anxiety can run high and even keep you from getting a good night's sleep the night before.
To reduce and manage this stress, there are a number of things to consider, especially: Keep yourself in good shape via walking, running, swimming, dancing or some other form of exercise. Be sure to eat right. Find your own serenity via such practices as prayer, meditation, t'ai chi chih, or yoga. Breathe deeply and intentionally, using self-affirming thoughts.
Be ready to sell - In an interview, you are selling a product. The product is You. Your pitch is that You are the answer to their prayers, the solution to their problems. You want to come across as someone they could not possibly do without.
Of course, the employer will decide whether you are the right person or not. But you can influence their decision by pitching your Product to their Needs. By being professional, poised, and positive throughout this sales process, you will do your best.
Keep your answers brief - Many of us have a tendency to over-answer in interviews. We blab away when we should just shut up and await the interviewer's next question.
If they ask you hypothetical questions (which typically start with "How would you..."), take a moment to think before answering. Describe the process you would use.
Show interest in them - There comes a Moment of Truth in every interview when the interviewer asks "Okay now it's your turn. What questions do you have for us?"
This is when your research and your prepared questions come to the fore. While some of your questions may get answered as the interview goes along, be ready to ask several more questions when invited.
Yes, a lot is riding on the interview. Experts say that the employer makes up their mind about you within the first few minutes. Don't worry too much about that. Remember that you are also making up your mind about them as an employer. This is a two-way decision.
Posted by Terrence H. Seamon on Tuesday July 31, 2012
Terrence is an organization development consultant who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His forthcoming book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. An alumnus of PSG, Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website: http://about.me/terrenceseamon
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Be the Change Agent
My Job Hunter's Tip of the Day on LinkedIn today is: You are never not 'in transition.' Get used to it. Be the change.
Let's break that down.
Some years ago, the phrase "in transition" was coined to describe the condition of the unemployed. They had lost their prior job, and were seeking a new one.
In theater, actors that are auditioning will say they are "in between shows." In Hollywood, they say "in between films." For musicians, they say "in between gigs."
So, being "in between" jobs was described as being "in transition." Transiting, if you will, from one point to another.
Yet, when you think about the idea of being in transition, ask yourself this question: When are you never not in transition?
Too many negatives in that question? How about like this: In life, aren't we always in transition of one sort or another? For example, ageing. Every time we celebrate a birthday, it's a moment in time when we are marking a milestone in our ever-unfolding transition from birth to death.
So, in that sense, we are always in transition.
If you buy the above argument, then what are its implications for job hunters? Number One, when you land, don't make the mistake of thinking that transition is over. It isn't. It's just continuing to unfold as before.
In a practical sense, this means:
Keep on networking. Do not turn off your networking engine. So many job hunters make this mistake. Then, when the next downsizing occurs, they are caught flat-footed.
Stay vigilant. Continue to be on the lookout for opportunities in your field. You never know when you will need to make your next move.
Keep your resume current. At all times, do not let your resume gather dust. This point also applies to your LinkedIn profile. Talent hunters are still on the prowl and you want to be found, even if you are working.
Keep learning. Never stop exposing your mind to new ideas. Challenge your own comfort zone. Keep pushing your own limits.
One of the lessons many job hunters learn from the experience of being thrust into the nebulous land of "In Transition," is that whatever happens next is up to You. You make your own luck.
Be the change agent of your career and things will happen.
Terrence H. Seamon is an organization development consultant who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His forthcoming book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. An alumnus of PSG, Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website: http://about.me/terrenceseamon
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Being In Transition
Last night, I spoke at JobSeekers of Princeton, the country's oldest church-based job search support group, located in the Trinity Church of Princeton. It was an honor to be invited to speak there. When group facilitator Ed Han contacted me to see if I would do it, I was excited.
Knowing that many job seekers are experiencing prolonged searches, I created a talk called "Being In Transition." Here are some of the points.
Losing your job is stressful, to say the least. Then the job search itself adds to the stress, especially because of what it means to be "in transition."
When you are "in transition," it's all uncertain, all the time. Unlike when you were working, there are no offices, no hours, no time sheets, no staff meetings, no nothing. All the structures you knew are now gone.
This uncertainty and lack of structure can leave the job seeker feeling adrift and anxious. If the job seeker isn't careful, the stress can accumulate and lead to serious effects including depression and illness.
To avoid this outcome, job seekers are advised to follow every one of the basics they learned in Job Search Boot Camp, whether they learned the basics via outplacement, or via a local PSG, or a group like JobSeekers. These basics replace the old structures with new ones, and establish a disciplined approach to the job search. In effect, the job search becomes Your Job.
Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, today's job searches can stretch on for a lot longer than you would wish. It's a Buyer's market for employers and they can hold out for the "perfect" candidate while perfectly acceptable ones are rejected.
To "hang in there" during a long search, HR executive Lee E. Miller recently published his recommendations. It's a good article and worth tracking down.
The essential notion is to ask yourself, What can I do differently?
In my field of Organization Development, we have a technique called Start Stop Continue where you ask yourself three questions:
What could I Start doing to increase movement toward my goal?
What could I Stop doing to increase movement toward my goal?
What could I Continue doing, but do in an improved way, to increase movement toward my goal?
I had the attendees get into small discussion groups to work on these questions. They came up with a bunch of terrific ideas, including:
Start exercising. Start targeting companies.
Stop sitting at the computer all day. Stop being a loner.
Continue networking. Continue brainstorming with fellow job seekers.
And many more actionable ideas to galvanize your search.
Posted by Terrence H. Seamon on Wednesday July 11, 2012
Terry is an organization development consultant who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His forthcoming book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. An alumnus of PSG, Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website: http://about.me/terrenceseamon
Knowing that many job seekers are experiencing prolonged searches, I created a talk called "Being In Transition." Here are some of the points.
Losing your job is stressful, to say the least. Then the job search itself adds to the stress, especially because of what it means to be "in transition."
When you are "in transition," it's all uncertain, all the time. Unlike when you were working, there are no offices, no hours, no time sheets, no staff meetings, no nothing. All the structures you knew are now gone.
This uncertainty and lack of structure can leave the job seeker feeling adrift and anxious. If the job seeker isn't careful, the stress can accumulate and lead to serious effects including depression and illness.
To avoid this outcome, job seekers are advised to follow every one of the basics they learned in Job Search Boot Camp, whether they learned the basics via outplacement, or via a local PSG, or a group like JobSeekers. These basics replace the old structures with new ones, and establish a disciplined approach to the job search. In effect, the job search becomes Your Job.
Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, today's job searches can stretch on for a lot longer than you would wish. It's a Buyer's market for employers and they can hold out for the "perfect" candidate while perfectly acceptable ones are rejected.
To "hang in there" during a long search, HR executive Lee E. Miller recently published his recommendations. It's a good article and worth tracking down.
The essential notion is to ask yourself, What can I do differently?
In my field of Organization Development, we have a technique called Start Stop Continue where you ask yourself three questions:
What could I Start doing to increase movement toward my goal?
What could I Stop doing to increase movement toward my goal?
What could I Continue doing, but do in an improved way, to increase movement toward my goal?
I had the attendees get into small discussion groups to work on these questions. They came up with a bunch of terrific ideas, including:
Start exercising. Start targeting companies.
Stop sitting at the computer all day. Stop being a loner.
Continue networking. Continue brainstorming with fellow job seekers.
And many more actionable ideas to galvanize your search.
Posted by Terrence H. Seamon on Wednesday July 11, 2012
Terry is an organization development consultant who provides leadership and team development services to employers in New Jersey. His forthcoming book Lead the Way explores the challenges of leadership. Additionally, Terry is a job search and career coach whose book To Your Success provides a motivational guide for anyone in transition. An alumnus of PSG, Terry co-founded and co-moderates the St. Matthias Employment Ministry in Somerset, NJ. He can be reached at thseamon@yahoo.com and via his website: http://about.me/terrenceseamon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)