Overcoming Potential Obstacles in the Interview

OVERCOMING POTENTIAL OBSTACLES IN THE INTERVIEW


Do you think there are any potential obstacles that could stand between you and your next position? Here are some suggestions for handling some common obstacles:


Age

Obviously you can’t change your age, but you can overcome a perception that you may not be up to the job. You can project yourself as energetic with a lot to give. I suggest that job candidates give some thought ahead of time to stories that illustrate that they are able to handle the stresses and strains of the job. They should also convey subtly in the interview that they plan to be in the workforce for a while.

For example, an interviewee can mention in the beginning of the interview what type of physical activity he or she did over the weekend. The interviewee can work this in during the ice breaking period which comes before the interviewer gets into the tough questions.

Salary

Job candidates need to determine beforehand what their bottom line is in terms of the compensation package. This should of course factor in current economic conditions. They should be armed with information about what they are worth and negotiate accordingly. But they should also show the interviewer that they are worth more than their salaries. In other words, they should demonstrate to the potential employer that the employer will get a return on investment that more than compensates for what they will be paying out in salary and benefits. Stories about past accomplishments can make the business case for appropriate salaries.

Health

If you look fit, that will go a long way towards dispelling any thoughts that the interviewer may have that you will be costly (in terms of health benefits) to the company if you are hired. If you’re not fit, it’s something you should start working on since this is a part of that first good impression that you want to make.

Personality Mismatches

You should do your due diligence prior to the interview to find out what the company’s mission/values statement is and what the culture of the company is to determine if this is a good match for both parties. If it is, you need to allay any fears that the interviewer may have that you might not be a good fit by connecting the dots for the employer. Speak convincingly about the alignment you see between your values and the company’s. Talk about what you know about the company’s culture and how you see yourself fitting in.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT A BAD REVIEW

What should you do if you receive a less than favorable performance review? What is the best way to bounce back? Here are some tips for dealing with what could potentially be a career derailment.

Deal with your feelings about the situation. No one enjoys receiving negative feedback. It is human to feel angry and sad when something like this happens, but it is critical not to get stuck in unproductive emotions. Vent to someone who you can trust, but don't keep rehashing what happened endlessly.

Objectively assess each item on which you were rated poorly to see if there is truth in any of the statements. You may also want to independently and privately get feedback from colleagues who are trustworthy about the veracity of the issues mentioned in the appraisal.

Divide the list of issues into hard skills and soft skills. If you have any real performance issues with hard skills, you need to think about why this is so. Hard skills are the core essence of the job. If, for example, you are an auditor and you receive feedback that you are not performing up to standard with audits, that is a very serious issue because auditors are supposed to master that skill in order to be competent.

It's possible that your performance has slipped because of personal issues that are interfering with your ability to focus on the job. If that is the case, then you need to get professional help to aid you in getting back to normal so that you can do your job.

More people tend to run into problems with soft skills that have to do with interpersonal relations. If you receive feedback that you are performing poorly with respect to time management, teamwork, or decision making, then you should seek assistance from a coach who can help you improve in these areas.

Rebuild credibility with your boss and co-workers by showing that you are willing to take feedback. It will take some real effort on your part to win the confidence of the people you work with, but if they see that you are really trying, and if you are consistent with your improved performance, they will start to see you in a different light.

If there is information in your performance review that you have determined is not true but is rather political in nature, decide what your response should be. Basically you have two choices: either choose to play the political game and make friends with those who have power over your career or start looking elsewhere for a company that is better aligned with your values.

STRATEGY FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES—STAY PREPARED

STRATEGY FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES—STAY PREPARED


Financial giants have fallen. A $700 billion bailout plan. Unemployment rate rises. How do you cope with this economic uncertainty? Suppose your job is at risk. What to do? Stay prepared.

As a career coach with significant experience in outplacement, I know that job loss can come unexpectedly. I regularly advise clients to stay prepared. As we have seen, even companies that have heretofore stood the test of time can collapse and send their workers scrambling for new positions in a very competitive job market.

Here are some tips to prepare you for the possibility o job loss.

Have your resume professionally written so that you can be as competitive as possible in a tight job market. A professional resume writer can present you in the best possible light and highlight your unique strengths. Some job seekers make the mistake of thinking that they can simply do well at the interview, but it’s pretty hard to get the interview without a good resume.

Brush up on your interviewing skills. A great resume is designed to get you an interview, but you still have to convince the interviewer that you are the right person for the job. A competent career coach can help you prepare for the interview. A career coach can help you distill your answers to commonly asked interview questions to concise statements that demonstrate your strengths to the hiring manager. In addition, a career coach can help you address any potential weak areas that might be used against you in the interview (i.e., gaps in your work history, short tenure at jobs, etc.).

Know what you are worth in the marketplace. You can easily obtain salary information on the Internet through sites like salary.com and payscale.com. You should also check salary surveys done by professional associations. Armed with this information you will know what to expect and ask for when looking for a new position.

Maintain and continue to grow your network. By joining professional associations and increasing your connections on social networking sites like LinkedIn, you give yourself access to an ever-growing group of people with whom you can have a mutually beneficial relationship. By getting to know other professionals outside of your current company, you potentially have a network of people who can give you leads about openings.

Generally speaking, many people only know professionally the people that they work with. So when a downsizing happens, such people have to start building a professional network from scratch because the people in their company typically are not in a position to help them. After all, in a downsizing you are either the one directly affected or you are one of the ones trying to do the work left behind from the ones who were downsized. It is critical to get to know professionals outside of your organization before a downsizing, merger, or company closing happens so that you can quickly get job information from your network when you need it.

Five Tips for Writing Great Cover Letters

FIVE TIPS FOR WRITING GREAT COVER LETTERS


Job seekers often have questions about cover letters. They want to know if cover letters are necessary and if they help people get jobs. The answer is yes in both cases. Cover letters are necessary, and they can help you to get a job. Unless you are applying online using a resume builder, and the online application does not allow you to attach a cover letter, it is assumed that you will send a cover letter with every resume that you send out. Even if the ad simply says, “Send resume,” make sure that you send a cover letter as well.

Here are some tips to make sure that your cover letter is effective:

Keep the cover letter brief. Three to four paragraphs are sufficient to make your point.

Tailor each cover letter to the specific position that you are applying to. Form letters will not catch a recruiter/hiring manager’s eye. Be sure to highlight the qualifications that you possess that are mentioned in the ad that you are responding to. You want to emphasize to the reader that you are a good match for the job.

Try to find the name of the person who will be receiving the resume if at all possible. Recruiters/hiring managers will pay more attention if they are being addressed personally.

If you do not possess a qualification that is listed in the ad, don’t mention it in your cover letter. There is no need to draw attention to any deficits. Generally speaking, hiring managers put out a wish list of qualifications. Those who come closest to meeting all of the qualifications are usually the ones called in for the interview.

Let the reader know exactly which ad you are responding to. Oftentimes large employers have several ads running at one time. To make it easier for the reader, mention where you saw the ad, and if there is a reference number, be sure to include it in the cover letter.

Why Should I Hire You?

WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?


As a job seeker you may be wondering, “What will make me stand out?” How can I differentiate myself in the job search process? With so many qualified people applying for the same job, how can I compete?

Here are some practical tips for making a positive impression on employers that will say to them, “Hire me.”

The Resume

Analyze several job postings for the field that you are looking for a job in and develop a list of keywords from those postings that you incorporate into the resume in your summary section under a subheading entitled Core Competencies. Employers search their database of resumes by keywords, so having these terms on your resume increases your chances of your resume being selected for further review.

Use an easy-to-follow format that relieves the hiring manager of the task of searching through your resume to determine if you are qualified. Your resume should be written in such a way that it will make the cut when the reviewer gives your resume the 20-30 second glance.
Make sure to use strong accomplishment statements in your Professional Experience section, quantifying wherever possible. The employer should know at a glance that you have made a significant contribution to the organizations that you have worked for.

The Cover Letter

Your cover letter has to be tailored to the specific position that you are applying for in order for it to say to a potential employer, "Hire me." A generic cover letter doesn't have a specific target, and it is not very effective. Employers want to know that you are interested in their specific job, not just that you want a job, any job. Analyze the vacancy announcement and customize your cover letter accordingly.

Work a few (two or three) strong accomplishment statements into your cover letter to grab the employer's attention. Choose accomplishments that directly relate to the position that you are applying for.

The Interview

Keep your responses job-related. Many job seekers start off the interview on the wrong note when they respond to the statement, Tell me about yourself. Very often job seekers give a personal response instead of a professional response. They may volunteer information about their marital status, their children, where they grew up. Your response will say, "Hire me," if you tailor your responses to the position you are applying for. Review that job announcement the night before the interview and write out some bullet points for yourself to speak to the employer's needs.

Go through the company's website in order to gain information about their values, mission, and any upcoming projects or initiatives. When asked a question, weave the research that you have done into your answer. The employer will be impressed with your thoroughness.

Above all, make sure that you have stories that you can relate to the hiring manager that illustrate any claims that you make. For example, a commonly asked interview question is, What are your strengths? Instead of simply saying, "I'm hard-working and dedicated," give an example of a specific incident that proves this to be true. My favorite example is from a workshop participant who told me that she stayed after her federal building closed due to a snowstorm to work on the payroll to make sure that her co-workers were paid on time. That illustrates well her claim that she is hard-working and dedicated. That story gives credibility to her answer.

Radio Interview with Lisa Fredette on Networking

Is that Negotiable?

IS THAT NEGOTIABLE?

Do you feel uncomfortable with the salary negotiation process? Here are some commonly asked questions along with the answers.

How do you correctly estimate your worth in the marketplace?

Do your research. Salary.com and Payscale.com are good places to start. Also make sure to check salary surveys done by professional associations. You can find out which associations are linked to your field by using the search engine at this URL: http://www.asaecenter.org/Directories/AssociationSearch.cfm.

How do you determine what the going rate is as far as salary is concerned in a new geographic area?

Same as above. Some professional associations break down the going rate by geographic location. Also, refer to http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html.

How do you answer the question, What are you looking for in terms of salary?

It’s best not to answer this question. Giving a specific answer can knock you out of the running, especially if you answer this question before you have received an actual offer. Try to delay answering any questions about salary until you are offered the position. One way to put off answering this question is to say, “I’d like to hear more about the position first before we talk about salary.”

If you are pressed to give an answer, give a range, not a specific dollar amount. A good way to phrase it is, “Based on my salary research, I know that the going rate for someone with my level of experience in this geographic area is between $____ and $___.” This subtly lets the interviewer know that you know what you are worth in the marketplace and at the same time gives you room for negotiation because you haven’t locked yourself in to a specific dollar amount.

What exactly is negotiable in the salary negotiation process?

It depends on the position, the company, and the industry. Some things that may be negotiable are: health insurance, vacation time, annual salary review, retirement savings plans, bonus plans, college tuition reimbursement plans, andstock options.

Cheryl Palmer is an Executive Career Coach at Call to Career, a professional career coaching and resume writing firm based on Silver Spring, MD. You can email her at cheryl.palmer@calltocareer.com.

Are You Seeing Green?

ARE YOU SEEING GREEN?

If you have ever been jealous of someone at work or if you have been the object of jealousy, here are some tips for dealing with the green-eyed monster.

Advice for People Who Are Jealous

• Work on your own self esteem. People are jealous because they feel some inadequacy within themselves. Learn to be comfortable with who you are and determine to be the best you you can be.
• Look at what other people are doing right and see if it is something that you want to emulate. If, for example, you have a co-worker who is excelling because that person is willing to take risks (i.e., manage a high-profile project), maybe that is something you should consider doing. If, on the other hand, someone is getting ahead because (s)he is doing something unethical, that is not a behavior you should model, nor is that someone you should be jealous of.
• Water your own brown grass. It has been said, "If the grass looks greener on the other side, water your own brown grass." Instead of being jealous of someone else, take stock of your own career and see what you can change. If you feel that your career is stuck, consider career coaching as a way of helping you identify your career goals and devise a game plan for how to reach them.

Advice for Those Who Are the Objects of Jealousy

• Acknowledge that you can't be friends with everyone. Some people will dislike you no matter what you do. Some people you need to avoid because they are toxic for you.
• Recognize your strengths and be comfortable with who you are. You can be happy even when others are jealous of you if you like who you are and you are making a contribution to the organization using your unique abilities.
• Surround yourself with positive people. You can choose to associate with people in the workplace who believe in you and who like you for who you are. You can also choose to be around people in your personal life who are in your corner who may counterbalance any toxicity that you have to deal with at work that comes from negative co-workers.
  

Cheryl Palmer is an Executive Career Coach at Call to Career, a professional career coaching and resume writing firm based on Silver Spring, MD. You can email her at cheryl.palmer@calltocareer.com.

Advance Your Career 101

ADVANCE YOUR CAREER 101

Are you feeling stuck, sidetracked, or unfocused? Try the following career tips to get you back on the right track.

Take the long view of your career. Very often people are only looking at the present, and they are not thinking about the future. Sometimes people take jobs that pay more in the short run but have no real potential. For example, I have met many legal secretaries with college degrees who didn't really want to be working in that field, but the pay was good, so they took the job. Unless they are willing to take a cut in pay to move into a field with more potential, it is not likely that they will advance beyond their current positions as legal secretaries.

Get professional help if a personal situation is affecting your career. People often lose focus when they are confronted with challenging life situations such as divorce or death. I had a client who was actually on the verge of losing her job because her home situation was spilling over into her work life and she wasn't able to focus on her job and do her work. In such cases people usually need professional help to work through their issues so that their personal issues do not turn into professional issues.

If you are frustrated, identify the root of that frustration and then take the appropriate action. Is it the boss, the type of work, or the environment that is getting to you?. If the source of frustration is the boss, you should try to see what you can change about the situation (i.e., try to encourage better communication and/or understand why the boss acts the way (s)he does). If it is a completely unworkable situation, then you need to try to find other opportunities within the organization with another boss that you are compatible with, and if that isn't possible, then you should look outside the organization for other employment.

If your frustration lies in the actual work that you are required to perform, then you should try to identify careers that would be fulfilling by taking career assessments. Then of course you need to develop a game plan for moving into a new field. A career coach can help in this type of situation.

If the environment on the job is frustrating, then you should identify what in the environment is making you miserable. Is it the culture of the organization, co-workers, or even the physical environment? Again, you should look at what can be changed vs. what cannot and determine if a job search is in order.

If fear is holding you back, remind yourself of past successes and set yourself up for future success. One suggestion is to first of all identify previous successes. If you have been asked to take on high profile projects in the past, more than likely you have been successful on previous projects. Reflecting on what you did right before can give you courage to take on something challenging in the future.

Also, to set yourself up for success, you can try to find mentors, inside and/or outside of the organization, who have a wealth of experience in the field who can give you guidance on high profile projects. Mentors who want to assist proteges will be happy to help the proteges succeed. After all, the protege's success is the mentor's success.

In addition, think about how you will assess yourself in the future. If you don't want to look back with deep regrets about your life, you will have to take some risks to achieve what you want.

I also suggest that people find supporters who will cheer them on along the way. Having someone in your corner who believes in you and your abilities can go a long way in helping you face any fears you have about moving forward in your career.

And people who are fearful may also want to work with a career coach who will hold them accountable and help them work through their fears.

If you are starting out in a new field, identify your career goals and find people who will support you. It may be helpful to work with a professional to identify your career goals and break them down into short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. As a career coach, I assist clients with also identifying potential obstacles that may impede their progress towards their goals and help them brainstorm ways to overcome those obstacles. For those who are starting in a new field, I again recommend finding mentors who can give you guidance.

Keep your resume updated. You never know when an opportunity may come up unexpectedly, and you need to be ready for it.

Maintain a record of your accomplishments as you go from job to job. This will help you with keeping the resume current.

Keep in touch with your network. It's an embarrassing feeling to try to revive your network when you need a job if you haven't kept in touch with people over time. Make it a point to touch base with people in your network at least once a quarter or so.

Mentor someone else. If your job feels humdrum and you feel like you could do it with your eyes closed, but it's not feasible for you to look for greener pastures at this time, you might consider mentoring someone who is less experienced in the field to pass along what you have learned over the years. You might also look at taking on collateral duties (i.e., chairing a committee or getting cross-trained in a new area) so that you can do something new without leaving your present position.


Cheryl Palmer is a Certified Executive Career Coach and Certified Professional Resume Writer of Call to Career, a professional career coaching and resume writing firm based in Silver Spring, MD.