Click on the links below to read some valuable information which we believe will help you in hiring!
- Six Reasons To Walk Away From Counteroffers
- Why Companies Extend Counter Offers
- Twelve Reasons Not To Accept A Counter Offer
- 22 Most Revealing Interview Questions You Can Ask – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- No. 1 Speech – by Vince Lombardi
- 7 Step Interview “Sales Process” – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- “There are two Primary Outcomes to Every Interview” – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- “How to Have a Successful Phone Interview” – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- Tips for Phone Screens – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- Maximize Your Options at All Times – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- Winning the Game – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- What is a Brag Book? Documented Successes – by Russ Mountain, CPC
- Intelligent Career Management: Compiled from “Winning” – by Jack Welch
- Must Haves for Your Next Interview – by Dean Tracy
Six Reasons To Walk Away From Counteroffers
- Anytime it takes the threat of losing an employee for a company to offer a raise, promotion, etc. should be concerning to that employee.
- Once your intention to resign has been announced, your loyalty will always be questioned; counteroffers do not change this fact.
- Often counteroffers just buy time for an employer to find someone to take your place.
- Remember your reasons for wanting to leave in the first place. Counteroffers are an immediate and temporary fix that make a situation seem improved. Has anything really changed?
- Remember, counteroffers are made because of the threat to resign. They are not proactive business decisions by an employer to satisfy and retain valued employees.
- Counteroffers are not a universal business practice. Most high quality companies refuse to play the game because they understand the temporary and coercive nature of such decisions.
So how do I handle a counteroffer?
- First, relax and remember your reasons for looking at other opportunities in the first place. Write these reasons down. Does the counteroffer provide solutions to all of those reasons? They very rarely do.
- Secondly, don’t make it emotional. Changing jobs is tough enough, don’t allow an employer to make your decision to leave personal. Take away the emotion by having a professional resignation letter prepared and in your employer’s hand when you give notice. Explain that the decision has been made, and that it is your desire to help make the transition as smooth as possible.
- Congratulations! You made the right decision.
Why Companies Extend Counter Offers
This differs from one organization to the other—but some reasons are:
- It is much less expensive to keep an employee than to hire a new one.
- There is quite a bit of “down time” while a territory or position remains vacant.
- A counter offer allows the company time to find a replacement.
- Company morale suffers with turnover.
- Managers are often evaluated on their ability to retain staff.
- The company does not want to lose the candidate’s contacts, or customers or sales or knowledge.
Twelve Reasons Not To Accept A Counter Offer
- Statistics show that 85% of those who accept counter offers are gone within 6 months.
- 92% are gone within a year.
- Your peer relationships will change.
- Your loyalty will always be questioned—this could affect any future promotional opportunities.
- You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy.
- Your company will immediately begin looking for a new person at a cheaper price.
- How would you feel about being threatened in order to win?
- When times get tough, the company will begin the next cutback with you.
- You are probably getting your next raise early.
- You could be training your replacement.
- The situation rarely changes.
- You gave your word to XYZ Company. It is not the professional thing to do.
Ten Tips for Mastering the Phone Interview
By Barbara Safani
Phone interviews are becoming more and more common as companies gain greater access to candidates and as more recruiters and hiring managers work from virtual office locations. On the positive side, with a phone interview you don’t have to worry about having your suit pressed, and you can have your notes right in front of you. On the flip side, it’s much more difficult to establish rapport and get a read on the hiring manager during a phone conversation.
Below are 10 tips to get the most out of your phone interviews.
- Schedule the meeting during a time when you won’t be distracted.
A phone interview should be scheduled like any other interview. At the designated appointment time, be sure the dog is in the backyard and someone else is watching the kids. Don’t add additional hassle to an already stressful situation. If a recruiter or hiring manager calls you without advance notice and wants to interview you on the spot, use caution. If the interview “conditions” are not optimal at the time of the call, it’s best to tell the interviewer that you are very interested in the position, but need to schedule another time to have a conversation. That time can be as soon as ten minutes later if that works for you — just make sure that you can take the call without being distracted. - Conduct interviews from a landline.
Cell phones are a boon to modern communication, but the quality is still not the same as that from a land line. The last thing you want to do is frustrate the recruiter or hiring manager with a bad connection. Using a cell phone means you have a greater chance of getting distracted by multi-tasking when your attention should be completely focused on the interview. A landline forces you to stay in a relatively stationary locale. Plan your interview from a reliable phone line. - Create an office space.
Dedicate an area as your office. This area could be as simple as a card table with a phone and your documents. Conduct your interviews from your “office”. Being seated at a desk or table allows you to create an environment similar to an in-person interview. - Put a mirror in front of you.
This helps you focus, and it anchors your conversation to the visual representation of a person. Monitoring your facial expressions helps you see if you are communicating your enthusiasm to the recruiter. - Have a glass of water nearby.
If your throat is dry or you get a tickle you can take care of it before it turns into a cough and disrupts the flow of the interview. - Have your notes in front of you.
A phone interview is like an open book test. You can have your research about the company and answers to potential interview questions right in front of you. Try organizing your key information on colored index cards by category so you’re not fumbling through papers in the middle of the interview. - Vary your voice.
Since the other person can’t see you, it’s critical that you vary the tone and cadence of your voice to communicate interest and develop rapport. - Use pauses effectively.
Pauses in an interview situation are always difficult, and they can be especially awkward during a phone interview since you can’t judge what the interviewer is thinking by their body language. Rather than wondering what the person on the other end of the line is doing (or even if they’re still there!) use the silence to ask a question. For example, if the interviewer has just asked you about your strengths and your response is met with silence, make that an opportunity to ask a question like “What are the key strengths of your ideal candidate?” This tactic both takes care of the silence and allows you to learn more about the position. - Don’t multi-task.
We have grown so accustomed to multi-tasking; however, as mentioned in tip #2, it can be counterproductive during a phone interview. Don’t check your email or stick a casserole in the oven while you are engaged in a phone interview. Act the same way you would for an in-office interview, and maintain your focus. - Practice.
Record some of your answers to prospective interview questions. Play them back and critique yourself. Are you easy to understand? Are you talking too fast? Is your presentation riddled with long pauses and “ums?”; Do you communicate interest and enthusiasm? If necessary, rework your answers and your overall presentation.
Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, has over ten years of experience in career management, recruiting, executive coaching, and organizational development. She is a triple certified resume writer and frequent contributor to numerous career-related publications. You can find this article, along with others, here.
Acing the Behavioral Interview
By Jeanne Knight
“The most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in a similar situation.”
This statement is the premise behind behavioral interviewing, an interviewing technique created in the 1970′ by industrial psychologists. This type of interview is now becoming popular with employers. For those of you unfamiliar with this interviewing style, a behavioral interview can be a challenging experience.
Unlike traditional interviewing, which requires opinion-based answers to questions (tell me about yourself; what are your strengths and weaknesses; why do you want to work for this company?), behavioral interviewing requires job candidates to relate stories about their past employment behaviors. These stories are prompted by questions directly related to the skill sets the company has determined are required for a position.
For example, if a particular job requires strong communication and team-building skills, then, in a behavioral interview, candidates would be asked to recount past accomplishments in those areas. Behavioral interview questions often start with phrases like, “Tell me about a time when…” or “Describe a situation in which…” or “Give me an example of…”
The challenge with the behavioral interviewing style is that, while your skills and experiences could be a perfect match for the position you seek, an interviewer could discount your candidacy if you are unprepared for, or struggle with, the behavioral interview format.
So, how do you prepare for a behavioral interview?
First, you’ll want to put yourself in the shoes of the potential employer and imagine what the ideal candidate for the position would answer from the interviewer’s perspective.
Then, take the time to thoroughly review the job description and research the company and its culture. Look for cues as to which skills are necessary for the job and which are highly valued by the organization. Then, based on your research, identify what skills the successful candidate would have and which behavioral-based questions would correlate to those skills and might be asked in an interview.
Here are a few examples of skill sets and some behavioral-based interview questions associated with these skills.
Decision Making and Problem Solving
- Describe a situation in which you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
- Give me an example of a time when you had to be quick in coming to a decision.
- Leadership
- Have you ever had trouble getting others to agree with your ideas? How did you deal with the situation, and were you successful?
- Describe the most challenging group from which you’ve had to gain cooperation.
- Motivation
- Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty.
- Give me an example of a situation in which you positively influenced the actions of others.
- Communication
- Describe a situation in which you were able to successfully communicate with another individual who did not personally like you (or vice versa).
- Give me an example of a time you had to use written communication to convey an important argument or idea.
- Interpersonal Skills
- Give me examples of what you’ve done in the past to contribute to a teamwork environment.
- Give an example of an unpopular decision you’ve made, what the result was, and how you managed it.
- Planning and Organization
- When scheduling your time, what method do you use to decide which items are priorities?
- Describe how you’ve handled a sudden interruption to your schedule.
Once you’ve determined which behavioral-based questions you might be asked during an interview, look back on your past experiences and develop stories to answer those questions. Your stories should be detailed, yet succinct, and should always include the following three elements:
- A description of a specific, real-life situation or challenge you encountered.
- A description of the tasks and actions you took to overcome that challenge.
- A summary of the results of those actions. (Try to quantify these results whenever possible.)
Here is a sample answer to a behavioral interview question that incorporates each of these elements.
Question: Give an example of a goal you reached, and tell me how you achieved it.
Answer: Due to cuts in funding to our adult continuing education program, we faced the daunting goal of drastically reducing our promotional budget without sacrificing our media presence in the community. As Program Director, I researched alternatives to the effective, yet costly, course brochure, which was produced and distributed biannually to an average of 60,000 residents in our service region. I was able to successfully negotiate with two local newspapers to produce and distribute a new course brochure that increased distribution by 33% to 80,000 residents and decreased costs by 50%.
Familiarizing yourself with the behavioral interview style, crafting and practicing your stories, and doing some homework on the position you seek will ensure that you won’t be caught off guard should you encounter a behavioral interview.
Jeanne Knight is a certified Career Coach/Resume Expert who helps individuals navigate career transitions. She offers career and job search coaching as well as resume writing services.
22 Most Revealing Interview Questions You Can Ask
by Russ Mountain, CPC
Your questions should not offend and should be designed to help you establish the applicant’s qualifications and likelihood for success on the job. Questions that determine values help verify if there are any misalignments.
- What are some of the things that make a job fulfilling for you?
- What three accomplishments do you take the greatest pride in?
- What is the toughest job you have ever had? How did you handle it?
- What kind of boss do you work best with?
- What would your present or former boss say about you? What would he have liked to see you do differently?
- How do you deal with your boss when he overrides a major decision that you have made?
- Some people say that the best way to learn is through our mistakes. Can you tell me about a mistake that you made, either work or personal, that taught you a significant lesson?
- What would your present/former fellow workers tell a friend about you?
- We seek people who actively pursue ways to improve. Give me an example where you sought to improve yourself over the last 3 to 4 months.
- Have you ever risked your job to do what you thought was right?
- What values do you admire most in your favorite Company?
- During a heated discussion between co-workers, if you could be either a peacemaker or a decision maker, which would you choose and why?
- Do you have any responsibilities that conflict with the job attendance or travel requirements?
- What motivates you to put forth the greatest effort?
- How are you with deadlines? Describe times when you’ve had to juggle several tasks at once.
- What work situations irritate you or make you angry?
- Describe an occasion when you took the initiative to handle something outside your area of responsibility. Why did you decide to handle the situation in that way?
- Suppose we had a product that you felt didn’t meet our customers’ needs – what would you do about it?
- What skills and abilities do you have that will make you successful in this position? Give examples.
- What personal needs do you expect to satisfy by accepting this position?
- What’s the highest leverage use of your time and talent?
- What do you wish you had more time to do?
Recruiting For Your Next Job
by Cord Cooper
In today’s expanding economy, executive recruiters are back. In several industries, recruiters are as busy as during the high flying 1990’s.
“Talk with colleagues and friends who’ve worked with top search firms in your industry,” advised Smooch Reynolds, a noted recruiter and author of the “Be Hunted: 12 Secrets to Getting on the Headhunter’s Radar Screen.” Also “check on-line directories and trade journals.”
Dan Finnigan and Marc Karasu, executives with Yahoo HotJobs and authors of the new book “Next Stop, Corner Office,” advise you to raise your industry profile so recruiters will contact you. But that’s easier said than done.
Reynolds suggested going on the offensive. Depending on the industry and recruiting firm, a strong unsolicited resume can garner attention and produce solid results, she says.
The caveats? Make sure you skill set and the recruiting firm are an appropriate match. And once the resume is submitted, be politely persistent – not a pest.
Whether you contact search firms or they come calling, consider these tips when interviewing with recruiters:
Forget Lump Sums. When giving the recruiter your compensation figures, break them down by category: base salary, annual bonuses and stock options, Reynolds advises.
Be Upfront. Don’t inflate your salary to get a higher offer, Finnigan and Karasu say. Many recruiters check prospects’ backgrounds more thoroughly than employers. With recruiting fees that are often as high as on-third of a new hire’s salary, recruiters’ reputations are on the line with every prospect they send to clients. Any uncovered misstatements of fact, and your resume is doomed to the circular file.
When asked about employment gaps or other career downsides, offer reasons – not excuses, Finningan and Karasu say. Give clear explanation without blaming employers, co-workers or circumstances.
Keep it professional. The best recruiters represent prospects and client firms equally. You won’t score points by getting overly chummy with them.
Expect a challenge. Before recruiter and employer interviews, anticipate the toughest questions you could be asked, and have answers ready. Avoid sounding canned. Speak off the cuff.
Show how you boosted sales and profits in past jobs, how you overcame challenges or united your team around key goals.
When answering recruiters’ questions, don’t be afraid to ask a few of your own. Among them:
At what level do you normally place prospects in client firms? Who are your contacts in most firms? What you’re looking for are clues about the recruiters clout and past performance, say Finnigan and Karasu. Also ask for references; the recruiter will be asking for yours.
After the interview, be patient. Depending on the job and industry, a search can take several weeks or months.
Once you’ve landed a position, stay in touch, experts advise. At some point down the road, he or she could find a better spot elsewhere.
For access to more of Cord Cooper’s articles, click here.
No. 1 Speech
by Vince Lombardi
Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.
There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.
Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he’s got to play from the ground up — from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.
Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization — an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win — to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is.
It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there — to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules — but to win.
And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.
I don’t say these things because I believe in the “brute” nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle — victorious.
7 Step Interview “Sales Process”
by Russ Mountain, CPC
General Preparation:
The person with the most experience or best resume doesn’t always get the job. Look at the last 3 newly named Presidents of the US. Clinton, Bush Jr. and most recently Obama. None of these candidates had the better resume compared to their much more experienced opponents. However, each of them did out perform their oponent in the long interview process with the American public that won them the highest job in the free world of politics.
You too, can have an advantage if you prepare well and interview better than your competition. One good basic strategy to follow is the 7 steps of the “Sales Process” during an interview.
The 7 Steps
Preparation
1. Familiarize yourself with the company and job with real time information by calling someone in the company who already does the job, if possible. Let them know you are researching a career with the organization and would like their first hand thoughts. Have a lot of good questions that will help you go into the interview well informed.
- Be prepared to be asked “What Do You Know About Us?” Take the initiative to learn as much as possible about the company. The following mediums can provide you with valuable information:
- Annual report
- Web pages
- Internet resouces: Google, Hoovers, etc.
- Newspaper/magazine articles (the local library is a good resource)
- Prepare to ask thoughtful questions – More, stronger impressions will be formed by others based on what you ASK vs how you respond to questions. Prepare some great thought provoking questions that speak to your level of business accumen and intellectual curiosity.
- Be prepared to show a lot interest in the company and their business through your questions.
- Always be positive
2. Introduction/Presence – There is no second chance at first impressions. Make it count. A lot of hiring decisions are made in the first few minutes, only to be validated from there.
Communicate Through Body Language
- Be energetic – (there’s work to be done)
- Calm, confident, and very focused on the matter.
- Great eye contact, firm handshake, and genuine smile.
- Dress Appropriately
- Wear a black or blue suit with a white shirt, and power tie for males
- Turn off your cell phone BEFORE you get there
- Dress conservatively so that what you’re wearing doesn’t distract from who you are and what you bring as a solution to their need
- Bring a professional portfolio with a dress pen or pencil so that you can take notes
- LISTEN EMPATHICALLY – and make sure you fully understand the content and any feelings or emotions attached to what the interviewer is communicating.
3. Needs Analysis
- What kind of employee is the company looking for? Ask:
-
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- What are the top 3 or 4 individual characteristics that are most critical to success for this position?
- What are the most common early mistakes most people make? How would you recommend avoiding them?
- Sell yourself on the characteristics throughout the interview process
Interviewing Is Psychological!
Who is your #1 sales rep? Why is he or she so successful?
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4. Presentation of Product
- Discussing your background: “Tell me about yourself?”
- Clear – Concise – Compelling answers to all questions; ask for clarity if necessary.
- Make sure your response flows.
- Be prepared with specific dates and fully capable of explaining / expanding/giving detail on anything on your resume.
- Be aware of your decision making processes about your reasons for leaving any company, and what it says about you and your values
- Talk about documented successes and be able to speak to the “how” and “why”.
- Anticipate possible questions about yourself. The interviewer is asking you purposeful questions to reveal specific characteristics and/or traits about you.
5. Objections (uncovering & overcoming)
- Uncover objections by asking, “Are there any questions or concerns you have about my background?” Or, “Is there anything I can clarify for you?”
- “No, not at all.”– That is a good sign!
- “No.”– It is over unless you ask! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
- “Yes, you don’t have any x,y,z experience.” — At least you know the objection.
- You might also ask:
- “Are there any questions about my abilities or desires to be a part of your team?”
- “Will it be your recommendation to hire me?”
- “What are your concerns about my stepping into this role?”
6. Close
- Deliver an energetic close. You might say,
- “I am really excited about this opportunity, what is the next step? Where do we go from here? Is Tuesday good for you to talk?
- Never leave until you know where you stand.
- “I can appreciate that. If I was the last person you were to interview for this position, would you bring me back for a second interview?”
- If you are last in a group to interview:
- “Where do I rank thus far?” (Hint: If you are not #1, WHY NOT? “What do you believe the other candidate possesses that I don’t?”)
- This can bring up another objection which you must overcome.
- Ask for a business card before you leave (from everyone you have interviewed with).
7. Follow-up
- Call your recruiter.
- Send a type-written letter to everyone you interviewed with immediately following your interview!
- Send the letter immediately:
- Send it via email
- Drop it in the mail that afternoon
- Courier the letter
- Hand deliver
- Fed-Ex
- Fax
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- Every opportunity you have to communicate with the employer is a chance to separate yourself from your competition. A great rule of thumb is the ” AND THEN SOME RULE.” Ask yourself, “What can I do to separate myself from the competition for this job, AND THEN SOME?” It’s the “and then some” that truly separates you 99% of the time.
Interview Strategies: There Are Two Primary Outcomes To Every Interview
by Russ Mountain, CPC
- Depending on where you are in the process, the primary outcome is to either get a firm commitment to the next step, or to get an offer. Do not leave the interview without having this commitment and knowing the how, when, where, and with whom. This is always a one chance closing situation. You can’t go back and do it again if you don’t get it done in the interview. You do this by:Making sure the employer is very clear about everything you have to offer and how it relates to their immediate and long-term needs. This is your responsibility, not the employer’s responsibility. Therefore, you should have a call plan, just as you would for a sales call, that enables you to accomplish your outcome. You do this by developing a call/interview plan, preparing for it, and effectively executing it.There are two things that you are responsible for selling. First and foremost, you must sell what you have to offer the employer relative to its needs. Secondly, you must sell how the opportunity and the organization fit your career aspirations.
- The second priority is for you to get the necessary information you need to make an informed decision as to whether or not you want the job. You have plenty of time to get this information, so your most important outcome is get the offer first. Then it becomes your decision, and you can ask anything you want before accepting it.
RULE NUMBER 1. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON FOR THE JOB THAT GETS THE JOB: Regardless of experience, it’s always the one who plays the game the best. A great resource for learning how the game is played is a book entitled Knock’em Dead, by Martin Yate. Buy the latest edition at any major bookstore, and read the interview section at minimum.
Almost 90% of the actual hiring decision is based on the interview process, not your background or resume. 70% of how well you do in the process depends on how prepared you are. Championships are won on the practice field of preparation. If you try to wing it, 90% of the time you will get beat by a person who is more prepared. You must know as much as possible about the company, division and job that your are interviewing for. You should also know what the critical needs are before going in so that you can have an effective strategy for your sales process in the interview. If you don’t know a lot of details about the job itself, then you must be prepared to ask a lot of good questions to get the information you need. Interviewing for a sales job is a sales call. You are the product and the employer is the buyer. Therefore, following an effective sales process is exactly how you need to approach the interview. You should be prepared with highly effective, open-ended questions that draw out every critical need the employer has so that you can link them to what you’ve done successfully in the past.
RULE NUMBER 2. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS: In a highly competitive interview process, details are critical. Proper interview attire and professional presence are paramount. From personal grooming to well-organized materials supporting evidence of your accomplishments, everything speaks to who you are.
RULE NUMBER 3. INTERVIEWING IS PSYCHOLOGICAL: Attitude, energy, and passion are contagious. Be energetic and bring your “A” game.
RULE NUMBER 4. A. B. C. ALWAYS BE CLOSING: It’s amazing how many accomplished sales professionals fail to close for the job in an interview. They wouldn’t think about leaving a customer’s office on a sales call without knowing exactly how the customer feels about their product or service, i.e. when they will buy, and actually asking for the order. Yet they will leave an interview without knowing whether or not they will be moving forward in the hiring process. Don’t leave the interview without knowing how the employer feels about you, discussing all concerns, and having a firm commitment to the next step.
How To Have A Successful Phone Interview
by Russ Mountain, CPC
- Call the hiring authority by his/her first name.
- Be “up.” Without the benefit of visual contact, you have to sell with enthusiasm and energy. Stand up while talking because it reduces tension, improves breathing, and raises your energy level. Avoid distractions like a TV, radio, crying baby, dog, spouse, etc. Keep the phone away from your mouth and take your time talking. If you talk too quickly, as a rule, watch yourself in a mirror. It will help you to slow down. And take notes — but not scripts.
- Participate. Don’t be passive. You should be asking questions 40% of the time. Give highlights, but don’t read your resume. They already have it.
- Ask what the keys to the job are. Find out the responsibilities, skills and competencies needed to exceed the job expectations. Ask what short-term or immediate problems need to be resolved. You want to link their short-term problems with your achievements. The stronger the link, the better the chance you have of getting a face-to-face meeting.
- Close for the next step. Ask the interviewer for their feedback on your fit for the job. Uncover and overcome any concerns. Get a firm commitment for the next step — what, when, and with whom.
Tips for Phone Screens
by Russ Mountain, CPC
The most important thing to remember is that you are working towards obtaining a personal, face-to-face meeting with a prospective employer. If you can create the proper first impression on the telephone, your chances of being invited for a personal visit are greatly enhanced. Here are some tips you should keep in mind:
Be enthusiastic and assertive.
Remember that you don’t have the benefits of expression and eye contact to show your excitement and interest. Be ready to provide specific examples of projects and accomplishments which showcase your skills. Avoid speaking too fast, having music or other noises in the background, chewing or smoking, speaking too close to the receiver, or anything that can create an unpleasant first impression image of yourself.
Look at the interview from the interviewer’s perspective. Do not ask questions that appear to be selfishly motivated. This is the most common mistake people make on phone interviews. You should not even bring up the subjects of money or benefits. Your only goal at this point should be selling the company on your skills and experience; talking about money prematurely can only have negative effects.
- Prepare your answers to the obvious questions such as:
- Why are you leaving your present position? (Have a positive reason for this move).
- What are your strong/weak points?
- What were your most significant biggest accomplishments in your last position?
- What specific projects have you worked on?
- What contributions can you make to our company?
The best way of answering this last question is to do research on the company you will be interviewing with: check out the company’s web site; do your homework; find out what they are doing, and be prepared to point out how you can help them achieve their goals. As a parting comment, let the potential employer know that you are very interested in the position and why. The enthusiasm you display could be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.
Please call your Rowland & Mountain Account Executive immediately after the phone interview to discuss a follow-up strategy.
Maximize Your Options At All Times
by Russ Mountain, CPC
Some of the best advice I’ve ever heard was from a friend of mine. I was faced with making some choices that were critical to my future. He said, “the wisest choices are the ones that keep the best and most available options open to you for the longest amount of time.”
Nothing is truer than that when it comes to intelligent self career management. Often times, people fail to recognize the traps and poor decisions in their career that can minimize their options in the future. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, long-term with a company or in a specific industry are practically non existent. Therefore, creating and maintaining maximum leverage and marketability for yourself should be your top career priority.
How? The same way anything great is accomplished. By having a well thought out plan and executing it well. Do you have a short, mid and long term career plan? Are you on track? Are you prepared to make the critical decisions and take the actions necessary to maximize the leverage and marketability of your skills and experiences?
Speak with your Rowland Mountain associate for more details on how you can stay on top of your career plan, maintaining an optimum position for yourself now and in the years to come.
Winning the Game of Interviewing for a Job
by Russ Mountain, CPC
It’s often not the most qualified candidate that gets the job. It’s the one that plays the game the best. If you don’t believe that, look at the last three U.S. Presidential elections. Neither Clinton; Bush or Obama was the most qualified candidate for the job. Their opponents were actually much more qualified for the job on paper. Yet they won the highest job in the land by outplaying/interviewing their competition in the game of politics with the voting public as the decision makers.
Like any other game there are rules as well as effective strategies and techniques that can be applied.
Rule # 1
90% of the hiring decision is based on your actual performance in the interview / hiring process. This is why games are always played. Most analyst could easily tell you who’s got the better team and who should win the game. Yet it’s the team with the most points on the board that day that wins it, and it’s not always the better team. It’s the team who played the best that day. The one who executed well, made fewer mistakes, had the better plan, and was better prepared.
Rule # 2
70% of how well you do in the interview is based on how well you prepare for it. Preparing for an interview takes time, effort and purpose: Research the company; know the products and services they sell and into what markets. Know how they are structured financially. Public or private; private equity or venture backed; current stock price and recent history of sales, profits or losses, earnings per share; debt accumulated etc.
Specifically you need to understand the job you are interviewing for in as much detail as possible. Your recruiter should be able to help you here. Try to find someone else that is working for the company now that you can speak with. It’s always good to speak with one of their customers to get their perspectives. All this research helps you prepare to connect your background and competencies to the needs of the company and fit for the role. It also helps you build your list of GREAT QUESTIONS to ask. ALWAYS HAVE A WRITTEN LIST OF GREAT QUESTIONS to ask. More lasting opinions are formed about you based on the quality and quantity of GREAT QUESTIONS that you asked vs the answers that you gave. Ask questions that speak to: your depth of business acumen; familiarity with their business; overall business intellectual curiosity; and genuine interest and respect for the interviewer.
Now you are prepared for game day. Is your game day uniform ready to wear? It amazes me that some professionals still fall short in the interview processes because they minimize the importance of details in this area. Conservative, well fitting, dark suite; pressed shirt/blouse; stain free power tie; shined or new shoes; leather portfolio / day timer; dress pen; heavy on deodorant and lite on the perfume and cologne if any.
How long has it been since you have interviewed for job? No time to practice. This is the playoffs and its single elimination. There is no tomorrow to make up for blown interviews. The web is full of resources to help you get game ready, RMA has a lot of interview prep material at Our Career Tools.
Rule # 3
The game is not over until you have an offer in your hand. Until you do there is still time for the competition to score enough points to beat you. How well do you follow through after you have performed well in the interview process? We have seen candidates come from behind to pull offers doing a great job in follow up. We’ve seen candidates blow their leads with poor or mistake filled follow up. Seasoned hiring professionals watch carefully what you do compare to what you say. Your follow up needs to speak to the amount of thought, effort, initiative, creativity, and attention to detail that you will bring to the job. Therefore, it should be prompt; letter and grammatically perfect; with specific relevance to the value / solution you bring. This will reinforce their decision that you are their best choice. Make sure it does!
Understand these three rules. Have a clear game plan to make sure you leave the interview knowing exactly what they want and that you have clearly communicated everything you have to meet that need, and have uncovered and addressed any of their concerns, and most importantly, have a firm commitment from them to being a part of the next step or job offer.
Do all this with a high degree of courage and consideration and you cannot lose.
What is a Brag Book? Documented Successes
by Russ Mountain, CPC
How many times have you seen the phrase “documented success or proven track record required” in a job advertisement or posting? How often have you been asked in an interview if you have any documentation or proof of your sales successes?
In today’s highly competitive employment environment candidates that can produce written or documented evidence of their past successes have a distinct advantage. It is one thing to sit in front of a potential employer and tell a great story about your background and capabilities; it’s a completely BETTER story when you can present irrefutable documentation that validates your story. The difference may appear obvious, however there’s more to the impact when you analyze what an employer is trying to do in the interview process.
Working through recruiters and competent H.R. professionals, the real decision makers are meeting with prescreened and qualified candidates who all have the skills and abilities that fit the minimum requirements for the job. They are looking closely at the details of the background and capabilities of each candidate to minimize their risk and to maximize the odds of a getting a good return on their investment in the new employee. The individuals who can, not only tell, but also show what they have accomplished creates a much clearer picture in the minds of the decision makers that they are the better candidate.
Interviewing is psychological. When you produce documented physical evidence you are also appealing to a number of the interviewers senses. Why do good realtors have fresh flowers, or cookies backing in the oven with soothing music playing on the stereo when they do open houses? It is to pleasantly appeal to the maximum number of human senses that creates a stronger, more memorable and favorable impression. You can’t walk into an interview with a dozen roses and a box of cookies carrying a boom box. However, you can walk in dressed in the perfect interview attire, carrying a portfolio or a “Brag Book” of evidence supporting your career and educational story.
By being prepared to present and use this powerful presentation tool, you will create a much more powerful case for your candidacy that could clearly separate you from the competition. Here are a few of the strong psychological messages that a strong portfolio or brag book presented effectively can communicate:
Planning, Forethought and Organization:Organizing and keeping the data you have received over the years demonstrates that you think ahead.
Presentation Skills: The professional way you present the information demonstrates your abilities in this area.
Creativity and Initiative: By putting forth this extra effort you are demonstrating initiative. Your unique style and creativity can also be communicated in the information and how it is presented.
Trust and Credibility: Anytime you can document anything on your resume with other irrefutable evidence, subconsciously it adds credibility to everything on your resume and everything you say. The risk in the interviewers mind associated with hiring you is drastically reduced.
What goes into a career and education portfolio or “Brag Book”? Anything, that speaks to your successes. Keep everything. You can always decide later what to eliminate. My recommendation is that you organize it using tabs for sections (Education, Training, Employment, Civic / Social). Keep it in chronological order in each of the sections. Here are some ideas of what to include:
SAT or ACT Scores if in the top percentile; College Recruiting Letters; College Transcripts; Job offer letters; Newspaper or Magazine Articles; Press Releases; Stack Rankings for Sales Contests or Performances; Letters or Emails of Accommodation; Rewards or Recognition; Thank You Letters From Customers; Pictures of Trophies, Plaques, or Trips Awarded; Certification Certificates for Special Trainings; Performance Evaluations; W2’s by year; ETC.
These are all examples of what you can organize and present in an interview. This will paint a much clearer picture of your experiences and successes thereby making a much stronger statement of what you can do for your next employer.
Must Haves for Your Next Interview
by Dean Tracy
After many years in the recruiting business, I’ve learned that candidates often lack preparation when facing a career transition or job change.
Here are six simple steps to take before an interview to help you land the job.
- Prepare Your Story
Throughout your career, you may pursue different directions. Be prepared to discuss the reasons for which you’re taking your career in a certain direction.Organize talking points that help you tell your story. It’s important to touch on reasons why you may have left a company without bashing your former co–workers or supervisors. Explain with confidence the reason that you are making or have made a career change.Remember that a lack of conversation reflects lack of interest. Be prepared to incorporate the storyline of your background into their organizational challenges. - Calculate Your Compensation
Know the difference between your needs, your value to the company, and market trends. Your financial needs are of no importance to the hiring manager or the hiring company. They care about your success, but they are not accountable for your financial responsibilities.Investigate the market trends for the position for which you’re interviewing. The dollar amount is usually defined by what the market will bear for your position. This information can be collected from a variety of websites and market research. Keep in mind that this will also depend on the company’s size, revenues, headcount, geographic location, etc.The value that you bring to the company is one that only you can define and present to your prospective employer. This will be based upon your demonstrated experience as determined by contributions you’ve made in previous roles. Capture and reflect revenues that you generated, incorporate costs and expenses that you managed, and/or numbers of people or clients that you have supported.- Understand acronyms such as OTE and MBO.
- OTE = On Target Earnings. This is what your total compensation package is, including annual base salary, bonuses etc.
- MBO = Management by Objective. This is typically used to identify a percentage of your annual base and may be paid quarterly or once a year.
- Articulate Your Value
You need to be able to address the value that you bring to the company. Be prepared to share your skills and accomplishments and discuss how they benefit the company. Articulate these accomplishments in a problem–action–results sequence.- Problem – This will reflect the specific problem, challenge, or situation that you are faced with. The way you would describe this is in the form of an overview or summary.
- Action – This represents the steps that you took to address the problem, challenge, or situation. Describe the methodology that you followed to drive results and deliverables.
- Results – This is where you define the success or accomplishment of your action. Use this as an opportunity to share how you evaluate the end result.
- Determine Your Commute Threshold
Estimate how far are you willing to commute to get to work every day. Some candidates will use this threshold to represent miles and some will use it to measure total road time. - Determine Your Willingness to Travel
This will usually depend on the position for which you’re applying. Your previous experiences with work travel will be a true indicator to consider. You should also carefully consider the impact that this will have on your family and personal lifestyle. - Articulate Your Management Style
Be prepared to share and discuss the environment or culture where you can be the most productive. Are you most effective in a chaotic, fast–paced, high–stressed environment? Do you bring a calming influence in a chaotic setting? Are you detail oriented, driven by reports in a micro–managed structure? Be prepared to describe your typical activity in a normal work day.If you do your homework well, you will be extraordinarily successful in your interview. It will become easy for you to open new doors of opportunity toward landing the job of your dreams! Go get ‘em!
Dean Tracy is a Professional Recruiter, Public Speaker and Career Coach based in Northern California with an emphasis on Placing and Coaching IT Professionals at a National Level. He also serves on the Leadership Team for Job Connections, which is recognized as one of Northern California’s largest and most reputable Professional Networking Groups.
Video Library
These videos, a part of the Sanford Rose Associates Dimensional Search® Process, will help to ensure you have an effective process in your next career move. Your Sanford Rose Associates Search Consultant is always available as a resource throughout this process.
Effective Resume Prep
A great resume won’t land you your next position, but it could cost you the opportunity to even be considered! This video will help make resume preparation a less daunting task, and provide some tips for format and content to help get you started.
Interview Prep
This 10-minute video will help to ensure you have an effective interview. These best practices are all designed to keep the decision resting with you for next steps!
Resignation Prep
This 12-minute video will help you create a smooth resignation process. We are pleased to offer this video to our clients and candidates and is part of our search process. Our recruiters are always available as a resource to you.
Your First 30 Days
Prior to your start date, review this video designed to accelerate your on boarding process and quickly establish rapport and credibility. We are pleased to offer this video to our clients and candidates and is part of our search process. Our recruiters are always available as a resource to you.
