Accelerate Your Search™ Now

“Make each minute count!” – Dave Edwards

There is much collective wisdom about interviewing for your next position.  Wisdom will be shared by:  job seekers, coaches, HR professionals, mentors, hiring managers, recruiters and, of course, friends and family.

The quote above is not simply about interviewing or even working.  It is one I learned from a leader and COO that I admire.  It is known by all in his organization and by those touched by the organization.

I have shared this quote before and, odds are, I will share it again.  Why?  It is not only a quote about a method of leadership or running a business, but a quote about a way of life.  It is four little words that bring focus to what is important right now.

I share it now because it is central to embracing the secrets of interviewing — secrets that are rarely shared and even when known, often overlooked.

If a client tells me, “I get interviews, but I don’t get hired,” my first questions, as a coach, are about interview preparation.

The secrets to interview preparation that are often not shared and even less often practiced are:

• Knowing and understanding how you are feel about yourself, the interviewer and the particular position.
• Knowing how your personal energy and power radiates and then using that energy and power to your advantage.  The four key times to leverage this secret are:  the day before the interview, during the interview, in the minutes after the interview ends and the day after the interview.
• Being open and aware of the guidance and information provided during the interview.

If you are struggling to move into your desired position or land a second interview and feel you are well prepared and qualified for interviews, you may be overlooking these secrets.

Realize that leveraging your experience, skills and collective wisdom might not be enough.  You may need to pause and review how you prepare for interviews.

“Make each minute count!”  By using the secrets minute-by-minute you will land a new position faster and with less stress.

If something isn’t working, pause, reflect and adjust.  If you need help with pausing and reflecting, seek some support and guidance.  One of the fastest ways to avoid the pain and disappointment of repeated failed interviews is to discover quickly what to adjust.

It need not take you months of heartbreak and stress and mulitple job interviews to discover what to adjust.  Often small changes can make big differences.

One option to consider is to have a focused dialogue with a coach to help you see what you might be missing.  A small tweak or simple technique may be all you need to transform your next interview into an offer and a job you love.

Do you have a question or comment?  Post it below or give me a call.  I am happy to help you find the answers to your questions.

Ready to transform your next interview?  

Do you remember how enthusiastic and excited you were after your first interview?  I hope so.  You will need to continue to share that level of interest with the hiring manager as the process continues.

Candidates who fail to communicate sincere interest throughout the process are certain to miss out.  It is difficult to stay interested when an organization has a different timeline than yours.  It is easy to let the voice in your head tell you that the company is not really interested in you.  When you are in career transition and want to return to work quickly two weeks can feel like two months!

Instead of waiting for “the” phone call, use your time to pursue other opportunities.  Focusing on only one opportunity at a time may extend your search by months.

Also use the time to learn additional information about the position for which you interviewed and the company you are looking forward to joining.  Doing this prepares you for your second interview — preparation is rare at this level and it will set you apart from the competition.

Here are some easy ways to make the most of your second interview:

1. Read the company website and press releases.
2. Learn about the company’s products and services.
3. Read LinkedIn and online profiles of employees, leaders, and managers who work for the company.
4. Connect with appropriate people in the organization, online and in-person.
5. Read and learn about the company’s competitors.
6. Practice interviewing.
7. Know how you come across and how you demonstrate interest, eagerness, and enthusiasm.

Being able to authentically communicate how you fit and how your experience will help the hiring manager achieve his/her goals will help you ace the second interview.

It is a challenge to wait for the next interview.  Make the most of the time and prepare.

If you liked this post, please share it with your friends using the links below!  Post a note, share your questions and thoughts in the comments.

If you want help accelerating your search and landing the job you want contact me HERE.

Even before you interview for a job, you and others have influenced the opinion of the interviewer.  Do you know what others are saying about you?

The easiest place to start?  Google yourself.  Your online presence can be friend or foe.  It can open doors to amazing opportunities -or- it can slam doors shut, sometimes forever.  Things like your endorsements, number of contacts, recommendations and your photo on LinkedIn allow people to “get to know you” before you even meet.

If you are contemplating a change, do yourself a favor.  Before you spray your resume worldwide, stop and take a careful look around.  Gather a little data from your peers, co-workers, bosses (past and present), friends and family.  Understand what people are saying about you.  If you are a little fearful to do so, my bet is you will be pleasantly surprised at what you hear.

Then take a hard look at your talents, skills and experience.  Decide how you want to use and share what makes you valuable to an employer.  Ask yourself where you want to be in a year, three years and five years.

Now (and not before), update your resume.

By doing these simple activities — before you jump into the job market — you will accelerate your search and move forward faster.  Even though the press is highlighting the gloom and doom, there are many opportunities for you to do what you love and the land the job you want at the salary you deserve.

It is easier and faster than you think to land the job you want when you understand who you are and what others are saying about you.

Do you need interview assistance to speed up your career transition?  Post a question or contact me.

Do you know what the best companies look for during interviews?

In a January post (“What It Takes to Get Hired at One of the Best Places to Work“) China Gorman, the former COO and interim CEO of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and current CEO for Great Place to Work Institute shared several insights from high-level recruiters.

These four interview pointers, from the post, will help you stand out and impress:

1.  Being able to articulate your alignment with the company’s mission and values (and explain why they resonate with you);

2.  Doing exceptional “homework” and truly understanding the business and key competitors going into an interview;

3.  Being able to discuss how you plan to impact the company; and,

4.  Demonstrating passion, curiosity, and (a big one!) innovation.

Employers and recruiters consistently share that interviewees who look good on paper (resumes and online profiles) don’t always impress in an interview.

Are you prepared to interview?   Are you ready to articulate how you can impact the company and why the organization’s mission and values resonate with you?

Don’t walk into another interview and immediately be knocked out of the running.  When you are prepared to interview, the interview becomes a great business conversation culminating in a plan to move forward.

I invite you to join me for the next one-day Interview Boot Camp at the end of March — or feel free to contact me if you have other questions on acing your interview.

This year is quickly coming to an end!  In this season of go and do, it absolutely takes focus to keep your career moving forward.  You need to find a way to keep your value visible among all the glitz and glitter of the lively fourth quarter.  With that said, it is a great time of year to leverage your personal brand.

Whether you are preparing your year-end progress report (a.k.a. your performance review), putting the final touches on your 2014 plans or seeking a new position, you want to be well-positioned to leverage and discuss your value.  Your personal brand and workplace contributions directly effect the salary you command.

Your personal brand is what sets you apart — and it is the fastest way to get noticed in a crowded field of solid performers.

Leveraging what makes you unique (your “special sauce” if you will) helps others quickly connect to you and better understand your value.  However, this does not just happen.  You need to engage the process.

Without leveraging your personal brand, you may not get the offer you desire.  Your skills and experience count, but what makes you different matters the most in any selection process.

Imagine you are searching for a Christmas tree at the local lot.  There are many trees to chose from and most look similar, are in the same price range and will serve the purpose.  To find the “right” tree, you narrow your selection by considering the qualities you most desire and then you look at only those trees.

Finally, you look for a unique feature — something only one tree possesses.  You end up selecting a tree because it fits your wants, needs and has something special — a signature strength, element or specific look.

The tree that goes home with you has become a resource to help you create exactly the holiday experience you desire!

Getting hired, securing a promotion or building your career is very similar to the tree selection process.  Those who best leverage what makes them unique are the ones selected for an interview and ultimately hired.

The tree you chose was selected not only because it was, in fact, a tree, but also for what made it different and unique.

Are you leveraging your uniqueness — that special part of your personal brand?  Yes?  Great, share what you are doing below.

In my next post I’ll share the steps to help you focus on your unique strengths.  You don’t want to miss it!

In January, I am hosting a 3-part workshop:  Identify, Leverage & Own Your Uniqueness.  The workshop is designed to help you quickly identify your strengths and see how others view those strengths, so that you can stand out in the eyes of hiring managers.

If this opportunity speaks to you, drop me an email.  I will send you the details and information on how to sign up for the workshop.

Have an amazing week!

Recently, a client called and asked, “How bold is too bold when seeking a new job?”  My answer was, “It depends, can you share some details?”  There was a laugh and acknowledgement that, of course, the details were important.

Her situation?  After three interviews (where she had developed, prepared and made major presentations to groups of up to 20 people), an invitation was extended for a fourth interview the following Monday.  This interview required her to develop a 4^th original presentation on a topic specific to the work she would be doing for the organization.  And, this time, to deliver the information to a group of 50, including senior staff and investors.  My client, a highly credentialed and published professional in her field, admitted that after the last required presentation and subsequent conversation with the hiring manager, she was feeling a bit unappreciated, used and overwhelmed with self-doubt.

Her questions included : Did I already mess up this opportunity?  Do they not value me and the skills I bring?  Did the potential employer expect her to work for free?   Additionally, she began to wonder:  Maybe I can’t do the job; maybe they don’t see my skills; or maybe they have no plans to hire me after four interviews.

As she recapped the events and the conversations of the week, her emotions bounced from self-doubt to frustration to anger.  She shared she had it! Enough!  She needed to stop the doubt train, but how?  She took action.  She called the hiring manager and said in a  bold tone, “Hire me and I will make the presentation for you on Monday, your investors will love you, and if I don’t work out, you’ll know and you can let me go.”

What followed was the voice in her head screaming, “Oh no!  What did I just do? I was too bold in that statement and now I may never get hired!”

Quickly, she realized the real issue was not being too bold.  The real issue was addressing her doubt and frustration and learning how to managing her emotions in a productive manner.

She was right.  She needed to learn how to manage her self-doubt so she could deliver the same message, in more constructive way, to the hiring manager to obtain the outcome she desired.  In this situation, she was too bold for this particular hiring manager — a job offer did not materialize and the hiring manager stated in an email he was disappointed she declined the final interview.  Her emotions got the best of her at a critical point in the conversation.  She reacted instead of responding.

Do you ever find yourself in this type of situation?  It can be a tough call, especially if you are feeling like enough is enough.  I imagine you have experienced similar situations — I certainly have.  And, for a long time, I always seemed to handle them in a less than ideal way.

What finally helped me?  Working to manage the situation before I arrive at the “enough is enough” place and to be intentional and clear about what I will do when a similar situation arises.  I wish I could tell you that these days I am always good at managing those situations, but I can’t – it is a work in progress.  However, I am much better and rarely do I cross the line to very bold and direct without it being an intentional choice.

Here are the steps that work for me:

1. Get Clear.  Think about what you want and what you’re willing to do to achieve what you want.  Example: For my dream job, I am willing to commute, but not willing to relocate.
2. Write it down.  Write down what you want, why it is important and your intentions.  Example: Do you want a job offer?  Do you want to be liked?  Do you want to be seen as the new director and the next VP of Operations?
3. Think about what to say.  Does your message match your personal brand?  Does your message help you achieve what you truly desire?  Does your message fit your target audience?  Is there better way to say it?  Does your message come across the way you want it to?  Draft your message on paper, if needed, and ask your coach to help you fine tune it.
4. Take Action.  State your message, share your value, be open and continue the dialogue.  Example:  Mr./Ms. Hiring Manager, we have been talking for over 8 weeks.  During that time I have prepared and presented three very solid presentations during 3 separate interviews demonstrating my skills, knowledge and expertise, wouldn’t you agree?  <wait for reply>  What is it you have not seen or learned about my qualifications that you hope a fourth interview/presentation will provide for you?  <wait for a reply>  Normally, for the type of presentation you have requested I am compensated as a consultant or speaker.  Should we discuss my joining your team in this manner or for a trial period as an employee?  <wait for reply>

These four steps serve as my guide and help me focus on the desired end result.  They help me manage my self-doubt (real or imagined) so that I may perform at the top of my game.

I learned and fine-tuned these steps several years ago by asking for my coach for help.  I needed a process to help me refocus and be more effective when low-vibrating emotions and self-doubt arose.  Through this work, I replaced the “enough is enough” attitude and quick, bold replies with steps that helped me achieve my goals.

Are you looking for support to overcome your own self-doubt or blind spots?  Working with a coach can be very helpful in achieving amazing results of your own.

You’ve made it to the final “B of Interviewing!”  You’ve stuck with it till the end . . . and, that is exactly what the final “B” is all about.

What is the last “B?”

Be persistent.

Companies take from days to weeks to make decisions.  Decision time varies depending on a number of factors.  Perhaps there weren’t enough great candidates; perhaps there were too many.  The decision maker may be traveling or some crisis in the business may take priority.  Don’t give up.  You’ve already asked when and how to follow up.  Use the information.  Now, I’m not saying to call them every day for a week — unless you’re told its okay to do so.  I am saying you need to follow up until the trail is cold or until you’re told the position is filled.  Even at that point, you should ask if there are other openings for which you would be qualified.

So, there are the “B’s of Interviewing,” from my keyboard to your eyes.  If you follow these points and do the work, you are much more likely to stand out in the candidate pool.  Prepare, practice and present.  Most of all, it’s important to be yourself.  Joining a company where the fit is right is magic!  If you do what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.

Good luck!

-Mark Key is a retail professional known for driving results in diverse and challenging retail segments.  Mark’s interviewing insights come from companies big and small — having worked with organizations with just a few employees to Fortune 100 companies.