Five Tips to Ace Your Next Phone Interview

March 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

In today’s job market a phone interview is the first step toward a face-to-face interview. Yet most job seekers dread phone interviews. The lack of facial cues and body language tends to unnerve interviewees. If you feel this way as well, the following tips will help you feel more in control and confident for your next phone interview.

Eliminate distractions.
Choose your environment wisely. For best results plan to interview at home in a room cut off from kids, TV and pets.   Read more of this post

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Three Rules of Career Management for 2012

January 11, 2012 by 1 Comment

article published courtesy of Deborah Walker

The biggest difference between today’s employment world and that of our fathers’ is the rapid pace of corporate change. Expectations of company stability and long lasting employment are a thing of the past. If one isn’t tuned into the signals of corporate change it can mean an unexpected layoff and months of unemployment and job searching. Do you have a career management plan to ensure your career growth in times of corporate chaos?

To prevent career disaster, live by these three rules of career management:

  • Expect Change
  • Adjust quickly to change
  • Build a strong professional network in good times

Read more of this post

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Three Resume Rules for Baby Boomers

December 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

article published courtesy of Deborah Walker

The most common concern among job seekers over 50 is that their resume
tends to date them. While it’s true that with age comes wisdom, it’s
also true that securing a great new job becomes challenging after a
certain age. If you are a member of the baby boomer generation you’ll
want to take note of the following three resume rules.

1. Don’t make it a history lesson.

One sure way to date yourself is to take your resume all the way back
to your first job out of college. Read more of this post

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Calling All Recruiters – Is anyone out there?

November 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Online job services were meant to automate the job search process and get job seekers in front of prospective new employers quicker. How well is it working for you? If you’ve sent out dozens of resumes and gotten little or no response it probably feels like you’re shooting your resume out into some vast black hole with no recipient at the other end. Do you feel like shouting “hey, is anyone out there?”

To better your odds of that your resume is being seen by a real person who can offer you a real job, here are three guideline to make your resume more effective.

Read more of this post

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How To Avoid Job Interview Brain Freeze

October 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

article by Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach

Have you ever experienced brain freeze during a job interview? You are asked a question and your mind goes blank—it’s horrifying. You lose composure as well as confidence. Your interview goes down hill from there. Brain freeze most often happens as a result of behavioral or situational interview questions that are not anticipated before hand.

As a career coach, this is the most common interview problem I hear about from my clients. Read more of this post

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Are You Ready For An Unexpected Job Interview?

August 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Most job seekers wait to polish up their interview skills until they are looking for a new position. Important interview opportunities, however, can present themselves at any time. For example, Unplanned internal job openings: There is a sudden opportunity to  advance your career from within, and your boss recommends you as a  candidate for the job. Are you ready to communicate your  contributions to the organization?

A recruiter calls: The position sounds like just the career move  you’ve been wanting. Will you say the right things to win the job or  will you blunder your best chance?

A former colleague introduces you to his boss: They are building an  exciting new division for their company and looking for new staff.  Will you entice his interest in you as a must-have new team member?

Those who continually grow in their careers are always prepared for these situations. Their interview skills are sharp at all times. To know if your skills are sharp enough to handle a surprise interview, see if you can answer the following three questions:

1. Can you concisely state your value proposition in 30 seconds or less?

A value proposition is meant to intrigue your listener with a quick overview of your skills, expertise, and industry know-how. If you can offer a precise summary of why you are the perfect candidate for that job, you are more likely to get to the second or third interview. A concise value proposition can make a critical difference in winning you a new position.

2. Do you know your top five accomplishments, and can you communicate their impact to your employer’s bottom-line initiatives?

A list of your top accomplishments will allow a potential employer to imagine what you can do for him or her. Accomplishments give employers  a way to associate your skills with their needs—and a reason to remember you. Be prepared to list your top skills and show how they can  help meet corporate needs.

3. Are you prepared to answer your own toughest interview questions, or do you hope they just won’t come up?

Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to questions like “If you’re doing so well in your job, why do you want to leave?” A good recruiter or hiring  manager will see you sweat and stutter and squirm; you’ll lose their confidence and destroy a chance to get your dream job. Think about the  questions that will be your biggest pitfalls—and be prepared to answer them.

Be prepared to answer all these questions and more. With those answers in hand, you’ll be ready for the unplanned interview so that you take  your career from mediocre to marvelous with “always-ready” interview skills.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach
Read more career tips and see sample resumes at:
www.AlphaAdvantage.com
email: Deb@Alphaadvantage.com

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How to Ask for a Raise – and Get It!

July 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

When was the last time you asked for a raise? If you are like most people, you waited until you were frustrated, angry, and resentful. Not the best frame of mind for trying to make a positive change. You probably made some critical mistakes. You may have:

  • Made your appeal based on emotion
  • Given your boss an ultimatum
  • Failed to plan ahead what to say figuring you could just “wing it”

And how did that strategy work for you? Did you get everything you hoped for? Probably not.

There is a better way to ask for a raise that doesn’t involve emotions, ultimatums, or even slamming doors. The answer is planning. Be prepared with objective documentation that proves beyond doubt that you deserve a raise, and have a strategy that puts that information forward in the best possible light.

1. Research salary surveys.

If you suspect your current earnings are below average for your industry in your state, verify your suspicion by checking out salary
surveys. Your state employment service agencies probably provide a salary survey for your industry. Make copies of any salary surveys you
find.

Additionally, if you suspect your earnings are low within your own company, ask your human resources representative if he/she can provide the normal salary scale for your position. Ask for a copy if possible.

These two documented sources will help support the fairness of your request for a raise.

2. Prove your worth.

If you are waiting for your boss to notice what a great job you are doing, forget it. No one is paying that much attention to you. It’s up
to you to prove how much you are worth—literally.

Keep a weekly journal of what you’ve done that proves such things as:

  • Creating revenue opportunities
  • Discovering costs savings
  • Helping a coworker meet or beat a deadline
  • Developing a better process
  • Completing tasks ahead of time
  • Generating good will with clients or customers

Use your list of accomplishments to update your resume illustrating the positive impact you’ve had on your company. An updated resume is your
most convincing evidence that you deserve a raise. It will also put your boss on the alert that you are ready with an updated resume when a
recruiter calls.

Plan your strategy.

Too often, people don’t think about what they’re going to say until they’re actually in their boss’ office. That’s too late. Practicing how
you want to present your case can be the final key to success in getting your raise.

Choose a friend or family member who has been in the position of hiring others, and ask them to let you practice your request for a raise.

Once you have your documentation, your updated resume, and your strategy in hand, you’ll be ready to approach your boss with confidence. And you’ll be well on your way to getting the raise you have truly earned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Deborah Walker, Certified Career Management Coach
Read more career tips and see sample resumes at:
www.AlphaAdvantage.com
email: Deb@Alphaadvantage.com

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Know the Right Questions To Ask

February 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Reprinted by permission of Deborah Walker, Career Coach

Most interview preparation books are filled with sample questions that you’ll have to answer during an interview. While it’s certainly important to know how to answer tough interview questions, it’s equally important to know how to ASK questions in an interview. There are three good reasons to be prepared to ask great questions during interviews.

  • To uncover the interviewer’s hiring motives.
  • To demonstrate your interest and intelligence.
  • To uncover any unspoken concerns or “red flags.”

Let’s look at each of these points:

1. To uncover the interviewer’s hiring motives.

A big mistake candidates make going into a job interview is to assume that they know the hiring motives of the interviewer based solely on the job description. But the reality is that each person within an organization will have a slightly different idea of the perfect person for the job.

It’s up to you to find out the hiring motives of each person you interview within any one organization. Ask a simple question and you’ll know what your interviewer is looking for. Such as:

  • What do you see as the most significant challenges for this position?
  • What qualities do you look for to fill this position?

Then just listen closely. He/She will tell you just what you need to know in order to tailor your answers to his/her desires.

 2. To demonstrate your interest and intelligence.

 Nothing works better than a well thought out question to convince your interviewer of the sincerity and interest. Additionally, a good question is the simplest, yet most effective way of
impressing them with your intelligence.

The main thing is that you want your question(s) to be specific to the organization you are interviewing with. Avoid generic questions such as “Where do you see your company going in five years?” The interviewer is going to realize you just asked the last five companies that same question. A more targeted and specific question will win you points in the interview, and may tip the scale in your favor when they’re discussing which candidate to hire.

3. To uncover any unspoken concerns or “red flags.”

Before you walk out of your interview, find out any concerns that may eliminate you as a candidate. This is your best chance to defend your candidacy. This is also your second chance to undo an interview error, or provide vital information. Ask a question something like:

“What concerns do you have that would prevent you from calling me back for the next interview?”

Spoken concerns can be answered with new information on how you’ve overcome challenges, learned new skills, or adjusted to new industries quickly. Remember, if you don’t ask, they will not tell you, and you’ll always wonder why they didn’t call you back.
When it comes to interviews, there is no such thing as over preparation. A resume will get your foot in the door, but the interview will seal the deal. Make sure you’re ready to win the job by asking the right interview questions.

Article by Deborah Walker, Career Coach
Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com
360-260-4965
www.AlphaAdvantage.com

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