How To Turn Off Your Activity Broadcasts on LinkedIn

I have made no bones about the fact that I am a big proponent of using social media as part of any successful job search. Networking on social media sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter can lead you to that next position. But if you are not aware of who is watching, it can also backfire. One big issue that many job seekers don’t realize is that each time any facet of their LinkedIn profiles are updated, it’s broadcast for every direct connection to see. Connections such as bosses and co-workers are probably not the people you ideally want being tipped off that you are actively engaged in a job search. Take the right measures to prevent this, and it won’t be a problem. Here’s how:

Taken directly from LinkedIn’s site, here are some of the changes that trigger updates (and activity broadcasts):

http://help.linkedin.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/78

1. Adding a new current job position.
2. Adding a new current school.
3. Adding a new link to a website.
4. Recommending someone.
5. Adding a connection.

To remedy this potential problem, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your LinkedIn account
2. Hover over your name at the upper top right of the screen
3. Click “Settings”
4. Find “Privacy Controls” toward the center bottom of the page
5. Click “Turn on/off your activity broadcasts” and follow directions

In addition to turning your activity broadcasts on and off, the settings under Privacy Controls also allow you to:

• Select who can see your activity feed
• Select what others see when you've viewed their profile
• Select who can see your connections
• Change your profile photo & visibility »
• Show/hide "Viewers of this profile also viewed" box

Interview Blunder #7 - Late To The Interview

This should go without saying, but………..DON’T BE LATE TO AN INTERVIEW! If anything, schedule your time to be on or near the premises at least 10 minutes early.  This should ensure that unusually heavy traffic or anything else out of the ordinary will not cause you to be late. But don’t fall into the annoyance of arriving way too early either; that may come across as too desperate or a bit creepy.

This is not set in stone by any means, but some of the general rules of thumb for time are as follows:

-        A couple of minutes can be forgiven, but a quick apology is nice

-        More than a few minutes definitely needs an apology

-        10 minutes is on the borderline, so there better be something pretty dire that held you back

-        Over 15 minutes will normally warrant a cancellation, especially when the interviewer is on a tight schedule of consecutive interviews

It is a shame when interviewees arbitrarily disqualify themselves based on simply not making it to an interview on time. The big issue of course is that by being late, you are not relaying any confidence to the interviewer that promptness is a strong point. If you can’t make the interview on time, how can you be relied on to make it to work when you are supposed to if hired?

There are of course exceptions to every rule, so don’t despair completely. I will admit that if I have on paper someone who looks to be an exceptional candidate, I will give some leeway to rescheduling the interview or starting it once they show up. However this may not always be the case with others, so don’t assume you are the exceptional candidate or that it is okay to be late. Try to avoid any of these issues by making it a point to be on time.

Cover Letter Tip: Address The Hiring Manager By Name

While it is true that your cover letter may not be more than glanced at due to the significant influx of resumes being submitted across the board, you still want to be prepared in case it does. If you do not show that you were concerned enough to find out the name of the person with the hiring power, you won’t be making a very strong impression.

Addressing the letter to

“Dear Human Resources”

“To Whom It May Concern”

“Dear Sir / Madam”

Contrast these generic titles with one that personally addresses the hiring manager:

“Dear Mr. Johnson”

It may seem irrelevant to some, but that little personal touch can make a world of difference. I feel more flattered when somebody addresses me by name versus “Dear Recruiter.”

Now ideally if you are following the 80/10/10 rule (80% of your time should be spent networking, 10% working with recruiters, and 10% applying for positions posted online), the need for a cover letter at all will only apply to 20% or less of your time. There are competing schools of thought regarding the importance of cover letters, or why cover letters are overrated. In any case, the question of course arises – what do I do if I don’t know thename of the hiring manager? In a previous post, I address that issue specifically (highlighted above). Suffice it to say, with a little legwork and creativity, you can find the name of pretty much about anyone.

Before I end this post, let me share a tip that extends beyond personally addressing the hiring manager in a cover letter: Find ways to personally make contact and network with that hiring manager over simply including his/her name in print on a piece of paper. Being able to network like this will skyrocket your chances landing for the position, and reduce the need for a cover letter at all.

Interview Blunder #8 – Not Knowing The Company Name Or What They Do

A great way to screw up an interview is to show up completely unprepared. You would be surprised at just how many people show up to an interview with no idea what the company does, let alone the company name! Once I as an interviewer realize that the interviewee hasn’t taken the time to learn anything about the company, the interview is as good as over. Funny enough, the first question in these cases is one I can predict 99% of the time – how much does it pay? There seems to be a strange correlation between a lack of homework, and this question.

If this is a common tactic for you, I can assure you that this is why you are not getting offers. If you aren’t embarrassed by it, you should be. In a nutshell – correct it! The following are a few methods to use in order to make sure that you are prepared with understanding that the company does, a little about the interviewer, and the company’s name.

First, visit the company web site and Google the company name in order to pull up articles or related info. Taking a little bit of time to read about the company will not only give you a background of it, but should also prepare you with good questions to ask during the interview.

Follow the company on LinkedIn. Not only can you find some valuable information about the company itself, but you also can see company profile updates as well as updates regarding new employees who have joined the organization, and employees who have recently left. This can prove very valuable in getting a gauge on the culture, and the types of employees who are employed there.

There are instances from time to time where the name of theinterviewer/hiring manger is not provided. Don’t despair though because there are still ways to figure it out. We live in a Google and online world. You can literally find just about anyone or anything. With that being said, do a Google search of the company name along with key words such as the title (or presumed title) of the manager, or "jobs," "employment," "human resources" to see if a similar posting has been archived from the past with the contact name listed. You can also try searching LinkedIn and Facebook using the same type of clues. LinkedIn in particular is about the easiest method for finding someone – I do it all the time. IF those don’t work, pick up the phone and make a call to the main line of the company. Ask for the name of the hiring manager. Be conspicuous, and not too obvious so as to not blow your cover. Finally, there are an increasing number of search engines popping up such as Pipl, Wink, Zoominfo and Zabasearch. These sites are touted for being able to search deeper into the web than an engine like Google.

The moral of the story is that if you show up to an interview with no knowledge about the company, what they do, or even the name, you cannot expect to have success. Take 15-20 minutes beforehand, and do your research. This small investment of time could end up paying dividends.

Interview Blunder #6 – Turn Your Cell Phone Off!

Cell phones have been around now for well over a decade, so this blunder should go without saying. But believe it or not, it still is a problem from time to time during an interview. This is the easiest interview blunder to rectify; turn off your phone…..completely. Setting it to vibrate does not solve it; it can still be heard. Turn off your phone well before you enter the interview, and there will be no problem.

The message a cell phone ringing in an interview send to the interviewer is that you think your personal life is more important than the interview, that you don’t care about the interviewer’s time, and that you don’t take the interview seriously. This has never happened to me personally, but I did hear through a colleague in the industry a story of an interviewee who’s cell phone rang during the interview, and the candidate actually had the audacity to ask the interviewer if she could leave the room to take the call! I’m still blown away by this account.

If you do forget to turn off your cell phone, and it does ring during an interview, silence it immediately! Apologize to the interviewer, let him/her know you thought you had turned it off, and then take this opportunity to let him/her know you are now turning it off. If you don’t shut it down completely, you risk another call, text message or voicemail notification. A first strike may be forgivable; a second will not. Don’t blow an interview for a silly reason like this.

Are Reference Checks Eliminating You From Consideration In Positions You Interviewed For?

In a survey conducted by OfficeTeam (full survey here), it is noted that just over one in five candidates (21%) are eliminated from consideration after speaking to their professional contacts. More than a third of those surveyed (36%) said they were most interested in obtaining input on an applicant’s past job duties and experience. Second to this was learning about the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses (31%).

Managers were posed the question, "When speaking to an applicant's job references, what is the most important information you hope to receive?" A full breakdown of their responses are as follows:

Description of past job duties and experience	36%
A view into the applicant's strengths and weaknesses	31%
Confirmation of job title and dates of employment	11%
Description of workplace accomplishments	8%
A sense of the applicant's preferred work culture	7%
Other/don't know	7%
	100%

I can tell you from experience that when a handful of candidates are still in the running for a position, and all credentials and experience are fairly equal, reference checks often end up being the difference in the final decision. A bad reference can be damaging, so be wise who you choose to be reference prior to them being checked. I would rather talk to a reference who has hands-on knowledge of the candidates unique qualities, achievements and experience versus speaking to someone who holds a big title. Also, it’s not a bad idea to supply more references than required, and definitely make sure to get permission from the people you list. It reflects poorly when a reference is called and is taken completely by surprise.

I know people in HR departments at companies who have no qualms with calming any and all former managers, colleagues or personnel from the applicant company’s former HR department they can find. The reason of course is that most of the time a more candid picture will be painted by those who can serve as references but are not directly provided by the candidate. I have used this method to discover big discrepancies in the length of work service stated (by as much as 18 months), and in one case found out the candidate had never worked for a listed company at all! After one interview with a prospective candidate, there were enough red flags raised in the responses given that I was highly suspicious. That skepticism was confirmed when I contacted the Ivy League school the individual had supposedly graduated from and it was confirmed no one with that name had graduated, let alone attended school there.

But don’t be completely frightened by all of this because there are still a good share of companies and employers out there who do not take time to check a single reference. I don’t agree with it or advocate it, but it happens. In a couple of my previous jobs before being a recruiter, I worked for organizations that didn’t call a single reference. Be ready with solid references, but don’t be totally surprised if they aren’t ever checked.

As a last note, I addressed the issues of what prospective employers ask about in reference checks, and how to deal with bad references from previous employers. Both of these discussions can be found here.

Job Search Tip: Make Your Goals Realistic

It can be very taxing on job seekers as they embark on a job search. Often, and unfortunately, the necessity of such a search is brought on as a result of a layoff or reduction in force. This of course can cause emotions of low self worth or esteem which you hope to avoid because a big part of a successful job search is maintaining a positive attitude. Don’t compound the issue further by setting goals that are completely out of reach.

Successful goals should be measurable, attainable and specific. They should also be realistic, and not completely out of reach. Is it implausible to send out 150 resumes in one week? No. However, it’s a goal that may not be as productive as utilizing a mix of networking endeavors in combination with applying online for only those jobs that you are a good fit for. If you are sending out 150 resumes just to meet your number objective, you may not see the results you hoped for. Focus on quality, not quantity. This is where you will see better outcomes.

Keep in mind that goals are set to achieve an intended outcome; in this case a new job. Take it one step at a time, and actively and persistently work toward attaining it. Most of all, be realistic. It is wonderful to have high ambitions, but make sure they are attainable. Otherwise you will end up defeating the entire purpose – to get that new job that awaits you.

Are You Using Twellow As Part Of Your Job Search?

Although LinkedIn is still king, Twitter is up and coming among recruiters and hiring managers. Twitter should also be a medium you use as part of your job search. There are many great tools available on Twitter to enhance your job search, including searching for posted positions (http://www.twitjobsearch.com/ or searching #jobs) or networking by connecting with employees at a target company, Another great Twitter tool is Twellow, a vehicle that allows you to search Twitter profiles.

There are eight main categories to search, with subcategories in each. The categories include Recreation & Sports, Entertainment, Society & Culture, News & Media, Health, Computers & Technology, Government and Education. There are around 20 or more subcategories under each listing. You can search for a company that you want to work for, or can search people’s bios and URLs associated with their bios. There are numerous career advice experts that can be found by using the directory, and searching Employment > Career > Job Search. You may want to even find a group from an industry you are interested in breaking into, and ask people in that industry what they like about the industry, or how they broke in. Be creative, and the possibilities are endless.

Interview Blunder #5 – The Wrong Body Language

Body language often provides more insight about a person than anything articulated verbally. You can say anything you want; if your non-verbal cues don’t match, it won’t be believable. A couple of years ago I interviewed a candidate who claimed to be at a senior management level within the organization she worked for. This actually piqued my interest, because this particular organization was the subject of a reality show, and her department was featured quite often. I found it strange however that when I started asking more specific questions about people that would be her colleagues (based directly from the reality show), she began fidgeting with the cap on her bottled water. The further I probed, the worse it became. Soon she was sitting on the edge of her chair, and she would not make direct eye contact. It was obvious by now that she did not work in the department, or in the position that she claimed.

There were three body language cues she displayed, and each had an associated meaning. The fidgeting is linked to anxiety and unease; sitting on the edge of her chair is indicative of being physically or mentally uncomfortable; avoiding eye contact is connected to evasion and discomfort. Each signaled that what she had stated was not matching up with the truth, as a big portion of messages are communicated through body language.

It’s normal to be nervous, have anxiety and feel butterflies in your stomach before and even during an interview. Interviewing is something in and of itself that the majority of people out there do not enjoy. But just be careful not to let this anxiety get the best of you to the point where you are sending off non-verbal messages that will hurt you in the interview. Over time I observed different behaviors and body language cues, and would research the meaning of each new one I encountered so that I would be more in tune with what these cues meant. The following (including the three I mentioned already) are some that readily come to mind that you should be aware of as well:

Fidgeting = anxiety and unease

Sitting on the edge of your chair = physically or mentally uncomfortable

Avoiding eye contact = evasion or discomfort

Foot and Finger Tapping = stress, impatience or boredom

Slouching shoulders = lack of self confidence

Crossing arms = resistance or overconfidence

Looking at your watch = boredom

Biting your fingernails = anxiety, nervousness or boredom

Holding something in front of you = shyness or putting up a barrier

Shifting body weight = unease or discomfort

The fake smile = deception or lying

Now you can probably see quite easily how doing the opposite of some of these would convey a positive signal. For example, sitting upright with your shoulders straight shows confidence, and sitting comfortably in your chair shows you are at ease. It’s important to smile, but be genuine or it can appear to convey a meaning of deceit or dishonesty. With an understanding of what your body language is conveying, and a little training to correct the flaws, you will send a much more positive message to the interviewer. Something this important could be the difference between getting the offer or not.

Interview Blunder #4 - Bringing Up Pay & Benefits Before The Interviewer

I remember interviewing a candidate once who made a grand entrance into the room, sat down in the chair, and without being prompted let me know that he was not going to accept employment outside a specific range. He then proceeded to ask what this particular position was intending to pay. In hindsight I wish I had ended the interview right then and there. As we proceeded through the interview, my assessment of this particular candidate was not very good. By the time it was over, it was even worse. Although there were answers to questions suggesting a heightened sense of importance, the initial question from him about pay set the tone in a negative direction. It never recovered.

The best rule to follow for the issue of pay: let the employer bring up compensation. In an interview setting, this will work wonders. In order to negotiate the best possible salary for yourself, let your skills, background and qualities do the talking; if you do so, your chances for a higher offer increase significantly. There is a psyche, as in the case I just mentioned, about the perception of actually being interested in the job versus only being interested in what it pays.

Once the pay issue if brought up, be prepared to answer it competently. Prior to your interview, do your homework to see if you can figure out what the potential salary range will be. For your part, state a salary range instead of a specific amount. Make sure your range is realistic; you probably don’t want a range of $30,000, so staying within $5,000 to $10,000 of your target is much more reasonable. If you are not within the range they want to pay, either high or low, it’s probably not worth the time to apply.

I have seen companies that ask for salary requirements and then state a range of compensation based on experience. The ranges can fluctuate substantially, for example $70,000 to $100,000 depending on skills and background. The reason they do this is because they have not completely decided what exactly they want the position to entail. By evaluating a pool of applicants, they may be able to hone in on candidates that possess qualities they feel would best fit the company. Sometimes that means they figure out candidates in the $70,000 to $75,000 range will suffice; other times the $90,000 to $100,000 applicants appear to be the best fit. Don’t automatically assume that you fall at the top end of the range. More often than not I see the applicants who believe they are at the high end are in reality the ones who are actually at the lower end. They eliminate themselves quickly.

The bottom line for you as a job seeker is to do your homework, figure out where your salary range fits, and let the interviewer address salary and benefits first. Otherwise, you may also find yourself eliminated fairly quickly.

LinkedIn Tip: Make Sure Your Profile Is 100% Complete For Highest Optimization

Did you know that LinkedIn users with complete profiles are up to 40% more likely to garner opportunities, including new jobs, than user profiles that are incomplete? Perhaps the biggest mistake made unknowingly by a number of LinkedIn job seekers is that they do not have complete profiles. You are shooting yourself in the foot, and your ability to found with an incomplete profile.

Earlier this year, LinkedIn made some alterations to the way completeness of profiles is determined. The new parameters constituting a 100% complete profile are:

• Current position, including a description
• Industry and location
• Profile photo
• 2 most recent positions
• Education
• Minimum of 3 skills
• Minimum of 50 connections

One eliminated requirement that stands out to me was the need for three recommendations. The new parameters require no recommendations. Although it is no longer mandatory, there are a variety of reasons why at least a handful of recommendations make sense.

How To List Your Title on LinkedIn When You're Unemployed

It is never easy when you are laid off or lose your job. It doesn’t get any easier when you start the daunting task of a job search. I’ve said it a dozen times, and I’m sure you have heard it a hundred more from others, but utilizing LinkedIn as part of your search is highly recommended. A question came up the other day from a job seeker in regards to the title one should use on a LinkedIn profile when unemployed? 

LinkedIn actually suggests that you should say “open to new opportunities” if you are unemployed and searching. There are several similar titles that you can use such as “available for a new opportunity,” or “currently exploring new opportunities.” Compare these title versus titles such as “I need a job!,” Hire me,” or “available for employment immediately.” These are all actual titles I have seen, and in contrast convey a different connotation to recruiters and hiring managers. You want to emphasize you are open and available, but not desperate. Desperation is not an attractive quality.

In addition to your new title, make sure to update your status at least every few days so that your network knows you are looking. Again, don’t sound desperate (“able and willing to do anything”). Use the same type of updates as your title, with just a little more specificity. “Open to new opportunities in finance,” or “currently exploring opportunities in the field of marketing” are much better ways of stating it. One last way I have seen many people attack the title issue is by stating they are open for freelance positions. Generating some cash and supplementing your income while you are unemployed is always nice.

Keep in mind that in order to be visible on LinkedIn, you have to be active on LinkedIn. Here are 10 steps increasing your visibility and success on LinkedIn.

Lastly, don’t get caught up on dwelling about being unemployed to the point that you become a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, don’t assume that because you are not currently employed that nobody will want to hire you. Instead focus on the skills and experience you bring to the table, and you will attract the right recruiters and hiring managers. The key is to start early, be persistent, and remain positive through the ups and downs. Remember: countless others have successfully secured new employment opportunities while unemployed, so there is no reason you cannot either.

Interview Blunder #3 - Trashing A Former Boss Or Company

A big red flag for recruiters as well as hiring managers is when job seekers trash a former boss or company in an interview. We are looking for evidence of what you bring to the table as a candidate. When the conversation turns to badmouthing your boss or former company, it makes recruiters and hiring managers think twice about bringing the same negativity into their companies or clients’ companies.

Most of us do check social media sites (and those who don’t should be), so all of the negative posts you made about your former employer are out in the open. It won’t matter if you don’t badmouth your employer during an interview; you already did in a public forum.

If you really need to get it off your chest, write a letter to your former boss or employer to vent, just don’t actually send it! It is a way to express your feelings without actually damaging your future job prospects and reputation. When it comes to a question pertaining to why you left a previous position, it’s best to put a positive spin on it. Start by accentuating the skills and experience you gained, and leave a complimentary impression. There is always SOMETHING you can think of to say that is nice, even if you feel bitter or enraged. Take the higher road; trust me when I say that those interviewees who mistake an interview as an opportunity to vent about previous employment end up being on their own job searches a little longer.

The Recruiter SCAM Using Your Resume To Apply To Online Ads

A caution both job seekers and companies should be aware of is the scam some recruiters try to pull to make a quick buck. In a previous post (found here), I address a similar ruse in greater detail. However I will share an excerpt from that post along with further details here to explain how this particular scheme works:

A recruiter advertises a job, or by some method entices you as a job seeker to submit your resume. The recruiter then sifts through the received resumes, and chooses what he/she deems to be the “cream of the crop.” He/she then substitutes your personal contact information with his/her own on your resume, unbeknownst to you, in an attempt to represent you by applying to jobs online. The reason is simple: he/she is now in a position to attempt to make a commission off of you. All the while, you have no idea. More often than not, these tricks backfire, and end up doing damage to you as a job seeker. Your resume may end up banned by the company, and thus any possibility of a job prospect in the future. You also have no idea what the recruiter is saying about you, or how you may be misrepresented.

Companies end up in a sticky situation because they believe they are receiving an application directly from a top candidate, until they find out there is a price tag associated with it. If the company cannot pay a placement fee, or does not want to, it ends up hurting both parties; you as the job seeker do not receive a job offer, and the company loses out on a great talent. All because some recruiter acted shady in a lousy attempt to make money.

It is more common now to see this from companies, but if your company is advertising position and is not, here is what I would recommend. Simply include a disclaimer at the end of any job advertisement that explicitly states something to this effect:

“XYZ Company does not accept resumes from headhunters, placement agencies or other suppliers that have not signed a formal agreement with us. Any resume received from an unapproved supplier or source will be considered unsolicited, and XYZ Company will not be obligated to pay a referral or placement fee.”

One last warning that is worth mentioning is this: If you as a job seeker come across an ad description online that is vague, or refuses to name itself, it is probably a good idea to steer clear. These are the exact type of ads predators use to obtain your information. Don’t let desperation come in the way of being savvy about your job search, especially when there are people out there ready to take advantage.

Interview Blunder #2 - Blow Away The Interviewer Away, But Not Literally With Smells or Odors

While it’s true that you as an interviewee hope to blow the interviewer away, make sure it is as a result of your impressive credentials and background and not literally from smells or odors. It’s downright difficult to be stuck in a small room or confined space with an interviewee who smells like he/she has taken a bath in cologne/perfume. On the other end of the spectrum, emitting an aroma akin to not having bathed for a week is terribly unpleasant too. A big part of your interview is the overall professional presentation, and the way you smell can be a huge negative.

I have had both types happen, but one that stands out particularly to me (I still have leftover smells etched in my nose) was one particular job applicant who possessed both; he attempted to cover up the body odor with a dousing of cologne. The interview lasted five minutes; I couldn’t take much more. If I can’t last five minutes, how would potential co-workers last an entire day with the same smell? It’s a legitimate question, especially when it comes to the impression it leaves at an interview.

This is a simple tip, but just make sure that you don’t overdo the cologne or perfume, and keep your hygienic state at an acceptable level. It’s possible that the shirt you choose to wear has been worn one too many times, so make sure to wash it before that lingering odor becomes a problem. I will also add that it is great to have fresh breath; just not too the point where it seems like you have downed a gallon of Listerine. As with most things, moderation is the key. Blow the interviewer away with a solid interview, not with smells and odors that can disqualify you.

The One Reason You Shouldn’t Worry About Applicant Tracking Systems:

Before I start, notice I mentioned “one reason” you shouldn’t worry about Applicant Tracking Systems, not that you shouldn’t worry about them at all. On the contrary, I absolutely believe any active job seeker should understand how they work in order to be properly utilized by them (learn more about how Applicant Tracking Systems work here).

So without further ado, the reason is: you should be spending over 80% of your time networking. In fact, if you actually utilize your time in such a manner that you are devoting the bulk of your time to networking, the need to apply online, and thus combat Applicant Tracking Systems, diminishes significantly. Some of the best networking methods include:

-        Getting away from the computer screen, and meet a colleague or associate for lunch or coffee

-        Joining a professional association and attending meetings

-        Conducting informational interviews with professionals in your industry

-        Connecting with fellow alumni

-        Volunteering

-        Networking online on social media sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter

It doesn’t matter what type of networking you do as long as you are doing something. Just make sure the purpose of what you are doing is working toward that next position, and have some fun in the process. Save the more mundane tasks, like worrying about what key words to use in your resume in order to get past Applicant Tracking Systems, for the times specifically designated to searching for jobs online. If you play your cards right, and network yourself inside a target company, you won’t have to worry about Applicant Tracking Systems at all.

Interview Tip: Stress Your Achievements

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of books that have been written on the subject of mastering interviews. A simple stroll through your local Barnes & Noble or search on Amazon.com will uncover a glut of material devoted to the subject. While some of the content can be useful, subject matter that is devoted to teaching the reader how to manipulate the interview with nonsense the writers think we want to hear is useless. In my opinion, there is no such thing as “buzzwords” or “phrases” that will impress the interviewer so much that the interviewee will get the job. You can answer interview questions exactly how you think we want to hear them, but if the answers are not genuine, then it’s actually going to do you more harm than good. It is very easy to see through thinly veiled answers that are nothing more than pre-canned or pre-packaged gibberish.

The whole point of an interview is to get to know you as the candidate; what’s your professional background, what qualifications do you bring to the position, how would your personality fit with the company culture, etc. Above all, we want to know what professional achievements/accomplishments you bring to the table. This is what sells you, not the pre-rehearsed answers for 200 questions. The simplest way to prepare for a job interview is to think about your four or five greatest professional achievements, and have them fresh in your mind prior to the interview. You will be amazed at how you can intertwine your accolades into the responses that you provide for just about any question being posed. It’s simple, and it’s effective.

I have hundreds of examples I could share, but let me quickly relay the story of one job seeker in particular where stressing his achievements in an interview was the key to him successfully landing the position. This particular applicant had been laid off as a sales rep in the pharmaceutical industry, and being one of the most competitive industries out there at the time (and right now), it was difficult to find that next job. He had some success in securing interviews, but not in beating out the competition. As we talked about the specifics of his previous interviews, I picked up one commonality – he was not doing enough to stress his achievements with real-life examples. He had an excellent track record of exceeding quota, being recognized as a top producer, and had been bestowed many awards and accolades. The problem was, he was not conveying any of it in interviews. The day before the next big interview, we spent a few minutes talking about his accomplishments, and how to express those in the interview. His interview was at the tail end of over 400 candidates. Yes, 400. The first question he was asked was what 3 words best described him (which is a question I am not a fan of, but that’s neither here nor there). Instead of spitting out the words that were sure to impress (as conveyed by many books), he came up with words that were genuine to him, and backed each with a quick example of a professional achievement. That was the only question he was asked that day – he was the only person out of over 400 that had answered it that way. He was offered the position on the spot, and the rest is history.

If you are not doing so already, I would highly recommend to incorporate your achievements in your own interview arsenal. It may just be the thing that is holding you back from landing that coveted position.

Interview Blunder #1: Burning Your Bridges Long Before You Interview

Very early on in my recruiting days I had the opportunity to work on a job search for a company I had made a significant inroad with. As with any search, I worked the candidate pipeline and identified a handful of outstanding candidates for the position. After narrowing down my pool to the top three, I presented them to the client – well the company was a client, but the hiring manager I was presenting to was somebody I had not worked with before. I would soon find out this hiring manager was someone I would not want to work with in the future.

She was very arrogant, had a complete lack of respect for others, and overall ruled over her subordinates like a dictator. I didn’t know this at the time, and found out details as I came across her former employees in subsequent months, but she treated each of them so poorly that one described her actions as “not a way he would talk to a dog.” There was constant belittling, name calling and demeaning that was occurring. Not surprisingly, she also had a high turnover rate on her team – thus the need for yet another placement to fill the spot of the most recently departed.  After submitting my candidates and being given the run around for over a month, with a plethora of unreturned calls and emails, she finally became so desperate to fill a position left vacant (by this employee that she had belittled to the point of fleeing) that she finally called me back and requested I send my candidates to interview ASAP. By the next day, I had my top three lined up, scheduled and ready to go. My first candidate showed up at the designated time, and proceeded to wait in the lobby for 45 minutes – with no sign of hiring manager. It turned out she decided to take a long lunch, and with no regard for the for anyone’s time but her own, made my candidate wait. She finally arrived at the office, called the front desk to have my candidate summoned in to interview, then discovered she had left the keys to her desk at home. This is relevant because it is in her desk (under lock and key) that she kept the carefully laid out, handwritten test she used to administer to all interviewees. So, she did what any reasonable person would do in the situation, and made my candidate wait an additional 30 minutes while she drove home to get the key. My candidate got tired of waiting (understandably so), and left.

Having caught a glimpse of this dictator’s iron fist, and out of respect for my other two candidates, I cancelled the following two interviews with her and withdrew my name as a recruiter on the position. It certainly did not reflect well on that company, or on me for sending him there, and I did not want to jeopardize future placements because of her. It was also a lesson to me as I finally admitted the hassle she created was not worth my time, or ruining the relationships I had with my best candidates. After this debacle I never heard back from this hiring manager anyway – that is until one desperate day a number of months down the road.

I should preface the next part of the story by stating the fact that by this time I was much more established as a recruiter, and making a name for myself. In other words, I wasn’t chasing anything and everything to get business. I pursued only those searches that were a win-win for both sides. The reason I heard back from her: shockingly she had been fired by that company, and needed a new job. Needless to say, the roles had reversed. I’m not completely sure why, but I was one of the first recruiters she called for assistance. She called once. Then called again. And then called a few more times. After giving her the run around for a little while, and making sure she got a small taste of how she had treated her own employees and my candidate, I reached out after a month to let her know that I had no interest in working with her because of her past track record. Suffice it to say, I was not alone. Not a single recruiter would touch her, and she had built such a negative name for herself within her industry (her former employees all landed with competitor’s after being demeaned by her), she had no job prospects. Nothing.

The point of this anecdote is to illustrate the importance of building a positive reputation, and not burning bridges with anyone. This hiring manager was in a power position (literally), but once that was taken away, she needed the help of others. The problem of course was that she had burned bridges with so many former employees, colleagues, recruiters and with everyone in the industry in general that she had nowhere to turn once she needed a new job. Ideally job seekers should be building their networks long before layoffs so that job prospects will already be in place. In this instance, she could not even get to the interview stage because she had imploded her entire network. Moral of the story: don’t burn bridges with anyone, because you never know when in the future those bridges will be needed.

A Successful Job Search Is An Organized Job Search

When it comes to a job search, organizing your time equals money. An extended job search will cost you, so planning and prioritizing each hour of each day in conjunction with a well-created strategy for your search makes all the difference. I have come up with a few recommendations that draw from personal experiences shared with me by job seekers who organized every facet of their job searches, and subsequently had tremendous success doing so.

1. Define a space where you will establish your “headquarters,” but not where you will spend all of your time conducting your search. Sitting behind a computer screen all day and applying to any and all jobs you can find posted is not a productive use of your time, nor is it in line with the strategy successful job seekers are using to secure positions today. Contrary to what others may say, get out of that chair and out of that house and network! Meet a colleague for lunch or coffee, join professional associations and attend meetings, and conduct informational interviews with professionals in your industry. Connect with fellow alumni, and find a great place to volunteer. In today’s competitive job market, you cannot assume that the calls will be streaming in by simply posting your resume online. In fact, in my opinion posting your resume online is one of the worst things you can do. You need to be proactive, and connect with people as much as possible. Aside from briefly scanning new jobs posted online (use Indeed.com), the bulk of your designated online time is best spent on networking sites such as LinkedIn.

2. Once you have a defined strategy and headquarters, make sure you organize and keep track of all interactions so that you are as productive as possible. Whether that be by using a calendar, holding physical business cards, or utilizing an electronic system for organizing your contacts and job leads, the important thing is that you find the method that works for you and implement it. Some people do well with handwritten lists while others use spreadsheets. Still others use color-coded files. How you choose to do so is far less important than actually carrying it out.

3. Set aside defined times. Treat your job search as you would a full-time job. If you want to break it up in periods throughout the day, that’s fine. If you want to work a straight 8 hours, that is fine too. The importance of defining set times is so that you avoid wasting it on things that will not get you to that job any quicker.

4. Set weekly and attainable goals, and measure your success. The method you choose to document and track your goals is of no consequence, as long as you do it. It really is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer recording their goals in an Excel spreadsheet, while others favor a personal planner. You could track them in your iPhone, or in a spiral notebook. The most important thing is to keep them all in one place. The next step is to choose a day and time to list your weekly goals, and to evaluate the attainment of goals from the previous week. This is imperative because only by analyzing your prior activity will you be able to make modifications or alterations to your plan. I have found it works best to keep that day and time consistent each week so that it becomes a habit. Lastly, make your goals realistic. Goals that are set too high will inevitably produce feelings of failure, and keeping a positive attitude is vital to a successful job search. And don’t forget, it is okay to reward yourself once attaining your goals. Having something to look forward to is a big component of staying motivated.

The Professor Who Insisted on a One-Page, Typed Resume On Strathmore Paper….In 2010

 

A while back I had a recent college graduate relate a story to me about a professor he had while taking a writing class. It came time for the assignment of writing a resume, and the professor was insistent that the length of each student’s resume be no longer than one page, and absolutely no longer. Anyone who exceeded this length would fail the assignment. He went on further to state in no uncertain terms that the typing was to be nicely centered on Strathmore pure cotton watermark paper, and the watermark was to be face-up and readable in accordance with the print of the resume. Doing otherwise would also be grounds for receiving a zero on the assignment.

Using watermark paper and a typewriter was the norm in 1980, but this candidate wasn’t even born yet in 1980, and the incident took place in 2010. Obviously this professor had not kept up very well with changes in technology, or in hiring processes as a whole. Now while I have no way of actually verifying the facts of the story, the points illustrated are valid. From time to time I still hear from candidates that they kept their resumes to one page because someone told them that was the way it should be. 9 times out of 10 that someone is not in a position to be in the know. The simple truth is that times have changed. Professionals are changing careers or industries more often, and the competition among job applicants is heightened. Limiting yourself to a one-page resume based on the norm decades ago is just plain stupid.

The most important elements that constitute an effective resume are in displaying your relevant skills, personality and background……period. If you have conveyed everything that you need to, and it ends up at a single page, so be it. There is no reason to add unrelated filler just to make it two pages. But if you are leaving off important information merely to adhere to an arbitrary rule someone told you 20 years ago, you are doing yourself a disservice. The best of the best among the applicants in your job pool will have done a wonderful job on paper of demonstrating the significant skills and background to correlate directly with the position. I can tell you from experience that 98% of these resumes also exceed one page.

It is true that in certain industries such as IT and engineering, resumes can run as long as five or six pages. But keep in mind the reason is because often there are a plethora of projects to show as well, and there is a valid reason to do so. There are also a handful of industries, including creative fields where a one-page resume is still the standard. But across the board the norm today is two to three pages; optimally I would try to keep it to two, but for higher-level professionals it often goes to three. The reality is if I or anyone else in a hiring position were to eliminate resumes that exceeded one page, then we would be left with a very minute applicant pool. Ask yourself this question: do you really think that any HR professional is going to rule out top talent simply because their resumes are longer than a page when the goal is to find and attract the top talent?

What Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs and some Job Seekers have in Common

 

While I was a graduate school student at Notre Dame, I took advantage of numerous opportunities on weekends to make the 90-minute drive with friends from South Bend to Chicago to watch the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. Admittedly I have never been a Cubs fan, but watching a game at Wrigley Field is a unique experience, and unlike being at a baseball game at any other stadium.

Built in 1914, Wrigley Field is known for its ivy covered brick outfield wall, hand turned scoreboard, and unusual wind patterns blowing in off of Lake Michigan. The most recognizable image is the iconic art deco style red marquee adorning the stadium wall directly over the main entrance with the famous expression, "Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs.” It is the second oldest major league stadium still in operation next to Fenway Park, and has the distinction as the last major league park to have lights installed for play after dark (lights were installed on 8/8/88). Prior to games you can find dozens of fans standing outside the park on Waveland Avenue waiting for batting practice home runs to be hit over the wall, and if you stay until the 7^th inning stretch you will be treated to the traditional singing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" started by Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray in 1982. To say that Wrigley Field is rich with tradition and history is still an understatement.

I have watched games inside Wrigley Field from numerous vantage points around the stadium; the bleachers, 1^st base and 3^rd base lines, upper deck, and even a few rows directly behind home plate. What I started to find interesting was that no matter where I sat, there seemed to be a prevailing theme among a number of Cubs fans; they expected the worse. The Cubs could be up 7 runs going into the top of the 9^th inning, and there was always at least a faction of fans who expected that somehow, someway, the Cubs would manage to find a way to lose. This mindset was completely new to me, as I had never experienced anything quite like it. Why did so many fans have this attitude of pessimism, and where did it come from?

A quick look at the history of the Cubs provides a glimpse of where a lot of this gloomy outlook stems. The Cubs are known as the “lovable losers,” a title that is due in part to having not won a World Series since 1908. In fact, the Cubs have not even been to a World Series since 1945. It was in game 4 of that series that the Curse of the Billy Goat was laid upon the Cubs when P.K. Wrigley, the Cubs owner, ejected Billy Sianis, a fan who had come to the game with two box seat tickets; one was for him and the other was for his goat. Upon his ejection, a livid Mr. Sianis uttered, "the Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more." The Cubs went on to lose game 4, and the World Series in seven games. From that point forward, the Cubs experienced a down slide, often finishing with a losing record and nowhere near contention for a pennant. That was until 1969 when the Cubs got off to a hot start and looked destined to have a legitimate shot at the postseason. Well, it was that way until on September 9^th in a game against the Mets at Shea Stadium. A fan released a black cat onto the field, and the Cubs sputtered down the stretch. To this day many fans still attribute this incident as the cause of the subsequent collapse, an as further reinforcement of the validity of the “curse.”

It was not until 1984 that Cubs made the postseason again, this time against the San Diego Padres. The Cubs stormed out to a 2-0 lead in the best of five series only to see the Padres win three straight and represent the National League in the World Series. The painful part for Cubs fans was that the Cubs led 3–0 in the sixth inning only to watch the game, and series, blown on a critical error by first baseman Leon Durham. It would be nearly 20 years until the Cubs posed a serious threat as a World Series contender.

In 2003, the stars seemed to finally be aligning for the Cubs. After winning the divisional post-season series against the Atlanta Braves, the Cubs found themselves matched against the Florida Marlins with a trip to the World Series on the line. The Cubs took a 3-1 series lead before dropping game 5. But the Cubs had aces Mark Prior and Kerry Wood slated to start games 6 and 7 (if necessary), both at Wrigley. The scene on that chilly October night was electric. An estimated 200,000 packed the streets outside Wrigley Field, and thousands more packed into local bars around the park, in anticipation of witnessing a Cubs World Series berth. And it looked good, as the Cubs took a 3 run lead into the 8^th inning, with just five outs separating them and their first trip to the World Series since 1945. And then it happened. With one out, a fan by the name of Steve Bartman attempted to catch a foul ball hit by the Marlins that Cub left fielder Moisés Alou was also attempting to catch to record the second out. Bartman knocked down the ball, Alou was infuriated (as were most Cub fans in attendance), and the inning continued. After a walk, an uncharacteristic a booted ground ball by Shortstop Alex S. Gonzalez occurred that if played cleanly, could have ended the inning with a double play. It didn’t though, and the floodgates opened. The Marlins ended up scoring eight runs in the inning, and went on to win the game. I was in the MBA student lounge at Notre Dame watching the events as they unfolded along with a group of some 20 or so students. And once again, the pessimism immediately set in with Cubs fans among us once the Bartman incident took place. And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, the Cubs unraveled. It was one of the most unbelievable meltdowns I had ever witnessed, and the Cub fans almost seemed to spur it along. The Cubs still had game 7, but after taking an early lead in a back and forth game, the Marlins prevailed and went on to win the World Series against the New York Yankees (making it even more painful for Cub fans who watched their team disintegrate against the eventual champion, a team they should have beat). I hadn’t put much stock into the “curse” prior to October 14, 2003, but after witnessing everything that transpired that night I became a believer.

I can’t help but draw a connection between the attitude of Cubs fans expecting to lose, and the prevailing result. In my opinion, this pessimism doesn’t just have a little to do with the results; it has EVERYTHING to do with it. If you expect to lose, you are going to lose. A defeatist attitude cannot generate success. This same defeatist attitude is one that I see sometimes among job seekers. And without fail, those who expect they won’t get the job don’t. Those who convince themselves they won’t have a chance against the other interviewees not coincidentally end up not having a chance. Just as some Cub fans, the more negatively job seekers think about their job searches, the more they fail.

My advice in one word: STOP!

Talking from experience, I can tell when interviewees are defeated. Most of the time it is worn right on their sleeves. If you walk into an interview with little to no confidence, or expecting to not get the position, guess what – you aren’t going to get the job. If you find yourself in this same predicament, take steps to remedy the situation. I won’t pretend that I have a solution that is a “cure all” for everyone; every person responds differently to situations. What I can suggest however are some ideas from another post that have worked for others: Join a job search support group;focus on smaller steps; seek out social activities; seek out inspiration;volunteer.

Let me share an experience I wrote about previously, but that is highly applicable in this discussion (post here). I have a close colleague who I met for lunch one Friday afternoon. He had been laid off from a position as a Financial Reporting Manager for a Fortune 1000 company three months prior, and after a long and tumultuous effort to find a new job without success had all but thrown in the towel. It was apparent in his attitude that the negative effects of being unemployed and not having had any success in his job search had taken it’s toll. Instead of being confident in interviews, he approached them with self-defeat. How could he ever expect to land a job when he didn’t believe in himself?

His problem was not that he lacked credentials, accolades or experience. His problem was that he was wallowing in self-pity and self-defeat. It was as plain and easy for the interviewers to see as the words on his resume. I tried my best to give him a motivational talk, and suggested he go to the nearest bookstore and buy a copy of “The Power of Positive Thinking.” It could have been any of a number of books, and by no means am I promoting that exclusively (although I have seen many people thrive after reading it and acting upon its precepts). I knew though he needed something that would inject a dose of positivism into his outlook. If he was going to change his dismal outlook on his job prospects, he needed to first change his attitude, and leave the self-defeat behind.

On a Friday morning exactly 2 weeks later, I received a string of texts from him on my way in to the office. That very week he had been offered 3 jobs, and was on his way to accept one of them at that moment. He told me he let go of every negative thing that had been holding him back, tried to be positive, and it was as if suddenly a magnetic force was attracting hiring managers and recruiters to him.

Magnets work because they have a magnetic field. The end that points in the North is called the North Pole of the magnet, and the end that points South is called the South Pole of the magnet. Like magnetic poles repel each other, whereas unlike poles attract each other. If you are mired in self-defeat, you’re repelling people in a position to give you a job. If your magnet is steered in a positive direction, you will likewise see incredible results. It may not happen overnight, or in a week, or even in a month. But if you stay the course, it will happen, and you will be sharing your success story with others to inspire them. And it could happen for the Cubs too, but the defeatist attitude among some fans will have to change.

*(unfortunately at the time of posting this article, the Cubs have started the 2012 campaign off at 4-12; dead last in terms of record thus far in the National League, and only the Royals at 3-12 have a worse record in all of baseball…….looks like we’ll have to wait until 2013 to break the dreaded curse)