The 10 + 20 Second Pitch

I recently spoke with a student who had his 30 second pitch down to an art.  Yet when he was at a job fair and started to introduce himself, he was stopped by the recruiter who suggested he find out a bit about the company and the openings before he fully introduce himself. The student walked away with the feeling that he should have had a 10 second 'my name is', followed by a brief conversation with the recruiter and then a 20 second 'here's how I match your company and/or openings'.

Sounds like a good learning experience and sage advice to pass along. 

This may not be the approach for an networking or job interview where you are more likely to give a longer answer to the 'tell me something about yourself' request, but it sure makes sense when you are in the fast-paced environment of a job fair.
 

Networking During the Holidays

Networking is one of the most powerful tools you have to find your next job or internship.  It’s connecting with people to get advice and guidance, to be remembered and to be referred.  Most of the year this happens by intent and through careful planning and outreach.   During the holidays it often happens by surprise.   The holidays provide wonderful opportunities to connect with people in a social setting, making connections when you least expect to.  My network connection into my current position at Pace was someone I’d never met nor even heard of before I walked into a neighborhood New Year’s Day party in 2009.

Why are the holidays a great time to network?

·       People are in the holiday spirit.

·       You get to mingle with more people and often people who are not in your regular circle of friends and acquaintances.

·       Budgets are generally approved in December, so making connections during the holidays puts you in prime position to do some serious follow-up networking in January.

·       AND did I mention that people are in the holiday spirit!

Some things to remember about networking during the holidays…

·       Informal networking happens as soon as you begin a conversation with someone you

haven’t met before.

·       Networking during the holidays is schmoozing, making chit-chat, a much more informal experience than a network meeting in someone’s office.

·       Keep the conversation light and casual – ask how he or she knows the host or what they’re doing for the holidays. 

·       Don’t start with, ”so what do you do?”  Work that question into the conversation after you’ve established some rapport.

·       IF you meet someone you want to officially network with, ask if they’d be willing to meet with you in the next week or two to give you some guidance and advice, get a card or contact information and go back to being social.

·       Be open to being surprised.  You never know who you’ll meet at one of these gatherings. 

Another holiday MUST – the holiday card!  This is a once a year opportunity to connect with colleagues, friends, former employers and professors.  Send a holiday card to everyone you know and do it the old fashioned way – write a short note, sign your name, put the card in an envelope, attach a stamp and put it in the mail.  It’s a great way to be remembered and let someone know you’re thinking of him or her.

Have a wonderful holiday by making some new and unexpected connections.

Make More of a Turndown Than Just a NO!

There are turn downs when you know you weren't even close and feel no real connection to the hiring manager and there are turn downs when you know you were a 'contender'.  Well Rocky didn't give up and neither should you.  Convert that turn down into a network opportunity.

A friend recently came very close to landing her dream job.  All the 'buy' signs seemed to be there - she'd been asked about salary, references were requested and the hiring manager kept making comments about the work they could do together.  Then the trail simply went cold.  After several attempts at communication, she finally got a call from the hiring manager, who told her she was very talented and a wonderful candidate, but the screening committee had selected someone else for the job. To further cement that feeling of connection, the hiring manager offered to refer my friend within the organization, should other similar positions arise.

My advice to my friend was to convert the turn down into a networking opportunity.  I suggested she book a lunch with the hiring manager to solicit advice on her performance during the interview process and get some referrals to other network connections.  Taking this action is additional evidence of her skill as a career coach and should further impress the hiring manager. 

The most critical tool you have in today's marketplace is your network.  You MUST continue to find ways to expand it in order to land your next job and then MUST remember to nurture it as a means of managing your career.

Holiday Cards

It's time to start that holiday card list.  The holidays are a great time to reach out to people either to re-connect or to keep connections alive.  Many clients have said they are uncomfortable sending a card to someone they haven't spoken to in a while, in some cases years.  Yet when I get a card from someone I haven't heard from my only thought is to feel good about being remembered and the renewed contact.

So start that holiday list now.  It takes work and time to get out cards, and the holidays will be here before you know it!

How Many Mistakes Can One Career Counselor Make? Count Them!

I was recently looking back at the last position I applied for and realized I made mistakes I would have never have let one of my clients make.  Learn from the following...

The hiring manager asked me for references and salary history.  I know you're supposed to KEEP IT SHORT and talk in ranges!  I got nervous, like most of us do in that situation, and gave more information than I needed to.  When talking about compensation, make sure you are prepared to try a first round where you talk in ranges versus exact numbers.  Remember that the first one who puts a solid number on the table typically is the one who loses the negotiation game.

I hadn't heard from the hiring manager and was getting nervous, so I decided to place a call.  I know you should avoid leaving a message so you can call back without feeling like you're stalking someone.  Yet when I heard her voice on the answering machine, I went right into message mode, kicking myself the whole time.  Thankfully I had notes so I didn't ramble, at least not excessively.  If you feel you want or need to reach out via phone, try at least a few times before you leave a message, thereby keeping some modicum of control in your hands. 

Don't accept or reject a job before it's offered!  If I had a dollar for every time I've said this, I'd be rich.  Yet from the moment I was asked for salary information I started feeling guilty about telling my boss I was taking another job.  I wrote some notes about what I'd say and even held off starting on a small project at work figuring I wouldn't be there to implement it.  While all the buy signs were there, in the end they chose another candidate, so all of that angst was totally unnecessary.

I REPEAT - You Can't Personalize This Process

I had lunch with a former client last week and, although I keep writing about this being a rude job market, was once again shocked by just how rude it is.  This top notch, senior level marketing professional had interviewed three times for a position at a major company, each time getting buy signs from both the line manager and HR.  After the third interview she clearly fell off their radar. 

OK, so they decided to go with another candidate or they had a job freeze or they decided they needed to rethink the focus of the position.  Whatever!  NOT OK that they they simply stopped returning calls or answering e-mails and didn't have the common courtesy to send a turn down letter.

What gives today?  What happened to common courtesy?  What happened to the golden rule?  

I know it's hard not to personalize this behavior and easy to simply throw in the towel and stop looking for that next chapter.  Just take a deep breath and remember that this is a rude job market.  When people behave this way it says more about them and their organization than it does about you.  Pick yourself up and get back out there AND remember to treat people better than you have been treated next time you are in the position of hiring manager.

Keeping Control When Using the Phone

When communicating via phone, don't leave a message on your first, second or even third attempt to reach your party.  Try a minimum of three times to get a person on the line before you leave a message.  This way you can still call back rather than getting caught up in the waiting game and you keep some semblance of control in a process that often feels pretty one sided. 

If you don't catch someone during regular work hours, try before 9 or after 5 and be prepared for the person to answer.  I've often dialed fully expecting the answering machine stumbling when a real live person answers the phone.

If you try three times and still can't get through the voicemail response, leave a carefully crafted, short message.  Write it out before you call so you are focused and don't ramble.

I know all of this and yet when I made a call recently I went into message mode the minute I heard that voicemail beep.  It was like Pavlov and his dogs. 

You Can't Personalize This Process

I recently sent out some 'staying in touch e-mails' to people who have been firmly in my network.  I didn't get responses from three people who I counted as 'in my corner' -  not even an 'I'm busy and will get back to you as soon as I can.'  I felt really lousy about that.  I know I should 't personalize these things, but this is a very personal process.

It is critical to have a thick skin while engaged in a job search.  You have to remember that your network contacts are generally working and may not respond to a request or just a hello because they're busy.  If you let this lack of responsiveness get to you, it can really rob you of the confidence you need to stick with this process. 

Supporting a Family Member Through Job Search

My husband is engaged in job search and career transition.  After 22 years at the same company, he is on the outside trying to determine what he wants to do. What comes next?

Supporting him through this process is a lot more difficult than conducting my own search.  I was in control of my search.  The only person to be angry at when I wasn't active was me.  He owns this search and, even though I know just how difficult this process can be, I still find myself thinking of all the things he 'should' be doing.

He knows that networking is critical to the success of his search and I fully understand his resistance to doing it.  Knowing you should network and why is very different than actually doing it.  I recently sent out some staying in touch e-mails to people who have been firmly in my network.  I didn't get responses from three people who I count as 'in my corner'.  Not even an 'I'm busy and will get back to you as soon as I can.'  It was very discouraging.  So, how can I be frustrated by the networking he's not doing when I know how hard this is?  And yet, there's that voice in me that knows what he 'should' be doing.

What to do?

One of the first things I have to remember is that I'm the supportive partner, not the career counselor.  I recommended that he work with a colleague on his search which he thankfully agreed to, and the mere fact that he's following through in that process let's me relax a bit. 

I need to remember that we are all different, and just because I network doesn't mean he will, or perhaps just not in the same way I do.  So, I need to allow for difference and let him do this in his way versus mine.

One of the things I've always told clients is to keep their family in the loop.  This applies to the whole family.  Teens often worry about their parents job loss but don't say anything.  Let your family know what you're doing.  Tell them when you apply for positions on line.  Tell them when you go out to network with people.  You may not want to report in on a daily basis, so maybe you sit down once a week to talk about your progress.  There may be weeks you don't have much to report, but you can let them know you're doing what you can. 

You should also tell family what they are doing that helps you and what they're doing that may be getting in the way.  For example, if asking you what you're doing on a daily basis is making this tougher for you, tell them and assure them you'll keep them in the loop perhaps by setting up that weekly round up.  

As referenced in prior posts, join some networking groups.  This will insure that you have something to do and it's critical for you to be with others who don't have a vested interest in what you're doing and who can more closely identify with what you're feeling.

The key here is to keep the lines of communication open.  Let your family know what you are doing about your job search and, just as important, let them know how they can best support you.

There's No Such Thing as "Just"

When talking to clients, be they students of individuals in corporate America, I often hear "I'm just and admin" or "I'm just a waiter".  

What's with the just? 

My question - what skills does it take to be a great admin or waiter?  
     Strong organizational, communications and interpersonal skills.  
     The ability to think on your feet and deal with difficult people and situations.  

What are some of the most difficult things you had to do to be a great admin or waiter?  
     Juggle multiple tasks, client needs at the same time.
     Prioritize.
     Deal with people who are angry or totally unreasonable yet bring the situation to a happy end.

So there is no such thing as just!  Every job requires skills and you need to own them and be proud of yourself in order to present with confidence!

You Can't Just 'Wing It' - Interviewing Takes Practice

You've worked hard to make sure your resume reflects your background and accomplishments, is well written and free from typos or grammatical errors.  You have mastered the art of writing a cover letter.  You've networked to get your resume out there and have applied to every job you can find.  Now you've got the call and have an interview lined up.  Now it's time to put as much energy into winning the job as you did in getting the interview!

Too many people spend too little time on preparing for an interview.  Aside from researching the industry, company and position, you have to have great answers to the following:

Tell me something about yourself.
What are your strengths?
What's a weakness?
What are your short and long term goals?
Why should I hire you?

Write out your answers to each of these, word for word.  The basic answer should be the same or similar for each position.  AND then you tailor or fine tune each answer to showcase how you meet the requirements outlined in the job description.  Read your answers out loud, to a friend, a colleague, and, if you have one, to your career counselor to make sure you are presenting the best you.