5 Reasons Why You Can’t Land An Interview

The bills are piling up. It has been months since you lost your job. You are becoming extremely concerned. You feel as if you have done everything you can to secure a new job opportunity, but nothing has become fruitful – not even an interview.

5 Reasons Why You Can’t Land An Interview

If this sounds familiar, don’t despair. I sympathize and many, unfortunately, are in your situation. Ironically, although the job market is challenged, usually there are blocks in a job search. Let’s discuss possible obstacles that could be wedging themselves in-between you and your new job.

1. Your Resume Does Not Outdistance Others

Contrary to what you have been taught and what you have been practicing in the craftsmanship of your resume—a resume is not the place to dump your entire career life. Because it IS a marketing tool, it must be visually enticing, and the content so compelling it ignites action and quickly.

How? In order for YOU to create the need for an employer to call you and not others, there has to be something about your resume that captures interest over the rest and infuses the reader with the desire to know more about you (hence, creating the need to call you). This is key as many job seekers write their resume by including ALL their information and then think, “Hey, this is a pretty decent resume.”

My questions to you: Does your resume promise results and offer differentiating value over others who are also qualified? And does it convey this in the most interesting, unique, and succinct manner possible? What is in your marketing dossier that has revealed a gem, and added value, a ’je ne se qua’ no one else has listed? Or in a manner no one else has told it?

Think about this: How is your employer to choose you if you sound just like the other thousands of applicants who have a pretty decent resume too? Luck?

2. The Jobs Are Wrong For You

Part of  a successful job search is perusing job ads and identifying which you are an ideal match for – Not, “I could do this.” That is not enough. Remember, there are many people unemployed now. Why would an employer settle for less? You must be the ideal candidate. Take the time to study the job ads, review the requirements, match their needs with your skill set, and launch a strategic job search.

Ultimately, you will feel more optimistic. It’s very difficult to remain upbeat when you have distributed hundreds of resumes and no one has called. Diminish the number of resume submissions; instead, target quality and perfect-for-you job leads in order to optimize the responses to your candidacy.

3. You’re Not Searching In The Right Place

Job boards work. I have seen it work first-hand. However, are you limiting your job search to just online job boards? Please don’t. You must launch an integrated job search campaign that leverages online job boards, social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter, networking in person, and prospecting offline.

How do you tap into the hidden job market? You uncover it by performing research on the companies in your area and industry of choice. What do they sell? Who are their clients? What is their mission? Where is their Human Resource department? Could they use someone like you? Then channel some courage and call on them, e-mail them your resume, or approach someone in the company via LinkedIn. Whatever you can do to tastefully gain a contact in the company – do it!

4. Your Expectations Are Too High

I am a believer in we all deserve the best and the job of our dreams—absolutely. But, does it have to be at this very moment? With an unstable economy and a poor job situation – why not accept employment that may pay you less than you expected but perhaps the possibility for growth is immense? How about employment in which the benefits package is more attractive than the annual salary? Remember it’s all temporary. This of course is ideal advice if you are in real need of immediate income.

5. You’re Not Asking For Help

I have helped clients who have not told their close friends and relatives they are out of work. Why? This is no time to “keep up with the Joneses” or to nurture your pride. There is no shame in needing a job. You will never know who can step up and assist you. You don’t have to give others a sob story; simply mailing your resume and job target with an upbeat message can help you communicate your need without worrying everyone around you. It’s all in the presentation.

Last, remember to revisit your online profiles/resumes as most candidate searches are performed based on activity in the last 30 days. And, keep in touch with your references and network connections. (Out of sight, out of mind.)

Is Going Back To School Your Best Path To Career Growth?

Whether you’re searching for a job or simply pondering your next career move, you might be considering going back to school. Returning to school to pursue a degree to be more career competitive is a commonly held belief. But… is it really the right thing to do?

For those out there aghast for questioning the wisdom of schooling or education, let me assure you that I’m a perpetual student myself. In fact, I think we should all continue to improve ourselves. The bigger question is around setting your expectations about what you are pursuing and whether or not your expectations can actually be met.

Is Going Back To School Right For You?

Here are some tips and things for you to consider:

Clarity Is Critical

Do your research.You need to understand the requirements for the type of position you desire to move into. Too many people think they know the path from where they are to the career of their dream without doing their homework to know for sure. You don’t want to invest both time and money without first confirming you are on the right path.

Specific Degrees Lead To Specific Careers

There are programs out there that have a direct correlation to the career you would pursue, such as engineering or nursing. Certainly if those professions are your direction, you should go for them in a big way. It also doesn’t hurt that both areas are in high demand right now in this tough economy.

Non-Specific Degrees Require You To Know Your Direction

Degrees in Environmental Studies or Business Administration are open to your own interpretation of what career you can pursue. Way too many people exit these programs without any concept of what career it might support. If you are looking into a program that is more general, identify if there are specialization programs within those degrees that could guide you directly into your next career step.

An MBA Degree Is No Guarantee Of A Management Position

Most companies want to grow you into a management position. The reason for this is they want to ensure you know “how things work” before allowing you to direct the work of others. Deep experience and a willingness to take responsibility are characteristics that will move you into management.

Course Content Does Not Equal Work Content

Don’t be fooled into believing that the types of classes you take in a program are the same type of work you would be doing professionally. When you study law, the environment for practicing law is very different and sometimes a surprise.

Building New Skills Can Help You Progress

If you are simply pursuing various classes to up-level your skill in specific things related to your profession, that is a great course of action. You already know the demands on you professionally and can see where the opportunities for growth exist. Going after specific classes to help your growth can make sense. Your challenge once you’ve done that is to see to it that you get work assignments to help solidify your new skills. You still have to do your own self-promotion around your new skills or no one will know.

If you’re pursuing a degree program to get promoted or go after a better position, make sure to check your expectations against the reality of the hiring situation. In our environment, employers are no longer just looking for a degree. They are looking for specific expertise, specialization, and depth of experience. Make sure you know what’s needed for your next career step.

I’m 53, How Can I Compete For Part-Time Jobs?

Dear J.T. & Dale: I am a single, 53-year-old female who has worked for the same grocery chain for more than 20 years. My title is Supervisor. I work 18 hours a week. I have applied online to several places, but no luck. I’ve let friends, customers, and so on know that I’m looking for something part-time, since I’m available four days a week. I understand that a lot of places are looking for high-school-age applicants (or at least under 30). I feel like once they see my date of birth, that’s it. - Talia

DALE:You are being tempted to settle for the easiest “why,” which is concluding that your age is holding you back. Yes, age discrimination happens, but I wouldn’t settle on it as your problem until you’ve eliminated all other possibilities. In this case, the big possibility is that you are applying for jobs that don’t exist.

You’re telling prospective employers that you are a veteran supervisor and that you’re available four days a week. I suppose there are some stores with part-time supervisors, but it’s up to you to find them. Hiring managers are looking for people to help them solve their problems, and right away they see scheduling you as being a fat new problem. If you were to alter your resume to make it appear that you were in your 20s, I’ll bet you get the same Big Silence from the job market.

J.T.: I understand your point, but ageism still may be playing a role. The surest way to overcome stereotyping is via recommendations. You need customers or former co-workers to vouch for your skills and abilities. Age isn’t an issue when you are known for your work ethic and record of success.

Next, Dale’s right that you’re going to need to do research to find stores that are in a position to hire you. Once you have target employers, you can work to get recommended to them. One final thought: If you find an organization that you’re truly passionate about joining, don’t be shy about expressing your feelings. Really articulating why you will be the most engaged and hard-working employee is infectious and attractive for any job, at any age.

© 2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Link Your Social Networks

At a time when the concept of privacy seems on the precipice of disappearing entirely, sharing is most definitely in.

Once considered a passing fad, effusive outbursts, honest confessions, and trivial announcements have become a staple of the way we communicate with each other daily – and the sharing doesn’t end there.

We now share a lot of information about ourselves to a lot of people across many networks; and while this has been good for fostering and maintaining relationships that might not have otherwise existed, this sharing has also concealed and created threats that make the overly public vulnerable.

Keeping different social networks separate (not allowing much crossover between them) is one way to protect yourself from some of these threats.

Why You Shouldn’t Link Your Social Networks

Here are a few more reasons why it’s a good idea to draw lines between Twitter, Facebook, and the like.

1. Automated Posting

When you sync your Twitter with your Facebook, your Twitter updates appear automatically as status updates; you can’t select which ones appear on Facebook. Due to the advent of Twitter, most people post status updates on Facebook with less frequency. These updates tend to be more substantive than those on Twitter, which tend to be posted according to speed as opposed to clarity of meaning.

Frequently updating your Twitter-synced Facebook might aggravate your friends by cluttering their feeds with trivial observations and complaints. Furthermore, if linked to aprofessional network — a profile your employers see — you might end up embarrassing yourself or endangering your employment with the wrong message.

2. The Same Message Twice

Syncing up accounts also means that if you share information on one site, that information will be shared on all sites, and if you have friends following you on both, you’re sure to annoy them by seemingly posting the same thing twice.

That redundancy could speak to a lack of awareness on your part of what your different audiences follow you for (some might be interested in your personal life and goings on, others your professional) and cause friends to stop following you on both platforms if the duplication is frequent.

3. Social Media Fatigue

Another reason syncing up accounts is a bad idea is because maintaining all those profiles, with their individual audiences and interfaces, can lead to overexposure and a tremendous amount of fatigue, particularly if you are trying to maintain all your networks at the same level.

You can easily become paralyzed by updating your networks constantly, and while sharing information across different networks might seem like it would make such upkeep unnecessary, having to constantly check updates from different sites will leave you feeling as if you’re not really living your life so much as reporting on it.

4. More Prone To Identity Theft

Even if you don’t use the same, or similar, user names and passwords across your social networks (something a lot of people do), sharing information across different networks invites phishing, which could lead to a wide variety of problems.

If someone hacks one of your accounts, they would be able to hack all of them and be able to get all sorts of sensitive information about you that could be used to steal your identity. The more profiles you have, the more prone you are to having your identity stolen. Syncing your accounts together makes it that much easier.

5. More Junk In Your Inbox

One last drawback to linking your social networks together is that your likes and preferences, which many sites take note of, will carry over to other sites. This could result in you receiving advertisements for interesting products and services; however, it will most likely cause your inbox to constantly fill up with spam, and some of this spam might be laced with malware or viruses that can aid hackers in stealing your identity. At the very least, it will annoy you and make Internet communication a little more difficult.

3 Tips For Maximizing Your Out-Of-State Resume

Trying to acquire an out-of-state job can be a bit more challenging than securing one in the state you’re in, simply because you are lacking certain advantages of in-state candidates. So, it will be up to you to show in your resume being out-of-state is not a hindrance.

3 Tips For Your Out-Of-State Resume

Here’s how you can get started on your out-of-state resume:

1. Show That Relocating Isn’t A Problem

One concern a hiring manager might have regarding your applying for a job while out-of-state is that relocating could be a challenge. It’s a great idea to address this head on by noting on your resume that you’re ready to relocate. Also, in your cover letter, you can reiterate this and mention that you’re open to interviewing at any time in any location.

2. Prove You Can Adapt To The Area As Necessary

Another concern an employer could have is you might be unable to quickly adapt to the area to which you’d be moving. This is especially important if you will need to build local clientele for the company. Even if the concern isn’t listed in the job posting, it’s good for you to show you have a proven track record of hitting the ground running in all of the jobs you’ve worked—no matter where they were located.

If the company needs to know that you can build connections, then mention in yourresume you’ve done so already. Show you already have an expansive Rolodex and are eager to make new connections.

3. Make Your Out-Of-State Perspective Intriguing

The fact you’re out-of-state doesn’t have to be a hindrance. In fact, being from out of the area can bring a new and fresh perspective to the company, so be sure to sound “alive” in your resume. Show you’re eager to get started in a new environment and bring unique ideas to the table that you’ve acquired thanks to your current environment. Without directly saying being foreign to the area is better, you can still be intriguing enough to encourage them to want to know more about you.

Of course, you want to cover the basics when writing your resume, including adding plenty of industry-related keywords, creating a great job target and career summary, and making sure there are absolutely no typos. But taking the extra step to show your out-of-state status isn’t a hindrance could make your resume stand out against your competition.

How To Get Past Your Job Search Fears

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Establishing yourself in the workplace or beginning the hunt for a new job is probably one of the scariest things you can ever do. Most people express a great deal of fear when faced with new opportunities. But it’s time to get past your job search fears once and for all!

Finding a new opportunity can be one of the most powerful and rewarding experiences. We grow the most when we overcome things we fear, and can learn new things about ourselves that can add dimension and depth to our character as well as our understanding of the world.

Someone once told me change is the most terrifying when we actually desire or need it the most. This, in turn, can make us feel like we are standing on the edge of a precipice; uncertain as to whether we can make that leap of faith or not.

Understanding the building blocks of your career management strategy will help you become a smarter and wiser job seeker, and ultimately help you overcome the very fears that could be holding you back.

Fear is real. And what we are really scared of is the failure of our actions. Life’s lessons will tell you there never is a guarantee for success in any decision you make. It always comes down to a series of calculated risks and educated guesses… nothing more and nothing less. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. It’s the risk we take, and the fear comes from the uncertainty from the lack of any kind of guarantee.

Being conscious of your value in the workplace and responding to opportunities that come along can help you conquer those most of those job search fears.

How Can I Get A Management Position?

Dear J.T. & DALE: I am a recreation therapist who has worked in health care with geriatrics. I am trying to cross over to a management position outside of health care – community, fitness, hospitality. I’m having limited success. People act like once you’ve worked with geriatrics, you lack the skills to work with mainstream individuals. - Paula

DALE: It’s hard for me to understand how anyone could think that working with geriatrics isn’t much more demanding and arduous than working mainstream. I’ve had family members in long-term care, and I would watch the employees in awe, thinking that you’d have to be an angel to embrace that work.

J.T.: Still, I have observed what you mention, Paula: There is a perception that the work done in geriatrics and disability is not technically challenging. The assumption is that such roles require a high degree of compassion and patience, but not necessarily the highest level of business acumen.

DALE: I suppose it comes down to the old biases of “soft” versus “hard” skills. However, even without such specific biases, it’s always difficult to change industries. Everyone thinks theirs is unique.

J.T.: The only solution is serious networking. No amount of finessing your resume will convey your abilities like a one-on-one discussion. I suggest that you set up a series of informational interviews with people in positions similar to the one you want to land. Discuss with them what key skills they’ve needed to succeed.

Once you feel you have a working knowledge of what’s important, it’s time to make a new list of contacts, but this time of people working at the companies you want to work for. You need to establish connections with employees of these firms as a way to earn their trust. Given your earlier informational interviews, you can have meaningful conversations, and once people hear you speak knowledgeably about their industry, they’ll see you for your true value.

© 2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Following Up After An Interview With Social Media?

Is it acceptable to follow up with social media? Everyone has their own personal social media policy. One friend of mine told me that he was a “Facebook prude and a LinkedIn whore.”

In contrast, I’ve met people who won’t even consider accepting a LinkedIn invitation until they had at least a 15 minute conversation.

Many LinkedIn trainers tell people how to run their own personal social media policies, but this is something very personal and worth careful consideration.

As a job seeker, your goal is to have a LinkedIn network that will help you meet the right contacts inside your target organization.

For you, that might mean accepting every invite or even becoming a LinkedIn Open Networker (LION). For others that might look like a careful selection of e-mailing specific and carefully researched people.

The point is that everyone is different, including the HR person or hiring manager you just met during your interview. So, as with any delicate situation, just ask!

On your way out of the interview, ask, “Mr. Hiring Manager, would it be alright with you if I sent you a LinkedIn invitation?”

By stating it this way (i.e. not directly asking him for a connection) anyone can comfortably say, “Yes” without committing to actually accepting the invite. Sure, you might send it, but at the end of the day, he or she will decide for themselves to accept it.

Just remember that when they do accept the invite, they will see your profile and status updates. That sounds obvious, but have you spent enough time polishing up your profile so that you are continuing to make that positive impression with them?

Make your profile interview-ready by evaluating it from the perspective of the hiring manager. Are your messages helping to support the answers to your interview questionsor your personal brand?

Finally, sending the invite to an interviewer is a great way to build in a thank you note. Sure, you hear career coaches say to send a paper thank you note. But a LinkedIn invite with a thank-you written into the customized message area will gain you far more advantages than just having your Hallmark card tossed away.

As an MBA, I interviewed for GE’s leadership training program. Although I came very close to getting into the program, I wasn’t accepted. Despite this fact, I’ve kept in touch with my interviewer for the last six years. We often ask each other questions and provide each other with resources in our mutual yet distinct careers.

What’s wrong with that?

After all, if you were genuine and made a good impression in an interview, there is no reason to have a huge breakup if you don’t get the job. Believe me, it wasn’t personal! And you might as well get some benefit from it.

Yes, You Can Repeat Yourself In A Resume

Among the many myths about writing resumes, one stands out: You should never repeat yourself in a resume.

In truth, there are two circumstances when repeating yourself is your best possible course.

The first circumstance relates to the specific skills a company asks for. Suppose you were shopping for a used truck and the car salesman kept showing you brand new sports cars. You would walk out of the dealership. By the same token, if a company insists they need someone with four years of experience, the ability to speak Spanish and a B.A. in chemistry, you have to meet those requirements and your resume has to show you meet them. Otherwise, the company will move on to a candidate who clearly does meet their specific qualifications.

One way to highlight important qualifications is by repeating them in more than one location. In the typical resume, you might relate this critical information in the summary and then repeat it later on in the body. You should also make sure it appears in yourcover letter or e-mail.

The second circumstance when repetition is essential is in federal resumes. Federal resumes have especially strong rules about the information they require. For example, they might ask for proof of the candidate’s leadership ability and business acumen, with supporting accomplishments. In a corporate resume, the standard practice is to describe a particularly strong accomplishment once, showing both leadership and business acumen. However, in federal resumes, it is far better to repeat the accomplishment, first to highlight leadership and then to highlight business acumen. The result is repetitive but recruiters can easily identify you as the candidate they want.

I help candidates for both business and government positions with resumes that are fierce marketing documents. They tell recruiters what they want to hear, and make sure they hear it.

How To Handle Salary On Application Forms

You may be asked salary information on an application form—or be faced with a “current salary” or “desired salary” field on an online application. Or you may be asked the same question by a legal recruiter. The answer you provide may be used in the screening process—answer too high and you may not be considered for the position at all.

This number will also likely come into play at the interview/offer stage—it can establish the range for the offer the employer makes. And if you’re underpaid and undervalued at your current employer, then there’s the risk that your low level of pay will follow you when you move on.

On a paper application form—or if the online form allows you to type in whatever you want—you can write “Negotiable.” This gives you the opportunity to discuss your salary history and expectations later.

If it’s not a required field on an online form, leave it blank. If the “desired salary” field requires you to enter a figure, however, you have a couple of options, each has it’s own benefits and drawbacks:

• Enter $0, $1, or $10 (the minimum number you can)—it will be clear you’re not answering the questions (most employers will know you aren’t offering to work for free).
• Enter $999,999 (or the highest number you can). Like answering $0, this shows you are purposely avoiding the question.
• You can enter your desired salary, based on not only your personal needs and wants, but also on your market research of your value and salaries. But know that it may lead to you being screened out (if it’s too high), or being offered a lower salary in the interview.
• If you can, enter a range—some online forms will allow you to enter two numbers. Entering a salary range is often the best option, because it reduces the chances of you being screened out, allows room for negotiation, and recognizes that some of the most valuable compensation (vacation time, signing bonuses, tuition reimbursement, insurance, company cars, travel, child care, insurance, and more) isn’t included in the salary.

Interviews: Can Employer Ask About My Health?

Dear J.T. & Dale: My daughter recently had surgery for thyroid cancer, and now has to start looking for a job to help support her and her children. The scar on her neck is very large. Everywhere she goes, everyone stares at it. She is concerned about interviews. Does the employer have any rights to ask about her health? — Barbara

J.T.: No, companies cannot, by law, ask about her health. However, if she cannot physically do the job, she needs to be honest with herself and them — taking a job you know you can’t do can lead to termination.

Dale: But the worst thing she can do is leave interviewers wondering about her health. No manager wants to train a new employee who is going to have frequent absences.

J.T.: So, if she can cover the scar with a turtleneck or scarf, I think that would help — it would help avoid the issue during the interview and help your daughter feel less self-conscious. If not, she can voluntarily say, “I had surgery, and everything is fine — I just ended up with some scarring.”

Dale: Exactly. Interviewers usually assume the worst. Not because they’re bad people, but because their first objective is to avoid a “bad hire,” which is anyone they hire and then end up having to fire, or who — worse yet — can’t do the job but can’t be fired. So, getting back to your daughter, if the scar is visible, employers can’t ask, but she can tell. With a bit of rehearsal, she can not only declare victory over her health problems, but do so in a way that says something about her character: She is determined, a fighter and, translating that into workplace terms, someone who will overcome obstacles to get the job done.

J.T.: Moreover, by answering the questions in interviewers’ minds, she’s proving that she’s proactive, demonstrating to them that she cares about what HR is thinking, and is willing to address their concerns.

© 2012 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

How To Handle A Hostile Work Environment

Sometimes terminology is used in our culture that gets adopted and used, but it isn’t being used correctly. “Hostile Work Environment” is one of those terms you hear, but it may or may not be true to the legal definition.

That’s right, when it comes to this term; we have laws about hostile work environments and with the law comes a legal definition. It’s good to know the difference, because depending on what you are really talking about, your potential actions could be very different.

To quote About.com: “A hostile work environment is created by a boss or co-workerwhose actions, communication, or behavior makes doing your job impossible. This means that the behavior altered the terms, conditions, and/or reasonable expectations of a comfortable work environment… and must be discriminatory in nature. (Discriminatory would be about age, religion, gender, or race.) The behavior must last over time and must be severe.”

As you can see this is a very specific set of behaviors that protect our right to work. There can be legal ramifications because someone has made working and prospering at work impossible, if this issue is not handled properly by the employer.

Since we are clear about the true, legal meaning of “Hostile Work Environment,” let’s look at what’s taking place when your work situation may or may not be aligned to this technical term, but it’s bad nonetheless. What can you do in either situation?

How To Handle A Hostile Work Environment

Know the proper way to escalate an issue. You don’t want to go from your office to the local Bureau of Labor and Industry to talk to a lawyer. No matter which situation you are in, you are expected to work from the bottom up. Your steps should be:

1. Address The Issue Directly With The Offender

Difficult for many people, but necessary, is to adequately communicate what the issue is and to give a very specific example. You don’t want to use absolutes like “you always talk vulgar to me” when that isn’t actually true, because that person may be vulgar frequently, but not ‘always.’ Consider: “When you spoke to me just now, that was vulgar and inappropriate. You do not have my permission to continue.”

2. If The Issue Continues

Again, difficult for some people, but you need to repeat your previous message and then let them know you will be escalating it to both management and HR. By this point, you should be documenting both your conversations and comments made to you by the offender. You may need this type of detailed information when you take the issue up the food chain.

3. Take It To Management And Human Resources (HR)

Not all companies have an HR, but if they do, you need to cover your bases and ensure they are in the loop. When you take your issue to your manager, you will be much more effective if you can keep calm and professional. An emotional scene won’t help make your case despite how you might feel about it. You need to be prepared to give specific examples.

You also need to be prepared for management to speak to the offender, making the previous step important. You must hold your management accountable for correcting the situation. This doesn’t mean you insisting on this person being fired, but it is reasonable to expect that they will take whatever action they think will curb the inappropriate behavior. You should expect, and ask for a follow up, to minimally hear back that they did take action.  You don’t need a full account of what was said and done, as that is confidential.

4. If It Continues…

Again, you need to follow the previous steps and waste no time informing your management and HR. You are still looking for these people to take action.

5. And If It Still Continues…

At this point, you may be out of options. If the issue does follow the definition of a hostile work environment, you may have grounds for a legal action. If it is simply someone who does annoying things, badgers your work or makes rude remarks, your only two options are:

• Take the issue to a higher management level.
• Leave. While it might seem unfair that you would have to be the one to leave, all too many people tend to be weenies when dealing with difficult personnel issues.You can either find a way to tolerate it, be miserable or leave.

Hopefully, you will never have to face this type of situation but if you do, learn the right way, the professional way of addressing this kind of issue. It will be more effective in the long run for everyone involved.

7 Secrets To Successful Informational Interviews

An informational interview is a meeting where a job seeker asks for advice rather than employment. Rather than get a job offer, a job seeker uses informational interviews to:

1. Learn more about a company or job function
2. Inquire about job leads
3. Network

For job seekers, informational interviews can secure meetings with managers, shape positive first impressions, and develop relationships that may pay off in the future. Managers are open to informational interviews because:

1. They do not require a big time investment. Informational interviews can be done during lunch or during an afternoon coffee break.
2. They can give managers an opportunity to identify new talent, either for now or in the future, without a formal recruiting process.
3. Informational interviews allow managers to give advice. Who doesn’t like to have their ego stroked?

7 Secrets To Successful Informational Interviews

Here are my tips on how you can succeed in your informational interviews:

1. Ask For An Informational Interview

After you’ve identified who you want to meet, ask friends, family, ex-coworkers, & fellow alums if they have contacts at a certain company or a particular line of work. Utilize social networking tools, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to find contacts. In the introduction e-mail, keep it short and simple. Provide some background information on yourself and explain why you want to meet.

2. Clearly Define What You Want To Get Out Of The Meeting

If you don’t know what you want, the person on the other side of the table will have a hard time helping you. I’d recommend going for easy wins such as learning more about a company or a job function. So prepare questions such as: “What do you like working for company X?” or “When you think about successful folks in position Y, what made them successful?”

3. Getting A Job Should Not Be Your Immediate Goal

Job seekers often ask for a job at the beginning. Resist that temptation. If the manager does have a job, asking for it at the beginning is premature, especially if you haven’t proven yourself. If he or she does not have a job, you and the manager have to overcome the early letdown. Instead, focus on asking good questions and creating a good impression. Then, at the end, do ask if the manager is hiring, but don’t push it.

4. Go With The Flow

Some managers use the informational interview as an informal job interview. If the manager wants to deviate from your prepared list of questions and ask you more formal job questions, let him or her do so. Who knows? You might get a job offer at the end of the interview.

5. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Informational interview can range from an informal career chat to a structured interview. Prepare for any scenario. Have those general career questions ready, and at the same time, don’t be surprised if the interviewer asks tough questions like, “What’s your biggest weakness?” Remember the saying, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

6. Dress For Success

It’s always worth reminding: dress professionally.

7. Don’t Forget To Follow-Up And Send The Thank You Letter

Don’t forget to send a thank-you e-mail or letter after the informational interview. In addition, send updates every couple of weeks. The manager invested time into your career; he or she will be interested in your progress. And who knows, that manager may not have had openings a while ago, but he or she may be hiring now.

How To Ace A Career Fair

With so many potential employers in one spot, you definitely want to make a good impression, right? So when thinking about your approach to an upcoming career fair, it may help to start by putting yourself in the shoes of the campus recruiter. In other words…

You are meeting a lot of students in one day. (A lot of students!)

You have a series of interviews stacked on top of each other in 30 minute blocks.

You are not looking for “good” students – you want to find rock stars!

How To Ace A Career Fair

I’ve been involved in lots of interviews and most are pretty perfunctory. For example, nine times out of ten the student being interviewed is professional, eager to please, and will probably do fine in the workforce. As a recruiter, though, I don’t want “fine” – I want GREAT. I want someone that will make me spit out my coffee and hire them on the spot.

How can YOU become one of the “greats?” Here are some tips:

1. Have A Plan

Don’t even think of going into a career fair without knowing a) who’s going to be there and b) who you want to speak with. Recruiters don’t want to feel like you just stumbled on to their booth. They want to feel like your TOP choice, even if you’re still playing the field.

2. Have A Clue

Research, research, research. These days companies have put themselves out there so much on the web and through social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) there’s really no excuse for not knowing basic information such as core services areas and key players. Also, if you can find out who is doing the on-campus interviews for one of your top picks, don’t be afraid to call them in advance to introduce yourself. (Hint: No one does this!)

3. Understand How You’re Being Evaluated

To make the recruiting process more objective, most employers simply fill out a simple ratings sheet for each person they interview. These sheets are pretty standard and will usually cover things like personal appearance, professionalism, knowledge of the business, GPA, and so on.

4. Have Your Elevator Pitch Down

The elevator pitch is your answer to the question, “Tell me about yourself.” It needs to be under two minutes and should include some general background information, demonstrated leadership, and what you will bring to an organization. For example:

“I grew up in Seattle, but moved here to attend university. I’m a junior this year with a major in accounting and a minor in communications. I know accounting today is much more than numbers in a box so I felt my communications courses would prepare me for the demands of client service. I’m a member of student government serving as co-chair of the community outreach committee, and in that role I’ve organized projects for the United Way and Habitat for Humanity. I’ve researched your company and I know you offer the resources of a ‘Big 4’ with the personal touch of a smaller firm and I believe that combination will give me the best opportunity to contribute and grow my career in the long run.”

The best way to perfect your elevator pitch is to practice. You should be able to recite this in your sleep. Check out this list of 50 other standard interview questions you might find useful.

5. Be Confident

One of the fastest ways to turn off an interviewer is to appear overly nervous. If you can’t handle the interview – how are you going to handle clients? Naturally, you will be nervous. The trick is to appear as if you’re not, e.g. look people in the eye when you speak, be secure in your delivery (Note: This comes from practice – see above) and watch how often you use filler words like “um, ah,” etc.

6. Carry Your Resume In An Executive Padfolio

This not only keeps your papers neat, but makes a spiral notebook or binder look like small potatoes. Also, bring at least five copies of your resume because you never know how many people will be in the interview  and you definitely don’t want to come up short.

7. Demonstrate Leadership

You are also being judged on your leadership potential. Since you probably don’t have any real career experience yet, this will be evaluated by how you’ve spent your time on campus. Have you assumed any leadership roles within a student organization? Do you have any volunteer experience? What interests or passions do you have outside of your classes that could demonstrate leadership ability (e.g. mission trips, sports teams, an so on)? Employers know if you can lead in any of these capacities, then those skills readily translate into the office environment.

8. Etiquette

Finally, candidates who ascend to “Rock Star” status understand the basics of etiquette. This is not just about showing up on time. It’s about standing to shake the hand of your interviewer(s), addressing them as “Mr. or Ms.” and – very important – following up with a post-meeting thank you note or e-mail. These days success is heavily-reliant on interpersonal skills, meaning having superior manners is more than just a courtesy. It’s good business.