5 Ways To Say ‘No’ Effectively

5 Ways To Say ‘No’ Effectively

We all get bombarded with requests and demands for our attention and our time. Learning to say “No” in a way that is respectful but firm is a key skill you can develop to handle those requests you simply do not have time for (or the knowledge to do effectively).

I recently re-read the book, The Power of a Positive No, written by William Ury. His book offers great advice and tips for how to say “No” with grace and effect. In his book, William offers the following specific phrases you can use to say “No” to the demands of others in a manner that is appreciative and flows naturally and sincerely:

“No” Or “No Thanks.”

Directness has its place, but it can also be expressed gracefully. Adding the word “thanks” to your “no” shows respect and care for the relationship.

“I Have A Policy.”

Examples include, “I have a policy to never lend money to friends or family members,” or, “I have a policy to never make significant purchases without first speaking to my wife (or husband, or partner).”

“I Have Plans.”

A great concrete everyday phrase that can affirm your interests as well as you power without spoiling your relationship is, “I already have plans,” or, “I have another event I’ve committed to that evening.”

“Not Now.”

Maybe another time. This softens the blow of a “No” and leaves the door open to a future request. “Not now” should only be used in those cases where there does exist a real possibility for addressing the others’ needs in the future.

“I Prefer To Decline Rather Than Do A Poor Job.”

When you decline rather than do a poor job, you are not only affirming your own interests but also paying attention to the relationship. You would both be worse off, and so would your relationship, if you say “Yes” and then a job that turns out to be much less than satisfactory.

Know your limits and acknowledge them freely. Spend your time doing what you do well and what is truly best for you. Both you and the other will be better off in the long run.

5 Brilliant Tips For Using Cold Emails To Get Your Dream Job

5 Brilliant Tips For Using Cold Emails To Get Your Dream Job

“Good artists copy; great artists steal.” – Steve Jobs

That’s what I’m doing with this article, and that’s what you should do too… if you want a great job.

That’s right – I straight up stole the idea for this article from a guest post by John Corcoran.

The information was so enticing, so valuable, that I knew I could steal it and put my own twist on it to deliver value to you in a new way (read to the end to find out how)…

Because as Steve also said:

“It comes down to trying to expose yourself to the best things that humans have done and then try to bring those things in to what you’re doing.”

John’s article with the networking strategy I’m about to give you is awesome enough to be worth stealing. So, after you read this, go read John’s post in detail.

Why?

Because he goes way deeper into this, and gives detailed examples showing how exactly to make it work.

He’s also got a couple of great, free reports that you can download when you want to take your networking to the next level, which when combined with the bonus I give at the end of this article makes for just about everything you need to get your dream job.

The only thing you need to do is “steal” our tips, put your own spin on them, and take action.

5 Brilliant “Cold Email” Tips For Connecting With Your Dream Employer

But enough chat-chit. Let’s get into these brilliant “cold email” tips:

1. Grease The Wheels Ahead Of Time

The first thing you want to do before emailing someone you don’t know (or “cold emailing”) is to warm them up, so that when they see your email, it’s not the first time they see your name.

Fortunately, this is easier to do than ever through social media.

You can simply follow the organization or person you’re wanting to get the attention of, and then find a way to make an impression.

John gives the example of writing a guest post mentioning the person he wanted to contact. You could also comment on, share, or like their stuff so that they start to notice you.

2. Be Brief

John’s 2nd point means that you have to assume the person you’re trying to reach is the busiest person on the planet.

You have a limited amount of time to make an impression on them, so choose your words wisely.

3. Communicate How You Will Benefit Them

This is a fundamental (and critical) shift in how you think about getting your dream job.

Most people look at it as they’re asking for a job. In other words, the company is giving you a job.

But that’s not how your employer sees it. They’re hiring you and paying you so that you can add value and solve a problem. It’s an exchange of value - money for effort. Simple.

So make all your communication about adding value to them, helping them, right from the start, and you’ll stand out.

4. Make It Fun

It’s the unfortunate truth – most people are bored out of their mind in their daily lives.

So if can bring a sense of humor into your email, while still displaying professionalism, then you’ll make a noteworthy first impression. People want to have fun and be happy – and you can be the person (aka new employee) that brings the party.

5. Find Things You Have In Common

According to John, this could be as simple as having the same hometown.

In terms of getting your dream job, the biggest thing your (future) employer will want to see is that you’re on board with and passionate about their mission

Assuming you are passionate about it (which, why would you apply for a job where you aren’t?), then this should be easy. Proclaim your passion, and show them why you’re a great culture fit.

5 Tips For Formatting Your Resume For Easy Reading

5 Tips For Formatting Your Resume For Easy Reading

Just like newspapers offering bite-size pieces of information that are easy to read and digest, resumes also need to be formatted in a way that makes it easy on the reader. If they’re not, no matter how good a candidate is, the resumes will just fall to the wayside.

Keep in mind that once a resume reaches the hands of an individual (or more like the computer screen these days), it’s only scanned for mere seconds. Any sight of heavy blocks of text or unorganized information can take away from those important seconds that decide whether or not your resume is a keeper.

5 Tips For Formatting Your Resume For Easy Reading

So, what can you do to make those seconds count? Keep these tips in mind while formatting your resume:

1. Use the Harvard format.

People are going to scan your resume, so you want the accomplishments to stand out. Use the Harvard format, which is paragraph form for your roles and responsibilities and bullet points for your achievement statements. Your bullets should indicate the challenge, what action you took, and the results you produced.

2. Differentiate the sections.

Don’t forget to use bold and italic typeface to help guide the reader to different sections of your resume. The different typeface helps the reader figure out the start and end of the different parts of your resume.

For instance, if your Work Experience lists five different employers, it’s much easier to determine where information on each employment experience begins and ends with the use of a bold typeface for the name of the employer. Also make it easy to read by managing your white space. Remember, unless you are entry-level, a resume is not usually one page. Three-page resumes for executives are fine.

3. Use numbers and symbols.

Forget the rule of spelling out numbers if it’s before 10. When you provide numbers on your resume, it not only helps quantify your results, but it immediately grabs the attention of the reader.

4. Avoid fancy graphics, logos, and uncommon font type.

More and more resumes today are going through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) before it reaches the human eye. If the ATS is unable to read and scan your resume, it’s not going to get in the hands of anybody. So, avoid going overboard with graphics, tables, and other things to simply make your resume look good because it cannot be read by the ATS. Content is king! Stick to the basics and use common font types like Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman.

5. Keep it appropriate to your industry.

The style of your resume should be appropriate to your industry. For instance, if you are applying for a job in accounting or financial services, your resume should come off with a more conservative face than if you were applying for a job in web design or sales.

These small details to formatting your resume can make a difference between a document that’s welcoming and easy on the eye, to one that’s bypassed for being too text heavy and disorganized.

3 Pre-Interview Confidence Boosters

3 Pre-Interview Confidence Boosters

Sweaty palms.

Shaky voice.

Blank mind.

These symptoms of nervousness can seriously sabotage a job interview, no matter how prepared and qualified you are.

To quell these natural responses and help you muster more confidence in anxious situations, consider these quick pre-interview confidence boosters to help you perform better right before your next job interview — no energy drinks or cheesy motivational speeches required!

Pre-Interview Confidence Boosters

Amy Cuddy, social psychologist of Harvard Business School, talked about what people do while do while waiting for a job interview to start in a recent TedGlobal presentation.

“You’re sitting down. You’re looking at your iPhone or Android. You’re looking at your notes.”

This common waiting room behavior is not really ideal for maximizing your confidence right before an interview. Instead, the following activities will make you way more confident before meeting a potential boss:

1. Strike A Power Pose For Two Minutes

According to Cuddy, rather than hunching up and making yourself small in the waiting room chair as you scramble to soak up last minute notes or practice one final interview question, what you should actually find a private place to do what Cuddy calls a power pose.

There are a few different variations, but the Wonder Woman pose is really easy to remember. So, 10 minutes before your interview, go somewhere private, like the bathroom, and strike a strong pose where you take up as much space as possible.

In an interview with Inc. magazine, Cuddy talked about an experiment she did where she brought people into the lab and had them spit into a little vial to get baseline testosterone (the hormone associated with dominance) and cortisol (the hormone associated with stress).

Then, some people did a high-power pose for two minutes and others did low-power pose (hunched over). She tested their hormones to find that:

“The high-power pose caused a decrease in cortisol of about 25% and an increase in testosterone of about 19%,” Cuddy told Inc.

There you have it! Strike a power pose to prevent releasing those stress hormones!

2. Repeat A Positive Affirmation

“Repeating a positive affirmation can reduce production of cortisol and stress hormones by almost 50%, slow the mind, lower your blood pressure and heart rate and make you feel confident and powerful,” says Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of The Mindful Living Network and the Stress Institute.

Hall offers the following examples: I am confident in all things. I have unlimited potential.

Joyce Marter, psychotherapist and CEO of Urban Balance, would agree and suggests deep breathing while you recite a positive mantra in your head “using language you will want to use in the interview, such as ‘I absolutely will succeed in this job if given the opportunity.’”

You might feel a little silly at first, but these words will help you emit a more positive appearance — and that sure beats a nervous one!

3. Read Over Nice Things People Have Said About You

Thinking back to a time when you were successful and confident is a great way to recreate that confidence right before an interview. A quick and easy way to do this is to print out and compile anything nice that someone has said about you.

Read old letters of recommendation, LinkedIn endorsements, letters or notes from colleagues or teachers that have boosted your confidence in the past.

If you’re not really feeling this method, “Quickly review your biggest accomplishments in your head before going into the interview,” says Katherine Walker, founder and executive director of Lifetime Behavioral Health. “This trip down memory lane will instantly create a sense of confidence and serve to get your brain thinking about items the interviewer will no doubt ask you about.”

It’s the best way to remind yourself that all of your previous experiences have helped shape you and prepare you to succeed in this job interview!

Top 5 Ice Breakers For Virtual Networking Events

Top 5 Ice Breakers For Virtual Networking Events

Virtual networking events are gaining in popularity – not just because they’re fun, inexpensive, and convenient, but also because they make meeting new professional contacts incredibly easy.

However, if you find yourself doing all of the talking during a chat, you might need to reevaluate your strategy. The ultimate goal of networking is to connect with people, build relationships, and share opportunities. If you’re struggling to get someone talking, this can be a challenge.

But how can you connect with people if you don’t know how to get them talking? Here are five questions that are GUARANTEED to get people talking, especially at virtual networking events:

1. What brings you here?

When you’re networking, it’s important to establish commonalities between you and the person you’re talking with at the time. The “What brings you here?” question is great for both in-person and virtual networking events because there’s always going to be an answer. You and this person are both at the event, so you share that experience. Talk about an easy way to start a conversation!

Here are few variations/follow up questions:

• What brings you to this event tonight?
• Have you ever been to one of these events before?
• How are you liking this event so far? Meet any interesting people?

This is a great way to get a glimpse of what this person is looking to accomplish during the event, which can easily segue into talking about their industry and/or professional goals. This is one of my favorite things to start with during a virtual networking event. I highly recommend it!

2. Where are you from?

This is always a great ice breaker. Everybody is from somewhere – ask about it! Where are they from? Have they always lived there, or did they relocate? What’s their favorite part about their location? There are so many questions that can branch off from that initial question. It’s a great fallback if you’re hurting for things to talk about.

3. What are your hobbies?

Ask them what they enjoy doing when they’re not at work. Ask them about what kinds of activities they enjoy doing on the weekends. Ask them about their favorite hobbies. Then, ask them why they enjoy those things. What got them into them? What are some of their favorite things about them? Why?

People love learning about people’s “after five” lives because, for many, it’s easier to relate. If you find yourself talking with someone whose professional area of expertise is a little too specific for you, or someone who has a hard time opening up about their profession, ask this question. Who knows, you could share a common hobby, which means more for you to talk about!

4. What are your professional goals or interests?

Most of the time, even at networking events, the “So, what do you do?” question isn’t so welcomed (especially for those out of work). It can make some people feel uncomfortable or insecure about themselves. Instead, rephrase the question. Ask, “What are your professional goals or interests?”

This phrasing eliminates any awkward moments because you’re not just assuming this person has a job. You’re allowing them to explain their professional position in a way that they can get excited about. You’re asking about their professional GOALS and INTERESTS, not about their job, which might not even exist.

After they answer your question, you can ask what drew them to the industry, why they decided to take that direction, and so on. This is a great way to get a more in-depth idea of what they are trying to accomplish and how you can help each other.

5. What inspired you to move in that direction?

After you learn a little bit about this person’s professional goals and interests, you can follow up with “What inspired you to move in that direction?” Was it a person? A memory? An event? Why?

Learning a little bit about their history with their profession or mission can give you an idea of what they are looking for now. Not only that, but they will be excited to tell their story to someone who seems genuinely interested in it. This will win you bonus points!

3 Most Important Things To Do In A Job Interview

3 Most Important Things To Do In A Job Interview

A job interview can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you have been removed from the job market for an extended period of time.

It is one thing to sell on paper with the resume and another thing to sell in person at the interview.

Regardless of whether you have been out of a job for an extended period of time, are looking to change careers, or are still employed and seeking a better opportunity, the key to conducting a job interview successfully is a result of a number of factors. However, one of the more defining factors is the relationship you establish.

People hire people they like. Even if one candidate is more qualified and experienced than another, without a good relationship there is minimal chance at securing the job. The same goes for referrals. When you are referred by an existing employee, your chances are much stronger than a candidate who applied simply as a result of finding the opportunity through a job board ad.

So the question becomes how do you develop a strong enough relationship from a job interview to strengthen and lock in your chances at a job offer?

1. Use Appropriate Body Language

What you don’t say matters just as much as what you do say. Your body language and facial expressions inform an employer how engaged you are in conversation and how interested you are in the opportunity. Smile, exhibit confidence, and listen carefully so you respond appropriately and know how to build on the conversation.

2. Seek More Information

Asking questions expresses to an employer that you are engaged in the conversation. Try to ask questions to probe for additional information. Instead of simply addressing what’s asked of you, respond and follow up with a question of your own and turn the interview into a conversation. This expresses to the employer that you have an interest to learn more.

3. Demonstrate You Are Up For The Challenge

There are challenges with every job. What is important to an employer is that you are up for the challenge and that you have the ability to succeed. Research information in advance of your interview by reviewing the company’s website and information in the news. You will have a better understanding of what challenges or changes the company has recently been through, and how it may impact the position you are interested in.

Ask related questions during the interview to find out more. This informs an employer that you have come well-prepared for the interview. You can also take the opportunity to relay how you have experience with similar situations and how you dealt with them.

The more confident and comfortable you are with yourself in the interview, the easier it will be for the employer to develop a strong rapport and relationship with you. This is not to say you sit back and relax as though you are sitting in your own living room. Instead, the point is to be open to conversation and for it to be developed with ease.

Consider a candidate sitting stiff, head down, and who is brief in response to conversation and questions asked. It makes it difficult for him as well as the employer to try to establish good rapport and the relationship. Don’t let that be you!

Get The Interview: 5 Tips For Leaving A Great Voicemail

Get The Interview: 5 Tips For Leaving A Great Voicemail

Too many times job applicants prepare phenomenal resumes but fail to secure a physical interview. Often times, this is because of improper phone etiquette, poor voice presentation and bad voicemails.

Here are five things to improve interview rates and make a fabulous presentation over the phone using voicemail:

1. Never Underestimate The Power Of The Phone

In our digital age job applicants commonly tweet or text to stay in touch with friends. The telephone seems like a cumbersome and slow form of communication.

However, people over the age of 35 are much more comfortable using the phone and they will commonly use it as a screening tool for applicants. Phone interview skills are essential across all employment levels.

High-powered consultants as well as café workers will all usually face a phone interview and need to use voicemail sometime during the interview process. This is first physical contact and it is critical to make a fabulous impression.

2. Record And Listen To Your Own Voice

Leaving an excellent voicemail begins by nurturing a good speaking voice. Speak slowly, clearly and correctly. Use Dragon software or even the simple record feature on your phone to cultivate a good phone voice. This takes practice.

Prepare five outgoing messages in quick secession. On the first, use your normal speaking voice and your usual outgoing message.

On the second follow this text: “This is (your name). Press # to skip the rest of this message. I am currently unavailable. I check and answer voicemails after breakfast, lunch and at 3:30pm. Please leave a detailed message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.” (Vary the content of the message to your own personal schedule but provide the listener with details about when you will be checking messages and calling them back.)

On the third outgoing message purposely lower the tenor of your voice and speak again. On the forth outgoing message consciously speak a little slower and remove ums, uhs and any other weird speech habits. On the fifth message, make your voice slower, lower and speak clearly.

Wait at least four hours and then listen to all the renditions of your outgoing message. Then record a final outgoing message using what you have learned by listening to your own voice. Listen to this sixth message the next day and if you are happy with the results keep it as your outgoing message.

3. Good Voicemails Begin With Details

When leaving voicemail always leave your full name and the job title of the position you are calling about at the beginning of the message. Then leave the reason you are calling and your call back number including the area code. Repeat the call back number and your name at the end of the voicemail.

4. Help The Interviewer Out

Leave enough information in the body of your voicemail so that the listener can quickly separate you from the rest of the applicants.

This can be as simple as, “This is John Jones, I submitted my resume two weeks ago on April 15. I am returning your call dated May 10 requesting a personal interview.”

Something more informal can also work, “This is John Jones, the guy that sent you a resume printed on the back of the Giant’s jersey, Go Giants!”

The idea here is two-fold: Make an impression and help the person on the other end quickly identify who you are and your reason for calling.

5. Leave Enough Information, Entice The Interviewer

Leaving too little information is a common mistake. In a voicemail there is room for at least one sentence after all the details to really leave an impression. Do not drone on! The idea here is to leave something for the interviewer that shows you are as interesting as you are interested.

Something like, “This is John Smith, I am calling about the job that you had listed to work in the herpetology lab at the Natural History Museum. I sent you my resume last week. My call back number is 913-244-8022, if your department can handle another crazy guy with an excellent Godzilla movie collection; I’m your man. Again, my name is John Smith and my number is 913-244-8022.”

Craft your lines carefully and appropriately. Herpetologists are scientists who study reptiles and amphibians and they notoriously love Godzilla movies. The comment above reflects research as well as the personality of the applicant.