Phone Interviews: How To Put Your Best Voice Forward

Phone Interviews: How To Put Your Best Voice Forward

Today, more and more employers are conducting phone interviews before inviting job candidates to an in-person meeting. With more applicants available for each opening, employers do not have the time to invest in a meeting for every candidate that simply looks good on paper. Phone interviews make it easier to screen a candidates.

Some of these phone interviews may include standard questions that ask about facts, such as your experience and any specific skills you have. However, there are also employers who dive right into some of the most challenging questions, such as giving you a scenario and asking for your response and plan to handle the situation described.

As a job applicant, there are benefits and disadvantages to a phone interview. Some people are well-spoken and are great on the phone, but in person, their nervousness gets to them. Some are more comfortable speaking in-person and lack personality on the phone. Under both situations, it can be a challenge when you don’t have feedback that may typically appear through face-to-face contact.

Regardless of the situation, you need to put your best voice forward to leave the employer with a good impression. This may be the only shot you have at getting a step closer to securing a job offer with them. Remember that the employer may change their mind about inviting you in for an interview if you fall short of their expectations or leave a negative impression on the phone.

Note that in a phone interview, your intonation is most important in how you come across, so you should be energetic and enthusiastic and change your tone to better engage the interviewer. You should also be prepared to ask some basic questions, although save the big ones for a formal interview.

Putting Your Best Voice Forward In Phone Interviews

Take the tips offered here to help put your best voice forward and further advance on an opportunity to a job offer:

Treat Every Call You Receive Like It Was An Interview

Phone interviews may not always be scheduled. An employer may call you to respond to your submitted cover letter and resume, and the moment you pick up the phone an interview may occur right then. Most employers will be courteous to first ask you if this is a good time, but that does not always happen.

So, if you believe there is a chance an employer may be calling, be prepared by providing a professional greeting on your voicemail or when you pick up. Also be conscious of what the caller may hear in the background if you pick up the phone. If it’s not an appropriate time or place to talk, let it go to voicemail, but try to call back immediately when it is more appropriate for you to talk.

Talk Enthusiastically

Since the interviewer will not see your face, all they have to work off of is the voice you present, so make sure it sounds enthusiastic and energized with confidence. Try keeping a smile on your face as you talk and be aware of your tone and pitch so you do not come off sounding monotone.

Watch Your Words

Keep a “can do” attitude when you talk. It will leave a more positive impression than if an employer were to hear, “I can’t,” “I don’t,” or “I haven’t.” Also be conscious of how you speak, to avoid the “Ahs,” “Errs” and “Ums.” You can come across as unsure of yourself and lacking in confidence.

Use A Clear Line

Many people list their cell phone number on job applications, cover letters and resumes, which is fine, as long as when the phone is answered you are under good reception. If you are the one initiating the phone call, use a landline to avoid static or dropped calls. It’s also important to find a quiet location where you will not be disturbed or distracted.

Treat It Like An In-Person Interview

Keep in mind points that you can use to help explain how your previous experiences or skills make you a good fit for the open position. Also, always have questions in mind to ask during the interview that show your interest and desire to work with the company. Don’t forget to also keep your resume, a sheet of paper and pen on hand. You’ll need these items for reference or to take notes while on the call.

Find Out The Next Steps

Interviews, whether in-person or over the phone, should end with an understanding of what the next steps are. If it was not covered, be sure to ask. The employer may also view this question in a positive way that you care about this opportunity and have a desire for it.

Remember, phone interviews deserve a follow up thank you note or e-mail to the individual(s) you spoke with – just as you would do after an in-person interview.

Treat phone interviews as important as a face-to-face interview. The impression you make on the phone will also be taken in to consideration when the employer is trying to decide between you and another candidate for the position.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals For Job Seekers

S.M.A.R.T. Goals For Job Seekers

There are two perspectives on S.M.A.R.T. Goals for job seekers, one from the viewpoint of the activities you perform as part of your job search, the other, really understanding the expectations of a position being considered.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals, originally attributed to Peter Drucker, has been interpreted with some various modifications and additions, but generally refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented (Attainable), Results-Bound (Relevant), and Time Focused. There’s strong agreement on the “Specific” and “Measurable,” with several variations the “__A.R.T.” elements. Specificity, Measurable, and Time are generally agreed upon as core elements.

Job Search

For Job Seekers, S.M.A.R.T. Goals can be a powerful tool to guide the process. While many individuals are familiar with the idea from its common work application, it’s a new – and much needed – process for many job seekers. And for those unfamiliar with the idea, it can be further complicated by the claim of goals being set for them in their work experience – goals that are absolutely NOT S.M.A.R.T.

So, a job seeker might just set an extremely broad goal, like “finding a new job,” or might set some seemingly more specific goals like:

• Revise my resume
• Contact my references
• Search online for job possibilities
• Send thank-you e-mails

While setting some goals, any goals, particularly if there written down, is better than not having any goals, these are definitely not S.M.A.R.T. Goals. More importantly, goals like these deprive a job seeker of the power of having S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

Research on goal setting clearly demonstrates the power – and the dangers – of goal setting. Goals that are not S.M.A.R.T. fail to motivate top performance – or lead to inaction. Goals that are set too high (not Realistic) frequently prompt a person’s decision to “give up.” Understanding the dynamics of goal setting can be a powerful tool for a job seeker’s success. Let’s turn the examples above into S.M.A.R.T. Goals:

For the Interview

Understanding S.M.A.R.T. Goals can also be a powerful tool for a candidate to use during an interview. Job postings, ads, and even job descriptions can be filled with generalities and duties that, at best, describe average performance. A job seeker is frequently asked “Do you have any questions?” Seize this opportunity whenever given.

Unless the following has been made clear to you, ask: “If I were offered and accepted this position, and you considered me to be extremely successful in my first year, what did I accomplish?” Then, probe! And probe whenever you can during an interview when you don’t have clear, specific (S.M.A.R.T.) expectations from the interviewer:

• Specifically, what do you expect the person in this job to accomplish in the first 90 days?
  • In the first six months?
  • In the first year?

• The Job Description says the job includes “making sales calls.” How many sales calls is considered acceptable in a day? In a month?
  • How many sales calls is considered “outstanding performance?
  • How many of the company’s sales staff regularly achieve acceptable performance?

• The Job Description says that job includes “leading the team.”
  • How many people are on the team?
  • How many members are new? Long-time members?
  • Is the team facing in specific challenges? Problems?
  • What resources are available for developing the team? Training? Assessments?
  • What’s the time frame for improving the team’s performance?

• You mentioned “the usual customer service” responsibilities, could you tell me…
  • What does “outstanding” customer service mean for this business?
  • What kind of training is provided for customer service?
  • What are the customer service expectations in terms of working with colleagues?
  • (Somewhat advanced but a good question) Is compensation tied to the quality of service provided by a person in this job?

These probing questions need to be customized for each individual position. But just like the importance of thoroughly preparing your responses to questions about your experience, this is where you thoroughly prepare by 1) studying available information about the organization and possible position and 2) preparing questions that probe for:

• Specificity: are you given answers with clear, “action” verbs?
• Measurable: is there a clear measurement (a number) that indicates a performance level?
• Attainable: are the expectations achievable, too low (usually not specific) or unrealistically high?
• Results: are the results of the actions specified indicated?
• Time: are the expectations framed in terms of when?

S.M.A.R.T. Goals can be a very powerful part of a successful job search – and a powerful tool for a job seeker to use during the interview process – if a job seeker learns and practices the process.

3 Tips For Landing A ‘Perfect Fit’ Job

3 Tips For Landing A ‘Perfect Fit’ Job

Are you a soon-to-be grad who’s still unsure of what you want to be when you ‘grow up’ and enter the “real world”? Maybe you’re a working professional who’s tired of your current position and craves a career change. Or maybe you’re a career nomad who hops in and out of jobs, never quite finding that “perfect” job.

Finding that ‘perfect fit’ job can be a long and hard journey – but not if you know where to look! In fact, it’s easy once you know what you’re looking for. Here are three tips for finding the ‘perfect fit’ job for you:

1. Get advice from professionals who’ve actually held the position.

Before you commit to your job search, you need to have an idea of what kind of job you want. A great way to do this is to learn more about specific jobs from people who’ve actually HELD the jobs. They’re the best ones to give you insight on the job, tasks, and general expectations to see if it’s really a good fit for you.

There’s a great site called SecureTheJob.com that helps you find this valuable information. It’s a community platform that uses the give-to-get model, so the site is free, but users must share a piece of career advice about a job they’ve had before they have free-run of the site. SecureTheJob is the only site of its kind – it’s a great way to find the specific advice you need as well as “pay it forward” by providing some insight on positions you’ve held previously. It’s a win-win!

2. Make a list of target companies.

Okay, so you’ve figured out what type of job you want – great! Now, it’s time to determine WHERE you want to work. Think about location – where do you want to work geographically? Think about the culture – are you looking for a competitive atmosphere or a more relaxed one?

Once you have your list of target companies, you can start doing some research on them. Glassdoor.com allows you to find great information such as employee reviews, average salaries for positions, and job interview reviews for specific companies. Having this information will help you narrow down your list so you can focus on the companies you think are a good fit for you.

3. Get to know them.

Go to their company website and check out staff page, if they have one. Think about who you’d be working closely with if you were to land a job at that company, then reach out to them via LinkedIn – Introduce yourself, briefly note your interest in working at the company, then see if they’d be open to having a quick conversation with you to help you learn more about the company. (Not sure how to do this appropriately? Check out this article for some pointers.)

Note: Do NOT ask for a job. You’re asking for a conversation. Remember, if you want to land a ‘perfect fit’ job, you need to do your research. You need to know who you’ll be working with and have some insight on the projects you’ll be working on. The best way to do this is to set up an informational interview with someone who actually works there. Check out this article for some great tips on setting up informational interviews with employees at your target companies.

Also, follow your target companies on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. See what they’re posting, how they’re interacting with people online, and what events they are promoting. Use their social channels to get to know them.

5 Tips For Asking For A LinkedIn Recommendation

5 Tips For Asking For A LinkedIn Recommendation

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile, building your number of contacts, and participating in groups are all actions to contribute to raising your LinkedIn visibility. But visibility and credibility go hand-in-hand. Credibility is key so those who view your profile see immediate social proof of your expertise. Compiling LinkedIn recommendations is among the best strategies for raising credibility.

1. Identify ideal endorsers.

Instead of approaching all 3,000 members of your network with a mass email that says, “Will you endorse me?” be strategic about issuing your requests. Settle on a number: 10, 25, 50, or 100 people with whom you had a positive professional relationship.

Arrive upon as high a number as possible, but then reduce the overwhelm. Tackle this number in bite-sized chunks. For example, make contact with five people each week until you’ve reached your goal.

2. List your greatest hits.

Because the best recommendations are specific, it benefits you to zero in on the greatest achievements to highlight in your professional history. Doing so will contribute to you controlling the message and cultivating a theme across all your LinkedIn recommendations that reinforces your brand.

Review your resume, performance evaluations, and accolades from customers or superiors. Use these to compile your list of key accomplishments, which will provide the substantive material for the recommendations you request.

3. Give before you receive.

Show your social media savvy in the LinkedIn land of reciprocity. Don’t demonstrate the bad form of asking for a recommendation – or anything else – without offering something that you can do for the other person. Identify people to whom you can give recommendations, then do so proactively.

Allow your act of giving to speak for itself. Some people will automatically reciprocate. For those who don’t, gently nudge in the form of an inbox message after a week or so. Say, “You were on my mind and it occurred to me to write you a recommendation about our work together. Have you had a chance to see it?” Your inquiry should prompt a positive response, and likely a recommendation in return.

4. Request early and often.

Best practices call for requesting your LinkedIn recommendation either while you’re still employed with the company where you worked with the prospective endorser, or soon after you leave. Your request will land in more open arms when you are fresh on the endorser’s mind.

If the endorser doesn’t respond right away, do not take it personally. Everyone is busy. Repeat your request, but this time, graduate to a quick phone call to make sure your request is heard.

5. Do ask AND do tell.

Most people will want to give you a recommendation, but they simply may not know how. The solution, then, is to ask for the recommendation and tell them what to say all at the same time.

Here’s how this works best: recall a particular project you both worked on and mention it in your request. For example, “When we needed to roll up our sleeves and change our sales strategy with the ABC account, you said the idea I came up with was the one that sealed the deal. Perhaps you could mention that in your recommendation, and of course discuss any other point you find appropriate.”

Your LinkedIn recommendations can prove critical to providing the potential employer with the exact information he needs to decide whether to call you. Structure your approach strategically, ask your ideal prospective endorsers, and guide them in saying something substantive that reinforces your brand. That’s how to build a list of LinkedIn recommendations that serves you well.

Don’t Let Your Job Title Define You

Don’t Let Your Job Title Define You

In 2013, 1.7 million students will graduate from college and enter the workforce. Roughly 340 thousand students (20%), will become underemployed. This means a life of retail with college loans to pay off, in addition to living expenses. If these students knew they’d wind up in retail, I’m sure they wouldn’t have added a $300 loan payoff on top of minimum wage!

This isn’t the first time students have received the brunt of an economic downturn. When I graduated in 2000, my friends moved to California with dreams of overnight success at super sexy startups. Six months later, they were unemployed and all their stock options were worthless. I looked overseas to get employment, as did many others.

The difference today is that we can begin to curate our own body of work more easily, less expensively, and more visibly than ever before.

After I gave a talk I at Belmont University this year, Griffin Mckenzie came up to me to tell me about her blog: griffinmckenzie.com. There, not only does she display her resume, but she collects her thoughts, shares insights, and builds a professional reputation not attached to any job.

In 1998, Tom Peters said in his famous “The Brand Called You” article, “You don’t belong to any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn’t to any particular function. You’re not defined by your job title, and you’re not confined by your job description.” What was true for executives reading Fortune magazine in 1998 is finally true for everyone else today.

Build Your Body Of Work

When Karen Bolipata moved to New York in 2008, she had $4,000 in her pocket and no contacts. The only thing she had was her photography and her writing. You can read her blog at: karenmaywrites.com. If you’d like to read her journey, find her first posts and move forward.

Writing to no one, she began posting her observations and insights. Soon, her audience of one (think: her mom) turned into an audience of 10, then 100, then 1,000. After a month, she started landing freelance writing gigs for smaller independent newspapers. She built her own career. And if she got a job with a major newspaper, worked there for a while, then got laid-off, she’s still have her body of work to fall back on. In fact, she’d have an even bigger portfolio.

If you’re not blogging, or curating your thoughts, observations or work, then you’re not building a body of work – don’t give away control of your future to an organization that can never love you back.

College Wasn’t A Total Waste… Even In Retail

Remember I said that if college students knew they’d wind up in retail, they’d never have put themselves tens of thousands of dollars in debt? Well, all that college wasn’t actually a total waste! There are two main reasons.

First, a liberal arts degree teaches us how to think. “Everyone Thinks!” you might say. This is true. However, not everyone thinks critically, as evidenced by your friend’s mindless parroting of the political pundits during the last election.

Use those discriminating thoughts to create and express original opinions about whatever it is that you love to do. Once you start this process, it snowballs, and you see great ideas, everywhere. You can’t help but construct arguments and identify fallacies!

Second, your degree taught you how to write. Sure, most newspapers write to the 5th grade level. But admit this: that your writing improved between your senior year in high school and your senior year in college. Right?

Believe it or not, most professionals (I’m making a generalization) can’t write worth nuthen’. (Joke). By demonstrating your ability to communicate clearly on your blog, Tumblr page, Twitter feed, or whatever, you’re making yourself more valuable to any employer. Not just that, but you become an asset to an organization and are less likely to lose your job.

Find Your Voice And Your Career Will Follow

If you aren’t blogging yet start. If you are, get better. There are a ton of resources out there and you don’t have to be a WordPress nerd to have a blog (though it’s fun being a WordPress nerd!)

Don’t sell your career to a company, and don’t affiliate to a job title. Instead, break free of the dismal employment statistics by doing what most other people are unwilling to do. Have a voice.

How Do Employers Find Their Ideal Candidate?

How Do Employers Find Their Ideal Candidate?

A little while back, someone asked how business owners, recruiters, and HR executives find their best candidates. The answers to that question are valuable for anyone who is searching for a job.

There are five key steps that employers take in evaluating a candidate:

1. Check The Resume For Job History And Skills

Recruiters eliminate people who are clearly job hoppers, with one position after another that lasted less than a year; they also eliminate applicants who lack the vital skills they need.

2. Check The Resume For Intangibles

It may be important, for example, that the candidate likes to work alone or travel out of the country or make presentations.

3. Look At Social Media

A Facebook or Twitter page may reveal that a candidate has a problem the company does not want to deal with, such as excess drinking or anger toward co-workers. Or a company where volunteerism is important, for example, may look for evidence of a candidate’s volunteer activity.

4. Pay Attention To The Job Candidate’s Attitude During The Interview

If a candidate arrives late, texts during the interview, treats the receptionist rudely or gives inappropriate or flustered responses to questions, that candidate is considered a bad choice.

5. Be Prepared To Train The Right Person

For some companies, a demonstrated willingness to learn is more important than current skills.

5 Ways To Recover From A Bad Job Interview

5 Ways To Recover From A Bad Job Interview

Did you ever leave a job interview feeling like it didn’t go so well? Self-doubt can creep in as soon as you walk out the door. Little things nag at you like your posture, tone, and answers you gave.

You can turn these negative experiences into positive ones and become better at interviews. Learn what went wrong and improve your performance. Here are five ways to recover from a bad job interview:

1. Write It Down

As soon as a bad job interview is over go, to your car and write down what you are feeling. Write what you feel may have gone wrong. Putting your thoughts on paper immediately after the interview gives it the most validity. This is when raw emotions come out and your thoughts are true.

After a couple of days, revisit what you wrote. Look at your entries completed in the heat of the moment. Reflecting in these thoughts with a clear head can help you focus on how to develop your interviewing skills.

2. Get Feedback

Several years ago, I was in a job interview that didn’t go well. When someone asked me how it went, I merely responded “fine.” The fact is, it was not fine. The interviewer did not want to be there. He wrote down things when I was in the middle of talking. Needless to say, I did not hear back about the position.

In retrospect, I passed up a chance to become a better interviewee. In talking with someone else, you have the chance to get their perspective. They can provide insight based on their own experiences and what they know about you.

3. Identify Strengths

The job interview can be a crucible. It is a source of stress for any job seekers. The thought of saying something wrong or not presenting yourself correctly can be taxing in an already nerve-wracking  job search. But the stress and adversity can make you stronger going forward in any job interview process.

Think about what you did that went well. Did you explain situations you were in through solid storytelling? Reflect on what parts of interviews you were most comfortable in. Think about your approach and mindset in these areas. Develop an interview strategy with this as your foundation.

4. Set Up A Routine

Many great figures in sports set up a routine before any game. Whether it’s because they are superstitious or not, there is a level of comfort in doing something familiar. It eases their minds and gets them into the flow of the game.

Develop your own routine for yourself with job interviews. The morning of an interview, go for a run, read, or do something you enjoy that gets your mind of the interview. Develop a routine and set your own flow, and you will improve in the job interview.

5. Contact Your Interviewer

This is something few job seekers do. Yet, it is so easy and can yield great results. At the end of an interview, make sure you get the contact information of your interviewer. Call or email them a few days later thanking them for the opportunity.

If you do not hear back in over a week, contact the interviewer again. If the interview went well, it could provide the chance of setting another one up. If it went badly, ask for information about what had gone wrong to help in future interviews.

Some employers may be reluctant to give information about the interview. Organizations have been faced with lawsuits for unfair hiring practices. Information like this can be valuable, so be professional when seeking this information.

Don’t let a bad job interview cloud your vision for future opportunities. Learn from the experience and improve yourself going forward.

How To Nail The 2nd Interview

How To Nail The 2nd Interview

Let’s begin with the ideal scenario. Based on your own preparation, this is a position at an organization that you’d really like. And you’re very pleased with how the first interview went. Now, what about this second interview? Is it with the same person from Human Resources, or the same hiring manager, or is with someone new?

For any situation the first step is the same – review the questions and your answers from the interview! The likelihood is very high that you left the first interview with one, if not all, of the following:

• “I wish I would have answered that question about ___ differently.”
• “I wish I would have used my accomplishment at ___ instead of…”
• “Why didn’t they ask me about my work at…?

Reherse Your Answers

Before the second interview is your best opportunity to really prepare in a much more focused direction. Even if the second interview is with another person, you know what information you’ve already provided. You know more about the company and its culture, even if the second interviewer’s style is completely different.

So, now is the time to review your accomplishments and rehearse your short, specific responses for the accomplishments you really want to present. Your prepared responses should be about two minutes long and include the challenge you faced, the actions you took, and the results achieved. You’re practicing for a playing field where you now have some knowledge, which makes it much easier and more focused than the unknown dynamics of most first interviews.

Be Assertive

In this second interview, you can be more assertive. If the interviewer is the same, you’ll likely be given an opening that references the first interview. Be assertive. Prepare something like the following:

In our first interview, I responded to your question about dealing with difficult customers with a situation I faced working at (fast food restaurant). As a manager for (another company), I had to address an issue that is even more closely related to (the job you’re being considered for).

In a good first interview, you might also have been challenged on parts of your experience – definitely if you’ve been interviewed by a well-trained interviewer. That may be rare, but it’s possible you were challenged with a statement about your experience being “not exactly what we’re looking for.”

Here’s an example: “You’ve clearly managed a team of 5-6 programmers effectively, but in this position, your team will be much larger.” The second interview offers you the perfect opportunity to present the experience you had managing a larger team – if you’ve had that experience. Or if you haven’t had that experience, it gives you the opportunity to prepare a better example of how you would approach managing a larger team.

Understand You Might Have A New Interviewer

Unfortunately, even for a first interview that goes well, there’s a possibility the second interview will be with a different person. One common scenario is that your first interview was with someone from Human Resources and the second interview is with the hiring manager in the department. Another common scenario is the second interview being with another person in the department. And that creates the situation where the second interview is an exact repeat of the first – same questions!

In some ways, this is a perfect scenario of your focused preparation. Let’s say you are asked about your “most important accomplishment” is your current (or last) job. First of all, you’ve likely had more than one “important accomplishment” or you only presented some of the details of that accomplishment during the first interview. Reference your answer from the first interview. Here are two possibilities:

1. “In my first interview, I talked about the project where I developed a marketing plan for a new program. There was another project the year before that also demonstrates what I believe I can accomplish for this company.”

2. In my first interview, I talked about a situation where I diffused a serious conflict that occurred in the department. There are some additional details about that situation that I’d like to offer – some things that really show the complexity of the situation I managed.

Ask Your Own Questions

You can also be more assertive in the second interview about what you want to know about the job and about the company. If you have not been informed about compensation in the first interview (which is more common), now is the time to make sure that the compensation and benefits are at least “in the ballpark” for your expectations. If you haven’t been given a good tour of the company, ask for one. If you haven’t been given information about training, development, or growth opportunities, ask!

Your first interview went well. The second interview can be more of an interaction – a discussion with you taking more control (more doesn’t mean dominating) with questions and greater detail. As always, it depends on preparation – and PRACTICE!