Should You Manage Your Job or Your Career?
For decades, people thought that “doing their job” – and doing it well – was sufficient to ensure long-term career success, plenty of financial reward, and job security well into the future.
Here is what that picture looked like:Sign-up now and download the book excerpt at http://www.getthejobbook.com
Mind Set or Skill Set?
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:
EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA”>It’s simple: Mindset comes before skill set. Read more on page 14 of my book “Get the Job You Want Even When One’s Hiring.”
The #1 Secret to Job Search Success
This “insider’s handbook” shows you all the things that are absolutely necessary to know and SHOULD have been taught in school or by your employer – but weren’t.
Read more on page 13 of my book “Get the Job You Want Even When One’s Hiring.”
Sign-up now and download the book excerpt at http://www.getthejobbook.com
Free Teleseminar: 12 Habits of Highly-Effective Job Seekers
You’re invited to attend a free teleseminar, entitled:
TITLE: The 12 Habits of Highly-Effective Job Seekers in a Down Market
DATE: Tuesday, December 14, 2010
TIME: 7:00pm Eastern; 4:00pm Pacific (teleseminar will last one hour)
REGISTRATION: Visit http://www.careerpotential.com/12habits
COST: Free!
You CAN find a good job in a BAD economy – but not with conventional search techniques. You need a fresh approach! Today's job market is the toughest since the Great Depression, and many of the challenges are here to stay.
In this dynamic presentation, Executive Career Coach and author Ford R. Myers will reveal 12 of the most powerful strategies that consistently generate exceptional results for job seekers, “even when no one’s hiring.”
If you’re ready to make a “quantum leap” in your job search and career success, you cannot afford to miss this content-rich call.
It’s easy to participate! All you need is a phone, and you can call-in from anywhere at the designated time.
This is the first time I’ll be doing this telseseminar, and spaces will fill-up quickly. So click on the link below to reserve your spot now and get the call-in details:
http://www.careerpotential.com/12habits
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
7:00pm Eastern Time
6:00pm Central Time
5:00pm Mountain Time
4:00pm Pacific Time
I hope you’ll join me! And if you know anyone else who would benefit from this helpful material, just forward them this information so they can attend as well.
Can’t make the LIVE call? Register anyway and I’ll send you a link to the recording afterward. (But you should do everything you can to be on the LIVE call, because you’ll get a lot more out of it).
I look forward to “seeing” you on the call.
Best,
Ford
Ford R. Myers, President
Career Potential, LLC
www.careerpotential.com
Take Your Free Career GPS Self-Assessment
The free Career GPS Self-Assessment helps you determine where you are on the road to career success and satisfaction.
This brief exercise will identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of your career plan, and suggest the resources that might be most helpful to maximize your progress!
Take the free assessment now by visiting: http://tinyurl.com/3xyyb94
Think no one’s hiring?
The fact is that every company is hiring all the time, if you can offer precisely what they need when they need it!
Read more on page 11 of my book “Get the Job You Want Even When One’s Hiring.”
Sign up now and download the book excerpt at http://www.getthejobbook.com/
Free 7-Part Audio Seminar on Career Success
Career Success Audio is offering a free, seven-part audio seminar that imparts 10 “secrets” to landing the perfect job and building long-term career success.
Once you register at the site, you will receive via e-mail one career success strategy per day for seven consecutive days.
No special equipment is required; just a computer with audio capabilities.
Each of the seven parts requires no more than 10 minutes of listening time, and the segments can also be downloaded as text files.
To get started with this powerful program now, visit www.careersuccessaudio.com.
Acing The Interview – Part 2 of 2
What do you see as your future here?
I would expect to be contributing at higher levels and have increased responsibility over time.
Are you considering other positions at this time?
TRAP QUESTION. Simply say “yes.”
How does this opportunity compare?
From what I’ve heard so far, very favorably … and I would like to learn more.
What other companies/opportunities are you looking at now?
As I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not at liberty to say as I am still in discussions with these companies. I need to protect their privacy, as I would for your company under similar circumstances.
What are your short and long term goals?
Short range: To secure an appropriate new position where I can apply my skills and experience to increase the company’s productivity and profitability.
Long range: Assume more responsibility and make greater contributions over time for my employer.
What motivates you?
Focus the answer on your core values, and also on the values and priorities of the company you are interviewing with (which you should have identified through your preliminary research).
What have you done to improve yourself during the last year?
Talk about professional development, training programs, educational curricula, study in your field, on-the-job training, skill-building, relevant books you’ve read, etc.
How do you spend your spare time?
Say something inoffensive, apolitical and innocuous. (reading, exercise, travel, home projects, gardening, family activities, home projects, etc.)
Tell me about your health.
My health is excellent.
If you could re-live your last 15 years, what changes would you make?
Nothing is perfect, but overall I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have developed – so I wouldn’t make any significant changes.
Tell me about your greatest achievement/disappointment in your life.
Give one personal example (like meeting your spouse and getting married; putting yourself through college and graduate school; or saving-up to buy your first house, etc.). Then give your best professional accomplishment story. As for the disappointment, give an answer similar to the one above, implying that “overall, I would say that I’m quite satisfied with the way my life and career have been developing, so I really can’t think of any major disappointments.”
What did you like best/least about your last job?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Explain what you liked best. Then say that while every job has its challenges, you have been fortunate enough to learn and grow professionally in each of the positions you have held.
In your last position, how much of the work did you do on your own, and how much as part of a team? Which did you enjoy more?
Talk in terms of your flexibility and adaptability – your ability to work in whatever mode seems appropriate to the situation. Make it clear that you have been equally effective in teams or working independently, as each case demanded. You enjoy both; it’s more about what will work best for the project and the company at that time.
What are some of the more difficult problems you have encountered in your past jobs? How did you solve them?
Tell two or more pre-prepared accomplishment stories. Keep it POSITIVE!
Did you ever make suggestions to senior management? What happened?
Say “yes.” Tell some accomplishment stories and results, in which you positively influenced senior management.
At your previous job(s), what did you think management could have done to make you function more effectively as an employee?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that the employer was very good in providing resources and support to your position, and that you have no complaints about this.
What has kept you from progressing faster and farther in your career?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! State: “I don’t know what could have given you the impression that I am dissatisfied with the progress and pace of my career. I am quite satisfied with where my career is at this point in my life. However, I am ready to take on greater challenges.”
What else should we know about you?
Tell one or two more of your best accomplishment stories. You can also repeat how well-suited you think you are for the opportunity, and how interested you are in the job.
Tell me about the best/worst boss you’ve ever had.
TRAP QUESTION: Never state anything negative! Say that while every boss has been different, you have worked productively with, and learned something from, each one. (Be prepared to give some examples of what you have learned.)
Everybody likes to criticize. What do people criticize about you?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Say that you can’t think of any criticisms you have received from colleagues on the job. Of course, there have been areas for development – such as when your supervisors would have given you your “employee review,” and they might have made a suggestion for improvement. State that you have always taken these kinds of suggestions seriously and have taken steps to make the improvements that were requested, and that this has made you stronger as a professional. (State at least one example).
Everyone has pet peeves. What are yours?
TRAP QUESTION. Never state anything negative! Turn this question around, by talking about your high professional standards. Your only “pet peeves” are with yourself – pushing yourself hard and not accepting mediocrity, for example – or how you are always striving to reach your full potential on the job, etc.
What is your leadership style?
Talk in terms of your flexibility and adaptability – your ability to lead in whatever mode seems appropriate to the situation. Explain that it’s more about what approach will work best for the project and the company at that time. Give an example or two, demonstrating different leadership styles, using your accomplishment stories.
Are you geographically mobile? (or) Are you willing to put in a lot of extra time?
Ask for clarification – what exactly does the interviewer mean? Then, according to their answer, either say, “that would be no problem at all,” or tell them “you’d like to give it some thought and get back to them within 24 hours.”
You don’t have the experience/background for this position. How could you handle it?
Say you’re confused by their comment, that you’re quite confident that you DO have the experience and background for this position, and that you’re a very strong match for the responsibilities. Ask what specifically concerns them about your background; what’s missing in your experience? (Sometimes the interviewer is just testing you.) Re-state your qualifications as needed, tying your accomplishment stories to the employer’s requirements.
You’re overqualified for this position, aren’t you? (even if you are slightly overqualified)
State: No – I see a lot of challenges in this opportunity, and I’m sure that I would find the work extremely interesting. Give some examples of what you mean, and talk about the new dimensions of experience and skill that you would bring to the position, almost as though you would expand the level of contribution in this job, thus making it more than it is at present.
We have all the information we need. We’ll be in touch.
Take the initiative. Ask such questions as: “Where do I stand? Am I being considered as a strong candidate? When should I expect to hear from you, or would you prefer that I contact you in a day or two? What is your time-frame for making a final decision? Is there anything else I can provide to facilitate the process?” etc. Then re-state your strong interest in the position and your confidence that your background is an ideal match to the job.
In conclusion, I strongly recommend that you prepare for your interviews by studying and practicing these answers. Get someone to help you, by doing a “role play,” in which your friend can be the interviewer and you can play the part of the job candidate. You will reduce your anxiety, boost your confidence and perform much better if you “know your lines” in advance! And remember – never say anything negative in a job interview!
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