Interviewing – What NOT To Do

The interview process is filled with obstacles that will prevent even the most qualified candidate from getting the job.  I am going to discuss what I consider to be the most common mistakes based on 5000+ phone and face to face interviews that I have conducted over the years.

Research – Never go into an interview or conversation without previously having done some research on the individual and the company you are speaking with.  That could be as simple as looking at their LinkedIn profile or doing a Google search.  Use that research to help develop five strong questions that convey your knowledge of your profession while also providing you with valuable insight to how the company operates and issues that they are currently experiencing.

Networking – What Not To Do

Networking is defined as a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.  Why should you network?  Studies have shown that 50% of all job openings are never posted anywhere online and upwards of 70% of all openings are filled by networking.  Now that I have your attention, let’s look at how to avoid the common networking errors.

Job Boards Don’t Work – Using Monster, CareerBuilder and the other major job boards is a waste of your time if all you do is apply online.  Applying is the first step but must be followed up by calling into a company and finding out who the hiring manager is for the role. You need to get them on the phone to present them with your 30 second or elevator speech.  Recent statistics I have heard are that 2-5% of the people that apply via the major job boards get a call.  That means 95% of you are wasting your time if all you do is apply online.

LinkedIn- Optimize Your Job Search

This is part two in a series on how to effectively use LinkedIn to maximize the effectiveness of your job search.  Make sure to read part one, LinkedIn – Developing Your Profile.

In this challenging economy, LinkedIn can give you the information you need to get the edge over your competition and succeed in your job search.  The combination of job postings, access to contacts, and information about those contacts and their companies makes it an invaluable resource.  The key to achieving success with LinkedIn involves making contact with others in your field to actively network.

Searching for Jobs

How Do I Get There From Here

You have discovered what you really want to do with your life and it means a big career change.  So how do you go about making the transition and getting the job?   Once you have a good understanding of what you want to do, then you can develop a roadmap on how to reach your goal.  With a roadmap and a sense of conviction about your new career choice, you are now ready to go find that perfect job.

Networking

Start by meeting with or calling people in roles similar to those that would interest you.  These exploratory sessions could be a 15 minute coffee meeting or a phone conversation.   A great way to do this is by joining and taking an active role in your local professional chapter.  You will find most members are very willing to meet with you and provide solid career advice.  Be prepared to ask a lot of good questions to convey interest.

Attitude Is Everything

I am sure you have heard that from numerous people and you have probably even said it a few times.  So if we all know it, then why are so many of us having trouble following it?  Over the course of the past few months I have spoken with a number of people whose attitude would suggest they have given up on their job search.  Being able to overcome the constant rejection you face in your job search can be extremely difficult, however it is a requirement for success! Success breeds success and employers want to be associated with successful people.

The process of searching for a new career seems to be filled with rejection and disappointment at every turn.  You apply online for the job that perfectly matches your experience and yet you never hear back from anyone.  Your networking calls to your target companies don’t get returned.  Handling all of this rejection can easily wear down even the most positive of people.  So how do you maintain a positive attitude when everything around you seems negative?

Network, Network, Network

I am sure you have heard this numerous times and here comes one more, success in the job search is all about networking.  Many people tell me they are networking and do not understand why they are not getting any results.  The reason is they are not networking EFFECTIVELY.

So what is effective networking?  To have a successful and effective job search you need to employ a variety of different types of networking, each with their own focus.  Certain things may work great for others and not as well for you and vice versa.  Find the things that are producing results for you and focus on them.

From a broad perspective you want to allocate your time among networking events based on the return they provide in the form of jobs leads.  For example, you are not likely to get more than 10-15% of your job leads from networking groups so devote no more than 15% of your time to them.  As I wrote in ‘Finding the Hidden Job Market’, direct calls to your target companies is the most effective use of your time and should take up the largest portion of your week.

Finding the Hidden Job Market

By now you have worked on your resume and elevator speech based on the suggestions in ‘How to Make Your Resume Jump Off the Page’ and ‘Perfecting Your 30 Second Elevator Speech’.

Now it is time to put all of that effort into action so you can tap into the hidden job market.  Research shows the hidden job market accounts for anywhere from 60%-80% of all jobs filled.  Clearly it is extremely important for all job seekers to be prepared to tap into something this significant.

Start out by developing a continuously updated list of 50 companies for whom you would like to work.  Try to keep the total around 50.  Anything larger becomes too difficult to manage and track.  You can now provide your network with a focused profile to see who they may know within each of your target companies.  Providing that detailed and focused direction is one of the keys to networking success!

Perfecting Your 30 Second Elevator Speech

When I talk to people about the Elevator Speech, I often hear many of the same comments;

• Why do I need it?
• What do I say?
• Who do I say it to?
• Doesn’t it make me seem self-important?

Networking is the most important part of the process of looking for a new career, and the Elevator Speech is your number one tool to utilize.  You can have many variations based on your audience.  For the purposes of this article, we are going to assume your audience is someone in your profession who ideally has the authority to hire.   The Elevator Speech however is not about asking for a job, it is about making connections with the right people!

As the title implies, the Elevator Speech should be no longer than 30 seconds.   The  reason for this is simple.  The average person will give you a ‘free pass’ to talk for 30 seconds before they either lose interest or have to get back to what they were previously doing.  Take advantage of the window of time that you are given to convey your message in a compelling manner.  Make sure to not abuse the time you are given, by adhering to the 30 second rule.