Day: September 21, 2016

More Phone Interview Tips for Job Hunters

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Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter offers more phone interview tips for job hunters.

[spp-transcript]

Although I have done videos about, about phone interviewing I want to cover a couple of additional points.

I’ll simply say that you already know that you need to be in a quiet place for the conversation. But there are some fun things that you can do that will help you really excel in a phone interview.

When the interviewer calls, you thank them for making the call, and they say, “I’ve looked at the job description, but can get an idea of what it is that you’re looking for from me? This way, you make sure you’re on the same page as the interviewer.

Often, from the time that the position description has been created until the time that you actually interview, the job has evolved a bit, although the job may read one way on paper, in actuality, the screening for something a little bit different. So always take the time to explain what it is that they are is the looking.

Another subtlety is, ask them, “How long do you expdo you expect we will be speaking?” You can simply say that I just want to make sure that I have that amount of time in my schedule. When they are scheduling the interview and ask, “Can we speak at 1 o’clock?”

“Terrific! Ihow much time should I set aside my calendar?” Just get an idea of the amount of time that you will be talking to them.

Listen to the question. I can’t tell you the number of times where people start to get off on these long tirades and I hav call them a tirade because, after a while, I have no idea what they’re talking no recollection of the question. I have gone so far as to ask them, “Do you remember my original question?”

So try to to stay on point by answering the question in 45 seconds or less. If you have to go to a minute, so be it. But try to keep your answers to about 45 seconds in length and listen to what they’re asking you.

Along the way, you may want to sound like you are thinking about your answer and being all reflective. It is acting that you are doing. They can’t see that you have notes out in front of you and that you’re jotting down some things. Another thing I’ll mentioned to you is try using headphones. If you have access to headphones, use them. I find that being hands-free when I do my radio show and when I do my calls all day long is extremely helpful. It just allows me to use my hands, I’m not going to develop a crick in my neck that’s going to wind up hurting during the course of my conversations. Use headphones if you can.

Finally, at the end of this, you might ask them, ” so what’s going to happen next? When do you expect I would hear back about next steps in the process?”

That gives you a sense of timeline. Again, nothing I’m talking about is to be done in a way with it sounds like you’re anxious or nervous. Everything is, again, about the acting of the part. So you might just simply say, “Thanks for calling. When do you think I might be hearing back about next steps in the process?

“Well, I have a number of people to speak with.”

Oc ourse, you have a number of people to speak with! I am just trying to get a feel for the timeline that you folks have.”

“I expect to get back to you in a week to 10 days,” or “I expect I’ll call you tomorrow about scheduling an in-person interview,” or whatever it is, just get a sense of timeline. Then, concluded by saying,”I’m andI just want you to know how interestws I am in this role. I do look forward to hearing from you about next steps of you. I would love to continue further.

Firms find it much more appealing when they are being pursued. One of the things that hiring managers, in particular, hate is when they have to extend an offer that is going to get turned down. So, you want to express interest because, often, frequently, it’s a differentiator when hiring managers are deciding which person to make the offer to.

They have two individuals; they like them a lot; they both quite capable. The thing that puts it over the edge for you can be very simple –they think you are interested.

[/spp-transcript]

Do you think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

The Change It Had To Come – Job Search Radio

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I learned something a long time ago– you can swim with the flow of the river or swim against it. If you decide to swim against it, the likelihood is that you will drown.

[spp-transcript]

I want to talk to you older workers for a second about something that I know you know on one level is happening but on other levels you deny how it’s going to affect you and it winds up costing you your career. That is the notion of change. Let me use my career as an example.

When I started recruiting in the 1970s, the hot technology was COBOL. Ultimately, what happens is that things changed “in different technologies became the “hot technology.” Those technologies changed and new things replace them. This is an about the hot technology and what is hot in the market; it is about the need to adapt.

I remember when COBOL was becoming passé and people were starting to use minicomputers, programming languages are completely irrelevant now. They were recruiters who were saying, “there are no COBOL jobs and I have these great COBOL people,” and they didn’t adapt.

If you look at your field, the one that you’re working in now, and the changes that you’ve seen over your proof career or long career, you’ll see that things have changed.

You can argue with them and say to yourself, “I don’t want to have to learn this stuff,” and concede the fact that your career will come to an end because there are people who will want to learn that stuff, who do want to become involved with those things that are new, and desirable. It’s not like you’re going to be the best and that new thing, but you need to get some experience with whatever that thing is that is the new thing in your field.

You need to keep attending conferences. You need to keep paying attention. Reading trade publications, understanding what the change is how to adapt with it, and making the change, as well.

For you, unless you do this, let’s skip ahead a few years. There will be some version of recession. When firms start evaluating who to cut, unless you have adapted, you are an expensive item to. That’s true especially knowing the old stuff.

You always have to learn “new.” You always have to adapt, or else, otherwise, I’m going to start calling you “Dino,” for the dinosaur – – a legacy in your division. An old timer. The person who they tell stories about or jokes about at the office as the person who missed the opportunity to be on the cutting edge. Who missed out and made the decision that cost them their career.

There are so many instances I have seen of people who made this mistake, who hang on for dear life. The truth is if you learn the new stuff,, even if they do cut you (after all, there’s no guarantee that they won’t), you can find another position or contract work during the down times because you know the new stuff and you have experience with the new stuff.

Stay up-to-date with your field. Make sure your current and, if there are so many things that make it hard, to the best! Just don’t get stuck in the mindset that says, “Something else.Ugh,” and started to whine about it. No one likes a whiner, no matter what the subject is. Don’t become the office complainer.

Adapt. Spearhead the change. Encourage other people to adapt as well. You will wind up being a survivor.

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On this show, I offer career advice, rather than pure job search advice is designed to help you have a long and prosperous career

Do you … Read more about this episode…

How Do I Find a Job Without a Resume?

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[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyrVRz4eC8g[/svp]
I was asked this question on Quora and thought to be a good way to encourage you to think creatively.

[spp-transcript]

The question I was asked was, “How do you find a job without a resume?” I think the answer comes down to two ways.

If you are very inexperienced and looking for a job, let’s say, in retail or a job at a fast food restaurant, you don’t need a resume. They may ask you to complete an application but the idea of a formal resume is not important.

However, if you are in a professional discipline, how do you find the job without a resume? The answer comes down to, “Why would employer want to talk to you without you following the convention of you submitting your resume?”

I think the answer is clear. They had a particular need and you have the experience they are looking for. How do they know that?

Perhaps they have seen your LinkedIn profile. Perhaps you referred to them by someone who knows your work and is a strong proponent of it. Perhaps they saw you speak at a group were you are the expert on stage, presenting on that situation.

Being the expert in the field changes the rules because, “the rules,” are designed for the average individual– the one who is compliant. There is no reason to bend for them. If you are seen as the expert, you have opportunities that other people don’t have.

How do you present yourself as an expert? I gave one example earlier – – you are up on stage at a conference and are presenting.

Here’s another. You have written about this subject for years. Books are a business card for a lot of people. After all, when you think about it, what is a book telling us? Is telling us that you have knowledge and expertise on a particular subject that makes you different than other people. Pretty simple.

So if you want to be found, If you want to be sought after, If you want to avoid the resume trap so that when they call you up and say, “Jeff, we would like to talk with you about an opportunity with a client of ours.”

“Great. Let’s talk!”

“Do you have a resume?”

“No. I don’t have resume. You know about my background. You reached out to me, remember? Look, you found me on LinkedIn (or saw me speak or read my book), and time to write a resume. I have a full plate ahead of me.”

That’s the easiest way to do it.

[/spp-transcript]

Do you really think employers are trying to help you? You already know you can’t trust recruiters—they tell as they think you need to know to take the job they after representing so they collect their payday.

The skills needed to find a job are different yet complement the skills needed to do a job.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a career coach and recruiter for what seems like one hundred years.

JobSearchCoachingHQ.com is there to change that with great advice for job hunters—videos, my books and guides to job hunting, podcasts, articles, PLUS a community for you to ask questions of PLUS the ability to ask me questions where I function as your ally with no conflict of interest answering your questions.

Connect with me on LinkedIn http://bit.ly/thebiggamehunter