Career Management Alliance Blog

Back in the late 70s, early 80s I attended a Careertrack seminar. I don’t remember the name of the seminar. I don’t really remember the exact topic, but one story the presenter shared stuck with me all these years. The presenter, (we’ll call her Sue) traveled across the US doing seminars. Because of a hectic travel schedule, Sue spent a lot of time in airports people watching. One day, she noticed a woman in an absolutely beautiful white suit. It fit her to perfection and had delicate, intricate embroidery adorning the jacket. The woman was breathtaking and caught quite a few eyes as she navigated the airport terminal. Sue approached her and complimented her exquisite raiment. She went on and on about the fit and the gorgeous detailing. The woman thanked her and shared she had made the suit herself AND done all the embroidery work. This blew Sue away. Not only was the suit (and the woman) stunning; the woman created it. Then, the woman did something equally stunning to Sue. She started pointing out the flaws in her own work. “I appreciate the compliment, but I never took time to line it properly. <opening her jacket to demonstrate> Look at how ragged the seams are. I should have finished them better. And really, if you look, I probably should have trimmed up the ends of the embroidery threads a little closer. It shouldn’t look this rough on the inside. I should have lined it.”  WHAT???? In about two seconds, this impeccably-dressed woman took a well-intended, sincere compliment and used it as an opportunity to point out the “flaws”, degrading herself and her talent in the process. Continue Reading »

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In a recent interview with Chuck Martin, co-author of "Work Your Strengths: A Scientific Process to Identify Your Skills and Match Them to the Best Career for You" he answers the following question: Q. Would you shed light on how certain strengths work together and how certain strengths balance certain weaknesses? What are the practical workplace applications of these insights? A. Some strengths and weaknesses can balance each other. One person may be strong in Goal-Directed Persistence and weak in Task Initiation. In a situation that requires execution, that person is likely to start a project late but finish it on time. This is because their Executive Skills strength of Goal-Directed Persistence keeps them focused on doing whatever it takes to get the job done. This does not necessarily mean starting it on time, just finishing on time. A person with the exact opposite combination of strengths and weaknesses would likely start the project right away but not finish when due. Continue Reading »

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So I came up with this arbitrary percentage… I don’t know if you’ll improve by 100% or a gazillion percent… but I bet you will improve SIGNIFICANTLY (that’s a term we used in the MBA program that meant “enough to care about”). How?  Should you:

• Study common questions and prepare answers ahead of time?
• Make sure you dress right and floss your teeth?
• Have a strong first impression (great handshake, flashy smile, etc.)?
• Tell stories?
• Relate to the interviewers?

Perhaps all of those, and more, will help you improve your job search interviews.  Here’s my one piece of advice to help you improve your interviews a ton:

Record yourself in a mock interview.

It is weird.  You might feel silly and uncomfortable.  But when you review the recording, with some peers, you will uncover a lot of things and find yourself saying “wow, I didn’t know I did that with my hands,” or “why do I keep looking around the room, I look too nervous,” or “why can’t I just give my response smoothly,” or “I didn’t realize I said UM 40 times in that one response,” etc. I don’t care how good you think you are…. record yourself, and have some others record themselves in a mock interview, and then sit down and critique the recordings. You will find big and small things you can improve on. I double-dog-dare you to do this.

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In a recent interview with Chuck Martin, co-author of "Work Your Strengths: A Scientific Process to Identify Your Skills and Match Them to the Best Career for You" he answers the following question: Q. Why is it important for aspiring high performers to identify their weaknesses as well as their strengths? A. There’s an advantage to being aware of weaknesses since those are areas that can cause issues and present situations a person should try to avoid. Also, when a situation that requires a person’s weakness is required, at least the person will know that the task will be more challenging for them than those that play to their strengths. For example, if a person is weak in Planning/Prioritization, it will be difficult for them to easily sequence events in a complex project. It is not that they can’t do it, it just will be difficult since it is not natural for them. Continue Reading »

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My daughter landed a plum internship this summer as an assistant to a musical director and casting director for the national tour of a very well known Broadway musical. On her first day she observed a typical theater audition, cattle-call style and in less than eight hours learned what it takes most people decades to learn about interviews. Here were her take-aways.

1. Having strong skills in multiple areas makes you a better candidate. For these auditions, the directors were looking for the triple threat…someone who can sing, dance, and act. Many of the people who auditioned could sing but not dance. They were quickly passed up for those candidates that had a diversity of skills and could perform at an expert level at each. The same is often true in today’s competitive job market. The candidate with a strong and diverse competency base may have an advantage over one with more siloed skills. Continue Reading »

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51% of candidates appear arrogant, according to hiring managers. CareerBuilder recently surveyed more than 2,700 hiring managers to uncover mistakes that some candidates have made in job interviews. Employers interviewed found that 55% of candidates appeared disinterested, 51% appeared arrogant, and 34% did not provide answers that were specific enough. If you want to gain credibility in your next job interview, it is in your best interest to avoid the following mistakes often made by candidates. Don’t trivialize your interview or the interviewer Appearing disinterested or arrogant can be a deal-breaker. To succeed in your next job interview, treat everyone with respect. It does not matter if the interviewer is younger, less experienced, or less knowledgeable than you. Treat that person with the utmost respect – regardless of status or age. Genuinely try to find areas that you have in common so that you can develop rapport. Continue Reading »

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During a coaching call this morning, my CFO client was bemoaning the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to deliver his message. He said he targets 2 minutes as the time to deliver his responses to interview questions, but finds himself getting cut off after completing one sentence.

20 has become the new 2.

20 words vs. 2 minutes. Welcome to the new world of messaging courtesy of Twitter, texting, Blackberry, and iPhone.

I can hear you now. I can also see your eyes rolling. It was evident in my client’s response, too. How can you possibly deliver your message in 20 words?

Realistically, you can’t afford not to. If your responses are getting cut off, your message isn’t resonating. Conversely, if you deliver a crystal-clear 20-word hook that invites a follow-up question ... SCORE!

20 is the new 2. You have to know the new rules if you expect to compete and win!

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As career professionals, we can learn a lot from our clients. They come to us because of their perceived belief that we have all the answers. They believe we have the expertise to help them when they are seeking a professional resume to distinguish themselves from other candidates, or when they are looking for interview coaching to help them tell their stories and get hired.  Little do they know how much they also bring to the coaching relationship and how much we learn from them. I am coaching a young man who is interviewing for a position in law enforcement. His contact at the agency suggested he retains a Career Coach to help him prepare for the interview. After our first session and I had given him his homework assignment, he sent a note to say someone in his network heard of an E.A.S.Y. way to practice for this particular type of interview. I was intrigued! After all, I had coached other law enforcement clients before and always used the S.T.A.R. or C.A.R. interview technique. Was this something new? Continue Reading »

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Suffice it to say people do miss many key points and steps that would make the phone interview and phone screening interview more productive: Key Research, Phone Base Setup with No Distractions, Questions to Ask the Interviewer, A Clear Follow Up Letter Strategy, Selected Behavioral Questions Readied and more. Other issues on phone screens that are coming to light now are Skype Interviews, Video Phone Screening and more. Phone screening now has a video element. Look out. It may not be here now to a great degree. Your industry may be next.

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Want to make it to the next round in your interview? Check out these tips gleaned from this week’s episode of “Last Comic Standing:” 1. Know your lines. You’ve got 30 seconds or less to get to the point and convey value. Many contestants were eliminated in less than 30 seconds. 2. Wear appropriate attire. One contestant was stopped mid opener. The judge said, “Really? You need a breastplate to deliver that line?” Then all three judges said, “It’s a no for me.” 3. Likability counts! Several contestants moved onto the next round – semi-finals – because the judges said, “I like you.” or “You’re likable.” or “Not only was that good material [see No. 1], but you had a good attitude. You’re likable.” 4. Address decision-makers and those you meet at the company by their correct names. One contestant was so nervous, he called the female judge the wrong name, TWICE, each a different name, and both wrong. She said simply, “You can stop now. It’s a no for me.” And of course her fellow judge had to say, “Me too, but I’m still calling you Nancy.” (Her name was Natasha.) 5. Keep smiling, even if you screw up. Remember No. 3, likability counts. (No, don’t smile like Jack Nicholson from “The Shining!” Keep it natural.) Good luck! And if you’ve got good interview stories to share – from either side of the table – please do! Want more interview help? Check out our Newsroom and our Invincible Interviews program.

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