Everyone knows the three most important words in real estate are location, location, location.
So then, “What are the three most important words in a job search?” (Answer below)
Not knowing these will impact just about every aspect of your job search, including your resume, the phone interview, definitely the face-to-face interview, and even the first impression once you start. That is why these three words are so important, no critical, to one’s search.
Recruiters are constantly amazed at how candidates take a job search for granted. The genesis for this article was a comment a candidate said to me just yesterday. Having just completed an interview the previous day, I asked the candidate how he thought the interview went. He replied, “I think it went OK. I did a lot of research on the company ahead of time so I felt prepared.” So far so good. Then I asked, “Were you asked any questions that you didn’t feel you answered completely?” His reply, “I guess I wasn’t really prepared for the questions. I haven’t had that many interviews so I wasn’t ready for the questions. I think I need to start preparing for that.”
Isn’t it a little late to start preparing for the questions one is going to be asked, after the interview?
This is the problem recruiters encounter daily. Candidates don’t understand, or get, the priorities of a job search. Knowing what to do and when to do it is the difference between getting the job and not getting it. Random luck rarely works in a job search.
I have said to hundreds of candidates, “You need to prepare for the questions you are going to be asked.”, he would have said,”I know.” I get so tired of hearing “I know.” From now on please replace it with, “I’m doing it.” PLEASE.
The answer to the question is, presentation, presentation, presentation.
Let me know if you knew these. I have asked over 500 candidates this question and none knew the answer.
Please don’t say, “I knew these.” Instead please tell me, “I’m doing these.”
Presentation, presentation, presentation is the key to a successful job search. Those that have this mastered will always do better than those that don’t.
Presentation includes:
- How well your resume presents your accomplishments. This includes aligning them closely with the needs of the job. The correct terms and phrases immediately catch the reader’s eyes. Leave the correct amount of white space so the resume doesn’t look cluttered and unorganized. (Consider listening to our audio on, “Traditional Resumes Are Worthless – Click here).
- How well you communicate during a phone interview. If 70% of communication is body language, and this is missing during the phone interview, how do you effectively communicate when 70% of the communication is removed. (Consider listening to our audio on phone interviewing click here or downloading our free chapter on, “Winning the Phone Interview” – Click here).
- Face-to-face interview. The first impression drives the interview. A strong first impression will set the tone for the rest of the interview. Make a strong presentation and you often get an easier interview than with a weak first impression.
- Preparation is all part of the presentation. Knowing how to make a strong and professional introduction, when to pause for effect in your answer, how you will stress the points you know are critical, how to answer the question in a succinct manner, when to lean forward in the chair, how to demonstrate high energy during a phone interview, what questions to ask during the interview, how to use your voice inflection, eye contact, etc. are just some of the keys to a great presentation. (Consider reading the blog article, “Where’s Wes, Not Waldo” – Click here).
Presentation takes an enormous amount of preparation and practice. This about “doing” not “knowing.”
Please leave us your comments and if you knew the answer to the question.
To review all our free resources and tools – Click here
I read with great interest a post today on The Work Buzz Blog by Rachel Zupek, where she revealed that in CareerBuilder’s most recent Quarterly Staffing and Demand Outlook that 25% of surveyed candidates indicated they planned to use a recruiter over the next quarter in their job search.
What the heck does that mean for using recruiters in your job search?
Is using a recruiter mean you’re praying they find you a job at the expense of investing in personal networking?
Does it mean that you plan on contacting a recruiter?
Does it simply mean you’re going to send your resume to a recruiter and if something happens – good for you.
No fault of Rachel’s here – I’m just giving her a plug for publishing the survey results. However, my frustration is apparent that I consider most surveys to be worthless from an informational and useful perspective. Should this data give hope to recruiters? Should it convince job seekers that a major part of their job search should be working with recruiters?
Let’s be real about the effectiveness of using recruiters in your job search (By the way – 90% of my income is generated as a Retained Executive Recruiter).
1. The recruiting profession covers less than 10% of available job opportunities. The higher up the food chain you go, the lower the probability a recruiter will help you find a job. Why is this? It’s because the vast majority of jobs are in the “hidden job market” – they are not advertised, published, placed with recruiters. They are filled through networking.
2. At a managerial/executive job search level, you should be in contact with good recruiters who specialize in your area of expertise/job level/industry/geography. Your contact – interaction – time invested with recruiters should be less than 10% of your overall job search strategy.
3. Networking is KING! 80% of your job search should be focused on networking. If you would like to learn more about how networking, job search personal branding, creating an abundance of referrals and job leads can help you – be sure to visit our FREE Audio Library where Brad and I have posted all our LATALKRADIO broadcasts about job search, including networking, resumes, interviewing, and personal branding. We cover networking strategies and tactics in-depth through our “Job Search Home Study Kit“. If you want to understand how to reduce the time it takes to find a job by at least 50%, this kit has everything you’ll ever need.
4. Sending your resume to a recruiter “blindly” is a useless exercise. 99.9% of these will end up in the trash can. There are a number of techniques you can use to gain a recruiter’s attention, manage the relationship, and get your resume to “pop” to the top of the stack. Learn more about how to work with recruiters by reading our recently published book on Job Search titled “This is NOT the Position I Accepted”. We also have talked about how to work with recruiters on our Weekly Radio Show.
5. Like most networking best practices, working with a recruiter is no different. You’ve got to be able to “help the recruiter” if you want help back. Try to find ways to make referrals on their other searches, ask how you can help them, try to find ways to make the recruiter successful. It’s a two-way relationship. I cannot remember the last time a candidate said to me “How can I help you?”
Hopefully, these 5 tips should help put into perspective what “working with recruiters” really means for your job search.
Barry
Most candidates do not have a solid job search plan to conduct an effective job search – then they whine about their job hunt and the fact that it’s taking them 40% longer to find a new job than their peers.
Can you afford to be out work 6 months, 12 months, 18 months?
An effective job search plan is one of the primary methods by which you can significantly reduce the time it takes to conduct a job hunt. Many candidates have used this approach, which is a core element of our Career Success Methodology, to reduce their job search time by 40%, 50%, and sometimes as much as 65% based on traditional projections of the length of job searches by level of position.
Join Brad and I on Monday at 11 AM PST on LATALKRADIO.com as we discuss, banter, and argue about what is a proper job search plan and how do you get started in creating one for yourself. Mark your calendar right now! We take your questions, comments, and ideas and put them on the air to discuss, debate, and challenge each other.
Be on the lookout for our upcoming FREE Self-Assessment 8-Point Success Matrix for a Job Search Plan, our audio program which you can download directly from Itunes or from our website in our extensive FREE Audio Library. Finally, we’ll have a video up shortly about the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes which you can download from Youtube.
Barry
Here is a round-up and review of our blog posts over the past week. Our blog posts have covered the spectrum of job search mistakes, resumes, networking, leveraging social media, and techniques to reduce your job hunt timeframe by at least 50%.
The Top Ten Job Search Mistakes – Are You Guilty?
We explore the most common Top Ten Job Search Mistakes based on research over 25 years. Are you making one or more of these mistakes in your job search?
Un and Under-Employment: What You Don’t Know
Recognize the emotional side of being unemployed in one of the worst job markets we’ve seen in 25 years. We interview of the leading experts on dealing with the emotional side of a job search.
Stay tuned next week as we begin to explore each of the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes and how you can overcome them. Imagine how quickly your job hunt could be over by just avoiding a few of the most common pitfalls to conducting an effective job search.
We will also begin to take an in-depth look at most powerful technique ever used to prepare for any interview question. Using this one preparation technique which is a core element of our Career Success Methdology, you’ll have potential employers almost begging you to come and work for their company.
Barry
Why Do Job Searches Fail Frequently?
We’ve conducted extensive research with candidates over the last 25 years regarding career management and job search. We’ve attempted to isolate the major failure points of careers and job searches. In our book “This is NOT the Position I Accepted“, you’ll discover more details around the classic job search mistakes the precise steps to overcome each of them.
Luck sometimes happens – we all deserve a lucky break. However, luck and hope are not sound strategies on which to base a successful job search and long term career.
In our Job Search Home Study Kit, we have a series of templates which walk you through the job search process in great depth and precision. In this blog posting on the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes, we’d like you to answer a few introspective questions about your job search success (or lack thereof):
The Top Ten Job Search Mistakes
1. Are you currently guilty of making any of the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes?
2. In the past, when you’ve made one or more job search mistakes, how has it negatively impacted your success?
3. Is there one or more job search mistakes that you consistently make? What are you doing to change and not make these mistakes in the future?
In future blog posts, we’ll explore each of these Top Ten Job Search Mistakes in more depth. Here are the most common job search mistakes made by managers and executives:
1. Not having a systematic approach to conducting a job search
2. Jumping at an opportunity based on desperation
3. Not adequately preparing for interviews
4. Lack of follow-up after interviews
5. Ineffective networking
6. No personal branding to help hiring managers and recruiters find you
7. Not leveraging on-line tools and resources
8. No coherent long-term strategic career plan
9. Poor attitude – pessimism, negativity, frustration dictate your actions
10. Ineffective engagement with recruiters
Overcoming the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes
Once you overcome these Top Ten Job Search Mistakes, you’ll be amazed at the abundance of opportunities, leads, and referrals that start to land in your lap.
Many candidates stuck or stumped in their job hunt do not recognize they are making the same mistakes over and over – thus prolonging the time period they are out of work. With a few simple exercises, templates, worksheets, and structured plans of action that you’ll find in our Job Search Home Study Kit, you’ll be able to reduce the time it takes to complete a traditional job search by at least 50%.
Be sure to stop by our FREE Audio Library where Brad and I have archived all our Internet Radio Talk Shows discussing how to overcome job search mistakes and how to reduce the time it takes to complete your job search.
Barry
We discuss some of the most common interviewing mistakes candidates make. This program is dedicated to helping ensure those that listen will not make these mistakes. The mistakes are so common that most candidates don’t even know they are making them. Having conducted over 10,000 interviews as a recruiter for over 30 years and co-interviewed thousands of times with clients, these common mistakes are the biggest reasons most candidates don’t get the job. If candidates would avoid these few mistakes their success rate would dramatically increase.
By doing these few things (not knowing them – doing them) and your competition making these mistakes, you will win the job and they will be eliminated.
NO.
A common assumption made by most candidates is that, “I’m qualified. Why don’t you call me?” Simply put, you answered your own question. We don’t want qualified people.
Recruiters are only looking for exceptionally qualified people.
Especially in this market, companies don’t need to hire us to find qualified people. They can do that on their own for FREE.
If you want to have recruiters notice you, if you want recruiters to call you once they receive your resume, and if you want recruiters to return your phone call, then you must demonstrate why you are exceptionally qualified. We are not looking for just qualified, or as most candidates indicate in their emails, “I think I’m a good fit.” Recruiters don’t want “a good fit” either. We want exceptional fits.
Our book, “This is NOT the Position I Accepted” was written for this exact reason. We really attempted to help candidates understand how to demonstrate they are an exceptional fit. The 5 steps in the book give great detail on being or becoming exceptional. These 5 steps closely follow a sales model, after all, you are now in sales.
1) Define the product. That is you. Why are you so different from your competition? This is the, “what makes me exceptional” part. If you can’t define this, then you are not exceptional. Don’t feel badly. Not everyone can be exceptional. Only the top 15 – 20% are exceptional.
This is probably the biggest reason most candidates fail at being exceptional. They don’t take the time to perform an in-depth analysis of their strengths and transferable skills. (We have a free skills assessment tool for you do download at the bottom of our home page CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD).
2) Identify Customers. All good sales people have a target list of customers , who they want to talk to in that company, and how to get to them. This is your network. Of the thousands of candidates I interview, very few have a real focused, targeted list and a plan to get to the person. Real sales people don’t just randomly call on companies and neither should you.
3) Marketing Materials. This is your resume. Sales people know that marketing materials are just support documents that open doors. These documents don’t close the sale. Most companies that are market focused have multiple marketing documents. They know that customers are motivated by different things and they need to get to what motivates that customer to make a sale. One size fits all, doesn’t work.
Your resume should be focused to the company/hiring manager/recruiter’s motivation. Your resume should clearly articulate the benefits to the person or recruiter whose attention you want to attract. This is not one size fits all.
You can download a free audio on, “Why Traditional Resumes Are Worthless” by CLICKING HERE
4) Sales Presentation. In the candidate’s case the presentation is the interview, either via phone or face-to-face. Sales people practice this at length. Sales reps often have the manager go along to ensure they are skilled at this. Sales reps anticipate objections, seek out the answers to overcome the objections, and then practice to make them appear unrehearsed. Sales people know exactly what questions to ask to elicit the information needed to make the sale.
Most candidates don’t rehearse their presentation to anyone. They practice answers in their head, but rarely write out the answers. I have watched more interviews collapse when the hiring manager asks, “What questions do you have for me?” The candidate sits there like a deer in the headlights. This part of the interview is so important that we have included over 150 questions to ask in an interview in our book and have even divided the questions into categories. The list includes questions on leadership, initiative, values, management style, and questions specific to the job, organization, etc.
The questions you ask are often more important than the answers you give.
To receive a free chapter on, “Winning the Phone Interview” CLICK HERE.
We also have a whole chapter on the ten most important questions to ask in an interview.
Less than 10% ever ask even one of these. Amazing.
5) Follow-up and closing. It is all a waste of time if the follow-up and closing doesn’t happen. For candidates, this happens in a couple of different areas, thank you letters (we even provide an example), second and third interviews, and of course closing the deal. This may even include a contract.
Mastering, NOT JUST KNOWING THESE, but mastering these will make you the exceptional candidate recruiters are seeking.
Knowing them will ensure you stay a qualified candidate.
For more information on becoming exceptional see all of our free resources, review the free audio library where we post new audios every week, read our other career management blog entries and even listen to our talk radio show on Monday’s at 11 – noon PDT on www.latalkradion.com.
You can receive our candidate job search workbook for FREE by CLICKING HERE
Now you have the resources and tools to become an “exceptional” candidate. We hope you will pick up the tools and begin using them.
There are two sides to every job search. We all know the tactics of a search, writing the resume, interviewing, networking, etc. These are important but the most important aspect is the personal and emotional side of every search. Sooner or later these emotions take hold. Dealing with the family, spouses, finances are the 800 pound gorillas in the room that few if anyone ever talk about. Our guest, Pam Christian, is an expert dealing with the personal side of un or under employment. Pam speaks nationally, she has been on numerous radio shows, written books and conducts workshops and seminars on this subject. Pam shares with us her life experiences going through the tough times while unemployed and how her family survived this 4 year period. She also gives solutions and resources you can tap into BEFORE the worst happens to you. Her website www.wydk.org lists these resources and future events for you to download. In addition, you can download from www.impacthiringsolutions.com a FREE skills assessment tool to help you evaluate your transferable skills
As a recruiter I must review hundreds of resumes a week and tens of thousands in my 30 year career. Over the last few years, I have noticed a dramatic increase in the amount of turnover candidates have on their resume. I have also noticed a dramatic increase in push back from clients on the amount of candidate turnover.
There are many good reasons that one finds themselves on the job market. For many, a pattern of turnover develops and it is hard to accept that it is just coincidence that the company was sold, a new boss, the company relocated etc. Granted, this may happen once or twice, but it is hard to accept 5 or 6 time in 8 years. For a few maybe. Often the real reason is clear, the person took a position they really should not have accepted in the first place. We call this the, “Circle of Transition.”
One enters the Circle of Transition the moment any level of frustration enters their job search. You can be employed or not, it doesn’t matter. Once you become frustrated with your current situation you are either in, or about to enter, the dreaded Circle of Transition.
So this is how the circle works; that frustration eventually turns into desperation, that desperation turns into rationalizing that a less than acceptable position may be a “good” opportunity. After enough rationalization the candidate begins the justification process. Now in their mind they have actually justified why a less than acceptable position is a “good” opportunity. Once it is justified, that then leads them to accepting a less than acceptable position. Six to twelve months into the less than acceptable job, frustration sets in, then desperation and you are in the Circle of Transition.
Our job search workbook, “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” goes into great detail on the Circle of Transition and how to avoid it. You can get a graphic of the Circle of Transition for free on our Web site just click here.
One solution to the Circle of Transition is always understanding exactly where you are in the circle. This is extremely difficult for most candidates. Simply because once in the rationalization phase, candidates don’t or won’t accept that the position isn’t right for them. They completely ignore their gut, coaching from others, or any advice.
My recommendation is to click here and download the graphic and paste it on your mirror. Every morning pinpoint exactly what phase you are in. This way at least you can start to deal with the issues. The solution to every problem starts with identifying the problem. Once you know what phase you are in then you can deal with it and maybe find your way out of the circle.
We offer a wealth of FREE resources for candidates in-transition. We encourage you to take complete advantage of these resources.
To explore our audio library and download past radio shows just click here.
To listen to our talk radio show every Monday from 11 – noon PST click here.
We encourage and request your comments and feedback. Please consider giving us your thoughts in the comment section.
Most interviewing processes start and stop with the phone interview. In our opinion this is the most important interview. Not only because if you fail here the process stops, but mainly because it sets the stage for the in-person interview if you do well. Have a great phone interview and the mindset of the person bringing you in for the face-to-face interview is already positive, they believe you must be qualified, and you are starting out in a strong position.
Here is a quick quiz to see if you are ready to, “Win The Phone Interview.” Answer these in your mind, not fair if you already read the book or downloaded the free chapter. (Answers below)
- List all three factors that can be measured during a phone interview. Must list all three.
- How long should you talk before re-engaging the interviewer?
- Is the format for answering a question different than a face-to-face? If so, what is different?
- Is there a possible benefit from not answering the phone? If yes, what is it?
- What is the only purpose of a phone interview?
If you can answer all of these, then you are aware of how different the phone interview is from the in-person interview. If you can’t answer all of them then you should consider doing your homework. It is possible you’ve missed an opportunity because you were weeded out during a phone interview.
To help you, we have a number of completely FREE resources to make sure you know how to win the phone interview.
- Our chapter on “Winning the Phone Interview” from our job search workbook is free to download. It answers all these questions and more.
- We just posted a 1 hour audio file from our radio show focused completely on the phone interview.
- There are also a number of other blog entries dedicated to the phone interview for you to read.
- Our Linkedin discussion group is a great forum to discuss any issues you have regarding your job search.
- Our monthly Candidate Open Forum tele-conference has been one of our most successful methods to discuss all job search related topics. These forums fill up in less than a day. Click here for the next date and time.
Please consider taking advantage of these. They are all free tools you can use to ensure you not only win the phone interview, but win the job.
Help your friends and family know how they can win a phone interview by sharing this with them.
Please let us know how you did on the quiz. Did you really know all of the answers?
Answers:
- Energy level, technical abilities and communication skills
- 1 minute.
- Yes, since it shorter and you can’t read their body language it is very important that your answers are succinct and impactful.
- The hiring manager leaves a message saying, This is the VP of HR from ABC company. I’m calling about X opening and would like to speak with you.” Now you can do some basic research on the company.
- To screen you in or screen you out.
