1. Prepare for the interview
Over two thirds of employers surveyed say that the number one reason a job applicant lost the interview was evident lack of preparation.
2. Dress appropriately for the special occasion that is an interview.
When you put your best foot forward, make sure your shoes are shined.
3. Listen to be heard.
If you are not listening, neither are they.
4. Wear a smile.
Never leave home without it.
5. Show interest to be interesting.
Lean in and reflect on, talk about, what they are saying.
6. Express enthusiasm and excitement.
Anxiety and nervousness leave when positive energy shows up.
7. Create a conversation with good questions.
An interrogation is one sided; an interview should be a win-win.
8. Lead and keep returning to your strengths.
Your assets, and how they can help the interviewer/company succeed, are all that matter.
9. Act as if...
Your behavior drowns out your words.
10. Take the responsibilty for follow up.
Show that you care by staying in touch.
Today, and every month, I conduct an interviewing seminar with these tips and many more plus a chance for you to practice interviewing. And come join me on September 28 I will be at the J Seekers group meeting, Oak Park JCC, 9:30am, sharing more interviewing tips and tricks.
For a private interviewing session, email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Walt
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Choosing the Right Job or Career
Very often I am assisting job seekers who are having a difficult time deciding which career direction to take or which jobs to target. And most often the consequence of that struggle is inactivity, passivity and paralysis.
Without deciding upon a goal, an objective or just a direction, movement becomes more difficult, perhaps even close to impossible.
A job search has to be active and in motion most of all. Waiting and hoping for something to happen without taking action sows seeds of discouragement, disappointment and depression.
Not taking action because you have not yet come to the best decision about how to proceed can, and often does, lead you nowhere.
Taking steps, taking action, regardless of whether or not those steps are the best to take is far better than doing nothing.
To paraphrase George S. Patton, "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
Inactivity leads nowhere. Activity of any kind at least has a chance of being productive. And as long as you are active, you are on the go. And you need to be going in order to get to where you want to be. You won't get there by waiting for something to happen.
JVS offers career counseling services to help you make career decisions. Armed with good information about yourself, and your options, will increase greatly your job and career success. However, exploration and implementation both require you take action in order to be successful.
Start by acting on, heading toward, one of your choices, without it having to be a sure bet. There are too many unknowns in the world of work and careers to be able to proceed with absolute certainty.
Once you have made a choice, once you are in motion, once you are active, it will become much easier to change course, to improve on the decisions you make. Your car can't turn if it isn't moving.
So start with making a choice, a good choice, but it does not have to be the best choice. It is not all about making the right choice to start, but it is all about making a move.
Once you are in motion, those who can help you, your navigators, will be able to help you much better. Navigators help you steer, but you are the pilot. And you need to help one another to reach your destination.
Let JVS help you make your career choices and navigate your way to job search success. Contact us at 248.559.5000 or www.jvsdet.org.
You can reach me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Walt
Without deciding upon a goal, an objective or just a direction, movement becomes more difficult, perhaps even close to impossible.
A job search has to be active and in motion most of all. Waiting and hoping for something to happen without taking action sows seeds of discouragement, disappointment and depression.
Not taking action because you have not yet come to the best decision about how to proceed can, and often does, lead you nowhere.
Taking steps, taking action, regardless of whether or not those steps are the best to take is far better than doing nothing.
To paraphrase George S. Patton, "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
Inactivity leads nowhere. Activity of any kind at least has a chance of being productive. And as long as you are active, you are on the go. And you need to be going in order to get to where you want to be. You won't get there by waiting for something to happen.
JVS offers career counseling services to help you make career decisions. Armed with good information about yourself, and your options, will increase greatly your job and career success. However, exploration and implementation both require you take action in order to be successful.
Start by acting on, heading toward, one of your choices, without it having to be a sure bet. There are too many unknowns in the world of work and careers to be able to proceed with absolute certainty.
Once you have made a choice, once you are in motion, once you are active, it will become much easier to change course, to improve on the decisions you make. Your car can't turn if it isn't moving.
So start with making a choice, a good choice, but it does not have to be the best choice. It is not all about making the right choice to start, but it is all about making a move.
Once you are in motion, those who can help you, your navigators, will be able to help you much better. Navigators help you steer, but you are the pilot. And you need to help one another to reach your destination.
Let JVS help you make your career choices and navigate your way to job search success. Contact us at 248.559.5000 or www.jvsdet.org.
You can reach me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.
Walt
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Staying Happy During Your Job Search
"Remember happiness doesn't depend on who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think." Dale Carnegie
Colleen Oakley, www.colleenoakley.com, had a quiz, Sunny Side Up, in the July 31st issue of Parade magazine about being happy.
I would like to share her ten points, with an additional comment from me, which may be of help in keeping that happy face while you look for that dream job.
1. Cheerful people generally don't give happiness much thought. My thought is that happiness happens most when you are not looking for it. Remember the old axiom "ignorance is bliss."
2. Research shows that vacation-goers feel happiest a month before they take off for their destination. Nothing beats the fun of anticipation. Use the positive power of visualization to keep your spirits up.
3. How happy you are is 50% genetic, 40% influenced by how you think and act every day and only 10% influenced by life circumstances. Happy people tend to be happy even when life would seem ready to get them down.
4. To get the most enjoyment out of your work life, you should make friends with your coworkers. And to get the most productivity out of your job search, make friends with your fellow job seekers.
5. If you're sad, reading a novel is more likely to cheer you up than watching reruns of your favorite sitcom or tuning in to the news. Reading works your mind in a way that watching TV never can. An active mind is more likely to be a happy mind.
6. If you have a little free time, the activity which will bring you the most pleasure is spending time with nature outdoors. Physical activity outside has continually been shown to have positive effects, even biochemically.
7. Optimists are not necessarily happier than pessimists. Realistic expectations may prove to keep disappointment at bay.
8. Music, any kind of music, is an instant mood booster. Enough said...
9. Taking fish oil every day can actually help battle depression. Proper diet and daily exercise are essential basic steps toward success and well being.
10. Disney's Peter Pan was right in saying "think happy thoughts." And back to Dale at the top.
Share your tips for keeping positive with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org and help us help you by visiting www.jvsdet.org and www.parnossahworksdetroit.org.
Walt
Colleen Oakley, www.colleenoakley.com, had a quiz, Sunny Side Up, in the July 31st issue of Parade magazine about being happy.
I would like to share her ten points, with an additional comment from me, which may be of help in keeping that happy face while you look for that dream job.
1. Cheerful people generally don't give happiness much thought. My thought is that happiness happens most when you are not looking for it. Remember the old axiom "ignorance is bliss."
2. Research shows that vacation-goers feel happiest a month before they take off for their destination. Nothing beats the fun of anticipation. Use the positive power of visualization to keep your spirits up.
3. How happy you are is 50% genetic, 40% influenced by how you think and act every day and only 10% influenced by life circumstances. Happy people tend to be happy even when life would seem ready to get them down.
4. To get the most enjoyment out of your work life, you should make friends with your coworkers. And to get the most productivity out of your job search, make friends with your fellow job seekers.
5. If you're sad, reading a novel is more likely to cheer you up than watching reruns of your favorite sitcom or tuning in to the news. Reading works your mind in a way that watching TV never can. An active mind is more likely to be a happy mind.
6. If you have a little free time, the activity which will bring you the most pleasure is spending time with nature outdoors. Physical activity outside has continually been shown to have positive effects, even biochemically.
7. Optimists are not necessarily happier than pessimists. Realistic expectations may prove to keep disappointment at bay.
8. Music, any kind of music, is an instant mood booster. Enough said...
9. Taking fish oil every day can actually help battle depression. Proper diet and daily exercise are essential basic steps toward success and well being.
10. Disney's Peter Pan was right in saying "think happy thoughts." And back to Dale at the top.
Share your tips for keeping positive with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org and help us help you by visiting www.jvsdet.org and www.parnossahworksdetroit.org.
Walt
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