Best Fit Forward

Question: Strategies for A Group Phone Interview

Chandlee — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:26:22 -0400

I've been invited for a phone interview with a search committee: there will be five people on the call. Any tips on how to prepare?

P. L.

Ask for a list of all who are attending.

Show you are present: If there's a staff list with pictures print it out or pull it up online. Let people know you are looking at it as you talk. This may help you break the ice, and it will give you a chance to see how members of the committee act as a group:

Do they talk about their pictures and how they look different? Do they tease each other?

Is there silence?

Customize your questions:

Prepare a question for each person on the interview.

If you want the job, follow up with individual participants.

Follow up quickly with a custom thank you email to each participant. If you have information on their job titles, include a sentence or two that shows you are thinking about how you would interact with them on the job. This is a great opportunity to revisit any particular topics you may not have nailed in the interview -- example: You asked my opinion about X; here's a more complete answer to your question.

If you don't have email addresses for each participant, Google *@companyname.com -- this will show you how companies assign email addresses -- you can figure it out from there.

Don't forget the blind spot -- i.e. interviews are always a two way street: The employer picks the candidate, and the candidate gets to decide whether or not they want to work for the employer. You may be so focused on answering their questions that you don't take time to assess whether or not the job is a fit. If you receive an offer -- and still haven't figured out whether the job is a fit or met all the players in person, ask if you can meet again before you get started.

Good luck!

Question: Is it better to have many friends or a few good ones?

Chandlee — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:26:53 -0400

My friend Jim and I are having an argument over networking? Jim says it's better to be an open networker on LinkedIn; I say it's better to follow LinkedIn's suggestion -- and only connect with people I know well. Which is the better strategy?

- K.L.

There's no right answer. It's up to your own level of comfort, and depends on what purpose you'd like to use your network for.

That said, my personal preference is to only connect with people who know you well. Why? If you get a job lead through a networking contact -- and they don't know you well...they cannot vouch for you.

It's not who you know that matters -- it is whether or not they are willing to speak up for you.

In my opinion, that's what matters most. "I recommend you for any job that you are qualified for," is a pretty weak reference. So Is "I don't know her."

Question: Are Cover Letters Really Necessary?

Chandlee — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:52:36 -0400

Are cover letters worth writing?

One person says no one reads them. Another says the letter is more important than the resume.

- JD

Sometimes looking for jobs is a lot like dating:

Say you have two dates with two different people, both of whom know your food preferences:

Date person #1 remembers that you are a vegetarian, checks out the Zagat rating and books a table at Paul McCartney's favorite vegetarian restaurant.

Date person #2 takes you to a steak house, when you say you don't eat meat -- tells you there's a lot on the salad bar.

Which date are you more inclined to prefer? The one who has taken the time to listen and consider your needs, or the one who's asked you to be flexible.

Cover letters are an opportunity for you to show the kind of date you are:

A good letter shows you've taken the time to think through the job -- and how your skills line up. It shows how interested you are, that you've taken the time to familiarize yourself with the role.

Like dating, there's no guarantee your potential employer will take the time to carefully assess your interest. There's no guarantee you'll get a call back.

But the more effort you put forward, the more likely it is -- at some point in the process -- that you will have your interest reciprocated. And a cover letter shows that you can be a good date.

Your thoughts?

Career 911: What You Can Do to Prepare for Irene (And After-Effects)

Chandlee — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:50:08 -0400

As Irene rapidly approaches, here are quick tips to prepare your career for a Hurricane.

The focus is on winds and water now, but we could be talking about unemployment and job loss caused by the storm in a few weeks. I volunteered to help with relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, helping survivors apply for jobs and search for work months after the storm.

After Katrina, I learned that re-booting your career after a natural disaster can take months depending on your situation. Here are a few critical steps that can exponentially decrease your down-time.

Keep all of your forms of original identification with you—and make copies. If you have to evacuate, take your passport and birth certificate with you. You need more than a driver’s license alone to establish identity with the Federal government; at a minimum, make sure you will be able to complete the I-9 Employment Eligibility form required by all U.S. employers.
If you use a local email provider, back up your email to a national account (think Yahoo!, Gmail, etc.)
If employed, know your company’s emergency contact plan and procedures. Don’t rely on local phone service or e-mail; have a back-up plan for communication so that your employer doesn't think you are a "lost cause."
Keep electronic copies of your resume, recommendations, and any job search efforts using secure on-line storage providers. (Again, e-mail accounts that are cloud-based, or with big providers are a safe back-up.)

You can also use StartWire, a free service for job seekers, to keep records on any of the jobs that you have applied to. You can use StartWire to store a copy of your resume - and track the status of any jobs you have applied to. (StartWire actually sends updates on job applications submitted to over 4,100 companies.)
If you evacuate and have room, pack at least one professional outfit—even if you don’t need it for interviewing, you will be glad you have it later if your personal belongings are affected by the storm.

This advance work will speed up the process if you need to file claims or apply for new jobs after the storm.

If you need career assistance in preparing your resume and applying for new jobs, keep an eye out for free services and resources. After Katrina, a group called Volunteers for Careers was formed by a network of career professionals and associations to provide free services to hurricane survivors. The organization is dormant for now, but will be reactivated "should critical needs arise." Stay tuned, and I will keep you updated.

Good luck,
Chandlee

P.S. Even if this storm passes you by, these tips can help you in case you are affected later. Two little known facts:

1. According to the Census Bureau, 53% of the U.S. population lives in a county within 50 miles of the coast.

2. Less than 7% of households are ‘Red Cross Ready’ for a disaster or an emergency (Source: Red Cross and Harris Interactive poll, 2007).

It's Time for Me to Stop Being Selfish

Chandlee — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 11:45:35 -0400

Over the past three years, I've written hundreds of blog posts and articles.

Some of my posts have been inspired by people I've worked with and trends I've seen. But I've also written a great deal about what I've wanted to write about. I've always worked to relate everything back to jobs and careers, but sometimes it has been a stretch.

There's a reason many published authors have editors. There's a reason papers have editorial pages,
and blogs have comment fields. We all need feedback, and for our readers to tell us
what's important.

Will you help me in this effort?

From this point forward, 90% of all of my blog posts will be responses to your questions or suggestions on what to write about.

Any questions you've always wanted to ask but don't feel comfortable asking in a LinkedIn forum?
What's the one thing you wish you could change about the job search process?
What do you need help with to move your career forward?
Where are you stuck?
What's on your mind?

You can ask me anything, but I'll respond first to the questions I get that directly relate to job search, applying for jobs, or navigating the process of finding work -- from fighting isolation and economic hardship to getting back up again and applying for jobs after you've been rejected.

All you have to do to ask a question is click on this link, or click on the "How Can We Help You?" button
on this website.

I'll publish the first posts next week: What do you want to know?

The Mid-Year Job Search: Go More than Skin Deep

Chandlee — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:57:46 -0400

When my dad was about two, he managed to send himself down the basement stairs in a stroller, tumbling onto his head and resulting in all kinds of crying. My grandmother "GB" frantically called my grandfather "Doc." He was flagged down off the golf course.

"Leon, Leon, our son went down the stairs in his stroller."

"Did he cry?"

"Of course he cried?"

"He'll be all right, then."

My dad's still alive and recovered quickly, but many today would question Doc's diagnostic methods...After all brain injuries can develop in the minutes and hours after a head injury.

Knowing the right questions to ask in a check up is important in both physicals and job searches: In situations, if you look only at the surface - you may miss the main problem. (Did I mention that Doc was a dermatologist?)

This month's Career Collective topic looks at the "Mid-Year" Job Search check-up. Here are three commonly asked surface questions that don't fully get at the true underlying issues.

When I Google you, is there any "digital dirt" that would prevent you from getting hired?

If the answer is no, that's great. But what's equally important today: Is it easy to see what you are great at professionally? Are your strengths and experiences that align with the job you've applied for --visible in 30 seconds?
Is your resume in ship shape?

Your gut response may be yes, resume is more than fonts, action verbs, and formatting. Does the resume speak directly to the job you've applied for? Are you customizing it so that your experience looks on target for what employers are seeking? Do the skills you are putting forward match your interests in what you want to do as you carry out the job?
How many jobs have you applied for?

There's a common assumption that your odds of getting hired go up when you apply for more jobs. But if you aren't applying for the right jobs -- and ones that you are qualified for -- you can actually decrease your chances of getting hired. After all, as in many areas of life, your chances of success can increase when you focus selectively on a few possibilities rather than a universe of opportunities.

What questions are you asking yourself in your mid-year job search? And might a second opinion be helpful to make sure you are looking beneath the surface as well?