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Remember, you are selling an overall package: “Yourself”.  For you to be successful, you need to know “Who You Are”, “What Skill Sets are Important”, and “Why a Company should hire YOU.”  We encourage you to have a two-minute talk about yourself and be able relay this to the Interviewer smoothly and concisely.

1. Be Prepared

Interview preparation is one of the most important aspects of a successful job search.  Before an interview, Centennial, Inc. will provide you with coaching and detailed information on the company and the available position.  You should also be prepared to:

• Conduct your own research on the company.  Find their company website and study them thoroughly.  Understand the history, products and services offered, competition, mission statement, financial performance, recent press releases, etc.
• Think over your accomplishments, skills and experience and how they will benefit the company.  Write these down, make some notes, and know what you want to say.
• Be able to explain your past career moves and why you are interested in making another change.  Make sure your career-move explanations show foresight and planning.
• Avoid making negative remarks about your previous job(s) or manager(s).  This will only hurt your chances of getting hired.  Don’t be bitter – be professional.

2. Make a Good First Impression

Our research shows that initial impressions are made within the first minute of an interview.  Here are some ways to make a positive first impression:

• Bring a fresh copy of your resume. Your resume should be outstanding.
• Bring a professional binder and a fine quality pen or an iPad so you can take notes during the interview.
• Start the interview with good eye contact and maintain it – eye contact is key.  You will benefit greatly from looking at the interviewer in the eye.
• Wear professional business attire and use good judgment if the corporate dress code is business casual.  When in doubt, ask what’s appropriate.
• Make sure you have a firm handshake.

3. Be Enthusiastic and Confident in Your Abilities

Being enthusiastic about your work, the company and its projects, shows the interviewer that you are a viable candidate. During the interview:

• Be confident about your abilities, but not egotistical.  The “I can do everything” approach will not score you any points.
• Do not be afraid to give detailed information about HOW you can contribute when responding to questions.  Make sure you answer with more than just a yes or no and respond to a question with information or possibly a follow up question.
• Whenever possible, anticipate questions and be ready with answers such as:

Q:  Tell me about yourself.

A:  This is an open-ended question, so try and find out more about what the interviewer wants to discuss, then touch upon points that emphasize your background.  This should include interest, hobbies and what kind of work you enjoy.  Keep it to two-minutes max – talking too much can hurt you.  Be prepared and you will be able to do this smoothly and concisely.

Q:  Why are you looking to change jobs? Why should we consider you for the job?

A: Make sure you have logical business reasons why you are making a change and why you left your previous employers.  Saying that you want more money, is not a good reason.  Ideally, a good reason is to advance your skills or position.

4. Emphasize your Strengths

Almost every interviewer will try to determine your strengths and weaknesses.  Make sure you talk about your strengths in terms of teamwork and projects you worked on.  Bring up your biggest accomplishments and where you have made the greatest impact, but most importantly, explain HOW you did it.

• Project strength of character and strong work ethics (i.e.: goal oriented, flexible, committed, persistent, self-motivated, ambitious, hardworking, finish projects on time and on budget, good listener, dedicated, intelligent, multi-tasking, work-well under pressure.)
• Address the interviewer’s concerns (i.e.: if an HR manager conducts the interview you might want to emphasize your interpersonal skills.  On the other hand, if you are interviewed by a technical manager you might want to emphasize your technical skills.)

5. Turn Weaknesses into Strengths

Employers look for people who know their own limitations and are interested in self-improvement.  Mention a weakness and then stress its positive aspect.

6. Ask Great Questions

It is important for you to leave the interview with a good understanding of the position and the company.  You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.  Your goal is to make a good career decision, therefore, make a list of great questions to ask during the interview:

• What are the responsibilities of this position, and which are the most important?
• What are the top 3 critical objectives that need to be accomplished by the person in this position during the first 6 to 12 months?
• What are the limits of my responsibility and authority?
• What problems and opportunities are associated with this position?
• What are the goals of this company and department?
• What support is available for me to meet these goals?
• Are there any projects currently in motion? What is their history and status?
• What type of training do you provide?
• Why is this position open? Replacement or expansion?
• What criteria are used for performance reviews?

7. Discussing the “Money” Question

If you state a salary figure that is too low or too high, you may not be considered for the position at all.  Let your recruiter negotiate the best possible compensation package for you, it is absolutely essential that you do not state salary requirements.

• Focus on the opportunity and say you prefer to leave the question of salary open for now.
• Tell them what you are currently earning and that you are negotiable. “I know you will make me a fair offer based on what ever the market will bear.”

8. Ask for the Job

The close of the interview provides a chance to sum up your qualifications and ask for the job. You can use this opportunity to:

• Ask the interviewer how well your qualifications fit the company’s needs.  ”How do my qualifications fit the position you are looking for?”  This makes the employer evaluate your background right there and you can cover anything missed.
• Clear up any employer concerns or confusion before the end of the meeting.
• Express interest in the position and a desire to proceed to the next step of the hiring process.  ”I am very interested in this position, because (try and mention some reasons) and I look forward to working with you in the future.  Who else do I need to meet with to help with your decision?”
• You can get instant feedback from the interviewer by asking, “How do I rank with the other people they have already interviewed?”  Be quiet, and listen to the response, because, in most cases, their answer will indicate how well you just did during the interview.

9. Write a Thank You Note After the Interview

Always write a thank you note or email to everyone who interviews you.  It should be sent as soon as possible after an interview.  Generally, a thank you letter has 3 basic parts and the biggest thing to remember is to keep it brief and well written.

1. Start by thanking the interviewer for taking the time to talk with you. It is generally a good idea to include the actual date on which the interview occurred.
2. Reaffirm your interest in the company by pointing out particular issues brought up during the interview that appeal to you.  Try to personalize the letter by referring to the common interest, topics or corporate objectives you discussed during the interview.  Resist the temptation to sell yourself by reiterating your resume strengths.
3. Close the letter with another word of appreciation, an offer to provide more information and a statement that you look forward to hearing from them.

10. Read a Book.

In addition to these ten important tips, there are many good books to help you better understand the interview process and give you an edge over the competition. Here are a few of my favorites:

• “Headhunters Revealed!” by Darrell Gurney, CPC
• “Rites of Passage” by John Lucht
• “How to Turn An Interview Into A Job” by Jeffrey G. Allen
• “What Color Is Your Parachute” by Richard Bolles
• “Dress for Success” by Molloy

We encourage you to ‘over’ prepare for interviews.  We cannot stress enough how important it is to be prepared and we want to help you do your best.

Do you have any other tips from your interview experiences?

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Centennial, Inc. expresses to our clients and candidates the importance of corporate culture and valuing employees.  We try to “practice what we preach” by celebrating with our employees and their spouses.  The first quarter dinner was at one of our FAVORITE restaurants: Barresi’s Italian Restaurant in Deer Park!  The service was outstanding and the food is exquisite!  Contact Sarah Wagner, Executive Chef/Owner for your private party!  (Click on the picture to see more on our Facebook page.)

The post Centennial Team Fun at Our Quarterly Dinner Celebration | Wordless Wednesday appeared first on Centennial Inc..

Julie Shifman, in her new book Act Three, explores the lives of inspiring women across the nation.  By sharing their stories, Julie encourages others to shoot for the stars, follow their times, and take big steps in “act three”.  Whatever act you are in, Act Three highlights how women and men can overcome the valleys and climb the mountains of life to be successful.  We love this road map, helping navigate through the transitions of life - the good, the hard, the exciting, and the bumpy. Preview some of the amazing stories for the book below.

Through identifying your “gifted passions,” pinpointing your biggest motivators, proactively addressing what is holding you back, getting ready for the big changes, and overcoming the obstacles you encounter, Act Three inspires you to be all that you can be.  Centennial congratulates Julie on this amazing accomplishment and we encourage you to learn more about Act Three, including how to buy the book by visiting www.actthree.com or stopping by your local book store. You will be inspired. Truly.

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Focusing on education – whether to students in schools or professionals in the larger marketplace – this organization is setting in motion an environment of acceptance. With the goal of transforming the atmosphere of education and paving the way for a future of justice, BRIDGES has developed specific programs through which they accomplish service delivery.  These programs include Positive School Partnerships, Called By Faith Interfaith Initiatives, Just Cause Advocacy, Bridging the Gap Community Action Forums, Asset-Based Youth Development Collaboration, and Leadership Development programs such as Public Allies.

BRIDGES equips people with awareness, skills and opportunities to engage and transform our region into a more equitable and just community that promotes equity and champions inclusion. By focusing on interactions and introspection as well as inclusion, BRIDGES serves the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region through workshops, seminars, conferences, one-on-one consultations and community advocacy.  By infusing passion, igniting collective action and inspiring communities, the vision and mission of BRIDGES for a Just Community is becoming a reality.

Case in point, their ONE Community program that educates about respect in local school, specifically the Great Oaks Career Campuses, is reshaping lives and encouraging a culture of acceptance towards all. Centennial celebrates the impact and reach of BRIDGES’ efforts to instill respect, equality and hospitability into the streets and lives of our community.  As Lynnette Heard, CEO of BRIDGES for a Just Community, says, “Children cannot learn effectively if they do not feel safe, welcome, or included. When respect is present, bullying is absent from school.”

Whether being involved through capital donations for targeted programs or volunteering as a short-term consultant for a certain project, BRIDGES welcomes you to play a part, laying a unique and necessary brick in the bridge of justice. On May 2^nd, BRIDGES will celebrate with their annual awards dinner, a time to celebrate champions of inclusion and prepare for the initiatives of the future. Consider helping pave the way by donating to their cause of creating a just community for all of us… today and tomorrow.

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We want to congratulate all of the organizations who have been nominated for the Healthiest Employers Awards by the Cincinnati Business Courier:

• Christ Hospital Health Network
• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
• Cincinnati Eye Institute
• Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
• City of Cincinnati
• City of Montgomery
• Duke Realty Corp.
• FRCH Design Worldwide
• Gallatin Steel
• General Cable
• Horan
• iSqFt/Construction Software Technologies
• Mercy Health
• Messier-Bugatti USA
• Northern Kentucky University
• Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Choices
• PNC Bank
• Remke Biggs
• Scripps Networks Interactive
• SparkPeople
• St. Elizabeth Healthcare
• Standard Textile Co. Inc.
• Sur-Seal
• TriHealth
• USI Insurance

We believe the impact of having healthy companies and healthy employees is critical to attracting, engaging and retaining top talent in today’s marketplace! 

 Register to Attend Awards Dinner

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How Do You Write a Resignation Letter?

Often, we are asked how to write a resignation letter when moving to a new company, so we thought it would be helpful to put together a blog post to help those out there who need to accomplish this which can be an emotional task.

Here are some tips we think you should consider:

• We recommend not resigning until you have a written offer in hand from the new company.
• Be positive:  it is important that you keep your letter as positive and professional as possible and do not burn bridges – you may need contacts at this company for references or networking in the future.
• Address the Management:  When you begin your letter, it is important that it is not generic, but that you address the person you report to by name.
• Introduction:  Write an introduction to your letter by letting your employer know you are resigning from your position.
• Give an Ending Date:  Not only do you want to include what day will be your last day on the job, but out of professional courtesy, it is important that you give the amount of time required in your company policy – whether it is 2 weeks or 6 weeks.
• Highlight positive experiences:  you could give an example of what you have learned or thank them for the experiences you have had while working with them.
• List reasons:  You can list your reasons for the resignation although it is not required that you do.
• Thank you:  End your letter thanking your employer for the opportunity to work with them.

Sample Resignation Letter:

Dear Mr. Smith:

I am writing this letter to make you aware that I will be resigning from my current position as the Director of Supply Chain at XYZCompany.  My last day will be on February 1^st.

Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your team, I heave enjoyed my time here and have learned so much that I will be able to use for years to come.  The professional guidance and support here, have been top notch.  I truly wish you and this company success in the near future.

(you have the option to put a line here about your reason for resigning)

If there is anything that I can do to help in my transition, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Your Name

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Here is an invitation from local Chick-Fil-A owner:

I extend an invitation to you for the 2013 Chick-fil-A Leadercast-Northern Kentucky!  It’s a one day, live simulcast held at Receptions in Erlanger which features great leadership talks and principles, humor, great food, and beneficial networking.  Some of the speakers this year are Andy Stanley, Jack Welch, Dr. Henry Cloud, and Mike Krzyzewski.  Included in the day is Chick-fil-A breakfast, lunch, snacks, and prizes.

Chick-fil-A Leadercast-Northern Kentucky is also proud to support Regional Youth Leadership (RYL), a program of Impact Northern Kentucky that educates and challenges high school juniors to be aware of and get involved in leadership in our community.  A portion of every ticket sold will go directly to RYL.

Go to www.nkyleadercast.com today to reserve your table for this year’s event. Chick-fil-A Leadercast is great for companies, individuals, small groups, or anyone who desires to be a better leader.

Sincerely,

Dustin DiChiara

Owner/Operator

Chick-fil-A at Houston Road

CFA LC Host Site Update from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.

REGISTER HERE

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The post Be Mindful of Our Inner Dialogue – Courage or Fear – Optimism or Pessimism | Wordless Wednesday appeared first on Centennial Inc..

Attracting and Maximizing Senior Leadership

Top leaders want the opportunity to make an impact in an organization.  When you hire senior leadership, you are looking for strong, competent talent.  You hire them with the belief that they have what it takes to grow your organization.  Strong leaders want to prove themselves, but the company culture must afford them the opportunity.  They want to reflect on their time with your organization and see that they have made a difference-to see their stamp of excellence.

A wise leader will evaluate the company culture prior to accepting a senior management position.  Someone stepping into a role of Director, General Manager, or VP will evaluate the culture to determine:

• Are the organization’s leaders willing to trust my leadership?

• Am I able to trust the organization’s current leaders?

• Will I be viewed as the next “hired guy”; an outsider?

• Is this the type of company and culture I would be proud to call mine?

• Will I be given the freedom to make an impact?

How does Company Culture Impact Attracting Top Leadership?

If the interviewing leader does not feel he/she can engage in your organization’s culture, they will not want to invest their talents with you.  If they are to lead the organization forward, they must know they are joining a team that wants and trusts their new leader.

What company wouldn’t want to see this success from their top leaders?  Starting today, establish a company culture that will encourage its top leaders to prosper.

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Emma and Amy Bushman

SHARED FAMILY EXPERIENCES . . .ONE COOKIE AT A TIME!

“Can kids really start their own businesses?!”  That was the question that Emma Bushman asked her mom after watching coverage of a Young Entrepreneurs Convention on a Teen Kids News program.

Centennial, Inc. is honored to share this wonderful story which begins with twin sisters Emma and Amy Bushman volunteering together at a local homeless family shelter.  When they celebrated their birthdays, in lieu of gifts from their friends, the twins asked birthday guests to donate items for the shelter such as books, toys, and snacks.  The twins not only delivered these donated items to the families at the shelter; they stayed and prepared a homemade pancake breakfast for them…and their favorite part of it all was staying after breakfast to play with the other kids at the shelter!

“Camp Cuisine” at Mercy HealthPlex with the theme “food  as gifts” provided Amy and Emma with another piece of inspiration . . . the girls were sent home with a mason jar of cookie mix, and realized that this could be a great way to give other mothers and children the experience of baking together that they themselves loved so much.

Bake Me Home is a charitable organization dedicated to promoting volunteerism and providing disadvantaged moms and kids with direct services that encourage shared family experiences.  Their Tote Bag Program helps families leaving shelters celebrate the beginning of a new life in a new home by providing a simple jar of cookie mix, mixing bowl, spoon, cookie sheet, pot holder, spatula, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a grocery gift card for the essential butter and eggs (around $38 total value).   Tote Bags were delivered to the first shelter in October 2008, and today over 350 families per year from 14 agencies in 4 Ohio counties enjoy yummy cookies from an original recipe created by Amy and Emma!

And that’s not all . . . read about their other awesome programs . . . the Family Portrait Program, Bake It Forward , and Bake Me Back Home military program at http://bakemehome.org/programs.   After sending cookies to soldiers in Afghanistan, Emma and Amy even received this warm salute from Capt. Justin M. Brockhoff  USAF:  “Thank you so much for the delicious cookies…it’s bright, intelligent young people like you that are the future of the country and you’re doing great things!”

Bake Me Home welcomes volunteers as young as four years old (with an adult accompanying them) at all Cookie Mix Assembly sessions.  Join the fun and sign up today at http://bakemehome.org/fundraisers – but be aware, when you show up to volunteer, these girls mean business –they personally monitor quality control and work productivity!

Emma and Amy have asked Centennial to reach out to you, our networks of talented leaders, and “recruit” you to help us with two important tasks:  (1) promoting their mission through marketing and social media, and (2) helping raise funds for completion of the kitchen in their new building, and (3) attending and/or contributing to their Boutique on April 20^th.

As Bake Me Home celebrates another year of sweet success, Centennial invites you to join us in offering admiration and appreciation to their mission and their impact at the 5^th Annual Bake Me Home Boutique at Coldstream Country Club in Anderson Township on April 20, 2013 from 4 – 9 pm, where 20 vendors sell their wares and in return provide Bake Me Home 10-50% of the proceeds from the evening’s festivities.  In addition, each vendor donates an item to their silent auction.  The Boutique Team also seeks out silent auction items from around the Greater Cincinnati community, so if you or your business has an item you would like to donate, send a quick email with the details to cookiegirls@bakemehome.com.

Other Community Blogs You Might Like:

Envision Children | Enlightening, Educating, & Engaging Youth in the Community

Cincinnati Ballet | An Artful Experience

Girls on the Run | Building Confidence through Accomplishment

Professional Leadership Network – Truly Impacting Youth

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