Unemployed in Des Moines

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why. She’s been on PBS’s Frontline, will be in the May issue of Smart Money magazine, and has been quoted frequently in numerous articles for CareerBuilder, MSN Careers, Yahoo Hot Jobs, and the New York Times, among others. She’s also been featured as an expert in numerous career books. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.findtheperfectjob.com/

You just learned one of your previous employers has been giving you a bad reference. Count your blessings that you found out, because many never do. But what do you do about it?

Bad references don’t always prevent someone from getting a job. The key is how the issue is handled in the reference, and how you handle it prior to the reference being checked. So your goal isn’t necessarily to erase or debate the issue, only to reach agreement on its presentation.

When you phone, prevent them from becoming defensive by saying, “I’m calling to ask your help with something. I understand you have an issue with my performance when I worked for you, and I’m wondering if we might be able to reach an agreement on how it’s presented so that it doesn’t compromise my chances of employment. Would you mind sharing with me, please, what you weren’t happy with when we worked together?”

Your tone of voice must be respectful, polite, and convey your desire for information and understanding. If you’re angry, defensive, or whiny, or they perceive they’re being attacked, you’re not going to get what you want or need, which is information and cooperation. Creating an environment where they feel comfortable talking is more likely to open a conversation.

Don’t argue, interrupt or react defensively. Just listen. And when they’re done, tell them you appreciate their sharing with you. This relaxes them further and moves you closer to a win/win agreement.

Next ask them what – not “if” – the positive aspects of your performance were. Ask if they’d be willing to share that information also next time. Again, this is negotiation for a win/win, not an argument to win or lose. Make sure they realize you’re not asking them to remove the negative, but simply to frame it in a less harmful light and balance it with the positive. When you approach the conversation with the goal of resolving the situation and healing the relationship as best it can be healed, everyone usually wins.

As you continue interviewing, address this with a prospective employer before the reference is checked, but not until an offer is imminent. Assuming the issue is a valid one, acknowledge you’ve had some difficulty in the past, but since then it’s no longer relevant (if this is true.). Don’t make excuses or try to explain. Now you’ve defused the situation and removed the element of surprise.

If there’s no validity, you’ll need to address that too, but by presenting the supervisor as perhaps someone who was threatened, or new, or wanted their own person in your position, or whatever the case truly was, but be brief, objective, and balance it with a positive about the person as well. Trashing them reflects poorly on you and will backfire.

A wise word to every job seeker: contact your references before you start looking. Send them your resume. Tell them what you’ll be interviewing for. Ask them what they might contemplate saying and how they’d speak to your abilities. Ask their permission to use them as a reference. References are sacred. Their privacy and willingness to speak on your behalf is to be respected and appreciated. Then you prevent this problem from occurring.

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why.

Last week, we looked at the concept of giving away power in the interviewing process, why and how that happens, and a few ways to retain it instead, If you haven’t read it, check out How You Give Away Power – Part 1. Now let’s look at additional reasons and ways to counter them.

When you haven’t identified what you want in your next job, what you want is….a job. Each interview becomes a hurdle you feel you need to clear. Rejections become a reason to double your effort to win over every hiring authority. Combined, both of them result in your giving away more power, not less.

Candidates unconsciously fear that they’ll be judged and found wanting. It automatically puts them on the defensive, eager to please. From innocuous things such as getting a tickle in your throat to being fired, they often fear these situations will be seen as egregious faults worthy of not making the cut. As if interviewers don’t sneeze without tissues? Or get laid off? Or worse?

Getting fired without cause is no reason to lose sleep over how to handle it. When you worry so much about its effect on your interview that you over explain, it actually costs you the job. As Shakespeare said, “Methinks you doth protest too much.” Rather than clearing the air, you’re suffusing it with increased doubt.

Instead of creating a concern for the interviewer, find a way to turn the anticipated concern into a positive and then introduce it into the conversation. When you understand how to do this in a manner that impacts the company, rather than you, then you’ve planted a positive thought before any negative has time to develop.

When you don’t know what you want – except the job – you try too hard. It comes through in your tone of voice, your body language, and your choice of words, however subtle that may be. The interviewer may not consciously pick it up, but he’ll react to it nonetheless. Interviewers are inclined to ferret out problems, go with preconceptions and stick with cookie cutter patterns under the impression that will result in a better hiring decision. Sometimes they’re actually looking for ways to eliminate you, whether you, and they, know it or not. Why help them find a problem? In fact, why give it to them on a silver platter?

If you don’t have a degree and that’s a “concern,” your answer should be, “I understand why you feel that’s important. Some of my employers have initially felt that way too. But as you can see from my resume, I’ve been very successful in this field and in my roles, and the lack of degree hasn’t impeded my ability to impact my employer positively.”

Notice you didn’t argue, nor did you deflate with despair, causing the interview to spiral further downward and cementing every negative you feared might take place. Instead, you’ve supported his opinion, acknowledged that it’s not the first time you’ve encountered it, and shown him – with an objective piece of paper – that it hasn’t made any difference in your performance, and you’ve brought it back to benefiting his company.

He’s challenging you to tell him why he should hire you when you lack what he wants. And you need to tell him, subtly, why his view is inaccurate and, at the same time, present him with the solution. In this example, it’s that equating a degree with success is a fallacy.

Know what you want. Present yourself in a positive manner that provides a solution rather than succumbing to their attempts to keep things cookie cutter safe. Learn how to read the signals and understand what’s going on below the surface, so that you hear what is really being said. And know how to ask questions to find out if it’s a company worth pursuing. Interviewing involves selling. It also involves gathering information. And it has to be done concurrently. That’s the way you keep your power.

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why.

The reason hiring authorities control the interview process is because job seekers let them. From the moment a candidate begins their job search, right up until the offer – when they suddenly decide to show they’re not a push over by negotiating– most job seekers don’t realize how much they allow themselves to remain powerless. Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at this problem closer.

The majority of people interviewing rail in frustration against the process. But in fact, most never connect the process with the concept of power, much less that they give that power away and that’s exactly what causes their frustration.

Too many candidates are under the impression that they must submissively answer questions until they’re invited to ask them. But there are ways of creating a dialogue and obtaining information that don’t take the control away from the interviewer, but that don’t give it away either.

Keeping your power begins with knowing what you want in your perfect job, and you find that out by taking a microscope to every single job you’ve held. You examine who you worked for, what bosses you liked or didn’t and why, what made you irritated, what worked for you, what didn’t, what gave you enjoyment, at what parts of your jobs you excelled and what parts you hated. Examining those issues helps you to discover what you want and what you want to avoid, and it’s this knowledge that shapes what you need to find out when you interview.

Unfortunately, instead of building a foundation and then beginning their search, most job changers jump headfirst into the market, and frequently end up deluding themselves about what’s important. As a result, they make decisions based on irrelevant and unimportant information. Since they don’t know what they want, they don’t know what they need to be discovering, or how to uncover it. All of this puts them at the mercy of the hiring authority.

One of the ways it happens is remaining silent after you’ve answered a question. To radically change the subject is to take control of the entire interview, and that’s not your place. But neither must you sit quietly and wait for the next question.

Instead, tag on your own question at the end. When he says, “Tell me about a time you…….” Answer, and finish with “Is that skill something that’s important to you in the person you hire?” He’ll say, “No,” or “Yes.” If it’s “No,” ask him what some of the important characteristics are. Other appropriate ways to throw the ball back in his court are:

• Do you find that to be true?
• Is that something this company values?
• Is that important to you?
• Would you agree with that?
• Do you see that fitting in with what you’re looking for?
• Is that an advantage to you?

Essentially, you’re probing, and you’re connecting it to your answer. His answers eliminate any assumptions you might otherwise make. They let you know where you stand, what you need to elaborate on or clarify, and what you might as well stop talking about, because it’s not important to the interviewer.

Additionally, candidates often provide explanations before asking their questions. When you want to know something, just ask the question. Explaining not only apologizes for asking it, but it indicates your preferred answer. Consequently the answer may not be what you want to know, it may be what the interviewer wants you to think.

Asking questions that stay on topic and create a dialogue allows you to retain your power. It also tells the interviewer that you know what you’re looking for and that you’re there to find out if this company meets that outline or not. That, alone, makes you stand out in the interviewing crowd.
Any interviewer worth his salt will appreciate your discernment. Any one who doesn’t may be on a power trip.

Billie Sucher is a private-practice career transition consultant based in Urbandale, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines. For over two decades, she has provided career management services to organizations and individuals (executive-level to entry-level) throughout the country, doing so with an unwavering commitment and passion.

If you were born between 1946 and 1964, you are known as a Baby Boomer and age wise in 2010, you are somewhere between 46 and 64. In my practice, I work with a multi-generational client base, including many Boomers. A question I am often asked:

“I am ___ (fill in age) and wondering if I am too old to find a job?”

Routinely, I kindly offer something like:

“Help me understand — do you think you are too old to find a job?”

Client responses vary:

* I don’t think so, but I’m not sure

* I don’t know

* Maybe so

If you are 25, 35, 45, 56, 64, 74, or 84, in my opinion, you are not too old to find w – o – r – k or a j – o – b as long as you have:

* the drive to do so;

* the will to want to;

* and the guts and the grit to go fishing in a competitive, global, turbulent, and ever-evolving pond! And should you elect to cast your line into X, Y, or Z Waters, perhaps you will check your tackle box for the right bait:

1. Passion! Let others see it, hear it, feel it, get it, notice it, enjoy it!

2. Energy! Act like you have some and lots of it! Do not yawn during interviews or tell people how tired you are or that you are exhausted.

3. Enthusiasm! Bring it, show it, offer it, deliver it!

4. Let It Go! Don’t look back at what didn’t go your way, what didn’t work out, what you didn’t get, what life didn’t offer you; instead, today is a new day ——–>>>>> Press on! Move on! Go forward ——->>>>>>!

5. Think differently! Instead of thinking about your age and how ‘old’ you are, why not reconsider that you’re ’still above ground’ (a 67-years-of-age happily employed client told me that one) and that you have an immense body of talent to share!

6. Engage! Connect with purpose and intention; add an abundance of the above numbers 1, 2, 3 into conversation to keep the listener listening! Practice helps!

7. Attire/Appearance! Dress professionally, appropriately and well for the job you want. Maybe it’s time for that makeover you’ve been thinking about!

8. Attitude! While you cannot control you age, you can control your attitude; how will the employer gauge yours?

9. Language! Carefully select the best words to deliver the message you wish to convey about yourself, your brand. Figure this out ahead of time so you have specific ideas of what you would like to share about yourself in support of the j – o – b you would like.

10. Technology! Instead of saying ’something a bird does’ if you’re asked about a ‘tweet’, educate yourself about social media and its impact on job search. Do not take yourself out of the game because of technology — you are never too old or too young to learn!

11. Partner/Collaborate. Learn from all ages of people. Regardless of your generation, learning is learning. Here’s something I learned from a Millennial over the week-end, for example: www.bookrenter.com.

12. Volunteer! Whether you’re employed or unemployed and 22 or 82, helping others and serving others knows no age. Who knows what you will gain from giving of your time and talents!

13. Experiment! Try something new; try something different; take a calculated risk and see what you learn; see where it takes you!

14. Keep dreaming! Dreaming doesn’t stop because you turn ___ (fill in age), unless you let it! Whether you are 22 or 73, build a bucket list and start doing!

15. Stay active! As long as you are able, stay active always and in all ways!

An Activity For You:

1. Record your age: _____.

2. Record one goal: ________________________________.

3. Record the steps you would advise a ____ (Insert number from Step 1) years-of-age best friend to take to achieve Step Number 2 above.

4. Heed your own advice as expressed in Step Number 3.

5. Consider the wisdom of George Eliot: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Stephanie A. Lloyd is Strategist-in-Chief, Radiant Veracity, located in Atlanta, Georgia at the intersection of Talent Strategies + Social Media. She is a National Careers + Workplace Columnist for Examiner, a division of Clarity Media Group owned by one of the largest media investment companies in the world.

Wondering why you didn’t get the job? It was probably because:

1. You’re not qualified.
2. You’re overqualified.
3. You’re qualified but someone else was more qualified or a better fit.
4. You wore too much cologne / perfume.
5. You smelled bad.
6. You wore too much makeup.
7. You were overdressed.
8. You were underdressed.
9. The job was filled internally.
10. The job was put on hold.
11. The CEO’s daughter got the job.
12. You’re too old.
13. You’re too young.
14. You look older than you are.
15. You look younger than you are.
16. You’re too good-looking.
17. You’re not attractive enough.
18. You acted too desperate.
19. You acted uninterested.
20. You didn’t sell yourself.
21. You oversold yourself.
22. You didn’t give enough detail in your answers to their questions.
23. You answered questions in too much detail.
24. Your answers were wrong or just plain stupid
25. You seemed overly prepared.
26. You didn’t seem prepared.
27. You were too chatty.
28. You weren’t talkative enough.
29. You were overly friendly.
30. You weren’t friendly enough.
31. You laughed too much.
32. You didn’t show a sense of humor.
33. You talked too loud.
34. You talked too softly.
35. You seemed arrogant.
36. You didn’t show enough confidence.
37. You were late.
38. You arrived *way* too early.
39. Your resume is too long.
40. Your resume is too short.
41. Your hair is too long.
42. Your hair is too short.
43. Your skirt was too tight.
44. Your pants were too baggy.
45. You were rude to the receptionist.
46. You were rude to everyone.
47. You appeared to be bored.
48. You were overly eager.
49. You lied.
50. You asked for too much money.
51. You were willing to take the job for much less than it pays.
52. You have drunk, naked, or otherwise scary pictures on Facebook.
53. They Googled you and found your blog about how much you hate your boss / your job / their product.
54. You said you hate your mother / father / sister / brother.
55. You didn’t go to the right college.
56. They have a diversity initiative and you’re a white male.
57. You answered your cell phone during the interview.
58. You were nervous / sweaty / jittery.
59. You live too far away.
60. You didn’t return their calls quickly enough.
61. You stalked the hiring manager.
62. You seemed stuffy.
63. You were too relaxed.
64. Your piercing(s).
65. Your tattoo(s).
66. They didn’t think you would fit in.
67. They’re skeptical of your willingness / ability to travel or to work the hours that the job requires.
68. You made weird facial expressions when you spoke.
69. You appeared aloof.
70. You used poor grammar.
71. You crushed fingers to the bone with your handshake.
72. Your handshake was too limp.
73. You didn’t make good eye contact.
74. You didn’t send thank you notes.
75. You brought your dog / boyfriend / girlfriend / mother to the interview.

The point of this list is not to overwhelm you with all of the things you might have done / will do “wrong.” It is to demonstrate that interviewing is extremely subjective, and if you apply to jobs that you meet the qualifications for, are prepared for the interview, and use common sense, there is no reason to beat yourself up if you did not get the job. Rather than second-guessing yourself or feeling defeated, after each interview take a few moments to do a self-assessment – and write the answers down so you can use them to prepare for your next interview.

1. What did I do well?
2. What could I have done better?
3. What was I lacking in preparation that I’ll be sure to do next time?

This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and it will help not only your confidence but your chances of success next time.

Now, go delete those blog posts [you know which ones I'm talking about] and take down those pictures from your bachelor party on Facebook.

Yep, you heard me.

I personally haven’t received the threatening letter, but several unemployed have. Below is the entire letter:

This letter is to provide you with a second notice that you have been selected to receive customized services through Iowa’s Re-Employment Services Program. In order for us to support your pursuit in a new career and/or job, we are prepared to provide you with exceptional Re-Employment Services.

The orientation you are scheduled for will assist you in the development of the most effective reemployment plan. As part of this process, it will be necessary for you to report to the location listed below for an orientation and assessment. Failure to appear on the date and time listed below WILL result in the denial of unemployment insurance benefits. (The red is all me)

Please bring this notice and a resume (if available) with you on the day you are scheduled

• Time to Report: 9AM-3PM (Please plan accordingly and pack items for 30 minute lunch and 15 minute breaks. Fast food restaurants are located nearby the IWD office.)
• Report to: Success Center (DMACC), 800 Porter Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50315-5154

The unemployed have enough to deal with, but now they are being threatened with a discontinuation of benefits for not attending this program? What if this particular person lived out of state and couldn’t attend the program? What if they had a job interview scheduled for this date and time?

Fortunately, (unfortunately for him ) Jeff Johnson, Local Veterans Employment Specialist at IowaWorks, stopped by Unemployed in Des Moines Networking last week at Smokey Row – just as I got my hands on this letter. Boy, did the group have some questions for Jeff!

• Jeff confirmed that benefits will cease of the person doesn’t attend the program – THIS IS REAL FOLKS!
• Those who have been unemployed for an extended period of time are the most likely to be “invited” to attend. IowaWorks wants to offer these “customized services” to those most in need.

I’ve spoken with a couple people who have attended this program and here are some of their thoughts:

• One person was hopeful that they were going to get some amazing training. Little did she know that the person leading the program had been with IowaWorks for 25 years and was only in the job because it was easy money and she was close to retirement. The leader was more interested in leaving early than in helping the attendees with their resumes.
• Another attendee said that they were given examples of resumes which he would NEVER use in an application process because the layout and content wasn’t fresh for today’s job market.

IowaWorks has begun listing some of their workshop offerings on their convoluted website. They’re extremely difficult to find, so here’s a link. As you can see, these classes are so basic and predominately geared towards the blue collared worker. That’s not going to cut it today. There are also white collared workers out of a job who have different needs. They need to be brought up to speed on LinkedIn and how to use other social media tools in their job search. What about the Informational Interview? We all know by now that networking is important, but a “How To” class would be helpful.

If IowaWorks is going to threaten the unemployed, they should at least offer useful programming instead of curriculum from the 1990s…

Thoughts?

Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.

Twitter can be a tremendous, fast moving tool in your Job Search Toolbox. Here are 5 ways to get the most out of it.

1. Follow and read job search experts. The amount of excellent ideas, tips, leads, news, informative articles, and best practices going by all day long is amazing. Use Twellow’s directory for Employment > Career > Job Search to find excellent people to follow. You’ll find outstanding advice that applies to your situation… guaranteed.

2. Search for posted positions. Use Twitter’s search function to look for #jobs, or TwitterJobSearch to find a wealth of open positions that aren’t necessarily posted on job boards or company sites. Also search #splits for positions that recruiters use to split open searches with other recruiters. New positions are posted with excellent companies, large and small, every minute of every day. Get them in real time, early, and often.

3. Follow and read people in your field or industry. Industry chatter is incredible. News items, rumors, and trends get discussed daily. You can become much better versed in your field by ‘listening’. It can provide you with new and valuable information that can make you a better candidate in the interview process. Use Twellow to find appropriate people to follow.

4. Engage! Get in conversations with people. Ask questions, offer help, ReTweet (re-post) good information you see. Make sure to proofread everything you Tweet, and keep everything professional. Offering opinions about politics (unless you’re looking for a job in politics), or talking about your weekend at the bar will alienate half the people you want to connect to. Don’t sound discouraged or be a spreader of bad news. Keep your conversations focused on your area of expertise, or job search topics, and keep them positive.

5. Connect with people at your target companies. Many companies have an official presence on Twitter and post positions. There are also obviously many people on Twitter on their own that work at companies you many have an interest in. Professionally, ask questions, ask for referrals, offer information, and seek advice.

The reputation you build on Twitter, just like the image you create on any other site will either help or hurt your chances of finding the right position. Be positive, be professional, be helpful, be inquisitive, be engaging, be honest, and have fun!

Consistency is important. If you only Tweet once or twice per day, it won’t be enough for anyone to get to know you. Manage your time carefully, but do spend some time to build credibility and relationships. There are few places online where you can find so much information and develop so many contacts 24/7!

Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that win interviews. For a free resume analysis visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or for a free phone consultation call 1.800.991.5187.

I think I’m beginning to sound borderline preachy with my resume and cover letter advice. But I also feel I have a duty to share with job seekers the blunders and mistakes they make that prevent them from getting the interview and ultimately the offer. After ten years of working as a human resources manager and recruiter I’ve seen my fair share of job seeker mistakes. So here’s my list of the three biggest mistakes job seekers make on their resumes.

MISTAKE #1: Outdated formatting

The first impression your resume gives is critical. How do you want the hiring manager to perceive you?
Professional and accomplished? Or sloppy and disorganized? Old and outdated formats only reflect poorly on you as a viable candidate for the position. Not sure what a professional resume format looks like? Try reviewing samples developed by a certified resume writer.

MISTAKE #2: Using an objective

If your resume has an objective, please remove it. That is an outdated practice that is no longer relevant in today’s job market. Objectives will only land you in the “bland, just like everyone else” pile—not the “oh yeah, don’t let me forget to call them today” pile. Replace the old objective with a personal branding statement. Including a personal branding statement is one more way to stand out.

MISTAKE #3: Forgetting important keywords

Don’t forget to use industry specific keywords. Also, make sure you know where to place them. The top section of the resume is the best place because that’s where the hiring manager’s eyes will be drawn.

Short keywords are a great way to tell the employer about your expertise. Don’t forget to also place them strategically throughout the resume so you continue to catch the employer’s attention and communicate that you have the skills and experience they need.
Are you making any of these mistakes on your resume? Submit your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com for a free resume analysis, or compare your resume to those designed by certified advanced resume writers at http://www.greatresumesfast.com.

Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com/, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.

Rather than offer a generic opinion on how YOU should act during an interview, let’s look at the various personalities and attitudes that different people actually portray during a job interview. Then using common sense, you can figure out how to use this information to help you improve your ability as an interviewee; and if you have any questions, don’t be shy, you can email or call me and I will try and help you as best I can.

So let’s have some fun and look at the different personalities and how they may be perceived.

The Desperados – You know the pressure you are under and how desperately you need this job and the income it offers. However you must control your emotions during an interview. When I interviewed candidates as a recruiter and HR manager, I was turned off by the Desperados and usually did not hire them or pass them on to the next level. And how do I identify a Desperado? Some make it easy by coming right out and asking for the job more than once and telling me how wonderful getting this position would be for them! Most however show their desperation in subtler ways that a trained recruiter can pick up on such as body language, extreme nervousness, their cadence and tone of voice, the way they answer questions, and especially from the timing and relevance of the questions they ask. The biggest tell is a candidate focusing on the health and vacation benefits and employee policies more than on learning about the company and the job they are interviewing for.

The Chatterboxes – Some people love to hear the sound of their own voice, lecture others, show off their subject knowledge, and prove to you that they are great communicators. The first two are definite no-no’s in an interview. The next two need to be controlled. What an interviewee needs to understand is an interview is like a time bomb and you don’t know how long it will take for the bomb to explode or be disarmed. Going in you don’t know how much time the person on the other side of the desk will allow you to get your message across, so every minute counts and the first five minutes count the most. This is when interviewers determine if you are worth getting to know or if you are relegated to a perfunctory, courtesy interview. I find chatty people are nice and qualified but they waste my time because they fail to understand what information is important to a decision maker and what is not. These are not the type of people you want to be around day to day. Another thing I found is people who come into an interview unprepared are often chatterboxes and will try and compensate by rambling on until they arrived at the point they want to make; and being prepared is high up on the list of things I look for in candidates during an interview.

The Thespians – Whereas it is helpful to polish up on your acting skills for an interview, there is no substitute to showing your true colors. In other words don’t pretend to be someone you are not. If you’re not innovative don’t give the impression you are. The same holds true for any character trait or skill set an employer places great value on. If you do not feel you will perform well under certain circumstances or work conditions such being a small cog in a big machine, working independently or with limited supervision, being asked to lead or mentor others, or if the job requires extended travel, don’t hide or mask these feeling because this is what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Sooner or later the truth will come out. On the other hand actors spend much more time rehearsing their role than they do on stage. Emulating an actor in order to deliver your lines smoothly, get your timing down, control your emotions and body language, and have someone critique your performance are all positive things you should do to prepare for an interview.

Charlie Rose – The purpose of most interviews is to have the interviewer ask the questions and the interviewee responds. You may want to ask for clarification of a point before you offer an answer, this is Ok. What I and most interviewers find most disconcerting are people who answer our questions with a question of their own. It is true that an interview is a two-way conversation, but it is not a debate and there are no rules that demand equal time. This is especially true on the phone interview and initial first interview. The golden rule is to stay on point and talk about what is important to the person asking the questions and not offer useless information. Think of an interview like this, the interviewee is the host and you are his or her guest. Their job is to ask the questions and your job is to answer them. As you go further into the interview process the rules will change slightly and there is more room for give and take. But always try to save questions for the end, and tell the interviewer “I have a question about this, but it can wait until the end of the interview.” If they want to hear the question now they will ask you what it is, if not they will know that there is something that needs to be discussed and will leave some extra time at the end of the interview for this question.

Seinfeld – Some people try and mask their nervousness, anxiety or lack of confidence with a prepared joke or two or some other attempt at humor to begin an interview, and with some people act this way all the time. With very few exceptions being a comedian is not a great idea on an interview. You can lighten up the mood just as easily with a firm handshake and a warm smile, and by looking around the office and sizing up the interviewer to find a way to offer a sincere compliment or find something of mutual interest that can be used as an ice-breaker and to set a positive tone.

Rodin – The Thinker is a bronze and marble sculpture by Rodin of a man in sober meditation battling a powerful internal struggle. While some people are flippant and do not take an interview seriously there are many people who are serious, never smile, over analyze every move, and place too much importance on the outcome of an interview before it even begins. They sit in the waiting room mulling theoretical questions and answers as if their life
depended on it, and by the time they enter the interviewer’s office they are wound up tight like a spinning top. If this is you try to keep in mind a cardinal rule of interviewing – avoid getting too high (literally and physically) or too low before, during and after an interview. Just relax and be yourself; and no matter what the outcome, remember it is just a job interview it’s not the end of the world.

Mary Richards – We just met Rodin ‘The Thinker’ who never smiles. On the flip side of this coin is Mary Richards the quintessential Miss Congeniality. This person is always smiling; there is nothing she or he can’t do, and nothing that will turn them off. This is a great attitude as long as you don’t take it too far on an interview because you may be looked as being a phony, or naïve and these are not the type of personality traits most employers desire. So keep the smile but take a more professional approach; and leave the laughs and the giggles in the waiting room.

Catbert – I find this attitude more from interviewers in this buyer’s market, but there are some candidates who still act superior and are full of themselves on an interview. This often occurs with professionals and executives who are interviewing for positions and in companies that they deem are below what they are accustomed to; when they interview with someone who has less experience than they do, or are interviewed by someone who in better times would be reporting to them, not vice versa. There are ways to strut your stuff, being arrogant is not one
of them. Even if the interviewer is condescending to you, it is important not to act in kind and sink to their level.

Peter Griffin / Homer Simpson – You come to the interview five minutes late, make up a lame excuse why, and proceed to take off your jacket, sit before the interviewer sits, and act like you’re the King of his castle. Being casual and comfortable in an interview is an art form not many people have perfected. Unless you are a veteran at interviewing others, I suggest you begin the interview acting by professionally and take your cues on how to act from the person on the other side of the desk.

Now that we discussed these different personality profiles, and there are more, let me tell you that most people are not one but a combination of many. I suggest you go over this blog with someone who knows you and can tell you which profiles define you the most, and then work on making improvement from there.

Judi Perkins, the How-To Career Coach, was a recruiter for 22 years, consulting with hundreds of hiring authorities throughout the hiring process. She’s seen over 500,000 resumes, knows how hiring authorities think and how they hire. As a result she understands and teaches what other coaches don’t: why the typical strategies in finding a job so often fail, what to do instead, and why. She’s been on PBS’s Frontline, will be in the May issue of Smart Money magazine, and has been quoted frequently in numerous articles for CareerBuilder, MSN Careers, Yahoo Hot Jobs, and the New York Times, among others. She’s also been featured as an expert in numerous career books. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.findtheperfectjob.com/

The purpose of providing references is to close the deal. It isn’t to discover if you are telling the truth about your dates of employment, verify that you’ve demonstrated the proper skills for the job, or even to assure the hiring authority that he’s making the right decision to hire you — though each reason contributes.

If a company is having difficulty deciding which of two individuals to make an offer to, references are usually the deciding factor. If more job seekers understood this, they wouldn’t view the phrase “references provided upon request” so casually.

What constitutes a reference? Primarily, people to whom you have reported in your previous jobs. Secondarily, if you’ve been in your current position a longtime, someone who has left the company, or someone you trust who has reported to you or with whom you have worked closely. In some industries, providing a reference from outside the company – trades, vendors, or long-time customers –supplies an additional perspective that a former employer cannot.

A reference is neither personal nor generic. Your friend on the neighborhood baseball team may say you’re a great team member, but baseball doesn’t equate to the corporate world. References addressed to: To Whom It May Concern aren’t of much value either because they’re non-exclusive. By their very nature, generic references are positive – or they wouldn’t have been written and handed to the departing employee. Employers want to speak to the reference themselves and ask their own questions — without the candidate knowing what was said.

As I’ve said repeatedly, finding your perfect job is about selling a product, and that product is you. If you want your references to help you close the sale, you need to help them. The standard method of most reference preparation goes as far as the job seeker calling the references and asking each person if he’ll act as one, then failing to cue them in during the process as to who will be calling. Providing your reference with the name of the company and the person phoning not only removes the unknown, but makes the call more likely to be returned faster More than one offer has been held up for need of references.

And if those two reasons aren’t enough to ask their permission, how about that it’s the respectful thing to do? Some candidates don’t even think to track down their references and ask for permission. The names and numbers are simply listed on a sheet of paper and given to the hiring authority. Would you like to know how many times I was provided with contact information only to find the person was long gone from that company? Better me — a recruiter — than a prospective employer.

Additionally, failing to provide the person with a copy of your most recent resume so that he has both your dates of employment and your accomplishments in front of him when the hiring authority calls is to deal yourself the ultimate wild card. And failing to tell your reference about the position for which you’re interviewing and what the company is looking for in their new hire compounds that. When you provide this additional information, you not only prompt his memory, but you give him information with which to work. It helps him speak directly to what you want addressed.

Now you’ve provided the prospective employer with verified information from a credible, objective and informed source. Effectively, you’ve eliminated the chance of your previous boss saying, “Well, he was a great employee. And he met all his goals, as far as I can remember. Sure, I’d rehire him.” About all that reference does is tell the prospective employer that you weren’t great enough to stand out in your previous boss’s memory.
All of this is equally applicable if you were fired. Under most circumstances, truth is the only path, and making sure that a reference doesn’t backfire on you is all the more reason to contact that supervisor. Just because a person or company isn’t on your reference list, doesn’t mean people don’t “know” others in that same industry.

It’s difficult to summon the courage to ask your previous employer to provide you with a reference when you were fired. But many of those references come out better than you’d suppose; the only negative tends to be the one surrounding the reason you were discharged.

When you realize the power of references and the influence they can have in securing your perfect job, then you understand how important it is to stay in touch. Then when you need them, you know where to contact them.
Put the extra work into helping your references be a reference. Since you’ve made it this far in finding your perfect job, why gamble and leave the home stretch to chance?