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The days of simply browsing through the Sunday newspaper and sending out a few resumes in order to win your next career opportunity are over. The days of retiring after having worked for just one or two companies are also over. Downsizings, mergers, offshoring, acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, consolidation, and other change initiatives have required rapid adaptation of workers, hard career decisions, and frequent transitions. These days, the average worker will hold approximately ten jobs before the age of 36. The average worker will change careers several times during his or her lifetime. (more…)

Have you been waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, panicked about your future, wondering if you’re going to be able to make things work out? Is your stomach all tied up in knots? Is your mind racing as you contemplate options, unsure about what to do and where to go from here? Do you find yourself wistfully thinking about the way things were, wondering how you could have it back? If so, then you are in the middle of a career transition crisis.
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Have you ever negotiated an offer?

If not, you are not alone. Most people DO NOT negotiate salary. They accept what is offered.

Whether you negotiate a salary or not is secondary to doing your homework before accepting an offer. It is always best to take some time before signing on the dotted line so that you understand exactly what you are gaining - or losing.

Here’s an example of someone who jumped at an offer before doing his homework.
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If you are looking for your dream job you must look for a workplace that values the people that work for them.. Remember the job interview is not a one way conversation but rather a dialog that you and the employer have together. You need to ask questions that will give you some insight into how they value their staff.

When a manager shows genuine concern in the well being of their staff it is a value worth more than money. In fact the dollar value that you would place on your manager exhibiting this type of behavior would be a lot higher than the bonus you would like to obtain for getting this new position. So things are priceless and worth more than money. So on you next interview think of question to ask the interviewer that will provide you with this insight. One example might be: Tell me about a time when a staff member who was a great employee had a problem that impacted their job performance, and what you did to help them? This type of a question will not only give you insight into their management style but also insight of how the manager and the organization values good employees.

All the best in you job search and remember you are interviewing the organization to see if they are a good fit for you too.

Yes I am going to tell you about selling yourself. Believe it or not regardless of the position you hold at your current employer you are in sales. Some of you may be in retail or wholesale but the hidden truth is that you sell for your company or organization everyday. It is the relationships that you build which will determine how successful you are at sales.

I am getting a little ahead of myself so let me take a step back and start at the beginning. If you do not convince the person you are talking to why they need to spend time listening to you then you will not be a successful sales person. This is where the elevator pitch comes into play. You have to communicate what you have to offer and why the person you are speaking to needs to find out more about it in 2 to 3 sentences. You have less than 30 seconds to impress them and make them want to inquire more of you.

This will be the opportunity to exchange business cards. Why do I say exchange, because you want to be able to follow up with them and pursue the conversation? The person you spoke with might be very busy so obtaining a business card will give you their e mail, phone and address providing you different avenues for future communication.

The Wall Street Journal is sponsoring a virtual career fair for candidates and recruiters live on April 1 from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. Registration is free for candidates and allows the potential employees and future employers to meet in an interactive online environment that offers all of the features of a physical job fair with out any of the hassles. This Virtual Career Fair will provide you immediate access to decision makers who can hire you. All you need is your trusty computer to explore career opportunities, drop off a virtual business card and resume, interview by live chat with company representatives and more. You can even take a tour of the show floor online.

This is no April fool joke but rather an opportunity to get your career moving in the right direction during the month of April. If you miss the April 1st date do not worry, the virtual career center will be available for the entire month of April. Why wait, just click the link to check it out. Who knows, you might find your next employer online through this virtual career fair. All the best to you in your search for your next dream job, please feel free to call the phone number of my feedback line if you found this information helpful please leave an audio comment at the following number: 1-214-615-6505, ext. 9819 we would love to hear from you.

Some of the best interviews I have found have been a conversation and not just a back and forth question and answer session. Having a conversation allows for the same give and take but in a less formal way. You will find that people who are great relaters, or comfortable with the interview process will tend to conduct an interview in a communication format as opposed to having a question and answer session.

Are you comfortable talking about yourself? This is the first key to having a conversation instead of an interview. Remember, this process is all about establishing a relationship. Smile when you answer and be present in the moment of the interview. When you are anticipating the next question or how you plan to answer you the current question you may miss a key aspects of what the interviewer is asking and may not do your best in responding.

I found being a member of a Toastmasters Club to be a valuable resource in developing this skill. There is a section in the club meeting called table topics where you have to give a one to two minute answer on a question on any topic at a moments notice. In table topics a question is presented to the audience but do not know who is going to be asked to answer the question until after the question is read. This makes table topics much like an interview session. Keeping your answer to no more than two minutes forces the person responding to share the most important aspects of their response in a little time as possible. Table topics are usually a part of ever club meeting and most clubs try to give everyone in attendance (members and non members) a chance to speak. Did I mention that with each new person the question changes? This does not allow you to wait and see how everyone else answered before you answer. Now initially this may sound a little scary (it is not really) but it is a great forum for preparing you for interview sessions. If you have not had the opportunity to visit a club here is a link to the Toastmasters International Web Site where you can find a club in your local community. Since Toastmasters is an international club and you should be able to find a club in an area close to you regardless of what part of the world you live in.

I will share additional tips with you in future posts on how to change an interview into a conversation but I do highly recommend joining a Toastmasters Club. It is one of the best investments that you can make in yourself.

When you obtain an offer for an interview there are two things you must remember:
• Get the business card of the person who interviews you
• Have a business card of your own to exchange

Why is this so important? After the interview is over you will want to send a thank you letter to the interviewer for the time they spent with you. You will want to have the mailing address, the name of the person spelled correctly, and their title. All of these items can be found on their business card.

Why should you have a business card to exchange with the interviewer? It allows you to leave your contact information with the interviewer in a smaller format than your resume. Your business card is a reflection of you, so you would like it to make a statement. I recommend getting a business card made by a printer on a quality stock paper. By doing so you will leave a good impression with the interviewer and stand out of the crowd, remember everything that you do during the interview or leave behind will remind the interviewer of the high caliber that you exhibited. This is not a time to cut cost but you do not have to blow the bank either.

I get my business cards made at VistaPrint.com and use the premium card option. Premium Cards will cost you about $20.00 or less for a box of 250 cards. I usually get my cards laminated too. It gives the front of the card a glossy look and makes your card stand out of the crowd. Select a professional looking background for your card. You do not want the background to be too busy and take your eyes away from your contact information. Check out the video to see what my business card looks like.

Remember all of the great things that your supervisor said about you on your performance appraisal. By reviewing these statements and incorporating them into your resume you not only tell your future employer what you have accomplished, but you plant the seed to open a discussion of how you can do the same great things if hired in their organization. Comments from co-workers and customers are great statements that you should consider adding to your resume as well. Remember your resume is the key to getting you the invitation for an interview. Having a resume rich with testimonial statements is one of the best ways I know to get you to the interview phase of your job search. I recently read a post by Kim Isaac who provides more in depth information on this valuable process. Just click the link to be directed to her post.

This is a reprint of an article written by Don Monteith:

Choosing your career is an important priority in the job market. However, be sure you have given a good and respectful notice to your present employer or it may come back to haunt you in the future.

Maybe you have made a bad choice of career and want to change. Fine! Just don’t take it out on fellow employees by laying out sick or taking excessive time off. Be responsible whatever the job today.

Everyone in your future will want to know about your past performance, so be very careful how you take action or one day it will hit you in the backside without mercy.

How important is your job to the team? Will you be highly missed? Not much? Glad to see you go?

Most of us never think about who we’d miss…. UNTIL there is a sudden change in things NOT getting done in the office or the plant.

Well, when you stop to think about it….. there are more folks than we realize who we depend on everyday of the week. Most of us make sure the payroll clerk is on the job when payday comes every week. Then there are others that quickly come to mind…. the coffee maker; the mail clerk; the UPS guy/gal or FEDx person; the cleaning crew and more. A BIG WOW!!

Missing persons never cross your mind before it affects our routine. Suddenly someone hollers out with who’s going to make the coffee this morning? Where’s the payroll clerk?

One of the biggest challenges comes when no one emptied the trash cans over night. Usually, we just expect it to get down without a thought.

Don’t you agree that efficiency is critical to the success of everyone’s job? It’s like your sparkplugs misfiring when you crank up the car, right? Just ONE dead plug and we all know something is wrong immediately. None of us like the inconvenience and challenge of poor performance with our cars or a team-mate.

Ask the question of yourself. Who would be affected in their daily routine if YOU failed to be on the job when expected? Do you realize the importance of your presence in running the office, plant, etc; department; plant or wherever you accept a paycheck today? Probably very important or your “pink” slip is coming soon.

How about the CEO? Yes, he or she is very important to the success of your firm. However, unless you are on the executive floor of the firm it’s unlikely that his/her performance will affect your daily routine.

Their job is to THINK and SEARCH for ways to build and grow the business. Maybe even BUY competitors for market share and value to your stockholders and most probably you and fellow employees too.

Recently, we read about Microsoft bidding for Yahoo to the tune of $44+ billion dollars. Hopefully, it will be a “good deal” for all stockholders and the employees of both firms involved.

Before you complain or quit without notice…. it’s a good idea to realize you and every employee has value to your personal success just as YOU have value and worth to their success as fellow team-players.

ACTIONTIP: Before YOU take a sick day or begin your vacation or give up the ghost….. think about how it will affect the smooth running of your team. Have arrangements been made to cover your job? Is your Supervisor informed and ready for your absence? Be responsible and take action as a leader. You may one day be a Supervisor or the CEO of your present employer…. a move up to the TOP floor begins now!
Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several franchises and a personnel/staffing business. Every year, his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise. http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

Whether you know it or not your body is constantly speaking even when no words are spoken. How does this happen? It is the position of your body which provides others with visual queues that are commonly known ask body language. You body speaks to people before you do, and you respond to other people’s body language. I will use examples to provide you with a better picture. When you see someone with their arms folded it gives you the impression that they are displeased, or angry with the situation. If someone has their hand on their hip, it may give the impression that this person has an attitude. Now I know you would never enter an interview exhibiting such behaviors, but you need to be aware of your body language to ensure that the audible message you convey is in agreement with the visual message you body is conveying.

One of the best ways to establish a friendly relationship with the person who is interviewing you is by mirroring their body language. What is mirroring you ask? It is matching what a person does with their body and reflecting back the same visual clues. If the interviewer smiles then you should too. If they lean forward so should you. You want to make your visual response as natural as you can. Focus on reflecting, just like the person would see in a mirror, positive behaviors that the interviewer displays.

This is a learned skill and I recommend practicing with a friend so that you feel comfortable and respond naturally. The benefit of mirroring the interviewer’s body language is making the interviewer feel comfortable with you and like you. Remember the successful interview is all about establishing a friendly relationship, the visual queues you display, your body language, is the key to establishing this relationship. Don’t forget that eye contact plays in the body language equation. Your smile is the ice breaker when you feel that things may be getting a little tense. Remember to keep a positive mind set, mirror the interviewer, smile and keep good eye contact. You will not regret the time spent practicing perfecting this skill, especially when the goal is your next dream job.

Why is this important you may ask? Your eye contact will give the observer (in this case the interviewer) the impression that you are honest or you are trying to hide something. If the interviewer asked if you liked your former supervisor and you looked up at the ceiling with your eyes and then answered yes. The interviewer would think that this was an untruthful answer and might probe deeper or feel that you were not an honest person and shorten the interview. Looking up at the ceiling in response to a question tells the person that you are speaking to that you are looking for the answer. Looking down and answering is just as just as bad as looking at the ceiling because it establishes you as taking an inferior position or not being honest. Remember your goal during the interview is to establish a good relationship with the interviewer.

To be successful you must maintain good eye contact. When speaking to the interviewer you should look him or her in the eyes. Do not stare, and do not allow your eyes to wander around the room. People feel good about you when they feel that you are giving them your undivided attention. Maintaining good eye contact is important to establishing trust and developing a good relationship.

Does the culture or gender of an individual influence their eye contact when speaking? Most definitely yes, in some Asian, and Black cultures looking down when answering a question is sign of respect. Some females may also look down when answering a question because they are shy. This can be a hard habit to break when it is time for your interview. But it is a habit and can be changed. I recommend that you conduct a mock interview with a friend of a friend. It is important that this person provide you with real life interview questions and will give you honest feedback. I suggested a friend of a friend because if your friend was conducting the mock interview you might find it very easy to talk to that person and you will not exhibit the negative behaviors discussed earlier. Practicing is the best way I know to become more comfortable with maintaining good eye contact and helping to develop a good impression with the person interviewing you. Remember, the interview is about establishing a good relationship with the interviewer, good eye contact is the key to a successful interview.

Your appearance – What do you look like? You want to check yourself before you leave the house and again once you arrive at your destination just prior to your interview. Make sure that everything is in place and looking neat. Ladies should check their blouses to make sure that it is buttoned correctly and gentlemen should check their trousers to ensure they are sipped up all the way. You might be laughing at me for mentioning this but you will be surprised how many people forget to do this because they are nervous or rushing and suffer to consequences of not getting the job as a result.

Check your hair to ensure it is well groomed, especially if it is inclement weather and you were wearing a hat. That quick stop in the lavatory prior to the interview can be a relief in more than just the obvious way if you take the time to give yourself the once over. While you are there check your smile. Your smile will be one of the first things the interviewer sees. Ladies should check to make sure they do not have any lipstick on their teeth. Gentlemen as well as ladies should check to make sure they do not have anything stuck in between their teeth and their breath smells fresh. I recommend brushing your teeth before going to the interview and not eating anything until the interview is over. Remember, not onions or garlic meals prior to the interview. You my not be able to smell it but if your breath offends the interviewer you are guaranteed not to get the job.

How long does it take for someone to tell if they like you or not. This decision is usually made in the first 30 seconds of contact. You may be unaware of it but you normally size someone up in the first 30 seconds.

How is this done? People observe each other and make value judgments about each other long before either person offers the first words of welcome. I know you are thinking, “This is not fair!”, and I will agree with you, but it is reality so we have to do what we can to stack the deck in our favor.

Make a good presentation. You should look top notch from head to toe. This means, shoes shined with no scoff marks, fingernails clean, hair well groomed, fresh smelling breath, good eye contact, a warm and sincere smile, a firm and welcoming hand shake, a resume folder with your resume and questions for the interviewer on one side and research on the company you are interviewing with on the other side in plain view when you open the folder. You want to present a business card and your resume on good stock paper. You want to feel excited and passionate about the interview. This will come though in your body gestures and will be translated as positive feed back by the interviewer. All of these things have been observed, judged and you have yet to say a word, but if you have done things correctly you have made a good first impression and are on your way to establishing a good relationship. Having a good relationship with the interviewer is what this process is all about. People hire and want to work with other people they like.

If you are interested in reading more about this topic I would suggest the book “Blink” which you can read more about and purchase if you like from my suggested reading page. I will explore your appearance and other key aspect of the interview in future posts.

The New York Football Giants made it to the Super Bowl and won. They won in spite of so many people doubting they could. The Green Bay Packers nor the New England Patriots would have believed that the Giants would have made it to the Super Bowl let alone beat them both to win the game, especially if you asked them 3 weeks into the football season.

Do you know how the Giants made it to the game and won? Not by plane, bus or train they did it by determination, drive, diligence, and with a specific goal in mind. This is the same type of approach that you must have when it comes to writing your resume, cover letter, applying to job offers and following up on them to get the interview. If you sit back and wait for something to happen it never will. Employers today want to hire someone with determination and drive to work for them. Today’s new hires have to exhibit energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. People who exhibit these behaviors are considered go getters, they help the organizations that they work for set trends, not follow them. These people are considered leaders and are willing to learn and do more than the average person.

If the employer that has the open position which is your dream job is looking for you, then you have to be out there on the field to be seen. This is not the time to sit on the side lines, but you have to be ready to get into the game. This means staying current with the latest terms and understanding the most pressing issues that this organization faces. You have to position yourself as the candidate with the best solution to help this organization solve its most pressing issues.

Don’t be afraid to get in the game. The Giants’ goal was to win the Super Bowl and yours is to win your dream job. It is going to take hard work, energy, determination, perseverance, and drive but if you really want it bad enough then you will get it. Remember, to never ever give up. Who cares if you missed the last two field goals? So what you had a poor resume or messed up on your last interview. When you get the chance to kick the ball again the only thing in your mind should be that you are going to score and win the game. This is the mindset you must have to be successful in the game of winning your dream job. Adopt the mindset of the New York Football Giants and remember that we at are here to help you. Contact us at Info@InterviewTeacher.com, your dream job is within your reach, but you will never obtain it if you are not wiling to stretch yourself .