IMPACT

Todd Pillars

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Competitive Preparation

The art of competitive preparation for the interview: the Morgan method.

Breaking the ice

  1. Proper Attitude
  2. Gather Job Information
  3. Do Homework – Company and Industry
  4. Look around the office for something to talk about
  5. Use humor – Carefully
  6. Use gentle flattery
  7. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
  8. Meeting will flow, if prepared
  9. Follow-up

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Power Words – Work them into your vocabulary.

  • Planned
  • Initiated
  • Implemented
  • Created
  • Developed
  • Formulated
  • Organized
  • Conceived

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Leadership Words – Help to create a strong image of you.

  • Organized
  • Supervised
  • Coordinated
  • Presided Over Directed
  • Guided
  • Built
  • Gave Direction to Lead
  • Managed
  • Responsible for

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Result Phrases – Help you to get your message across.

  • Lead to
  • Reduced
  • Achieved
  • Evaluated Saved
  • Collected
  • Provided for
  • Shot holes in Contributed to
  • Demonstrated that
  • Increased

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Self-Presentation

  1. Short synopsis – Opening type – tell about yourself
  2. Dialogue about individual jobs – pinpoint qualities
  3. Explore technical qualifications – what it takes to do the job

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The “T” Account

New job responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Similarities to previous jobs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

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Listen…Listen…Listen

Don’t step on their answers. Wait until they are completely finished (It makes people feel good when you listen)

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When they say…”Do you have any questions?”

Here are a few good sample questions for you to ask.

  1. Major short and long-range company objectives?
  2. Characteristics that the company feels are attractive about itself?
  3. Outside influences that affect the company’s growth?
  4. Areas that the company excels or has limitations?
  5. Common denominators in successful employees?
  6. Areas the company needs polishing or developing?
  7. What would add or subtract from the incumbents performance?
    (Use if you are taking someone’s place)
  8. Where do you think I could contribute effectively?
    (Save this one for last interview)
  9. Always ask, “Do you have any concerns about my qualifications?”

Write out your own list of questions about the position.

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When they ask… “What do we need to offer you?”

NEVER…Never…Never tell them an amount.

Say something like this… “The dollars are important, but the opportunity to be with this firm is also important to me. I would like to entertain your strongest offer.”

Never give them a dollar amount or except their offer at the time of the interview.

If they press the issue… Just tell them that you are open to negotiation, through a third party.

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How to dress for the interview.

  • Do not overdress.
  • Just dress the best you are able to.
  • Try to dress in the image of the company.
  • Polished shoes.
  • Small knot in tie.
  • Even and clean fingernails.

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Unacceptable dress.

  • Long sideburns.
  • Heavy makeup.
  • Don’t smell (No heavy perfume or aftershave).
  • Neat haircut.
  • No seductive clothing. It may take the employers mind off why you are there.
  • No worn heels.
  • No long earrings.

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Other important items…

Your walk tells others of your character. Think about it, and how you look to others. What message are you sending out?

Speak with a voice that is loud enough to be heard comfortably.

Keep handshake short as opposed to long. Just kind of firm. No bone crushers.

Don’t skip a meal before the interview. They want to hear your words, not you stomach growls.

Get up early and look alert. (For an early interview)

Arrive 5 – 10 minutes early. If late, don’t go into a long apology. Drive the route the day before so you know how long it takes.

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End of the interview.

Ask what the next steps are in the interview process.
Let them know that you want the position.
At some point…you must ask for the position, or you will not get it!

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After the interview.

Follow up with a thank you letter within 24 hours after the interview. Letter may be typed or hand written.

Three days later – telephone call – “Sincere interest in moving forward”.

If there is to be a second interview for this position. Be sure and ask for a second interview. Show that you have an interest.

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Second interview trial close.

“I have a sincere interest in pursuing this position, I hope your thoughts are the same”.

You have brought everything to the table and delivered it smoothly. It has nothing to do with getting the job. You must always remember that at some point, you must ask for the position, or you will not get it.

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Some things to remember…

When they ask,  “Tell me about yourself “, just say, “I’d love to, where would you like me to start?”

Future boss is only interested in – results and proof – not problems – just solutions. Most bosses are not trained to interview candidates, and that is to your advantage, if you are well prepared.

Leaving the old for the new.

Most people are not mentally prepared to leave their old company. Make sure that you have a positive attitude about the departure.

Visualize your resignation

Beware of the counter offer.

  • It is inconvenient for them to loose you.
  • It is a reflection on their management performance.
  • Look out for the guilt trip.
  • It has been proven time and time again that once you have expressed your desire to leave you will be let got at the company’s convenience, usually between six months and a year. Then where will you be?

Stay in tune with the original reasons for you wanting to leave.

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7 Steps to a successful job search

Step 1: Self Assessment
Explore your abilities, strengths and how to overcome your weaknesses to find the career path that’s just right for you.

Step 2: Exploring Your Options
Get tips on job shadowing, volunteering and informational interviews.

Step 3: Decision Making
Learn about decision making styles and setting goals that work for you.

Step 4: Preparing for the Job Search
Read advice on cover letters, resumes, interviewing, speech, vocabulary and appearance.

Step 5: Looking for a Job
Educate yourself about job search strategies, salary negotiations and relocation.

Step 6: Career Management
Discover the secrets to on-the-job happiness and career satisfaction.

Step 7: Long term planning and goal setting.
Find new ways to make your career payoff in ways you never thought possible.

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Ten reason for not accepting a counteroffer

1. What type of company do you work for, if you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you are worth?
2. Where is the money for the counteroffer coming from? Is it your next raise, early? All companies have strict wage and salary guidelines, which must be followed.
3. In all probability, your company will immediately start looking for a new person at a lower cost.
4. You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy. From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.
5. When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal and who was not.
6. When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback with you.
7. The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept a counteroffer.
8. Statistics show that if you accept a counteroffer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six months, or being let go within one year is extremely high.
9. Accepting a counteroffer is an insult to your intelligence and a blow to your personal pride – you will know that you were bought.
10. Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your coworkers will never be the same. You will lose the personal satisfaction of peer-group acceptance.

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Counteroffer Survey

Survey indicates employers may be better off leaving once new opportunities present themselves.

An employee is offered a position at another company. Before leaving his job, his current employer sweetens the pot by making him a counteroffer. Where does and employee go from here?
Human Resource executives in the Northeast part of the country who were presented this scenario by a New Jersey-based VIP Executive Personnel indicated that employees might be better off taking the new position and declining the offer.
Almost 3/4 (73.2%) of the 67 human resource executives responding to the VIP survey agreed, somewhat agreed or strongly agreed with the notion that an employee’s reasons for wanting to leave a company still exist after acceptance of a counteroffer and that conditions are simply made more tolerable in the short term because of the raise, promotion or promises made to keep the employee.
What’s more, approximately three in 5 (62.7%) believe that no matter what a company says when making its counteroffer, an employee will always be considered a fidelity risk.
“Having once demonstrated lack of loyalty, for whatever reason, the employee loses status as a team player along with a place in the inner circle,” said VP and founder, Phyllis Scott, in explaining the sentiment behind this train of thought.
Ms. Scott said that her firm was conduction the survey on counteroffers “largely because there are certain fields, such as financial services, electronics and the legal profession, along with specific functional areas like data processing, in which the demand for skilled people now outweighs the supply.”
“In addition to the normal counteroffer activity which goes on in any competitive job market, it has been usually common for employers and employees in these areas to be involved in counteroffer situations,” she said.
A majority (58.2%) of human resource executives either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the idea that any situation in which an employee has to be tendered an outside offer before the present employer will suggest a raise, promotion or better working conditions, is suspect.
More that 3/4 (77.6%) of the respondents generally did not go along with the notion that counteroffers are usually nothing more than stall devices to give the employer time to replace the employee.
And, about 3/5 (81.2%) of the human resource executives surveyed either somewhat disagreed or strongly disagreed with the idea that counteroffers are only made in response to a threat to quit.
“Good companies generally will acknowledge the assets that valued employees bring to their operations, and will, make a good faith effort to reward employees accordingly,” she said.
Finally, a majority (56.7%) of human resource executive�s participation in the VIP survey generally believe that well-managed companies never make counteroffers, preferring not to be subjected to counteroffer coercion and rely upon their fair and equitable compensation and personnel policies to attract and maintain valued employees

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Ten Ways to Build a Better Career Search

by Charles W. McConnell

If someone helps you in your career search, be sure to formally thank them. If you receive assistance from someone and fail to extend your sincere thanks, you might unintentionally damage your relationship.

However, “thanks for career help” poses unique issues for serious career seekers. Often, key people contacted in your search campaign are new to you or have limited experience with you and your social skills. Mutual friends who introduce contacts to you will expect you to observe the necessary “thank you” ritual. A referral interview may not call for another face-to-face meeting in the near future, so your thanks must be put in writing. I can hear the protests. Oh no! More writing!

Live with it! And learn to love it! The written “thank you” letter is one of your best allies in a proactive career search. Here are ten ways to ensure that your written thanks to any search “helper” works hard for the process and honors established cultural standards.

1. Send your letter within 48 hours of the initial contact. Any later, and you will have missed the opportunity to maximize the impact of your letter. A prompt letter conveys that you have a good sense of business protocol, timeliness, and an active, professional search process. If the helper is inclined to recommend your candidacy to another, your timely response will indicate that you will repeat that considerate behavior and not be an embarrassment.

2. Tailor your thanks to the recipient. As in all writing, it helps to relate to the reader. “Thank you,” “Thanks for your help,” “I sincerely appreciate your assistance,” “Your help is greatly appreciated” are all acceptable. Use your own words, but be sincere.

3. Brevity is nearly as important as timeliness. Don’t “wow” the recipient with your verbal skills, and don’t try to repeat your meeting or interview. Keep your word count under 150 and make the paragraphs short, sentence structure simple, and format easy to read.

4. Focus on content. Remind the helper of why you met, what you gained from the meeting, next steps you are taking from recommendations in your meeting, and how the input has given you positive direction. Avoid hyperbole and superlatives.

5. If the helper agreed to take an additional step on your behalf, confirm it in your letter. Avoid the presumptive close: if offers of an introduction or additional assistance were not made, do not fabricate them. Be careful not to ask for additional help unless you are certain that door was opened to you.

6. Express recognition that the helper’s time spent with you represented valuable minutes freed from a full schedule. Time out of a busy day is worthy of thanks, even if the help offered does not contribute to your immediate job search.

7. Following a positive meeting, assume that the helper is interested in the outcome of his or her suggestions. It is acceptable and considerate to promise a status follow-up as you move through the action steps discussed together. But, once you promise that, you must follow through.

8. Encourage the helper to call or email you if additional suggestions come to mind. Make it as easy and painless as possible to contact you by giving your email, pager, home phone, or fax numbers.

9. The only thing worse than not sending a thank you note is to send one with the helper’s name, title, or organization misspelled or other spelling errors. Spelling, proper grammar, and correct use of language may seem like minor points, but they are not. If use of the English language is not one of your strengths, use a friendly proofreader — and thank them, too.

10. “Thanks, thanks, a thousand thanks” is too dramatic, but a thank you reprise in closing is acceptable. “Thanks again for all that you have contributed to strengthening my career search … my campaign … my sense of important next steps … my referral network … and/or introducing me to Mr. John Philcox.” Then, once you have reread your note, make certain it sounds like you.

Many people discount the importance of correspondence, especially when under the multiple pressures of a career search. But don’t fall into the trap of minimizing the importance of expressing gratitude. Thank you letters can help energize and enlarge your network of helpers who are sincerely interested in your search success. A well-crafted thank you will send positive signals about the kind of employee you will be — and that’s exactly how you want to be considered.

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Ten Tips for Creating a Cover Letter That Gets Results!

by Judi Craig, Ph.D., MCC

1. Write the letter to a specific person�the person you think is the one who would hire you.
Let’s face it: Your cover letter to “To Whom It May Concern” or the “Vice-President of Sales and Marketing” is rather ho-hum to the reader. Instead, take the trouble to find out the name of the person who is in the likeliest position to hire you. This means that unless you are applying for a job in Human Resources, don’t write the Human Resource Manager (even if you know his/her name)! Your public library can help you with directories that list executives in various industries if you can’t find out the information from someone inside the company or from the company website. And you can always call the receptionist and ask for the company’s mailing address–and then ask the name of the specific person you’re looking for (Director of Marketing, etc.). Asking for an address makes it more likely that you’ll get the information you want rather than asking only for the name of a person with a specific title.
2. Do your research.
The more “generic” your cover letter, the less successful it is likely to be. You want to demonstrate that you know something about the reader’s company, something that you had to do some research to find out. Such information can be found on web sites, in annual reports, in your local newspaper and/or business journal, in trade magazines, etc. Customizing your letter to a particular company is impressive and makes you stand out from the pack of job-seekers.
3. Tell the reader what you can do for the company, not what you want the company to do for you.
Hirers are not impressed with cover letters that begin by explaining what you want a company to do for you. (“I am an experienced accountant looking for a mid-sized, dynamic accounting firm with opportunities for development”; “I am a corporate trainer who is interested in opportunities to develop creative curriculum in leadership development”). Instead, begin by stating some specific way in which you can help the company or department accomplish a particular goal, preferably giving an outstanding example of a related accomplishment (“Having had direct responsibility for three successful mergers in the energy industry, I am an ideal candidate to assist you with making a smooth transition in your recent merger with Company X”).
4. Be specific about the job you are seeking.
Hirers do not want to serve as your employment counselor; they want you to have already done your homework and figured out exactly what job you want. The “I can fulfill so many roles, just put me where I’m needed most approach” will get your letter filed in the wastebasket. The time to explore other opportunities within the company will come, if at all, during the interview if/when the interviewer takes the initiative to ask you about your other options.
5. Quantify your accomplishments.
After your initial attention-grabbing statement of how you can help the company and stating your greatest related accomplishment, list four or five additional accomplishments�bulleted and quantified. Quantified is the key word. Rather than bulleting “Computer-skills trainer for six years” you would say “Trained 8500 students to achieve Microsoft certifications in past six years.” Rather than “Worked with sales team to increase sales effectiveness”, say “Responsible for increasing team sales by 37% in two years.” Your numbers can be approximations, so long as you can explain their rationale if requested. Think of quantifications involving estimated cost savings, contribution to a company’s bottom line, employee retention, specific initiatives, etc.
6. Mention only accomplishments that directly relate to the job you’re wanting to get.
You probably have achieved many things that don’t relate directly to the job you’re trying to land. Organizing an outstanding global conference of 3000 attendees is a terrific accomplishment to mention if you’re applying for an event-planning job, but not if you are trying to get hired as a newspaper editor. Similarly, winning a Pulitzer prize would not be an accomplishment to mention in your cover letter if you are applying to be a project manager in a construction company (you can mention it later in a resume`).
7. Keep it brief, succinct and simple.
Your cover letter should be short and to the point. Rarely should it be longer than one page. Remember, you are trying to capture the reader’s interest in knowing more about you. Telling your life story is boring.
8. Make it easy on the eyes.
When you’ve finished writing your letter, print it up and take a “big picture” look at it. Is it visually appealing? Is there plenty of white space (using bullets increases the white space)? Does it look un-crowded? Or is it filled with complicated sentences and jammed to the margins? Does it look like a letter you would want to read?
9. Close with an invitation for the reader to act.
Why are you writing this cover letter? Answer: To get an interview. So tell the reader you would like to talk or meet and include these words: “Please give me a call at such-and-such a phone number.” Don’t say “I’ll give you a call in a few days to follow up and see if you’re interested in meeting”. That statement encourages the reader who might be ready to pick up the phone to put the letter aside and wait for your call. You’ve lost the interest and momentum you worked so hard to achieve.
10. Follow up with a phone call�or a second letter�within a week.
People get busy. They intend to call but get sidetracked by other priorities. Don’t assume that someone isn’t interested just because s/he doesn’t call you after your first letter. So give the person a call if possible; if you can’t reach him or her, write a second cover letter reminding the reader of your first letter but adding some new quantified accomplishments. Again, ask the person to call you and give your phone number.