• Prepare – arm yourself with knowledge about the company; be able to explain why you want to work there

• Be direct and to the point – keep your answers short, practice your responses to various questions beforehand and time yourself

• Dress the part – always wear your best for the initial interview, it is always better to overdress

• Be positive – never say anything negative about your former company or boss

• Sell yourself – don’t be shy about telling the interviewer you want the job; let them know you are interested

• Follow-up promptly – send a note to the interviewer thanking them for their time; mention one or two points from the discussion that you want to emphasize; re-state your interest in the job and your desire to take the next step

Drifting through a job search is easy because it takes no effort, but it’s dangerous because the change can be so gradual that it goes unnoticed. When we lack direction, we don’t simply stagnate. We continue to move, but drift away from our goals toward certain failure.

Staying the course takes energy and focus. It’s far more than a one-time decision. Prevent drifting. Pay attention to what’s going on and to the things that are important.

Refocus on your purpose and goals. Change direction to get back on track. Continuously visualize your next step. When you’ve reached one of your goals, maintain momentum by setting a new one. Anchor yourself and assure success by acting on the answers to the following questions:

• Which goals are most important to me?
• What must I do to make these goals a reality?
• Is what I’m doing right now contributing to my progress?
• How can I get back on track?
• What should I be doing differently from what I am doing now?
• Do I have the courage of my convictions?
• What can I do right now to be more effective?

"COMPETITIVE SALARY"
We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors.

"JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY"
We have no time to train you.

"CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE"
We don't pay enough to expect that you'll dress up.

"MUST BE DEADLINE-ORIENTED"
You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.

"SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED"
Some time each night and some time each weekend.

"DUTIES WILL VARY"
Anyone in the office can boss you around.

"MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL"
We have no quality control.

"SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE"
You'll need it to replace three people who just left.

"PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST"
You're walking into a company in perpetual chaos.

"REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS"
You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

"GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS"
Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they want and do it.

Posted: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - 12:41:03 PM by Chris Bilotta

Some observations he has noted:

• Thirty-somethings don’t want to hire their parents. Boomers have hired people from their own age demographic or their juniors for years. Would you have hired your dad or mom to work directly for you?

• Boomers are considered a “flight risk” once the economy turns around. They probably will take a better job. They will be viewed as someone who just used the company as a “half way house.”

• Boomers want to be “led” and not managed. Most thirty-something managers look for someone they can “manage.”

• Age anti-discrimination laws in this country have backfired. If you hire someone for full-time work over 50, they can be hard to get rid of, even in an “at will” state. So why hire them in the first place?

• Know thyself I: What do you value? All decisions (personal and professional) are based on values. Relationships are based on shared values. Shared values make up most of what we call chemistry.

• Know thyself II: Develop your personal brand. You have to be an expert in something. There is something that only you can do. You have specialized knowledge and/or experience. Determine what it is.

• Select the top 15 organizations that nterest you the most. Companies like to be chosen, not résumé blasted. Remember, you have to be as excited as they are about what they do.

• Network into top management: Leverage introductions by exchanging information. Networking is not overt selling. All organizations have only two basic needs: revenue and productivity. This is what keeps senior management up at night. If your brand can help them, they will seek your advice and counsel.

For more insights from Randy, go to www.randyblock.com
Posted: Monday, August 24, 2009 - 9:09:23 AM by Chris Bilotta

When you are considering buying a product or service, the first thing you probably do is Google it. Then you go to a website. That’s the first point of marketing contact. First impressions matter.

Think about that process. Why should it be any different for your career or job search?

Your product (YOU) needs to be different. But not just different. It needs to be unbelievably, singularly unique.

The world keeps changing. The pace keeps accelerating. Web 2.0, is shifting the rules.

Your resume, the first point of contact, how different is it?

Imagine, instead that your personal website is the first thing that your audience sees after Googling you.

It’s unique. It’s YOU. Now that’s something different!

>>  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15