Closing the Interview

By: Carole Martin

“When do I start?”

That’s about as aggressive as you can get at the close of the interview. It may knock the interviewer for a loop, and might appear to be overly aggressive, but some people think of it as “closing the sale.” And for some people it has worked. For others, this approach may not be comfortable or have a negative same effect.

Whether you are aggressive, passive and polite, or somewhere in between, will depend on your personality, the interview situation, and the job for which you are applying.

Closing Points
Regardless of your style or how you choose to close the interview, here are some key points to keep in mind:

1. Leave your interviewer with the right picture of you. Think of at least five skills or traits you want remembered after the interview. Choose something “concrete.” When you answer with, “I have great communication skills, and I am a hard worker,” you will not stand out. Example: “I have two skills that are distinctly different but that define my personality. I am a very good pianist and an excellent ‘computer guy.’ I’m known for my love of keyboards.”

2. Ask if there is anything else you can provide. Examples include references, transcripts, background information, and samples.
Example: “Is there any other information that I can provide that would convince you that I am the right person for this job?”

3. State your interest in the position. Sound interested and tell what added value you can bring to the job.
Example: “From what you have been telling me about this position, and from what I know about your company, I know that I have the right mix of experience and education to bring value to this position. Based on past experiences I can ‘ramp up’ quickly and be on board with projects within the first few weeks.”

4. Ask about the next step in the process. It’s important for you to know the next step for follow up. Ask for the decision date, if possible.
Example: “I’m interested in knowing what the next step in the process is and when you will be making a decision so I can follow up.”

5. Find out how to contact the interviewer. If you don’t hear back, you will need to know whom to contact and whether the employer will accept calls to check the status.
Example: “I’d like to stay in touch and follow up with you in a week or two to see how the process is going and where I stand. How do you prefer that I communicate with you -- email or phone?”

Closing the sale is important, but your closing should be tailored to the position; your personality and interviewing style, and the interviewer. Keeping these things in mind will help you determine which closing is appropriate for you and the situation.

Carole Martin, has more than 15 years of human-resources management experience with companies of all sizes. Her professional background includes specialized training as a professional interviewer. Carole has been recognized as an interview expert in the print and electronic media.

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Career Assessment Do’s and Don’ts

By: Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.

Here are the keys to successful career assessment. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this self-discovery process.

Do be aware that assessments are available to help guide you toward the right career for you. A qualified career counselor can administer, score, and interpret these assessments. A number of free career assessments also are available on the Internet, though many experts question their reliability.

Do compare online career assessments to see which ones might meet your needs. See our detailed assessment comparison chart.

Do keep your expectations in check when you take free online assessments. You may attain some direction and guidance from these tests, but don’t be overly reliant on them for magic answers.

Don’t discount the possibility that these free online assessments might suggest to you some career ideas and directions you had never thought of and that are worth further exploration.

Do take several different assessments to help you learn more about yourself and to help you determine which tests provide the most reliable results for you.

Do print out and retain the results of the assessments you take online. Compare results, and see if you can see patterns -- a “career snapshot” -- beginning to emerge.

Do trust your gut. If a free online assessment tells you something about yourself that doesn’t ring true, disregard that information.

Don’t rely on free online assessments alone for self-discovery and career guidance. Meet with a career counselor; college students and alumni usually have free or inexpensive access to counselors. Supplement the results you’ve obtained from free online assessments with other assessments the counselor might administer. Ask the counselor to help you interpret and integrate the results of various assessments.

Do use career assessments with a variety of other self-discovery activities, such as examining your strengths and weaknesses and the activities you most enjoy and least enjoy. And Do read our article, Online Career Assessments: Helpful Tools of Self-Discovery.

Do have fun taking career assessments. Self-discovery is almost always an enlightening and often entertaining process.

Katharine Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, is an educator, author, and blogger who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and blogs about storytelling in the job search at A Storied Career.

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Cover Letters That Count!

By: Elizabeth Freedman, MBA

Ever had a wince-worthy moment? A moment that you wish you could do over? One of mine came during a job search several years ago. I had learned about a hot job opportunity through a friend, and, convinced I had discovered my “dream job,” I quickly dashed off a cover letter and resume. I still cringe today when I think about the hiring manager’s parting words upon viewing my materials: “Well, Liz, we actually liked your qualifications, but your cover letter contained about 10 spelling mistakes. You even misspelled the name of our company.” The most upsetting thing about this experience is that if I had simply taken the time to carefully review my cover letter, I could have avoided this wince-worthy occurrence altogether.

As the saying goes, we get only one chance to make a first impression. In a competitive job market where human resources departments are flooded with applicants, a first impression may be your only opportunity to make an impact. When trying to land a first job or internship, a strong, succinct cover letter is one of the best tools you can use to get noticed. And unlike other first impressions, the cover letter puts the opportunity to succeed largely in your hands. To avoid wince-worthy moments and create a terrific first impression, read on for a couple of winning cover-letter suggestions.

Suggestion #1:
Try the Convince ... That ... Because Method

A strong cover letter doesn’t just create a good impression -- it helps you sell yourself. But selling yourself isn’t always easy. So use a technique that marketers use to sell us stuff: the convince ... that ... because method. When drafting your cover letter, think about the following:

Whom do you want to convince?
For instance, you might be writing to a hiring manager who needs somebody with strong writing skills. By knowing your audience, you’ll have the opportunity to specifically address the concerns or needs of your readers in your persuasive cover letter. One caveat: You may find job announcements that instruct applicants to send a letter to human resources, rather than provide a specific name of an individual. In these instances, you can try to track down, through company sources or networking, the name and title of a specific individual to whom you can address your letter. Otherwise, use the job description and knowledge of the company to best gauge your audience’s needs.

What are you trying to convince them of?
Using the example above, you are trying to convince a hiring manager that you have terrific writing skills. You may also want the hiring manager to know about your ability to speak French and your mastery of PowerPoint, if these are skills that are relevant to the job for which you’re applying. Be specific here: If you want to talk about your skills as a leader, be sure to mention a situation in which you demonstrated leadership skills. And remember to discuss the same skills that appear on your resume, providing additional information and detail in your letter.

Why should you be hired over someone else?
Here’s your opportunity to make a persuasive, convincing argument and sell your unique abilities. Using the previous example, you want to convince a hiring manager that you have terrific writing skills because you’ve consistently written on a wide range of topics for your school’s newspaper, providing valuable information to more than 500 students weekly for the past three years. Whatever your example, make sure you point out how your work made a positive difference, quantifying this difference whenever possible.

Suggestion #2:
Look Sharp

Think of your cover letter as you, on paper -- so you want to look your best and present a neat, professional package to your prospective employer. For starters, choose a quality paper (such as the kind used for resumes) in a conservative color (like white or ivory) to send your message, and make sure you use the same paper and font for your cover letter, resume, and envelope, since they are typically packaged together. Save the pink paper and funky font for another time, and watch smudges, crinkles, and other sloppy marks. Finally, make sure your letter is readable. If the font is too small (nothing less than ten points) or the letter too long (more than a page,), you’ve probably alienated your audience already.

Writing a winning cover letter isn’t the easiest task, but it’s well worth the effort, especially when you know that it can make the difference between a good first impression and a bad one. After all, taking the time to write a great letter ensures you’ll impress a prospective employer and practically guarantees a wince-free moment.

Elizabeth Freedman, MBA, is an award-winning speaker and business columnist. Throughout the year, Elizabeth speaks at dozens of universities and organizations, and at regional and national conferences to help college, MBA students and new professionals transform into leaders, savvy marketers, team players, and, ultimately, successful employees. Elizabeth is a 2005 Finalist for College Speaker of the Year, awarded by the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities, and is the author of The MBA Student’s Job Seeking Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Land a Great Job After Graduation.

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Career Fairs: Your Shortcut to Job Interviews

By: Deborah Walker

In many cities and local communities, spring is career fair season. While these events sometimes prove disappointing, job-seekers who understand how to “work” career fairs use these events as powerful networking sessions leading to interviews with future employers. If you are considering attending a job fair soon, you’ll get more out of the event by following these three rules.

Rule #1: Plan ahead
Know ahead of time which companies will attend the event. Decide which employers you are interested in contacting. Visit their Web sites to read their open job positions. For employers of primary interest, conduct extra research to acquaint yourself with them. The basics are enough: local, national or global; headquarters, branch or subsidiary; industry lifecycle (growing or declining), and number of employees locally. If you’ve done your homework, you’ll feel much more confident about speaking intelligently with company reps during the event. Take an employer list with you to make sure you don’t miss any important connections.

Rule #2: Prepare your 30-second presentation
Since you know which employers you’re interested in and their job openings, be prepared to communicate your qualifications in a 30-second presentation or “elevator speech”. It shouldn’t sound canned or contrived, but it should include a few selling points that catch the rep’s attention for a few minutes.

A 30-second presentation is not difficult to develop. I advise my clients to reduce their resumes to selling points that fit on a 3 x 5 card. Use that information to answer the all-important question: “Why should I be interested in considering you as a candidate for a position with my company?” Now role-play your speech with a friend, or by yourself while driving, or in front of a mirror until your “speech” sounds and feels natural.

Your objective is to secure an after-event interview time before you l eave the booth. Don’t be afraid to ask for the interview.

Whether you’ve secured an interview or not, don’t leave the booth without speaking with someone and picking up their business card. After the event, use the business cards you’ve picked up from each booth of interest to re-establish contact and suggest an interview where appropriate. This is no time to be shy. Follow-up contact will put you on top of the candidate pile.

Rule #3: Avoid the crowd
Avoid the noon to 4 p.m. crowd. If possible, come early before reps are bored, tired and hungry. Another reason to avoid peak times is that crowds can be intimidating. It’s much easier to talk yourself out of approaching important employer contacts when they are surrounded by other job seekers. Be aware also that some recruiters begin to pack up well before the career fair is over, so avoid arriving close to closing time.

Final Thoughts
Make sure your resume is in top-notch condition. Does it grab the reader’s attention? Does it communicate your best accomplishments? Does it sell you as a top candidate? Have several people proofread it. Most employers will want to store your resume in a computerized database. Since you’ll be distributing your resume in hard copy, be sure to follow up by sending a text-based copy electronically right after the career fair, and tell the recruiters you’ll be doing so.

It’s a fact that the best jobs go to those with the best job-search skills. Knowing how to make the most out of career fairs is a valuable skill that can cut weeks, even months, off your job search. What does that length of time equate to in potential earnings for you?

Deborah Walker is a Certified Career Management Coach. Her expertise includes resume writing and career coaching. She holds membership in the National Resume Writer's Association. As a former headhunter, her advice comes from an insider's prospective based on years working with HR professionals and corporate hiring managers. Visit Deb on the Web. Or email her for a free resume critique/price quote at deb@alphaadvantage.com.

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Follow Up All Job Leads! Don’t Wait By The Phone Or Computer

By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Does this scenario sound familiar? You’re in the market for a new job, and after conducting all your research, you send out 20 cover letters and resumes to potential hiring managers. Weeks go by and you wonder why not even one of those hiring managers has called you for an interview. Is the problem too obvious? It must not be for situations like this one are the most common we hear about when job-seekers ask our advice about their situation.

If you remember nothing else from this article, please remember these words if you want to succeed in finding a new job: follow up, follow up, follow up. Following up job leads shows prospective employers your interest in the company and position -- and gives you another chance to sell your qualifications. Some job-seekers fear sounding desperate or annoying when making follow-up inquiries, but as long as you do it right, you will come across as interested, not desperate.

Determining Best Method of Follow-Up
How you follow-up your job leads depends partly on how you initially contacted the employer, as well as your own personal preferences. For job-seekers who simply hate talking on the phone, e-mail may be the best (or at least initial) method of follow-up, but for people who are natural extroverts, the phone may be the best way to showcase your personality.

Don’t waste time debating the method you choose. The important lesson here is that job-seekers need to be aggressive in following up all job leads because employers are not going to call you when hundreds and thousands of other job-seekers are applying for the same position. Choose a follow-up method, review the follow-up tips listed below, and get moving toward a more successful job-search!

Tips for Following-Up
Here are some useful guidelines to consider before you follow-up with prospective employers.

General Tips:
• Always make time to follow-up all job leads, no matter how busy you are.
• Follow-up in a timely fashion -- usually a week to 10 days for conventional job-searching, sooner for online applications.
• Create a job leads log, such as the one shown here, so you have a record of your job-search and follow-up.
• If you apply online for a position, consider following-up the online application with a cover letter and resume sent to the hiring manager via postal mail. You will stand out over the other online applicants because few will also send a hard copy.
• Keep your follow-up brief, to the point, and professional.
• Focus your follow-up around your fit with the position and organization and your USP. You might also ask the hiring manager if he/she needs any further information not included in your original application.
• If you recently completed training, received an award, or earned some other recognition that would make you an even better candidate for the position, be sure to mention it in your follow-up.
• Continue following-up regularly, but don’t overdo it.

By Phone:
• If you are nervous, consider developing a short script about what you want to say (such as your fit with the job, knowledge of the company, USP).
• No matter what, you should at least make an outline or some notes of the key points you want to make.
• Keep a copy of your resume nearby in case you need to refer to something on it.
• Make the phone call from a place where you can talk calmly and not have distractions - and avoid following up from your current place of employment.
• Be prepared for a short screening phone interview by practicing answers to common interview questions. Use our interviewing resources.
• End the conversation thanking the hiring manager for his/her time and asking about the hiring timetable/next steps. If you are extremely confident, you could ask when you might expect an interview.

By E-mail:
• Always address your email to the hiring manager. If you are having difficulty finding hiring managers, read this article: Sleuthing Out Hiring Managers Is Key to Job-Search Follow-up.
• Keep your email short and to the point. Simply again state your interest in the job and your key qualifications for it.
• Be sure to spell-check and proofread your e-mail before sending it.
• Remember to check your email regularly.
• Because e-mail is such a one-way communication, and you don’t really know if your e-mail is even being read, consider asking for a phone number so you can then follow-up by phone. (And if you get no response, do your research and uncover the phone number yourself.)

Final Thoughts
You may get discouraged if you discover through following up that you are not a final candidate for a position, but isn’t knowing that information sooner rather than later better in terms of moving forward with your job-search? And don’t let a rejection stop you; in fact, if you are told you will not be one of the job-seekers interviewed, consider asking why so that you can improve your chances for other job openings. And if you have a good rapport with the hiring manager, you could also ask about the possibility of an informational interview, possibly turning that person into a valuable networking contact and source of future job leads. You could also say that you would like to be considered for future openings.

Finally, please keep repeating these words at your mantra: follow-up, follow-up, follow-up. It truly is one of the keys to job-search success.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press, including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter, QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles. He’s often quoted in the media and conducts empowering workshops around the country. Finally, Dr. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the college level for more than 15 years.

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Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills In The Interview

By: Frank Traditi

Succeeding at an interview is often more of an art than a science. While your experience, education, and other qualifications play a significant role in the hiring decision, the hire is still very much based on the personal opinion of the interviewer. He or she will make a decision about whether to hire you based not only on your qualifications, but also on whether your personality will fit in at their company. Often the interviewer’s instinct decides who will get the job offer.

I don’t suggest you try to obtain a personality transplant to succeed in an interview. If you really won’t fit in at a particular company, you don’t want to work there. But what you can do is be personable and professional. Smile, look the interviewer in the eye, and engage in a two-way conversation. Listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and don’t digress into personal details.

Interviewers need to be convinced that you will be able to fix their problems and help their company achieve its goals. One of the best ways to answer interview questions is to use your career success stories. Career success stories are tales of the defining moments in your career when you overcame significant challenges to succeed. These stories create a memorable impression and give the listener anecdotes about you that identify your ability to handle the tasks at hand, solve complex problems and provide a solution.

Personal anecdotes demonstrate your unique ability to solve problems. When you tell success stories, you illustrate how you went about handling a difficult situation at work. Here’s the idea -- at some point in your career, you were faced with what seemed to be an insurmountable problem. If the problem continued, there would have been severe consequences. Rather than sit back and watch things fall apart, you took initiative and implemented a plan to solve the problem and bring about a positive result.

For each appropriate interview question, relate it to a similar situation earlier in your career, talk briefly about how you handled it, and highlight the results. These stories demonstrate to the interviewer that you have specific experience in dealing with similar situations.

For example, let’s say you were asked in an interview, “How do you deal with high-pressure situations?”

You could simply answer: “I’m very good when faced with high-pressure situations. I dealt with them all the time at my last job.”

However, this response doesn’t do much to convince the interviewer of your abilities. Use a career success story instead: “I’ll give you an example. I was leading a team of national account sales reps in the fourth quarter of the year. We were in the running to be the top sales team in the country in our organization. Prior to the fourth quarter, we hadn’t even made the top 10. Our sales were good, but we wanted to finish the year as No. 1. I organized and led a sales-planning retreat to motivate my team to accomplish three things: First, we identified each of our prospects and determined exactly what we could close before the end of the quarter. Second, I had each rep -- with the assistance of his or her support team -- lay out a tactical plan for winning that business prior to the year’s end. Third, I asked each rep to make a specific sales commitment with support from their team. The bottom line was that we not only surpassed our overall sales plan, we blew away the competition. Every sales rep hit his or her goal, some topping it by 75 to 100 percent. As a result, our sales-team production exceeded 250 percent of the target and we were recognized as the top team in the nation. As our award, my team joined the company’s top executives on a five-day trip to Paris.”

The key to any interview, particularly if it’s for a new field or new job, is to make the connection between your unique abilities and related situations in the new field through your success stories. Although it may be a new industry or job you are pursuing, there are many similarities to the day-to-day challenges and opportunities. Your career success stories bridge the gap.

Frank Traditi is the co-author of Get Hired NOW!: A 28-Day Program for Landing the Job You Want. He is an author, speaker, career strategist, and executive coach with more than 20 years of experience in management, sales, and marketing for Fortune 500 companies. Frank works with talented professionals to design a game plan for an extraordinary career.

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Summer College Prep or Academic Enrichment Camps...Are They Right For You?

By: Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Summer camps used to places for hiking, swimming, singing around the campfire, and other fun activities -- and while there are still many camps like this -- a growing number of camps are dedicated to college and career prep for high-school students from around the country.

In the increasingly competitive college admissions process, some high-school students -- or parents -- are turning to college-bound programs offered by a variety of traditional and academic camps. And according to the American Camping Association, the number of member camps offering academics has grown about 15 percent over the last few years.

Students and parents looking for that extra edge, whether in finding the perfect college, writing the admissions application and essay, or mastering one of the standardized admissions tests, are turning to both traditional camps that add academic enrichment programs and college-prep camps located on college campuses around the country.

These college-prep camps are expensive, but they are sold as a small investment into a very important decision… most of these camps cost several thousands of dollars for two- to four-week sessions. And campers spend all day working on essay writing, SAT prep, mock admissions interviews, academic workshops, and college visits.

Students often attend these camps after the junior year in high school, either to prep for college selection or to strive for academic excellence. But some college admissions folks doubt the value of these camps -- in terms of both cost and time. They cite better uses for the summer -- such as working, volunteering, learning -- activities that enrich the students’ lives.

There are some interesting academically oriented camps, such as a summer camp that prepares campers to be future business leaders, where students are placed into teams to develop marketing and business plans for fictitious new products -- with some sessions often led by local business leaders. And a summer investment camp, where students learn the basics of investing and handling personal finances, as well as raising money to start a business. And a summer camp where campers learn the value of environmental stewardship through classroom learning, laboratory experiments, and exposure to a variety of ecosystems.

Final Thoughts
Should you even contemplate attending one of these camps? If you are considering some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, then these camps could help you in better understanding and better preparing for the admissions process or enrich an academic area of interest, but if you are planning to attend one of the vast majority of colleges that fall in the middle (or lower) of the rankings, then it might make more sense to use the resources already available to you at school, in books, and online. It may also depend on how much time you get to spend with your high school counselor, how focused you are on college choice and major, and what other opportunities are available to you.

It also makes sense to review references and testimonials for each camp you are considering -- and request statistics related to the academic achievement or college placement you are seeking with the camps you are considering. Some of these camps are big investments, so make sure you are getting the return you desire.

Dr. Randall S. Hansen is founder of Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well CEO of EmpoweringSites.com. He is also founder of MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of Quintessential Careers Press, including the Quintessential Careers electronic newsletter, QuintZine. Dr. Hansen is also a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds of articles.

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RED ALERT! An Over-50 Jobseeker Has Just Entered the Building!

By: Teena Rose

A red alert is probably melodramatic, but I’m sure jobseekers in this age bracket probably feel there is one. The bulk of the job-seeking population is currently facing job-search woes that the elderly population has been experiencing for years.

In recent years, I’ve seen that over-50 jobseekers have wised up to the fact that age bias is still existent in America’s workforce. Armed with this information, these jobseekers are redesigning their resumes so that obvious red flags are no longer present. Employers are finding it more difficult to “guesstimate” someone’s age because these individuals are eliminating older positions, degree dates, and shaving information from the backend of their career; information that generally makes a resume lengthy and less focused. With a targeted and lean resume, an over-50 jobseeker is likely to obtain more interviews than with a heavy, all-telling version.

Other factors older jobseekers should consider are personal hygiene, attire, and language skills. A person who takes the time to adequately prepare a resume should also take enough time to work on personal appearance and traits too.

I’m certainly not recommending that an individual run out and get thousands of dollars worth of plastic surgery or spend an insane amount of money on a new wardrobe. I am, however, recommending that you take a good look at your appearance. Ask yourself, could a new hairstyle or an attractive new business suit provide an added edge? Willingness to change your appearance is solely up to you. Keep in mind that you’ll likely be interviewed by someone younger, so trimming a mustache, wearing a new pair of shoes or shirt, and using ageless words during the interview, will likely make a substantial difference.

Interviewers will ask loaded questions if he or she wants to determine your age. Watch out for questions, covering age of grandchildren, possible retirement date, or health status. These questions are considered illegal; and although they’re not jail-worthy, they will give him or her the ammunition to make a tainted employment selection. Contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), if you suspect a company of being age-biased.

Staying ahead of the technological curve, and representing this in the resume and during the interview, will allow you to speak to the interviewer using acronyms and jargon that’s familiar to that person. A knowledgeable individual, regardless of age, will impress an interviewer and leave a positive impression.

Keep a positive mindset and you’ll appear young and lively. An optimistic outlook is not always easy, particularly when you’ve gone on several interviews that don’t result to job offers. Support and golden age groups — provided by county career centers and sponsored by colleges — will provide support, a networking forum, and employment contacts that will make your job search flow smoothly.

An over-50 jobseeker can also benefit from the help of a career coach. A coach can help identify and resolve employment concerns, as well as, personal and life issues that may be hindering personal development. Filling a much-needed gap, career coaching is becoming a crucial tool for those seeking to career transition and advance — even at the youthful age of 50 or more.

Take the time to notice red flags in your resume. Concentrate on your appearance and language skills, and surround yourself with positive, resourceful professionals. I’m a firm believer that successful people are backed by a team. It’s your choice whether to play the game alone, or arm yourself with skilled players.

Teena Rose is a columnist, public speaker, and certified/published resume writer with Resume to Referral. She’s authored several books, including “20-Minute Cover Letter Fixer” and “Cracking the Code to Pharmaceutical Sales.”

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