Job Coach Interview Advice – Part 1 plus 1 more | Career Rocketeer |  |
Posted: 04 Jun 2011 03:30 AM PDT   The past three years has shown an alarming number of people quick to capitalize on the recession by becoming a career coach. Most of them lack sufficient experience or knowledge to coach a job seeker who's in the tailspin of unemployment. Few realize that "expert" is a relative term.While perusing various discussions in the LinkedIn groups to which I belong, I read a post from another career coach. A job seeker had asked about follow up. She'd had a phone interview, then a face-to-face, had followed up two weeks later and been told the decision wouldn't be made for another two to four weeks. She wondered how long she should wait before following up again, and with whom she should speak, the hiring manager or human resources? She was advised to follow up often enough to follow up, but not too often that you seem to be stalking them (very ambiguous to implement). The coach also counseled against getting stressed out, because the job seeker (let's call her Patty) still had time, and since companies have paychecks and jobs, they feel no sense of urgency. The answer didn't include who to call. I'd like to amend this information. If she's just phoned, then she should wait ten days. If it's been a week or more since she learned that, then she should phone again now. This is her opportunity to learn two critical pieces of information which the coach neglected to bring up. First, Patty needs to ask where she is within the process, and secondly, what the hiring authority thinks. Both of these not only sound better than asking if a decision has been made, but they give Patty information that may affect her job search strategy. For that reason, she should phone the hiring authority with whom she met. The HR person may have coordinated the process, but the hiring authority makes the decision. Odds are the HR person won't know the answers to those questions, and the call will leave Patty no wiser. If she can't reach the hiring authority in two or three tries a few days apart, only then she should call HR. She opens by introducing herself in an upbeat voice and sharing the date on which she interviewed. Patty follows with re-affirming her interest in both the opportunity and the company. Then she asks if they've begun scheduling second interviews or when they plan on doing that. And regardless of the answer, Patty says "Wonderful!" because enthusiasm is in a scenario such as this is rare, and not only will it be remembered, but the company wants someone excited about becoming part of their team. Next, with a smile on her face because it translates over the phone, she asks "Where am I within your process?" Notice she didn't ask if she was still under consideration. Instead, she's conveying self confidence and her belief that she has attributes from which the company will benefit. If the hiring authority doesn't immediately remember her, she shouldn't get flustered. No matter how well she interviewed, he's consumed with other matters as well. If there was a good rapport during the interview, the answer might be a few sentences, and if so, she can stretch it getting a clearer idea of the process. Will there be a third round for only two or three finalists (or will there be a decision after the second)? Are they finishing all the first interviews before they begin scheduling the second round (or are they scheduling second interviews concurrent with the first round)? Has anyone been eliminated from consideration? Were there were any concerns or questions the hiring authority might have (if she didn't ask this at the end of the interview), and any other questions that might arise out of what the hiring authority was sharing. Stay tuned for part 2 next week to learn about her objective and reason for this strategy and the danger of putting all your eggs in one basket. Guest Expert: Judi Perkins is known as the How-To Career Coach, and was a recruiter for 22 years when she worked with hundreds of hiring authorities helping them hire entry level through CEO, set up/followed up on over 15,000 interviews, consistently broke sales records by building relationships, and has seen over half million resumes (and climbing). Now, many of her clients are employed within 8 – 12 weeks. She brings sequence, structure, and focus to the job search, including skills, psychology, and sales components, showing why the typical strategies so often fail. You can find her at www.FindthePerfectJob.com. Please see her website media page for her extensive media credentials. |
Posted: 03 Jun 2011 04:30 AM PDT   When a hiring manager types search terms in an engine, will you show up? You may be on page one of Google, or you may be lost in the stacks. Either way, your online presence is important. With more employers and recruiters using these platforms as a way to find talent, it may be in your best interest to keep your audience in mind.Keywords are an easy, yet effective, way to get your message across. If you add certain keywords or phrases in your sites, you may be able to reach your desired market at a better rate. Increase the number of people who view your platforms by including the following: Your industry. Including your industry may be one of the easiest ways recruiters or hiring managers can find you. So, when you are fixing up things like your LinkedIn profile, you can easily include your main area of interest, like advertising, hospitality, law enforcement, etc. If you are new to the industry, explain so in your biography, which could eliminate any questions the researcher may have. Position you are interested in. Sure, an industry can give away a lot about a person. However, there is variety in every industry, from technology to the medicine. Be specific when stating your goals. For example, if you are interested in marketing but want to focus on social media, think about including the words "social media manager" or "online community director" in your platforms. This way, recruiters who are looking to fill these positions will be able to find you. Location. With the job market still ailing, it's difficult to find the positions we want in our current location. The words "willing to relocate" have become more prevalent on online profiles, particularly if someone has been job searching for a while. However, the more specific you are, the better your chances you have at getting noticed. For instance, if you say you are willing to relocate, but do not indicate a specific location, how will the recruiter know you've done your homework? Think about including exact locations, or at least at area of the country you are interested in (i.e. East Coast). Employers will be able to pinpoint your online platforms better if you include this information. Cater your message. So you've specified your location, your industry, and what interests you. What's next? How about catering your message to recruiters? Check out the profiles of those who are working at your dream companies. What makes them stand out? It's likely that they were also discovered by a similar hiring manager or recruiter, so try to imitate what they have done, while putting your own spin on the messaging. You may fit the mold for an ideal candidate if you imitate what has already worked. Have you tried using keywords in your online platforms? Has it helped you get noticed? Guest Expert: James Alexander is Vizibility's founder and CEO. He's the guy with two first names. If you 'Googled' his name in 2009, you would never have found him. Now, he ranks within the first few results of a Google search. Find James in Google at vizibility.com/james.  |
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