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Wednesday, September 14, 2011
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Work Buzz's Latest News: How to answer a question without knowing the answer
The Work Buzz's Latest News: How to answer a question without knowing the answer
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Posted: 12 Sep 2011 09:30 AM PDT
 We've all been there. It's Friday afternoon and work is winding down. You're sitting in your cube, watching a YouTube video of a bunny kissing a squirrel and jamming to your "Friday Fun" iTunes playlist. Just as you're about to press "share" on that cute/creepy bunny video, your boss stops by and asks you for a quick recap of your client's latest earnings report. You're completely caught off guard, and all you manage to mumble is, "Um, uh, I'm actually not sure about that … um, sorry."After your boss walks away, your face turns from fire-engine red back to its normal hue and your brain starts functioning again, you kick yourself because you do know the answer. Well, sort of. The other day you'd read a summary from the earnings call and you remember some of the details, or at least enough to have pieced together a more coherent response. Unless you're one of those lucky (some might say annoying) people who always has the right answer or has mastered the art of sounding like you know what you're talking about even if you don't have a clue, then you have been or will be faced with similar situations where you aren't fully prepared. But chances are, even if you don't have the full answer, you do know enough to share some information and then follow up once you know more. This way, you show your boss that you do have something of value to contribute, while still being honest about not knowing everything. According to Jodi Glickman, author of "Great on the Job: What to Say, How to Say It. The Secrets of Getting Ahead," answering a question you don't know with intelligence boils down to a simple three-part strategy: 1. Here's what I know. The first thing to remember is that you aren't expected to know everything about every topic at all times. Given how busy we are these days, it's nearly impossible to always have an answer on the tip of your tongue. According to Glickman, if the question is related to something you're working on or should be familiar with, you likely do know something – and that something is worth contributing. So instead of just going straight to, "I don't know, sorry," take a second to collect your thoughts and provide your boss with the fact or tidbit you do know. 2. Here's what I don't know. "After you've given your client or boss a little something to work with, then be transparent and admit that you don't know the answer or have that exact piece of information," writes Glickman. I know sometimes it's easy, when caught off guard, to make something up, but it'll only hurt you in the long run. Your boss would much rather you be honest and plead ignorance than find out later your client didn't actually acquire a new company as you'd told him in your attempt to sound smart. Lying will just ruin your credibility. Instead of dancing around it, simply tell her you aren't completely sure. 3. Here's how I'll figure it out. While you aren't expected to know everything, you are expected to do what you can to figure out the answer, even if it requires taking some time to research and pull the right information. Step three of Glickman's strategy suggests closing the conversation by proactively offering your game plan — you'll do some digging and get back to her. It might help to ask for her deadline or if there's anything else she'd like to know while you're looking — that way you ensure that when you do get your boss the answer, you get it to them on time and with no missing pieces. Notes Glickman, this method works well because it allows you to bury the negative (that you don't know what you're talking about) in between two positives. "The idea of 'sandwiching' the bad news between the good news ensures that you start off and end on a solid footing." Here's an example of how you can apply this strategy to the above situation: 1. Here's what I know. "I do know sales for X client are up from last quarter." 2. Here's what I don't know. "However, I don't know the exact sales numbers for this quarter off the top of my head." 3. Here's how I'll figure it out. "So let me go back to the earnings release, double check the numbers, and get back to you. When do you need this information by?" So the next time your boss stops by unannounced, take a deep breath, remain calm and use this three-part strategy to confidently (kind of) answer the question you (sort of but not really) know the answer to.  |
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The Monster Blog
The Monster Blog
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Posted: 12 Sep 2011 02:07 PM PDT
 September is National Preparedness Month -- all this month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council, is raising awareness and encouraging all Americans to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces, and communities are prepared for emergencies of all kinds.The Ready Campaign's website lists three key parts of being prepared: "1. Get a Kit. 2. Make a Plan. 3. Be Informed." That's some good advice, and the Ready website has a great many more details. September is also Update Your Resume month -- and having a well-crafted and up-to-date resume is a crucial part of career-emergency preparedness. So after you've made sure you have a three-day supply of water (for you and your pets!), a well-stocked first-aid kit, and a supply of batteries for your radio, take a moment to think about how you can prepare for a job-related disaster. A first step is making sure your resume is updated. Of course, updating your resume should happen more than once a year. So consider creating a recurring monthly appointment with yourself to update your resume and other job-search materials. Stay Alert Throughout the month, stay alert and keep track of things you can add to your "career emergency kit," which can be a file on your hard drive or a folder in your filing cabinet -- whatever makes sense as a place for you to store your resume builders and career-emergency supplies. 1. Note major achievements and successes at your current job, especially those that are quantifiable (numbers on a resume are very persuasive). 2. Record praise from managers, colleagues, and clients (save commendations and letters of praise in a file for future references). 3. List conferences, seminars, and classes (and so on) that you've attended. 4. Keep track of industry-related books and periodicals you've read (jot down some quick impressions of each -- these can be great conversation starters when you're in a job interview or at an industry networking event). 5. Add new contacts you've met to your professional network (and look for ways to stay connected). Be PreparedOf course, not all of these things will make it onto the standard version of your resume, but they should be available for when you need to tailor your resume to a specific job you're applying for. And don't forget -- nowadays, updating your resume may mean updating your profiles on your blog, career-networking sites (such as Monster's BeKnown), and other online spaces. Consider these tips: 1. Make sure your resume instantly communicates your career target with a descriptive headline and adequately reflects your depth and breadth of experience in a brief, hard-hitting opening summary. (For more, read "Refresh Your Resume.") 2. Not sure where to begin? Well, you don't have to begin at the beginning. Consider taking a fresh eye to the bottom of your resume first. (For more, read "Five Steps for Updating Your Resume.") 3. Updating isn't just about adding new things to your resume -- it's also very important to remove old information or information that doesn't support your goals. This resume clutter can distract hiring managers from your relevant skills. (For more, read "Declutter Your Resume.") 4. If your resume is like those of most people, it contains a lot of deadwood words and phrases -- empty cliches, annoying jargon, and recycled buzzwords that you should cut away. (For more, read "10 Words and Terms That Ruin a Resume.") 5. Of course, before you can put something on your resume, you have to actually do it -- if you don't have a job that's providing you with new things you can put on your resume, consider volunteer work, an adult-education class, or another resume booster. (For more, read "Fun Ways to Beef Up Your Resume.") How do you stay prepared for a career emergency? Share your thoughts in the Comments section -- and don't forget to follow @monstercareers on Twitter for the latest career and job-search advice.       |
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Why a Good Resume Is Not Good Enough | Career Rocketeer
Why a Good Resume Is Not Good Enough | Career Rocketeer
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Posted: 12 Sep 2011 03:30 AM PDT
  The latest employment news coming out of Washington is frightening, but truth be told it could actually be twice as bad as the current 9.1% unemployment rate suggests. And if the President's newly announced stimulus initiatives are anywhere near as effective as the stimulus package he initiated when he first took office, you'll have a long wait until the effects trickle down to help you this time around – if at all.In addition to the 14 million unemployed Americans competing for a limited number of available jobs, add to that 8.8 million other people not counted as unemployed – part-timers who want full-time work; then add to this number the countless full time workers who are gainfully underemployed, the self employed consultants who are still looking for a full-time job, and the growing number of internal candidates seeking a promotion all vying for the jobs you covet and are infinitely qualified for. Examine these numbers closely and you will see why you no longer have the luxury of crafting and then perfecting your resume through the process of trial and error. There are a finite number of job opportunities out there and you can not chance losing even one of them due to a good – but not great – resume. I speak to job seekers every day in person and over the phone, online in discussion groups, and via email. What surprises me most is that only a small minority think they need professional help to perfect their resume, while the majority thinks it is not harmful to their cause to constantly tinker with their resume based on the latest feedback they get from a blog, a friend, a stranger, a co-worker, or a recruiter. So for those of you who are tinkerers I would like to offer an analogy you can surely relate to based on a situation that occurred to me this morning. For a job seeker a great marketing document is as valuable to you as the computer in your home or office that is replete with all the vital and often irreplaceable data, music and photos you have worked so hard to accumulate. Now imagine you are surfing the web looking for a job and accidently open an email and unleash a malicious virus on your hard drive. Faced with this dilemma you have two options. One is to immediately contact a professional who specializes in cleaning viruses with little or no adverse effects. The second is to visit website after website that may or may not be able to identify the virus and use the information you find to tinker with your computer to try and cleanse the virus on your own. How many of you have been faced with this problem or know someone who has. I dare say unless you or they are a fully qualified techie the tinkering option was a non-option in most cases. And if you did take it I can only imagine the disastrous results you encountered. In a competitive environment such as today's you can't leave to chance anything that can make a difference to your job search, such as your resume. Some people may overstate the actual importance of a resume, and they may be correct. Still, on the other end of the spectrum too many uninformed people negate its importance. This said, in this economy I suggest you adopt the mindset that you no longer have the luxury of taking anything in your job search for granted. So when next you sit at your computer to tinker with your resume for the umpteenth time, think of it like a computer with a virus embedded in it. If you continue to tinker with it on your own all you'll do is exacerbate the problem and in the worse case scenario put yourself into total disaster recovery mode. That is not something you want to risk in a job search. Author: Perry Newman, CPC CSMS is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, career coach, AIPC certified recruiter and SMMU certified social media strategist known for his ability to help his clients get results. You can view his sample resumes at http://www.perrynewman.com, and email him your resume at perry@perrynewman.com for FREE resume critique.    |
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