While it is absolutely possible for you to maintain greater control of the job search, job find, job get process, some things remain out of your control one being the sort of questions you will be asked during the employment interview.
These questions are conjured up by the interviewer. They may be “standard” for all those interviewing for a given position or they may vary based on what comes up in the interview. The questions may be controlled by the organization as a whole, the HR department or left for the interviewer to decide.
Which ever way it goes, the questions I am writing about are known to be illegal. That is, questions that intrude on your privacy and have little to do with how well you will perform on the job. These questions are listed by the federal employment statutes. An example is “How old are you”.
Now let’s be clear…an interview is not a jousting battle between two protagonists. It is not a matter of who is right and who is wrong. An interview is a meeting of the minds in which both parties have an agenda…you want a job, the company representative wants to fill a job…a seemingly perfect situation for the candidate. Note: You have a good feeling about what the employer is looking for so give it to them.
Okay, let me offer an overall guideline…There is no point in trying to “catch” or “report”an employer who is asking illegal questions because that will not get you a job. However, what will work on your side is the way you respond to these questions.
Teh following are a few examples sorted by the type of response that will enhance your employment opportunities:
- Answer these questions truthfully even if they are “illegal” or intrusive. Keep your answers short and to the point.
- What is your marital status?
- Does your spouse support your career?
- What is your height and weight?
- How many children to you have or so you have children?
- Do you own a car? What make?
- Answer these questions with the following question: “I’m feeling a little uncomfortable answering this question. I am wondering if my response will have any bearing on my meeting the goals and objectives of the position I am interviewing for?”
- How old are you? What is your birth date?
- Do you have any credit card debt? Are you finances in order?
- Do you have a mortgage or do you rent?
- What political organizations do you belong to.
- Are you utilizing birth control?
- Do you go to church regularly? What is your religious belief or practice?
- Answer these questions so that you are seen as an intelligent and well informed person. Turn questions like these to your interview advantage:
- Question: What political organization(s) do you belong to?
- Response: I have a keen interest in the political spectrum and how that may effect my family, my company/job, my community, my country and the world in general.
- Question: Do you have credit card debt? Are your finances in order
- Response: I am very well organized in terms of how I manage my life. Such acitivities as finances, family and home are very important to me and are therefore in good order
Here’s the bottom line: Do not respond to illegal or inappropriate questions with hostility, anger, annoyance or any other negative statement unless you do not want that job. Do respond in a thoughtful and intelligent manner. Turn these questions to your advantage.
Wishing you success in your job search.
Paul Baskin
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
As I noted in previous posts, the name of the game is to have your paperwork match the job opportunity. That said, what does not appear adequately on the paperwork is your customer service attitude and skills. Oh yes, you can put some words about it on your resume but when push comes to shove it’s at the interview where this particular puppy really comes into play.
- Your customer service/can do attitude will be easily recognized by the interviewer be it by your welcoming smile, your eye contact, your active listening and/or the manner in which you ask and answer questions. You’d be amazed at how your facial expressions and your energy speak to the interviewer. Be sure to practice your interviewing so that you are fully aware of your body language, facial expressions and energy output.
Caution: Be careful not to over-energize the interviewer so pay close attention to his or her style and try to make them feel comfortable with you.
- Demonstrate your integrity and honesty in the interview. If you don’t know the answer to a question than say so and note that you will research that right after the interview. As an example you might be asked about what is currently happening or has happend with the Company. Honesty and integrity are qualities are hard to come by so when you demonstrate that you have them, it will strike a strong cord with the interviewer. It also is one of those personal traits that makes you appear to be a unique camdidate and that is an important goal for you to have.
- Know that successful employees are willing to reach out beyond their job descriptions to benefit the company. So during your interview if you have a short story to tell about how you pitched in to help with a project that needed some horsepower that would be a good thing to do. This is especially true given the attitudes of so many workers today: ”If it’s not in my job description I do not intend to get involved”. In my personal case, getting involved in a leadership role with the annual United Way campaign turned out to be critical not only in terms of my success with my last Company but also as a stepping stone to my retirement which turned out to be all about community service.
- Cooperation and sharing are also traits that of late has become a rarity in our work force. Your personal belief in this area provides the interviewer with an immediate snapshot of your attitude at work: Are you a person who sees things things as plentiful or are you one who feels that scarcity is the rule of the day? Those who view the world as full of potential and opportunity willingly share their information and support others even if it just makes others look good. The scarcity types refrain from such activities, won’t share knowledge, won’t inform and encourage their best employees to try for higher level opportunities and won’t pitch in when needed. This provides you with a great opportunity to tell a story of cooperation and sharing and will do much to get you hired. Remember it is what makes you unique and special that separates you from the other candidates.
- Virtually all companies experience conflict in the workplace be it between employees, between departments, with vendors and/or with customers. Because this is how it is, employers are seeking workers who know how to perform and produce under stress and in the face of inevitable conflict. During your interview, you will usually be asked in one form or other how you get along with your superiors, peers and subordinates. Since you know that this wil happen 99.9%, it behooves you to prepare information that suggests that you are one who builds relationships, who listens, who is not defensive, who seeks feedback and guidance and who is open to new ideas and concepts. These experiences speak loudly of your ability to manage and perform in conflicting situations. Employees who can do this are prized, so be sure to have a relevant story ready. Word to the wise…be prepared.
- Finally, what it all comes down to is customer service whether the customer be an employee, a vendor or a customer…it’s all the same. Do you enjoy helping others achieve their goals in concert with corporate goals? Do you go out of your way to resolve corporate issues in a fair and equitable manner? Do you give folks the benefit of the doubt when disagreements arise? All of these and more speak to your customer service attitude. Your ability to share relevant stories with the interviewer will go along way towards putting you at the front of the line when hiring decisions are made.
Note: Portions of this post were taken with permission from the nationally syndicated columnist Harvey MacKay, author of the New York Times #1 best seller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten”.
Wishing you success in your job search.
Paul Baskin
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
If there is one thing I have learend from job searching it is that every experience is a lesson and that the best lessons turn out to be those from the worst experiences. This particular Post is written as a message of hope for those of you who are having challenges finding a job.
Back in October, 1974 I joined a nationally known photographic equipment manufacturer as the Manager of Accounts Receivable with no college degree. I worked for the controller and within a year became the “darling of the finance department” because I succeeded in collecting over $1 million in past due receivables that had previously been identified as uncollectable.
In December, 1975…20 years out of high school, I experienced one of the proudest moments of my life having earned a BA degree from UCLA and was shortly thereafter was promoted into the sales department as the Sales Support Manager where, among other things I served as the corporate meeting planner. Once again, I achieved success, producing “the best ever” sales meetings and trade shows. The result was yet another promotion to the Director of Customer Support with over 140 employees reporting to me. When I took over, our company was ranked last in customer service performance but just two years later, we earned a ranking of second place. My career was in full bloom, like a shooting star. A VP opportunity seemed to be a certainty.
During one occasion, I was a participant in a management meeting that included the founder and the president of the Company. For whatever foolish reason, I decided that this would be the perfect time to set forth my grievances about how the company was being run. It didn’t take me long to be told that I had made an incredible faux paux…wrong time and wrong place.
As a result, when the company was unable to produce its previously announced new product and had to shut down a number of plants, I was the first to be laid off. So despite my successes and achievements with this company, I could not overcome my poor judgement.
I will never forget the look on my wife’s face when I walked out of the corporate offices towards her car with the ever present box of personal stuff . She immediately knew what had happened and she also realized that our planned once in a lifetime trip to Europe only two weeks later was doomed. When I arrived home in a state of shock, I brought the family kids together and we talked about what had happened and what it meant. I recall asking for their patience for just 24 hours while I recovered. I cried into the night as the kids slept.
The next morning, we all gathered together and talked about what we needed to do immediately to reduce costs. My two kids lost 50% of their allowances. I notified the mortgage holder and got some leeway in terms of late payments and I registered for unemployment. I also took the opportunity to let everyone know that all would be well and to try not to worry. I created a work area in the dining room setting up a typewriter (yes I’m dating myself) and other needed supplies as I prepared for my next employment campaign. The kids knew from past experience that once I got going, nothing would stand in the way of my obtaining viable employment. The fact was that it took me 4 months to find a great job. In between, I took two part time jobs that helped pay the bills.
What I learned related directly to what my parents had repeated to me over and over when I was a young boy: ”There is a time and a place for everything”. I was never to forget that failure and it served as a springboard to my future successes. I never forgot that today’s failure is the basis for tomorrow’s future growth and achievement.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
After an extensive job search, it is not impossible that you receive or anticipate receiving more than one job offer. Now the questions becomes: “How exactly do you decide”? The most popular and least effective way is just to determine how it feels…which one feels better. Unfortunately, that’s how most of our major life decisions are made. When I say unfortunately, I mean that feelings need to be backed up by some analytics and analysis. Without those, your decisions may be seriously flawed and that can result in an unhappy situation or even a failure of job retention which is the last thing you need.
So here’s what you can do:
1. For each employment opportunity, list your 10 most important factors that relate to a job such as pay, location, job content, fringe benefits, opportunity for advancement, industry strength, product acceptance, supervision, training and long term potential.
2. Assign a numerical oode to each item on the list using a 1-5 scale with one being the least important to you and 5 being most important to you.
3. Now grade each item on the list on a five scale with 1 being the weakest item and 5 being the strongest item. By weakest and strongest I mean how good is each. For example if the job is 2 blocks away then likely you would rate that a 5 but if it is 2 hours away you would rate that a 1.
4. Now multiply the importance number by the strength number and total the resulting column.
5. Finally compare the column total of each job you included to see which one has the higher numerical value and then look at the details to see exactly why that happened.
Once you have completed this exercise, you should compare the numercal result with your gut feel and you will be well prepared to make a well thought out decision. This process can work for many things in your life be it large purchases or even selecting a marital partner, because well thought out decisions combined with personal feelings is the ultimate decision maker.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of grantstoyou.org
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
You know that all saw…”when it rains it pours”? I know that this is hard for you to believe but sometimes after months of unsuccessful searching, up comes one job offer and then another. So what’ a person to do?
Well first, you may recall from a previous Post that the game of job search is a two way street between you and the employer. if you receive a job offer, you expect that it is an honest and true one and the employer believes the same about your acceptance.
While I have no quarrel with this concept, the reverse is often not true. By that I mean if the employer changes their mind about you because a more desirable candidate suddenly appears, theywould have no hesitation in cancelling your job offer. And likewise, you the candidate should have no problem cancelling youracceptance if in fact a better opportunity suddenly pops up. The key words here are flexibility and honesty. If you receive a second or third offer and find one significantly more attractive be it as a result of the money, the job content, the location or whatever, there is nothing wrong with you accepting the second offer and then going back to the first employer and cancelling your acceptance. You will need to do this in an honest and upfront manner and you must not use it as a bargaining chip to gain more pay or title from the first employer. Further, it would be best but not impossible if you changed your mind before any extensive training took place so as not to have caused a significant amount of monetary loss by the employer. That said, you need look out for yourself and if that means changing jobs after hiring and training then so be it. Have I done that…yes. Were there repercussions…no. Was it in my best interest and did it turn out well…absolutely!
Bottom line? Be as honest and upfront as you can be during your job search and do your very best to meet your stated obligations to a potential new employer but always keep your eyes and ears open for an even better opportunity and if necessary be prepared to switch if that is in your best interest.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
There are many things that go into making for a successful job search. This blog is loaded with tips on how to achieve your job search objectives.
Today I want to chat with you about how a person’s attitude plays into this process. For most, being under or unemployed brings about some level of depression. The thought of having to look for a job, the seemingly small number of available jobs (that’s what our government says) and the load of bills that need to be paid all contribute to this depression. That said, there is little place for depression in job search. Job searchers need to believe that they have the power to control the job search process and indeed they do. In fact, they need to be invigorated in the knowledge that they have special powers because they have information. Information breeds power.
During my career I recall getting to a point (and this may be too difficult for many of you to believe or understand) where I actually looked forward to a new job search realizing that I could literally pull the strings of these corporate folks to my benefit and ultimately to theirs as well since I was a darn good employee.
Speaking of attitude, here’s a fact that few think about…despite the recession and the unemployment rate there are always jobs available. How could that be? Because people get sick, people move away to be with their family, people are fired and people retire and that happens thousands of time daily, so don’t let the government or your friends pronouncements impact your attitude or enable you to use it as an excuse. Jobs are there and they need to be filled.
In any case. its the positive attitude that drives the job searcher to spend the time and do the process and keep at it realizing that indeed the devil is in the details.
A positive attitude is the result of the belief that all will be well and that one has the influence, the energy, the creativity and the knowledge to become gainfully employed. A positive attitude is the lynch pin of success. Attitude will make it happen they way you want it to and indeed, when you want it to.
I cannot complete this post without mentioning that one of the most important aspects of a positive attitude is the willingness to examine your process if you are not getting the results you expected. For example, let’s say that your resumes are generating an acceptable level of positive responses resulting in interviews but…you are getting no job offers. That would suggest that you examine your interviewing skills. Whether it be your level of preparedness, your communication skills, your choice of dress or your ability to answer questions and pose questions… these all need to be examined to be sure that all is well. Ask your best friend to interview you or seek out a community group that will video your interview and provide a useful critique. What ever it takes…get it done. And….don’t wait too long because each interview not done properly will burn the employment opportunity forever.
The bottom line is this…if you follow the processes that are recommended in this blog and if you put as much positive energy and creativity into the process as you used to when you were working and if you are willing to be flexible if you are not getting the results, then you will ultimately prevail. “I guarantee it”.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
It is not unusual for a person who becomes unemployed, to feel a sense of shear panic and that can set off a frenzy of job hunting activity. The problem is that such activity is often a complete waste of time. A popular but largely ineffective approach is sending out what is known as ”Broadcast Letters” also referred to as “Shotgunning ones resume”. The principle here is to get as much paperwork out to prospective employers as possible in the hope that one gets a “hit”. Sad to say but such indiscriminate action will not likely hit more than 1% on the average if that (so that experts say). With that low of a return being a reality, there it would seem that there needs to be a better approach (also known as a reality check…ha,ha). Doesn’t that make sense?
To get going effectively, start by deciding where you want to work. Use a map that covers the number of miles and/or time you are willing to travel and make a circle on the map so that you can jot down the cities and towns of interest within the circle. Also determine what type of jobs you would be able to perform. Now please be clear…I am not talking about jobs you might love, I am talking about jobs that you can do.(if you love it, so much the better). Then go online and locate companies that contain within its employee base the job titles you are seeking. Once you have that list, you can go to work.
Research each company on the Internet so that you have identified likely hiring managers and as a last resort a human services representative. It goes without saying that since there is no visible job available, your cover letter and resume must be mistake free and just as important catch the full and enthusiastic attention of the reader. An opening sentence like: “I am writing to obtain a position of Engineering Tech at your firm” just won’t do so if that’s what you are writing just stop and read on. The opening sentence needs to be a WOW statement like: “Did you ever think that you could bring on an Engineering Tech who had worked with great success for the two largest and most respected engineering firms in America”? Now that’s what I call attracting attention and that’s how you get the full attention of the reader. Nothing less will do.
It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway, that you must pick one specific job when doing these mailings and your resume and cover letter much look like, small like and taste like that job with absolutely no confusion because employers do not enjoy picking jobs for people.
And as with all mailings, you must absolutely suck it up and follow up. That means seeking out the person to whom you wrote and asking simply: “I am Joe Smith and I wonder if you had received my letter and resume that I sent last week?” His or her response may be “I sent that over to HR or I haven’t seen it yet” or who knows but as long as you have that person on the phone, give them the essence of your opening line….you know, the one about the successful years with two great engineering companies. You’ll need to be quick on your feet as it were so that you make the most of the call. Now if that person has in fact seen your paperwork, so much the better. In that case, be sure to have it out in front of you and be prepared to answer questions the goal being only one…get an interview.
Make sure to record each mailing into your record keeping system and make appropriate notes before (contact information, job title and date) and after each call. Keep in mind that every contact you make or shall I say attempt to make is a job prospect until you receive a no. Also, be aware that the jobs you selected that you can both can do and would love to do need even more attention because those are the ones that will make you feel the best and give you the best chance of success.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
What Color is your Parachute has been a favorite “how to” for job seekers for many years with many reprints. It is written in an entertaining and kind of wise-ass manner that is really fun to read. That said, one of its continuing dialogues focuses on the Hidden Job Market. “All ya do” is to call the company of your choice and ask for the head of marketing, or sales or finance department or whatever and then ask them if they have five minutes to share how that particular company and office works. That is called the Informational Interview. It is set forth as an easier way to get yourself in front of hiring decision makers.
First of all, let me ask you some questions: How many of you would feel comfortable calling the way Parachuts suggests? Would you be comfortable and confident? Would you know what to say? Do you have what it takes to withstand the rejection? My guess is that some 90% (SWAG) of job seekers would feel very uncomfortable choosing this approach and therefore just wouldn’t do it or would fail in the attempt. If that be so then why would authors focus on just 10% or so of the job seekers when there are so many more out there who need truly practical assistance?
Further, do you think for one minute that your target, Mr. or Ms. Executive is so naive as to not know what you are really about? Are they not fully aware that you are seeking an interview by going through the back door? Of course they are…so don’t be fooled for a minute and just as an aside, if you ever do succeed in setting up one of these meetings then do bring an appropriate resume just in case it is asked for.
My bottom line on the Hidden Job Market at least as defined as the Informational Interview is just plain old hogwash for most.
Now that said, if you do want to find the hidden job market, try these three really easy and proven (by me) steps:
1. Every day, read newspapers and online articles about executives and managers being hired and/or promoted. Contact every one of them, offer congratulations and then offer them your special set of skills that could assist them in their new duties. Does this work…you bet!
2. Again, read the local newspapers and online announcements and articles about new companies being formed or becoming corporations. Contact every one of these and offer your services to help them grow.
3. Attend or even join the local Chambers of Commerce and other business related groups and be prepared to attend all of their mixers. Bring a ton of your newly minted business cards and be prepared to shake hands and tell your job seeking story using your well practiced 30 second elevator speech and then exchange business cards. Make sure that you meet every one at the mixer. Once home, follow up 100% and if you get a “Sorry but I have no openings” response then don’t forget to ask if they can refer any business acquaintances and do a 100% follow up once again and so on.
Job hunting is an activity that is sure to test your mettle but you will feel sooooo good when the phone caller says: “Mr. Jones…when would you be available to come in to dissuss your compensation package and your start date?”.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
My various posts have focused mainly on process…how to do what is necessary to obtain employment. That said, one aspect I have not focused on is the amount of work that is required to achieve one’s employment goals.
To begin with, I offer up the words passion, panic, extreme discomfort and fear…you get the point. These feelings are often in place when people find themselves without a job. ”How will I make the mortgage and car payments?” ”How will I pay for the kids special classes?” How will I be able to obtain needed health care?” All of these combined tend to generate both anxiety and energy at the same time and it is that combination that gets us going toward accomplishing one of life’s most important and difficult goals…finding a job.
Job search is a full time job, a job that may be harder in terms of focus and perseverance than any you have ever had. So get rid of the day trip to the Grand Canyon or any other time consuming activity and accept the fact that from the moment of your job loss, your entire life will be focused on one thing and that is identifying job opportunities, communicating with prospective employers and following up 100%.
The process should begin early like at 7:00 AM and continue into the evening like 7:00 PM when you will need to settle down, relax and prepare for a restful sleep. During that 12 hour period you will be researching for new opportunities, following up on previously answered opportunities, practicing for phone and live interviews and analyzing how well your resumes and cover letters are doing in terms of percent of positive response.
When you determine that a particular resume format is not working to your satisfaction (remember, a perfect resume and cover letter should yield at least 40% positive response), be prepared to review the words and format and try to determine what is wrong. Does the paperwork match the jobs you are seeking? Is your spelling and syntax perfect? How about your timing? Once you have completed your review, move forward with the necessary changes for the next resume sending. Also, where possible, call the employer and try to make verbal contact with the level highest to the hiring manager and state your case. Many of you may be shy but for this exercise do your best to overcome your discomfort. Think about it…what is the worst case? Never give up…never.
For those of you receiving unemployment benefits, may I urge that you work diligently to find work even if the pay is equal to those benefits, reason being that a person needs more than money…he or she needs self worth, caring and belonging and nothing beats that more than working.
In any case, your efforts to find a job are truly a 24/7 activity with much needed feedback be it silence or a positive, “when can we meet” phone call. Leave no stone unturned. Get some cheap business cards made and give them out at every opportunity, talk to your neighbors and relatives, to your fellow shoppers at the food market and to the various professionals you deal with on a regular basis. Don’t forget your pastor and those who you worked with on prior jobs. Don’t just limit your research to job ads…read articles about those who just got promoted and contact each of them to determine if they need help in their new role.
Keep your eyes open for new businesses opening. The local newspaper prints such announcements and your success may depend on your not missing even one relevant new business.
Closing…this activity is indeed one of the most rigorous you may ever encounter, but like a bank reconciliation which must always balance to the penny, a proper job search will yield positive results if the process and the effort is there.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
I am pleased that I am receiving over 750 hits daily and that most of these offer very favorable comments. However, one person recently indicated that my goals for writing this blog were unclear so I promised I would clarify that for him and for all visitors…
In these difficult times, the media drowns us in negative news of all sorts, not the least of which is that there are few jobs out there. So here’s my position on jobs…there are always people leaving jobs whether they were fired, laid off, quit to relocate, change careers and on and on. That means that there are thousands of job opportunities opening up each and every day and that’s a fact. With a good, positive attitude and an acceptance of this information, an umemployed person could realize that he or she can indeed find a job… perhaps not their #1 choice, perhaps not located next door, but indeed a job.
The fact is that I have had the extraordinary experience of succeeding in the job search in good times and bad, with and without a college education and as a youth, a middle aged person and a senior citizen so I know that all the excuses are just that…excuses. I also know that if a person truly wants a job, works like heck on the job search and follows a specific procedure, then in all likelihood he or she will succeed.
In other words, I have written this blog to encourage the discouraged, support the unsupported and educate the uneducated all leading to that pot of gold…a real live, cash generating job.
Some folks are commenting that they do not agree with all of my assertions. Let me clarify that everything written on this blog has been tested and retested over 43 years and 34 middle and upper-middle level job wins. While I must agree that people are all different and therefore not always successful due to these differences, I assert that if a person follows all of these tips completely and thoroughly, their chances of obtaining a job increase dramatically.
I am hopeful that the gentleman who was confused or unclear about my goals is now less so and that any of you who honor me by reading this blog will have a better understanding of my intentions.
Wishing you success in your job search
Paul Baskin
The Job Mentor
thejobmentor@jobsearchjobfindjobget.com
And the founder of Grants To You
Volunteers and nonprofits working together to help communities
