ESSENTIAL VIEWING: How to Pitch Yourself to An Employer in 30 Seconds

Anish shares a PRO STRATEGY for creating a powerful and effective 30-second "elevator pitch" for employers.

ESSENTIAL VIEWING: Hiring for Culture Fit- What You Need to Know

With over 40% of hiring managers choosing CULTURE FIT over SKILLS when determining who gets the job, knowing how to play to this side of things is key. Here are some tips!

Here are some frequently asked employer questions on culture fit (according to a recent HBR article):

• What type of culture do you thrive in? (Does the response reflect your organizational culture?)

• What values are you drawn to and what’s your ideal workplace?

• Why do you want to work here?

• How would you describe our culture based on what you’ve seen? Is this something that works for you?

• What best practices would you bring with you from another organization? Do you see yourself being able to implement these best practices in our environment?

• Tell me about a time when you worked with/for an organization where you felt you were not a strong culture fit. Why was it a bad fit?

ESSENTIAL VIEWING: What Does "Checking References" REALLY Mean?

Here's an insider's take on what's REALLY going on when an employer says they're checking your references. How close are you to landing the job?

A Dead-Simple Tool to Help You Make Better Career Decisions

GRAB ANISH'S CAREER DECISION CHEAT SHEET BELOW!

Stuck on what new Career Skill to learn? Watch this.

ANISH'S TALENT STACK

TIER 1 SKILLS

-Writing

-Speaking/Performance

-Influencing

TIER 2 SKILLS

-Rapid learning and application

-Technically proficient- expert in LinkedIn for career development. 

-Negotiation

-Productivity optimization

And here are some free resources that will help if you're ACTIVELY BRAINSTORMING new types of positions:

-Career OneStop: https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/toolkit.aspx

-My Skills, My Future: http://myskillsmyfuture.org

-O*Net Resource Center: http://www.onetcenter.org

This Super-Simple Hack will Boost your Interview Confidence

Here's a simple tactic I use to quickly enter a "high confidence" state. Killer for interviews!

Click here to receive Anish's free video training on Generating New Career Opportunities ON DEMAND (in the Age of LinkedIn): http://bit.ly/2nT3Tfc

5 Ways to Kill Your Chances with a Hiring Manager

I’m a big fan of the X-Men comic books, and have always loved the powers of Dr. Charles Xavier, who is telepathic. Who wouldn’t want the ability to instantly read a person’s mind and affect their behavior? This skill would come in extremely handy during interviews with hiring managers, many of whom seem to belong squarely to the school of “Say little and express even less.”

Here are 5 of the biggest hiring manager turn-offs to be on the lookout for:

1) Lack of Specificity in the Resume

A big mistake jobseekers make is submitting overly-general resumes. This makes sense in theory: after all, the more applications you can shoot off, the more interviews, right? But this can really turn off a hiring manager, who wants to know EXACTLY how your background will enable you to tackle the problems they need solved. Clichés just won’t cut it at this stage.

-Create a shortlist of 5-10 positions you’re an ideal fit for.

-Study the job postings for positions like this, as well as LinkedIn Profiles for people who currently have these jobs.

-Tailor your resume to quickly communicate fit for these roles.

-Here’s what separates the best from the rest: once you have a solid framework in place, include METRICS-BASED ACCOMPLISHMENTS for every major position you’ve held that PROVES your ability to execute. Here’s an example:

• Saved global Telecom company $500M over 2 years through development and deployment of end-to-end Complexity Reduction methodology resulting in purchasing and inventory efficiencies.

2) Too Aggressive about Career Advancement

Look, it’s great to be ambitious. And of course the job you’re after today is probably not the one you want to retire on. But you need to place your focus squarely on becoming the ideal candidate for THIS job before even talking about the next step. Neglect to do this, and a hiring manager will naturally start thinking that you might jump ship within a year, and they’ll be back to square one.

-Create a short “Value Presentation” for the interview which talks about how your 3-4 strongest skills can be applied immediately towards helping the company. Get creative here! For example, if you’re going after a product development position, why not run some quick usability tests on a company’s products, document it, and develop some design suggestions?

3) Too Open About Weaknesses

A hiring manager is not a career counselor. With the latter, it’s perfectly fine to be honest about vulnerabilities in your personality or “pet peeves” that drive you crazy in the work environment. But if you take the same approach with a hiring manager and confide things like you have trouble balancing family responsibilities with workplace demands, you’ll most likely get passed over. They’re not only looking to find the best candidate, but MANAGE RISK.

-Learn how to “spin” negatives into something that ultimately leads to success. For example, if you’re asked what your greatest weakness is, you can tell a story about how you once had chronic shyness and needed 30 minutes to “amp yourself” up for a simple phone call, and now, through courage and repeated exposure, can handle dozens of calls with high-level clients per day. Negative to a positive.

4) Not Following-Up

Following up matters! It shows that you’re truly invested in landing the position, and aren’t just treating it as one of many potential opportunities. I recommend sending a simple, printed note within 48 hours of an interview thanking them for the opportunity, followed by an email sent a few days later that essentially continues the conversation- adding greater detail to questions raised, sharing an industry article of interest, etc. You’re making it clear that the interview was the beginning of an ongoing relationship.

5) Lack of Enthusiasm

If a hiring manager has to choose between the most qualified candidate on paper, and a less qualified candidate who brings genuine passion to the table, they’ll go for the latter every time. You can teach someone almost anything EXCEPT enthusiasm. So if you have a personal connection with the company you’re interviewing for, and believe that this is a meaningful step in your life’s ambitions, or simply love the unique culture they’ve developed, take time in the interview to let them know! It also doesn’t hurt to explicitly state, “I’m very interested in this position, and would love to see a positive outcome” or similar. Excitement fuels job offers!

Does Your Career Need a Shot in the Arm? Watch This.

How much time do you REALLY have to fulfill your life's ambitions?

Ask a Career Expert: How Do I Include Soft Skills On My Resume?

"Are soft skills worth highlighting on a resume? And if so, what's a good way to do it?"

First things first: YES, soft skills do play an important role in hiring. Employers aren't looking for robots that can only execute on a job description. They need people who can positively impact the culture and see what's around the corner- people with depth (this goes triple for executives btw). Soft skills are a way to address this. However, doing so CREDIBLY is something that trips many jobseekers up.

Simply put: if you've got a keyword section on your resume that has things like "Goal-Oriented" and "Emotional Intelligence" in there, you're doing it wrong!

1) IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPORTANT SOFT SKILLS TO HIGHLIGHT

Soft skills are like dessert- quality is more important than quantity! The first step is to thoroughly evaluate target job postings to identify major soft skills employers are on the lookout for (and that you possess).

Let's say you do this and identify the following skills:

• Interpersonal- ability to work in teams, relate to people, and manage conflict.

• Project Management- organization, planning, and consistently taking initiatives from start-to-finish. Not just for dedicated Project Managers anymore- many employers want to see this as a skill set for employees of all stripes.

• Problem Solving- ability to use creativity, logic, past work experience and available resources to solve issues.

2) DEVELOP POWERFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

If you've ever come across a resume which truly POPS, chances are it's because soft skills have been tightly integrated with accomplishments. Hard numbers may reassure an employer that you're a safe bet, but they inspire little passion (that's why "dry" resumes which do nothing but list one metric after another tend to make your eyes glaze over). But when you add soft skills into the mix, ideally in a way that lends depth to you the PERSON (not just you the candidate) you've got something special.

a) Utilize the STAR Method to Reframe Career Accomplishments. Get away from day-to-day responsibilities. What wins did you pull off? What projects would have crashed and burned without your efforts? How did you BETTER things? Now break down what you've come up with in the following manner:

S = Situation. What was the problem? Be as specific as possible. Overly general accomplishments DO NOT WORK.

T = Task. What's the goal?

A = Action. Which specific steps did you take to reach the goal? Focus on what YOU did, not the team. If describing team contributions, be sure to credit them or risk looking like an egomaniac!

R = Result. Final outcome. This is the time to talk yourself up. Take credit for what you accomplished, and if you can highlight multiple positives, even better!

b) Now that you have your STAR accomplishments, integrate them within your resume. Remember: resume accomplishments are most effective when you highlight the RESULT first, followed by how you got there. Here are examples of soft-skills based accomplishments which hew to this structure:

INTERPERSONAL- Established Risk Management as a key pillar of the organization, building and training 20-person in-house team responsible for ERM systems and processes development, as well as major cross-divisional initiatives.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT- Delivered over $5M in annual cost savings, along with improved business agility, through total project management of paper-to-digital record archiving initiative. Worked heavily with teams across Houston, Toronto, and London offices to attain aggressive 1-year implementation target.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Increased revenues by 12% through overhauling outdated and ineffective proposal process, consulting with SMEs within the industry, developing standardized language and offerings, and training 8 U.S. sales teams in adopting new approach.

One last tip: don't confine soft skills to just your resume! Weave them into the stories you share during the interview, and show employers that you consider them to be crucial to your worth.

Want to CRUSH Your Next Job Interview? Watch this!

Anish reveals a powerful way to LEAPFROG past your limitations and kill it during the job interview.

What Will You Not TOLERATE in 2017?

Forget New Year's resolutions- there's a better way to reach higher ground. Anish shares a personal story that changed his prospects forever.

3 Things You Need to Know About the Job Search

#1

The BEST way to answer the question, "Why are you job hunting?" is with a variation of the following strategy:

Great Experience at my Current Employer

BUT

I've Hit a Wall in Terms of Growth and Development

AND NOW

I want to take my Development and Career to the Next Level (and you guys are the best way to achieve this)

#2

A great way to set up interviews when you're in a FT job is to simply be OPEN AND UPFRONT with recruiters and hiring managers instead of pretending you're completely available and then scrambling frantically when one is set up for you!

Tell them that you'll need a little flexibility to work around your current work schedule, and (if they're reputable) they'll be happy to adjust. People often interview after 5 pm.

#3

Many companies push new hires to sign a Non-Compete Agreement (NCA). It's a major hassle in terms of your not being able to work in your field and earn income within your targeted industry in the event that things don't work out.

So if signing a NCA costs you money and provides a major benefit to the company, it's only fair that it cost the company something too, right? Negotiate for a GUARANTEED SEVERANCE PACKAGE for the term of the NCA to tide you over during a transition. Make them seriously consider the merits of having you sign one.

10 Toxic Interview Questions to Avoid at All Costs!

We all have pet peeves, little things that get under our skin and make it harder to move forward. For hiring managers, these 10 questions are considered major turn-offs. With a little prep on your part beforehand, you can avoid these "interview killers" and stay on-track to landing that new job:

1) Don't ask for information you could have easily found with a quick online (Google, Linkedin, Company Website) search. The stronger your knowledge, the clearer the signal it sends that you want a position with THIS company.

2) Don't ask if you can change the job details, the schedule, or the salary. You need to prove 100% fit with the role first, negotiate salary only once an offer's on the table, and work out scheduling specifics once you actually have the job! Don't get the order confused.

3) Don't ask too many questions about the interviewer’s background. Some initial questions about the work they do and their experience at the company is fine, then move on.

4) Don't ask about pay, time off, benefits, etc. during the initial interview. This can make you come across as a "WIIFM" ("What's in it for me?") candidate.

5) Don't ask “What does your company do?” YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THIS!

6) Don't ask “If I’m hired, when can I start applying for other positions in the company?”

7) Don't ask how quickly you can be promoted. Again, this is putting the cart before the horse. Succeed at the job first before entertaining thoughts of promotion.

8) Don't ask “Do you do background checks?” Assume they will.

9) Don't ask about gossip you’ve heard or come across online.

10) Don't ask if the company monitors e-mail or Internet usage.

1 Easy LinkedIn Profile Tweak for WAY More Recruiter Results!

racing

If you're in ACTIVE JOB SEARCH MODE, then you MUST activate LinkedIn's "Share Career Interests with Recruiters" feature.

Simply put, it will IMMEDIATELY put you on the radar of major industry recruiters, offer a glimpse of what types of roles you're pursuing (and what skills you're bringing to the table), and do it all without blasting out notifications to your existing network. Oh, and did I mention it's FREE?

Here's how:

Step 1: Sign into LinkedIn and click on the “Jobs” tab

step-1-screenshot

Step 2: Now Click on the “Preferences” tab

step-2-screenshot

Step 3: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see a “Share career interests with recruiters?” option

step-3-screenshot

Step 4: Fill out the questions, then click on the “Share your job preferences” option at the bottom.

step-4-screenshot

Boom! You’ve just sent out a powerful “blast” to recruiters about your job interests, and increased your visibility with them for the next 90 days.

Pros and Cons of Working with an EXTERNAL RECRUITER

In last week's post, I gave you a rundown of the pros and cons of working with an internal recruiter. This week we'll be talking about EXTERNAL RECRUITERS, and what they can offer you.

First, here's how an external recruiter operates:

- External recruiters are usually paid a percentage of the employees’ annual salary as a “finder’s fee” for bringing a hired candidate to an employer. Employers will often engage more than 1 recruiting firm to source qualified candidates from, so competition can be fierce.

-External recruiters will almost always handle the initial phone or face-to-face interview, and then it's usually turned over to internal staff at the company. On rare occasions, they'll manage the entire hiring process from start-to-finish.

Now let's go over Pros and Cons:

PROS

-They have an outsider’s perspective, and can usually provide a "clear-eyed" view of what's really going on at the company.

-They can offer crucial guidance on navigating personalities and company hiring issues to give you an edge over the competition.

-Your success means more money for them- that's a POWERFUL motivator! Internal recruiters just don't have the same level of incentive to get you hired.

CONS

-The same outsider mentality which can be a plus with a great external recruiter can also be a NEGATIVE with someone who's not on top of the ball. Lack of knowledge about the company and key decision-makers can make it very difficult for you to get traction during the hiring process. This is why it's crucial to listen and observe carefully during initial contact with an external recruiter- are they interested in YOU specifically, or is this one of dozens of calls they have on the books?

-To maximize their odds of placing a candidate, external recruiters will usually put forth multiple people for a job. As such, they may not promote you as aggressively.

-Some external recruiters may submit your resume for other open positions without your knowledge (or permission). This can cause unexpected problems. For example, if you've previously applied for a position independently, and then an external recruiter ALSO submits your candidacy for the same position, an employer may choose to skip you over entirely rather than deal with the headache of figuring out whether a commission is due to the recruiter on hiring. This is why SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS are a must when working with an external recruiter.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

-Ultimately, an external recruiter has the exact same goal as you: getting you placed quickly, and for MAXIMUM compensation.

-Be honest with them about potential vulnerabilities- they can play a big role in mitigating the fallout and strengthening the overall impact of your presentation.

ONE MORE THING:

A relationship with an external recruiter can pay off for years to come. If they succeed in landing you a job, be sure to send a handwritten thank you note. Connect with them on LinkedIn. Periodically touch base during holidays and during milestone moments in your career. And the best value-add of all? Refer colleagues to them!

"What's Your Greatest Strength?"

Here's a great way to answer a tricky interview question!

Pros and Cons of Working with an INTERNAL RECRUITER

In my work with jobseekers, I often encounter a lack of basic understanding about recruiters. This can really hurt you when pursuing new career opportunities.

Here's some information to quickly get you up-to-speed:

* Internal recruiters, also known as “corporate” recruiters, work within an organization. They usually get paid by the employer who has the available job.

* External recruiters, also known as “independent” recruiters, do not receive a paycheck from the employer who has the open job. They work for someone else, either a recruiting firm or agency, or simply for themselves.

Let's go over the advantages (and possible disadvantages) of working with an INTERNAL RECRUITER:

PROS

-Insider perspective. They know how a company REALLY works and usually have deep relationships within the organization (including hiring managers).

-Getting introduced to the hiring manager by an internal recruiter is usually a signal that they're SERIOUSLY INTERESTED In you for the job.

-They can get you on the "inside track" if convinced you're the best person for the position.

-Sometimes they will even coach you in navigating the various personality types and hiring procedures within the company.

CONS

-Their allegiance is ultimately to the employer, and that can cause problems if you get caught in a clash between 2 key decision-makers, etc.

-You always need to watch yourself with an internal recruiter (because they're always watching you). You can't confide vulnerabilities and offer "straight talk" on concerns as you might do with an external recruiter.

-They will not hesitate to block you as a candidate if you try to go around them to the hiring manager.

KEY TAKEAWAY: You must ALWAYS present your strongest, most polished self when dealing with internal recruiters. They're not "on your side" during the hiring process. Don't ask for special favors, and don't assume they have control over interview scheduling, salaries, etc.

I'll give you the low-down on EXTERNAL RECRUITERS next week!

Ready to take your career to the next level?

How to Create a Job Search CHEAT SHEET!

Anish shares a step-by-step strategy for creating a Job Search CHEAT SHEET that will generate more interviews and shave months off of your search!

Ask Yourself These 3 Questions Before Accepting an Offer

What's the difference between a candidate who has a clear and powerful career "journey," one marked by upward steps at each turn, and one whose background looks like it's all over the map?

One difference is that candidate #1 is probably earning WAY more than candidate #2!

Another difference is that candidate #1, when presented with an offer, acts in accordance with LONG-TERM, not short-term goals.

Here are 3 important questions to ask yourself before accepting a new role:

1. How will my job title look to an outsider?

Can you easily explain that there are no Director titles even though you had Director-level responsibilities?

2. How will my department name look to an outsider?

If you want to get into Public Relations, but this job places you in the Internal Communications department, you might be creating a future issue.

3. What's the job I want in 5 years?

In a small business, you get to wear many hats. But if your dream is to make a big impact at a large firm, how will you position yourself for more specialized roles? Or vice versa; you start in a large company, but are passionate about faster career growth in a start-up. How would you build skills and transferability for the future position?

3 Summer Job Search Tips

#1

HR and Hiring Managers are usually WAY more open to cold reach-outs and informational interviews during this period.

Create a list of 10-15 dream companies, start putting in calls, and get your face out there!

#2

2 quick ideas for summer networking (because those who build their network during the Summer months reap rewards come fall):

-Large cities host informal, outdoor "happy hours." Attend one to quickly meet new people across many different industries.

-What's your university alumni group up to? Meet up to trade notes and scope out potential opportunities.

#3

Longer wait times to hear back during Summer isn't a sign that you're doing anything wrong.

Think in terms of "hurry up and wait": periods of rapid activity followed by gaps as staff go on/come back from vacation, etc.