Revealing the EXECUTIVE UNDERCLASS- and how to steer clear!

Recently Fired? Then You Need these 5 Interview Answers.

Career Track/Responsibilities Change

"I loved working at [PREVIOUS EMPLOYER] and [OUTLINE MAJOR JOB RESPONSIBILITY]. A little over a year ago, a new management team was installed, and they decided to change the focus of my department as well as my responsibilities. While it didn't affect my performance, I ultimately decided to leave so that I could find a position that better catered to my strengths. Based on what I've learned so far, this role seems like a very strong fit."

Culture Mismatch

"A new [POSITION TITLE] was installed, and as a result of the changes that occurred, the in-house culture and priorities shifted significantly. I no longer felt that my priorities and those of the organization were in sync, so with regret I decided that it was better for all concerned that I move on. I don't foresee that as being remotely an issue here."

Further Education

"I knew that a [DEGREE, TRAINING NAME] was essential to realizing my career goals. And I knew that trying to pursue both it and a full-time career wasn't realistic. I dove in feet first, learned an incredible amount, and now feel empowered to move to the next stage of my career. Based on what we've been discussing, this seems like an excellent place to do just that!"

Internal Conflicts

"Our company has been suffering with low morale and high turnover for quite some time, and I began to understand that the systemic issues behind it were more than I could overcome. This is why I feel like this position would be an excellent match...."

"As rewarding as working at [PREVIOUS EMPLOYER] was, I felt disappointed by the lack of opportunities for career growth and wanted to change that. Based on what we've been talking about, I feel like this position would..."

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!

What's Your Why?

WHAT'S YOUR "WHY?" KEY CAREER QUESTIONS TO ASK:

CORE STRENGTH QUESTION:

Ask yourself: "AM I PRIMARILY..."

a) THE TALENT

b) MANAGER/LEADER

c) ENTREPRENEUR

Your answer is your CORE STRENGTH.

Now, what would be a path that would allow you to start dipping into one or both of the other areas? This should inform your career direction.

ROOT MOTIVATION QUESTIONS

1. Think of a time when you were performing at your best. What were you doing? What were you saying, thinking and feeling? What was going on around you?
2. List the top ten things in life that give you joy. What common themes do you notice?
3. What are three accomplishments you are most proud of? What are your natural strengths that you love to use?
4. Think about times that you have gotten angry/upset/irritated. What core personal value(s) were not being met?
5. Who is the one person you admire the most? What would that person advise you to do?
6. What do you dislike the most about your current or past work?
7. What would happen in your career if we doubled your self-belief? What if we quadrupled it?

DAILY LIFE CHECK-IN QUESTIONS:

1. What am I consuming? Reading, listening, watching. How much of it is actively helping me GROW?
2. Who do I spend time with? Assess the 5 people you interact with most frequently professionally. Are they people to aspire to, or people who are holding you back?
3. Who are my role models? Am I directly interacting with them, following them on social media, taking their courses? How am I "drifting" behind those who have already succeeded at what I wish to do?

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN QUESTIONS:

1. What do you want to achieve with your career?
2. How much time are you prepared to spend on your career?
3.  What skills do you need to develop?
4. What resources will you need?
5. Where can you get support or advice?
6. What type of person do you need to be?
7. What is your motivation?

3 Things You Must Know About Landing A Better Job

TIP #1

A great job should NEVER be about just a big paycheck. True career fulfillment also needs:

1) REAL challenges. You can't spend 40-50 hours a week doing mind-numbing tasks and think you're setting yourself up for something better. You're not.

2) MENTORSHIP. 90% of the executives I coach list "loss of a mentor" as the primary reason for seeking a new role. You need DIRECTION and GUIDANCE to get to that next level!

3) WORK-LIFE BALANCE. Not optional, required.

4) A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT SHARES YOUR VALUES. Are you being heard?

TIP #2

Did you know: Studies show that a candidate who is REFERRED by a current employee is 40% MORE LIKELY TO BE HIRED!

This is why TAPPING YOUR NETWORK, EXPANDING YOUR NETWORK, and SETTING UP AT LEAST 3 INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS PER WEEK with key industry players will get you further, faster, than answering job postings.

TIP #3

NEVER accept a job offer before asking this question:

"What criteria will be used to judge my performance in this role? What does success look like during the first 30, 60, and 90 days?"

You need to understand PRECISELY what an employer's expecting you to deliver!

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?

3 Tips on Negotiating Salary

#1

Salary negotiation doesn't begin when an offer is made. It starts at the VERY FIRST MOMENT you make contact with a company, and is continuously being adjusted and re-framed throughout the hiring process.

#2

Never start negotiating a job offer when it's presented. Get as many details as you can (you don't want to have to place a follow-up call before your counteroffer), say thank you, and ask for a day or two to consider.

#3

How to start a salary counteroffer:

"Everything about the offer's great. The salary mentioned is ok, but [based on my experience and how it ties into the position] I was hoping for something closer to [SPECIFIC dollar amount]."

Then wait for a response! Avoid the temptation to over-explain.