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Why do interviews intimidate people so much? The worst that can happen is that the company you are interviewing with will not hire you! If that is the worst that can happen, then how do you make an impression, say the right things and win the job?

Well, a good way to start is to turn the interview process in your favor.

First Turn. Do your homework. Research the company and its people. And most importantly, look at the news releases recently published. A great source for this information is OneSource.com,  and all candidates with CPI receive access to it through our web portal.

Second Turn. Prepare a dynamic positioning statement or two-minute presentation so that you can “tell them about yourself” when you get the inevitable first question.

Third Turn. Ask a final question at the end of the above statement. “Is that the kind of person you are looking for?’

Now you have turned the interview around so that  you are asking the questions, and the company interviewer is responding. You learn what the key requirements of the job are. If you have really good accomplishment statements and stories, you can convince the interviewer that you are the person for the job.

This process does not happen without practice, and the best way to get that help is to work with a “professional” career counselor. A good place to start is with your local career firm. Let me know what other tips you have to help turn the interview in your favor…

Jim Davidson

In Dan Brown’s latest book (author of The Da Vinci Code) The Lost Symbol, the reference to bringing order out of chaos comes up again and again. While I was reading the book, a senior executive in transition made the comment, ”Now I see what I have to do; you have made it clear what I have to do. It was very confusing before.”

With so many people searching for the best way to find their “next best work” there is so much chaos out there that it can be overwhelming.

• TV stations are offering fast, 15-second tips on how to find a job.
• Local churches are holding career sessions on how to improve your resume.
• Monster, Career Builder, and a host of other marketing sites are using jobs to sell their space.
• Government has their “help” programs.
• Some companies promise to market you to major companies for ONLY $10,000!

Where should a person go to get the best advice? Well, if you are sick you go to the doctor. If you have a plumbing problem you go to a plumber, a legal problem you go to a lawyer. With career issues, the connection should be to the expert in the field, a career counselor.

New Year…. New Image……Image is Everything 

Everyone knows that your voice changes when you smile, but did you know your voice changes when you stand up over sitting down. Now tell me how people perceive you when you have that inner glow of confidence. You feel different don’t you. After a long job search that glow can sometimes fade and you wonder if you will ever get it back. Sometimes a look at your image, or a check on your perception of yourselfis a good thing which can in turn jump start your job search. Sometimes knowing where to start causes the problem. The following steps may help you succeed in modifying your image for 2010. 

What do you think your current image is?  Take a few minutes to write down what you think you present to others. Think about how you dress, your posture, your voice, your presentation. What do you say? How polished is your two minute drill? 

What do other people say about your image? Go ahead and ask them. Get candid feedback. Prepare for a few surprises, just like the last 360 results you were given. 

Now, do you want to make some changes to your image?  This is where you have you have to be honest with yourself. Think about what the consequences are of you do not change. What is the worst thing that could happen if you make a change? 

Why should you want to change your image?  This depends on the feedback you received from others and whether you think a change would assist in your job search. 

If there was one thing you could change to project a better image what would it be? It could be hair, clothes, improving your network, revving up your two minute drill, or many other things, athleticism, sophistication, fashion, intelligence….. 

Select one and then identify someone you would like to emulate. Ease into it slowly. There is no need to rush and make a dramatic change. Take it slowly. 

Take stock. Did it make a difference? To others? To you? How do you feel now? 

Keep it going. 

Good luck for 2010.

When was the last time you did a search on Google to find useful information? Or, are you now using Bing as your decision engine? Whatever search tool you use, it has become common practice to search the Internet to find everything from a plumber to a movie time to the closest Italian restaurant. With the I-phone and the latest handheld technology, it gets easier every day as long as you know what to look for. We also have to become savvy searchers as not all the information we need is on the first page of our search results. I decided to look for “retirement planning tools” and came up with a very extensive list. Let me give you the first six sites.

• Fidelity Retirement Income Planner
• Financial Engines
• Morningstar Retirement Planner
• Vanguard Retirement Calculator
• T. Rowe Price Retirement Income Calculator
• ES Planner Plus

Great, but not what I was looking for. These are all financial planning sites to help you calculate how much you should be saving, for how long, and at what rate. All good information – but not what I was looking for.

I was more interested in obtaining advice on the many other things that have to be considered in retirement. What am I going to do to continue to stretch my mind? Where am I going to stay? What hobbies can I work on? What about the family? What experiences do I seek out when I travel? These and many other questions are not answered in the sites I mentioned above. To find this information you need to dig deeper into the web. You still will have a hard time finding what you want unless you look at the Career Partners New Horizons coaching program. Not only does this program help you to categorize various retirement planning areas, but it also helps you highlight where you most need to focus your attention to have a happy and productive retirement. Don’t get me wrong – money is important, but money does not always make people happy. New Horizons retirement planning is a great investment of your time and energy.

As always I am interested to hear if you find something better.

Jim Davidson

I recently came accross an article by Steve Beseke which I felt was well worth sharing. We have all been knocked down in the past and with the state of the economy more people have had this happen to them recently. It is not time to give up however, and Steve raises some interesting strategies to combat knockeddownism.

Check out Steve's life resiliency article at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-13474-Minneapolis-Career-Resiliency-Examiner~y2009m8d24-Being-Knocked-Down-Means-Getting-Up-Again-Stronger .

Have the bad economy and the associated belt-tightening, layoffs, and furloughs totally distracted you from the impending crisis you were thinking about a couple of years ago? How will your company fare if and when the economy recovers and an avalanche of baby boomer retirements occurs?  Do you have any idea whether you can really count on them staying longer because of the damage done to retirement portfolios?

Recap of the Christmas Holiday JOB Rush

December 24^th – Candidate 1 received an offer at 7pm. To quote their words it was “The best Christmas gift ever received”

December 26^th – Initial phone interview for a position. Candidate 2

December 29^th – Face to face interview Candidate 2

December 29^th – Later in the day – Email offer to Candidate 2

December 31^st – Candidate 3 receives a call for a phone interview late afternoon.

January 5^th – Candidate 4 has a face to face interview

January 6^th – Candidate 4 receives the written offer

Change, change, everywhere we turn. As a top executive, you can’t delude yourself into thinking that your entire management team and employees really like it. While there are those who thrive on change, most people experience it as a stressor. To succeed, executives must become masters at transforming the fear associated with change into workplace creativity and enthusiasm. Therein lies a major challenge. If there’s fear anywhere in the executive boardroom, it often has little or no avenue for escape. Realistic or not, executive fears can be crippling when it comes to driving a business through this abysmal state of the economy.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Nov 10, 2008) – In today’s tight economy, most of us know at least one person if not several who are out of work and looking for jobs. To brighten the holidays for these friends or family members, there are seven special gifts you can give, and they don’t cost you a dime.

Handling layoffs is a delicate situation and I have been involved over the years in many ways, as an impacted employee, as a manager doing notifications, as a VP of HR planning the event, as a Career coach assisting those being impacted and, as an account manager working with corporations to best plan the event. The bottom line is that the employees being impacted have to be the main priority, with those left behind being taken care of as well. So, whatever you do, and whoever you select, select a career continuation/outplacement firm to assist the employees and protect the firm.

I am going to finish that project!

I am going to try and finish the project!

Who do you think finished the project?

Well we sometimes defeat ourselves without even realizing it. How often have you said you will try to get to a meeting knowing that you have another event the same day? Or, when you say you will TRY to make a party and you really mean there is no way I will be there.

TRY is one word that is hard to erase from your vocabulary, but with coaching and practice it eventually disappears.

That makes you more straightforward in your speech. Makes you more respected in what you do. More confident in yourself as you know when you say something it is your word and you will stick by it. Others view you with more respect as they know where you are coming from. You even feel more confident saying, NO, I cannot make the meeting, but, I will have someone attend in my place. Or, I will follow up with you tomorrow to find out what I missed.

Go ahead. See if you can stop yourself using the “TRY” word one time today. Two times tomorrow and so on. Make it a habit.

If you cannot do it yourself, get a coach. What else can a coach help you with?

We are proud to announce and introduce Sherri Elliott as the new President of Optimance Workforce Strategies.  Sherri immediately strengthens the Optimance team.  We will now enjoy expanded capabilities to provide an integrated range of time and cost saving business solutions.  Sherri and the OWS team will deliver Human Resource audits, compliance, outsourcing, recruiting and training programs.

Have you ever been in the enviable position of having multiple job offers and then being faced with the dilemma of which one to accept?  In the ideal situation your career consultant will work with you to determine your KEY OFFER CRITERIA but that does not always happen when you are doing your own search online. So to help those of you doing an online search for that next position Bob Maher, a Senior Consultant at Optimance has provided some guidance for your Career “FIT”.

The old "round peg in a round role" theory of career planning is dysfunctional.  In the typical professional environment today, job descriptions are changing faster than ever before to keep up with the challenges of an economy in transition.   Seize control of such challenges.  

Understand the nature of FIT. You understand that managing your own career involves three key ingredients:

1. Competency with job-changing skills,
2. Continuous research and networking leading to awareness of potential next steps,
3. Confidence in knowing that your career is on the right path and moving forward.

1. Creates an objective target for your efforts ahead;
2. Gives you a meaningful set of questions to ask during research and networking;
3. Provides an objective way to analyze and react to offers as they occur.

To manage your career wisely has you extending the same concept.  Consider the ten factors listed below and then add or subtract from your own list given current circumstances. Keep your criteria in that dynamic state of change that allows you to adapt to market conditions.Examine each factor through the questions listed – and then ask "does this opportunity fit me?

"Work Requirements and Expectations: What is the next right work for you? Is the work process or project oriented?  If it's process oriented, are the requirements and expectations clear?  What kinds of projects will you work on? Will you work on one project at a time, or multiple projects? Are the projects long term or short term? Will you work on a project long enough to see the end result? Is it important to you to be able to see the project as a whole, including the result? Or will you be content to do the work without a big picture understanding? 

Work Environment: Will the work space be a source of comfort and confidence for you? How formal or informal is the environment? Hectic, fast paced? Will you have the opportunity to have flex time, or to tele-commute? How many hours a week does the employer expect you to work? Will you have the freedom to wear casual clothes? What is a typical day like at the company you are considering?  Would they allow a "trial visit" or at least a site visit?Clients: How engaged are you with those you serve?  Will you work with internal and/or external clients? What kind of exposure will you get to the end user of the project? Is it important to you to meet the client or not? To have continuing contact with the client?  Will your successful efforts with a customer result in appropriate rewards?  What is the nature of your responsibilities and accountability for customer service?

Career Path: Is there a defined succession plan? What position(s) can you move to next? How long do new hires generally stay in the same job? How quickly do people get promoted? Are your opportunities for professional development well defined and available to you? Are mentors available?

Training and Personal Development: what kind of training will you get from the employer to do the job? What kind of training will you get to stay current in your area of interest? Are the answers to these two questions different? Does it matter to you if the answers are different?

The Company and Colleagues: Are you proud to be a member of the Team?... To represent their product or service? Is their future in synch with yours?

Managerial Style:  Does your authority match your responsibilities?  How are functions and tasks delegated?  How much freedom will you have to plan and organize your own work? How structured is your potential new job? Does the degree of structure feel comfortable to you? Can you partner with peer and above colleagues to make things happen? Will you get the support from your manager that you need?

Travel and Relocation: Does the job involve travel? How frequently? If you are expected to travel every week, what will the impact be on your family and friends... pets? How do you feel about the possibility of only being home on weekends? How well do you function when your daily routine is disrupted – as it would be if you are living out of a hotel room?

Recognition and Rewards: What kind of feedback can you expect from your new manager? Is there a formal performance appraisal system? How often will you be reviewed? What do you need to do to get a raise? How often will you have the opportunity to get a raise? What other ways does the employer reward its people?

Salary and Benefits: Are you aware of your own position WORTH?  Have you accessed salary survey data?  Is the salary competitive when you look at other jobs you are considering? If the specific salary does not meet your objectives, are there trade offs such as an employee stock purchase plan? A higher sign on bonus? What kind of health insurance coverage does the employer have? How much vacation and /or sick time are you eligible for? If you do not use the time by the end of the year, will the employer let you carry it over to the next year? Will the employer give you the option to "sell it back" in exchange for cash?

If you can answer most of these questions, you will have an educated idea about whether the job is a good fit for you. If you can’t, it is perfectly acceptable to go back to your research and networking and find out!   Once an offer has been extended to you, by or from the hiring authority, it becomes the HR recruiter’s (paperwork processor and gatekeeper) job to get you to say "yes." Answering these questions will help you decide if you want to!

So, what are your key OFFER CRITERIA items? 

The headlines offer lots of free advice.  There are many articles focused on how each of us can be smarter, happier, and healthier in 2008.  Some articles are focused on our money and what we ought to do with it.  Some articles are focused on our bad habits and how we can fix ourselves.  Then we have articles focused on how we use and waste our time. 

It’s the time issue that struck me as relevant today.  At our most recent Age Impact series, the question of how one leader used her time started a conversation.  What are some time management behaviors that seem to separate top leaders from others?  How do the best managers utilize their own limited time? 

The best take the time to manage down.  Top leaders take the time to connect with subordinates.  The best managers take the time to listen to those working for them.  Top leaders know what subordinates are thinking.

We have witnessed falling leaders and managers when they’ve lost touch with their subordinates.  We’ve seen leaders lose out when they’re focused entirely on their own superiors.  We’ve seen managers lose support from lack of communication with subordinates.

Sherri Elliott, SPHR of the Elliott Consulting Group, reports that exceptional leaders are rare.  “Leaders need to see the organization from the employee’s perspective.  They need to make it easy and rewarding for employees to express themselves and their ideas, and they need to figure out how and when to delegate responsibility.  Keeping your employees in the dark is not a good measure of control, it creates distrust, and managerial silence needs to be eliminated.” 

“It has been my experience that many leaders fail to recognize the positive impact of sharing their great moments–often called challenges or perceived failings,” says Sharon Roberts of Roberts & Roberts, Executive Team Development.  Sharon indicates “I urge leaders to immediately begin encouraging their subordinates.  It is so important for leaders to be totally present when interacting with an employee whatever the amount of time is allocated.”

What do you think?  Is it appropriate for managers and leaders to spend 20% of their time, 40% of their time, or 60% of their time connecting with subordinates?   Should managers set aside a portion of their schedule for subordinates?  What portion of each day should leaders dedicate to subordinates?  Would you agree that managing down is critical?

Here’s to better leaders in 2008.

The holidays are not the time to search for a job?  WRONG!

The conventional wisdom is idiotic. Who says, "companies don't make decisions at year end"? Who says, "no one's around"?This may be the best time to make your drive into the company of your choice. Put your resume aside, start thinking about intelligent topics to discuss, and get on the phone now.

Asleep at the wheel
While other job hunters are out of the picture, make your calls to companies and people who aren't being deluged with the regular requests for interviews and information. This is a time of less competition. Capitalize on it!

The switchboard is dead
And the receptionist is bored. With fewer calls coming in, it's easier to strike up a conversation with the person who answers the phones. Ask for information, names, advice and contacts. And get the receptionist's name -- when you call back in a couple of weeks, you won't be a stranger.

I know you're alone
Lots of managers work through the holidays -- and so do lots of their team members. The place is quiet. Nerves are calm. Information is more easily had. A tactful, no-pressure call from you can yield a useful discussion -- and valuable advice and insight.Do some research, we use One Source, and be prepared to have an interactive discussion with the manager you'd like to work for. Try to stick to one subject: the work that you and the person you're calling both do. Do not ask for a job outright -- but do explain that you're considering a job change in the New Year. "I've heard a lot about you. Your company is one I'd want to work in, and I wanted to learn about the organization. By the way, congratulations on winning the XYZ deal. I read about it in ABC magazine."If the manager responds well, ask if you could stop by in a couple of days for "the cook's tour" and maybe a bite of lunch in the cafeteria. (This approach works best if a company insider refers you to the manager, but it can work regardless.)