Confidence

Confidence, a photo by gerriet on Flickr.

Interview With Confidence

Screening candidates, the most interesting part of my recruiting job, reveals an infinite spectrum of personalities and skill sets. When I ask these folks about their accomplishments, I’m amazed at how many job candidates are reluctant to confidently tout their success stories. They’ll often preface their responses with statements like “I hope you don’t think I’m bragging when I say…”

There’s a fine line between modesty and cockiness in a job interview. Of course, your messaging needs to be humble. A good interviewer will not mind if you’re a bit nervous because it shows your respect for him and the job you’re trying to land.

But confidence in your expectation to perform well on the job and solve the Hiring Manager’s problem needs to become apparent very quickly. The thing about confidence is that it’s like a muscle that has to be strengthened, long before the interview takes place.

Confidence comes from preparation.  Along with the due diligence of researching the organization, the interviewer and the job description, rehearse your interview with someone you trust. Be sure your body language and the timbre of your speech exudes confidence. Make sure your handshake is firm but not overpowering. Consider your eye contact and how often you smile. Get comfortable with moments of silence between listening to the question and responding to it. Know when to shorten your statements. Stay on message, no matter how far the interviewer strays from professional conversation.

Avoid your Achilles heel.  Worried that the interviewer will point out your inability to create spreadsheets from scratch and overlook your great sales skills? Even the interviewer knows you can’t be good at everything. Be honest if you’re not skilled at something; then confidently demonstrate what skills you are great at, that relate to the job.

Concerned there might be too little salary or too much travel in the new job? Don’t turn your thoughts to questions like this. Yes, it comes down to exercising your mental power. Assume that you will get the offer and you can worry about logistics later. If you’ve done a good job of showing your value, you may be able to negotiate the salary or travel details later. For now, put your uncertainty about these details or other distractions that will zap your confidence.

Act as if you’re already on the job.  You can’t create a positive outcome unless you genuinely believe you’re valuable and worthy of the job. Make sure you understand the Hiring Manager’s biggest challenge, and offer a sample of how you’d approach it. Tie in things you’ve already done successfully. Prepare yourself with two to three examples of your most significant job accomplishments. Rehearse how you’ll demonstrate the way you tackled the previous role and the results you achieved. Give them a chance to picture you in the seat, achieving the same results on his team as you’ve done in the past.

We often receive what we expect—and if you are convinced you are the right person for the job, you will exude confidence during the interview. 

What Kind Of Boss Do You Want?

Why does your boss ever like you?, a photo by PraveenbenK on Flickr.

It’s impossible to evaluate the quality of your job without considering the manager you work for. Feeling appreciated, and knowing your boss wants you to succeed can actually make a mediocre job seem better. In fact, it might make it hard to leave when you otherwise would.

You can recognize a good boss long before you get the job.  Since your on-the-job happiness quotient is crucial to your success, you must factor a good boss into your job search. When you interview for a position, you’re mostly focused on how to impress the Hiring Manager. But you should also look for clues that he will be the kind of mentor and manager you can thrive with.

Does he entertain emails, phone calls and interruptions during the interview? Chances are he’s not all that interested in making a good impression on you. Does he talk about team hurdles with sentences like “You will have to deal with…” instead of “We…”?  Does he bring his own personal hobbies, causes and issues into the interview? These might be the signs of a self-absorbed manager who will throw you both ends of the rope if you’re drowning in a job dilemma. It will become your problem to work out alone, with little help from him. If you don’t make this kind of manager look good, or if you challenge his ideas, he might take it personally.

A good boss has your back.  She’ll help you resolve a problem that is beyond your control, but she’ll take the bullet for the team with senior management. And if there’s a bad employee in the team, she’ll do something about it. She’ll avoid disasters by keeping team goals and expectations consistent, so you can get a grasp on how you will be measured for success. No one can thrive in a job where the target is constantly moving.

Your boss should create a space where you are able to grow and learn.  If he really wants you to succeed, your boss will give you credit when you have a win. Then he’ll go a step further to share your win with his bosses. Also, align your self to a manager who provides opportunities to develop your talents and celebrates when you reveal them to the world. It’s a red flag when a boss acts like he’s threatened if you do something better than he does.

Bad bosses are your best teachers.  In retrospect, I’ve learned the most from my worst bosses. I’ve learned what kind of environment suits me so I can do my best work. Mostly, I’ve learned how I never want to treat people. I think the worst managers are the ones that blame employees for errors, but take all the credit when the team wins. You probably have war stories of your own.

Don’t write off these bad boss situations as a waste in your career timeline. Instead, use them to make sure you become the kind of boss who encourages employees to do their best work. And if you are an individual contributor, don’t settle for a passive-aggressive boss that makes you miserable, no matter how good his or her intentions might be.

Networking for the Introverted Job Seeker

Networked NGO - Me To We, a photo by cambodia4kidsorg on Flickr.

While it is true that the largest percentage of job offers are landed through connections we’ve made, networking can be a struggle whether you’re a shrinking violet or the life of the party.

Networking, for many of us, conjures up an image of a bunch of suits meandering around a conference room with plastic nametags pinned to their lapel, exchanging business cards and drumming up insincere banter with other suits. Networking also includes amassing hundreds of LinkedIn and Facebook connections each year, the majority of which you will never get to know.

For those who would rather chew off their own arm than drum up conversations with strangers about their job search, a change in your perspective about what networking really is can be a great start.

Don’t worry about building new relationships yet—build on existing ones.  Yes, certainly turn to relatives, acquaintances, your college alumni group, sororities and fraternities to let them know you are looking for a job. After all, these contacts are well within your comfort zone; they get you. But instead of asking them for something—a job lead, an interview request—offer something valuable to them, instead. Offer to put them in touch with people they may want to know. Send them an article you found about some obscure thing you know they love, but no one else usually cares about.

When you mention that you have a sincere interest in marketing, tell them that you’ve taken online SEO courses lately, or if you are pursuing an actuarial career, tell them you’ve passed a couple of exams on you own dime. The shift in perspective is that you are showing how you would actually add value if you worked for their company. You aren’t asking for a handout.

Now you’ve demonstrated how they would benefit from a deeper discussion about bringing you in to meet their boss. Introducing you to their team suddenly is a feather in their cap—not a favor done for you.

Have others network for you.  Now a few of your contacts are your champions; becuase you've shown your value, they are ready to vouch for you as if they are your agent. Odds are a few of them are probably bonafide schmoozers—those blessed folks who actually get a thrill out of networking. Let these social butterflies make some introductions for you, since they enjoy these exchanges anyway. It’s what they live for.

Internships and volunteerism are valuable gigs.  A lot of introverted job hunters have had the benefit of some great summer work or voluntary stint at companies. This is an easy group of people to approach for future opportunities because they’ve seen the great work you’ve done. Heck—you even did it for peanuts or no salary at all! If you’re volunteering right now, prepare the groundwork to plant seeds later, by doing a great job and making yourself memorable. You wont have to worry about dredging up their names online in a year if you stay in touch on a regular basis.

Try to develop an area of expertise where you become the “go to” person. The job will hopefully be a rewarding experience, regardless of future returns. It may pay nothing now, but it could pay off in the long run.

Be an expert at anything.  The best way to get your name out there is by becoming a SME—a subject matter expert related to your career of choice. There might be ten entry-level graphic artists at your company, but no one knows Flash like you do. Even if you don’t want to work with Flash forever, being the Flash guru in the office makes you memorable. Be sure you are cheerful to work with, and flexible, too. Make sure your online profile (on LinkedIn, Facebook or wherever else you expect to pop up) mirrors what you are famous for.

Most importantly, it doesn’t matter what you are known for, as long as you’re known for something positive. That’s when networking suddenly becomes a light, breezy conversation—not one of ten elevator pitches a hiring manager hears in a week.

"This Time My Job Search Will Be Different."

SJSA Grade Six - The Year I Rebelled, a photo by Michael 1952 on Flickr.

Okay—so your goal of landing a new job has passed its expiration date. Stating that your job search will be different now is an important declaration, because your job search can never be the same as the ones before. Think about what’s happened since you last looked for a job:

You’re older now.

You have more experience.

You have to explain a layoff or a resignation.

Your career goals have shifted.

The job market landscape itself has changed.

Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity, of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, applies to job hunters as much as German-born physicists. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, add a few nuances to your job search strategy to keep it fresh:

Revamp your resume.  Incorporating your most recent gig into your resume isn’t just about adding an additional page to your cv. Instead of inserting a paragraph of your most recent job in chronological order, add bullets that show off results from your last job. Or you might even consider a functional resume instead.

Ask a trusted mentor to interview you.   Practice how you’d respond to challenging questions about your current and past jobs. You might be surprised to hear that your standard answers no longer resonate. Or maybe they never did. Use your colleague’s feedback to change them. Put a more informative or positive spin on your reasons for leaving previous roles.

Revisit your references.  Have you been routinely offering up your old manager’s contact information for years, without checking in on them yourself? A few of them may have moved on, or their contact info has changed. But consider this as well: you might be surprised that the feedback they are offering decision makers is not what you expect. Time has passed and you may not have been in touch in months, maybe years—and the glowing remarks you expected may have gotten tarnished. Or you might be a a distant memory. If you’re asked to give references, make sure you’ve been in touch with them recently.

Just try something different in your job hunting approach.  For every job search there are a hundred ways to carry it out. Talk to people outside of your industry. Don’t respond electronically to an online job posting—instead, pick up the phone and call someone you know from the company. Find out the Hiring Manager’s name and call them up directly.

I hope by now you’ve eliminated the myth of the one-size-fits-all approach to ajob search. But also remember that once you develop your own individualized plan, it still needs to be fluid. There will be times when you have to push hard and network more aggressively. Other times you need to lay low and be more patient.

Stay flexible and add at least one new method to your job hunt, although I’d recommend more. If you go down the same old path, your results might be good or bad, but they can never be the same as they were in previous searches. Because nothing stays the same.

Great Career Expectations

#12 - Bonsai Beginnings, a photo by JohnONolan on Flickr.

I’ve noticed lately that something dark happens when mid-career people bring up their job dissatisfaction within their circle of family or friends. Five or ten years ago, the conversation would have led to comments like “What do you really want to do?” or “Here’s what I think you need to do to get there”, with the added bonus of support and a few possible networking leads.

Those conversations still occur, but more frequently they are peppered with comments like “I know a woman whose husband was a CEO but now he works at Lowes”, or  “Be glad you’ve got one breadwinner in the family; I know a couple that…”

You fill in the horror story. Apparently i is not cool to bitch about your job when you're lucky enough to have one.

Are mid career job seekers being guilted out of an open job search? Even if you keep your job search to yourself, I hope the the dismal unemployment numbers don’t compel you to level-set your career expectations.  Instead of feeling guilty about wanting more, move forward by focusing on these points.

Hone in on your career needs versus your wants.  Have you really thought about what’s missing from your current job? Don’t get distracted by fancy job titles you see in an online job posting, or the premise of a management role with a juicier salary. Switching jobs for those reasons will leave you feeling empty four months after  the honeymoon of the new role is over. You’ll probably end up feeling worse than you did before.

Instead, identify five authentic career needs that you absolutely can’t do without.

Do you thrive in a collaborative environment? 

Do you prefer autonomy? 

Do you work best creating processes from scratch, or completing existing ones to perfection? 

Is a matrixed environment your comfort zone, or is a small company your best fit? 

Yes—we all believe we want more money or autonomy. Figure out what’s lacking in your current situation and separate your needs from your wants.

Decide what it takes for you to feel engaged in your career. This is harder to identify, but necessary in order to sustain a new job in the long haul. While employees are driven by a variety of things, research tells us that working for a strong, supportive manager, feeling that you're supported by a strong team and doing meaningful work are most responsible for feelings of engagement.

Once you’ve figured out what specifically drives you to feel engaged, make sure you are honest with yourself about the new roles you are exploring.

Is the Hiring Manager painting a pretty picture during the interview, describing only the most attractive parts of the job? Don’t be afraid to ask about what a bad day might look like in the new role.

After you’ve done a great job of selling yourself to the Hiring Manager, do an interview post mortem and consider everything you’ve been told about the job. Be honest with yourself--were you blindsided by a sexy title? Were you flattered that the competition wanted to talk to you? Be honest about how the role would or would not be an improvement to your career path.

Meaningful job searches start with an honest conversation with yourself about what’s really important. Everything else is a distraction to your ego, disguised as a job opportunity.