Tag Archives: interview

Feb 15

A sure fire Rx for the job hunting blues

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My partner and I were recently dazzled by a job prospect who did absolutely everything conceivable to ‘win’Job
the interview.

She employed some strategies that may seem academic, but proved spot on for differentiating her from the competition. And, with a much-hyped Recession on the horizon, I’d suggest any jobseeker: consider some of her approaches, including

– tell the prospective employer exactly why you think you’d be the ideal fit

– spend the time to not only research the company in general, but be able to share ‘trivia’ and ‘tidbits’ that will demonstrate your interest and passion

– demonstrate knowledge of the company’s points of differentiation as well its leading competitors (i.e. ‘Industry knowledge’). This particular prospect knew our positioning, key messages and milestones.

– come prepared with tailored questions. While our job prospect didn’t know she’d be meeting with us simultaneously, she nonetheless had a set of questions ready for each of us

– follow-up the first interview with HAND-WRITTEN thank you notes. It shows the employer you’re taking a little more time and energy than your e-mail dependent competitors.

I’m probably missing some nuances from that fateful interview. But, I promise you that, as soon as the prospect left, we asked our senior people to set meetings with her. And, we extended an offer shortly thereafter.

So, rather than fretting about the latest economic news, create a tailored action plan for ‘winning’ interviews with the organizations you admire most.

Dec 12

The digital age giveth and the digital age taketh away

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I never cease to be amazed how ignorant certain people can be (and I’m not even referring to the currentDrunk
occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue).

Ever since Web 2.0 debuted and powerhouse sites like Facebook and MySpace became all the rage, we’ve seen, heard and read about images and reputations being ruined because of indiscreet postings.

And, yet, college kids continue to do irreparable damage to themselves. The latest example is a group of party-hardy co-eds who not only post photographs and videos of themselves vomiting and urinating in public, but also publish their names and colleges affiliations. And, when confronted, these young women actually defend their activities.

Facebook’s ‘Thirty reasons girls should call it a night’ has every drunken and debauched antic captured for one and all to see. And, the featured co-eds think it’s cool (‘It’s just something fun to do,’ said one. ‘You need to be able to laugh at yourself.’).

What don’t these young women get about the web? Do they not realize future employers will check the sites? Do they not realize they’re doing themselves irreparable harm?

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