Telephone interview tips dos and donts

Telephone interview tips dos and donts by Michael Cheary ‘Recruiters call me on my cell phone…’ More and more companies are turning to telephone interviews as their ideal way of screening candidates. But aside from treating it the same as a regular interview (and/or misquoting Drake lyrics), how can you make sure you’re best prepared when you finally get the call?We’ve already covered some common phone interview questions, but to help you stand out, here are some of our top telephone interview tips:Dos:Your research.  Just like a face-to-face interview, start by  finding out as much as you can about the company. Find out about the size and structure of the company, its products and services and the markets it works in (including looking at competitor’s websites). The best place to start is the employers website, but also keep an eye out for news articles, which may mention plans for growth and expansion.Write down any questions you want to ask.   A phone interview is a really good opportunity to find out more about the role youve applied for, the company  culture and opportunities for growth. And always make sure you have a pen and paper handy for note taking (here’s our list of interview questions for employers, just in case you’re struggling for inspiration).Have your CV to hand.  In all probability, the recruiter will have a copy of it too, so you may not be asked about it  in detail. However, they may open the interview by asking questions about your experience. Its also  a good way to ease into the call while allowing them to find out how communicative you are.Smile.  OK, so we know it sounds strange   but it actually works. Although your interviewer can’t see you (because that would be weird), always try and remain smiling throughout the conversation. It helps ensure you sound upbeat and, according to research, people can actually hear you smile. You have been warned.Listen.  Undoubtedly the most important element to consider. Take on board  all elements of their que stions, and make note of anything that seems of particular importance, just in case they refer back to it later. Even if they don’t, you can use it as a cheat sheet when answering the inevitable ‘any other questions’ invitation at the end of the interview.Other telephone interview tips: use a landline, turn your mobile phone off, have a glass of water to hand, enunciate, remember to breathe.Don’ts:Treat it differently from a face-to-face interview.  Strange as it sounds, its a good idea to dress like a professional. Obviously the interviewer cant see you, but its harder to feel and therefore sound professional if youre still sitting in your dressing gown.Get distracted.  You need to remain focused on the task at hand, something that can prove difficult, if you still have one eye on the TV. The same goes for your partner/family members. They might be being supportive, but your interview should be a two way conversation. Having their frantic arm flapping and mouthed words of encouragement in the background will only put you off.Eat.  There is a time and a place for snacking. Five minutes before your phone interview isn’t it. You might think you’re being quiet â€" but chances are that you aren’t. A mumbled answer because you have your mouthful is memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.  Especially important if you’re a nervous eater.Interrupt.  The easiest way to avoid irritating the interviewer is to let them finish their sentence, so always allow for a gap before you begin answering. Not only will it give you time to think of a coherent response, it will also mean you don’t speak over the person you’re trying to impress. Just make sure you approach gaps with a degree of caution. There’s a difference between a courteous pause and an awkward silence…Sound bored.  Remember when we said about remaining attentive a few paragraphs ago? Well it’s kind of a big deal Again, it may seem obvious, but when you haven’t done a telephone interv iew before, it’s easy to overlook. Try to sound positive, and avoid yawning or mumbling your responses. Even if you haven’t understood every single sentence, just go with it. Make the right noises, and you’re a shoe in for the next stage.Other telephone interview donts: chew gum, smoke, zone out, talk about yourself in the 3rd person, say I love you by accident at the end.The worst thing you can do at an interview?  OK, so out of all the classic interview nightmares, which are the ones that really worry jobseekers the most?We spoke to a group of university students to find out and see if recruiters actually agreeStill searching for your perfect position? Have a look at all of our current vacancies nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Telephone, video and group interviews

Being an expert takes time, not talent

Being an expert takes time, not talent Ive been walking around with the July/August 2007 issue of the Harvard Business Review constantly, for close to three years. Sometimes, if Im getting on a plane, Ill put it with the other heavy stuff into my luggage, and then get it out later. When my last car broke down in the middle of an intersection, I got the magazine out of the trunk before I abandoned the car. The article that Im attached to is The Making of an Expert by Anders Ericsson, Michael Prietula and Edward Cokely. I would not normally bother to tell you all three authors for one article in my blog. This is not a medical journal. But I love the article so much, that I want you to know all of them. The article changed how I think about what I am doing here. In my life. I think I am trying to be an expert. Being an expert is not what you think, probably. For one thing, the article explains that there is no correlation between IQ and expert performance in fields such as chess, music, sports, and medicine. The only innate differences that turn out to be significant?and they matter primarily in sports are height and body size. So what factor does correlate with success? One thing emerges very clearly is that successful performers had practiced intensively, had studied with devoted teachers, and had been supported enthusiastically by their families throughout their developing years. There are a few things about the article that really make me nervous. The first is that you need to work every single day at being great at that one thing if you want to be great. This is true of pitching, painting, parenting, everything. And if you think management in corporate life is an exception, youre wrong. I mean, the article is in the Harvard Business Review for a reason. It used to be, more than 100 years ago, that you could be a prodigy and come out of nowhere and be great. There are stories like that, ones we hang onto when we do things like watch the Olympics and allow ourselves to think, Maybe Ill be on the luge team in 2014. Today the standard for being an international success at anything is so high that the authors say you need to spend at least ten years working in a very focused, everyday way on the thing you want to be great at. Evidence: high schools swimmers today would beat Olympic records from years ago. (And in fact, the importance of hard work over raw talent is the subject of the most popular Freakonomics column ever in the New York Times.) This part of the research worries me because there is not a lot I have invested this much time in. Maybe the only thing is writing. Im not sure. Well, there are other things, but Im not sure I could be great. Figure skating is a good example. I figure skated for ten years. I was good, until I went through puberty and then was clearly the wrong body type to be doing double flips. I should have been a basketball player. Maybe. A lot of being great at something is having the right coaching, and part of the right coaching is someone telling you where youre not gonna make it and where you are. Im not sure I have this right now. But the coaching that successful experts get is special. According to the article, usually someone starts with a local coach, for anything, and then the person moves on to a coach who has achieved huge success himself. And people who practice very hard every day start to have a sense of who can be a coach who is capable of helping them succeed, and who is a coach they have outgrown. An example the authors use is Mozart. Yes, he had innate ability, but also, his father was a professional violinist, skilled composer and wrote the first book ever on violin instruction. I am panicking that maybe I am just figure skating again. Maybe I am doing something Ill never be great at. I worry about this because I dont actually know what Im doing. Am I getting good at bringing a startup from fruition to exit? Am I getting good at writing career advice? I am thinking, maybe, the thing Im getting good at is living my life out in the open. But Im starting to worry that its like figure skating. Because I have a natural limit: I dont want my kids to be psycho from overexposure. The farmer doesnt like being on my blog, and I am not getting good coaching right now. I mean, Im not getting any coaching, I dont think. This reminds me of the day I realized that my figure skating coach was an alcoholic. My dad picked me up at the rink. He asked why my skate guards were on. I said I never went skating. I said, I think Ivar is sick. My dad said, Yeah. Ive been thinking that for a while. I said, I dont think he really can teach me any more. My dad said, Ive been thinking that for a while. I remember the heartbreak I felt knowing that I didnt have a teacher. I remember also realizing that its important to know who can teach and who cant. If you are a person who wants to be an expert, the thing you want most is a teacher. I think thats why I carry the magazine with me everywhere I go. To remind me to look. Like my life depends on it. But Ive recently started reading research beyond the article, and it turns out that the teacher isnt the important per se, but rather, what you need is immediate, helpful feedback. And this is what you get when you have a blog. So maybe I am still on my path to being an expert, and Im just crowdsourcing my coaching.

How Book Titles Build Personal Brands, Pt. 1 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Book Titles Build Personal Brands, Pt. 1 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Choosing the right title for your book is one of the most important decisions youll ever make. The right title does more than just sell the book, it can launch a personal brand that creates endless opportunities while pre-selling follow-up books and a wealth of other profitable products services. One of best examples of this is Sarah Susanka, whose Not So Big House title launched a powerhouse personal brand that has taken her far beyond her origins as a residential architect. Sarah Susanka and her Not So Big title provide a perfect model of personal branding success based on the choosing the right book title and building on its success There are hundreds of thousands of contemporary residential architects in America, but no other residential architect has created such an enduring personal brandor has created as impressive a series of accomplishments as you can discover at her Not So Big website. Sarahs brand since 1998 Sarah Susankas Not So Big House: A Blueprint For the Way We Really Live appeared in 1998. Since then, her brand has brought her to the forefront of media visibility: Shes been a guest on well-known radio and television talk shows like Oprah!, Charlie Rose, and NPRs Diane Rehm Fast Company named her to their inaugeral list of the Top 50 List of Innovators whose achievements are changing society. Newsweek Magazine selected her as their Top Newsmaker in 2000. US News and World Report dubbed her an innovator in American culture In May of 2007, The Lindbergh Foundation presented her with the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award by the for outstanding individual achievement, demonstrating a spirit of initiative and exemplifying great dedication toward making positive contributions to our world. How many other residential architects are equally well known? In addition to the growing list of follow-up Not So Big House titles, her website reveals a wealth of resources for architects, builders, and homeowners. These range from building plans, DVDs, publications, directories. Shes also been able to create a secondary career in personal development with her Not So Big Life title that reflects her underlying philosophy. How the right 4 words sell books and built a brand Its possible to spend an hour discussing the reasons for the success of Sarah Susankas Not So Big House title, and how it provided the foundation for her personal brand. (I know, because Ive done it!) Briefly, here are some of the reasons for the perfection of her Not So Big House title: Instant recognition. Sarahs Not So Big House title not only instantly signals that the book is about houses, it communicates the basic message: you dont need big to be comfortable. Notice that this is not about about compromise, i.e., not so big has nothing to do with small or cheap, but it does have a lot to do about right sizing. Concise. The shortness of the title, and the words used in it, permits the title to appear quite large on the cover of the books. (When you visit her publications page, study the graphic impact of her book covers; even at thumbnail size, you can easily read the titles.) Expandability. The original Not So Big House book was soon followed by titles like Inside the Not So Big House, Outside the Not So Big House, Creating the Not So Big House, Not So Big Remodeling, and Not So Big Solutions for Your Home. Suggestion: Take the time to make a list of the sales building and personal branding qualities you notice in the Not So Big House title. Use this list to measure the effectiveness of your proposed book title! Ive always considered the Not So Big concept one of the worlds great nonfiction titles. During a recent interview, she told how, where, and when the title originatedbut thats a topic for another time. (Or, you can read the Introduction to her Not So Big Life.) Lessons we can learn The main lesson I get from Sarah Susankas title success is to avoid settling for just any title. Your books title can be much more than just the words on the front cover of your book. It can become your brand, a memeor easily remembered trademarkthat makes you and your book memorable while distancing you from your competition. Take the time to analyze the title youre proposing for your book. Ask yourself, How does my title stack up against Sarahs? Author: Roger C. Parker is a “32 Million Dollar Author,” book coach, and online writing resource. His 38 books have sold 1.9 million copies in 35 languages around the world. The NY Times called his Looking Good in Print “…the one to buy when you’re buying only one!” Roger has interviewed hundreds of successfully branded authors and shares what he’s learned at Published Profitable and his daily writing tips blog.

A week of journalism Seven ways to get an agents attention

A week of journalism Seven ways to get an agents attention This list is from my agent, Susan Rabiner. I love Susan because she just sold my second book proposal to the same editor who bought Barack Obamas book. Susan also represents the author who just won the Pulitzer Prize for biography. So you can be certain that following Susans advice is a good idea if you want to sell a book. Heres her list of seven things to do to improve your chances of getting an agents attention for our book proposal: 1. Think in terms of genre. To you, its a novel. To an agent, its a thriller, a mystery, chick lit, womans commercial fiction or a literary novel. The same is true for nonfiction. Youd be surprised how often I read a cover letter that gives me no clue as to whether you are pitching a memoir or a self-help book on the topic. Why do agents think in terms of genre? First, because most of us specialize. More important, the rules change as genres change, and we cant make any decision until we know what standards to apply. So before you go on and on about whats in your book, either identify its genre, or tell us who you are writing this book for, or modestly suggest the title of a recently published successful book that youd like your book to sit next to in the bookstore. Nothing makes a would-be author seem more like a rube than going on and on about a book that is ill-defined 2. Tell me who you are. I want to know something about you in the first paragraph. Why? To eliminate you if I dont think there is a good enough match between you and the book you want to write. If you are a lawyer who tells me you have always wanted to write about quantum physics, you are heading for the reject pile. There are certain topics where credentials are all important and physics is one of them. But you dont necessarily have to be a Harvard-trained historian to write a book about a historical event, or a psychiatrist to write about the experience of depression, provided there is some other meaningful connection between the book you want to write and you as the author. So what to do if you have no tight connection to the topic? Dont go for a book proposal quite yet. Start a blog on the topic. Prove that you can attract a devoted readership with your commentary. Interview known experts on the topic. Theyll come in handy as outside validation later on. If you really have something to say, your blog will get buzz and then agents will find you and ask you if you might have a book in you. 3. Show outside validation. The key to self-praise is to have others say it for you. So, for instance, if someone else has called you a gifted writer and that someone is not your wife or your mother, do tell us. Outside recognition could be that your blog gets a gazillion hits a day or was just cited in Time Magazine. This is what we want to hear. Theres an art to bragging and it involves finding someone else who will do it for you. 4. Have a story to tell Good proposals dont just communicate facts. They tell the story of how you found this topic and why you became convinced that with all we know about this topic, the most important questions have still not been addressed; the story of how you came to realize the deeper meaning of an experience, the story of an idea that has changed as we as humans have changed. The best proposals read like good mysteries, then they throw out tantalizing tidbits as partial answers so we salivate for more. 5. Check your competition. Agents can Google. So can editors. If either of us finds most of what you are saying by spending five minutes on the web, we know that we are working with an aggregator not an author. Especially today the question editors ask is: What value does this author add? 6. Tell me why I should care. Why will readers find what you have written irresistible? How will reading this book change them for the better? Will it make them happier, richer, more at peace with themselves? Will it give them insight into a topic of great interest? Will it teach them about something they have already been curious about but could never quite master? Remember these words. Agents and editors are advocates for the reader, not the author. Impress upon them the payoff for the reader and they will be interested. 7. Answer the question, Why now? The typical publishing contract gives the author 12 to 18 months to write the book and gives the publisher 8 to 12 months to publish the book. So how do you, as an author, answer the question: Why now, when now is likely to be two to three years from today? By telling agents and editors why the topic is not going to go away and exactly what you will say that will be of interest to people two or three years from today. So, take use these seven tips to guide you as you write your proposal. And then send it out. How do you know if your idea is good or bad? By the responses. If you havent heard back from an agent in 30 days, consider it a no and move on. If you do get a response, take a look at that letter. Agents will only spend time writing something specific when they were truly impressed with what you wrote and want to acknowledge that fact. If all you are getting are form rejections, there is a message in those one sentence letters: Time to rethink that proposal. Other posts from A Week in Journalism series: Why journalists misquote everyone (and how I met my husband) How to be a freelance writer without starving How to move from print journalism to online journalism

Military to Civilian Resume Writing Services Can Help

Military to Civilian Resume Writing Services Can HelpMilitary to civilian resume writing services are a great resource for potential employees that want to have a more fulfilling career. Not only can they help you get the best job you could possibly land, but the service providers can also advise you as to what you should be looking for in your job.The best thing about military to civilian resume writing services is that they can actually come up with a resume for you based on your specific requirements. This means that you will not have to spend hours researching the different aspects of the position. The service provider can point you in the right direction and help you with the rest.Most service providers will only work with those military personnel that are involved in an active duty role. Those who are not in an active duty status are often not eligible for this type of service. All of the resume writing services that are available online will also handle all of the posting requ irements that are required for military personnel.Military personnel who are looking for jobs in the private sector can also find many types of resume writing services that are available online. These include candidates that are not part of the military. These are great options for those that are out of a career or job and looking for a new direction.The type of resume that is provided will be important. This can vary depending on the situation. Some resume services will provide only plain text resumes, while others will offer many other options that will be helpful.The best resume that is offered can be something that a potential employer will like to see when they are reviewing the resume. It will help a potential employer determine whether or not the person that is applying for the position is fit for the position. A well-written resume can help make a difference in the outcome of a hiring decision.Military to civilian resume writing services are a fantastic resource for people l ooking for a career change. Many of the services are able to find the information needed to help with the writing process so that the process is very easy. This is something that will have an impact on the outcome of a hiring decision.The service providers that are used for these types of resume writing services can also provide references to each of the people that have been hired by the company. This can be a very helpful feature. Being able to have references will help to reinforce the career you are trying to build.

Twitter Hashtags for Job Seekers

#hireme: Dont beat around the bush. #Hireme is short, sweet, and to the point.#MBA: Have an MBA? Shout it out in a hashtag to direct employers to your top-shelf business acumen.#linkedin: If youre unemployed, youre no doubt already networking away on LinkedIn, so let them know you have a viewable profile.  If youd like to attract top employers to your LinkedIn profile, check out Joshuas LinkedIn Writing Service.#profile: While youre at it, go ahead and tag profile too, and couple it with #facebook, #linkedin, #monster, or any other place your details are posted on the internet.#unemployed: Its what you are, so own it and let employers know you are totally available for engagement.#resume: If youre tweeting about your resume posted online, be sure to hashtag it.#CV:  Curriculum vitae  is basically a more fleshed-out résumé, but  #resume  is nearly twice as popular. Use both to be safe.#needajob: Thousands of the unemployed have tacked this phrase onto the end of their tweets in the hopes an employer will stumble across it in a search.To Educate YourselfThese tags may not directly land you a job, but they will enlighten you on the latest trends in finding, keeping, and enjoying a job.#jobtips: By far the best search phrase in this category, it will load you up with more good job advice than you could ever read.#career: At half a million tags, searching #career will score you some job listings and tons of helpful guidance for your professional life.#interview: Hiring companies dont use this word as much, but interview and interviews are still helpful because they turn up a wealth of advice from fellow tweeters on making your best possible first impression.#benefits: Knowing what to expect in the way of benefits is a good weapon to have heading into an interview.#personalbranding: Do a search for this hashtag to find ideas and tips on selling yourself in the job market.#compensation: If you know the going rate for whatever you do, you are much less likely to be t aken advantage of.#training: Searching for training is a good way to find great, free job training resources.#jobhunt: A search for this tag brings up mainly advice on job searching, but there will be a healthy smattering of job postings, too.#unemployment: This tag has been used more than 100,000 times by users tweeting about unemployment news, ways to combat unemployment, and jobs to pull you out of unemployment.#employers: They may not be tweeting about themselves, but plenty of employees and commentators are tweeting news and reviews of employers and their practices.#jobless: Curious about whats going on with others in your predicament? Search for this commonly-used tag and find out.#laidoff: Its the same idea as #jobless, except it has more of a sad connotation. If you want to commiserate with some other people about searching for that elusive job, this is the tag to search.To Find a Certain Type of JobIf you don’t want just any old job, try searching these hashtags for that special placement you have in mind.#freelance: This is a hugely popular tag used by job hunters who want to leave the option of part-time, freelance work open.#homebusiness: If youre eyeing a job being self-employed, try searching this term for entrepreneurship ideas and tips.#greenjobs: Heres one for the truly unselfish people who put the environment before employment.#dreamjob: If you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life, search this tag and get some ideas of what other people would do if they had their druthers.#hotjobs: Hot jobs call for a hot hashtag.#consulting: Another in the potentially temporary job category, #consulting is a nice tag to widen your net and earn some income.#consultant: It might seem silly to use two tags that say virtually the same thing, but those three letters might make the difference in connecting you with your new employer.Hottest Tags by FieldIf you work in one of these industries, you are in a trending field, which could be good (lots of job listings) or bad (lots of competition).#SEO: SEO is another one that has been tagged millions of times by job seekers and tweeters discussing search engine optimization.#webdesign: Clocking in at nearly a million uses all-time, #webdesign is another hot topic on Twitter.#accounting: If youre an accountant, you are in luck, as job listings in your field pop up regularly on Twitter.#telecom: Telecommunications is another field with a strong showing on Twitter; its been used in hashtags more than 81,000 times.#legal: We live in a litigious society, and the need for paralegals and other non-lawyers is  increasing. Its a great career to consider because paralegal certification can be obtained relatively quickly.#lawyer: The number of lawyers in America has  surged  in the last 10 years, which explains why this tag is such a popular one in the Twitterverse.#industry: Pair this with another tag like #music or #hotel and youll find listings and info on your area of expertise.#salesjobs: You dont have to pound the pavement looking for a sales job; just do a search for this popular tag on Twitter.To Search When You Have a Couple HoursYoull need to free up your morning to adequately search through these tags.#jobs: Youve probably been wondering when this word would come up. The tags been used all of  14 million  times all-time, for everything from political discussion to job listings. Your best bet is to search it with another tag from this list.#job: Although it has registered only half the uses as #jobs (7 million), the singular version calls up more listings and wont take you as long to sort through.#design: Because its a generic word, #design has been  hashtagged  a healthy 2 million times, so if you work in design be sure to supplement tweets with at least one other tag.Thanks go to  topsy.com  for the usage stats included in this list.

Some quotes from my book - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Some quotes from my book - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I thought Id pull out and publish some quotes from my brand new book about happiness at work: Seriously: Do you want to spend your working life simply being satisfied? When you look back on 50 years spent in business, do you want to be able to say, ?Well, I was satisfied???? No! Make happiness your goal. As in, ?Let?s make this a workplace where people are happy to work.??? As in, ?I?ve been working for 50 years now, and it absolutely rocks! To me work is challenging, stimulating and just plain fun.??? Imagine for a moment how it would feel to lie in bed on a Monday morning going ?YES! I get to go to work this week!??? Studies consistently show that happy companies are way more productive, creative and service-oriented than unhappy ones. Therefore, the happy companies will beat the pants off the unhappy ones in the market place. The future of business is happy! It?s inevitable. See, happiness at work is an emotion. It comes from inside of you, and like all other emotions it is difficult to define, but inescapable once it?s present. Or not present. Can you define love? Poets have tried for thousands of years and aren?t getting much closer. But when you?re feeling love, you?re acutely aware of it, even though you have no formal definition. You can?t be happy at work every day. No matter how much you love your job, there are still going to be bad days. And that?s cool?it?s always OK to have a bad day at work. Happiness at work is not about eliminating all the bad stuff from your job. It?s about being happy at work even though some of these bad things are present. It?s about building your skills and your energy to fix the problems, and to create more and more positive experiences at work. The path to happiness at work starts with a simple decision: You must want to be happy. If you don?t commit to being happy at work, you won?t be. You won?t make the choices that make you happy. You won?t take the actions needed to get there. You won?t change the things that need to change. All of these are plucked from just the introduction and the first chapter. Hey that book is pretty quotable :o) You can buy it or read the whole book free online. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related