Your 7 Step Blueprint for Interview Success
February 14, 2012
By Susan Wareham McGrath
Taking part in a job interview is an exciting, but daunting, thought for most job applicants, even seasoned professionals.
Attending an interview can be even more stressful for job candidates who are changing career paths, returning to the workforce after a break, or those newly arrived in Australia.
Although Australia is famous for its relaxed, laid back culture, Australian employers and recruiters take interviews very seriously. So below is my personal blueprint of interview tips to give you the best chance of impressing your interviewer or interview panel.
1. Be prepared
- Arrive at least ten minutes early.
- Check the location of the interview in advance – if you don’t know the area, be sure to make a trial run beforehand to ensure you arrive on time, especially if you need to use public transport to get there.
2. Research the organisation and its industry
- As a well-briefed applicant, you will show the panel that you are taking the job seriously and are keen to be part of the organisation.
- There’s no use researching unless the interviewer knows you’ve made the effort to do so, so introduce points from your research into your answers to the interview questions wherever possible.
3. Address the panel members by name
- Take a notepad and write down the name of each interviewer after the introductions.
- Refer to your notes and use their names throughout the interview.
- If an interviewer introduces themselves with their first and last name, for example “Hi, I’m John Smith”, it is courteous to call them “Mr Smith” during the interview. If they would like you to call them “John”, they will invite you to do so.
4. Ensure you dress in a manner that reflects the occupation
- If you are being interviewed for a corporate role, or in a conservative business environment, it is advisable to wear a suit to the interview, even if you won’t be required to wear one on a daily basis.
- For other roles, a smart business look is generally acceptable; tailored if possible to reflect the culture of the employing organisation.
- If you are not sure what to wear to your interview, it is better to dress too formally than too casually.
- Make sure that your grooming is immaculate, even if you are applying for a role that doesn’t require customer or client contact. Grooming includes all of: hair, face, teeth, nails, perfume/aftershave, clothing, bags, shoes and accessories!
- If you are a smoker, do not smoke within an hour before the interview. If you walk into an interview with the smell of cigarettes on your breath and clinging to your clothing, it could leave a negative impression on a non-smoking interviewer or panel member.
- Wear an outfit that you are comfortable in, so you do not distract your interviewer by constantly fiddling with it, straightening it, tucking it in or adjusting it during the interview.
5. Answer questions comprehensively
- Take a copy of the job description, your CV, application letter and responses to selection criteria or claims against competencies along with you to the interview.
- Take a moment to consider each question that is put to you. Stay calm, organise your thoughts and give a focused answer, using the material above to help frame your responses if you need to.
- Wherever possible in your responses, relate your experience to the duties of the role you’re applying for.
- Answer questions comprehensively, but resist the impulse to keep talking after you have addressed each part of the question.
- Prepare at least one question to ask the interviewer when you are invited to do so towards the conclusion of the interview; it will be taken as a sign of interest in the position.
6. Watch your body language
- When you are introduced to the interviewer or panel, make sure your handshake is firm and confident. A weak handshake is as bad as one that it so strong it crushes the recipient’s hand. Neither will impress your interviewer.
- Make eye contact with the interviewer throughout the interview.
- If you are participating in a panel interview, each interviewer will ask you one or more questions in turn. Respond primarily to the interviewer who asked the question, but include the others in your response, by making eye contact with each of them as you respond.
7. Thank the interviewers
- At the conclusion of the interview, thank the interviewers and follow up by sending a brief thank you note within three working days of the interview.
An important thing to remember when attending an interview is that your CV and covering letter have already done much of the hard work for you – if you hadn’t already showcased yourself as a leading candidate, you wouldn’t be there.
So at your next interview, take a deep breath, smile and follow the blueprint above to stay calm, cool and collected - with your interview nerves under control, you might even find yourself enjoying the experience!
MORE GREAT POSTS BY SUSAN WAREHAM MCGRATH:
- 5 Career Resolutions to Banish Your Workplace Woes in 2012
- Is it time to ditch the pitch? ‘Elevator speeches’ in a world of social media.
- Serving on non-profit boards – good for you, good for the community!
|
|
Susan Wareham McGrathSusan Wareham McGrath is an experienced Australian immigration consultant; jobsearch strategist and career management consultant. She holds a degree in psychology, an advanced diploma in human resource management, a post graduate qualification in public policy development, a national training accreditation and registration as an Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Susan is a strong advocate for the personal and professional advancement of women, has served as an Advisory Board Member of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network since 2007 and leads the ABN’s herCareer initiative.
|
Four Ways to Improve Your Business Pitch
January 24, 2012
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
If you had to get up tomorrow, or a week from now, and pitch your idea to an audience, how would you go?
James Stevens, Roses Only, Lindley Edwards, AFG Venture Group and Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen's Network
Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) recently gave four women the opportunity to pitch in front of a panel of judges (Dragons’ Den style) and an audience of about 60 other business owners.
These four entrepreneurs weren’t pitching for money, but were none-the-less expected to do their best to convey their message and provide enough information (but not too much) about what they were offering. In exchange, they got some business advice to help them improve their pitch and further their ideas.
I was on the panel, along with James Stevens of Roses Only and the delightful Lindley Edwards of AFG Venture Group.
Four courageous women took the stage:
- Nikki Hills, founder and managing director, Mouths of Mums
- Michelle Teague, entrepreneur looking for her next venture (Invisible ink name badges!)
- Angela Elliss, founder and managing director, Australian Home Design Directory Group
- Julie Ankers, founder and managing director, Statement Pieces
Overall, they all did a great job pitching their ideas.They (obviously) knew their business and were very passionate.
Some of the areas that they could have done better at were clarity of message, succinctness and being specific about what the outcome of the pitch was.
Despite the evening event being a great networking night for a bit of fun, the women did get some great advice from the panel, including these four areas below:
Four Ways to Improve Your Business Pitch
Length of Pitch. How Long Should Your Pitch Be?
Most presenters exceeded the suggested time limit. If you have an audience (whether with your bank manager, investors or a potential business client) and they have allocated a certain amount of time for a meeting – then stay within the boundaries. It shows you respect their time.
It’s easier to speak for a long time than to speak succinctly for a short time. So, practise, practise, practise.
Say what you need to say with the most punch and fewest words.
If you’re compelling, you can ask for extra time to expand, but don’t take it without checking in or you risk losing people’s focus.
A Clear Message Cuts Through
Nikki Hills, Mouths of Mums
It was not always clear what the intentions was behind the pitch each woman gave.
What do you want the audience/panel to do? be very clear in your outcome and state it.
For example:
Today I’d like to tell you enough about our 2012 plans to convince you to share our message with you clients.
or
I’m looking to raise $10,000 for marketing. Over the next 10 minutes, I’ll present our marketing plan and I’ll then ask for your input on our ideas.
Tell Your Story – Set the framework
Your personal story adds colour and life and allows us to see behind the person that is doing the pitch.
When I was a panelist on the Dragons Den TV show, we dragons signed up equally on the likability of the person as well as the message and numbers. People like to do business with those they know and trust, so let the audience know you.
Similar to the clarity of message point above, tell your story, but don’t get carried away. We don’t need to know your history and every detail – just enough to make a decision or follow a call to action.
Know your facts and study your competitors
If you’re going into a new market then learn about that market, your competitors and who your competition is. As much as we like to think sometimes that we have no competition, we always do. It just may not be obvious. If you’re bringing out a new telephone (I know – extreme example) then the iPhone is not your only competition – not is every other phone – it’s actually every other way that there is for people to connect with other people.
Also, the whole market is NOT your market. There’s usually a subset of the big group who you can effectively address. (This is your ‘addressable market’.)
When it comes to the numbers, get really crystal clear about what it will cost to implement a plan. If you’re not good with numbers then it’s difficult for investors to have confidence in you. Run the details past your accountant and, again, practise talking about them so that you’re comfortable if asked questions.
Remember, you may only have one opportunity to pitch in front of a particular person or group. Pitching is an art and a science, so look to improve your skills as a presenter, speaker and do your homework.
And, good luck.
Suzi
P.S. I recently interviewed Lindley Edwards about narrative in business storytelling. You can listen to the interview here on our website or tune in on iTunes.
About DWEN
The DWEN community is an invitation-only, global community established to bring together an influential group of female CEOs, presidents, founders and business leaders to share best practices within the unique and challenging world of running high-growth businesses.
With the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) and other related initiatives, Dell is spotlighting female entrepreneurial success and creating an atmosphere where women can connect with one another, share best practices, build business opportunities and recognise female influence in business and technology.
DWEN Annual Conference: Dehli, India
In 2012, Dell’s annual conference will be at the cultural mecca of Delhi, India from June 17-19. Attendance is by invitation-only.
To learn more join the DWEN “Women Powering Business” Linkedin Community: visit www.dell.com/dwen
Being part of the DWEN community creates unique opportunities to connect, share best practices, build business opportunities and recognise female influence in business and technology. In addition to the annual DWEN Conference, the community holds webinars, Tweetchats and face-to-face networking events throughout Australia.
5 Career Resolutions to Banish Your Workplace Woes in 2012
January 17, 2012
By Susan Wareham McGrath
Along with your personal New Year’s resolutions, did you make any career resolutions for 2012? If you’re suffering from workplace woes, here are five resolutions to help you make your career work for you this year!
1. Give your Career a Health Check
Just as you need to look after your own health, you need to look after your career’s health to make it work for you. The start of the year is a great time to review your progress towards your career goals and make plans for the rest of the year.
Consider setting aside some time to think about:
- where you are now
- where you would like to be
- what you need to do to get there
and write a simple career management plan to help you keep on track over the next twelve months.
Remember to include SMART goals and milestones; and don’t be afraid to change the plan as your circumstances change – just like strategic plans, career management plans should be living documents with built-in flexibility to be adaptable to changing circumstances.
2. Update your Résumé
Have you ever missed out on a job opportunity because you didn’t have a current résumé at the ready? Don’t let that happen again – spend some time this weekend getting your résumé up to date!
Some tips for a competitive résumé:
- Make it achievement focused, rather than a list of duties taken directly from your job description
- Consider carefully whether including a career objective is adding value – even résumé writing professionals disagree on this issue
- Try and keep it to 3 or 4 pages
- Use keywords liberally throughout your résumé
- Keep the format clean, simple and professional (no funny or suggestive email addresses please!) and
- Proofread and check it carefully
Also, remember that résumés need to be targeted to specific jobs, so always review your résumé from the employer’s perspective before submitting it, to ensure its content is specific to the job in question – recent research has found that employers take less than 20 seconds to decide whether a résumé is worth consideration, so it’s important that you showcase your suitability for the role from the start.
3. Review your Social Media Profiles
Be very careful how you present yourself on social media. It can be your best friend or your worst foe in terms of career branding, as increasing numbers of employers check candidates’ social media profiles when considering their employment application.
How would your social media profiles shape up against employer scrutiny?
When you’re engaged in a job search, it’s well worth looking through the eyes of a prospective employer at the image you present to the online world. Does your Facebook page contain content that might work against you in a job search? If so, you could consider making it private (at least temporarily).
Is your LinkedIn profile up to date and keyword rich so it comes up in searches for people in your industry? Have you used LinkedIn to connect strategically, join groups and build up your profile as an expert in your field?
Do you have an online CV?
If not, it’s never too late to start – even spending a little time on developing a professional social media profile will provide you with a very positive return.
4. Access the Hidden Job Market
It’s been estimated that up to 85% of Australian jobs are not advertised publicly; constituting Australia’s “hidden job market”. And these jobs come with an added bonus. Industry estimates indicate that only 5% – 10% of candidates know of them, so there is much less competition for them – a real bonus for savvy jobseekers!
So how do you break into the hidden job market?
There are a number of strategies you can use.
One of the most effective strategies is networking – making connections with people who can advise you of potential or current job opportunities, or who can introduce you to people who are aware of those opportunities. Personal and online networking are both very effective ways of gaining leads and introductions. In the online space, LinkedIn in particular is a great networking resource for people who are looking for a new job, especially when you approach your LinkedIn job search campaign in a focused and strategic way.
A second strategy to break into the hidden job market is to undertake industry research to identify organisations you would like to work for; then either cold call the HR department, or if you find cold calling daunting, introduce yourself in writing, advising you’ll follow up with a phone call. Prepare what you’re going to say in advance, ensuring you highlight the ways in which you can add value to the organisation. Follow up by sending a short letter or email to the person you spoke to, thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in working for the organisation – a small gesture that has a lot of impact!
Registering with recruitment agencies is another effective strategy to access the hidden job market. Not only do professional recruitment consultants often know of jobs that aren’t advertised elsewhere, but they are skilled at promoting their candidates and can give you invaluable advice about presentation, branding and interview skills to assist you through the job application process.
5. Define and Promote your Personal Brand
In career terms, your personal brand is the way you present yourself and your unique value proposition to everyone you come into contact with who has the potential to impact on your career. This includes work colleagues, your employer, clients, recruiters, professional networks, friends and people you meet through your professional social media networks.
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression
… so it’s important that you promote your personal brand professionally from the start. When you’re applying for a job, you start building your brand with your résumé and application letter and your performance at interview is also part of your branding – whether you dress appropriately, your body language, your confidence and mannerisms.
As an employee, having a good, strong brand that clearly and consistently indicates your value to an employer in the ways they need the most will ensure you stand out from the crowd and have a head start in the competition to move up the career ladder.
A final note – value congruence is an important part of branding, so don’t force yourself to apply for a position that offends your values, or in an organisation that clashes with your ethics – it won’t work – you’ll feel fake, make yourself unhappy and your brand will eventually fall apart.
So there you have them – your career management plan, a targeted, updated résumé , a great social media presence, the hidden job market and personal branding – five career tools you can use this year to banish your workplace woes for good!
MORE GREAT POSTS BY SUSAN WAREHAM MCGRATH:
- Is it time to ditch the pitch? ‘Elevator speeches’ in a world of social media.
- Serving on non-profit boards – good for you, good for the community!
- How to write a winning application letter
|
|
Susan Wareham McGrathSusan Wareham McGrath is an experienced Australian immigration consultant; jobsearch strategist and career management consultant. She holds a degree in psychology, an advanced diploma in human resource management, a post graduate qualification in public policy development, a national training accreditation and registration as an Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Susan is a strong advocate for the personal and professional advancement of women, has served as an Advisory Board Member of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network since 2007 and leads the ABN’s herCareer initiative.
|
Five Lessons from Business Mums
November 16, 2011
By Johanna Baker-Dowdell, Strawberry Communications
In writing my book, Business & Baby on Board, I’ve had the privilege to interview some amazing women who have combined their entrepreneurial traits with motherhood, so I thought I’d share some of the lessons we have in common.
Like many ‘mumpreneurs,’ I started my business after I became a mum (don’t ask me why I thought starting a new business while I was getting used to having a baby would be a good idea). I was looking for a way to combine my professional experience with being at home — and freelancing seemed the way to make it all work.
Some of the women I’ve interviewed had already established a business before throwing children and step-children into the mix, but there were still common threads. This started with wanting to find a career where we felt valued for our contribution, even if it meant working with a child on our lap, taking a sleeping baby to meetings or working at midnight when the house was quiet.
Here are five of the lessons we shared:
- Flexibility – is one of the main drivers for self-employment, whether it’s being available for your child’s sports carnival or simply working when it suits you.
- Be social – working alone with only a child/ren for company can be a lonely existence, so attend meetings with clients, go to work events and find a community where you feel comfortable, whether online or off, so you can share experiences and let off a bit of steam when needed. Not only do you get to exercise your adult communication skills, but you also stay in the loop for industry updates.
- Perfection is elusive – striving to be the perfect parent or the perfect business owner is hard enough because it’s not really possible, but when you try to be the best at both jobs, it can be very stressful. Find what works best for you and stick with it. If that is a combination of childcare/school and work, great; if it’s waiting until all children have started school and working school hours only, great; or if it’s only working on the business when the children are asleep, that’s great too. The point is to find the place where business and motherhood combine and then make it yours.
- Some days are write-offs – this goes for anyone doing anything, but it came up in my interviews a lot. Some days just don’t go to plan and there is no point fighting them. There’s always tomorrow.
- Parenting opens up new skills – how are your boardroom negotiation skills? Now think about brokering a deal with a two year old and answer the question again. Being a parent arms you with a whole host of skills that are vital in business. Don’t underrate them.
What lessons have you learned as a mum in business?
MORE GREAT POSTS BY JOHANNA BAKER-DOWDELL
|
|
Johanna Baker-Dowdell - Strawberry CommunicationsJohanna owns and runs writing and public relations service Strawberry Communications. The agency builds relationships with the media and key stakeholders on behalf of its SME clients. This service is provided through careful research and strategic communication, then maintained by telling the business’s story through amazing publicity and expertly crafted words. Strawberry Communications is based in Launceston and was launched in 2007. Johanna has more than 16 years experience in the media industry and is also a freelance journalist and blogger.
|
Serving on non-profit boards – good for you, good for the community!
September 30, 2011
By Susan Wareham McGrath
Today, I’m writing about a career development strategy, which comes with an altruistic bonus - serving on a third sector (non-profit, charity or community) board or management committee.
While these positions are generally unpaid, they are an excellent way to build professional reputations, develop a high profile, obtain leadership experience and take the first step towards gaining experience that could lead to a paid position on a corporate or government board in the future.
Taking on a board or management committee role is a significant commitment, both personally and professionally, so there are a number of things to consider before deciding to apply.
Mission and Values
Firstly, you need to ensure that your personal ethics and drive are congruent with the mission, vision and day to day work of the board you are considering – there is no point, for example, in an animal liberationist seeking a position on the management committee of a fishing club, or someone with no interest in business joining the board of the local Chamber of Commerce – in both cases, it will only be a matter of time before you lose interest and leave.
Time Considerations
You also need to ensure that you have sufficient time and motivation to carry out the requirements of the role. While meetings themselves might only be scheduled for a few hours each month, there is generally a lot of outside hours work required of board members, for example reading and considering agenda items, perusing financials, preparing reports, sometimes representing the board or committee at forums and other public events, taking part in fundraising activities and often participating in discussions with your board colleagues outside scheduled meetings.
Reputation
The reputation of the board and the organisation, their legal history and financial viability are also important considerations, as board and management committee members have legal, financial and governance responsibilities that must be addressed.
Before Committing…
Before committing to join a board, you should also think about issues such as your fit with existing board members, the board’s governance framework and policies, its training for new board members and whether the role on offer is a good match with your own background, skills and experience.
There is a lot to consider in deciding whether to make the commitment to join a third sector board, just as there is in deciding to take on any leadership role. But finding the right board is well worth the effort, not only from the career perspective, but also from the perspective of having the opportunity to bring your expertise to the table, to support a cause you care about.
This is the last post in the 30 Days to a Great Career series!
We hope you’ve enjoyed the great career tips and inspiration to help advance your career this month. Read all herCareer posts here.
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Forget work/life balance; work/life fit is better for you
- Approaching Your Boss – a Mentoring Perspective
- Grammatical glitches that spell “disaster” for job applicants
|
|
Susan Wareham McGrathSusan Wareham McGrath is a skilled and experienced Australian visa and immigration consultant; jobsearch strategist and career management consultant; professional writer, blogger and social commentator. She holds a degree in psychology, an advanced diploma in human resource management, a post graduate qualification in public policy development, a national training accreditation and registration as an Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Susan is a strong advocate for the personal and professional advancement of women, and after serving as an Advisory Board Member of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network since 2007 is now the ABN’s National Special Projects Manager.
|
Forget work/life balance; work/life fit is better for you
September 29, 2011
By Susan Wareham McGrath
The Huffington Post, recently published, “Supermoms At Higher Risk For Depression: Study” – a pragmatic, powerful and practical piece about avoiding the almost universal guilt and frequent depression felt by working mothers.
Key points include:
- Mothers are better off at home if that’s really where they want to be and they’re better off working if that’s where they really want to be. Such a simple – and powerful – statement!
- Own your choices – this is a particularly good point for mothers who would prefer to be at home, but have to work. You don’t have to love your job, but if you know in some fundamental way that you made the right decision about working, you’ll be more comfortable going forward than if you’re always questioning yourself.
- Find your work-life “fit” – not balance. Why? Because “balance” is a guilt word; it implies you have to have everything on an even keel and that if you give to one side, you take from the other. “Fit”, on the other hand, is about doing whatever works for you. When balance is out of the equation, so is the guilt that comes with trying to achieve it.
- Align your expectations with reality. Staying stuck with expectations that aren’t coming true leads to depression and guilt.
Click here to read the full article, which includes a list of six practical tips to banish working mothers’ guilt for good!
My response:
Over the past forty years, the feminist mantra that “women can have it all” has subtly turned to show its dark side, that in order to have it all, “women must do it all”.
Current research shows that despite the advert of modern feminism, working mothers – even those engaged in full-time work – still do most of their family’s housework, cooking, shopping and childcare and hands-on caring responsibilities for other family members, such as aged relatives. Easily a 70-80 hour working week, when travelling, working and domestic work is taken into account.
Against that backdrop, the expectation that so many women put upon themselves, to manage the perfect home, be the perfect mother and have the perfect career, or run the perfect business, is a recipe for emotional and psychological disaster.
The work/life balance myth has added to this pressure, causing women to question why they can’t find that elusive balance that would enable them to hold all the parts of their life together.
Unfortunately, the only structural and long term solution to the woes of Australia’s working mothers that I can see lies in the hands of government. Not an ideal situation, but all we have to work with.
The government is already recognising the importance of quality child care, by planning to staff early years child care centres with qualified teachers – a step in the right direction. But that is of little use to mothers whose children are currently on a two to three year waiting list to access their centre of choice, or who aren’t able to use child care centres because they close too early.
Like it or not, it’s a fact of life that many mothers are not in the privileged position of being able to collect their children by 6 pm. Child care centre operators should be encouraged to recognise this and extend their hours to a more realistic timeframe, with the government subsidising their additional operating costs, to avoid the ridiculous situation of centres charging $1+ for every minute a parent is late collecting their child. Outside school hours care should also be subsidised in the same way.
Family day care is not everyone’s choice and parents should not be forced to put their child into that model of care because nothing else is available.
I would also like to see the use of accredited domestic support services made tax deductible, to increase their affordability to all working Australians (I say “working Australians” because some groups of non-working Australians already receive subsided or free domestic services) and open up employment options in the home services field, thereby reducing the ongoing drain on government funds caused by able-bodied people accepting unemployment benefits.
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Approaching Your Boss – a Mentoring Perspective
- Grammatical glitches that spell “disaster” for job applicants
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
|
|
Susan Wareham McGrathSusan Wareham McGrath is a skilled and experienced Australian visa and immigration consultant; jobsearch strategist and career management consultant; professional writer, blogger and social commentator. She holds a degree in psychology, an advanced diploma in human resource management, a post graduate qualification in public policy development, a national training accreditation and registration as an Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Susan is a strong advocate for the personal and professional advancement of women, and after serving as an Advisory Board Member of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network since 2007 is now the ABN’s National Special Projects Manager.
|
Approaching Your Boss – a Mentoring Perspective
September 28, 2011
By Cheryl Hayman, Hayman Strategy
Mentoring is probably the most powerful developmental process people can experience. Used effectively, it can empower people and provide a means to communicate that is second to none. It provides many tools and tips for managing those around you, one of the most important being ‘the boss’.
Mentoring is about professional and personal development and hence it is a terrific framework to utilise in any approach to your boss. It will give you more confidence and a heightened level of competence for communicating, especially if the conversation is considered to be critical, from your point of view.
The starting point
Remember that strong managers are primarily concerned with their team and the organisation, driving toward positive results. Approaching your boss is therefore all about exploration of the possible actions you might take and managing your own expectations about outcomes.
You need to explore the possible actions, bearing in mind the manager’s driving forces above and go forward to your boss with the best possible option. Be sure that you have considered it from all angles (theirs and your own), first.
As in a mentoring situation, much depends on the topic to be discussed.
- If it is something significant, related to changes in personal or professional attitudes and behaviours, you may find that you need to explore an issue on and off for several months.
- If it is a practical topic, related to knowledge or skills, it may only take a few minutes or a few hours.
The goal is to find mutual understanding.
This new understanding is experienced in a number of ways, depending on the individual and the importance of the issue in hand. Be flexible and resourceful, ready to move forward (and sometimes backwards) empathically and constructively.
Even when dealing with your boss, be supportive and sensitive so that when you challenge, your boss is receptive and able to acknowledge and learn your desires.
Always challenge positively. Even bosses can feel vulnerable, especially if the ‘old way’ is being criticised. Provide reflection and respect for the past. In the end, the boss needs to be part of the “journey to discovery,” that place where you would ideally like to land.
Following agreement on the new course, the action phase is sometimes immediate but, in the case of complex attitudinal and behavioural issues, it may take weeks, months or even years to fully develop. Ultimately, the timescale is dependent on experience, the nature and complexity of the issue and the quality of the conversations that you are able to hold.
In the end, the similarities to the mentoring process are based on the following personal traits, drawing on your ability to be:
- Enthusiastic – genuinely interested in the boss and his/her concerns, needs and aspirations.
- Motivating and encouraging – to understand and channel the boss’s energy into constructive change, new challenges and overcoming difficulties.
- Open – prepared to share your own experience of similar issues, be honest about yourself, be honest and appreciative of the boss.
- Empathic – able to appreciate how the boss thinks, feels and behaves.
- Positive in your outlook – able to appreciate the boss’s point of view and see solutions.
- A good listener – able to really focus on what the boss is saying without your own thoughts crowding out the boss’s words.
If you harness all these abilities as you go into discussions with work colleagues and your boss, you are much more likely to resolve your issue with a mutually agreeable outcome than you would if your approach was hostile, disrespectful and centred only on your needs and desires.
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Grammatical glitches that spell “disaster” for job applicants
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
- Board quotas – are they the answer?
|
|
Cheryl Hayman - Hayman StrategyCheryl Hayman owns and manages a strategic marketing and business consultancy, Hayman Strategy, providing a broad range of business and marketing solutions to corporations. Prior to establishing her own business, Cheryl had over 20 years experience as a senior marketing executive in multi-national organisations spanning Australia, NZ and the UK. Cheryl undertakes a number of non-executive Board roles and sits on several Advisory Boards including the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Cheryl is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, holding a CPM. Cheryl personally undertakes continuous professional development within her various business roles, as well as attending external courses.
|
How to write a winning application letter
September 27, 2011
By Susan Wareham McGrath
In today’s competitive job market, you might have an outstanding résumé, but unless it catches the employer’s attention, it is unlikely that you will obtain an interview. That’s where a well written application letter can make all the difference.
To develop a strong application letter, you must always remember that the sole purpose of your application is to market yourself as the best candidate for the position.
Put yourself in the employer’s shoes
Think about what they are looking for in a candidate; and draft your letter accordingly. The best way to do that is to use your application letter to draw a clear connection between your skills, experience and knowledge and the employer’s requirements.
A professional application letter consists of three sections: an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
Introduction
Use the introduction to state your interest in the job and explain how you heard about it – from an advertisement, personal recommendation or other means.
Body
The body is the longest part of the letter and should state your enthusiasm for the position, as well as briefly explain why the employer should read your résumé. This is the section where you draw the connection between your expertise and the employer’s requirements and explain your points of difference from other applicants, promoting yourself as an excellent candidate and potential interviewee.
Conclusion
The concluding paragraph should request an interview and invite the employer to contact you if they would like any further information.
Application letters should have three, or at the most four paragraphs and generally be no longer than one page in length. An effective application letter should, above all, be professional. It should be typewritten, free of spelling and grammatical errors and have a positive, courteous tone.
With a well-written application letter and a professional résumé, applicants can be confident that when they attend their long-awaited interview, they will already have impressed their potential employer, significantly improving their chances of long-term career success.
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Grammatical glitches that spell “disaster” for job applicants
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
- Board quotas – are they the answer?
|
|
Susan Wareham McGrathSusan Wareham McGrath is a skilled and experienced Australian visa and immigration consultant; jobsearch strategist and career management consultant; professional writer, blogger and social commentator. She holds a degree in psychology, an advanced diploma in human resource management, a post graduate qualification in public policy development, a national training accreditation and registration as an Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Susan is a strong advocate for the personal and professional advancement of women, and after serving as an Advisory Board Member of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network since 2007 is now the ABN’s National Special Projects Manager.
|
Grammatical glitches that spell “disaster” for job applicants
September 26, 2011
By Susan Wareham McGrath
I was driven to write today’s post by the number of grammatical errors and misspellings I come across regularly, on resumes, application letters, websites, jobseekers’ blogs and their professional social media profiles.
It’s a fact that grammatical glitches, clunky copy and sloppy spelling do not impress employers. And the bad news for job applicants is that such semantic saboteurs can impact negatively on their prospective employer’s opinion of their application.
So here’s my personal hit list of errors that dumb down personal brands – and turn off prospective employers.
The Wandering Apostrophe
In my eyes, the worst offender of all is the wandering apostrophe. As a punctuation symbol, it looks innocent enough, but can grate on an employer’s nerves when it’s used incorrectly, particularly when it’s used to denote a plural.
Apostrophes are generally happiest when used to indicate the omission of one or more letters (for example, the contraction of “it is” to “it’s”); and to indicate the possessive case (for example, “the cat’s fur”).
The use of apostrophes to denote plurals (for example, “the sentence contained two comma’s”) is wrong, as is a significant exception to the possessive case rule above – the use of “it’s” to denote ownership.
Whenever I see “it’s” used to indicate possession, I can’t help but expand the contraction – to me “the cat licked it’s fur” reads “the cat licked it is fur”. Such errors are not only grammatically wrong, but can smack of unprofessionalism to prospective employers who care about such things.
Heterographs
Almost as bad as the uncorralled apostrophe is the incorrect use of “your” versus “you’re”, “too” versus “to” and “their” versus “there”. It’s really not that hard to take a few seconds to think about what you’re trying to say and check that your words reflect your intent. In fact, it’s so easy, why would you not do so, when initial impressions of your ability to value add as an employee are at stake?
Weasel Words
Weasel words are words that are deliberately used to gloss over bad news, or to make a statement misleading; for example, “Send in your details and be in the draw to win a car every day for a month.”
The reality is, of course, that a draw will be held each day of the month in question, with a car allocated as the prize of each individual draw. But the sentence above was written in such a way that it implies the winner of the draw would win between 28 and 31 cars, delivered in daily increments over the period of one month.
Weasel words fool very few employers and can lead to a perception that the applicant using them is at best spindoctoring, or at worst being evasive about their employment history – not a favourable impression to leave with a prospective employer.
Comma casualties
Reading text that places commas incorrectly, or fails to use them at all, puts me into a state of punctuation paranoia – for example, the difference in meaning between “Let’s cook, James” and “Let’s cook James” is quite significant – and all due to the strategic use of a comma.
Dangling participles
“Eating my lunch, the sun shone brightly.” Really? The sun was eating the writer’s lunch while shining brightly? Of course not. What the writer meant to say was “As I was eating my lunch, the sun shone brightly”.
If the meaning of a sentence is anything less than crystal clear, it’s time for a redraft!
In Australia’s highly competitive job market, it’s essential to use every tool at your disposal to excel throughout the application process. Proofread, double check, and preferably have someone else review your professional website, LinkedIn profile, blog, CV and cover letter before you submit your application.
Remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression!
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
- Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
- Board quotas – are they the answer?
- The Power of a Handshake
|
|
Susan Wareham McGrathSusan Wareham McGrath is a skilled and experienced Australian visa and immigration consultant; jobsearch strategist and career management consultant; professional writer, blogger and social commentator. She holds a degree in psychology, an advanced diploma in human resource management, a post graduate qualification in public policy development, a national training accreditation and registration as an Australian migration agent with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. Susan is a strong advocate for the personal and professional advancement of women, and after serving as an Advisory Board Member of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network since 2007 is now the ABN’s National Special Projects Manager.
|
Making A Good Impression: 7 Keys To A More Professional Image
September 25, 2011
By Michele Connolly, Get Organized Wizard
How’s your professional image? Does it convey a true sense of your talent and expertise? Or does it distract potential customers/employers and undermine the impression you make?
Whether you’re looking for more customers, a promotion or a new career, you need to avoid these common mistakes if you want to create a great impression. Developing a professional image takes a little preparation and personal organisation, but you’ll gain huge dividends.
1. Lose the blurry photo of yourself looking boozy at after-work drinks
Ideally, get a professional photo of yourself for your online profiles (eg, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). It will make a good impression on others and help you feel more confident about yourself too.
If this is too expensive, ask a friend to take a photo that’s suitable for the work you do – or want to do.
At the very least, crop a head-shot of yourself from an existing photo that’s in focus and attractive.
2. Don’t be boring when explaining what you do
A bland description of your job or services can be an instant conversation killer. Avoid the ‘Oh. *pause* I have to go over there now.’ response by sprucing up your self description.
For instance, my description is adapted from a technique I learned in Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid. Instead of saying,
‘I’m a writer for a website’ [BORING!]
I say,
‘You know how some people struggle to overcome procrastination, or to get organized, or to get rid of clutter? Well, I create programs at GetOrganizedWizard.com that help people to get motivated and take action.
You can use the same formula:
You know how some people [insert problem you solve]?
Well, I [insert how you solve problem].
So if you’re a financial planner you might say something like,
“You know how some people worry about how much money they’ll need for retirement and how to go about preparing for it? Well, I help people analyse their goals and financial positions and set plans in motion.”
3. Avoid over-sharing online
Be personal and authentic in your online profiles – it will help people get a sense of you.
These days, it’s common for both customers and employers to do online searches of people they want to work with. So be cautious about sharing information that’s too personal or *ahem* ‘inappropriate’.
Tweeting about your love of gardening, running or model trains is one thing. Providing graphic details about your feather fetish is another.
4. Scrap Sally34619@hotmail.com
Your email address should be simple and professional.
If you have a business, use your business URL – i.e., Sally@SallyTheSavvyPhotographer.com.
If not, at least choose a professional-sounding version of your name – eg Sally.Fortescue@hotmail.com or SallyLouiseJones@hotmail.com.
Remember that a potential customer or employer may have to type in your email address – keep it professional.
5. Toss self-printed business cards
Cards run off on your home printer say, ‘I don’t take my business seriously’ – so why should anyone else?
Business cards are a small expense that make a big difference. Invest a little time and money in cards that represent you.
Make sure you include your:
- Name
- Business name
- Email address
- Phone numbers/addresses
- Website
- Short description of your business or service, if this isn’t obvious from your business name.
Keep a stack of cards in your bag or pocket and replenish it regularly. Then when someone asks for one, you’ll be prepared.
6. Re-think the scruffy look
You might do fabulous work and believe you have the right to dress however you like. And of course you do.
The thing is, people don’t know you do fabulous work, so they will likely extrapolate from whatever information they have. If your clothes are untidy, they might subconsciously think, well, scruffy clothes, scruffy work.
So get yourself at least a couple of outfits you can wear for networking events, interviews, etc. Choose clothes that look, feel good and give people a sense of the best of you.
7. Stop snarling
Smile! It looks good, feels good, makes you more approachable and comes through in your personality.
Whether you’re communicating in person, by phone or in writing, keep a smile on your face.
I’m smiling now – can you tell? 
Check back tomorrow for the next blog post in 30 Days to a Great Career! 1-30 September 2011
MOST RECENT 30 DAYS TO A GREAT CAREER POSTS
|
|
Michele Connolly – Get Organized WizardMichele Connolly helps people move from procrastination to action. She believes you can be happier if you take action on your priorities. Michele’s programs cover business, goals, home, personal organisation, writing and weight-loss, and are used by tens of thousands of people worldwide. Michele is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). She has been interviewed on Sydney radio, spoken at conferences, and won awards for her psychology studies, including original research and a thesis on happiness. Michele is interested in writing, books, simplicity, love, TV, productivity, and staying thin in a world of chocolate.
|
