Edited by author 04-22-2010 08:12 AM
The phone is a critical tool in the job hunt — do you know how you sound on it?

Sure, it's pretty straightforward — you pick it up, punch some numbers in and talk on it. You've been doing it your whole life, so there's nothing special about using it in the job search. Right?

Well, that's not actually the case.

Because how you communicate on the phone — what you say and especially how you say it — becomes the basis for whether or not you make it to the next stage in the interview process. How you use your time on the phone with the HR person, the recruiter or the hiring manager is actually pretty critical.

If you talk on the phone for a living — if you're in sales or corporate communications — a lot of this advice comes as part of your job. But if you're in an area where persuading and communicating over the phone isn't something you've learned professionally, I've collected some of the best-written and most popular articles we've written over the years on the phone interview and included the links at the end of this letter.

In my ten years in the online recruitment industry, here are my own three best bits of advice for making the phone your friend in the job hunt:

For the initial call

Typically, the initial call is a screening call to determine whether or not you have the basics for the job, and whether you have any interest at all in pursuing it. As an introductory interview, the stakes are pretty low, and so long as you're polite and responsive to questions about your background, not too much can go terribly wrong.

But this is a great chance for you to find out more about the job. At this point, the person on the other end of the phone is selling as much as judging, and there is therefore a greater appetite for taking your questions and giving you more information about the job. Use this opportunity to your advantage.

The five questions that I'd suggest you ask during an initial screening?
"What are the three most important things you want the person who takes this job to achieve over the next year?" (We'll come back to why this is important.)
"Tell me what type of person is successful, and what type of person is not successful at your company." (This is a more specific way of asking about company culture.)
"Who had this job last, and why did they leave?" (Or, for new jobs, why is it being created?)
"Are you working on this job on an exclusive or retained basis, or on a contingency basis?" (If the person you are speaking with is an executive recruiter.)
"What's your timeline for making a decision?"
For the phone interview itself

Follow all of the advice below, particularly the first article by Barbara Safani, which is one of the best-written pieces I've seen on the tactics of taking an important job-search phone call.

As for substance, the phone screen is usually not the chance to get a real feel for the company and the job. You'll pick up some more color, but it's unlikely you'll get a "feel in your bones" for what the organization and the position are like.

Most frequently, it's simply a hurdle you'll have to pass to get the next round. Which makes it different and higher stakes than an initial screening call.

If you've determined you're interested in pursuing this opportunity, you'll need to get past this obstacle.

So my best advice for doing just that is to make it easy for them.

If you've asked the "three most important things" question during your initial call or subsequent scheduling call, you already know what they're looking for. It's not hard, and maybe it's a little bit obvious, but you'd be amazed at how often people get distracted into turning a phone interview into a nice social call discussing your hobbies or how the baseball season is going. Don't let that happen to you.

Take the three most important things, have your capabilities to deliver on each of those things well thought out, and stick to those points. If the conversation veers off into the blue yonder, always bring it back to those key issues.

And at the end of your call, repeat those things and your background and abilities in those areas: "Well, Ms. Jones, you mentioned that x, y and z were the three most critical things for this job, and I walked you through how my background A, B and C made me a great fit to do just that successfully. Is there anything I've overlooked, or do you agree?"

This is the best way to get a very accurate read on how well you came across on the phone, and what the hiring manager thinks about your potential fit for the role at the end of the call.

Buy a mirror

I've mentioned this many times over the years: we all know that how we feel shows up in our facial expressions. Feeling glum and you'll be frowning; feeling great and you're smiling.

But did you know that it works the other way too?

Psychological research has shown that if you're smiling, even for as little as five minutes, it actually changes the way you feel.

And how you feel determines how your voice sounds on the phone. You can tell when your friends are down, or exuberant — and, no surprise, so can recruiters and hiring managers on the other end of the phone.

So what I want you to do is to feel great when you're making job hunt phone calls.

One way to do that is to actually — you know, always, 100% of the time — feel really, really great.

But that's not realistic.

The other way is to find a little trick that can help you feel great and be smiling while you're on the phone.

So I'd recommend having a little mirror on your desk whenever you're making phone calls. When we look in a mirror, we see one of our favorite people in the world, and, yes, we tend to smile. And that smiling does actually change the way you feel. It might sound trite or goofy, but if you really try it, you'll find that it actually makes a difference in your mental attitude, your facial expression, and, most importantly, how your voice sounds to the person on the other end of the phone.


Sales Ladders
Marc Cenedella
4/19/10

THE LONG ISLAND CAREER FAIR
Tuesday April 27, 2010
10:30am to 2:00pm
The Melville Marriott
1350 Walt Whitman Rd
(Broad Hollow Rd. 110 & Long Island Expressway 495) Melville, NY 11747

Admission is free, but you must be dressed professionally to get into this event.

Get on the fast track. Preregister for quick access to this event... go to www.ChoiceCareerFairs.com for details.


If you preregister online and bring a copy of that printout, you will save a lot of time getting into the career fair

There will be further posts starting this week. I encourage follwers of this topic to be on the lookout for important information, tips, and suggestions. Unfortunately we have had to ban some infividuals that chose to post negative messages.

Feel free to contribute in the future. Good luck in your endeavors...

How to Make Employers Want You
Article Comments (9) more in Careers By ALEXANDRA LEVIT

Most people in the job market today would consider themselves lucky to get a single offer. Receiving multiple offers sounds like a dream, but for some, this scenario is very real. They are the candidates everyone wants.

 
Nicholas Rosenthal of Newport Beach, Calif., recently interviewed for real-estate investment jobs and found himself with his pick of opportunities. Mr. Rosenthal, 26 years old, feels that his blend of experiences in commercial real estate have made him especially marketable. "Having someone who worked on the buy side but also understands investment on the sell side was advantageous to employers," he says.

Mr. Rosenthal's network of contacts also was a factor in many of his offers. "I am active in major industry trade groups, and I asked the heads of those groups to make introductions on my behalf," he says. "Because I was brought into companies at a high level, I had an immediate degree of credibility when I interviewed."

Show How You Will Fit
Contrary to what many believe, most firms in most industries are hiring, even now. "In tough times, there is a flight to quality," says Jeff Schwartz, a partner with Deloitte Consulting's Human Capital Group. "Companies are out there cherry-picking the most critical players. Candidates have to think deliberately about how their skills will fit."

For this reason, the most successful candidates target prospective companies carefully, using the Internet and their networks to learn about organizational culture, history, financial performance and recent news.

By the time the interview takes place, they are able to have an intelligent discussion about the value they bring to the position, and the employer can easily envision them starting tomorrow.

Attractive personal qualities are a service orientation and diversity. "Explain to an employer how you are involved in your community, and if you have a legitimate interest in what the company is doing from a social-responsibility perspective, discuss that," Mr. Schwartz recommends. "And of course, every employer today wants to hear that a candidate is flexible and has a wide range of experiences."

Connect the Dots
Even desirable candidates, though, aren't immune to the perils of follow-up. The best job hunters manage the hiring process at the various firms to which they're applying, and they don't assume that one hand knows what the other is doing.

"You'll generally have a better shot if you interact with a company via multiple entry points -- a recruiter, a human-resources manager and a personal contact," says Mr. Schwartz. "And every time you're introduced to someone new, you should connect him or her to the individuals you've already met."

Finally, nothing takes the place of demonstrating excitement about every firm you approach, and this enthusiasm should be expressed to everyone from the relative who is a company alum to the receptionist who greets you in the lobby.

Even if an organization isn't your top choice, you want to be its top choice. As you round up those offers, the power to choose will be with you.

WSJ 9/6/09

Long Island Job Fair

Thursday, September 24, 2009
 
Long Island Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
101 James Doolittle Boulevard
Uniondale, NY 11553
(516)794-3800 Phone
(516)794-5936
 
DON'T APPLY ONLINE JUST SHOW UP FROM 10AM TO 3PM!
 
Over 20 Companies participating in our events are looking for all types of work skills.
 
Get the latest information about show dates, location and event times, the list of participating companies at www.jobexpo.com

By RUTH MANTELL
Karen Chopra knows all about the dangers of "first-offer-itis."

It's a condition in which job seekers itch to take the first position they are offered, says the Washington, D.C.-based career counselor. And in this time of high unemployment, more people are inclined to do just that.

But rather than letting her clients succumb, Ms. Chopra will discuss a position's pros and cons with them to figure out how much they like the job versus how much they just want to stop searching.

 
Jason Greenberg
 "Most people hate the job search," she says. "It's an anxiety-producing time. But there are real dangers to taking a job that is not a good fit."

If you're in a job you dislike, for instance, you may not perform well. And if you leave the job after a few months, there will be a short stint to explain on your résumé.

While there can be a tremendous amount of pressure to rejoin the ranks of the gainfully employed, experts recommend that seekers try to curb desperation. "You are planning your career as opposed to just getting another job," says Randy Miller, founder and chief executive of ReadyMinds, a Lyndhurst, N.J., provider of online career counseling and coaching. "Take a step back, be clear on what you want to do. Otherwise, you will be in the same position six months later."

Of course, you must calculate whether you can afford to pass on an offer. Job seekers without any savings may not be in a position to say "no."

For those who can afford to be pickier, here are five tips on what type of offers to take a pass on and what warning signs to watch out for:

A Big Step Down
With more than six million jobs lost since the recession began, many job seekers have less leverage when it comes to salary. Nonetheless, a real low-ball offer is a red flag, Ms. Chopra says.

It can be tough for workers to figure out how low is too low, Mr. Miller says, adding that job seekers should stay strong as long as they know they are worth more than a company's low offer.

"In today's times, the employee is asked to do a lot more," he says. "If you are not making the money you are supposed to, you will probably be miserable."

Job seekers also should be wary of taking a title that's too far below their most recent position, says Allison O'Kelly, chief executive of Mom Corps, an Atlanta-based staffing firm specializing in flexible employment.

At least temporarily, a salary can be less important than a title, Ms. O'Kelly says, because "it will be hard to get back into the higher role." She adds that "people looking at your résumé will wonder why you were willing to take such a low-level position. They will think you should be more resourceful and able to find other jobs. I would prefer seeing that you are earning a little less, but that your title remains at a higher level. You will be better off."

Too-Quick Offers
Jobs that are offered very quickly may be worth passing on, says Walter Akana, a career strategist in Decatur, Ga. "It could be a sign that the company has lots of turnover and [is] desperate on some level as well," he says.

While it can be unnerving, waiting awhile for an offer isn't necessarily a bad thing, Mr. Akana adds. "The company is under pressure to fill the position in the best way possible," he says, "so sometimes the process can take time."

No Written Offer
Companies that don't provide a written offer may be worth avoiding, says Mr. Miller. And that's particularly important during times when many firms are struggling.

Verbal offers "mean you really have nothing to stand on because the employer can renege," he says. "If it's a legitimate job offer, everything should be in writing."

A contract with a specific description of the job could protect you from having your position radically altered.

"The more you have in the document, the more it could protect you, it's minimizing your risk," Mr. Miller says. "You still run the risk of getting laid off. But it's better to have the piece of paper than nothing at all."

Too Few Answers
A potential employer's reluctance to answer questions should give you pause, says Ms. Chopra. Employers who are worried that a position may not be attractive to a particular candidate may try to conceal or avoid certain specifics, she says.

Another giveway: when employers won't allow job candidates to speak with a prospective supervisor.

"You can work for a great company, but have a miserable supervisor, and that determines how you feel about the company," Ms. Chopra says. "The supervisor determines your day-to-day happiness."

Unpleasantness
If company insiders are difficult during negotiations, you may want to take a pass on a job, Ms. Chopra says. "Generally speaking, your treatment is not going to improve once you are hired," she says.


WSJ 6/21/09

Welcome to JobExpo.com - recognized as the largest producer of hiring events in the world, hosting thousands of job fairs in every major metropolitan area featuring 85% of the Fortune 500; and even smaller "mom & pop" operations searching for the most cost effective method of recruiting available. JobExpo.com “matches up” job seekers and employers in the most efficient way possible.
 

Discover an employment opportunity you never knew existed:

 

Thursday, August 20, 2009
 
Hilton Long Island / Huntington
598 Broad Hollow Rd
Melville, NY 11747
 
10AM TO 3PM!

Confirm info on Jobexpo.com

THE LONG ISLAND CAREER FAIR
Tuesday August 4th, 2009
11am to 3pm
Melville Marriott
1350 Walt Whitman Rd
(Broad Hollow Rd. 110 & Long Island Expressway 495)
Melville, NY 11747

Admission is free, but you must be dressed professionally to get into this event

Monster "Keep America Working Job Fair"
Brooklyn

Location:
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge
333 Adams Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Date: 8/5/2009

Time: 10am - 3pm

http://mcfbro0805.careers.adicio.com/careers/resumes

Keep Raisng the Bar
By Alexandra Levit


As a society, we're obsessed with achievement. But what happens once you're considered objectively successful, with a great salary and a job that energizes you? It's easy to rest on your accomplishments and your way of getting work done, perhaps even feeling there's not much left to learn.

But in this economy, you can't afford to sit back -- even though it might be tempting.

"Successful people fall into the trap of thinking they don't need to change anything because their behavior is working for them," says Marshall Goldsmith, author of "What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful." "Every time they get promoted...they get positive reinforcement even when certain skills are lacking."

Know Your Weaknesses
But examining where you might have shortcomings can make or break a career.

David Hale of Columbia, S.C., quickly rose to the top of the military police force and was granted the highly sought-after position of polygraph examiner with the Army Criminal Investigation Command.

"I was my own biggest fan, and being cocky, I would try to force confessions from suspects either prior to or based on their exams," he says. But he didn't take the time to understand that criminals are more likely to confess to people they like and trust. "My results fell way below other examiners," Mr. Hale says.

Mr. Hale didn't realize he needed to change until his boss transferred him and said that if his confession rate didn't increase, he would be fired. He studied forensic interviewing, worked on relating to subjects on an emotional level, and pursued courses in leadership, counseling and psychology. Eventually, Mr. Hale began to rise again in his career, and he became known as one of the top polygraph examiners anywhere.

Necessary Skills
Becoming as successful as you can be -- after you've already climbed part of the ladder -- means you need two things.

For starters, you need outstanding people skills: Listen carefully, think before you speak, reciprocate favors and manage conflicts diplomatically.

Second, you must regularly take a hard look at yourself and address your weak points. For example, if you have a communication issue with one person or a group of people, step away from the blame game and ask yourself, "How can I be better?" Make sure people are honest with you by requesting feedback anonymously and confidentially.

If you're employed by a large organization, consider contacting human resources to see what training is available. You may have the opportunity to take leadership-development courses online or in-person for free.

But the most important thing to keep in mind is that just because you're skilled or talented in a particular area doesn't mean you should simply pass go and collect your $200.

I, for instance, was hesitant to work with a speaking coach because my audience evaluations didn't mandate it, but once I learned that the top speakers in the world -- from Tony Robbins to President Barack Obama -- have worked with coaches, I changed my mind.

Says Mr. Goldsmith: "Strong leaders don't coast."

WSJ 6/2/09

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN
Job hunters' stock may be rising on Wall Street.

Large and midsize financial-services institutions are hiring again, albeit modestly. Recruiters cite improving financial markets and increasing investor confidence as catalysts. They say some firms that laid off too many workers at the start of the recession now want to take advantage of the large amount of talent available. Most desired are proven performers skilled in areas such as credit, refinancing, wealth management and restructuring.

"People are starting to unlock the doors and talk to us about wanting to hire," says Richard G. Lipstein, managing director at executive-search firm Boyden World Corp. in New York. His firm recently won an assignment for a high-level position at a private wealth-management firm that had delayed filling the opening for months. Mr. Lipstein points out that finance companies are picking up the pace of hiring as slowly and cautiously as they did during past economic downturns. "All the signs that proved to be the case back in 2002 and 1991 are starting to appear here. Having been through this before, you can smell the psychology," he says.

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Associated Press
 The limited hiring is a bright spot amid continued job losses in financial-services sector. The Labor Department says financial-services firms shed 30,000 jobs in May and have lost nearly 600,000 jobs since December 2006. Hiring is "by no means at the level that it was at early last year," says Adam Zoia, founder and chief executive of Glocap Search, a New York executive-search firm. "But it's definitely up materially from the trough."

Wells Fargo & Co., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and TIAA-CREF all are currently advertising on WallStJobs.com, a job site that specializes in the financial-services industry. Positions listed include private banker, credit manager, financial adviser and financial analyst.

In general, employers are hiring most actively in areas where demand for a particular investment strategy is growing, says Mr. Zoia. "It's not for prospective business but existing business," particularly in wealth management, he says.

Recruiting is somewhat robust in restructuring, says Tim Holt, a partner in the financial-services practice at executive-search firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. in New York. "More companies are in distress now, and the need for restructuring expertise has far outpaced other sectors," he says.

Another relatively strong niche is credit, says Pete Deragon, director of the North America financial-services practice at executive-search firm Stanton Chase International. Credit specialists are in demand as banks work out problem loans and derivatives tied to those loans, he says.

While Bank of America Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., plans to eliminate up to 35,000 positions through 2011, to avoid redundancies following the Merrill Lynch acquisition, a recent increase in mortgage refinancing "has led to the addition of several thousand jobs," says spokeswoman Sara Bloomquist. She says the bank has made "a significant number of strategic hires" in its Merrill Lynch unit, including financial advisers and investment bankers.

Over the past two quarters, J.P. Morgan hired roughly 950 loan counselors to help distressed borrowers, according to a spokeswoman. "We're doing selective hiring," she says, adding that the bank continues to eliminate some jobs and redeploy some workers. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says it is "seeing a moderate uptick" in new hires, compared with six months ago.

Some midsize and large firms are hiring in part "to replace lost DNA," says Peter K. Gonye, a co-leader of the investment-banking and private-equity practice groups at executive-search firm Spencer Stuart in New York. As firms shed thousands of jobs, they also lost some valuable, productive employees, he says. Top on employers' most-wanted lists are proven performers or "revenue generators," Mr. Gonye says. "Demand centers on those professionals who have a book of business with senior-level client contacts or those who have repeatedly demonstrated a track record as profitable traders."

In March, 53-year-old James Solloway joined SEI Investments Co., a publicly traded asset-management firm in Oaks, Pa., as a portfolio strategist. He had been laid off 10 months earlier from a similar role at Morgan Stanley, where he had worked for 10 years. Mr. Solloway says his job search started slowly. But between January and March, he landed interviews for six jobs, including the position at SEI. He says his new job's base salary is comparable to what he was earning in his previous position.

Some firms are trying to take advantage of the large number of experienced people who have been let go, says Deborah Markus, founder of Columbus Advisors LLC, a New York executive-search firm. "They're beginning to open their eyes and think more strategically in terms of hiring," she says, adding that she is hearing from twice as many companies compared with a year ago. "There's much more of a positive mood."

Josh Liebman, who was laid off from an executive-director position at J.P. Morgan in February, says he is more optimistic about the job market because he sees more financial-services listings. In recent weeks, Mr. Liebman, a 36-year-old certified public accountant in Livingston, N.J., says he landed interviews for two jobs, one at a large financial-news provider, the other at a large money manager. He was invited back by each for second interviews. Meanwhile, he is doing consulting work for a European bank.

WSJ 6/23/09

Walk Out of Your Job Interview in a Blaze of Glory
Interview questions that stump employers in any job interview.
 Scott Ginsberg
  Picture this: The job interview is (almost) over.

You’ve answered all their questions.
You’ve jumped through all their hoops.
You’ve taken all their tests, assessments and personality profiles.

Meanwhile, your brain hurts from over thinking. Your butt is numb from over sitting. And by now, you’ve managed to sweat right through that crisp, new white shirt you bought just for today.

“Just hire me already!” You think.

Not so fast. There’s still one thing left to do:

Walk out of that interview in a blaze of glory.

Today I’m going to teach you a job-hunting strategy that will instantly make you more approachable; hireable; employable; promotable; buyable; bookable; unforgettable; and, most importantly, call-back-able.

And all of it hinges on your ability to respond effectively to one of the most common (yet one of the most under leveraged) interview questions:

“So, do you have any questions for me?”

Prospective employers almost always ask this one – especially at the end of the interview. And most job-hunting books, interviewing resources and career coaches will advise you to respond with intelligent, creative questions such as:

Why is this position vacant?
Do you promote from within?
Do you have a formal training program?
What are the future goals of the company?
How will I know that I have met your goals?
Why did you choose to work for this company?
How would you describe your company’s culture?
How will my performance be evaluated, and how often?
What is the average work week of the person who will fill this job?
Will I be hearing from you or should I contact you?
Those are great questions. They’re smart, focused and goal-oriented.

There’s only one problem: Everybody else asks them, too.

And that instantly eliminates the probability of standing out.

Here’s the reality

The less boring and normal you are – and the more rules to which you are the exception – the more hireable you will become.

So, try this: Next time your interviewer asks, “So, do you have any questions for me?” I triple-dog-dare you to answer with one of the following responses :

Do you see any gaps in my qualifications that I need to fill?
Are there any reasons I’m not fully qualified for this position?
Is there anything I’ ve said today that might hurt my chances of being hired here?
Now that you’ve had a chance to meet and interview me, what reservations would you have in putting me in this position?
What have accidentally I said or done during today’s interview that’s inconsistent with your perfect candidate for this job?
Here’s why this strategy works:

You put the interviewer on the spot. After all, you’re not the only one being interviewed here. So, turning the tables in this manner helps you maintain power because – contrary to popular conditioning – the listener controls.

You prove counterintuitive thinking. I don’t care if you’re applying to work the night clean up shift at Reggie’s Roadkill Cafe – employers love people who think this way. Not just someone who “is” unexpected – but someone who actually thinks unexpectedly.

You demonstrate openness to feedback. My great friend, Joe Rotskoff, HR manager at Crescent Plumbing Supply in St. Louis, was the person who first educated me on this interview approach. “The secret is twofold,” Rotskoff said. “First, you display openness to how others experience you. Second, you show a dedication to improving self-awareness. And that’s exactly the type of employee companies seek to hire in this tough economy.”

You exhibit dedication to personal improvement. Which makes you an employee who adds value to the net worth of her human capital – and, therefore, the net worth of the company’s assets – every day. Wow.

You close the sale. Job interviews are sales calls. Period. You’re selling the company on you, your skills and your long-term potential as a valued asset to the team. So, when you ask closer questions like these, you’re essentially “asking for the sale.” And you’re doing so in a professional, tactful, confident manner. How could they not say yes to you?

Now, here’s the worst thing that could happen

Let’s say you ask one of these questions. And let’s say the prospective employer (unfortunately) responds with an answer that indicates you’ve done something wrong. Or missed the mark. Or come up short in regards to the position.

Fantastic! You’ve just received specific feedback that you can leverage to add value to yourself and become more hireable in the future.

So, if this is the case for you, here’s my suggestion: Physically write down his response to your questions, right then and there. This demonstrates active listening and further reinforces your openness to feedback.

Then, when you write your thank-you note to the interviewer later that evening, be sure to:

1. Thank him again for the helpful feedback on your performance

2. Explain what your commitment plan is for remedying that inadequacy in the future. Hey, he might even change his mind after that!

But here’s the best thing that could happen

Picture this: The interviewer’s jaw hits the floor, his pen falls to the ground, and he stares at you like you just told him that his company was going to be featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal.

Then, once he mops up the puddle of drool on your job application, he racks his brain trying to come up with an answer to your powerful question.

But he can’t find one.

Because there isn’t one.

Because you, my unemployed friend, are pretty amazing.

And you deserve this job a hundred times more than every other candidate who walked in the door before you.

Career Advice from TheLadders

10 Things Your Career Counselor Isn’t Telling You
How to Gain an Instant Advantage on the Job Search
45 Questions You Should Ask Yourself
12 Daily Habits to Boost Your Hire-ability
That’s what happens when you stick yourself out there. That’s what happens when you’re approachable.

You walk out of that job interview in a blaze of glory.

And then, come Monday morning, you walk back into that same building. But this time, you’re not there for an interview – you’re there to see how spectacular the view is from your new office.

Good luck.

Let me ask ya this …
How will you turn approachability into hireability?

Let me suggest this …
For the list called, “7 Ways to Get Potential Employers to Return Your Calls Every Time,” send me an e-mail, and you ’ll receive the complimentary list!

Sales Laddders 7/15/09