by Mitch Byers :: June 20th, 2006 :: Posted in Enhancing Your Career, Interviewing to Win |
Key points in the article:
I believe the most important tip in the article is found in the fourth paragraph:
Use mercifully short, interesting and relevant examples from your work experiences. Those stories are what your interviewer will remember most.
Two points here:
A long (more than a minute) drawn out story hurts you in two ways: 1) You begin to dilute the quality of your information. 2) In an hour interview you want to get through all of their questions, and have time to ask a few of your own questions. Long-winded answers cut your time to ask questions needlessly short.
The job interview is the ultimate sales opportunity. The chaotic business environment dictates that interviewing will be a lifelong activity. One’s success in interviewing can craft careers, impact personal and family lives, and determine one’s social and economic standing, In short, success in interviewing influences our quality of life decade after decade.
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by Mitch Byers :: June 16th, 2006 :: Posted in Enhancing Your Career |
Recently, the National Institute of Business Management mailed out their 8-page Executive Leadership newsletter. I had not heard of the organization until their mailing, but was curious about the information. The newsletter contained 26 mini-articles related to improving leadership skills. There were a number of catchy titles, such as “How to Win at Politics Without Creating Enemies” and “Talk Like a Leader, Be Seen as a Leader.” Many of the articles were adapted from books or published articles.
One of the more interesting articles was entitled, “Pick a Departing Colleague’s Brain. “The article speaks to all employees, even if turn-over is below average at your employer. A departing colleague provides a golden opportunity, which you must seize.
Some key points of the article:
Why? Well, think of it as a networking opportunity. Most of us think about networking as an activity to do between jobs, or at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, or at an industry conference. Sometimes, we forget to network with those already in our network, those we work with.
Maybe you thought you were doing a fine job, but their answer reveals that two managers think you are too timid in meetings. Maybe you thought you were the obvious choice for a newly created position. Your lunch meeting reveals a manager from the Chicago office is also a contender. Or maybe they sat in on a meeting where it was informally agreed upon to split the responsibilities of the position, making it more of a supervisory role instead of a Director role. Such insight from your departing colleague could be invaluable in your short-term and long-term success.
When a valued colleague departs, it can throw a team or department into a spin. While finding a comparable replacement is an obvious �must do,� also take an hour to invest in yours and your departing colleague’s future. The time will help in the transition process for both parties. And you may walk away with a whole new perspective of your future with the company.
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by Mitch Byers :: June 11th, 2006 :: Posted in Interviewing to Win |
Kristen Holland has written an insightful article, Prospective Teachers Have Homework To Do in Sunday’s Dallas Morning News (page 18J).
The article emphasizes the need for teachers in the job hunt to ask questions, and a lot of them, before and during the formal interview. Asking questions are equally important for someone just completing their degree and certification or for an experienced instructor.
Holland specifically addresses employment issues facing teachers. However, the information also provides anybody in the job hunt a sturdy framework to follow. Here are a several quoted examples from the article.
THE JOBIt’s vital for candidates to know what’s expected of them. “A lot of people would look at job descriptions – those kind of documents. But they really need to have a firm understanding of the district’s expectations of them.”
Certainly, you will want to review the written job description. Think about (and ask about) how the job is segmented. Maybe it can be segmented into strategic, tactical and interpersonal activities, or maybe by function – such as planning, operations, and administrative. Get clarification on each of the segments and ask what percentage of your time will be spent in each of the areas. There is nothing worse accepting a “strategic” job only to find out only 10% of your week is spent on strategic activities.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIESWhat particular assignment will be given that school year?
Beyond your day-to-day responsibilities, what special assignments or projects might you get involved in? Be assertive (not aggressive) and get on these special assignments.
THE BOSSWhat kind of reputation does the principal have in terms of leadership?
It has been said that people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses. A bit of investigation on your part may save you a career mistake. The good news/bad news is that because we are a more mobile work force than in years past, your great boss, or your boss from hell, may not be around in 12 months. Outstanding leaders personally have hired me on two occasions. In both cases, they resigned within 30 days after I started. Ouch!
THE CULTUREFor one, ask if there’s a dress code.
This will say something about the culture. It might also give you an idea of what your dry cleaning bill will be every week. Maybe you can wear jeans on Friday, or are allowed to wear shorts during the summer. Don’t abuse the dress code, ever.
THE PAYIt’s important to ask the dreaded salary question because many schools use one-size-fits-all form contracts.
A discussion of the salary is one of the most important areas to discuss. Because of its importance, I would suggest working through all of your other questions, and then you will have the proper perspective, energy, and interest to focus on salary. Save the best for last!
Teachers – especially new ones – should find out when they can expect their first paychecks and approximately how much they’ll receive.
Some companies pay weekly, biweekly, the 1st and 15th, and monthly. If commissions are involved, you will need to understand when and how commissions are paid. Maybe you are paid weekly, but commissions are paid monthly. Commissions can be paid after the sale or after receipt of the payment. Ask what conditions constitute repayment of commissions?
THE BENEFITSAnother crucial topic of conversation is benefit packages.
Benefits can be valued up to 1/3 of your compensation. Tuition reimbursement may not be important to you if you already have your master’s degree. However, it may be the tipping point if you are on a tight budget and have a desire to complete a degree or go back for a second degree.
EVALUATIONS“You definitely want to know anything and everything you can about what’s expected and who’s evaluating you and what they’re looking for.”
Having a clear idea of what (and what not) is expected of you is crucial to your career success. You can’t throw a dart at a target blindfolded and expect to hit the bull’s eye. Some managers do a marvelous job is laying out the position, expectations, and the evaluations process, but don’t count on it. Ask questions, like “How will I know if I am successful?” Find out how you will be evaluated in three months, six months, and a year. What criteria and how will they weigh individual components of the criteria?
Any teacher will appreciate the personalization of the article. For the rest of us, it is not a difficult leap to customize the question to our own particular profession.
Thanks Kristen for a great list of questions.
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by Mitch Byers :: June 8th, 2006 :: Posted in Enhancing Your Career, News & Events |
At today’s DFWTRN. meeting, Leroy Hamm, provided an insightful overview of the DiSC assessment. Hamm is the founder of IHDCorp, a leader in pre-screening and personnel development.
The DiSC assessment measures one’s bias in the four temperaments:
D – Dominant. A High ‘D’ is extroverted, hot-tempered, quick thinking, active, practical, strong-willed, and easily person. Archie Bunker, Lee Iacocca
I – Influencing. The High ‘I’ is an extroverted, fun-loving, activity-prone, entertaining, persuasive, and optimistic person. Lucille Ball, Robin Williams
S – Steadiness. The High ‘S’ is an introverted, calm, unemotional, easygoing, never-get-upset, person. Mr. Rogers, Jimmy Carter
C – Competence. The High ‘C’ is an introverted, logical, analytical, factual, private, depression-prone, let’s-do-it-right person. Spock, Albert Einstein
While looking at each temperament independently is a good starting point, it becomes even more interesting when we look at the natural combinations we have. The assessment provides a dominant temperament and a secondary temperament. That is not to say that the other two temperaments are excluded from our personality. In fact, we each have, at least some, of each of the four temperaments. Our particular personalities will determine the final blend.
The DiSC is primarily suited for increasing self-awareness in a setting where the individual can decide how to use the information to build relations with others. Understanding your own bias is a good beginning to self-awareness. If we can successful make passage through the Self Awareness door, then many other doors related to interpersonal skills and success will be available to us.
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by Mitch Byers :: June 8th, 2006 :: Posted in News & Events |
Today, 20 copies of the new version of INTERVIEW RX arrived from the publisher, Nearline Publishers, Inc. These 20 copies will be sent to other published authors in the career and self-help space for comments. Their comments will grace the back cover and inside first page. Look for the latest version of INTERVIEW RX later this summer!
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by Mitch Byers :: June 5th, 2006 :: Posted in Interviewing to Win |
Sunday’s Dallas Morning NewsDon’t hang up if a recruiter calls provides an excellent framework on how to work with recruiters.
Here are highlights from the article:
Why work with Recruiters
Levels of Service
Action Plan
Final Thoughts
What experiences have you had with recruiters? Share the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Happy job searching!
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by Mitch Byers :: June 3rd, 2006 :: Posted in Interviewing to Win, Selection & Hiring |
Part I: The Case for Structured or Unstructured Interviews
Unstructured Interviews
There are two formal interview categories: Unstructured and Structured. Unstructured interviews are defined as a method of collecting information in which the interviewer starts with only a general sense of the topic and creates questions as the interaction proceeds. Unstructured interviews are often expressed as a loosely organized interview that are “personalized” for the job seeker.
One advantage of an unstructured interview is the questions are typically asked in a spontaneous manner, enabling the job seeker to engage in a broader discussion of their background. Most folks respond well in unstructured interviews. In fact, they view both the hiring company and the individual interviewer more positively because they feel free to request information and because the interviewer is able to express warmth and friendliness through more personalized interactions. Patrice Buzzanell notes in her research that when candidates are given the “opportunity to provide input, they evaluate decision making as fairer, even when outcomes are unfavorable to them.”
Because an unstructured interview is less “constrained,” it could be argued the applicant’s job seekers’ will vary more, thus providing a more accurate personality assessment. It is generally accepted that unstructured interviews can assess social skills with a high degree of reliability. A study by Salgado and Moscoso concludes, “more socially skilled people will have greater possibilities of being successful in a conventional interview,” as compared to a more structured interview.
Structured Interviews
In contrast to the unstructured interview, the structured interview follows scripted questions. The same set of questions you will be asked are the same posed to others being interviewed. The company reasons their decision-makers can make a more objective decision if each candidate is interviewed in a similar manner. If fact, numerous researchers agree structured interviews based upon formal job analysis are generally more valid and reliable than unstructured interviews.
Companies choose the structured interview for various reasons. Some feel the structured interview is the best vehicle to complete their internal due diligence process. They want to feel the screening process has been fair and objective to all candidates. Structured interviews are sometimes chosen by the hiring company to reveal potential ethical issues, such as a propensity towards theft and security violations. Research has shown that workers who are punitive about thieves are less likely to be thieves themselves. Other companies have indicated they specifically chose structured interviews because they minimize the possibilities for lawsuits based on EEO [Equal Employment Opportunity] bias.
Part II will continue the discussion of Structured Interviews and introduce the Behavioral Interview.
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