The Start, Middle, and End to Interviewing Answers

All good stories have three things.
A beginning: Once upon a time...
A middle or "climax": Princess is in a crazy dangerous situation! Will the Prince get there in time?!!
And an ending: Princess rides into the sunset with Prince. Everyone lives happily ever after.

Behavioral Interview questions should have just as interesting answers. They generally don't come just off the cuff. The answers to your work life should be thought out. Like real stories of how you have dealt with things in the past.

People have many different ways of going about answering these questions, but what in real terms will help you answer the looming question : "tell me about a challenging situation and how you handled it." ?

In essence a good method is this:
Explain the challenging situation (problem, aka. the beginning)
What outcome you were attempting to achieve (what is the story about aka. girl gets guy. no need to make it a suspense thriller)
What did you do? (action taken -- the middle exciting part)
The conclusion ( what happened? The end, riding off into the sunset)

One method, easy to research and much more detailed, is the STAR Method. Just google it. You will find a million different articles.

The end of this story? Success in an interview happens when you keep the audience engaged. Think of a movie, good book, or song. They all generally have a beginning, middle, and end. They are interesting and contain all the necessary parts.

Think of various projects you have worked on over the years. They are all stories. The trick is to explain your great efforts in a positive light, with the right amount of detail, and in a way that the audience does not get lost or become disinterested.

I will leave you with an awesome picture that has a beginning, middle, and end of its own. Think of one of the best days of your life and how you would tell that story.

Relationships

One of my consultants called today to give me his 2 week notice.

He works for one of my clients and has been a great asset to their company. Although our billable hours here in the office are most important, I was elated for him on his new opportunity.

Why?

He is such a fantastic person. He called to discuss the offer with me, his thoughts of growth, and why he felt he should move on. I was so glad he felt he could be honest with me. There is a lot to be said for someone who wants to grow and not just rake in the cash. This consultant is strengthening his skillbase, smart move. I know I will be speaking with him for years to come.

So... When you are ready to move on, give your employer the benefit of the doubt and be honest about you career moves and why you are leaving.


PS. 4 day work week!!! :)

Standing out in a crowd

How do I get a recruiter to see me?!

I have a couple ideas of ways to get attention so that you are brought up for EVERY possibility within an organization. It may seem as though some of these things are a waste of time, but I promise they are not and may be the key to helping you find the position you really want and not just one you are qualified for.

#1 Tell people what you want and can do not what you think you could do if it was the last job on the planet. ( you will be more passionate and will deliver a more promising pitch of your skill base)

#2 Write a cover letter that shows your communication skills and explains many of your "hidden talents" that may not be listed on a resume. (this can also help explain any time gaps)

#3 Find out characteristics of your hiring manager or recruiter, it is always good to connect with someone on a personal level..... And maybe you can help each other in more than one way!

#4 Ask for the Linked-in connection to the Recruiter or hiring manager. This will not only help you to expand your network, but to also ping a decision maker without being pesky :) This can also help with opportunities down the road, where numbers and emails get lost the networking site will be there to connect to old contacts.

#5 Find out who you both know and have in common. Sometimes this can be conquered by sending in a reference sheet early. It will be viewed and you could possibly know the same individual... It is perfectly reasonable to ask the decision maker to contact you first before using the references :)

#6 Humor. This works for everything

#7 Ask for a visit. If you can catch a person off guard and snag a visit with them it always gives you an opportunity to sell what you can do and again connect with other people

#8 Provide updated contact information.... This seems like common sense, but that mass email letting everyone know you are moving onto a new position or have changed your phone number can make a difference.

#9 Be upfront about your current interviewing process. Recruiters always want to stay in touch, whether they get you the job or not. Be sure to let them know where you are interviewing and how far you are in the process--- maybe they know someone and can help:)

#10 Referring colleagues. This is a no-brainer. Most recruiting firms offer referral bonuses and would much rather have a candidate that is a known entity. No matter what your friend is looking for send their resume to your most trusted recruiting pals. They will be grateful.

This is all I have for the day :) New sites to take a look at:

www.atlantawomensnetwork.com

www.thethinpinkline.com

www.zoominfo.com

www.atlantaevent.com

Networking Sites

With the news that many people have been laid off from The Home Depot (THD) corporate office I have been pounding the pavement so to speak on the networking sites.

It is amazing the response I have gotten from one email on LinkedIN. My company has decided to use some time to assist the individual's impacted most from the recent THD decision. I have received so many emails from people who would like to help. It has kept me VERY busy!! This has also made me realize how important online networking truly is.

In our fast paced environment it is imperative that we are engaged with others in as many ways as possible. Our networking sites afford us the ability to stretch far and accomplish so much in a short amount of time.

Here are a few tips I have for Networking online:

#1 PLEASE take some time and email out to a few contacts how you could be of help. Or who know that could help. This can cause a waterfall effect (pay it forward) that can help so many.

#2 Make sure your contacts know you are there and not just another name on the contact sheet. Stay in touch!

#3 Start with your neighbors, friends, and close colleagues. Then watch the list grow :)

#4 Join groups. This is the fastest way to make a lot of contacts who have similar interests

#5 Remember that you use networking sites. This may sound simple, but if you never mention it in a meeting with new people, or in an email with a new client that you would like to "friend" them you may lose them in the long run.

#6 Add it to your business cards. This is an awesome idea brought up by one of my co-workers.

#7 Have at least 10 contacts from your field. This will help if you ever need help on a project, job search, or continuing education questions.

Here are a few of my favorites

www.plaxo.com

www.linkedin.com

www.facebook.com

What is to come :)

New to blogging I sit here wondering how to begin. Of course I think of bringing brilliant ideas to the people I talk to everyday in hopes of silent applause for all my great hints. However, reality hits and I realize that at the least I hope that someone takes the time to read this blog, a series of "cliff notes" to the articles I read and the experiences I have on a daily basis.

I realize this is a nessecary tool in reaching new places in my networking career and helping more people. Everyday I get asked questions on how best to present a resume, win an interview, find the right fit, and make the next best decision in a change of career path.

I hope to bring some humor to your life and share some of the ideas I have for an easier and smoother career transition or how I think I could do things better. I welcome your comments and hope that you leave them.