The vice president may not appreciate your homemade three cheese lasagna either, even though your research shows she’s a vegetarian.

Yet you know you need to do something to make a favorable impression – and get to the second interview or even better, receive an offer.

“What am I going to show that is going to make me memorable from everybody else they’re interviewing?” said Stephen Jennings, author of Graduate With A Job. “If you’re not memorable, you’re really going to get lost in the shuffle.”

Years ago, Jennings started teaching friends how to “go above and beyond what you find in most interview books” after such techniques worked for him again and again. Now he offers group talks and seminars to college students and graduates to share ways to land a first professional job.

Here are three suggestions from Jennings on how to standout in your next job interview:

• Interview a Customer. Hardly any job seekers will do this because it may require some effort. As you prepare for the interview, check the organization’s website and find some of their customers. Find one or two and call them up or arrange to go see them. Then ask them some questions about your would-be employer. If you’re lucky, you’ll get someone who will share quite a bit of information, which you can use strategically in the interview. They’ll be sure to ask you what you know about the company or why you want to work there. Then you share some of what you heard and learned from the customer. ”Without a doubt that will make the person memorable… head and shoulders above everyone else,” Jennings said.
• Use Great Terms and Your Limbs. Think about how you are going to contribute to the employer’s success right away. Then use the term “contribute” as you link your previous experience to the current job’s needs. Other terms that can be grabbers: enthusiastic, energy, energized, success, and whatever are the essential traits and tools valued by your future employer. Also remember: “Have a smile on your face,” said Jennings, who noted that many candidates are too stressed or nervous to show their positive energy. “Then mimic the body language of the person interviewing you. If they’re leaning forward, you go ahead, too.”
• Bring on Your Success Portfolio. This records all the examples of your success and achievement, whether they’re in volunteer or community groups or in your graduate classes. Students may use sports and clubs to document their team-building and other traits, Jennings says. They could include notes from professors or a copy of their project for an important class. Adults may have awards they won from their employer or thank yous or appreciations from clients. ”When you have this in your portfolio, you have credibility,” said Jennings. “You’re showing you can market yourself.”

And, a success portfolio also serves as your cliff notes – with bullet points to remind you of your examples and accomplishments.

If you really want to wow a potential employer, have two copies of your portfolio – and leave one behind when the interview is finished, Jennings said. That stands out amid all the one- and two-page resumes.

If you decide to create a website that serves as your success portfolio, it’s important not to put everything out there when you first apply for the job. You may want to have two or three levels available – including one that’s only visible during the interview on your laptop. Otherwise, if a hiring manager sees it all at the start: “It takes away that memorable moment,” said Jennings, as well as the opportunity to really stand out.

Your goal, of course, is to be memorable while impressing the hiring manager with your talents and ability to achieve results.

So no need to don a pink elephant costume – unless you’re interviewing to become a college mascot.

3 Tips To Standout In Your Next Job Interview is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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The chakras are believed to be energy-generating, working to help keep our body in balance and thereby promoting physical and emotional well-being.

In looking at the emotional characteristics ascribed to each chakra, it’s possible to see the personality attributes that employers claim they look for in to fill certain job roles. Is it possible that the better balanced our chakras, the greater the chance we have of landing that next job?

Consider these seven words and phrases frequently found in job postings and how they relate to each of the seven chakras.

1. Trustworthy

The first chakra is located at the base of the spine. It represents our foundation, stability, and grounding. It is our roots. Emotionally it represents trust and security, feeling safe.

Careers that utilize this strength: doctor, psychologist.

2. Works well under pressure

The second chakra is located just below the navel. It is our sexual center and is involved with the female and male sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It represents creativity — in the reproductive and artistic sense. Emotionally it represents our ability to be playful, free from anxiety and worry.

Careers that utilize this strength: investment banker, customer service worker.

3. Passionate

The third chakra is located just above the kidneys and is associated with digestion and regulation of water, electrolytes and nutrients that the body needs to maintain balance. The associated hormones are produced by the adrenal glands. The term “fire in the belly” is often used to describe the third chakra. Emotionally this “fire” is what we are passionate about, what “gets us going.” It is our ability to meet challenges and accept change.

Careers that utilize this strength: singer, actor.

4. Strong relationship builder

The fourth chakra is located in our heart center, the solar plexus. The associated hormone is the thymus gland which provides immunity from infection. The fourth chakra is all about our ability to sustain meaningful relationships, to connect with others and be compassionate.

Careers that utilize this strength: sales, social worker.

5. Communicates with integrity

The fifth chakra is located in the throat and is associated with the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is one of the master glands in the body and with the pineal and pituitary glands is responsible for the optimum functioning of the body’s cells and vital organs. In addition, the fifth chakra is all about our ability to communicate effectively. To speak truthfully and have integrity.

Careers that utilize this strength: teacher, clergy.

6. Excellent problem solver

The sixth chakra is located between the eyebrows — often called “the third eye” — our intuitive sense — the ability to see past the obvious and explore things further. The associated gland is the pineal gland which helps regulate cell and organ function.

Careers that utilize this strength: scientist, engineer, software developer.

7. Confident

The last chakra is located at the top of the head and is the accumulation of all we learn and experience as we go through life. It is being content and at peace with the person we are and the things we do. It is all about doing our very best in our professional and personal lives. The associated gland is the pituitary gland which is the “glue” that holds the human body together — the “captain of the ship.” Without the pituitary gland, physiologically, we would have no direction — only chaos.

Careers that utilize this strength: inventor, entrepreneur.

- By Barbara Safani, AOL Jobs

Find Your Chakra, Find Your Career is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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Two public relations executives, Meryl Weinsaft Cooper and Jessica Kleiman, have written a new book that combines public relations and career advice. They believe today’s job seekers must “find ways to be creative and resourceful so that you rise to the top of anybody’s list,” said Kleiman.  “They have to work a little harder to stand out.”

Called “Be Your Own Best Publicist”, the book draws on their 30 years experience: Kleiman is a top publicist at Hearst Magazines and Cooper who works for a New York PR firm, DeVries Public Relations, and once represented the Screen Actors Guild. “We took our PR expertise and are trying to help people apply them to their own careers,” said Kleiman, who also contributes to their blog.

Here are seven tips from the PR duo and their book:

• Develop your pitch. It could be your 30-second elevator pitch, or it could be a thoughtful creative way to answer the sometimes-tough question ‘Tell me about yourself,’ said Kleiman. Either way, this succinct story about you and your talents must answer the question: “What do I bring to the table?” It also should highlight why you are unique and where you really excel. If you have trouble with this, ask your mother, your best friend and a professor for suggestions.
• Keep it to three key points. Be clear about your main message. In an interview or conversation, it’s better to focus on two or three focused topics or selling points, and repeat them a couple of times so they stick. Write them down and make sure you have specific examples to back them up for the job interview.
• Become the answer person. Position yourself as a resource and someone who will give good guidance and make connections. Or become the ultimate expert in one subject – and hope that subject is important to future employers. Serving as a connector or information source increases your value – and makes it more likely you’ll be clued in on something big as it’s developing.
• Build a backup plan. Your dream job may not be within reach right now. Or your first choice for a best company may have just filled its only opening. “Have a contingency plan,” they say. Explore other companies or sectors; “you always want to be ready with another route to success.
• Answer without answering. If you’re asked a difficult question, say something like “That’s a really good question, Bob, but what I think is more important today is ….” and go back to a topic or area that you feel shines a positive light on you and your talents. Or if you’re asked what you dislike about your current job or situation, you could reply by saying you’ve learned a lot there and worked on “a number of interesting projects.”  That way you don’t insult anyone or anything in your response.
• Learn to spin your experience. Whatever job you had taught you something that will be worthwhile to future employers. If you worked as a waitress when many other college graduates were toiling at summer internships, make the best of that. You learned to thrive in a fast-paced environment, to handle difficult people, good customer service skills and to be outgoing. Said Klaiman: “It’s not so much the job you’ve had, it’s about how you take that experience and skillet and spin it as a PR person would do.”
• Show a little humility. Confidence is important, but too much and you end up sounding like someone who no one will want to work with. You don’t want to sound boastful or crass, even if you have had some great successes. Ask for help and admit you need some guidance. Allow yourself to make mistakes – and learn from them.  In an interview, this means you wait until the second interview to ask about the career path and moving up “I haven’t even finished asking you questions about your resume and you’re asking how soon you can advance here,” said Kleiman.

Her final advice, also based on convincing journalists to cover stories or people she represents, is simple: “Don’t give up. Keep going on your pitch.” You will lose out on jobs, and you will be rejected. But you can learn from that and still end up with success if you keep working on your career goals.

Are You Doing Enough Of Your Own Career PR? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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Unwieldy fear weighs down jilted careerists like an albatross. Following a layoff, a firing or even voluntary resignation, you likely will feel uncertain about your value, your future, your livelihood, your societal worth and your ability to start anew. Raw emotions skyrocket, precipitating palpations and emotional misfires, both unfamiliar and frightening.

Whatever it takes, avert yourself from the spiral of feelings and emotions that will spur self-sabotaging, career-delaying actions that stunt your career transition success.

Now, more than ever, is the time to surround yourself with spirit-lifters, encouragers and those who build you up with the confidence and positive energy imperative to your forward career motion. Now, more than ever, is the time to trust your instincts, to seek out reinforcers of your value and to believe in yourself and your unwavering value.

As an Executive and Professional Resume writer, I regularly witness the disparity between the empowered careerist, who confidently marches forward, owning his words and marketing proposition, and the disgruntled sad-sack job-loss victim who muddles along, critiquing his every action step and measuring every articulation.

The critical difference is that the confident, emboldened careerist embraces his passion, his differentiating words and his singular methods to ‘get the job done,’ and he distinguishes himself with an innovative, zealous word story, strategically yet eloquently positioning him as the prime candidate for the right corporate culture fit.

A confident careerist uniquely positions his Career Chronicle by:

… Weaving in word ribbons of career wonderment that elicit emotion and evoke palpable reader interest. He describes not just the who, what, where, when and why, but the ‘how’ and the ‘hurdles’ as well as the distinctive tinges of his influence, process or technical leadership talent. He adds nuance to the story of precisely how he spurred a change improvement, revenue influx or spike in customer satisfaction.

… Brightening the career picture with spots of color, splashes of graphics and fonts that dance and sing. The confident careerist pushes obsequious boundaries prescribed by dutiful career experts, recruiters, human resource managers and the like that quash your creativity until you are simply another plain-vanilla, buzzword-laden resume cog in the giant, rotating job-search wheel.

… Breathing personality into your resume headlines, lead-in statements, paragraphs, bullets, charts, and so forth. Be brave enough to take a few calculated risks. Fearing your resume may be ruled out because you use focused, potent language may lead you to dilute your verbs, weakening impact. The decision to strip your resume of interesting and engaging words may be just the same decision that eliminates you from the running with a like-minded individual aching to hire someone uniquely you.

Correct your career course with the right words. Settling for safe-harbor career resume messages may ensure fewer disruptions and storms, but will also assure you may never reach the enticing, adventuresome career port for which your career truly is charted.

How To Quash Your Career Fear & Regain Confidence is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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So what does it take to have a ‘winning’ attitude at work? Below are four areas to keep in mind – especially when performance review time rolls around.

Willingness to engage. A good number of our readers likely started working in middle school or high school by mowing lawns in the neighborhood to make a few extra bucks. It was a little tough, but once you got the hang of it the money made up for any good times missed with your friends and most, if not all, look back on those times as experiences that taught the willingness to do what it takes to get a job done. Not everyone has to mow lawns as a teenager to learn the lesson but the lesson is still valuable for all ages. Showing your willingness to take on assignments at work, even if they are the work no one else wants will display a winning attitude possibly to others but especially to yourself.

Good listener: You’ve heard the cliché – There’s a reason you have two ears and one mouth, it’s usually stated by a parent to a child who talks more than they listen. As we get older we lose that person who reminds that we speak too much, so listen. Make sure you’ve quietly listened to someone’s point before commenting and in a group take in all the ideas before presenting yours. Too often we speak to be heard not because we have something of value to add to the discussion. Winning at work requires others perceive you as a serious listener.

A healthy self-awareness: You are as you are perceived. Speaking of perception this can be tough. What if someone tells us they perceive us as a real ass and we are surprised because we know deep down inside we are a very caring person. Well Sherlock there is a disconnect somewhere and best we find out where it is so start with a good look in the mirror. If someone perceives you in a negative light and it’s surprising to you, take the time immediately to find out what you have done to deserve the perception and if after careful objective personal observation you find this perception to be true you had better get with the person or people to make it right. A winner has the confidence to do this because they understand that this is a learning and growth process.

Celebrate growth not just wins: Pat yourself on the back when you learn and grow not just when you win. Those who specialize in sales know that a ‘NO’ is to be celebrated because it means you are one step closer to a YES. And in a number of selling situations this is true. In life many times our setbacks and failures can be viewed the same way. Very few ‘winners’ in business won their first time out, they lost and many lost several times. With each loss they crept closer to winning. View your work life the same way. Sure failure can be a killer at work but there is a lesson to be learned so take advantage and learn from all mistakes.

I don’t know Charlie Sheen and can’t judge his ‘winning’ approach but can say that if you’re willing to work hard, listen to those around you, and pay special attention to how you are, you will have plenty of time to celebrate your growth through work and life.

Four Steps To A Better ‘Winning’ Attitude At Work is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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“Having to constantly double-check someone else’s work is a sure recipe for tension between co-workers,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit for Dummies, 2nd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). “The success of any team depends on everyone carrying his or her weight.”

Regarding office politics, Messmer noted that a certain amount of political maneuvering exists in nearly every organization, but it’s wise for employees to not get caught up in it. “Office politics can damage your credibility,” he said. “The most successful professionals build relationships with colleagues — they need this level of trust for effective collaboration.”

Also on the list of major pet peeves were “missing deadlines” at 18 percent; “being perpetually late” at 12 percent and “presenting others’ ideas as one’s own” at 5 percent. - By Lisa Johnson Mandell

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By reframing the interview assessment process, you can empower yourself, recouping your positive energy and regaining job search muscle. Though your instincts to hit the interview ball out of the park are solid, you do have options when you have reached home base and the company offers you the coveted job.

Following are some questions to ask yourself when evaluating a company’s preparedness to bring on new talent, and thus, to help you determine if THEY are a right fit.

• Did the company set up expectations for interview length, and then disrespect boundaries once you entered their corporate doors? For example, did they schedule you for a two-hour interview, so you took appropriate time off of your current job and / or arranged for a babysitter only to find yourself, six hours later, still navigating the company’s interview maze?
• Did the company provide an itinerary regarding with whom you would be interviewing? If so, great, as this equips you with information you can check out via LinkedIn and other sites to research and preliminarily get to know the interviewers.  If not, then consider how this lack of meeting preparation and etiquette may reflect on future corporate interactions.
• Are the interview questions open-ended, inspiring a conversation? Do they allow for a deeper-dive introspection into your past performance as it ties to the hiring company’s needs? Or, do the questions only inspire a yes or no response? Closed-ended interview questions may mirror a genuine disrespect for the thoughts and ideas of their employees.
• Did the company ask for references too early in the process? As well, did they request an exorbitant number of references? Up to four or five references is fairly standard, but beyond that, you may want to consider why they are diving so deeply into your reference pool.  I had one client whose interviewer requested nine references. In surveying recruiters, I found that, except for special situations, requesting nine references was over the top.
• Did the company intently pursue you with multiple, exhaustive interviews (perhaps even shuffling you out of town for headquarters-based conversations), after which they promised—and then failed—to get back with you in a certain time frame?  Did they not show courtesy via a phone call or email to keep you in the loop as to the hiring process or their decision? If this same company reconnects with you at a later date for the same, or new, job opening, consider their earlier, inconsiderate behavior as a red flag.
• Did the interviewer invite you to ask him questions, or was the conversation one-sided? Was the interview spigot shut off before you had ample time to investigate your concerns and questions about the job opportunity and the company as a whole?

Preparing for, and going on the job interview may appear to be cut and dried, but in reality, it is—or should be—the culmination of many weeks (perhaps months) of preparation. Opportunity meeting preparedness is the key to a successful outcome. With that in mind, and with the exhaustive preparation necessary to not only survive, but to thrive during an interview, the company has a responsibility to organize and facilitate a smooth interview process.  If the interviewing company shows disrespect, unpreparedness and / or causal disregard for other aspects of the interview process, and toward you, it may foreshadow future behavior concerning you as their employee.

Was Your Interview A Joke? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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Or have you found yourself in situations where your boss wrinkled his brow or looked at you incredulously as in, “Did you really just disrespect me in that way?” as a result of your inappropriate, arrogant or flippant tone? Or, perhaps your boss’s expression reflected dismay in your unrestricted flow of feelings on a particular topic or assignment.

In other words, how strong is your game face? Dictionary.com defines ‘game face’ as: the neutral or intense facial expression of a determined and serious sports player.

I would add your game face is a mask used to suit up to play the part of a value-add contributor to the team. In the ‘what’s in it for me’ (WIIFM) world of business, where the ME is the company, you must put THEIR needs first in order to get to YOUR ultimate goals.

That said, I’ll offer a few traction-able action steps that show how donning your game face on behalf of the company’s needs will also help you to get what you want in your career:

• Always, ALWAYS focus on their needs first. For example, if you are in a marketing assistant role, but you desire a promotion to marketing manager, show your leadership knack by graciously taking charge where you might normally submit to the direction of others. One way to determine where to focus your help is to pay close attention to the areas of overload your boss may be experiencing — and step up (without hesitation or attitude) to alleviate her load.
• Taking charge may include executing an actionable project step OR, it may simply mean brewing a solution to a problem and presenting to your boss a more efficient and/or effective way of getting something done.
• Be bold in calculated risk taking and be willing to put some skin in the game. Here may be the opportunity to show your ‘intense’ game face where you offer an emotional investment in personally ‘hitting the ball out of the ballpark’ on the team’s or company’s behalf. Fall down? Then pick yourself up and start over again. “Man up,” as they say. You learn and grow through your mistakes.
• If given the opportunity to head up a team or a task force committee, DO it, without hesitation. Be the first to raise your hand, even though you may not know what you will be doing and how you will get it done! With a smile on your face, lead, don’t just follow – commit yourself to something that will extract you from your comfort zone. Even though initially frightening, you will unearth latent talents and find yourself adding new ‘wins’ to your career record in no time.

By consistently applying your game face, playing by the rules and displaying sportsman-like behavior, you earn the right to push the margins and ultimately become an innovator of new rules. Embedding yourself in the playing field, you become a high-scoring team member who, while driving home winning runs for the company also may find yourself being promoted to Team Captain (and beyond!).

Four Ways To Strengthen Your Game Face At Work is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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A new OfficeTeam study suggests that while most (70 percent) professionals surveyed said it could be challenging to team up with colleagues who don’t have styles similar to their own, two-thirds (66 percent) recognized benefits to collaborating with those who approach things differently.

“At work, employees who have differing perspectives and approaches bring fresh ideas to projects,” said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. “You can improve team collaboration by taking advantage of complementary strengths and adapting your own work style to suit the situation.”

Adaptation seems to be key, especially when you’re adapting to the work style of a superior. According to the survey, 65 percent of administrative professionals said they adapt to their manager’s work style to a great extent; 58 percent indicated their supervisor only adjusts “somewhat” to their preferences, and 14 percent said their manager doesn’t adjust to their style at all. So you can see that it’s easier for you to change your own style than to expect your manager to adapt to yours.

Here are three tips for overcoming conflicting work styles and working better with your colleagues:

1. Take the high road. Your attitude, effort level and reactions are all in your control, but others’ behavior usually isn’t. If an issue arises or you disagree with someone, always be positive and professional. You don’t have to be best friends with all your co-workers — you just need to find a way to collaborate effectively with them.
2. Work with what you have. Accept the people you’re working with as they are, perceived quirks and all. If your colleagues prefer scheduled meetings and you like to simply drop by, try it their way to reduce conflict.
3. Get on the same page. Simple miscommunication — about things like the desired outcome of a project — can cause friction. Arrange a face-to-face meeting with a colleague to make sure you’re on the same page, and follow it up with an e-mail recapping what you discussed.

- By Lisa Johnson Mandell

Do You Really Work Well With Others? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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That’s according to research conducted by the Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For the study, they set up mock job interviews with hiring professionals, and then spoke with the interviewers about their impressions.

They came to the conclusion that adult professionals were least likely to want to hire those who used the word “like” excessively and incorrectly. The interviewers also perceived the applicant to be less professional, and were less likely to recommend the interviewee for hiring.

Gratuitous, as well as incorrect use of the word “like” seems to really rub many people the wrong way, and most of those who overuse it have no idea they’re doing it. Sentences such as, “So he’s like, ‘you’re the best worker I’ve ever seen,’ and that, like, made me feel I’m like, so professional,” could drive an interviewer mad. Surprisingly enough, the interviewers preferred ‘uh’ to ‘like.’

“Ya know?” is another over-used phrase that annoys many people. To become more aware of it, count the number of times it’s used in conversations on reality shows like The Bachelor, where the chats are often similar to mini interviews. Or, have your best friend count the number of times you say “Ya know?” during the course of a five minute conversation. The number of times it pops up will probably amaze you.

- By Lisa Johnson Mandell

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So, Um, Like I Really Want This Job, Ya Know? is a post from: Glassdoor Blog

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