CareerFood

I know you're a big fan but...

do you really need to have Shakira, Jay-Z, Rascal Flatts, Kelly Clarkson, or any other miscellaneous singer, rapper, pop idol playing as your voice mail message when I call?

Yeah...I get it...you're passionate about the music, the hips don't lie! It's also really fun to change it up every once in a while, keep 'em guessing..."who's Eddie going to have on his answering machine this week?" "He's so crazy!"

If I can, let me offer one tiny piece of advice...If you are looking for a job and have this playing as your outgoing message on the phone you listed as your contact...well... it kinda (please don't take offense) gives the impression that you're a moron.

So you should stop...or at the very least switch to Jimmy Buffett (everyone loves a Parrothead).

Don't let the boss find out

Do you have a little extra time at work? Need a quick stress reliever? Check out the Top 10 Desktop Diversions.

Two Minutes with...Doug Franklin

The music industry has Madonna, basketball has Shaq & executive search has Doug! Just in case you're interested Franklin is the last name, but in the industry he's just known as Doug. I recently had the opportunity to spend a couple of minutes with Doug and as always it was enjoyable.

What is your background?
I spent my first 28 years in manufacturing and distribution companies progressing through sales, marketing, engineering, and eventually general management and executive level positions.  Thus, I am most comfortable completing search assignments in sales/marketing, technical, and operations positions.

How does the job market look right now?
The market has improved dramatically for job seekers since the first of 2006.  There are many new positions being opened up at most companies.  Some companies have not responded to this change and therefore have not increased salaries or compensation packages to compete in this heated market.

If you could just find…
Candidates who are willing to relocate to find the best opportunities that match their credentials.  Many of the positions I work on are in remote cities and the difficulty in filling these positions is one reason the client engages a recruiting agency.  Candidates are still reluctant to relocate for some of these opportunities.

One tip for job seekers?
Have your resume reviewed by other members of your network or family.  Make sure it is well written, includes all of your contact information, and accurately depicts your experience and objectives.

I've known Doug for a while and his network of contacts, professionalism and industry experience make him one of the best in the business.

You can learn more about Doug or contact him here Epic Strategies.

JibberJobber & Market10

I recently heard about 2 new career resources.

JibberJobber bills itself as a Career Toolset or Personal CRM for managing your career search. It allows you to manage and track your job search including contacts and interviews.

Market10 is a new take on the traditional job board. Their "revolutionary new engine" matches people and jobs based on "The 10 diminsions of a good job fit."

I plan on give them a test run over the next several weeks and I will let you know the results.

Muy Bien

The City of Orlando and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce just announced a new job website targeted toward hispanics in Central Florida. You can read the Press Release here or take a look at the site.

Charge!

I came across one of my old Moleskines, that I use to jot down quotes, tidbits of information and random thoughts. As I was reading through it I came across the following entry:

General Patton Syndrome

1. Begin the charge.
2. Identify the objectives.
3. Hope someone follows with the supplies.

Wow! The applications are endless... Your career, your job search, your organization. Take a step back...are you suffering from GPS?

Please make it stop!

Dan over at the Career Toolbox has a great article about why you're not getting positive results from your interviewing.

Quick Tip
Experienced interviewers use silence to "bait" candidates into rambling, talking negatively, etc. Don't fall into this trap. Answer the question and then shut up. If it starts to be uncomfortable, use one of Dan's questions like..."Does that answer your question?" or "Is that what you were looking for?"

Amen Brother!

Truer words have never been spoken!

If this applies to you, Stop! Immediately! Right Now! I mean it!

Oldie but Goodie

More interview tips. I was searching through some old files and found this article written by Bill Radin. If you don't know Bill, most of his stuff is geared toward training and recruiting but he does have a lot of good information for job seekers.

What Should You Ask the Interviewer?
By Bill Radin

A job interview will quickly disintegrate into an interrogation or monologue unless you ask some high quality questions of your own. Candidate questions are the lifeblood of any successful interview, because they create dialogue and help clarify your understanding of the company and the position responsibilities. In addition the questions you ask serve to indicate your grasp of fundamental issues, reveal your ability to probe beyond the superficial and challenge the employer to reveal his or her own depth of knowledge and commitment to the job. Your questions should always be slanted in such a way as to show empathy, interest, or understanding of the employer’s needs. After all, the reason you’re interviewing is because the employer’s company has a piece of work that needs to be completed, or has a problem that needs correcting.

Here are some questions that have proven to be very effective:

• What’s the most important issue facing the company (or department)
• How can I help you accomplish this objective?
• How long has it been since you first identified this need?
• How long have you been trying to correct it?
• Have you tried using your present staff to get the job done? If so, what was the result?
• Is there any particular skill or attitude you feel is critical to getting the job done?
• Is there a certain aspect of my background you’d like to exploit to help accomplish your objectives?

Questions like these will not only give you a sense of the company’s goals and priorities, they’ll indicate to the interviewer your concern for satisfying the company’s objectives.

One Year Olds

One of the many great things about having a one year old in the house is that sometimes they wake up very early in the morning. While this in itself is not a great thing, it was welcome this morning because it gave me a chance to get up early (before the sunrise) and think about the things I had to accomplish today. 5:30 AM and I throw Paul in the jog stroller and we are off on a morning walk. It's going to be a busy day of client meetings, candidate interviews and, I'm sure, putting out fires. I prioritize the day and conclude that the most important thing I have to do today is prepare several candidates for interviews.

As I sometimes do, I go off on a tangent and I start thinking what seperates a good interview from a great interview?

Are great interviewees born or can they be taught?

My honest oponion...I think some people just thrive and excel in certain situations. Sure the advent of competency based and behavioral interviewing has helped to weed out some of the B.S.'ers, but not all, which would lead me to believe that either you're born with it or you're out of luck.

Being confident that I am not one of the chosen few  born with "it", I refuse to believe that I/you can not learn the skills needed to perform not only good...but Great! Thomas Edison said..."Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." So I'm/you're not a natural at interviewing. Well guess what, never has it been so easy to learn new skills and polish up old ones. There are a ton of job seeking resources readily available at little or no cost.

Stop complaining! Stop settling for medicority in your job search!

Start developing and enhancing the skills you need to succeed!

I'll get off my soapbox now, but here are a few resources to get started.

Interview Mastery

Interview Stuff

Behavioral Interviewing

The Interview Coach