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Is your resume and job application accurate and truthful? It's not worth getting hired and then fired because you thought your resume needed some enhancing.
This presentation will show you what goes into a background check and what you should do to prepare yourself and your image to be its most accurate and flattering.
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An ʹelevator speechʹ has its roots in the early days of the dot com boom when web development companies needed venture capital. The term comes from a scenario of an accidental meeting with someone important in an elevator. If the conversation inside the elevator in those few seconds it took to go from one floor to another was interesting and value adding, the conversation would continue after the elevator ride, ending in an exchange of business cards and a scheduled meeting with a venture capital firm.
In other words, an elevator speech that worked was able to describe and sell an idea in 30 seconds or less. Today, an ʹelevator speech’ can be any kind of short speech that sells an idea or promotes you as an individual; it’s a commercial about you, a door opener or advertisement, if you will, that draws the listener in by getting their attention and wanting to hear more. When creating your ‘elevator speech’ keep in mind that you are introducing yourself to possibly a complete stranger so put yourself in their shoes and think about how much time they have, what they would be thinking about you and what they would want to hear. Here is a simple example: “Hi, my name is Mary Jones and I’m looking for a position as a _____________in the local area. If your company is hiring for that type of position I’d appreciate a chance to interview for it.” Short, sweet and to the point. Keep in mind the job search process is not about you; it’s about what you can do for a potential employer. In other words can you make their job easier and most importantly, can make them more money! One of the most important skills we lose when not actively working every day is the skill of office politics.
When looking for a new job, office politics is the last thing on our minds, so we tend to lose what, when working every day, becomes almost an afterthought. When working, we learn who pulls the strings in the office, who to go to and who to stay away from. When going back to work, we need to get ‘back-in-the-groove’, so to speak in the office politics game. Whether you hate it, admire it, practice it or avoid it, office politics is a fact of life in many organizations. And it's something you need to understand and master to be sure of your own success when re-entering the workforce. Office politics is about knowing who really runs things in the office – it’s not always your supervisor - and who has the final word on policy, hiring and promotions. In office politics, manipulation is the rule. This is where one or more of your co-workers use indirect means to achieve their goals at the expense of their associates and colleagues - sometimes read as ‘backstabbing’ or being ‘thrown under the bus’. To help you succeed in office politics, here are some suggestions to level the office politics playing field: Watch and Listen - Start by watching and listening to those who really run things in the office: • Who are the real power brokers? • Who has authority but doesn't use it? • Who is respected and who is not? • Who supports, mentors or helps others? • Who is ‘the brains behind the organization?’ Identify those people in the organization who use others for their own purposes or gain. Remember and apply this quote from the ancient Chinese general Sun-tzu: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Get to know these people and be courteous to them at all times. Be careful of what you say or do with them; try and figure out their motives and goals, and either support them or keep undercover and away from them. In doing so, picture yourself nearing a rattlesnake and run as fast as you can from its rattle! Manage Your Own Behavior - Through observation you'll learn what works in your organization's culture and what doesn't. Watch other people and identify successful behaviors that you can model. There are also some general standards to observe that will stop negative politics from spreading. • Beware of and don’t pass on others gossip or rumors unless you can verify the credibility of the information. • Don’t get drawn into arguments of any type, especially those dealing with politics, sex or religion. • Be positive; don’t whine and complain. • Be confident and assertive but not aggressive. • When voicing objections or criticism convey it from an organizational perspective. • Don't ever rely on confidentiality as your ‘secret’ will be passed along as soon as you are out of the room. Nothing saves a job or career better than having a record of everything you do. If you believe something may come back to haunt you, make sure you print hard copies or soft copy any email’s, memo's or documents that support your position onto your own private flash drive and keep them in a safe place away from work. In conclusion, the easiest way to avoid problems with office politics is to get along with people. If you have a concern, focus only on the issue or task, not on the person. If you have to refuse a request explain why and try to come up with an alternative solution but remain a model of professionalism and at all times. (Cue the rattle!) 
Let’s say you are in an interview and are asked a
totally off-the-wall questions that has absolutely nothing to do with the job; what would you do? If you do become stunned, disordered, confused or thrown for the preverbal ‘loop’ when asked a strange or unusual question like this, don’t lose your cool; you don’t want the interviewer to think that's how you would act or respond in the daily work routine when faced with the stress of a sudden project deadline dropped in your lap. The key here is to make sure you stand out from the pack of other applicants. Stay calm and give an answer that demonstrates your logical thinking process in solving or dealing with the unusual question. First off, never question the reason for the question. If you say, ‘That question has nothing to do with the job. Why are you asking this?’ you might as well get up and walk out as you’ve just ruined your chances for the position. This type of response shows you question authority, may be difficult to work with and may lead to the interviewer to think ‘I have someone just like that at home now, why would I want to work with someone like that here?’ Instead, consider the reason for the question. Maybe they’re trying to see if you have a sense of humor, or more likely, if you can explain concepts and possible action steps to a problem which makes the question seem ever more reasonable and not so much off-the-wall. The key is to match your skills to the job. In cases of unusual questions you want to walk the interviewer through your reasoning that includes qualities which are part of the job requirements. Don’t let any question throw you off. The worst answer you can give is a short one with no explanation or to say ‘I don’t know.’ When answering a strange or unusual interview question try following these steps:
 How to Go About Interviewing - an invaluable tool covering topics successful job seekers interviewing in today’s job market need to know. Topics Include:
Only $9.99, payable thru PayPal!  Saturday,
March 22, 2014 Interview Practice This is a session where members practice what they have learned in the series of classes related to interviewing. Members bring a copy of their updated resume and a job description for the position they would like to have and are 'interviewed" for that position. During and after this practice members are critiqued on their style, delivery and answers with the intent of learning from the mistakes made during this session, rather than making them and losing in the interview. Dealing with Office Politics View office politics as if you were handling a rattlesnake. Its warning rattle would scare you away!
Saturday, March 15, 2014 |
AuthorChuck Castagnolo is the Founder and Executive Director of Bridges to Jobs Archives
December 2014
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