1. Breathe life into your interview answers: Strategically delve into your past successes and develop stories and interesting anecdotes, with details, to make your capabilities come alive and become memorable.
2. Use props! Bring something real to interviews to get people to remember you. Make it something relevant and appropriate, of course. Examples include: the actual flyer from a conference where you’ve been a presenter, a map highlighting the sales territory you drove in Europe, a photo of the professional association activity where you played a lead role, or as one client creatively did on a job interview for an aeronautical engineering position, he brought in a scaled model of a plane he and his college team built in their extra-curricular activity. The interviewer was intrigued with the model, asked to keep it, and P.S, my client got the job (and the model was finally returned!!).
3. Better utilize your resume’s ‘real estate’ by adding a compelling line from one of your recommendations. Add it directly below the objective to highlight that others have found you to be an outstanding contributor. In my informal tracking I’m finding that these recommendation inserts seem to garner more ‘play’ than those without that promotional feature.
4. Join a professional association and play a visible volunteer leadership role. It will advance you whether you are looking for a new job or to advance your current career. By playing a volunteer role, you are perceived as a ‘giver’ and others (in more advanced career roles) will be more welcoming to provide you with informational interview opportunities, connections, introductions and other opportunities.
5. Get a career or job search buddy! Yes, two heads are better than one and if you are a job seeker, a search buddy can keep you accountable and brainstorm new ideas, practice interviewing with you and more! You can always check out a career coach (hey, I hear Joan Tabb of Greatin8Coaching.com is good!!) but a peer coach can also be quite helpful and inspiring!
6. Change your ratio! If are you like most job seekers, you are spending more time in front of the computer than in front of other live human beings! Yet, current research shows that 80-90% of jobs are never listed; they are obtained through informal networking and never appear in a formal listing! So, make sure you are attending networking events (actively, not passively), following up with introductions and creating informational interview opportunities. Your ratio should be at least 60-40%.
7. Even if you are #2 or #3 for a position, nurture relationships with everyone who interviewed you! Clearly you have the qualifications! Several clients have done this and are now happily employed as candidate #1 took another position, didn’t work out or another position opened up.
8. Focus on your wins!! At the end of each day, write down three things that went well that day. Research shows that those who focus and track positive outcomes tend to create happier and more productive lives! Success breeds success. You’ve got to see yourself as the winner who gets hired, gets promoted and goes further, faster!!!
Wishing you the best of a happy and healthy holiday season and all GOOD for 2011.
On to YOUR career success,
Joan
Always available for an initial FREE consultation at 650 759-7386.