Gwinnett Library Presents an Interview Coaching Workshop with Butch Reiser - July 13 & 16 at 6:30PM

Gwinnett Library Presents an Interview Coaching Workshop with Butch Reiser

 

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Five Parts of the Face to Face Interview

1.       Arriving at the interview- Give yourself enough time, you can wait in the parking lot. But don’t walk in until, 8-10 minutes before your schedule interview.  Greet everyone with a smile, be respectful, leave your cell phone in the car, sit up straight, and look confident!

2.       Small talk- When you meet the interviewer, look them in the eye and give a firm handshake. When they ask… “How are you…?”  You say you are FANTASTIC!  I am very excited to meet you; this is the highlight of my week!

3.       Interviewer asks questions- You will get the “Tell me about yourself question…?” Behavioral based questions… “Tell me about a time when….?” And maybe situational based questions… What would you do if…?”

4.       You ask the questions- Have 4-5 questions ready.  Ideally, ask question that shows you were listening and shows your strengths.  Ex.  It sounds like you are looking for a strong Sales Manager who can also automate your data base, is that correct? I would really like to work for you, what do you think? *Always ask for their business cards!

5.       Follow Up- After the interview, send an e-mail thank you to everyone you interviewed with that day.  You also want to send hand written thank you cards ASAP.

The Second Biggest Interview Question……

Why do you want to work here????

This is the make or break question and how you answer it is critical in you getting a job offer.  However, there is an underling theme here.  The company still wants to know what you can do for them and how you can add value.

You must be positive in your answer and you must communicate your passion for this position.

You want to break down your answer into three parts.

1.     Admire the company

2.     Learning

3.     Add Value

What do you admire about the company?  Values, Entrepreneurship, Financials, Products, People, Mission Statement, Reputation, etc.

What will you learn? Opportunities for growth, develop current skills, building something very special,

How I can add value? “Job specific needs”, Add clients, Automation, Expertise, Solve a Problem, I can bring X, etc.

Ex.  I’ve admired XYZ Company for a long time.  You have a 1^st class organization. Your company values are something I really believe in.  I’m excited about being part of a winning team that I can continue to grow and build something very special.  I believe I can add value immediately by adding clients and as I just learned, I can contribute with the automation of your sales database as well. 

 

You don’t get hired based on an interview.  However, you won’t get hired based on a poor interview!

 

What if you don’t get the job offer?

 There are many reasons you didn’t get the offer.  Not a good fit, culture, under qualified, over qualified, not related to the CEO, etc.

 However, the last thing you want to do is burn any bridges.  Its small world out there and you never know who knows who.

 If you get the no thanks e-mail and you really want to work there.   You can do two things.  One, write a letter like Barbara Corcoran did to Mark Burnett, Exec. Producer of Shark Tank explaining why she should be on the show.  Or you can respond with a thank you for the opportunity e-mail/ letter.

Dear Mr. / Mrs.……

Thank you for letting me know the outcome of your decision for the XYZ Position.  Although I am disappointed, I am grateful for the time you took out of your day to meet with me.  As I said before, I am very impressed with your organization/ company/ school.

Sincerely,

John Doe

 

 

1.       DON’T lie on your resume

Many people try to hide employment gaps by changing their true employment dates or they add false educational degrees on their resumes. Prior to the internet age, background checks were more difficult to perform and many companies did not put a good effort in a detail background check. Today with the internet and many companies who offer and specialize in background check services, most companies hiring do background checks. If you lie you risk that job offer; nobody wants a dishonest person working on their team.

2.       DO have your name, address, cell number, and email address

                                  

JAMES “BUTCH” REISER

Atlanta, GA 30519 ♦ Cell (404) 333-9616 ♦ Butch@AllProInterviews.com

 

3.       DON’T use cute/random/shared email addresses

Your email address says a lot about you and sets a stage for your first impression, don’t use non-professional email addresses. I have seen too many email addresses which gives the wrong impression i.e.; “BigMomma@====.com” “BarbiMom@===.com” “DrinkingBud@===.Com”. You get the picture, don’t use these types of email addresses. Today, there are many services that give you free email accounts and unlimited email addresses. You should have a separate email address for your job search so this email box only contains your resume and job search emails. The email address should reflect your name, and if that is taken add your zip code or area code to get unused email address i.e.; “JohnDoe@===.com” “Jdoe@===.com” “JohnDoe11717@===.com”.

4.       DON’T start your resume with an objective paragraph.

Your objective is to get a job!  Not…. “I want to work for a growing financial company as an accountant, that I can grow and ……..”  Start with a Profile Summary of your skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments.

5.       DO use keywords in your resume and cover letter

Keywords are the heart of electronic resumes and job banks. Many employers and recruiters use keywords to search resume databases. The more keywords that you have to match the company’s keyword search the better odds your resume will be viewed. A keyword search will look for words of; skills, knowledge, abilities, personal traits, work experiences and academic requirements. When writing your resume, it is a good idea to precede your key words with an action verb and end each statement with specific facts and figures. Your base resume should contain as many keywords for the position/career you’re looking for as possible. We recommend reviewing about 10 job postings for your position and make a keyword (nuggets) list from each and then you can compile a solid list of words you need to include.

6.       DO list your responsibilities, accomplishments & volunteer work

Write a few sentences for what you were responsible for at each job.  Hint, you can use your old job description or a similar one. For each job include bullet points of successes and accomplishments you achieved on your own or as part of a team.

What were you responsible for and what were the results?

§  Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z]

In other words, start each bullet point with an active verb, numerically measure what you accomplished, provide a baseline for comparison, and detail what you did to achieve your goal.

 

 

December 05-January 13: Region Human Resources Manager, Penske Truck Leasing- Responsible for over 2,000 employees and 165 locations, across seven states.  Managed two direct reports, the day to day field HR operations, and a $10k recruiting budget.

·         Delivered 80% positive employee engagement surveys implementing team meetings and shift huddles.

·         Delivered a comprehensive HR training program to educate District Staff on Management 101.

·         Achieved over $1M in savings by successfully collaborating on over 10 Collective Bargaining Agreements.

·         Achieved zero union campaigns while leading the SE Region.

 7.       DO use the present tense of verbs to describe responsibilities in your current job or internship

Use the past tense when describing responsibilities from previous jobs or internships. If you’re unemployed then all your jobs need to be written in past tense.

*Effective Sentence Openers: Achieved, Delivered, Reduced, Saved, Grew, Enhanced, Consolidated, Executed, Managed, Raised, Resolved, Created, Designed, Generated,  Improved, Expanded, Launched, Revised

8.       DON’T use months on your employment dates if you have been out of work a long time.

Keep your resume simple and only use the years that you worked. 2013 – 2014

 9.       DON’T include reasons you left any employment

You will be surprised how many people include on their resume or cover letter reasons why they left or were let go from their jobs. This topic has no place on your resume or cover letter, this only needs to be part of an interview and only when you are asked.

10.       DON’T include on your age on your resume

Height, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, gender, weight, health, race/ethnicity, and social security number. Don’t include information that could be perceived as controversial such as sexual orientation, religion, church affiliations, or political affiliations.

*Facebook- hiring managers will search you on the internet.

*LinkedIn Profile

1.       DON’T include your salary history in your resume or cover letter, unless you are asked to include it in your cover letter

Salary history should only be spoken about if the hiring company brings it up for discussion.

* He/she who mentions a number first loses.  Always ask for the salary range!

 

11.       DO proofread your resume

It can’t be emphasized enough that you need to proofread your resume several times. Spell check is a great tool but many times it autocorrects misspelled words to incorrect words. Read your resume out loud to yourself; even have someone else proofread after you. A hiring manager receiving a resume with typos, misspelled or misused words will most likely place your resume in the no file. You also need to check that your dates and timelines are consistent.

* Read your resume backwards

·         Keep an updated “Career Management Document”. Every 6 months update your responsibilities and accomplishments.

 

12.       DO have a 1 Page Resume

 Times New Roman, 10 point

Why a 1 page resume?

·          All companies look for candidates who can communicate effectively and succinctly.

 The one page resume demonstrates that you can communicate your most important accomplishment this way.

·         No hiring manager wants to wade through 2 pages of “fluff” before he gets to the part he’s looking for: what you’ve done and how well you did it.

·         Your resume is a like an “executive summary”.  The highlights of your career.  It is designed to start a conversation, not finish one. You don’t need to include everything; you’ll be discussing the details in the interview.

 13.       DO use personalized file names

When you save your resume on your PC make sure you name the file with a name that identifies you. For example save your resume in some form with your name and company that you applied to “ResumeJohnDoe.UPS.doc” or “JohnDoeResume.UPS.doc”. This is a professional method and when the recipient receives your resume and saves it in their system they can locate it quickly. You also might want to save it with your name, position title, and company especially if you have several versions of your resume “JohnDoeSalesMgr.UPS”

14.       DO change your Voice Mail Greeting

 Change your voice mail greeting. Make sure it is a greeting in your own voice, short and professional. Again this will help with building a positive impression of you.

*Don’t list your home phone number on your resume.

 

15.       DO tell stories during the interview

 An experienced interviewer will go through your resume line by line.  Be prepared to tell a story about each of your bullet points on your resume. Use “I accomplished…. Instead of we…”

STAR

Situation or Task

Action 

Result

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why a 1 Page Resume?

 

All companies look for candidates who can communicate effectively and succinctly.

The one page resume demonstrates that you can communicate your most important accomplishments in this way.

 No hiring manager wants to wade through 2 pages of “fluff” before he/she gets to the part they are looking for: what you’ve done and how well you did it.

 Your resume is a like an “executive summary”.  The highlights of your career.  It is designed to start a conversation, not finish one. You don’t need to include everything; you’ll be discussing the details in the interview.

 A simple and easy to read format is what hiring managers and recruiters want.

Salary Question…

 

Hold Out Example #1

Interviewer: "Mr. Smith, what salary are you seeking?

 

Candidate: "Well, Mr. Jones, there are two reasons why I'm here today. I would be foolish to try and deny that money is important. But financial considerations are secondary to securing the right job with the right company. I'm more interested in challenge and opportunity. So far, I am very impressed with what I see here. If you feel the same way about me, than I would be willing to consider your strongest offer if you are prepared to make me a job offer."

 

Hold Out Example #2

Employer: ―Ms. Johnson, we are impressed with your credentials and would like you to be a contributing member of our team. What kind of salary do you have in mind?

 

Candidate: ―Mr. Thompson I am truly flattered, thank you.  I am very interested in this position and know we can work well together. In fact, I know I can produce outstanding results. With that said, is there a salary range for this position?

 Final Thoughts on Salary Negotiation

 Don‘t demand; negotiate professionally and in a friendly manner

  Be optimistic, personable, and respectful

  Emphasize value and ability to produce results; note past achievements

  Have faith in the research that was performed. Good intelligence seldom fails to produce quality results

 

 ―Need‖ plays no part in the negotiation. Employers do not compensate employees because employees need to feed their families. They are compensated because they can produce results. ―Need‖ should never enter the discussion.

 

 Know if / when it‘s time to walk away. If an offer is made that is unacceptable, job candidates must know what that ―unacceptable number‖ is… and then be prepared to walk away in a professional and dignified manner.

Tell me about yourself” really means, “Tell me about your qualifications to perform this job.”

The number one question asked on most interviews is “TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF” or some form of the question.    As you know, you can never get a second opportunity to make a first impression.  This is usually the “ice breaker” question that sets the tone for the rest of the interview.

·         Sales Pitch/ Icing on the cake

So how do you structure your personal statement?  How long should the response be?  What do I want to communicate?

5 Points- Thumb education & experience, Pointer finger – expertise, Middle & Ring- transferable skills, Pinky- How you can add value or what makes you unique.

I always start with what you are or what you want to be (the position you are applying for) then education & expertise.

·      I am a Sales Manager and I have over 19 years’ experience in pharmaceutical sales.  I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia.  I received a baseball scholarship to UGA and I finished top in my class.

·    My expertise is in selling allergy medicine to physicians in the Atlanta area.

Be prepared for “Why questions…. Ex. why UGA?

 

The next step is to pick your top skills, and then look at the job description for those “nuggets” that tell you what key factors they are looking for.  Hopefully, your skill set will match theirs.  You might see key words such as: Sales, Communication, Organized, Detailed, Teamwork, Relationship Builder, Listening, etc.

·         I have the competency to listen to my customers and really hear what they are saying.  I consider this a key sales trait.  I have an ability to communicate and relate to others, to express myself clearly, and to do it consistently, especially under extreme pressure.

·      My previous VP would tell you that my strengths are my persistence and relationship building skills.  I am able to communicate with and win over the most challenging customers.  I am able to connect with them at their level and listen with empathy.  I take a very personal approach when meeting with clients and I follow up with prompt service.  I work well independently or as a member of a team.  In fact, I led a team that finished first in new sales at XYZ Company.

·      I am very detailed-oriented and have a strong work ethic. I have a talent for identifying opportunities, and setting priorities.  I can juggle a lot of balls at once without missing any details or making any mistakes.

·      How I can add value to your company is that I was the top sales person in my company two out of the past three years.  I doubled my sales goals from 1M to 2M in 2014.  I have a passion for sales and I am very familiar with your products and competition.