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Labor Day Card 2013

August 30, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

Labor was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all things. It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth of the world was originally purchased. – Adam Smith

Every so often it is appropriate to pull out our history books and remind ourselves that Adam Smith, original spokesperson for capitalism in his ground-breaking book, The Invisible Hand, believed in the value of labor, even over monetary wealth. Our society often forgets this basic principle in our constant veneration of all things money-related.

So this Labor Day, remember that everything you see, everything you touch was put there by someone’s labor. People who get sweaty, who don’t earn a lot of money, and who don’t have much of a voice.

Thank a hard working person today. Then have a hot dog and celebrate a hard earned day off.

Katherine and Dan, the hard working Interview Doctors.

The Freelancer’s Bible by Sara Horowitz: A Different Look at Contract Work

August 27, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

If you are a job-seeker looking for a full-time position with benefits, perhaps you are feeling the competition, pretty intense at times. I recently conducted a search for an experienced middle-to-upper management position, and found a large (0-plus) number of candidates with the qualifications we agreed we needed for the hire. The distilling process of the search was driven by a few key factors which had more to do with chemistry fit in the organization and specified number of years of experience than capacity to handle the role. From what I’m seeing, landing a full-time job with benefits is very competitive.

The fastest growing employment status today is ‘contracted service.’ As much as 12% of the workforce work is in ‘temporary’ positions and that number is growing rapidly. Now it’s time to use that fact to your advantage.

Let me recommend a book to you that oddly may prepare you to win the full-time-hire-with-benefits competition, even though the book’s focus is the careful preparation of a freelancer career. It’s called “The Freelancer’s Bible” by Sara Horowitz.

First, what’s a freelancer, and who should read this book?

Freelancers include the following:

New grads starting their careers.
Full-time workers wanting to earn more for their kids’ education, or saving more for retirement, or transitioning to a new career.
Laid-off workers who are job-hunting.
Workers who leave full-time jobs for greater work-life satisfaction or more flexible hours for school or training.
Parents who want a flexible schedule to take care of kids or aging parents.
People who turn their hobbies into profitable ventures, making money doing what they love.
Seniors seeking to supplement their incomes and stay active.

Recognize yourself in this list? A lot of working people would raise their hands to at least one of these situations today.

So how do you develop and take advantage of a ‘freelancer mindset’? It’s a different approach to the job search world or the career-planning world that empowers rather than diminishes your confidence in what you bring to the table. You don’t put all your eggs in one job basket. Establish contracts with various clients, and look at your time servicing those clients as your financial investments.

Diversifying the investment of your time can show you the value you bring to the market place, because you see what businesses and clients are willing to pay for your services. And, if you are prepared to seek out clients and business relationships that respect that value, you begin a freelancer life in the ‘balanced lane.’

Horowitz provides a VERY thorough look at all the parts of a freelancer business development plan (this is a Bible, a resource as much as a read). A ‘freelancer mindset’ knows the value of a start-up business plan (part one), creating a process for getting clients, and getting work (part two). It involves marketing yourself and your brand to grow your business (part three), managing your business, your time, your office, and your taxes (part four). And, working and playing, and staying on top of your game, including safety nets like affordable health insurance and scheduling down time, and giving back to your community (part five).

If you are an experienced professional or a new college graduate, in need of supplemental income or a new job, finding a full-time-job-with-benefits gets easier when you begin to live the confident, entrepreneurial mindset of a freelancer. If you want to position yourself in this global economy, consider The Freelancer’s Bible by Sarah Horowitz.

We celebrate when clients get new jobs!

August 23, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

We just got word that two clients landed the jobs they sought and we are thrilled!! Yippee!! Halleluiah!!

Karen came to me to prepare for a series of interviews in the process to become a school principal in a large school district. She had a few previous interviews but always came in second. She thought she might talk too much.

Karen is so smart and so talented. She has a lot to say. We worked on organizing her thoughts ahead of time. We worked on a disciplined way to answer questions she was likely to get and then we practiced until the words flowed smoothly instead of falling out in a jumble.

She just sent a note that she was promoted to a leadership role in another school responsible for academic achievement – a direct stepping stone in her district to a principal’s job in a year or two. She is thrilled and we are too! Congratulations, Karen!

Martha came to The Interview Doctor totally frustrated that no one responded to her resume submitted to jobs that were perfect for her. She said her line of work was different. Networking didn’t work. Positions were only filled through formal application. We talked about ways to improve the odds within the application structure by networking.

Still skeptical, she tried it. She created a great LinkedIn profile and started collecting contacts and having a lot of coffee and telephone conversations with people she knew long ago and new contacts. Her search took a long time and was quite painful but she persevered with a smile pasted on her face and fake confidence when real confidence flagged.

Last week she called to say she landed the perfect job!! She gets to use her skills in a different industry doing stimulating work. Plus she gets to work remote (one of her requirements). Pay and benefits are good. It took a long time but she finally landed! How did she land the new gig? Networking!!!! Of course!!!

Congratulations to Martha! We couldn’t be happier!!

Now to work on those two new clients who want to change careers…?

Miss Manners – the Job Interview Version

August 9, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

Miss-Manners “Unbelievable. Can you believe that candidate? Slouched all over the chair, read papers on my desk, chewed gum, and put his feet on my desk. I couldn’t get him out of my office fast enough.”

After work, when HR people get together to talk shop, they share stories about candidates. Rude candidates. Poorly dressed candidates. Candidates who don’t have a clue.

There is a difference between candidates who are not sure what they want or who can’t express themselves well and those candidates who are just plain rude. You are confident we can’t be talking about you, right? Let’s make sure. Here are 10 tips to be sure Miss Manners would approve.

Be aware of the other person. What is going on in their day? Does the interviewer appear nervous, anxious, or overworked? Do you sense conflict in the office? If so, stay calm and try not to add to the interviewer’s stress. Keep your voice even and your eyes open to ways to return positive energy to the room.
Be prepared. Have several copies of your resume handy in case the interviewer can’t find it. You will appear helpful.
Be nice and friendly. Smile. Make good eye contact and have a good handshake. This makes a great first, second, and third impression.
Be interested in what is going on. Try to turn the interview into a conversation.
Have a good level of energy but don’t bounce all over the room. To do this you must be well centered and confident.
Keep your feet on the floor. Don’t play with your shoes, cross your legs in goofy fashion, or put your feet anywhere they don’t belong. Keeping your feet on the floor keeps you centered and helps you sit up straight.
Don’t fidget or chew gum. Stay calm and focused on the other person.
Brush your teeth before the interview to make sure your smile is beautiful and your breathe smells nice.
Be prepared to ask questions. Have your questions typed so you don’t forget or feel like you are on the spot when it is your turn to ask questions. This makes you look prepared.
Say thank you. Thank you for the glass of water. Thank you for your time. Write a thank you note later.

The trick to a good interview is to be prepared, be aware, and remain calm.

Some Job Search Marketing Plans are Not Effective

August 6, 2013 By Katherine Burik

Every job seeker has a plan.

It is just that some “plans” are vague, unformed, and unproductive. Let us call that a “non-plan”. It is a plan, yes, but mostly ineffective; a non-plan is the exact kind of plan that guarantees that your job search takes forever.

In a non-plan job search, the candidate, let’s call him Henry, checks the newspaper (maybe the real paper kind) and perhaps the ad consolidators on the Internet for jobs related to his/her job function. Henry sends out resumes in response to the ads. Then sits back and waits for the phone to ring.

Henry gets more and more frustrated as he watches his unemployment checks wither away along with his savings. His embarrassment over his predicament makes him second-guess his every move. His confidence takes a nose-dive. If he is called for an interview, Henry barely keeps his chin off his shoes apologizing for his very existence, not listening, and not knowing how to display his skills and background in a way that makes him stand out against his competition. Henry and others like him can be out of work for a long, long time.

Plans are just lists of choices and decisions that must be made. The candidate with a “non-plan” made specific choices along the way. Unfortunately, they are choices and decisions that sidetracked the search. Let’s consider these non-plan tactics:

Choosing to answer ads instead of more effective search techniques
Not really knowing what he wants or where to find it
Not effectively using his time
Not understanding what he offers employers or how to express it
Allowing his situation to impact his self-confidence

A “non-plan” is a bad plan. Do yourself a favor and make a real plan that works for you instead of against you.

Learn more about how to create a Job Search Marketing Plan in our new book, The Job Search Marketing Plan, available through Amazon on September 23, 2013.