Job Interviewing

The Word is Spreading about the Job Search Marketing Plan

November 19, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

The other day our marketing leader, Kathy, sent me a link. She said, “Open it and get a thrill,” Normally emails like that are discarded to the junk pile. I don’t want to see the “thrills” some emails have in store for me.

This one was different. I opened the link to discover Walmart is carrying our book, The Job Search Marketing Plan! Wow! How word spreads. I am delighted by the reaction we are getting and how the word is spreading.

Isn’t that what we want for ourselves? You work hard to develop a brand…a reputation that tells a good story. It is gratifying when word spreads. After all, a great product (or candidate) without a solid reputation goes nowhere.

Thank you for your support and kind words. Check out the Job Search Marketing Plan at Walmart in addition to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple.

Eating Right: Tips for Successful Career Related Meetings Over a Meal

November 15, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

eating-during-meetings We get a lot of questions from candidates about etiquette at career-related meetings that take place over a meal. Job interviews over meals can be very stressful.

I remember an interview for my second job, very early in my career. It was the final interview. I wanted the job very badly. We were eating lunch in the lobby restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The restaurant is now called American Craft Kitchen & Bar, right by the escalator. The tile floors and high ceilings made the room very noisy. I was focusing hard on the conversation, trying to make a great impression and answer questions at the same time. I ordered a simple meal. Things were going great when a bus boy with a huge tray of dirty glasses tripped over a tile and dropped the entire tray right next to me. Glass went everywhere. Startled, we all jumped up and I realized I had a chunk of glass sticking out of my calf! What to do?

I laughed and played it down, pulled the glass out of my leg and applied some pressure. The bleeding stopped and we sat down to finish the meal. I got the job!

I think I got the job because I appeared to remain calm during the commotion. I wasn’t calm. I just appeared to be calm and didn’t get excited.

Interviews over a meal can be very tricky and stressful under the best circumstances. Here are some tips to make your next meeting a success:

Don’t order sloppy food like spaghetti and salads where little pieces can slip off your fork or go into your mouth in a funny way. There is nothing worse than wearing spaghetti sauce on your shirt front or having a bit of piece of lettuce stuck in your teeth.
Don’t drink alcohol or limit the amount you drink if it is unavoidable. Keep control and stay aware at all times.
Order something low to medium priced. This is not the time to order lobster or an exotic fish at the high-end of the price list. A good trick is to order last so you can see what the other person orders and order something similarly priced. A best bet is to order simple foods like roast chicken or a small steak in a nice restaurant.
Establish who will pay or at least anticipate who will pay. If you invited the other person to a restaurant for a meeting, then you should offer to pay and be prepared to follow-through. For networking meetings, if you go to a self-service place like Panera then each person normally pays for their own meal. If you are on a job interview, then the company representative will pay. Tuck a credit card in your wallet just to be safe.
Be prepared for small talk. If you are not normally glib, then be prepared for small talk such as current events. Read a newspaper. Check out your contact’s LinkedIn profile to identify his or her personal interests and then do some research about those topics. Formulate some questions about the other person’s interests. If you are networking, prepare some questions in advance that will give you information you needneed about the company, a career, connections, or business initiatives going on in the world.

Every meeting is a chance to learn more and make a positive impression that can enhance your reputation and brand. Be aware that other people are watching and evaluating your every move. Be confident and sensible. Good luck!

I faked it till I made it in a stressful job interview!

November 1, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

audition The other day I had a chance to test out the theory put forward by Amy Cuddy, a Harvard University Business School professor, whose research determined that small changes in your body language can make a small difference.

Last week I wrote a blog article about Ms. Cuddy’s TED Talk, “Your body language shapes who you are.” The blog article got quite a reaction from readers. Although I believe it intuitively, I wanted to check it out.

I love to sing. It is a secret passion of mine. I realize I am never going to be an opera or rock star but I wanted to see if I could sing in a group more advanced than my church choir. This required an audition. I’ve never auditioned for anything. I was scared to death. Actually, I was PETRIFIED. My choir director helped me pick a hymn to sing and I practiced at home, but I was still scared. I was the kind of scared that had me considering backing out.

I was afraid of feedback. I was not sure I was any good compared to other people already in the group. I did not want to be rejected. Sound familiar? I figured the feelings I was having were just as important to me as the feelings a job seeker has before an important interview. In fact, I am much less scared going into a job interview because I’ve done it before and I am confident of my abilities. But this was different. This was terrifying to me. I was almost hyperventilating.

So I decided to test out Ms. Cuddy’s recommendations. Her research indicates that if you adopt a power pose for two minutes prior to an important conversation, your testosterone goes up, reflecting increased dominance, and cortisol hormone goes down, reflecting reduced stress. You will feel more confident and project a confident exterior.

I sat in the car in the parking lot prior to the audition, doing power poses. I sat up straight, looked straight ahead and put my hands on my hips in a power pose for two minutes. I also said my mantra of “calm, confident, and courageous” while I was doing it. I hope no one saw me. I must have looked ridiculous.

Despite how silly I might have looked, after a few minutes, I noticed I started breathing calmer and I felt more confident. I got out of the car and walked with my head up confidently into the rehearsal room for the audition. I looked the Director in the face and spoke softly but confidently. I was still scared. No question. But I got through the audition without a hitch.

The Director recommended warm-ups prior to singing because my voice seemed tense. If only he know how tense I was! But he didn’t know. He thought I was confident. He thought I sang well enough to join the city-wide chorus.

The power pose and the mantra made me feel stronger. I was still scared but I was able to get up and do what needed to be done with an outward appearance that was calm and confident.

What else is necessary to a job seeker? The entire job search exercise is nerve racking and stressful. Much is on the line, ranging from prestige to resources to putting food on the table. So, if you can reduce the stress level even a little and project an outward calm and confidence, why not try the power poses? It can only help.

Happy Halloween!

October 29, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

This Halloween you deserve a treat.

Finding a job is scary enough!

Enjoy!

Katherine Burik and Dan Toussant
The Interview Doctors

Fake it ’til you make it: Small tweaks to your body language

October 25, 2013 By Marta Goertzen

high-power-poses When my daughter, Marissa, was young, we developed a mantra to help her feel more confident. She would say, “I am calm, confident, and courageous.” We found that when she said that to herself, she stood up a little straighter, took a deep breathe, and found the courage to look the world straight in the face. Eventually she became a strong, confident woman, capable of taking on the world with confidence.

I never knew that this saying reflected an actual scientific finding until Karen, an Interview Doctor client, mentioned this great TED Talk I just had to see.

Amy Cuddy is a Harvard University Business School professor whose research determined that small changes in body language can make a huge difference. The TED Talk, “Your body language shapes who you are”, is awesome!

Her research focuses specifically on how body language influences job interviews. Shy, quiet people who make themselves small with crossed arms and legs, hunched over their cell phones, will not go as far as a confident person whose body language makes them appear confident and strong.

Now, we know that job searching is not for the faint of heart. It is tough work. You hear “no” far more often than you hear yes. People can be rude and inconsiderate but still you must be calm, confident, and courageous in the face of obstacles. So how in the world are you supposed to put up an appearance of confident body language?

Fake it ’til you make it. Really.

Dr. Cuddy discovered that if job seekers adopted power poses for only two minutes prior to important conversations like interviews, their testosterone goes up reflecting increased dominance and cortisol goes down, reflecting reduced stress. This is the power combination we are looking for!

You want some of this, right? It is the job seeker’s version of the mantra “calm, confident, and courageous.” You can do this yourself to see if it works.

According to Dr. Cuddy, before an important meeting, go to a private place like the bathroom or sit in your car for two minutes in a power pose. Stand with your hands on your hips and your chest out like Wonder Woman or Superman. Or, sit with your hands behind your head. Make yourself big. Hold that pose for two minutes. Your body chemistry will change. You will feel more confident. You can take on the world!!

You might have to fake it at first but, eventually, you will believe you can take on the world.