Job Search

What Career Nugget is Growing Inside You?

January 30, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

Did you know that your career transition answers could be right inside you?

Isabel called the other day. She is frustrated in her job as a dentist. Putting her hands in disgusting mouths all day makes her gag. I wonder how she made it through dental school but that is neither here or there. She wants to do anything else. Maybe something involving science, maybe something sales-ey. Anything without spit.

HELP!

I get a lot of these kinds of calls. Insert any profession. I hear this from teachers, supply chain folks, accountants, sales people, marketing folks, HR people – just about anyone can be that frustrated with a career choice or with their current job. I sympathize with the frustration. I’ve been there myself.

I remember my frustration after getting laid off for the umpteenth time earlier in my career from a job I hated. A sympathetic friend, Stuart, an industrial psychologist came to my aid. He administered a battery of career assessments that revealed that I was in the right profession after all!

He wisely said, “You are in the right church, wrong pew!”

Sort of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I had the ability to solve my own problem and find my own happiness. I knew all along that I wanted to solve people problems with humor and creativity so people and organizations would thrive. That is now my personal mission. But it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are in the stew.

Enough with the clichés already!

Sometimes it takes an outsider to make sense of this frustration. I am eternally grateful that Stuart was my guide to discovering I had chosen the right profession but the wrong place to practice it. I felt an immediate sense of relief.

We can help you find your path. After helping many clients discern their paths I realized most of us are already in the right path. Ok maybe not Isabel the dentist. She needs to get out of dentistry right now. But just about everyone else I meet actually has that nugget of truth inside them already. They already know what they need to do. They just need help bringing that nugget to the surface.

That is where we come in. I listen. I have a few stupid simple exercises to help you find that nugget that already exists.

Many times clients are like me, right profession but wrong company. Actually that happens more often than you would imagine. The change of scenery makes all the difference.

Sometimes clients need to switch to a slightly different usage of their skills, a career tweak if you will. Like a teacher who wants to work for a publishing company or an HR person who wants to specialize in talent acquisition.

Less frequently clients like Isabel need a total refit. I suspect even Isabel has a nugget of insight in her that needs to be brought to the surface.

If you are interested in exploring your own nugget of insight, let me know. I bet I can tease that nugget to the surface so you hit 2018 with a career plan that makes sense for you. Check out “10 BE’s to Grow Your Career” to some ideas on how to grow your career.

I am different from others because…

January 24, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

Do you know what makes you stand out?

My daughter Marissa accepted a new job last year with a political consulting firm. She really likes the people. She says they are her kind of crazy.

You might chuckle over the way she describes it. I know I did. But then I stepped back and realized that I used almost the same words a few years ago to describe a company I worked at for 9 years, my longest employment tenure. These people were special. They were my kind of crazy. They liked me just the way I was and valued my contribution. I was happy there.

I worked at another company before that where I knew on the first day that I made a terrible mistake. That company did not value me. I felt like a round peg in a square hole from the first day. I lasted three years but it was hard.

What makes you different? What makes you special?

Everyone has certain gifts and talents that differentiate one person from another. Maybe you don’t think about yourself that way? You should.

I love the interview question, “what five words describe you?” Most people can come up with three words off the top of their heads. But four is tough and five is really hard unless you thought about it in advance.

When I ask people that question while coaching to improve interview skills I always smile to myself at the many variations people can come up with. As many variations as there are people because everyone is different.

I am high energy, smart, problem solver, team oriented, and pretty well organized. I will not be happy in an employment situation where the culture or people do not value someone like me. If the workplace is quiet and subdued, they probably won’t appreciate my energy or my odd sense of humor. If the workplace is highly competitive with lots of silos then they will not understand my team orientation to work across borders to solve problems.

This is important stuff. If you cannot define who you are, how will you know whether that other company will be a good fit? How will you know if they are your kind of crazy?

No one wants to work in a place where you are not valued for who you are. It is just too difficult. So take a few minutes to understand what makes you different from other people.

What five words do you choose to describe yourself? Why do you choose those words? What stories demonstrate these words? Spend a few minutes on this question. This information is an important part of your Job Search Marketing Plan! It helps you answer that often asked question, “Tell me about yourself” in a job interview.

It seems like such an easy question, yet most people stumble over their answers to this almost every time.

Even worse, the Hiring Managers look to this answer to give them a big picture overview of you. It IS Important! If you cannot confidently and effectively answer this question, you will find yourself losing out on the job offers. Your answer CAN make or break your Job Interview Results.

Get clear and confident on your job search with our free training: 5 Tips to Kick off a successful job search

The Stories you Share Build Career (and Job Search) Relationships

January 9, 2018 By Marta Goertzen

We are more similar than different.

Who would have guessed?

This insight unexpectedly popped up at a workshop I led the other day. I have the privilege of conducting a three session workshop with folks who are mentoring 8^th graders in the Cleveland Public Schools. I am very impressed with this program and these wonderful volunteers. They signed up to help 8^th graders figure out the path they want to follow for the rest of their lives, beginning with the important choice of which high school to attend and which career path they want to explore.

This is a big deal. Like the mentors, I had no idea what I was signing up for.

I was asked to present three workshops on how to confidently speak in front of a group. I ended up learning so much more.

Like any public speaker or trainer, I consider the outcome I want to achieve then find exercises, activities and stories to allow the participants to make observations that result in change. But you never know what will happen!

The room was loud with laughter and conversation as these folks learned from each other, sharing life stories that will influence their relationships with the young people they mentor. Many people continued to talk long after the session ended even though these volunteers had already worked all day. The enthusiasm was contagious!

Here are some observations from the participants:

Importance of story and being personal
Learned speaking from the heart is the best method
We are all similar
Communicate with passion and relatable stories fetch the best attention
Sometimes you have to go with the flow of the audience
Even in a group of diverse people, we all have similar stories
Not everyone hears the same things the same way because we have different perspectives driven by different experiences.
Experiences are all relatable despite everyone taking their own unique path

I share this experience because I see strong similarities with folks seeking to advance their careers or find a new job. We are most successful when we are relatable. The stories you tell from the heart, with passion get attention. Realize that even diverse groups of people have similar stories and you have the power to connect with other people. It is that connection that moves you forward in your career or in your job search.

Be brave. Share your stories with passion so you can relate to other people. Relationships build careers. Use this information to your advantage!

Are you struggling with your co-workers? Grow your career through the relationships that you make at work. Get your free copy of the “10 Be’s to Career Growth” list.

Which Fish are YOU in the Work Pond?

December 5, 2017 By Marta Goertzen

Are you a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a very small pond?

This article is an excerpt from out BizTV video, which can be viewed online, simply click this link.

Which fish are you? Why are we talking about fish in November?

Jane is an up and coming financial analyst who wants to be a Chief Financial Officer someday. She has some choices to make about her next role.

She could take that job as a Financial Planning Manager in Gigantic Corporation, a multi-billion dollar corporation with dozens of divisions. She would be one of many in that role. The company is mature, growing steadily. She can see a long future career path in leadership roles in one of those divisions. But she also anticipates the bureaucracy and politics that comes from a huge company. She would be a little fish in a big pond.

Or she could take that role as a Chief Financial Officer in the small but fast growing start up. Less stable but she could be her own boss right away instead of waiting. She could have immediate impact.

Small fish in a big pond? Or big fish in a very small pond?

This could be the most important career decision Jane or anyone makes. Each choice leads to a different path.

Here are three tips to make a smart career decision:

Which people do you prefer? Do you see mentors and colleagues or potential foes? Consider whether you want to work with that team hour after hour, day after day for years in the future.
Which culture matches your workstyle and lifestyle values? People come and go but the culture will probably stay the same so you better feel like you fit from the inside out.
What is your tolerance for risk? The smaller pond is much riskier. But the rewards might be great if you can tolerate the risk.

I have a pretty high tolerance for risk compared to some people. I also like to have immediate impact without bureaucracy. I often chose to be a big fish in a smaller pond. It worked for me but it does not always work for other people.

Don’t make such an important decision based on money or perks. Fit beats money every day. Be the right fish in the right pond for your career satisfaction.

Want to advance your career but not sure what to do? Check out The Interview Doctor’s Career Advancement Tip Sheet to lay a foundation for your career growth. To get your FREE copy, click here.

Nail that Final Interview and the Job Offer

December 3, 2017 By Marta Goertzen

Several of our Interview Doctor clients have had final interviews recently.

We call them “final” because we are hoping that after this particular interview a job offer will be forthcoming and the job search can be over. It is very exciting!

It got me thinking about how this final interview is different. Remember whether consciously or unconsciously every hiring manager is trying to answer three questions: 1) Can you do the job, 2) Will you love the job, and 3) Will you fit with the team.

After several interviews, the hiring manager already knows you have the skills so you can do the job. Otherwise you would not be invited back so often. Because you interviewed well, they probably know you will love the job.

The final question that differentiates you from the other final candidate(s) is whether you will fit with the team.

Or rather, which of the final candidates will fit with the team the best. Your challenge in a final interview is to make clear what you offer and be the best version of yourself that you can be. You cannot turn yourself into someone you are not. You don’t want to be a round peg in a square hole. If you really don’t fit with the team if you are hired you will not last long. So how do you walk this fine line to get the offer you want?

Here are seven tips to find the right balance so you can succeed in a final interview:

Don’t assume, don’t be overly confident and don’t brag. You don’t have a job offer yet. This is another fine balance. You want to act like you are the right candidate for the job but if you assume, are over confident and brag then you risk turning the hiring manager off. Read your audience and give them the right balance of confidence and stories to make them fall in love with you.
Ask questions to clarify your understanding and learn more about the operation and the people you will be working with. Don’t wait until the end of the interview to ask questions. Intersperse questions with the conversation as you and the hiring manager are talking. This makes the interview into more of a conversation than an interview.
Know the two or three points you want people to remember about you. Find places to insert this information in a casual, conversational fashion.
Calm, confident and courageous. Be the best version of you. Look people in the eye, sit up straight and be confident even if you have to fake it. Don’t be overly confident though. The job is not yours yet. Be aware of what is going on around you so you can provide the information that will seal the deal.
Laugh and be real. Be friendly. Demonstrate through your behavior that you are a good person to work with, that you will be a good colleague. You want them to be able to imagine you sitting in the next cubicle.
Make a connection. Do your research in advance. Get the names of the people you will be meeting in the final interview. Research them on LinkedIn. You can send them a request to connect with a personal note saying, “I am so excited to meet you next week at our next interview.” Notice their personal interests so you can make a connection over an interest or a professional experience. This gives you something to talk about that will make a connection, make you real so they can image working with you.
Be prepared. Have extra copies of your resume. Bring business cards. Research the company and the employees on LinkedIn, their website, and Google. Know how you can solve the company’s problems then figure out places where you can insert that information into the conversation.

To be fully prepared for your Job Interview, download our ebook, “The Top 30 Most Frequently Asked Questions at a Job Interview“. It’s Free!

Are you getting the impression that a final interview, even more than other interviews, is about making a connection? Make a connection so the hiring manager can imagine you working in the office next door and you will get the job offer!