career growth

Do you have Executive Presence?

July 7, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Recently the word went out on my network seeking an HR leader with “executive presence”. What does that even mean?

I know lots of HR people at all levels. As I ran through my list only a few jumped out as having “executive presence”, even among people with VP in their title. It got me thinking. What behavior distinguishes someone as having executive presence? I decided to do a little research.

Executive presence is “part charisma, part gravitas with a dash of ineffable” according to a Fortune book review of Executive Presence: The Missing Link between Merit and Success by Sylvia Ann Hewlett in “Can Executive Presence be learned”. Executive presence can be that elusive element that determines whether your career takes off or whether you experience one stalled promotion after another. Think Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Don Draper, Angelina Jolie.

According to the author, someone with executive presence commands attention. This is the person you notice first when you walk into a room. Not necessarily the most attractive or smartest person, the person with executive presence has a unique combination of attributes that is compelling.

Take this little quiz summarizing “7 Traits of executive presence, the key to winning people over” by Jun Medalla in Business insider. Be honest now. Would people describe you as:

Excellent composure
Make a great connection with people
Charismatic
Confident
Credible
Clear communicator
Concise

If you can honestly check off at all seven of these characteristics then you probably have an executive presence to be reckoned with.

But what if you don’t recognize these characteristics in yourself? Are you destined for the corner? Never fear, these characteristics can be learned! Here are some tips to cultivate executive presence from Bruna Martinuzzi:

Hone your conversation skills. You want to put people at ease by including everyone in the conversation. This makes you interesting.
Cultivate character and authenticity with “a strong inner core of values and beliefs and a strong sense of clarity about who you are and what you stand for.” This makes you compelling.
Show warmth so you are approachable and engaging to everyone you meet. Smile and really mean it. This makes you pleasant to be around.
Be present so you can focus on other people. This makes you generous.
Develop executive maturity so you handle every situation with grace. This demonstrates poise under fire.
Deliver messages with clarity, confidence and pose. This makes you a good presenter and a great communicator.
Seek feedback. Get a coach or a trusted advisor to give you feedback as you manage the perceptions others have of you. This makes you smart.

You are not born with executive presence. You cultivate it over a lifetime with feedback and attention, just as you cultivate an honest, stimulating, refreshing character.

Start today so I can recommend YOU the next time a recruiter calls for a referral!

Making the Most of Business Cards

May 22, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

What do you do with those business cards you pick up at networking meetings?

You are missing a big opportunity if you just stick them in your drawer. In this video, Katherine Burik shares how she uses business cards to build relationships in social media.

Business cards are your key to connecting with people on LinkedIn and other social media outlets. Don’t miss this opportunity to extend your network whether you are searching for a job or building your career.

Seven Reasons to go to Graduate School

February 20, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

My daughter Marissa made her selection. She is going to Washington University in St. Louis for her MBA starting this fall! I am very proud. It got me thinking, when should you go to graduate school or seek additional schooling?

Graduate school is very expensive and time consuming. It takes two years and a bucket of money. Getting out of the workforce for two years to attend full time is very risky.

Imagine the opportunity cost – what else could you be doing with that money?

Here are some thoughts:

Career change if you want to go into a field that requires an advanced degree or for which an advanced degree will enhance your experience.
When there is a gap between your education and experiences and what the employers want. But don’t make an assumption. Be sure by asking questions. Marissa is moving out of a political life into the business world. Her education and political experience support a political life not a business career. The degree and experience in grad school will help her choose a field and translate her political experience into business credentials.
If you have been out of the workforce for a while additional education can bring you up to date on current trends especially in highly technical fields.
When the credential is required to do the job you want. If you want to be a doctor then grad school is mandatory. If you want to advance in business perhaps not. If you want to be a CPA then you need education to get that credential.
If you did well in the academic life and are likely to do well in grad school then the degree, done well, can enhance. If you floundered in college and hated the academic life then seek out a program or a way to get the credential that fits with your academic style. Marissa was a great student so grad school is a good idea. But she learns best hands on so she sought out a program that emphasized experiential education where she will be a better fit.
If you have the money it is a great idea. If you rack up significant student loan debt then find another way to get the credentials. The debt might not be worth it. Marissa has been saving so she will minimize debt.
If the program itself is highly ranked then it is worth more than the same program from a low ranked school. Marissa selected the program ranked highest by several rating services including U.S. News and World Reports. She checked with employers and alumni to the jobs she can get when she graduates.

Marissa did the research and made a sound choice but there are no guarantees. Time will tell what she does with this choice!!

Final advice? Do your homework before deciding to go back to school. Make sure your decision is worth the investment!

Golden rules for life and career growth and job search!

January 20, 2015 By Marta Goertzen

Sometimes I get nostalgic. How did I get here? What have I learned? January is a perfect time to consider how to leverage the truths we can pull from life experiences.

So indulge me for a moment!

The two most important things I have learned in my career and after ten years with The Interview Doctor are that job search is not that different from having a successful career or business.

Job search is a transition from one successful (we hope) adventure to another. The same rules that apply in our daily lives and careers apply to job search. These rules also apply to companies recruiting people to join their organizations.

It is as simple as that. Since we are celebrating ten years of service to candidates and companies, let’s look at ten personal values that can serve you well in your career and in your job search:

1. Think about others, listen and pay attention. Making a meaningful life, career or job search is really about other people.
2. Believe in something that you are willing to stand for. Do not be afraid to take a stand. Wishy-washy people do not get far and do not make much of an impact or impression.
3. Have something to say. Don’t just yammer on about foolishness. Make what you say meaningful to the situation and to the person you are speaking with. And I am NOT talking about politics! We do not discuss politics or religion in public.
4. Say what you need to say in a respectful way that other people respond to. Message sent but not received does not count. You must make your message meaningful to other people so they can hear and respond.
5. Get closer to people who can help you and with whom you have something in common. Fortunately these are usually people you like too. Networking is about building relationships. Relationships take you to the next level and allow you to make a difference to others.
6. Put down your phone and stay in the moment. Texting and social media are nice but being in the moment is more important. I like to think about that eastern philosophy “Be here now”.
7. Put yourself in front of people who can help. Have something to say or offer.
8. Be nice, polite and respectful to everyone. That means the janitor and receptionist. Visiting a business? Say hello to everyone you meet while walking around. Have a big smile and look people directly in the eyes. You will be shocked how many people do NOT do that and what a difference it makes.
9. Be aware that social media is a direct reflection on you. Everyone is looking and making conclusions about you based on what you put out there. Be sure everything you put out everywhere makes a positive reflection.
10. Do a good deed every day. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have the right idea. Helping others not only feels good but returns abundance back to you often in ways you cannot predict.

Throughout 2015 we will come back to these personal values to explore each one in more detail. In the meantime, think about how you express these values in your life! Did I miss anything?

Turn 9/11 on its head!!

September 11, 2014 By Marta Goertzen

Today I attended a fascinating presentation on how to manage multi-generation workforce’s. This is a hot topic on the presentation circuit since business leaders are trying to figure out how to juggle four generations in the workforce. Each generation has its own perspective and style based on life experiences.

This is a timely subject in my house. My husband, Kermit, is solidly in the Baby Boomer generation, growing up in the sixties during the Vietnam War. He wants to understand “why”. He works hard and accepts what comes his way, albeit with a some skepticism.

managing multi-generational workforce

I am younger, not quite a Gen Xer and not completely comfortable among Baby Boomers who are mostly older than me. My kids range from Gen X to Millennial. Their life experiences are different. They all are products of divorce and working parents so they are latch key kids. They grew up with games and lots of technology. My husband, not so much. I try hard to keep up.

Millennial’s always want more. They have been praised for every action. They expect a response. The other day my daughter, Marissa, got a raise. She actively pursued it by presenting the reasons why she deserved the raise. She did everything that was asked of her. She improved in every area requested. Her quality of work is excellent. She deserved a raise but she complained to me later, “I expected more than a 5% raise.” I was speechless. The average merit increase in 2014 is around 3%.

Older folks call them spoiled and entitled. I disagree. They are the children we raised. They reflect the realities of their times and the parenting they received. Marissa works hard and expects rewards. She always got rewarded for her hard work in the past. Why should she not get rewarded now? A true millennial generation response.

I bring this up to honor my daughter, Marissa, a wonderful Millennial who will turn 26 on 9/11. She was 13 on that important day. Certainly she has been influenced by constant war and terror. In that way she is not so different from Kermit’s life experience coming to age in the Vietnam War era. Every year her birthday is a somber celebration of a terrible American tragedy.

Can you imagine? This is so much worse than having a birthday on Christmas or New Year’s. At least those holidays (for those who celebrate) are happy. But Marissa is tagged with a tragedy.

Yet she is a happy, confident young woman, a proud representative of the best of her generation.

It is time to use 9/11 to focus on the future to commemorate those lost in that terrible tragedy 13 years ago.

Let’s give the Millennial generation a break. Give them what they need. Show them how to direct their energy to lead in a positive inclusive fashion. Show them how to overcome this 9/11 burden to be productive, contributing leaders.

career growth

Recently the word went out on my network seeking an HR leader with “executive presence”. What does that even mean?

Start today so I can recommend YOU the next time a recruiter calls for a referral!

What do you do with those business cards you pick up at networking meetings?

Business cards are your key to connecting with people on LinkedIn and other social media outlets. Don’t miss this opportunity to extend your network whether you are searching for a job or building your career.

My daughter Marissa made her selection. She is going to Washington University in St. Louis for her MBA starting this fall! I am very proud. It got me thinking, when should you go to graduate school or seek additional schooling?

Final advice? Do your homework before deciding to go back to school. Make sure your decision is worth the investment!

Sometimes I get nostalgic. How did I get here? What have I learned? January is a perfect time to consider how to leverage the truths we can pull from life experiences.

Throughout 2015 we will come back to these personal values to explore each one in more detail. In the meantime, think about how you express these values in your life! Did I miss anything?

And wish Marissa a happy birthday!!