Your Most Important Sale How to Sell Yourself in an Interview - Your Career Intel

Your Most Important Sale How to Sell Yourself in an Interview - Your Career IntelDo you think of each job interview as a sales opportunity? If not, it might be time to change your mindplatzdeckchen. When youre vying for a position against dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of applicants, you need to sell an employer on your value if you want to be one of the top picks. Keep reading and learn how to sell yourself in an interview.Be LikeableLike most people, youd probably think twice about buying a car, a piece of jewelry or even a cheap trinket from someone with a bad attitude or a cold demeanor. Theres a good perspektive an interviewer will also hesitate to endorse a candidate who gives off an unpleasant vibe.The more likeable you are, the better an interviewer will feel about going to bat for you especially if shes trying to decide between you and someone whos equally qualified. While you shouldnt try to alter your personality, take simple steps like being polite and making good e ye contact. Do you research on your interviewer and, if possible, find a common interest that might create a stronger connection and a lasting positive impression. As a recruiting professional who pays close attention to candidates verbal cues and body language, I know first hand how effective these small adjustments can be.Forget ModestyIn a sales situation, it never pays to downplay the strengths of a product, and the same is true when youre selling yourself for a job. Before you sit down in front of an interviewer, make a list of your professional accomplishments that are relevant to the position you want. Great examples include a time when you saved your company money, helped with a merger, or finished ahead of a deadline on a major project. As you practice your answers to common interview questions, aim to incorporate all your top accomplishments into your responses.Ask the Right QuestionsAsking insightful questions is a powerful interview technique because it gives you a bette r grasp of what the interviewer is really looking for in a candidate. With the right questions, you can get a more detailed or a nuanced description of job responsibilities and day-to-day tasks.Posing smart questions about the position also shows that youre not just looking for any job, but that youre serious about finding the right job. Showing a true interest in a mutually beneficial partnership is a classic sales technique that will set you apart from the crowd of candidates.Dont Forget to CloseOne of the biggest mistakes interviewees make is neglecting to end the interview with a statement or question that closes the deal. To show hiring managers that youre serious about the position, conclude with a direct question such as What are the next steps? Another great question to ask is Do you have any reservations about my background? Depending on the response you receive, you can address and hopefully erase any concerns about your application before you leave the interview.What adv ice do you have on selling yourself in an interview? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Drank Too Much At A Work Event Heres What You Should Do Next

Drank Too Much At A Work Event Heres What You Should Do Next Its closing in on 5 p.m. on a Thursday, and your coworkers announce theyre all headed to the local bar for happy hour.The idea koranvers sounds good. After long days in the office, buckling down to get projects completed and deadlines met, it can be nice to let loose and have a little fun. Social events at work (like a holiday party) can be a great way to get to know your colleagues better, and even form lasting bonds that extend outside of the office. However, there is always the danger of letting go a bit too much.The key, of course, is to avoid becoming the colleague who becomes infamous for being belligerent at the work social event. Make sure your name and professional reputation are known for more than just that. Its fair to say that youve never even considered this a possibility, as you would NEVER lose control at a work function or in front of your colleagues.But the next day, you wake with a pounding headache and foggy memories of tequila shots. Youre still half-dressed from the night before, makeup smeared. You dont remember everything, but you do know that you crossed the line (and may have even offended your co-workers during the course of the night).When youve already crossed the line, what can you do to recover and repair your professional reputation? Here are some steps to take immediately following your faux pas1.Ask a trusted work friend for their opinion.Seek out the advice of a trusted friend. Your memories are hazy, and youre already embarrassed ask for their guidance to avoid blowing the situation out of proportion. Perhaps you were a little sloppy, and even annoying but that can be forgiven and forgotten. However, if you truly behaved very badly, then you have to own it not acknowledging your mistake is not an option.2. Be proactive and approach your anfhrer first.If your behavior was truly inappropriate, youll want to explain the situation to her (whether she was present or not) so that she doesnt hear it secondhand. Sure, swallowing your pride and embarrassment is tough, but approaching your boss before she comes to you puts you in control of the conversation.Plan ahead and request a formal meeting with her, and do so as soon as possible after the incident. The last thing youd want is for your boss to use you as an example of what notto do if she finds out about your behavior from someone other than you.3. Show remorse and apologize.It seems simple enough, but you have to express your remorse and apologize thoroughly. You must be sincere and genuine, or the apology will be a moot point. Dont make any excuses for your behavior and take full responsibility for your actions.Bonus points if you can explain a corrective action plan of your own on how to avoid this happening again in the future.You could say, Bosss name, last night I drank too much and did not act as I should have at a company function. This will not happen again and I want to apologize for my behavior.4. Apologize to your colleagues, if appropriate.Be clear, concise and direct. Avoid drawing the conversation out too long, as it can only cause further embarrassment for all parties involved.For example, if you were inappropriate, out-of-control, or just plain obnoxious, you could say, Hey insert coworkers name, I want to apologize for my actions last night. I made the mistake of drinking too much and I realize that my behavior wasnt appropriate for a work function. I hope you understand that this will not happen again and that I value you as a teammate/coworker.5. Work hard to prove yourself.Needless to say, youve taken a step backwards with your actions, and now need to put the full focus on your work performance. Be sure to bring your A game, and work hard at regaining the trust of your colleagues. Consider this to be your first 90 days on the job all over again. Make sure youre making the right impression this time.6. Stay true to your word.Needless to say do not d rink at future functions for the very immediate future. And, if you do decide to drink, be sure to have that trusted work BFF alongside you to be sure youre toeing the line of what is appropriate, and what isnt. (Avoid the tequila, for sure.) One drink and done is usually a safe bet.Keep in mind that even with heartfelt apologies, your boss and co-workers might not take too kindly to your apology.Some employers have a zero-tolerance policy, and its quite possible that your job may be on the line for your offense. If they do not immediately accept, apologize again and ask what you can do to make it right. No matter their response, plan to put in the work both professionally and personally to make up for your mistake.It takes hard work and some time, but if you can sincerely apologize, redefine your reputation and show results your drunken night will likely be viewed as a long-forgotten memory.--Karen Schneider works for bareMinerals in Global Packaging + Creative Services and has wo rked in a variety of industries over the span of her career, including digital media, fashion apparel, and wine spirits. She is currently a contributor to The Muse and Career Contessa and has been featured on Business Insider and Harvard Business Review for her career advice. Shes obsessed with learning, life, and career/self-improvement.

Webinar Hiring for Growth - 5 Strategies that Work, 5 that Dont

Webinar Hiring for Growth - 5 Strategies that Work, 5 that DontHiring isnt always your teams focus, and thats understandable. Maybe you have been mora focused on engaging your current employees or navigating employee benefits this year. Moving forward, its time to bring hiring back into focus for your HR team.Your current process may have produced some stellar employees, but will it keep working as you grow?We have partnered with Lever to help you examine some hiring strategies that work, and some to avoid.Capitalize on your recruiting strengthsHaving unlimited resources at your recruiting disposal would be nice, but isnt realistic. And there are definitely organizations who have more capital to put towards their recruiting efforts. That doesnt have to mean you lose your best prospects to them. Your organization has unique abilities to utilize and recruit candidates who will fit best with your organization. If you utilize all of your strengths in recruiting, you may beat organization s with more resources for your ideal candidates. Facilitating logic-driven hiringHiring can be a gut instinct-driven process, but the most successful hires will rank well in both subjective and objective qualifications. Learn to evaluate on both qualitative and quantitative metrics to identify candidates who will succeed and fit culturally.Build a long-term HR BrandJust as your organization carries a reputation and promotes its brand, your hiring process has a reputation and brand too. Is your hiring process is particularly cumbersome, slow, and impersonal? Word of this spreads to candidates and they become less likely to apply for your open positions and more likely to drop out of your process. Learn a variety of techniques to promote your team and the awesomeness that is your organization.Cater efforts towards your ideal candidateLike marketing focuses on its buyer personas, recruiting should focus on its ideal candidates for each position. Promote and cater your job descriptions, posts, and career page using appealing visuals, language, and outlets for the candidate you want. By refining these characteristics, your posts will attract more of the right candidates.About the WebinarJoin us on Wednesday, November 29th at 12PM CST as Leela Srinivasan and Amanda Bell, CMO and Director of Recruiting at Lever, discuss specificideas to boost your hiring process withstrategiesthat scale. Youll learn more about your recruiting strengths, evaluating candidates, your HR Brand, and how to target your ideal candidates. hbspt.cta.load(3358296, e0a1bb47-ce13-4ca7-a13d-2725747bef11, )

Smoothing Out a Bumpy Work History

Smoothing Out a Bumpy Work HistorySmoothing Out a Bumpy Work HistoryTen jobs in 10 years might look like a job hopper or a committed consultant, depending on how you present your work history in a resume.It didnt make sense.Done had been searching for work in the digital media industry for nearly eight months by the time she hooked up with career coach Adriana Llames, author of Career Sudoku 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game. Done had in-depth industry knowledge, plenty of contacts and is good at networking.Then Llames saw zu sich resume. Whoa.Ten jobs in the past nine years? No wonder she wasnt succeeding. Llames called a few executive recruiters in the digital media industry and asked if they knew, or had worked with, herbei client. They all said that they wouldnt represent her because of what they called her unstable work history.Llames, like all career coaches, doesnt have the luxury of passing on such a problem child, so she rolled up her sleeves. Heres what she did to help pos ition Dones unstable work history in a positive light and how she applied some of the techniques professional resume writers often employ for bumpy histories like Dones.List Contracting Positions as One Consulting JobIn the course of reviewing Dones resume, Llames found that nearly 65 percent of her positions starting in 2001 were consulting roles. (Done is, in fact, currently consulting.) So Llames grouped the consulting gigs together and focused all of Page 1 on her clients consulting expertise and clients.Cheryl E. Palmer, a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), noted that many people use their names for the name of their consulting organization (i.e., James Smith Consulting Group). It makes the resume much crisper and cleaner to summarize consulting jobs under one position and combine the dates for all of the consulting work rather than listing them all separately.Llames followed suit and listed the other positions, even though they each lasted about 12 months, on Page 2. But, Llames told her client, she was still concerned that what she called her career ADD Attention Deficit Disorder would come across even with the revised resume.That makes networking all the more important. Llames suggested that, whenever possible, Done should try to keep her resume to herself until shes across the table from someone and theyre already in love with her and ready to go.When to Delete a GigIts OK to omit those full-time positions with extremely short tenures. Palmer said the rule of thumb for full-time positions is to omit those that last less than three months.Account for Your Time Away From WorkShel Horowitz, ethical marketing expert and author of eight books, advised one client whod been out of the workforce raising children for 10 years. As many resume experts advise in such cases, he highlighted her volunteer work as if it consisted of paying positions (without, of course, saying that they were actually paying positions, which would have been a lie). The clien t got a job as director of a local human services agency. (Click on the link that follows for our in-depth look at transitioning from full-time parenting to full-time work.)For another client, he accounted for a two-year gap by talking about the travel he did in that period.Many professionals also mask short employment gaps by using whole-year formats for dates instead of month/year, but many hiring managers report that this raises suspicions and few resume experts recommend trying to hide gaps in this manner. Stick to the month/year format and come up with something relevant to insert into the gap, whether its family illness, sabbatical, professionally relevant courses, volunteer work, working on a book, etc. - just make sure its accurate and truthful. If youre unemployed now and lack such justifications, immediately start working on being relevant in one or more of these ways. (Click on the link that follows to learn more about handhabung negatives on your resume.)

Millennials would be willing to give up shampoo, TV, and pets for their phones

Millennials would be willing to give up shampoo, TV, and pets for their phonesMillennials would be willing to give up shampoo, TV, and pets for their phonesWhat would you be willing to give up for more time on your phone? For some Millennials, the answer can be extreme. According to a new Visible survey of more than 1,000 Millennials ages 18 to 34, people are willing to give up time with their pets and time shampooing in the shower to maintain their smartphone addiction.Majority of Millennials willing to give up TV and movies for phoneOur phones have such a pull on our collective attention that we would be willing to forego shampooed hair for a little more time with them. Forty-one percent of Millennials surveyed said they would be willing to stop shampooing for a week if they could keep their phones for a week. Phone time trumps movie time. The majority of respondents - 54%- said they would give up movies and television for a month if they could keep their phones for a week.For som e of us, this phone dedication goes even further. Some people are willing to sacrifice relationships with their pets for time with their phone. Twenty-eight percent of Millennials surveyed said they would give up their pet for the week if they could keep their phone for the same period of time. Although most would notlage give up clean teeth, 17% of Millennials surveyed said they would be willing to stop brushing their teeth for a week in exchange for not having to give up their phone time.This dedication to our phones is not by accident, its by design. Smartphones are purposefully designed with addictive features like scroll-to-refresh and red alerts to keep us on them as long as possible. Learning to break your addictive relationship with your phone begins with realizing the game is rigged - and that giving up your phone may not be as easy as opting out.

Attitude is Everything

Attitude is Everything Attitude is Everything Youre evil spat the womans voice, you should be ashamed of yourself. I had been half-listening to voice mails while also answering emails, but this one got my full attention.How do you live with yourself? she went on taking advantage of all those poor job seekers out there while you lie by your swimming pool soaking up the sun. (Swimming pool?)After some more angry vitriol, the anonymous caller got to the point. She had signed up for our free resume writing course and welches angry to learn that, as well as giving away lots of free information, we had stuff for sale. And that we promoted that stuff in several of the free emails.I thought of that angry woman today when I received a very different reaction, this time by email. In the email, a young woman explained that she had taken several of our free courses and read the information posted on our blog. She then rewrote her resume following our advice. Her note continuedI applied for a job as a Community Manager at a company called (name withheld) last week and was offered the job today. I cannot believe it. I am SO HAPPY. They said they were SO impressed with my resume and cover letter. Thank you SO MUCH. I cant thank you enough. It is exactly what I wanted I have recommended your site to one of my other friends looking for work and will continue to spread the word where I can Thanks again.Two job seekers, both receiving the exact same emails, but with wildly different reactions and outlooks. Is anyone surprised that the writer of the email has been more successful than the nasty phone caller?Lifes more about attitude than anything elseThe older I get, the more I think our attitude drives much of what happens to us. If we believe the world is out to get us, we will ignore all the good free advice we receive, and focus only on the short promotional message contained in some of the emails.But if were open and receptive to learning, we can read those messages without resentment or anger, and without being certain the books are paying for an unearned luxury lifestyle (theyre not). Instead we can choose to take the free advice, use it and enjoy the results.(If youd like to sign up for the course, you can find it here but no nasty phone calls please)

Condoleezza Rice Dont let anyone else define your passion

Condoleezza Rice Dont let anyone else define your passionCondoleezza Rice Dont let anyone else define your passionIts graduation season, and we here at Ladders have decided to take a look back and showcase some past commencement addresses that stand the test of time. Below is the full transcript of Condoleezza Rices commencement address to High Point Universitys Class of 2016Education is transformative. It literally changes lives. That is why people for centuries have worked so hard to become educated. Education, more than any other force, can help to erase arbitrary divisions of race and class, arbitrary divisions of culture, and to unlock every persons God-given potential.Your passion may be hard to spot. So keep an open mind and keep searching. And when you find your passion, its yours. Not what someone else thinks it should be. Theres no earthly reason that a black girl from Birmingham, Alabama, should be a Soviet specialist. But thats what I wanted to be. Dont let anyone else de fine your passion for you because of your gender or the color of your skin.Too often cynicism can be the fellow traveler of learning. And I know why. History is full of much cruelty and suffering and darkness. And it can be hard sometimes to believe that theres a brighter future. But for all of our failings as human beings, for all of our current problems, more people today enjoy lives of opportunity than in all of human history. This progress has been the concerted effort not of cynics but of visionaries and optimists and iverstndigung im strafverfahrenists who deal with the world as it is but who never stop working for the world as it should be. Here in America, our own ideals of freedom and equality have been borne through generations by optimists. There was a day in my own lifetime when the hope of liberty and justice for all seemed impossible. But because individuals kept faith with the ideal of equality, we see a different America today where we the people is more inclusive.It scommencement seasonFollow LaddersCommencement Addresses magazine on Flipboardto watch and read all of the most inspiring speeches from this year and years past.It is your responsibility as educated people to help close the gaps of justice and opportunity- and yes, the gaps of freedom that still exist beyond our shores as well as within them.At High Point, I know the mission of tafelgeschirr is very close to the heart of this university, a recognized model for service learning. The ideal of service to others has inspired this class as well as others to devote thousands of hours of your own time to help those in need. And yes, your service will help them. But take it from me, it will help you more.When you encounter those who are less fortunate, you cannot possibly give way to grievance. Why do I not have? Or its twin brother, entitlement. Why dont they give me? Instead, you will ask, Why have I been given so much? And from that spirit, you will join the legions of optimists who are working toward a better human future.Be passionate about what you choose to do in life. Use your powers of reason. Cultivate humility. Remain optimistic and always try to serve others as well as the goals of freedom and peace and justice.