34 Crucial Tips for Your Next Job Interview

Thank you, Katie White for sharing this intriguing infographic. I hope these tips help you along in your next job interview!

Don't Play It Safe--Grow Your Small Business, Find Your Dream Job & More!

Playing it Safe?

The time to play it safe has passed.


Go out of your comfort zone and find a whole new world of opportunities!!

Here are two people who did that and who made a big difference for me and others. 

One is David Finkel. He’s the founder of Maui Mastermind and my business partner.  He wrote a great book called Build a Business, Not a Job! and he is offering it for free to anyone who wants an e-copy. Claim your free book at www.mauimastermind.com.Tell them Patty sent you, please!      

Here’s a great recorded interview with a former client of mine,  NEW college grad Logan Frye  (listen to his audio interview on this blog): Logan's Job Hunt Story - short audio        

I was Logan’s Career Coach and now I am a coach to business owners who wish to plan their growth and their business exit strategies. Logan Frye used a combination of Social Media  (Linked In, Facebook, Monster, Indeed.com) and plenty of other online resources to find his dream job in his dream city of Manhattan, New York. He took a leap of faith and moved from Michigan where the new college grad blended his elbow grease with shoe leather and knocked on plenty of doors.  

You, too, can find your dream job by first deciding what the qualities of the job or the people you will work with are. Once you decide what's more important to you, you can begin to follow up leads and tell friends and interviewers what you prefer.   Most of the people who agree to see you for informational interviews want to help people who are eager to help themselves and who pay it forward.

Turn Your Social Media Savvy Into a Career!

Interested in social media marketing? Check out this infographic from Schools.com to see what you need to do to get your foot in the door!

Spotlight On: Jack Canfield, Author & Leader

I’d like to give a big shout out to a great  public figure: Jack Canfield, a well-known Santa Barbarian, author, and inspiration to millions.

Jack went WAY out of his comfort zones and built a business which continues to inspire millions. Jack told me and other members of YPO a few years back that he got hundreds of rejections in the beginning. That some days he felt like he was the only person who believed in himself. Thank goodness he kept going in spite of discomfort and rejection.    

KUDOS to Jack for becoming one of the best-selling authors of all time, and most of all for the beautiful messages he constantly share through his work, his books and his programs. We can all learn from the tenacity and willingness to believe in himself from Jack and others who inspire with their deeds and their words. Your community might be on line or blended as with most of us.

Now is the time to get out of your comfort zone and give back in ways greater and more effectively than ever before. YOU will be the big-time winner here.

You will grow your skills and your network.

Better Skills + Stronger Network =   Greater Net worth

  

Like Jack says repeatedly in his good books "Key to Living," "Life Lessons," or the "Chicken Soup" series:

"Don't worry about failures; worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."

"Most everything you want it out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want it just outside your comfort zone."

“There are essentially two things that will make you wise -- the books you read and the people you meet.” 

  

HELP Wanted: GENERAL MANAGER (full-time) Mosquito and Vector Management District, Santa Barbara county.

HELP Wanted:

GENERAL MANAGER (full-time)   Mosquito and Vector Management District, Santa Barbara county.  

WAGE RANGE: $75,000-$100,000, depending on experience

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until December 10th, or until filled.

Obtain application and apply at: Mosquito and Vector Management District, 2450 Lillie Ave., Summerland, CA 93067. Completed applications may be mailed to Mosquito and Vector Management District, P.O. Box 1389, Summerland, CA. 93067.

THE POSITION: The Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County is seeking applicants for the position of General Manager. Under policy direction of the Board of Trustees, the General Manager acts as executive officer of the District; he/she plans, organizes and directs operations of the District; represents the District and the Board of Trustees in its relations with the community, other public and private entities, the media, and the public; manages a wide variety of complex managerial and technical vector ecology functions and programs.

For additional information, see the District website at www.mvmdistrict.org, e-mail the General Manager at LLFausett@mvmdistrict.org, or contact the District at (805) 969-5050, ext. 222

Are You Hiring Super Stars for Your Company?

Get Outside of Your Comfort Zone and Make a Difference for Yourself and Others

BY PATTY DEDOMINIC, BUSINESS COACH

I originally posted this at the end of 2012; however, I wanted to re-post it because although we are already halfway through 2013, the message still applies. And it will ALWAYS apply!

Playing it Safe?

The time to play it safe is past....





Today I want to acknowledge three people who are going way out of their comfort zones all the time and who made a big difference for me and others. 

 One is a client, Logan Frye  (listen to his audio interview on this blog): 
Logan's Job Hunt Story - short audio        

The other two are great public figures: Jack Canfield, a well-known Santa Barbarian, author, and inspiration to millions; and career advisor Mildred Culp.     
   
Your community might be on line or blended as with most of us. Now is the time to get out of your comfort zone and give back in ways greater and more effectively than ever before. YOU will be the big time winner here.

You will grow your skills and your network.

Better Skills + Stronger Network =   Greater Net worth

Logan Frye used a combination of Social Media  (Linked In, Facebook, Monster, Indeed.com) and plenty of other on line resources to find his dream job in his dream city of Manhattan, New York.    He took a leap of faith and moved from Michigan where the new college grad blended his elbow grease with shoe leather and knocked on plenty of doors.  

You, too, can find your dream job by first deciding what the qualities of the job or the people you will work with are. Once you decide what's more important to you, you can begin to follow up leads and tell friends and interviewers what you prefer.   Most of the people who agree to see you for informational interviews want to help people who are eager to help themselves and who pay it forward.

Like Jack Canfield says repeatedly in his good books "Key to Living",  "Life Lessons", or the "Chicken Soup" series,

"Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."

"Most everything you want it out there waiting for you to ask.  Everything you want it just outside your comfort zone."

“There are essentially two things that will make you wise -- the books you read and the people you meet.” 

Which Social Media Should You Use to Grow Your Company? Get Some Ideas From Schools.com

Check out this second infographic from Schools.com that analyzes the breadth of social media today, as well as which ones are the most popular!

Learn the Secrets to Effectively and Fairly Rewarding Your Employees!

Employee Rewards: How to Fairly and Effectively Drive Engagement and Loyalty Tuesday, June 4, 2013 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time

An Interactive Webinar With Practical Compliance Strategies Organizations face numerous challenges when deciding how to best reward employees. You must balance the often-competing forces of market competitiveness, affordability, performance, and fairness. Perceived fairness, or the lack thereof, is often at the root of why employees leave organizations. The idea of fairness also determines if an employee will make an extra effort to reach organizational goals or even the objectives of her own job. For these reasons, it's vital for organizations to ensure that their reward programs are rooted in principles of fairness to motivate employees from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Don't miss our eye-opening webinar on June 4, when you'll learn: How employee demographics, organization culture, and geographic location are related to employee perceptions of reward fairness How pay strategies, programs, and policies can be used to enhance employee perceptions of reward fairness Whether pay differences enhance or erode pay fairness and employee engagement The business impacts that perceptions of pay fairness have on organizations How reward fairness should be handled in the design of reward strategies, policies, and programs Common pitfalls to avoid when the importance of reward fairness is underestimated -- or overlooked altogether And much more! In just 90 minutes, you'll learn the key role that fairness plays in your reward program -- and how to use it to your advantage. Register now for this informative event risk free. This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit. Or call 1-800-7-ASK-BLR (1-800-727-5257) and mention webinar code: S08243 Your Speakers Cheryl Mikuls is vice president in the Kansas City office of Hay Group. She serves as a senior consultant and a member of management for the Midwest Region. She also serves as client relationship manager for several clients and manages projects involving the design, development, and implementation of innovative reward programs. As the senior leader in the organization, Ms. Mikuls serves as a key business developer and mentor within the organization to ensure quality deliverables of the consulting teams and growth and development of consultants within the practice. Additionally her expertise in the area of work measurement is vital to the continued education of consultants and clients in this core practice. Amanda Wethington is a senior associate in the Chicago office of Hay Group. Her focus is on work measurement, reward programs, and sales incentives. She is also experience in broad-based compensation design and alignment, variable pay program design and providing analysis to deliver insights between organization strategy and compensation philosophy. Webinar Benefits Unlimited listeners per phone line! Invite your colleagues to join you around a speakerphone and computer to share the benefits of this information-packed webinar. Your cost per listener drops drastically with each additional listener. How Do Webinars Work? A webinar is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office, using a regular telephone and a computer with an Internet connection. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time. Plus, for one low price, you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone and a computer screen. Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions - either on the phone or via the webinar interface. You will receive access instructions via e-mail three days before the event and the morning of the event. Your conference materials will be included in these emails for you to view, print, and download prior to the event. They are also available on the webinar interface when you log in. If you are ordering online the morning of the webinar please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-727-5257 to be sure to get your access instructions and handout materials. Why You Can Sign Up with Confidence to Attend With Business & Legal Resources webinars, you're completely protected. If you are not completely satisfied after attending a BLR event, let us know, and we will refund 100% of your registration fee - no questions asked.

Click here to sign up for the webinar today!

How to Discuss Being Fired from Your Last Job and STILL Look Like a Star Candidate - by Mary Elizabeth Bradford

Check out this great blog post by "career artisan" Mary Elizabeth Bradford!

People get fired for lots of reasons. Some are legitimate, based on performance issues, and some are completely unjustified. Regardless of the reason for being let go, there are solid methods for communicating the circumstances without hurting your candidacy with potential future employers.       In fact, many of my clients who were previously "let go" went on to land better positions with a sizable increase in total compensation. One of my clients secured a whopping $60,000 in additional salary after being fired as a result of getting caught in between some ugly corporate politics.         The following are three solid steps you can take to have successful interviews after being fired.

Step #1 – Give yourself time to decompress.       This is the most important step you can take. If you have lost your job, you will most likely go through a grieving process similar to other significant life losses we all experience. If you interview prematurely, you may inadvertently "wear your grief" and/or find yourself unable to talk about your last employer with the kind of convincing detachment and discretion you will need to keep interviewers focused and excited about the value you offer them.      What if you need to begin to interviewing right away? To speed up your "grieving process" while still honoring that time cycle, take a ceremonial weekend vacation, book a round of golf, take a spa day, or a family picnic by the lake. Whatever you decide, make sure it's fun and relaxing, because this is your decompression time... just for yourself! Title your outing: "Your Ceremonial Moving On." This is a physical process that evokes very real physical and mental benefits.          I have seen this "moving on ceremony" work wonders with my clients and I promise it will work for you too. In fact, I have used it myself. When I left my last employer, my husband threw me a congratulatory dinner and I bought myself a big decadent slice of carrot cake, stuck and candle in it, and we spent the evening talking about the future. It was wonderful!          Step #2 - Identify your allies.       You want to contact any and all allies you have and had with your last company. These can include past colleagues, people that worked for you, key executives, clients and vendors - anyone that can attest to your strengths, your attributes and anything positive. If applicable, individuals who can diplomatically hint that there were problems beyond your control with your last company can be especially helpful. Remember, references can be provided by lots of other people besides your past "boss."         You will want to gather as many WRITTEN references associated with this position as possible. If you are in my job search coaching program (http://www.job-searchsystem.com), you can listen to my audio coaching call on how to get and use jaw-dropping references. This call goes step by step through how to ask for these references, whom to ask and exactly how to use them once you have them (you'll find that the payoff for you is nothing short of amazing!).          Focus on short, written quotes and if you are on LinkedIn (you should be) you can ask for endorsements and then use them. Not only does this enhance your LinkedIn profile, but re-purposes it as part of a reference page you put together for your "marketing collateral."          Step #3 – Prescript a BRIEF, but clear, statement.          Develop a brief statement about the reason you were fired and practice saying it. You can use it in your upcoming interviews. Keep it short, simple and clear. Here is an example: Click here to continue reading this article...           Inspiring your success,

For more information from Mary Elizabeth, visit her website at http://maryelizabethbradford.com

Show Off YOUR Unique Blueprint!

Some words of wisdom from Hillary, the 'Angel of Fire' at www.hillaryrubin.com -- 

I'm taking a bold step today to say...  If you are trying to use someone else's exact blueprint for  your life as a "one size fits all" concept -- PLEASE STOP!  One size fitting all or even most when it comes to pretty  much anything never really works.  It just creates more suffering and holds you back from  shining your own light.  In my new blog post, I show where this goes wrong.  Modeling Someone Else's Plan for Your Life Could Complicate Things Here's why: The main problem with blanketed advice is that  it's made to help the masses.  What works for one person may not work for you as a blueprint for your life.   Curious to know...  How do you feel about following someone else's blueprint for your life? Has it worked? Not worked?  Did you find one step that put it all together for you?  Share your thoughts + check out a simple way to draft your own blueprint.

Take Advantage of Valuable Resume Training, Coach Training, Entrepreneurial Training at the CTL Virtual Conference

WATCH THE RECORDED VIDEO PRESENTATIONS OF THE ENTIRE CTL CONFERENCE! 

http://tinyurl.com/2013CTLConf

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The CTL Virtual Conference is a remarkably valuable educational experience for 5 distinct reasons:

1.       It's all online ... the entire 3 days of the conference. You can watch the entire conference on video – the presentations, the live Q&A with each speaker, and the text chat stream during each presentation. And, because it's recorded, you can watch as many times as you want between now and June 30, 2013, when the conference will close. Attending virtual conferences is great because you attend from the comfort of your own office! No travel, no hotel ... it makes the entire conference experience much easier and much more affordable.

2.       You can register (and pay for) only the programs you want – Resume Day or Coaching Day or Entrepreneurial Day or any combination of days. Register for what interests you the most.

3.       The quality of the speakers and presentations is outstanding. Whether I'm sharing my 10-step process for new product development, Stephen Van Vreede is telling us about the intricacies of writing technology resumes, or Carol Vecchio is discussing career discovery and renewal methodologies, the entire experience is rewarding.

4.       You'll find 2 Exhibit Halls with companies waiting to do business with career professionals – coaches, counselors, resume writers, outplacement consultants, college and university career development professionals, military transition specialists, and others. Visit the Exhibit Halls and see what you find, learn, and benefit from.

5.       Most notably, we've pushed the career industry to a new level. As the Career Thought Leaders Consortium - a think tank for the now, the new, and the next in careers - we also wanted to be the leaders in virtual conferencing within our industry. We experienced a few technical "hiccups," but we blazed the trail and that is very exciting! Don't you want to be a part of that? 

Flex Your Network, It's a CONTACT SPORT! by Patty DeDominic, Coach

www.dedominic.com

NETWORKING IS A CONTACT SPORT

How are you tending YOUR Networks?

Are You making deposits into the Favor Bank?

Do you understand Reciprocity?

Hire Smart: Know How to Identify Good Employee Imposters!

Hiring Great Sales People and Learning How to Smoke Out Impostors and Those Who Will Give You Great Excuses and Mediocre Results (Except for when they make the big sale and get you to hire them….THEY got the result THEY wanted).

Find Those Who Have a Track Record of Success in a Variety of Situations.

You can frequently plot their trajectory!  

You don’t really want to end up with just a “great interviewer. Your next great hire requires you to be a savvier buyer.”   By Patty DeDominic – Coach to Leaders

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Why do some people have such trouble hiring Real Sales Producers?

Most sales candidates are great at interviewing ... but lack what it takes to handle your job with its imperfections. Some skip from sales job to job by being great interviewers, but not necessarily great performers. You don’t want to do that with your hires….You want to find those who will take your raw materials and leverage your strongest points as an employer.

Find and Hire the ones who can sustain their performance, not just “close” you!  

We want to hunt for the evidence and the track record, to find the “Blue Ribbons” in their lives and careers, the actual accomplishments. 

Let me say that again… a track record (different than simply experience, potential or representations) gives us data to find the best person for our situation. 

The right sales hire will most likely find our sales opportunity a continuation of a life of accomplishment.  This learning and growing probably started in school – having learned from life’s lessons, other people and in their previous professional experiences (jobs, business and extracurricular).  A little searching can help you find their gold, bronze and silver medals. It is not usually a deep dig to find evidence of  their experiences, setbacks, lessons learned and real numbers. Get specifics. Yes, Trust, but Verify specifics and look for answers to the potential contradictions between their perception and reality. We all have those contradictions. I’m not trying to help you hire perfection here; that does not exist, but I do want you to be able to predict performance and manage "superstar mere mortals" to catalyze sales growth for your company.     

Portrait of an Impostor

·         They’re usually good people ... and they aren’t really lying to you….. 

·         They may tell you what they know, and most people can recite common sense. They can usually answer hypothetical questions. Most people “know” the right things…. But getting to what they will actually do when faced with our job realities, our prospects, concerns, and real objections and challenges is a whole other story. Their past tells much of the story of their future. To smoke out impostors, get specific: Get numbers, not just percentages, and verify results and the roles they played.

Some sales candidates are accomplished at Getting the Job…they know they are talking to a willing buyer, and they leverage their persuasive powers to make the sale with you. Sadly, sometimes it’s the best (and the last) sale they will make this year.   

Are they lying? They don’t usually think so. They may actually believe their intelligence and work ethic alone qualify them for the job... even when they lack specific experience.

How Impostors “Sell’ Us

·         Urgency makes you feel you must find a candidate – ANY candidate! – to fill the job right now.

·         Impatience and frustration can rush you into a bad decision.

·         A candidate might seem perfect ... and you’d love that to be true. (Even a poor salesperson can sniff out a willing buyer and push them towards the easy decision).

·         You don’t want to ask tough questions and trip him or her up.

·         If you do, you’ll have to START ALL OVER AGAIN with another candidate.

Your secret weapon to smoke out impostors

·         Don’t focus too much on “inputs” like education, years of unrelated experience or past sales training (these are all features for you to note, but not true benefits).

·         Identify the OUTCOMES you want from the job and ask questions dealing with the specifics of the job to be performed. 

·         You can trust, but verify the specifics in at least two places.

·         Drill down to learn details about the candidate’s performance in past jobs, and if they truly have the skills and drive needed to succeed in your position.  Impostors will crumble and real candidates for your job will eagerly share specifics.

·         Yes, Chemistry and cultural fit are important, but it is amazing what RESULTS and Performance can do for relationships.

Start by finding the person with the past record of results and growth. History is very likely to repeat itself with a willing “student” and the right environment/employer.

Checking References is an Art and Science of Due Diligence

It is also a tool for recruiting and gathers data, which can be used in managing the winning candidate.  

Remember that all con men can give you at least two “good references” so you will need to find other evidence of the accomplishments and the facts that you have been given. 

After you get specifics from the candidate, not just hypotheticals….. Verify the data/ facts.

Verify accomplishments, dates and roles from several sources. Sniff out contradictions and use care not to overlook them just because you really love the chemistry with the candidate.

Treat every Key Representation like a fact that needs to be verified (Think loan underwriter – why do you think they need several sources and verify so much?).  Spot checking certain key facts generally will save you from verifying every item on a resume.   

Social media and Linked In really helps background checkers. Google and internet searches can help confirm if that candidate really did get great results for their company since there will be news reports of company growth, individual awards, certificates and other proof.  

I hope you find these tips useful.  I learned them the hard way hiring over 250,000 people as we grew PDQCareers and CT Engineering, the company I started in 1979 that grew to be one of California’s top employers. After selling my companies in 2006, the new firm grew and added more acquisitions and I got to watch as they added Sales and Service superstars, integrated acquisitions, and leveraged their momentum to over one billion dollars in sales.

We can help you build your company - we have deep resources to draw from!

Our firm, DeDominic & Associates, is committed to coaching leaders from large and small organizations whose business it is to execute worthy missions!  www.dedominic.com  

Are You the Do It Yourself Type? An Entrepreneur who is Self Made and Ready for the Next Challenge? How to Grow - by Business Coach Patty DeDominic

Would you like to build a Business, 
not just a Job? 

Are you an entrepreneur on a bit of a treadmill?

• Would you love to get off the treadmill?

• Are you ready to do the things to catapult your business?

• Ready to move to the multi-million  dollar level?
• Attract investors?  Increase your bank line or just add some key employees? 
• Where do the most successful business owners go for help?

Find out how you can do that here! 

"There are Keys to Profitable Business Growth, and doing MORE isn't one of them."  

                                             - Patty DeDominic

Strategic Actions will bring you a higher R.O.I. than working harder.    

"Doing smarter things, not just doing them smarter."                                         

                                    - David Finkel

You might benefit from Strategic Profit Finding Coaching, and I'd love to tell you more.  

Curious? Interested in a no obligation consult?

Try us....call Patty directly at  805-453-7490 or write to coach@dedominic.com  for a FREE, no obligation session.

Are you sitting at the edge of business growth?

If you are feeling a bit overloaded or are overwhelmed by too many opportunities, you can benefit from FOCUS.

I can help.     

or

if you are more of a do-it-yourself, home study type:

The Maui On Line Bronze level program may be the

 right solution for you in 2013. Try this one here: 

The Maui Bronze Level Program for Self Directed Leaders

                             Get access to Maui Mastermind’s limited Online Coaching Program

                             and receive immediate access to high impact training, including:

                              Phase 1 – Establishing a Base  (Quick start video training)

                                     Phase 2 – Creating An Action Plan (Workbook)

                                  Phase 3 – Access to Maui’s Video Training Library

                                                      Plus 5 amazing Bonuses!

Sign Up Here for the ONLINE 

Maui Coaching Program

                     
                          Consulting Services for Successful  Business Leaders

                                                   www.dedominic.com     

Blow Someone's Mind Today with Something Special by Patty DeDominic

Have YOU made someone really happy this week yet?

If not, you can make a difference today. 

I bet you can think of 3 people you can call right now.
Go Ahead, I can wait. Help them out. 

Or cheer them up.....  or refer business to them.

Your proactive "Pay It Forward" can blow someone's mind and it will come back to you many fold. You investing in your network can make a big difference and you, as a thoughtful executive can begin reaping  higher returns immediately with very little effort.

Just upgrade your game.... and make someone REALLY happy.

Thank YOU!    

And THANK YOU to Samsung for making my day with this awesome video.  Thank you too to the New York Life Company for sponsoring a number of my charitable activities and thank you to all the volunteers who support people around the world with your humanitarian work.  







Your referrals to me and the professional colleagues at
DeDominic & Associates, business coaches, led by Patty DeDominic with Christopher Dennis, Dr. Adele Schele and Brendon Huffman are deeply appreciated.

www.dedominic.com     

Al Walsh Has Hiring Wisdom to Share with You!

We encourage leaders to share their expertise. Over the years, Al Walsh has offered critical and valuable wisdom to his readers and we love his advice.

          

Take note, and your future hires will become even more effective faster. Enjoy....and act!

-Patty De