Past Issues of Interview Fitness Training, the newsletter
Brought to you by: Carole Martin, The Interview Coach
Email: carole@interviewcoach.com
Only for those who are serious about Acing the Interview
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February Issue, 2003 |
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You are receiving this message because of the interest you have shown in the past about improving your interview skills. At some point I have received a request, a question, or an inquiry about my services or mailing list from you.
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February 1, 2003 marked the first day of the Chinese New Year. For those interested in astrology, it is the year of the Goat (sheep, ram). Predictions for the ram year - this will feel like a year of abundance for you and your natural generosity will come to the fore. Make sure you always weigh your words well however, as your exuberance could lead to misunderstandings.
I wish you all a year of abundance - especially in getting jobs - and the money you deserve! Whether you are interested in astrology or not, the phrase "weigh your words well," is of special interest in the interviewing process. In my coaching practice, I work with individuals and their words. I find that some words are especially troublesome when trying to express your experiences -- these are the pronouns, "I," "We," and "You." It is important that you pay particular attention to your use of these words when relating your stories. By not using them correctly, you can misdirect the focus of the story completely. Example - "We had great success and we accomplished a lot." Who is "we"? If there was a team, talk about the team. If it was just you say "I." It is important to be specific.
The words you use say a lot about your knowledge and experience. Read postings/job descriptions on the internet and become familiar with the "jargon" of the job or industry that you are pursuing.
The good news is that some of my clients have gotten job offers since January. Just maybe that "ram" is starting to work for us.
One particular reason to celebrate is for a woman I coached who is from New York City. She is an employee at the UN and was very intent on obtaining an internal position located abroad. Believe it or not, she flew in from New York to San Francisco for a day of on-camera coaching with me. We had a great day, and some good laughs as she went through the process. There is nothing quite so humbling as seeing yourself on camera.
The long and short of it is that "She got the job!" She worked hard and improved 150% by doing some exercises and getting her stories in order.
A BIG Congratulations to G.T.
Another success comes from a client in St. Charles, Missouri.
"I interviewed with the company this morning and received an offer by 2pm today. Our two sessions together gave me a renewed sense of confidence in my ability to interview. 'Full Workout' helped me focus on the quantifiable skills I could bring to a company -- those strengths that helped me stand out from the crowd. Carole taught me how to speak about my strengths in a more focused, fluid, concise way and she taught me how to answer the tough questions intelligently and with confidence."
"After months of looking unsuccessfully for work, I used Carole's method just once and received an offer from a very good company. Thanks Carole!"
Check out my latest article on Monster.com
"Interviewer's Pet Peeves" - http://interview.monster.com/articles/petpeeves/
A great resource for finding company information is Rich's Guide found at your public library -- for free. Ask the librarian for assistance in using the internet for this listing -- you will need a library card.
Another source for free or low cost information is http://hoovers.com. There is a wealth of information about companies and executives which can assist you in directing your calls or letters.
Q. What is the toughest question asked during an interview?
A. One of the most dreaded questions is, "What is your weakness?" Everybody has weaknesses, but who wants to talk about them, especially during an interview? The best way to answer the question is to accentuate the positive. Stay away from personal characteristics, "I am shy," especially if applying for any job that interacts with people.
Think "sandwich" . . . . Positive -- slip in the Negative -- Positive.
Example:
Positive - "I am a person who plans ahead to meet deadlines."
Negative - "I get impatient when there is someone on the team that is not holding up his end of the project and it slows everything down."
Positive - "The way that I deal with this is to talk to the person and negotiate some intermittent deadlines to keep the project moving. I found that this really works well."
Send me your stories - what is the strangest interview question you've ever had? I will print them in future newsletters. mailto:carole@interviewcoach.com
The most shocking story this month -- "He asked me out on a date during the interview." Beware! In fact, run! This is as unprofessional as they come. Whether this person was part of management or not, it just might define the culture and how they view women in that company. This could be considered "quid pro quo" -- a legal term for, "you do something for me and I will do something for you."
Carole
Martin
The Interview Coach
1-877-647-5627
How much is it costing you to blow the interview?
Carole Martin - MONSTER.com's interview expert - has a workbook full of exercises and tips.
"INTERVIEW FITNESS TRAINING"
http://www.interviewcoach.com/workbook.html
Preparation + Practice = Successful Interviews = Job Offers!
Carole Martin
The Interview Coach
http://www.interviewcoach.com
1-877-647-5627
