Interview Chatter

July 5th, 2008

How To Handle The Internal Transfer Dilemma

If you work in a large organization that posts jobs internally for employees, you may not be aware that many employers (including mine) automatically send a notification to your manager every time you apply for an internal position.

Being transparent about your job search is almost always best. If at all possible, try to sit down with your manager and explain to him/her that you’ll be exploring other options and wanted to let him/her know so that they don’t hear about it from somebody else, first. Managers know that their employees need to act in their own best interest and that includes pursuing other job opportunities. But, if they suddenly get an email stating that you’ve applied for another job they may feel insulted and caught off-guard. So, let them know if you can. Trust me, they’ll respect you for it. However, if you are in a situation where you are not comfortable letting your manager know that you are applying for jobs within the organization, you can minimize your risk.

If possible, find out who the hiring manager is and contact him/her directly. I’d recommend calling over sending an email because it’s harder to tell someone no over the phone than it is in an email. When you call, let the hiring manager know that you are interested in the vacancy and you work within the organization and wondered if you might send your resume directly to him/her rather than submitting it through Human Resources. You won’t be the first person to have asked them this. If they say yes, great! If they say no, well, at least you tried.

I was in this situation when I applied for a job in my current organization. My current boss (then the hiring manager) was happy to work with me directly because she understood that I was applying for a job which I was minimally qualified for at best. She agreed that it would be unnecessary to alarm my manager since my getting the job was such a long-shot. Now, five years later, I’m in the same situation again. I applied for a very interesting position with an affiliate orgainzation last week. The hiring manager was happy to accept my resume and we even chatted for a few minutes about the position. This too will be a long-shot as I do not have as much management experience as the listing requests. But, I was glad to have spoken to the manager directly before she saw my lack of experience because now we’ve developed more of a relationship. I’m hoping that she’ll invite me for a courtesy interview, even if she thinks I’m not qualified on paper. Remember, getting the interview is the hardest part, sometimes. Wish me luck!

Share This

By Gina -- 0 comments

July 4th, 2008

No Experience Necessary: Why He Hired Him Even Though…

Last month I wrote a post about how the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Vinny  Del Negro, was hired with despite having no coaching experience what-so-ever. 

Since then, I received a letter from the Bulls General Manager, John Paxon (he hired Vinny) which explains what Vinny did that was so impressive it made Pax hire him despite his lack of direct coaching experience. 

These letters are sent to season ticket holders throughout the year when something than needs explaining happens (like hiring a coach whose never coached before) and I’m sure Pax won’t mind me sharing part of his letter in the hopes it may help a few folks get a great job. 

“Let me share with you what sold me on Vinny.  When he and I sat down to talk, I was impressed by his knowledge, his confidence, his strategic ideas…and his gift for communication.  He also promised a desire and willingness to look at this team, its talent, and its promise with fresh eyes.  His ability to draw from his experiences as a player, scout and executive, combined with his energetic and innovative approach, convinced us he was the man to lead our young players and turn this team into the winner that we have the talent to be.  Everyone we talked to who had any previous professional relationship with Vinny, whether as a teammate, a coach, a colleague, or a friend, had nothing but superlatives to say about him.”

Here’s the take-away.  Focus on the five items below at your interview and your lack of experience won’t reduce your chance of getting the job.

1. Demonstrate your knowledge of the job.  You can do this, even without direct experience.
2. Be confident.  This is probably the most important factor in interviewing for a job that you don’t have direct experience with.
3. Be a great communicator.  Even if you know in your heart that you are the right person for the job, it won’t matter if you can’t convince the hiring manager of it. 
4. Explain how all your previous job experiences (even though they may be different from the one you are applying) prepared you to be successful in the job you are interviewing for.
5. Have great references. 

We’re still interested in hearing some stories from those of you who were able to get a great job without any direct experience.  Leave us a comment to tell us about it.

Share This

By Gina -- 0 comments

July 3rd, 2008

Social Networking

Here is a summary of our focus on Social Networking:

1. Social Networking & Your Job Search - LinkedIn

2. Social Networking & Your Job Search - Second Life

3. How Social Networking Help Me Get This Writing Gig

4. Keep Your MySpace Nose Clean

5. Video Instruction: Social Networking - Facebook

6. Social Networking: How Findable Are You?

7. Social Networking and Headhunters

8. Why Social Networking?

9. Top 50 Web 2.0 Tools for Job Seekers

10. Social Networking: Secrets of the Job Hunt

11. Social Networking Etiquette

12. How Much Time Should You Spend in Networking?

This is a new resource available to you here at Interview Chatter.You will be able to find these links under “Additional Resources” on our side panel. Please feel free to ask questions and share stories about your Social Networking experiences!

Share This

By Darlene McDaniel -- 0 comments

July 3rd, 2008

Top 5 Reasons Your Resume Ended Up In The Trash

The resume is basically your first conversation with a potential employer.  So, when you send it, just imagine that you are sitting at the interview table with the hiring manager who says ”tell me about yourself.”  And remember that other candidates get to answer this question, too, so you need to set yourself apart, even in your resume. 

Here are my top 5 reasons a resume gets passed over.

1. The formatting is bad.  This gives the hiring manager the impression that you don’t pay attention to detail. If you are not a good resume writer, try using Resume Wizard on Microsoft Word.
2. The resume reads more like a grocery list than a resume.  Be sure to add relevant content to each of your previous jobs.  Most everybody has an employment history.  So, it’s important to highlight how your previous jobs helped you prepare for the job you are applying for.
3. The resume isn’t relevant for the job you are applying for.  Be sure to tweak your resume for the particular job you are applying for.  Maintaining different versions of a resume can be frustrating, but not tailoring a resume to a specific job listing could cause it to be overlooked unnecessarily.
4. It’s too long.  It really is true that it’s best to try to keep your resume on one page.  Sometimes that’s not possible and hiring managers realize that.  But, always make sure that every single word on your resume is essential.  Start by writing everything down, then cut, cut, cut.
5. The cover letter is all wrong.  Be sure to check for errors.  If you don’t have a friend who can proof read it for you then read the letter out-loud to yourself.  This is a great way to make sure what you’ve written makes sense.   Also, it is imperative that you make sure the cover letter is for the specific job.  Be careful about using templates where you plug in the job you are applying for then say the same ole thing you said to the last potential employer.  You want the hiring manager to get the idea that you want this job, not just any job.

Share This

By Gina -- 1 comment

July 1st, 2008

Social Networking - Are You Findable?

Welcome to July! It is a new day, a new start for those of you in the midst of a job search. Last month Gina and I focused on Social Networking. I posed a challenge to many of you to do a Google Search to determine if you are findable. Almost 70 people took on the challenge and learned some very interesting things about their name. Here are a few samples:

David Hollingsworth found, “I looked up my name on Google, and there were approximately 1,290,000 hits. There are very many men with the same name as me, but they’re more successful,…”

Danielle found, “…came up with 144 hits. My LinkedIn, Classmates and current job was listed. There is also a doctor with my name… No, I’m not related to Mike Piazza of the Padres.…“

Larry West found, “I discovered that there is a person with my name in my city that is a leader in the Nazi party. Based on the zip code, the person obviously lives in another part of town, but I am afraid that someone googling for me will mistake that idiot for me.”

R. Hicks found, “Find a lot of other people whom some I would not mind having their credentials.”

Reeva found, “I found out i was dead.. sh*t!!!”

Keith found, “I found that over 5 years ago I suggested in a forum that a good name for a rock band might be “chuckle of contempt.” While I still agree with this statement, I can’t get it removed. It’s silly to have show up amid all the good things I’ve tried to accent on my overall internet image.”

The winner of the book, 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions is Tammy Curry! Congratulations!

Tammy Curry found, “Well I showed up on face book, class reunion……Hhmmm.Interesting I showed up on alot of things I don’t remember doing.”

5 Lessons from our focus on Social Networking:

1. Learn the Etiquette behind Social Networking

2. The job search process has changed, get on the bandwagon!

3. You are responsible for your online presence. Read Tammy Curry’s comment again and think about it.

4. Find at least 3 Social Networking Tools from the Top 50.

5. Headhunters/Recruiters use Social Networking - See LinkedIn

Share This

By Darlene McDaniel -- 0 comments

June 30th, 2008

TeleConference - So, You’ve Been Fired

Tomorrow I am hosting my first official Teleconference here at Interview Chatter. The teleconference is limited to 10 people. The topic, So, You’ve Been Fired. Feel free to read the post So, You’ve Been Fired. It will help you understand why I am doing the teleconference. The time of the teleconference is 7:30pm EST. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to me at darlingmcdaniel@gmail.com. I will add you to the conference call and send the contact information to you. Also, please leave a comment and share why you are attending. I look forward to meeting you by phone.

Share This

By Darlene McDaniel -- 0 comments

June 28th, 2008

Resume Artwork

Miriam Salpeter of Keppiecareers.com wrote an interesting post, Visualize Your Resume as Artwork. Visit Wordle and create your resume art. Wordle  is “a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.” Then share it as a link to interested hiring managers. My recommendation is to ensure your word choices highlight who you are, your strengths and what you will bring to their organization. I would love to hear your thoughts. Something fun for you on Saturday night!

Share This

By Darlene McDaniel -- 0 comments

June 28th, 2008

Guess Who Is On The Job Hunt?

After a long fruitful employment at my current job, I think it’s time for me to move on, so I’ve decided to enter the job search myself.  Job hunting is quite different today compared to 5 years ago. 

I’ll be testing out all the advice we’ve given you here at Interview Chatter and since we are in the last few days of the Social Networking theme, I think it’s only fitting to start my job search there.

This weekend I’ll be focusing on updating my LinkedIn profile.  I am a member of the site but I’ll confess that when I joined, I purposely did not want calls from recruiters so my profile is rather sparse and needs buffing up. 

Over the coming weeks (or months) I’ll be writing about my own job search experience here on Interview Chatter.  I plan to post updates, techniques I’m using and problems I’m encountering here every Saturday.  I hope you’ll join me.  And, if you’ve got some advice for me, feel free to leave me a comment!

Goals for the week:

• Updated LinkedIn profile
• Update and customize resume for specific job listings

Share This

By Gina -- 4 comments

June 27th, 2008

How To Find A Job In Healthcare

Did you know that most hospitals don’t advertise open positions other than posting them on their own website?  The few that I’ve worked at during my career had the same protocol for open positions. 

1. Advertise for 1-2 weeks on the internal portal where only hospital employees can find and apply for jobs.
2. After 1-2 weeks, show the listings on the hospital website that external candidates have access to so that they can apply.
3. Only after not being able to fill the position, advertise using external media like the local newspaper. 

So, if you are trying to find a job at a hospital, find the websites for the hospitals in your area and check the jobs area of the site to search for open positions.  Be prepared to apply online.  Many hospitals now require this and refuse to accept in-person or faxed/mailed resumes. 

Share This

By Gina -- 0 comments

June 26th, 2008

Networking for Fellowships and Internships

As we wind down the Social Networking theme of the month, I wanted to touch on networking for fellowships and internships.  Many of you are graduating and starting fellowships or close to graduation and taking advantage of a summer internship this time of year so it’s important to be ready for the networking opportunities that are about to be in your lap.  And if you are one of those people who are graduating and going right to work, be sure to check out all the great advice for new grads provided this week around the business channel.

Have you ever worked with somebody who seems more interested in networking than working?  We’ve already talked about the dont’s of social networking via social media like MySpace but there is also a lot of opportunity for in-person networking, especially for new grads who may be utilizing fellowships and internships as a bridge to a full-time job. Fellowships and internships are tricky because it’s a networking opportunity you don’t want to let slip away, however, there is always a primary responsibility attached to it that can’t be overlooked.

If an organization has offered you an internship or a fellowship, take it!  You’ll be there to learn, but these also give the employer a chance to take you for a test drive.  And the bigger the organization, the more networking opportunities are available to you.  It can be tempting to play up the ole I’m-a-student-so-they-shouldn’t-expect-much-from-me card and focus more of your time and energy on networking, but trust me, this is a mistake.  Remember that you’ll probably want to put this experience on your resume which means they’ll be contacting the person you were reporting to, not the people you spent time networking with.  Here’s a few of Do’s and Dont’s to remember while networking

Do

1. Make connections with leaders in areas of interest.  It is always helpful to have a lot of people hanging out there who can say “oh yeah, I know that guy. Good guy.”
2. Talk up your project while you network.  Remember that you want these people to know you in a work capacity so it’s important to show them that you are excited about your project and that you are learning a lot.  You want to leave people you network thinking “man I want somebody who talks about my project like this!”
3. Make your primary project your first priority.  Don’t be afraid to say “thanks for offering to have lunch with me. Unfortunately I’ve got a conference call scheduled at that time and it’s a call that’s going to be a deciding factor in the success or failure of my project so I really need to be available.  Are you available a half an hour later or can I buy you dinner?”  This will show the folks you are networking with that you understand the importance of project milestones and deadlines.

Don’t

1. Spend more time making your next lunch date than you do working on that important project.  If you throw your project together at the last minute just to meet the deadline, it will show in your work.
2. Neglect your primary responsibilities while networking to try to find a bigger better job.  Remember, you still want a great reference from your current manager.
3. Be an extreme name dropper.  Most people are put-off by that.

If you have a good (or bad) fellowship or internship experience, please leave us a comment to tell us about it.  We can all benefit from your experience. 

More on social networking from Interview Chatter.

Share This

By Gina -- 0 comments