Category Archives: Communication Tips

Acing a Telephone Interview

In my blog postings over the last  two weeks, I’ve been sharing ideas and tips on how to best apply, interview and secure a competitive job offer.  My most recent inspiration is coming from daily phone calls from my college age daughter, Barbara, who is pursuing PR internships in New York City for this upcoming summer.

Barbara doesn’t allow any “grass to grow” under her feet.  She is beautifully organized; goal oriented and very persistent.  Thank goodness I’m an experienced career professional but even I have a hard time keeping up with her especially trying to help edit cover letters at 11:00pm!  But you can’t argue with success when she’s getting positive responses back within just days.

So here we go . . . now I’m helping her prep for a telephone interview scheduled for tomorrow morning.  My “go-to” reference on preparing for all kinds of interviews is Job Search Magic, Susan Whitcomb, 2006.  It’s simply the best resource on how to psychologically, physically and mentally prepare for a telephone or personal interview.

Here’s my favorite list taken in part from Whitcomb’s “Dozen Must-Do’s in Telephone Interviews”.  I’ll be passing them on to Barbara when she calls me late, late tonight.  These are great tips for all of us to remember.

  • Set up a very quiet place without interruptions (no dogs barking!)
  • Convey warmth, friendliness and professionalism in your opening.
  • Ensure you have a good phone connection (use a head set if possible).
  • Listen closely – try closing your eyes to really concentrate.
  • Use SMART stories to give concise answers.
  • Be aware of your voice especially if it is too soft.
  • Shorten up your responses – don’t go on & on.
  • Expect the unexpected (a role play, case example etc.).
  • Take notes but don’t let writing things down distract you.
  • Always ask for the job if you really want it!

The best part for me is being able to coach Barbara in my area of expertise to be the very best she can be.  My business tag line has always been “Powerful Partnerships for Powerful Results”!

 

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Creating a Portfolio for Job Interviews

My college age daughter, Barbara, was way ahead of me on this one.  Just last week she had sent out close to 20 cover letters requesting interviews for summer PR internships.  She had designed a one page resume that really sparkled and then wrote a personal cover letter for each place to capture the value she would bring to the organization.  She sent them out all within three days and even carefully timed them to drop in the hiring manager’s email box first thing in the morning.

Whatever she said seemed to work – she got four interview requests almost immediately as well as several other inquires for more information.  After the first flurry of responding back to each person, she is nowpreparing for the first phone interview and then will be off to New York City for several face-to-face interviews.

And here’s where she was ahead of me . . . by this afternoon she was already at the printer having several career portfolios copied and bound.  She had selected which documents were most valuable to include (writing samples; two letters of reference; resume etc.) and knew to keep it simple, clear and concise.  She had some business cards made up as well.  You could hear the confidence in her voice as she knew that these marketing tools would be the “icing on the cake”.

Why go to this much effort?  Not many people do but the really savvy job seekers know that it’s well worth the effort.  After all, interviewing for full-time employment; an internship or even a volunteer position is all about marketing yourself.  And walking into an interview prepared with a portfolio that has been customized for a particular position sends a strong message that you’re prepared, self-confident and ready to work.  And bottom line . . . your portfolio provides tangible proof that you are who you say you are – that speaks to your authenticity and credibility.

One of my more popular training courses is “Building a Powerful Career Portfolio” which takes people through the process of complying a career portfolio and then into practicing how to share a portfolio with a hiring manager for maximum impact.  Social media has embraced this message as well.  Your LinkedIn profile, personalized website and on-line presence are essentially the same thing.

But the real benefit to your career portfolio is the acknowledgement that you’ve done some wonderful things over the years (we tend to forget) and that psychological boost feels really good going into any kind of interview.  Plus, it’s great fun to show off to your older brother!

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Cover Letters: Keep Them Simple But Targeted

It can be tempting to minimize the importance of writing a well-thought-out cover letter.  After all, when you’re done writing or rewriting your resume over and over again you are just eager to get it out in circulation.

Slow down and remember that your cover letter is just as important as your resume.  Without it, your reader may never look at your resume.  But with a clear and concise cover letter your potential employer or networking contact becomes interested in learning more about you.  That’s what you want.  And hopefully, your reader is also motivated to invite you to discuss the position further or to come in for a formal interview.  Bottom line . . . your cover letter opens up doors for you to move to that next step in the hiring process.

Keep It Simple & Targeted

But you don’t have to start from scratch.  Use the hard work you put into your resume to identify what makes you unique and valuable to this specific employer for this specific position. Note that I’m saying “specific”.

Your cover letter must be very targeted.  It should clearly tie in your qualifications, skills and talents to what this potential employer is looking for – their needs at this time.  You are positioning yourself as their best solution.

Keep it simple by remembering that your cover letter just needs to do these five things:

  1. Introduce Yourself
  2. Capture the Reader’s Interest in You
  3. Highlight & Link Your Qualifications to the Needs of the Reader
  4. Identify the Clear Value You Will Bring Upon Hire
  5. Motivate the Reader to Call You!

An excellent resource is “Cover Letter Magic, 3rd Edition” by Wendy Enelow & Louise Kursmark, Career Masters Institute, 2007.  I use this book all the time because it gives a clear road map (with six steps) on how to identify your key selling points; condense them into strong summary sentences and then how to integrate them into customized cover letters.  Almost makes it easy to do!

 

 

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A Tip for Connecting During the Holidays

As we all roll into this holiday season, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed with the addition of multiple holiday events, shopping, errands and bills on top of our everyday work and family routines.  And it’s the expectations that we have of ourselves (especially women) that seem to be strongest at this time – all in the name of “tradition”.

But in the last couple of years, I’ve shifted some of these expectations of myself to something I truly enjoy – connecting with others.  I do this all through the year but it becomes a top priority to reconnect with business colleagues for the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas Day.  It doesn’t cost anything.  It’s a lot more fun than shopping and paying bills.  And it’s good business.

Set your intention to reach out to your favorite clients, customers or companies in the next couple of weeks. It can be for coffee, lunch or a simple chat on the phone.  Yes, it can be through email or social media but nothing is better than your voice. 

If you think you might be bothering someone, you may be pleasantly surprised that as it gets closer to Christmas Day there is often some down time in people’s work schedules – fewer meetings are scheduled, workloads ease off a bit and people can take time to catch their breath and talk to you. 

A Quick Phone Call is Perfect

I’ve learned a lot about staying in contact from Ray LaFleur, a biking & running friend from our old days living in San Diego.  Ray is a master at staying in contact with friends and colleagues. He calls every couple of months to just say “hi” and ask how work and the family are doing.  It’s not more than a 5 minute call but it reconnects our families regularly.

So this holiday season I’ll do as Ray does . . . I will pick up the phone each day and call three people to just say hi and wish them Happy Holidays.  I encourage you to do the same.  Keep it simple and genuine.  You’re not asking for anything.  You are just reconnecting.  People like to know that others are thinking of them.  It’s a human need – to feel recognized and valued.  I like it too – you can always give me a call as well!

 

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Be “Interested” & “Interesting”

Bruce McGregor, age 93, is true Irishman and a delight!  Bruce is one of those people that is both “interested and interesting”.  Bruce, and his twin brother Bob, have been close friends with my Dad (also 93) for years and years.  Bob is now deceased but Bruce continues to live here in Reno and to work part-time as a calendar salesman for a local company.

So what makes Bruce special?  One always feels that you have Bruce’s undivided attention – that he is genuinely interested in you.  Even as kids, my twin sister and I always enjoyed Bruce.  He always was there with a laugh, interested questions and a secret stash of trinkets in the trunk of his car to pass out. We felt special because he made us feel special.

So years later, and even though he wears hearing aids now, Bruce can definitely keep up with any conversation over a glass of wine.  For example, Bruce joined me last week at a wonderful Northern Nevada Red Cross Wine Tasting fund raiser www.nevada.red.cross.org.  As I watched him meet and greet the significantly younger crowd I was impressed with how Bruce can engage others through his genuine interest in them.  He truly is “interested” in what others have to say.

Be Interesting as Well!

But the other side is just as important.  Bruce is “interesting” as well.  He and his twin brother traveled extensively throughout the world.  There is not a country, city, town, train, cruise etc. that Bruce can’t remember and tell you which road to take; a great restaurant to eat at and the best hotel to book.  Before any trip I make sure to consult with Bruce.  And being Irish, Bruce always knows the best deals as well!

What a treat to know Bruce and what great lessons he can teach all of us.  This is what I continue to learn from Bruce . . . to always strive to not only be genuinely “interested” in others but also to be “interesting” as well.  I need to take every opportunity to go and do – to learn and to grow.  And I encourage you to do the same.  You’ll be pleasantly surprised that others will gravitate to you and you both will enjoy the richness of each other’s experiences and lives.  That’s great for your personal life and your professional career as well.

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