Tag: interviewing

The Easiest Elevator Pitch to Deliver

Today our guest blogger is Jeff Haden. Jeff is a columnist for CBSMoneyWatch.com and Inc.com.  He has written more than 30 non-fiction books, including four Business and Investing titles that reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller list.

Jeff learned much of what he knows about business from managing a 250-employee book manufacturing plant. Everything else he picked up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest CEOs and leaders in business.  Follow him on Twitter at @Jeff_Haden.

 

I’m terrible at delivering elevator pitches. While some people are great at making a wonderful first impression on potential clients, to me making an elevator pitch feels forced and obvious, so I usually chicken out and console myself by rationalizing that impromptu encounters with people in need of a ghostwriter aren’t likely anyway. Read More

The 5 Core Competencies of Self-Promotion

Today our guest blogger is Matt Youngquist. Matt is the President of Career Horizons, serving Northwest individuals and organizations dealing with the unique challenges of job hunting and employment transition.  Matt is a recognized expert in the field of career coaching, job hunting, and professional employment counseling.  You can follow him on Twitter @mattyoungquist.

When it comes to ensuring ongoing career success, the operative word is marketability.

Marketability, not talent alone, is what is separating the big winners from the big losers in today’s world of work.  And along these lines, I’ve been espousing an equation for years that will likely bore the dickens out of most people, but that I’m going to share anyway — since it sums up what I’ve learned after having the chance to observe thousands of people succeeding and failing on the front lines of the modern job market.  That equation is Q+S=M, which stands for: Read More

What Have You Been Up To Since Your Last Job?

A common situation many job seekers face is having an employment gap on their resume.   A gap could be due to either being out of work, or taking a job that does not require your qualifications and education and does not align with your career development.  While having a period of time during which you were not working is nothing to be ashamed of, you need to be prepared to confidently discuss it, if it comes up in an interview.

If you have had a lengthy job search, answering that you have been looking for another job is not going to impress the interviewer. Read More

Answering “Why Should We Hire You?”

On a episode of “America’s Got Talent”, a contestant was asked “Why should America vote for you?” The contestant tearfully replied something along the lines of “Because I want it so much, it would mean so much to me.” While this answer works for a TV talent show, it is NOT the response you want to give when asked in a job interview “Why should we hire you?” Hires are not made based on how much the applicant wants the job. Hires are based on the value the candidate can create for the employer. Here are some dos and don’ts for answering this very common interview question. Read More

Answering “How do You Deal with Conflict?”

Conflict is something we have to deal with on a daily basis.  How we handle it is a reflection of the type of professional we are. That’s why the question “How do you handle conflict?” gets asked in interviews.  When asked about your ability to deal with conflict, be prepared to explain your overall philosophy and give examples: Read More