Enhancing your career can depend on how ready you are to take advantage of opportunity when it presents itself. That means that you need to be ready to introduce yourself quickly to people you might run into casually in the office or in other business settings. Mike Myatt, in the article “How’s your elevator pitch?” says that he has several versions of his own introduction prepared depending on audience, environment, and need.

Myatt says that a good introduction imbues you with credibility and confidence and allows you to tell other what you do and how you are working toward  eliminating fears the company has, eradicating painful situations the company faces, or meeting the needs the company has pinpointed for itself. And Myatt says you should be able to do this in 50 words or less.

So, for instance, when you run into a manager, you could introduce yourself by saying: “My name is Jim Johnson. I’m a marketing representative. I specialize in making sure new clients are comfortable in their knowledge about our services before they commit their money to us. And this year, I’m working toward the goal of 100 percent client satisfaction.”

Once you have an introduction that you like, work to perfect it. Practice it-and then use it when the need arises.

Preparing for small moments can open doors to a bigger future.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: attitude, career coach, career coaching, career consulting, career inventory, interview tips, kevin tucker, self improvement

“Tell Me About Yourself”
It’s one of the most frequently asked questions in an interview: Tell me about yourself. Your response to this request will set the tone for the rest of the interview. For some, this is the most challenging question to answer, as they wonder what the interviewer really wants to know and what information they should include.

Eleanor dreaded this question, and when it was the first one asked at her interview she fumbled her way through a vague answer, not focusing on what she could bring to the job.

“I’m happily married and originally from Denver,” she began. “My husband was transferred here three months ago, and I’ve been getting us settled in our new home. I’m now ready to go back to work. I’ve worked in a variety of jobs, usually customer service-related. I’m looking for a company that offers growth opportunities.”

The interview went downhill after that. She had started with personal information and gave the interviewer reason to doubt whether she was an employee who would stay for very long.

She’s married, and when her husband gets transferred that means she has to leave; she did it once and can do it again.   She has some work experience with customers but didn’t emphasize what she did.   She is looking to grow. What about the job she is applying for? Will she stay content for long?   The secret to successfully responding to this free-form request is to focus, script and practice. You cannot afford to wing this answer, as it will affect the rest of the interview. Begin to think about what you want the interviewer to know about you.

Focus
List five strengths you have that are pertinent to this job (experiences, traits, skills, etc.). What do you want the interviewer to know about you when you leave?

Eleanor is strong in communications and connecting with people. She has a strong background and proven success with customer relationships. Her real strength is her follow-through. She prides herself on her reputation for meeting deadlines.

Scripting
Prepare a script that includes the information you want to convey. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven success:

“I have been in the customer service industry for the past five years. My most recent experience has been handling incoming calls in the high tech industry. One reason I particularly enjoy this business, and the challenges that go along with it, is the opportunity to connect with people. In my last job, I formed some significant customer relationships resulting in a 30 percent increase in sales in a matter of months.”

Next, mention your strengths and abilities:
“My real strength is my attention to detail. I pride myself on my reputation for following through and meeting deadlines. When I commit to doing something, I make sure it gets done, and on time.”

Conclude with a statement about your current situation:

“What I am looking for now is a company that values customer relations, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on customer retention and sales.”

Practice
Practice with your script until you feel confident about what you want to emphasize in your statement. Your script should help you stay on track, but you shouldn’t memorize it — you don’t want to sound stiff and rehearsed. It should sound natural and conversational.

Even if you are not asked this type of question to begin the interview, this preparation will help you focus on what you have to offer. You will also find that you can use the information in this exercise to assist you in answering other questions. The more you can talk about your product — you — the better chance you will have at selling it.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career coaching, Coaching, interview tips, interviewing, kevin tucker

Job searches are stressful. It does not matter how confident you are at the start, the search process can take a toll on you. Maintaining a positive attitude and a search-life balance is one the most important things you can do to make sure you are in a great job at the end of the process.

By implementing a few key principles, you can stave off frustration and keep yourself motivated and excited-the type of candidate most employers are eager to meet

1. Stay in Shape: Movement gets your blood pumping and helps generate endorphins. You will feel better, think better and look better. Step away from the computer at least once a day and hit the gym or the walking trail.
2. Eat Well: Eat healthy, balanced meals that serve to fuel your body. It is well-known that eating foods high in carbohydrates and sugars put weight on the body and mess with our metabolism and mood.
3. Pray or Meditate: Staying in touch with your spiritual side for 10-20 minutes a day helps tremendously during a job search.
4. Live Your Life: It is easy for a job search to completely overwhelm your life. However, focusing 24/7 on your job search will not serve you or the ones you love well. Put aside time for other people, volunteering your time, or whatever else helps keep you well-rounded and interesting.

Taking care of yourself and maintaining balance during a job search allows you to give your best to both the seach and your life! Adopting a healthy outlook makes you an attractive and interesting job seeker.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career coaching, kevin tucker, life balance, life coaching, self improvement

Waiting. It seems a shame that this even needs to be said, but here goes: If you’re interviewing for a job, be nice to the receptionist.

In other words, you should be minding your manners. And not just with those you perceive as having the power to hire you. It is becoming a common practice for managers to inquire about candidates’ behavior with everyone who meets them. Interviewers are looking for someone that they and other co-workers have to agree to spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week with.

If you are rude or condescending to people you think are “beneath” you, you need to get over your bad self. According to Anne Fisher of Fortune magazine, you should follow these guidelines when you are waiting for an interview.

• Introduce yourself. Just be friendly in the same way you plan to once you get into the real interview.
• Don’t ask the receptionist to make copies of anything for you. You should already have your copies. You should already be prepared. And you shouldn’t expect the receptionist to be your personal assistant.
• You can accept a beverage, if offered, but never request one. Don’t ask for a million accouterments either. Think kindness, think simplicity.
• If you feel the need to make chitchat, be careful what you say. Don’t offer opinions on things that could make you look bad like the decor of the office, etc.
• Say a cordial goodbye.

Technorati Tags: career coaching, interview coaching, interview tips, kevin tucker

One thing we do know is that we can predict the change. Gas prices or grocery prices or whatever are-and will likely be-constantly changing.

Let’s unpack this in light of the job search. You’re applying for a position that you know is the prefect match for your experience and goals for the future. But, unbeknownst to you, the employer’s needs (and the position) have changed part way through the process-and they didn’t even tell you! Now what? The job you’re in the process for applying for could be totally different from what the employer actually is going to hire for.

If you’ve spent time researching the company, discovering their line of work, and becoming familiar with their industry, you may be able to navigate around this roadblock. Being armed with this information with help you to flex with the employers needs. In this case, as the employer redefines the position, it may end up being even a better fit for you! Once you have this fit, you’ll be able to attack your career with passion and look forward to Monday morning!

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

Technorati Tags: career coach, career coaching, kevin tucker

These days it seems that employers are googling potential candidates before they hire. It’s just one more way of eliminating potential problems before employers welcome workers into their world. As a matter of fact, according to a recent survey of 100 executive recruiters by ExecuNet, 77 percent of recruiters reported using search engines to find information on candidates. Of those who used such search engines, 35 percent have eliminated a candidate because of information that was uncovered online.

Here are a few tips for improving your online image:

• Be careful. When you’re blogging or posting a comment online or creating a social networking profile. Would you really want someone who has the power to hire or not hire you to see what you’ve written?
• Search for information about yourself. Check your name on Goggle, Dogpile.com, and Yahoo!, as well as any other search engines you think might turn something up about you. Be sure to check your name about once a month to see if anything appears.
• Tell the truth if you are questioned about something online. You don’t want to be pegged as dishonest.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at www.CCubedCareer.com.

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