An interview is a lot like Show and Tell in grade school. 

As a child you are excited to share how you got your hamster named Freddie back in the cage after the door was left open, or what happened when your little sister got sick at the dinner table the night before, or you proudly present the clay cup you made at summer camp.

You are showing and telling about things important to you.  The same thing should happen during an interview.

Your portfolio of accomplishments, discussed in the last post, provides examples of your work.  Instead of the clay cup you made at summer camp, you’re showing samples of your writing or designs you created.

And the interview is all about telling, right?  Hiring managers want to know that you’ve done the work they need done, and that you did it well. Their questions focus on that.  So tell them about your work successes.

Here’s a great model to use to describe your experiences:  PAR.

Problem.  What was the problem you faced?  You don’t need to provide all the details, just share enough to provide a context for the action you took to fix/finish/improve/etc. an issue.

Action.  What action did you take?  Be specific about what you did and what you said.  Use “I” when describing your action.

Result.  What happened after you took action?  What was better?  How were things different?

No one else at the interview will be singing your praises.  It’s up to you to tell them you can do the job they’re hiring for. 

Show and tell. 

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You’ve gotten the interview.   And you’re ready for the big game.  First base: you are clear on your strengths.  Second base: you’ve done your research and are making the connection between the organization’s needs and your experience and expertise.  Third base: you are speaking clearly and articulately.    

Do you want to make this a home run?

Give the interviewer something to remember you by.  Something that says “This is what I’ve done, and I have done it well.” 

Your portfolio of accomplishments.

This portfolio can be as simple as a two-pocket folder.  Or you can create a more elaborate presentation—a binder with sheet protectors divided into sections.

The content of the portfolio is what’s most important.

Include documents that sell you and your successful experience: your resume, letters of commendation, an annotated list of successful projects, certificates of appreciation, relevant performance reviews, samples of your work, spreadsheets of analysis you’ve completed, etc.

The purpose of the portfolio?  It provides evidence that you’ve done the work you’ve described in your interview.  It’s an easy-to-follow visual of your accomplishments.  Leave your portfolio with the hiring manager at the end of your interview. 

You’re in the game to win.  And you want to be memorable.

Show them you’ve got what it takes to get the job done.  A homerun is a reason to celebrate.  Whether you win or not (get the job or not), you know you did your very best.  Don’t settle for a base hit.

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It’s a new year with new goals.  And for many, that includes a renewed commitment to finding a job, changing jobs, or getting promoted.  But with a tight job market and a crowded corporate ladder, how can you stand out and get noticed to successfully meet that goal?

You will make your job search easier when you are intentional about marketing your skills and experience.  Rather than simply hoping your resume gets read, identify what proactive steps will ensure that you and your accomplishments capture the hiring manager’s attention.

Here are three key tactics that will get the hiring manager wanting to know more:

Create your portfolio of accomplishments.  Pull together your material that says “Here’s what I’ve done, and I have done it well.”  It could include your resume, writing samples, customer commendations, letters of appreciation, an annotated list of key projects or presentations, etc.  Place them in a folder and bring them to the interview.  Leave it with the hiring manager as a reminder of who you are and what you’ve accomplished.

Prepare your stories.  Past performance is the best predictor of future performance.  Be ready to tell the hiring manager about specific examples (stories) of how you have done your work.  Tell them how you resolved a customer complaint, describe how you initiated a difficult conversation with a coworker, explain how you reduced costs.  Each story markets your experience.  It says you know how to do what they need done.

Stay visible.  Networking should always remain a priority.  Participate in association meetings, business round tables, conversations with industry colleagues, etc.  Make it a point to stay current and engaged in your field.  You want to be the person that comes to mind when an opening is created.

We’ll discuss these in a little more detail in the next few postings. 

Don’t wait for someone to find you.  Make yourself known.

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Chris Heeter is one of my favorite poets.  Her writings have deepened my appreciation for nature, animals, and the human spirit.

As we move through these last days of December, I share one of her poems, with her permission.

A Solstice blessing…

Less than a week

the light will slowly lengthen.

The temptation, to count the days.

To hold our breath

until daylight stretches

into evening and early morning

forcing back the darkness.

What a relief it will be

these light-starved bodies

to see again

no longer fumbling in darkness.

Still,

somewhere deep inside

past resistance and reason

you know this darkness, too, is your home.

A place you were taught to hurry through

lest you be swallowed by the whale of darkness

never to be seen again.

Your soul knows better.

Your soul knows night is the place of dreams.

Far beyond what seeing eyes call horizon

night eyes know no such boundary.

So on these long nights of winter solstice

may you find your wildest dreams

walking companionably alongside you.

Having waited for you all this time

to turn toward darkness

and find not fear, but peace and courage

and wild abandon toward a life you hadn’t dared live.

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This week, Christians around the world will celebrate the birth of Christ.  Many will perform or experience the glorious words and music of Handel’s Messiah, one of the most popular works in Western choral literature.

The composer, George Frideric Handel, had lost a fortune in his business and had a right arm that was temporarily paralyzed due to a stroke.  Then he wrote Messiah.  

I call that a come-back.

The lesson for me?  When I’m hit with a disappointment in my work, I have two choices.  I can let my frustration and anger paralyze me, or I can choose to find a different way to use my skills.

After losing his business and his money, Handel was smart enough to recognize that his gifts, abilities, and skills still remained.  He moved forward, finding a different way to use those talents.

I guarantee you this.  I don’t ever want to be known as a quitter.  When times get tough, I am going to keep moving, knowing that my Messiah – my next masterpiece — is just a few steps away from reality.

What will your masterpiece look like?

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My mom has had some health issues recently (she is recovering very nicely).  So during the last three weeks I have spent many days in the hospital and doctor’s office.  It has been interesting to watch the interplay and teamwork among the various health care employees.

Doctors, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, nurses’ aides, specialists, physical therapists, and those that deliver meal trays and make sure the hospital rooms are clean…each of them contributes to the health of the patients they serve.  And each role is important.  Meaningful work contributing to a larger purpose.

They are part of a team as they take turns checking on patients–sticking, probing, taking, and drawing whatever they need to help create better health.  There’s a rhythm to their work, even when they don’t know each other’s names.

Watching this activity reminded me of the sense of place our employment frequently offers.  Our work environment provides structure, routine, and the familiar—good and bad.

So what happens when you become unemployed?  That sense of place is gone.  You have nowhere you have to be Monday morning.  Your 10:00 a.m. bagel run is replaced with checking out monster.com.  And the bantering, teasing, arguing and support that comes from working with people?  Probably replaced by the drone of the TV.

May I suggest this…

During your unemployment, create your own sense of place.  Create a work area that becomes your office.  You are now CEO of John/Jane Doe Finds a Job.  Set your schedule—mark it on the calendar.  What are your office hours?  When is lunch?  Identify your daily goals from your job search strategy.  Create your own team.  Schedule regular meeting times at the local coffee shop with other job seekers or supporters—banter, tease, argue, and support each other.

You are the CEO.  What does your calendar and list of responsibilities look like for the week of January 4^th?

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My long-time friend and business entrepreneur, Alan Furst, is hiring people.  Here are some of the (part-time and full-time) positions he’s looking to fill:

• Sales positions
• Manufacturing positions
• Business Coaching positions

A few more details:

• Building a team of six professional commission sales people for b2b company; local, national, and international sales.
• Promoter/Coordinator to pursue non-profit accounts; commission based.
• Part-time gift consultants; commission based.
• Manufacturing: designing, assembling, packing.  (Position is in Ham Lake, MN)
• Professionals with business experience to work part- or full-time as business coaches.

I’m meeting with Alan next week to learn more about these opportunities.  If you are interested in learning more, send me an email expressing your interest and a copy of your resume.   I’ll see that it gets to Alan along with a note from me.

Perhaps you are a job seeker who planned on continuing in the same line of work you’ve done the last few years.  Nothing wrong with that, of course.  And…your unemployment could introduce you to other careers, and this could be a time to try something different.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to check something out simply because it’s “new.”

You never know when the ‘right thing” is just around the corner.  Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities.  Be grateful.  Start planning for January 2^nd.

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As I mentioned in my last post, technology and I have a love/hate relationship.  I appreciate that it helps me get my work done a lot faster;  computer can help me create a document (error-free) much faster than a manual typewriter.  And it provides support in little areas that enable me to step away from my work more frequently; sending an email gets my message distributed faster than snail mail.

However…

When I’m learning something new on the computer, or my screen goes dark, or one of those silly error messages pops up…my head goes numb.  My blood pressure rises and I wish for the days in corporate America when I could simply call the help desk.

So when I took the leap into the world of social media, I looked for resources.  I couldn’t have survived without them.  Here’s my list of a few of my favorites:

 ~  Mark Holterhaus has been my go-to-guy with questions and suggestions.  Over the phone or in person, consulting support or just-in-time help, his patience has made me one grateful lady.  He’s one of my favorite people to work with.

 ~  Kate-Madonna Hindes is a new contact and friend.  Her article Social Media for Job Seekers is one of the easiest and most interesting articles I’ve read on the topic.  Her blog postings have captured my attention, and I can’t wait to get to know her better.  (Even her name and the name of her company, Girl Meets Geek, makes you want to know more, right?)

~  Jason Alba has the name and business that aligns with all things social media.  He understands how to write and teach to the technically challenged world.  People like me.  (I’m on LinkedIn: Now What?  I’m on FaceBook: Now What?)

Google will help you get connected to thousands of other resources on this topic.  My advice?  Just start doing it.  Learn as you go. 

I’ll see you on line!

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FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn.  My fear of forging into these worlds was significant.  They represented technology.   And technology and I have never been soul mates.

But here was the problem.  My ignorance and fear were preventing me from accessing and using tools that could—and would—help me connect and reconnect with people I cared about.

It was time to change.

I remember very clearly the evening I set up my FaceBook site. I found friends!  In fact, the number of people that reached out caught me by surprise.  It felt like I had opened the door into our living room and people from every stage of my life entered at once.  Loved it. 

I eventually found my rhythm in this new world.  And once I realized I wouldn’t die from technology overload, I set-up my LinkedIn account.  And again, nothing terrible happened!

Technically saavy?  It will never describe me.  And that’s the gift in these social media tools.  For those of us who are technically challenged, we have tools available that can deepen and broaden our relationships.  And we don’t have to know computers well to use them.  We’re silly if we ignore them.

So now I’m enjoying my brief connections in the LinkedIn and FaceBook worlds.  Job connections are  made, business opportunities are presented, and relationships are nurtured.

As for Twitter, my friend Mark Holterhaus has been helping me get my head around this crazy phenomenon.  It’s going to happen.  I’m sure someone needs to know that I’m sitting in my living room or eating a bagel.  Right?

Job seekers, don’t let your fear of the unknown or technology keep you from using these tools.

Believe me.  If I can post and link, anyone can.  Just do it.

On Wednesday…some exceptional resources to get you started!

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What if…

… 2010 could be your best year ever?

… today you could change the way you look and feel about your life?

You can make it happen. 

The key?  Create a plan.  Start today. 

Here’s how:

1. Begin to create your Success Strategy for 2010

• What do you want to accomplish?
• Who do you want to become?

During these last few weeks of the year, find some blocks of time when you can evaluate what you’ve accomplished in 2009, and identify what changes you want to make in 2010.  Keep it simple right now.  Just make notes about what you want to do differently next year.  And jot down ideas for making those changes.

2. Make a list of all the good things you did this year. 

List your accomplishments.  The people you’ve helped.  The goals you’ve met.  Baby steps count!  Yes, you’ve probably disappointed yourself on a few occasions.  But you’ve learned from those disappointments.  They’ve helped you grow.

Taking the time to focus on what’s been good about 2009 will motivate and encourage you to dream big and confidently in 2010.

Wouldn’t it feel great to wake up on January 1 knowing that you have created your plan for making 2010 your best year ever?  Don’t wait until then to start thinking about it.

Elizabeth Hagen, coach, author, and speaker who helps make people’s lives easier, has a similar perspective.  I appreciate her mindset of looking at the first of every month as a new year.  December 1 is approaching!

You’ve got 45 days to set yourself up for a successful 2010.  Use your time wisely.

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