Jay Wren – Page 60 – Be in the Top 1% in Mindset – Leadership

Phone Interview Tips

Phone Interview Tips: Before the interview, prepare as though you are going to a face-to-face interview. Your goal is to move ahead in the interview process. Even if you are uncertain whether you want the job before you get the call, make sure that you do the best job you can. If you decide later that you want the job and you do not get an invitation to proceed, you have missed an opportunity.

Have these things on your desk:

Your resume
The job description
A list of key points you wish to make about how your experience qualifies you for this specific job
A list of questions

Select your interview place carefully.

Pick a quiet room.
Have a glass of water immediately handy.
Pick a comfortable chair.

Even though you are on the phone, let your personality shine.

Smile. You will project warmth even though the interview cannot see you.
Listen to the interviewers questions. Answer the questions. Do not just a reply to the question.
Remember to take a quiet deep breath from time to time.
Say positive things about yourself and about your employer.
The reason you are interviewing with the new company is that they offer things you cannot get from your current company.
Make sure you understand the question before you answer it.

Remember to focus.

Make your answers detailed but to the point.
Allow the interviewer a chance to speak.
Ask trial close questions: for example, ask the interviewer when the company will make a decision.
Emphasize that you are definitely interested in going forward for with the opportunity.

Do not allow interruptions.

If you get another call, ignore it.
Make sure that people know not to disturb you.
Certainly do not multi-task.
Do not talk over the interviewer.
Do not try to tell a joke.
Do not fake your answers. If you do not know that answer to a random question, just say so.

Remember to close on an upbeat.

Thank the interviewer for taking time to speak with you. Emphasize that you hope to have a chance to speak again.

Dealing with an Angry Boss

Dealing with an angry boss is a skill that every great manager must develop. Even the best bosses will eventually find themselves frustrated with something that you have done. Here are some tips that have worked for me.

Listen to what your boss has to say about the problem.

Let them air out their feelings. This way of listening will help your boss know that you want to see things from their point of view. You might even say that if you standing where your boss is standing, you would feel the same way. Most importantly, letting them know that doing things the way that they want them done is important to you. You might develop some phrases that help you deal with an angry boss. “I understand.” “Yes, I can your point.” “I regret that I overlooked that detail.”

Acknowledging your boss’s point of view is a good way to help you bond with your boss.

State that you want to learn from the situation to make sure that you do things differently in the future.

Everyone makes mistakes. Successful people do not repeat them. If there are many details in the information your boss is giving you, you might consider making notes.

If your boss wants things done differently than your company policy directs you, let your boss finish telling you how they want things done. Then you might say that you will follow their direction yet that had followed the company prescribed procedure.

Thank your boss for taking time to call the situation to your attention and assure them that you will not let the mistake happen again.

Solve the problem immediately.

Nothing is more frustrating for an angry boss that to find greater frustration when someone does not take action on the situation caused the person’s frustration. If the problem is something that was part of a major project and is not something that you can mend or correct on future projects, let your boss know that if you had it to do over again, you hope that you would have handled things differently.

Landing a Job with Your Elevator Pitch

Landing a job with your elevator pitch takes preparation. Before you go to an interview, you should script and practice a brief presentation to discuss why the company should hire you.

Your elevator pitch should cover three points.

State the objective of the job.

Before you go to an interview, study the job description. Learn as much as you can about the company. Script how you understand the job based on the business of the hiring company. Practice presenting a short statement of the hiring need of the company.

Explain how your experience shows that you can achieve the objective of the job.

Compare your experience with the job objective specifically within your understanding of the goals of the company. Have a three or four point summary of the ways your experience benefits the company. Tailor your pitch directly to the company and to the specific job. Anticipate questions and objections. You do not need to include every possible thought in your elevator pitch. However, you do want to have answers to likely questions.

Use simple plain English. Avoid jargon that your current employer uses and that might not be common usage outside of your company.

Ask when you can start to work.

Let the person know that you want the job and that you will make yourself available to fit the needs of the hiring company. Do not mention income. Your goal is to get a job offer. Once you get the offer, you can fine-tune the details of salary, bonus, and benefits.

Practice your speech so that you can give it flawlessly.

When you have the opportunity to give your elevator pitch, take a breath before you start. Don’t let the adrenaline drive your pitch. Remember to smile. Look at the person’s face. Remember that you are dealing with a human being. Allow a comfortable three feet of space between yourself and your contact. Remember you speaking with the person to offer solutions and opportunities to the person and the person’s company. You want to join their team.

Why Should I Hire You?

Why should we hire you and not one of the other candidates?

This interview question is one of the many scripted interview questions that challenge your ability to think on the spot.

You do not know anything about the other candidates. Therefore, you need to focus the answer on yourself. Some people focus on the three E’s: Experience, Enthusiasm, and Education.

This type of answer is weak if your experience and education do not qualify you to do the job. In addition, you not only want to show that you have the experience and education for the job. You want to show that you have a record of accomplishment and successful performance in this type of job.

Therefore, you should have a short pitch on how your experience shows that you have successfully performed the same job.

State that you do not know the other people the company is interviewing.
Say that they should hire the most qualified person for the job.
State the objective of the job.
State a list of successful things you have done to achieve and exceed this type of objective.
State that the reason that you are interviewing for the job is that you enjoy performing the type of tasks the job requires.
Close by saying that whomever the company hires, the person will be lucky to get the job.
Say that you hope that the company hires you.

Preparing for the question “Why should we hire you and not the other people we are interviewing “is an excellent way to prepare to interview for any job interview. This type of question challenges you to think about your qualifications. In your preparation, you can practice giving answers that show that you are an outstanding applicant for the job. Answering the question with a positive enthusiastic statement about how much you want the job will help seal your opportunity in getting a job offer.

Best Words for Your Cover Letter and Resume

The best words for your cover letter and resume are words that will get you an interview. A hiring manager or a recruiter spends just seconds reading either one. The cover letter is usually an email. Often, the hiring manager will decide to read your résumé based on the keywords (names of experiences, goods, services, and skills) that you put in your cover letter. If your cover letter shows that you are someone who has the experience the hiring company needs, the hiring manager will open your resume.

After your résumé is on file with a company, the keywords words you have in your résumé will determine whether your résumé appears during database searches for active applicants. Hiring managers use keywords to find matches between the words in job specifications and the words in resumes. If your résumé has the buzzwords the recruiter is searching, your resume will appear in the search results.

In addition, industry lingo and buzzwords show that you have an understanding of the job for which you are applying.

Here are some examples of names that might help a hiring manager find you and, therefore, are words you might want to include in your résumé and in your online profile.

Names of companies where you have worked, especially names of prestigious companies in your field
Names of schools you have attended
Names of academic achievements: cum laude, dean’s list, first in graduating class
Names of clients or key accounts
Names of brands, products, or services you have developed
Names of fields in which you worked
Use action words: launched, resolved, won, improved
Names of computer software or Internet applications you know: C++, PowerPoint, JavaScript, Java, Google Documents, iOS, Android
Names of certifications and credentials: Certified Public Accountant, Certified Marriage and Family Counselor, Credentialed Teacher, Licensed Driver of Commercial Vehicles
Names of Hard skills: Fluent in French, Typing Speed: 120 words per minute, Diesel Mechanic
Names of Soft Skills with examples: Team Builder, Inter-departmental Facilitator, New-hire Mentor
Do not use clichés and opinions of yourself: proactive, strategic, dynamic, thought leader, go-getter

These same principles apply to your online professional profile.

Advice on How to Give Notice

Advice on how to give notice can help you transition with less stress and start your new job with a fresh attitude.

You have an offer. You have accepted the offer. Now is the time for you to resign. You want to show up at your new job rested and ready to work. Making a smooth exit from your current job will reduce the stress as you move on to your new job and the new stage of your life.

Giving notice has certain steps that can help you leave on a positive note.

Your notice of resignation should be a simple. You tell your employer that you are leaving.
Your notice of resignation should be thoughtful. Before notifying your boss, do not tell your subordinates, peers, or anyone else that you are leaving.
You should carefully plan your resignation to reduce the stress on you and on your supervisor. Tell your employer that you will work hard to finish any ongoing work. Focus on making your departure as smooth as possible for your current employer.

How much time should you give your employer before leaving?

Part of the amount of time that you give in your notice will depend on the time your new employer expects you to take before you start your new job. Two weeks’ notice is the standard amount of time to give your supervisor before your departure. If you are in the middle of a major project and want to allow more time for your current supervisor to find a replacement, you might consider offering four weeks’ notice.

Most resignations are verbal and in person. If you wish to write a letter, make it simple and cordial. The shorter that you make your letter perhaps the better to help you reduce stress and keep your exit simple. You do not have to give a reason for leaving.

Dear Supervisor,

The purpose of this letter is to provide you with notice of my resignation. I have accepted an offer from another company. I will begin work at this new company in two weeks.

Keeping your resignation positive will reduce the stress for you as you leave your current company. In addition, you will leave a positive impression for future references.

Finding Hiring Companies

A great way to get a job is through a friend. This approach gives you an inside track on a job. You start with a personal connection.

Another excellent source of finding jobs is through former supervisors and coworkers. These people know your skills and your work history. They can recommend you base on their knowledge of your work experience.

Should you contact recruiters? Well, that depends on whether you can find a recruiter who has valuable contacts in your specialty. Before you contact recruiters, check out their profile on LinkedIn. Go to the recruiter’s website. Most recruiters list their website on LinkedIn. You can very likely find a recruiters profile and website through an Internet search.

Find the name and contact information on hiring managers. Contact these people directly. You will have better success through direct contact through direct contact than you will have through sending your resume through the company Internet resume bin.

Are job boards useful? In some industries, job boards and job search engines are very helpful. I have spoken with people conducting a job search who found job boards job search engines a waste of time. However, in some industries, great companies rely heavily on job boards.

How to Turn Worries into Plans

I used to think that a certain amount of worrying was healthy, productive. Over time, I have found that worrying is really counterproductive. Worrying makes me tired and causes me to become confused. When I am worrying, I am not finding a solution to anything.

What happens when I worry is that a painful idea comes into my mind my and begins to draw my attention. Eventually another idea will come along and push aside the worry. However, eventually the subject over which I was worrying will return in my mind, and I want to buy into the idea that if I let worry continue, I will find some solution to whatever is on my mind.

Instead of solutions, I find that I just get the same worries that are distracting me from the important things happening in the present moment.

Planning is different from worrying. When I am planning, I may be dealing with the same subject that had been the cause of my worries.

Planning starts with writing things down. I find that writing things down can take the sting out of worries.

Then I can call someone and go over my plan. Another person can help me understand where I need help more clearly, especially when I have written things down.

The circular thinking of worry will end. I am working with a solution. I now can see the options instead of just running the same painful idea through my mind.

I need to remember that I want solutions not worries, and plans create the opportunities for me to have solutions.

Overcoming Intimidating Titles

`Parla con il suonatore d’organetto e non con la scimmietta. Talk to the organ grinder and not the monkey.

Titles and Functions

The concept of the organ grinder and the monkey is about titles and functions. Overcoming intimidating titles (Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President, Chairman, etc.) is valuable in many ways. Dealing directly with people with intimidating titles can help in solving relationship and communication problems. The person with the difficult title is often the ultimate decision maker. I can get things done more quickly when I am dealing directly with the decision maker. There is less risk of confusion when I speak directly with the decision maker. I can work through more intricate details when I am working directly with the decision maker.

Titles and Personalities

Also, I have often found that the people with the intimidating titles are terrific people. The title says nothing about the person who holds the title. They got to their level of responsibility through their skills in working with people. Their title is intimidating, but often the people are not intimidating at all.

It is so easy for me to avoid calling the person who can help me the most when I can easily speak with one of the people on the staff. After all, these people are earning their living representing powerful people. Their titles are less intimidating. I may even be able to accomplish the same things with a staff member as I accomplish with a person with an intimidating title.

In many cases, the correct person to contact is the staff member. Dealing effectively with a staff member can greatly strengthen my relationships in a company. The person can help me understand who holds other positions and how to contact those people. Therefore, I should never discount the value of working with a staff member.

Timing and Preparation

They way that I deal with discussions I have with people who hold intimidating titles is through timing and preparation.

First, I have to know when I can reach the person. For example, I have worked with more than one senior executive who answered their own phone before their staff arrived in the morning and after their staff left in the evening. I called these people when I knew that I could get through to them.

I prepare for the conversation. I make a list of questions. I make a list of information I anticipate that the person will want to know. I try to focus on questions that a staff member cannot easily answer for me. I focus on questions that require the senior person’s decision.

Not a New or Unique Problem

There are a number of sources crediting the organ-grinder phrase to Winston Churchill. “Never hold discussions with the monkey while the organ grinder is in the room.” Given the popularity and variations of the phrase, I suspect that it has come from a number of popular sources. However, getting past the intimidating titles to speaking to the correct person helps me with relationships and communication.

Learning as a Lifestyle

Learning as a lifestyle is as simple as remaining curious.

Knowledge is more available than ever. Here are some common sources.

Internet encyclopedias and dictionaries to clarify issues and provides facts
Forums that range from LinkedIn Groups, Reddit, and specific information related to product uses
Do-It-Yourself Websites
Search engines to guide an Internet user to sites which contain information
Company product websites
News and sports websites
Podcasts Online books
Print books
Television
Radio Our friends
Online chat sources

I have no doubt overlooked some sources.
I stay active in learning environments.

I saw a question on an Internet forum about the difference between ethics and morals. Finding an answer to the question was simple. I used online definitions from Internet dictionaries. From various sources, I came up with this answer and got five likes for my response.

“Definitively, ethics are “moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior” and morals are “a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs about what is and is not acceptable for them to do.” The difference between the two is that ethics are a set of principles or fundamental truths and morals are a set of standards or levels of acceptability. I cannot think of an instance when a person confused the two.”

Learning as a lifestyle enables people to develop new skills.

Looking up do-it-yourself solutions and finding definitions to words is just the beginning of learning as a lifestyle. Through audio books, people can learn a new language. Through service manuals, people can learn how to repair a motorcycle engine or a boat engine. Many people learn new methods of diet and exercise as well as practices of emotional and mental development.

I am still learning.

Learning is a lifestyle. Every day I have to the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity and to find effective ways to live my life and do my job.