Interview

For over 20 years I have been committed to delivering the best career planning, résumé writing and job search training strategies and techniques to individuals, groups and organizations.  [I am a student of career development analyzing, reflecting on and refining processes, procedures, techniques and technologies.]  While I do not have a canned or boilerplate presentation when speaking I do have a vision and mission.  My presentation highlights strategies which will result in a higher level of thinking.   My goal is to engage individuals to make more informed choices and better decisions.

Understand the impact of your career and job search decisions.  Take control of your employment, career and life.  The strategies listed below (delivered to both individuals and audiences) are highlights of my talks.  They give actions that can be immediately integrated to help you build a strategic career plan.

1. A Job Search is not a Sequential Event
2. There is no such thing as an isolated Job Search Experience
3. Better Understand Yourself, Better Understand Your Target Audience
4. Search by the functionality of your Occupation rather than the Title
5. Apply Strategic planning to your Job Search
6. Use SWOT to remove your Governor
7. Create a targeted Resume
8. Visualize the Experience: Practice with Scenarios to Discover Your Issues
9. Research Your Clients to identify their Needs
10. We live in an Experience Economy.  Learn to Stage the Event
11. You have several Opportunities to make a First Impression
12. Applying Socratic Questioning will lead to more positive networking (Elevator Speech) results
13. Networking works better when you have a tag line
14. Objections are king!  Long Live Objections
15. It does not count if it is not measured

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[This article was published in the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals’ Advantage June (Volume 24) Newsletter.  The Newsletter is distributed to approximately 4,500 workforce professionals across the United States.  (Congratulations Larry)]

Scenarios are one of the best ways to teach and help job seekers to get to the next level. I tend to open my presentations and training instructions with scenarios. Presenting a situation to the group helps me to determine their level of thought and how they approach decision-making and problem solving.

Consider this case problem: As an analyst, Susan finds that many of her responsibilities envelop a broad cross-section of the organization that can be linked to the bulk of the company’s revenue producing activities. While finishing her last project she proved her worth to the organization and gained significant respect of several senior members of the management team. When the senior analyst announced a retirement date, Susan decided she would seek the position.

Question: What should Susan do first?

Most times the responses begin with tactical tasks. This method of solving problems is referred to as a symptoms approach. In other words, the responses generally are:

• Update a résumé
• Make it clear management knows you want the position
• Return to school to pick up new skills
• Step up your performance in key areas
• Find a mentor
• Network

I’m not saying the ideas are not good ones. In most instances they probably are short-term solutions even if your client gets the interview and the job offer.  A symptoms approach does not address the real issues that may prevent career success for your clients. This is because the tasks identified do not get to the root causes. Not bringing the root cause to the surface delays the process of making an informed decision. Done wisely, this process of root cause analysis eliminates the same problems from recurring.

Raising your clients’ focus through a process of defining the most important issues in order to make informed decisions are steps leading to long-term success. In a job search, you want to get your clients to their root causes in order to improve their search steps. If their resumes are not working, they need to find out why out and fix the real issue.  Or, if they are not being invited back for second interviews, they need to determine why not.  This can be achieved by training your attention on getting your clients to drill down into their root issues. Or you will continue to find yourself in these recurring situations, and continuing to address your clients’ job search barriers or constraints again and again. [Ground Hog Day]

Critical thinking is spending 95% of your time defining the problem and 5% finding the Solution.  (Larry Goldsmith)

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