KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

While job-hunters may wish they wouldn’t get asked questions about strengths and weaknesses during an interview, it is clearly

beneficial to think about them before talking to a hiring manager, according to an article from CareerBuilder.com. In fact, if you really want to get a leg up, you should be assessing your skills and limitations even before you begin your job search.

“Knowing your strengths and weaknesses before the job search helps you hone in on the types of jobs that best match your qualities and abilities,” says Neil Kokemuller, college marketing professor and former retail manager. “If you apply for jobs that don’t match your abilities, you set yourself up for failure and waste time. As you get into the interview process, knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a huge factor in effectively selling yourself to a hiring manager.”

The idea of sitting down and coming up with the things you’re good — and not so good — at can seem daunting, but there are a few methods to try that can make the process a little easier, according to the article.

Lea McLeod, who provides corporate coaching and career consulting services, suggests that you take assessments to help narrow in on your skills and strengths. “I personally like [the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 as a very basic assessment of strengths,” McLeod told the online employment site. “There are numerous other assessments that can measure everything from how you manage conflict, to your learning style, to your team orientation.”

Another way to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses is to ask others who you think will give you an honest, objective opinion. “Ask people you know personally to share what they see as your strong sides and your weak side,” McLeod said. “Often others see perspectives we don’t see in ourselves. Get feedback from your peers and/or managers about what your strengths and weaknesses are in the workplace.”

It’s also helpful to think about what type of feedback you’ve received from managers during formal reviews. “Think back on past performance reviews,” said Patricia Vargas, manager of Marketing Production at Halogen Software, a provider of talent management solutions. “What kind of feedback have you gotten from your managers and peers? Look for trends — for example, repeat feedback that you’re a great team player or very proactive. Take note of feedback you’ve received around both job-specific skills and soft skills.”

According to the article, when assessing your skills, don’t just think about those technical skills you’ve acquired; also consider your soft skills — abilities related to communication, leadership, collaboration, creative problem-solving, etc. — which can be just as important to employers.

“In general, you should have a sense for what your strengths are around dealing with tasks, processes, relationships and communication,” McLeod noted in the article. “Those are the core components of getting work done in any workplace. On the technical side, if you are looking for a job with specific technical — or hard — skills, you should absolutely know where you stand on those. Many hard skills will be tested by employers in environments like engineering, software and public relations.”

“Once you’ve identified your strengths, it will help you evaluate what kind of jobs you’re best suited for,” Vargas CareerBuilder.com. “It will also help you sell yourself in a job interview. You want to be able to clearly articulate how you will bring value in a particular role.”

Vargas noted that finding the right job fit is important, because you want to feel both comfortable and confident in the role. You don’t want to start a new job, only to find that your skills aren’t really up to par or that you don’t consider the company to be the right cultural fit, the article pointed out.

But if you know going into the new job that your strengths align with your new position and you’ll have the opportunity to grow in the areas where you need improvement, it’ll be a win-win situation for both you and the employer. “You’ll be engaged in your work and a valued contributor to the organization’s success,” Vargas added.

It’s the dreaded interview question. “So, what would you say are your weaknesses?” You don’t want to ignore the question all together, but you also don’t want to reply back with, “Well, I tend to miss deadlines a lot.” Instead, you try to come up with an answer that sounds like a weakness but is really strength such as, “Sometimes I just work too hard — I’m always coming in early and staying late.”

REAPPLYING TO A COMPANY AFTER A REJECTION

When it comes to careers, persistence is an attribute that can clearly pay off – especially since employers are keen for workers who are truly interested in and passionate about their jobs. But what about when a job seeker gets rejected from a company that he wants to work for? Can he continue to pursue employment at that company, or could his persistence work against him?

According to an article published by CareerBuilder.com, job seekers shouldn’t be discouraged from applying again to a company that’s turned them down.

“When an applicant has taken the time to understand the company, the people and the customers, getting rejected the first time around should never discourage that applicant from future prospects with the firm,” said Joshua Siva, co-author of the book, “BOLD: Get Noticed, Get Hired.” Any number of reasons could have led to the rejection, he pointed out.

Siva told CareerBuilder.com that there are three things applicants should do before applying again to the same company.

The first is to understand the gap in their previous application. How? “Ideally this comes from the company through a contact involved in the hiring process, but if not, the applicant needs to be honest with themselves: ‘Did I have the experience, did I speak the company’s language, did I sell myself the right way?’ Make a list of these things, and spend whatever amount of time is needed to close the gap, and be sure to have it documented and readily demonstrated,” Siva said.

Next Siva recommended that a job seeker should connect with someone at the company in a related function. “[This is] in order to learn everything about their role, their background, how they got in, company trends, etc.,” Siva said. “It’s amazing how far asking questions can take the applicant, because at the end of it all, the potential applicant will likely get asked about their own ambitions and, when shared, who knows what doors may open via the employee.”

Finally, Siva suggested following up periodically with the human resources manager involved in the hiring process from the original rejection. In your follow up, Siva said to remind the HR manager of your résumé on file, share what progress you’ve made since and reiterate your passion for the company. “It’s always a favorable position when an applicant is on the mind of an HR professional involved with recruiting, because they constantly have visibility and support requests to fill roles.”

After you’ve been turned down by a company you may be tempted to re-apply right away, especially if there’s another job that interests you. But, according to the article, it may be in your best interest to wait it out a few months, to ensure that you’re in a situation where it would make sense for them to potentially consider you again.

Lisa Rangel, managing director of Chamelon Resumes, an executive résumé-writing and job-search service, said that in general, it’s good to wait a minimum of three-to-six months. “There needs to be enough time to allow for a possible change in the company situation and for the person to amass additional and/or relevant skills that are different than before,” she told the online employment website.

Depending on what you’re looking for, and how important it is to work at the company versus in a particular position, you may wait until a similar position comes along, or you may be willing to work in a different function or department just to get a foot in the door, the article noted. Based on what type of position you’re applying for the second time, you should adjust your application materials as needed. But regardless of whether the position is the same or different from the original job you applied for, you need to show the company that you’ve grown.

“To be taken seriously for the competitive and coveted positions in the marketplace, those who are and aren’t currently employed need to be advancing and improving themselves as time goes on,” Siva told CareerBuilder.com. “If applying for the same role, that improvement needs to speak to closing the gaps in their previous application. If applying for a different role or function, that progress needs to demonstrate the pivot in knowledge and the commitment made to pursuing the new function of focus.

“Above all else, the applicant needs to be bolder and more creative the second time around in order to stand out from other applicants, in addition to their former self and application,” Siva added.

Have you ever felt that you barely got anything done at the office after finishing an eight-hour work day? If the answer is yes, rest assured you are not alone. Heightened demands on the job, combined with endless distractions and interruptions are conspiring to make some workers feel scattered, confused and unsatisfied. In response, according to The New York Times career columnist Phyllis Korkki, they are either shutting down and surfing the Internet, or spinning their wheels by doing busywork that is at most tangentially related to the core mission of their business. In a Q&A feature published by that newspaper, Korkki took a close look at the topic and offered the following insight on ways to become more productive in today’s often-harried work environment:

You started the day with such good intentions. What prevented you from finishing any work?

Perfectionism, which leads to paralyzing fear and procrastination, are major culprits. The false promise of multitasking may also be leading workers astray, said Julie Morgenstern, a productivity consultant based in New York. As much as employers may sing the praises of multitasking, research shows that it is not actually possible to perform more than one job at any given time. Workers trying to talk on the phone, answer e-mail and complete a report at the same time will be unable to focus completely on those tasks. It is better to have a sequential approach to work that requires priorities and discipline, Morgenstern said.

Does a lack of productivity mean that you’re lazy?

Most people do not want to be idle or inefficient at work; they want “productive, rewarding jobs where they make a difference,” said Mark Ellwood, president of Pace Productivity, a company based in Toronto that studies how employees spend their time. People may blame themselves, or blame others, but a lack of productivity basically means that “you really didn’t have a strategy for attacking the day,” Morgenstern added.

Can technology inhibit productivity?

A compulsion to surf the Internet and check e-mail stirs up a “desire to be in the know, to not be left out, that end up taking a lot of our time” at the expense of getting things done, Ellwood told the newspaper. If he had his way, he would cut off Internet access – but not e-mail—for a vast majority of employees, and set up dedicated workstations for people to use when they really needed the Web for their work.

Will making a to-do list help you get things done?

A realistic to-do list can indeed help create a map for the day, and it is satisfying to make the check marks that indicate a task has been accomplished,” Ellwood pointed out. But being realistic is crucial, because “when you are looking down the barrel of an endless to-do list, you freeze,” Morgenstern noted. “And then you start doing things like procrastinate, and doing the small easy tasks rather than the big important ones,” she added.

What other steps can you take to be more productive?

Shockingly, Morgenstern advised against checking your e-mail when you arrive at the office. She has even written a book on productivity called “Never Check E-mail in the Morning.” She calls e-mail “the world’s most convenient procrastination device.” Instead, she told the newspaper, use your first hour at work to concentrate on a high-priority task. That will help you begin the day with a clear head. Free of mental debris from the start, you set a good precedent for the rest of the day.

Ellwood advised clients to imagine that they have nothing to do for the next day: no e-mail, no phone calls, no meetings, no specific plans. Then he asks: What can you do to accomplish a long-term goal you want to achieve one month from now? This forces people to disentangle themselves from busywork, he said, and to focus on what is really important to their business.

Morgenstern urged workers to end their day with a plan for the next day, and for the two days after that. This reduces the chances that they will be stuck in “reactive” mode – continually responding to calls, e-mail and in-person requests without an overarching plan of their own. It is also important to accept that interruptions are a part of the day, and to assess realistically what percentage of your time will be spent dealing with them, as well as when they are most likely to occur, she said.

You have so many things to do. How can you decide what is most important?

Give the highest priority to activities that either help generate revenue for your company or help it save money, Morgenstern advised. Once you have defined these activities, you can work on what she calls the four D’s: choosing which work you can delay, delete, delegate or diminish. Winnowing out the peripheral tasks and homing in on the most important ones will help you gain control – and “once you feel you’re in control, you’re productive,” Morgenstern added.

Just when you think you’ve heard it all.  Today while checking in with a potential client one HR Director informed me that her TACO’s had all jobs covered.  Not sure what she was referring to assuming they were not staffing “the Taco Bells” chain.  I pop the question WHAT?  She informed me that her company refers to its’ internal recruiters team as the TACOE’s.

T – Talent

A – Acquisition

C – Center

O – Of

E – Excellence

So when lunch hour materialized I handled the situation like any experienced 3rd party recruiter ….I ordered two tacos, a diet coke and looked out the window with amazement.  I became a consumer,  no a consumption-er  of Talent.

With as many as four generations bumping elbows in the same office, a lack of understanding and empathy between groups can generate serious workplace tension that can alienate co-workers. That is why experts say that getting into a young mind-set through mentorships and relationship-building can help older workers better identify with young co-workers and—inevitably—younger bosses, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal.

Thinking young can also offer valuable insight into emerging millennial workplace and customer trends that can help to extend careers, especially since millennials—people born between 1981 and the early 2000s—will make up 36 percent of the American workforce in 2014, estimates the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation.

A case in point is Shona Sabnis, who at 42 is one of “older” workers of New York office of public-relations firm Edelmen. Though she prides herself on being able to get along with most people, she has sometimes been puzzled by the actions of her 20-something co-workers who, in turn, don’t understand why the senior vice president of public affairs likes to distribute physical newspaper clippings.

While dealing with a situation at the office, Sabnis was told by a junior co-worker that she should be handling her client differently, the article noted. It wasn’t phrased as a suggestion, which surprised her since she knew the co-worker wasn’t that familiar with the account.

She later enlisted a 26-year-old co-worker to help her to get a better sense of where her young co-workers are coming from. He told her about the motivations of individual co-workers and what their expectations were. “I found that I was projecting my reality when I was that age on them and their reality seems very different,” Sabnis said.

“I don’t always assume anymore that I know what they want,” she added. “Now I ask them if I need to know.” She feels that she is now able to deal with young co-workers with more understanding.

Here, according to the article, is some guidance on the topic of “thinking young” for older workers to consider in the New Year:

Start with a clean slate. Don’t let stereotypes color your perception of young co-workers. People tend to act on their beliefs, which makes it difficult to establish productive workplace relationships if you automatically believe, for example, that all 20-somethings are narcissistic or lazy, said Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University who’s written books on successful aging and decision-making.

“People think they should be compromising or tolerant of certain behaviors but, instead, we should be understanding,” Langer told the newspaper. “It is more important to be mindful of an individual’s motivations and make sense of why people do what they do. You might drive behind somebody that is driving slow and be angry because they’re old, but in reality, that individual might be driving as fast as they are capable and it could be dangerous to do otherwise. If you saw what they saw, you’d probably respond the same way.”

Participate in a reverse mentorship or group training. You can catch up on things that you feel like you’re falling behind on through such an arrangement. Many companies, for example, will pair an older employee with a younger employee who can offer fresh insight on technology, communication styles and social media, as well as offer inside insight into the needs of other young co-workers, the article pointed out.

“The reverse mentorship can also give insight into the new generation of buyers and decision makers who are also millennials,” explained Lisa Orrell, a workplace consultant from San Jose, Calif., who specializes in generational management. “Social-media channels [are] how they are all communicating, collaborating and doing research on what to buy.”

Keep an open mind about organizational shifts that accommodate new modes of working. Millennials enjoy working in collaborative and decentralized work environments, for example, that de-emphasize protocol and hierarchy, the article noted. This may include a more open workplace culture that encourages frequent communication and unprecedented outspokenness.

Don’t dwell on the past at the office or talk about how things used to be. That is unless you’re using past accomplishments to bolster present and future goals, said Russ Hovendick, president of Client Staffing Solutions in Sioux Falls, S.D. “Your young co-workers are in the early stages of their careers and motivated by what’s happening now,” he said. “They’re not thinking about retirement—nor should you out loud when you’re trying to put yourself into a relevant context.” You want to relate to workers that you have plans for the future and aren’t just looking for someplace to hole up until retirement.

Social Network as a Career Safety Net

If you have avoided social-networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook with the excuse that they are the domain of desperate job hunters or attention-seeking teenagers, it’s clearly time to reconsider, according to an article in The New York Times. In a world of economic instability and corporate upheaval, savvy professionals are keenly aware of the benefits of brushing up on their online image and keeping it polished.

Take technology consultant Josh So, for example. When the 32-year-old from Dublin, Calif., learned he had 45 days to find a new job before his company eliminated his division, he turned to friends online. Within hours of updating his job status on the social-networking site LinkedIn, So won four interviews through his contacts there. Within a week, two of the interviews resulted in offers. And within less than a month, his employer counteroffered with a position in another division and a $25,000 bump in his annual salary.

While other job-hunting avenues are still extremely important, such as working with recruiters, the old business adage that it’s not what you know but who you know has taken a twist in the Internet era: it’s what you know about social networking sites that can get you ahead, the article pointed out. “Build your own inner circle of people you know are good—people you know will get you places,” So told the newspaper.

LinkedIn “is the place to be,” if you want to make professional contacts online, said the JupiterResearch media analyst Barry Parr.

LinkedIn has more than 200 million members and, according to the article, it is adding new ones at a rapid rate of every month—or about one new networker every two seconds. With that kind of mass demographic, LinkedIn is hard to ignore. But with that kind of scale, can it be useful? The answer is that it can be, if you use it judiciously.

LinkedIn is intended to appeal to its average user: the 41-year-old white-collar professional with an income of $109,000 a year. User pages are spare: a brief professional summary, a photo and a résumé. As you create your network, the site shows you people you may know through past jobs or educational institutions

And there is a search function so you can find people you don’t know but would like to—for instance, at a company where you want a job, the article noted. Granted, you might be shy about calling or e-mailing people you have neglected, but the social-networking sites let you avoid that. You are simply renewing the connection when you add a contact.

Further, you don’t have to fear you’ll be perceived as using them; they are on the site for the same reason. They might well intend to use you someday. Even so, don’t go crazy trying to connect with everyone you brushed past in the hallway 20 years ago, or friends of friends. Too many people can weaken your network.

But don’t be afraid to network strategically. You want to connect to people who can get you jobs. “People usually invite up—people above them in hierarchy,” said a spokeswoman for LinkedIn. “When you’re talking about a professional network, quality is so important.” So if the No. 1 tactic is to connect with people who are successful, how do you make sure you’re one of their worthy connections?

There are a few approaches, according to the article. Foremost is to ask for recommendations. Job-hunter So, who quickly parlayed his connections into job offers, said that having updated recommendations with his résumé on LinkedIn was crucial to being noticed. “The only way to get recommendations is to go out and ask for it,” So said. “It’s kind of a weird system. I typically go to my bosses and peers and say, “Do you mind?”

The flipside of that system is that it behooves you to be generous. Jeremiah K. Owyang, senior analyst at Forrester Research, has watched the growth of online social media since 2005 and advises social networking users to follow an 80-20 rule. “Give information and answer questions 80 percent of the time, and 20 percent of the time ask for help,” he told the newspaper. When a contact asks for a recommendation, write it graciously and promptly. If you think that person isn’t worth a recommendation, think again about being connected to that person.

And remember the other social-networking sites, the article pointed out. If LinkedIn is the Chamber of Commerce luncheon, then Facebook is the after-hours party.  The site makes it easy to carry on a casual conversation or ask group questions.

But the social ease of Facebook makes it easy to look frivolous, all the experts warn. If you tend to overshare, people in your network will quickly learn about the breakup of your marriage or your love of Jell-O shots. So perhaps the best tip of all for online social networking would be: Keep the social separate from the networking. 

If you’re among the growing number of workers who’ve been laid off from their jobs, finding a new job will require a strategy that clearly differs from a typical search, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. Indeed, the competition may be stiffer than anything you’ve faced before, and you’ll likely be asked difficult questions about your dismissal. Knowing where to look, how you set yourself apart and what to say about your situation could mean the difference between getting a job and sinking deeper into unemployment.

A critical first step, according to the article, is to come to terms with your job loss, said Cynthia Shapiro, a career strategist in Woodland Hills, Calif., and author of “What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here.” Some people become angry, others insecure. While these reactions are normal, they can derail a job search should recruiters pick up on them. “You have to take some time to mentally regroup,” said Shapiro.

Once you’re ready to hit the pavement, consider that the wider you can look geographically, the greater your chances. To identify employers that are still hiring, start perusing local newspapers, trade magazines and business publications, advised Howard Seidel, a partner at Boston-based Essex Partners, a provider of career services. “Some [people who have lost a job] stop reading newspapers because it can get depressing,” he said. But if you keep at it, “you’ll get a feel for what companies seem to be doing OK.”

Be sure not to rule out small businesses or those in struggling industries, the article pointed out. “There are some companies that are counter-cyclical,” said Seidel. Industries like health care and education are still adding jobs. Public accounting and financial advising are also continuing to do well, although their growth is more muted.

Another important job-hunting method is to network, the article noted. Recruiters, in particular, can offer valuable insight, regardless of whether they have any search assignments that match your skill set. “They’re very close to the market and tend to have an idea of what’s happening,” Seidel explained. Additional venues for networking you may not have thought of are discussed in our webinar entitled “Supermarket – Gym – House of Worship” which is available by clicking here.

If you don’t already have relationships with recruiters, now is the time to start developing some, the article advised. Many search firms accept résumé submissions through their Web sites, which can lead to a recruiter contacting you. But you can boost your odds of success by reaching out to recruiters directly. Since they typically prefer to meet job hunters through referrals, ask former colleagues, business associates, alumni and other members of your network for an introduction to a recruiter they have a relationship with already.

Studies show that referrals lead to the most job placements, so devote the majority of your search time to networking, said Annie Stevens, managing partner at ClearRock Inc., an executive coaching and outplacement firm in Boston. Responding to job board ads also ranks high. To listen to a presentation by Bob Larson, CPC, President of Berman Larson Kane, on the subject of job board usage during your job search, please click here.

When applying, avoid expressing bitterness or self-pity. Many layoff victims send cover letters that blame the economy for job loss, said Shapiro. There’s no need to even point that out, she explained, since your résumé will state your last date of employment. Save the details about the job loss for the interview and use the cover letter to describe your strengths.

Meanwhile, show employers you’re flexible and not fussy. Keep your requests for concessions–like working only out of a particular office–to a minimum. You can work up to those perks after you’ve proven yourself in the position. But don’t go overboard. Offering to do things you really don’t want to do–such as relocate anywhere or travel up to 100 percent of the time–can turn off recruiters.

Some unemployed job hunters also hurt their chances by volunteering to take significantly lower salary than what they earned in their last job. An offer to take a pay cut of more than 20 percent can suggest to employers that you’re biding your time and would re-enter the job market in search of higher paying positions once the economy improves, Jeff Joerres, chief executive officer of outplacement firm Manpower Inc., told the newspaper.

A better strategy is to wait for the hiring manager to raise the subject of salary. If the job pays less than what you previously made, respond with a plausible reason for accepting it. For example, you might say that you recognize what’s going on in the economy and note reasons why you’re attracted to the position and the company.

Finally, prepare an explanation about what led to your layoff. And if you’re been unemployed for a long period of time and a recruiter asks why, consider pointing out that you’re being selective about your next move, said Joerres. Or you might explain that you opted to delay your search to spend time with your family or take a class, suggested Shapiro. “You have to make the last months sound like a conscious choice,” she added.