When faced with this type of question it can be easy to ramble on and get off track. For this reason, I recommend responding using the S.T.A.R. method. This means that you would begin by explaining the Situation or Task that you were faced with. Then you would articulate the Action that you personally took which aided in resolving the issue. Finally, the part that most people forget to include, is the Result of your action. What was the lasting impact?

It is difficult to predict the exact question that you might be asked. For that reason, I coach my clients to prepare a “library of examples” that they can draw from. We know the skills that most employers are looking for which I previously listed. Therefore, before the interview, think about a past time when you demonstrated each of these skills.  Think through the answer to make sure it includes a favorable situation or task, personal action and end result. Additionally, study the job description in order to identify clues of past experiences that the employer may be looking for. Based on these clues, prepare examples that showcase your experience in these areas while also demonstrating the skills I have previously listed.  By taking the time to prepare, no matter how the interviewer phrases the question, you should always have an appropriate, well thought out example to draw from.

What is the toughest behavioral based question you have even been asked? Email me at kellyolincoaching@gmail.com and I will respond with some advice on how to respond.

QR tags can be found on everything from magazine advertisements to food boxes these days and can also be a great tool for job seekers to use when branding themselves in the employment market.    A growing trend is adding a QR tag to your business or networking card which can link the recipient to more information about you such as your online portfolio, video resume or LinkedIn profile.  This allow you to share more than just your name and contact information with everyone you meet. It also helps  brand you as someone who keeps up on the latest trends and technology.

Creating a QR tag for your business card is quick and easy. There are various websites that develop these codes for free but one I have used in the past and have had success with is at http://qrcode.kaywa.com. You simply fill out a quick form with the content you want the tag to link to and the graphic is generated which you can save to your computer as a picture file.

I would love to hear your success stories using QR tags in your job search! Post your comments and questions below and I’ll do my best to respond!

“Last night, President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress to speak about job creation — one of the most crucial elements to spurring the economy and getting America’s workforce back on track. With the nation’s unemployment rate consistently hovering above nine percent, it has become more important than ever for American citizens to utilize career counseling services that assist job-seekers to make conscious career choices, identify opportunities for learning value-added workforce skills, and find a career that will lead to job satisfaction and productivity.

The National Career Development Association recently commissioned a national survey, performed in conjunction with Harris Interactive, which assessed the perceptions of today’s workforce on the effectiveness of career specialists. The feedback from the survey is very clear: career practitioners are a vital resource for the livelihood of our nation’s workforce and are underutilized relative to their potential need. Click here to learn more about NCDA’s 2011 National Survey on Working America and how career counselors are on the front lines of addressing the nation’s job-related economic issues.”

As the article states, “career practitioners are a vital resource for the livelihood of our nation’s workforce” and I feel excited and blessed for the opportunity to support my current and future clients in achieving fulfilling and productive careers which stimulate and contribute to America’s economic recovery.

God Bless America!

SMART is a well known goal setting acronym for Specific – Measurable – Attainable – Realistic  - and Timely.  However, I have my own spin on what I think the letters should stand for! Let me break it down for you:

1. Specific: So the first letter I agree with. You should avoid being vague when writing out your goals. A vague goal is like a simple sketch without any color.  Being specific allows you to paint a more detailed picture of your goal and become more emotionally attached to it. For example if I say “House” or I say “Light Blue 1920’s Dutch Colonial Home with a white picket fence” which one comes to life in your mind?  Athletes, before they compete, envision themselves performing the way they want to. They envision crossing the finish line in first place and achieving their goal, and you should too! So, set a SPECIFIC goal so you can envision yourself achieving it! Ask yourself what success will feel like? Look like? Smell like? Taste like?

1. Motivation – When goal setting I firmly believe you MUST identify your motivation! Why is it that you even want to work towards this goal? A goal without motivation is like a car without gas! What is going to “fill you up” every morning and get you on the road?  It is critically important for you to be aware of your motivation and use it to channel your energy and priority to this goal.

1. Action Oriented – Within each goal you need to have an action plan or set of steps that will get you to your goal. A goal without an actionable plan is just a wish.  And if you don’t know exactly what you need to do to achieve your goal, you will never even start the journey. For example, if your goal is it get a job by the end of the year, but you have no idea what it takes to get a job, then you really need to sit down and plot out a plan with a career coach like myself. Your goal should include specific actions such as “do X, Y and Z by A, B and C.” While keeping the end in mind is good, you MUST still layout your plan and ACT on it!

1. Accountablity – So my version of SMART goals is more like SMAART goals! I’ve added a sixth characteristic which is accountability. MOST of us are not exactly capable of holding ourselves accountable to our own goals and for this reason it is always helpful to engage others. For example, create a goal poster (which is also a motivational tool to help you envision your success when you achieve your goal) and post it on your refrigerator for everyone to see. Tell your friends, when I achieve this goal, then we get to do X.  This is an accountability structure that will help you stay on course, even when you personally just want to give up. It makes your goal larger than just you, and thus you feel more pressure to press on, even when you encounter obstacles. Good old peer pressure… harness it to your benefit!  I welcome you all to proclaim your goals to the world by posting them on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/kelly-olin-coaching-and-training#!/pages/Kelly-Olin-Coaching-and-Training/123587080997870

1. Realistic – I firmly believe it is important to raise the bar and stretch for your goals but at the same time you must be honest with yourself. Achieving a goal is simply the intersection of the effort you are willing to put in and the performance necessary in order to earn the reward.  Therefore, if the action that is required to earn the reward, and the effort you are willing to put in do not match, then you are just setting yourself up for failure.  In this case, you should adjust your goal to more appropriately match your willingness to do the work.  For example, let’s say your goal is to lose 10 pounds in one month which would require you to workout 5 times per week and diet. However based on your schedule and priorities, you are only willing to workout 3 times per week and diet on the weekends. In this case, maybe you would want to adjust your goal to losing only 4 pounds within the month, or keep it to losing 10 pounds, but adjust the timeframe to 2 or 3 months. Make sense?

1. Timely: Goals need to have quantifiable parameters. One vital parameter is time. What is your timeline for achieving your goal? What are the measureable steps along the way and by when must you complete each of them in order to say on track? In addition to time, you should have other measurable parameters in order to track your progress.  Have you ever heard the expression “what get’s measured get’s done”? Well it’s the truth!

So there you have it! My version of SMART goals! Remember, the first step to moving towards what you want is defining what success even is! I would love to hear from you and I can’t wait to see all your goals posted on my facebook page. Let’s get going!

Kelly

A video resume, also known as a video profile or video cover letter, is a 1 minute video “commercial” about you and why you would be an excellent employee. It is not a laundry list of your accomplishments or work history like a traditional resume, but rather it touches on your most notable professional achievements and gives the employer a sample of your personality and communication skills. Although I believe video resumes are helpful for professionals in all functions, they are especially effective when communication skills are sought out in a candidate, such as in sales, public relations, and customer service positions.

There are two ways to create a video resume. Of course you could hire a video production company and pay upwards of $300 to have them shoot and edit your video. However if you are the “do it yourself” type you can always download some free video editing software and record it with your own camera. If you don’t know where to start, HiredMYWay.com has a great video tutorial on how to do this. They also have examples you can watch in order to get ideas for developing your own.

Finally, once you have your video resume complete, make sure you upload it to a website like YouTube or a job board so you have a public link you can direct employers to. Include this web link on your paper resume, cover letter, email signature, LinkedIn profile and business cards. Get it out there for everyone to see!

Follow Up with an Email Right Away: While you are fresh in your connection’s mind, make sure you shoot them an email. For example, if you met during the day, email them that evening. Or if you met at an evening event, email them first thing in the morning. In the email, mention something you discussed or had in common. This will help them to remember who you are and will also let them know you took the time to send them a personalized message and not some canned email you send everyone. Furthermore, make sure you suggest a next step. If they are a recruiter you just met, the next step could be asking them for a formal interview and attaching your resume to the email. If they are a recruiter that you just had a phone interview with, the next step could be a formal on-site interview or simply that you look forward to hearing back from them by X date that they indicated. Finally, if they are an industry connection, often a next step is to invite them to meet for coffee to get to know one another better.

The “And Then Some” In an age filled with e-mails, texts and social networking, following up with a hand written thank you note on professional, personalized stationary can make you stand out. A thank you email is a requirement, but the written card really shows you are interested and willing to go above and beyond.

Be politely persistent not pesty! There is a thin line between impressing the recruiter with your persistence and annoying them. Future correspondence with a recruiter beyond the thank you email and letter will depend on the expectations set by them. Politely ask when you can expect to hear back from them regarding next steps and follow up accordingly.  For example, if they say they will get back to you on Monday, and you don’t hear back from them by then, give them a 2 day grace period before you send them a follow up email on Wednesday. Often times you don’t hear back from recruiters because they are traveling or waiting on approvals from other parties, not  because they forgot about you. If you don’t hear back after your first follow up email, then I would recommend waiting one more week and then sending another email.  If they don’t respond after this email I would guess the response is not favorable and move on. If you want to be super thorough you could always wait one month and send one last email but the more time that passes the more likely you will never get a response.  

To Call or not to Call? Whether to follow up with a phone call depends on the culture of the company and the rapport you have with they recruiter.  Often smaller companies are more informal and willing to accept and appreciate a follow up phone call. Larger, more bureaucratic companies with many more applicants for each position might not be as appreciative. Furthermore younger professionals prefer communicating via email while the Baby Boomers more often appreciate a phone call. Adapt your follow up technique to fit your audience.

Track your Follow Up: Be sure to keep track of your communication with your contacts so you don’t accidentally follow up with someone too often, duplicate messages or neglect to follow up at all. I recommend keeping a chart with the name of each connection, the date and subject of each correspondence and the expected response timeline. This way you can keep all of your correspondence straight and not let any opportunities fall between the cracks.

In conclusion, your follow up skills can honestly make or break your professional relationships. They communicate your level of professionalism, dependability, confidence, maturity and more.  Take the time to hone your skills in this area and I promise you will see an improvement in your job search success.

Still need more help?  Setup a free 30 minute coaching session with me to discuss your situation in detail!

Happy Job Hunting!

Kelly Olin, MHRLR, CPC

Certified Career Coach and Trainer

(Blog contributions by Gabi Jaye)

1. Golf ROI: Is it worth the cost? Golf is a super expensive and time consuming game when all is said in done. Getting a nice set of clubs, booking a tee time at a nice course and enjoying snacks and beverages while playing all adds up to be one expensive day. Furthermore,  an average game of golf takes between four to five hours for 18 holes. That’s a lot of time! Many advocates of the business deal and golf theory argue that this time allows for schmoozing a client in order to seal the deal. Tee to Green Guides reports that most of the golf population earns a high income salary and is a baby boomer. So… is it worth it? I recommend considering this questions before you enroll in lessons. Especially if the sport is not something you find particularly enjoyable in the first place. A good resource to start with could be a more senior peer in your organization. Ask them if they feel golf has been a valuable tool in their role.  Also consider where you want to take your career. Do you plan on moving into a sales role where golf could be more valuable? Do you plan on starting your own company where swinging the clubs with potential clients could be an asset? Or do you enjoy working within a corporate entity where social interaction outside the workplace is not encouraged? Think about where you want to be 5 plus years down the road and then determine if golf can help you get there before you make the investment.
2. Golf + Women = Do we get the Same Business Results? It’s not exactly a hidden fact that golf is a male-dominated sport. According to Tee to Green Guides golfer demographic research, those that play 8 to 24 rounds of golf per year are 70 percent male with an average age of 44.5 years of age. The 30 percent of women that make up the rest of this portion exceed men in age with an average age of 53 – probably more retirees than businesswomen! Based on these facts, it seems that up and coming young business women do not have a dominant place in the golf world. Many of my female social media followers and clients have expressed dissatisfaction when it comes to golf and business. Often even if they do know how to play golf, they are passed over when golf opportunities arise.  Do women have to walk around promoting their golf game? Must they wear a sign around their neck saying ”I golf and I’m good”? Please don’t let this discourage you if you are a young woman. Learning the game of golf could be a differentiating factor in your career and earn you great face time with “the old boys club”! Just don’t expect the invitations to come pouring in once you buy a shiny new set of clubs. You will probably have to do some due diligence to make your interest in golf known within your company.
3. Is Golf Just for Sales People? The sales field often requires face-to-face interaction. Therefore, golf is a logical game in order to make the sale. You’re in a cart with another individual for hours in nice weather sipping drinks and enjoying each others’ company. This environment is ideal for sales. If you’re not in sales, golf has a more indirect impact on your career, but an impact none the less. Rather than closing business transactions on the course you could be networking for the next promotion or career opportunity regardless of what role you fill in the organization. The club house is oftentimes filled with hot shots from different companies. Being a golfer gives you common thread to strike up a conversation with influential people and see what opportunities these conversations may lead to.
4. If not Golf, than what? If after reading this article you are not convinced that the investment in golf is worth your while, then consider these alternative career development actions.
   1. If you are needing to entertain a client, an alternatives to a round of golf could be a simple dinner or cocktail hour. Even if you go to a nice restaurant with drinks, food, appetizers…etc. your bill will more likely be less expensive than if you had golfed.  You also have the ability of sitting at a table with numerous people instead of being divided into groups of four in separate carts. This kind of entertaining also allows you to me more inclusive of all type of clients including women or those who are not golf enthusiasts.
   2. Cater your sales outings to a client’s personal hobbies in order to show your interest and enthusiasm in them. For example, if the client likes the water, take them sailing or to a nautical themed restaurant. Or if they are into basketball, take them to a professional game. Spend precious time doing something that your client enjoys and that you can too
   3. Get to know your client’s family. People love talking about their children and spouses.  Ask your client about their family and share deals about yours. This allows you to see each other as real people and not just professional connections. Invite a client and his family over for a BBQ or get together with your spouses for a nice evening out. Your client might appreciate the fact that you are interested in their personal life as well as their professional clout.
   4. Teach them something new. Let’s say your client doesn’t have a favorite hobby. Why not get you both out of your comfort zone and try something new. Sharing new experiences with people establishes a bond and something special you both share together. No matter how the outing goes, you and your client will forever share an experience and always have something to talk about!

In Conclusion…
I’m not here to argue that golf does not have a substantial impact on business deals and therefore one’s career development, because it can. But the purpose of this article is to challenge you to critically analyze your investment in the sport before you jump on the band wagon with the perceived guarantee of an ROI. Why not revamp the way we seal the deal instead of picking the same sport for every deal? What kind of impact do you think golf has on business? We would love to hear from you so share your comments below and keep this conversation going!

All in all, the chances are not in your favor. It’s nothing you are doing wrong. It’s not that something is wrong with your resume or your qualifications; it’s simply the fact that everyone and their brother have applied for that same job, regardless of their qualifications. What makes matters worse is that the Internet has given us the luxury of applying for a job with the click of your mouse. This world has turned into one where as long as you have a computer, you can apply for any job out there.

This has its ups and downs. Although job board sites have made it easier to spread the word about job openings, they’ve also made it harder for employers to filter through thousands of applicants and choose the appropriate one. According to the article, “Online job postings rarely a direct line to employment” by the Denver Post, there are three major problems with these job board sites. First, the job post listed for a company may not even be current. Second, a company may already have an applicant in mind for the job they are advertising. Lastly, companies sometimes post jobs for positions they’re simply thinking about creating. But personally, I would like to add the most important fact of all: even if the job posting is legit, with literally hundreds of applicants, company’s blatantly do not have the manpower to sift through all the applications to find yours. It is the luck of the draw that your application event gets viewed!

Furthermore, the  Denver Post article also reported results from a December survey the Corporate Executive Board Co. conducted, that  “24% of corporate recruiters said they planned to decrease the use of third-party employment websites and job boards in 2011.” According to CareerXroads, the publisher of the popular directory that reviews online job sites, their 2002 study found that only 1.4% of hires were made through Monster.com, .39% from Hotjobs.com, and .29% from CareerBuilder.com” … and this was back in 2002 when there were far less job seekers flooding these boards!The fact is, the confidence of applicants on these sites is rightfully poor.  Roughly 70% of those that participated in a poll conducted by CNBC said that they do not believe these sites are good places to find jobs and that they do not know anyone that has been successful with them.

I will always recommend that networking, a referral and immediate contact with the company of your interest is the best approach to take when it comes to searching for jobs. However, if you are adamant about finding a job online, there is a new job board in town that has had some promising initial results – HiredMyWay.com. This job board is different because it filters applicants through a token system which discourages job seekers to apply for jobs that they are not qualified for. Even better, you can track the status of your application and you even get at $100 signing bonus if you land the job.  This strategic solution could be the next big thing in online job sites.
So get your face out there and don’t make the Internet your first go-to when it comes to job hunting. Use your communication skills to your fullest advantage. No one will remember what your job board user-name is, but your smiling face and personality will stick in an employers mind.

Happy Job Hunting!

Kelly Olin, MHRLR, CPC
(Blog Contributions by Gabi Jaye)

Editing your résumé and submitting a job application might be some of the easier parts of the job searching process. But the potential of an actual interview lingers in your mind the moment your type you name on the job application. Are you qualified? How will you communicate what you have to offer? What if they don’t like me? And a million other questions are buzzing through your head as if someone just rattled a bee hive. Take a deep breath and relax!  Here are a couple of tricks that can help you calm these jitters and show ‘em what you are made of!

1. Know Yourself! This is the time of your life where people expect you to have it all figured out, or at least sound like to you do! With all of this pressure, take a deep breath and look inside yourself. As a certified career coach, I constantly find myself working with experienced professionals in career transition who wish they had taken this advice back when they were in their early twenties. But better late than never! So here are three basic exercises to help you “dig deep”.

1. Identify your core values. On my website, www.kellyolincoaching.com, you can download my values assessment for free under the “Resources” tab.  This exercise will force you to narrow down your core life values. These values should be the ones you uphold every day and will give you a good indication of how you subliminally desire to live your life in current stage. Your values are something that should shine through to the interviewer so make sure you know what they are!   
2. Become aware of your top 3 strengths and weaknesses. Prepare how you would deliver the answer if asked what they were. Think of examples when you have demonstrated your strengths and the lessons you have learned from your weaknesses. If you have trouble deciding what your strengths and weaknesses are, take a quick poll of your friends, family and co-workers and see what they say. It could enlighten you to a talent you never realized you had!
3. Ask yourself, why do you want this job? Is it in line with your values and strengths? What about it gets you excited? Be prepared to answer this popular question if the recruiter asks. When you fully get to know yourself, you will confidently understand what job or career you want and why you want it.

2. Research! Whether you are a biologist, journalist, business person…etc. every job position requires research. Researching before a job interview is like studying for a test, you’re only going to nail it if you’re well prepared. Major companies almost always have some sort of website. Explore it, read the “about us” and “press room” and study up! Type the company name into a news search engine like Google, or better yet, set up a Google Alert so you get frequent updates on the company and industry. Another key piece of advice is to search your LinkedIn contacts to see if you know anyone who works at the company and can give you some inside advice. Not only will research provide you good insight going into the interview, but will allow you to craft insightful, company and industry related questions that will impress the interviewer.

3. Practice. Warning: I’m about to cite the most over-used cliché but, “practice DOES make perfect!” You would never just jump into playing a sport without practicing! Maybe you could hold your own for a little while, but the people that go the farthest are the ones who commit to practice. There are a couple ways I suggest practicing for a job interview. The first “do-it yourself” way is by giving yourself a mock interview. You can do this by calling your phone and leaving yourself a voicemail while answering a list of top interview questions to hear how you respond. Or better yet, record yourself answering these questions using your computer’s web cam. No matter how much you think about your response, it really makes a difference saying your response out loud and will give you the confidence you need going into your interview. If you don’t know if you are answering the questions properly or need more support in this area, I also suggest that you schedule a more structured mock interview which I can certainly help you out with as a certified career coach. I can even record your interview so that you can playback your own responses and critique yourself and monitor your progress. If a mock interview sounds too scary, I also offer individual interview coaching sessions where I can help you craft and rehearse your questions in a more laid back fashion. More information on both of these services can be found on www.kellyolincoaching.com under “Coaching”.

4. Reduce Stress. Don’t let the pre-interview jitters get to you! You are a confident, well prepared candidate so feel good about everything that has gotten you up to this point and let your true personality shine through during the interview.  Easier said, than done, right? Well, it never hurts to utilize some stress reduction techniques as well. First, start by taking a few deep breaths and engaging in prayer or meditation. In the article “Tips for Reducing Stress” by WebMD, the author recommends keeping a positive attitude and accepting that there are things in your life you can’t control. Other tips to keep your stress levels down despite all that you have going on is to exercise regularly, get 8 to 10 hours of sleep and practice a healthy diet. Learn to communicate frustrations effectively instead of getting angry and practice good time-management. Plan your interview day well in advance so you are not rushed. The last thing you need is to arrive for your interview 5 minutes late due to traffic or something else and be flustered before the questions even begin.

Finally, remember that whether you nail the interview or not, it’s all a part of a learning experience. Life doesn’t guarantee the success of every opportunity but it does offer a life lesson from every hurdle it throws at you.

I know you can do it!

Kelly Olin, MHRLR, CPC

Certified Coach and Trainer

(Blog Contributions by Gabi Jaye)

Your “why” is the engine in your career race car. Understand and fuel it and you will be a speed demon – ignore it and you may stall out for no apparent reason. Often times, when our current professional roles do not fit our “why” we find ourselves unhappy and discouraged in our positions, yet don’t realize where the gap lies. Furthermore, understanding your “why” can help you better define your overarching values, priorities, goals and eventually help you develop a more strategic action plan to achieve your personal and professional ideals.  Here are the three main buckets that most peoples’ “whys” will fall into.

1. Social Status: We are in the midst of a society where social status is everything. A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that cash and social status are processed in the same part of the brain. This part of the brain views both money and status as a reward, with the latter sometimes weighing out the former. We are constantly glamorized by reality shows that highlight the lives of the rich and the famous. Repeated messages like these emphasize the need and want to be on top. It is natural to associate privilege and preference with those that hold high positions at companies. Getting a title like “CEO” or “President” has a positive connotation. Are you running after a title? When you take a step back, what are you having to give up for that quest? Ask yourself, is it worth it?

2. Money:  For our entire lives, we are taught to strive for the “American Dream.” Everyone wants a white picket fence and the whole shah-bang. But with the tough economic times, getting to that dream becomes harder. According to a study by Princeton economist Angus Deaton and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, the generated income that results in the most happiness is $75,000. They found that beyond that point, people gain more material stuff but plateau at the happiness level. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average median household income for Michigan between 2008 and 2009 was $47,796.50. This is a considerably lower amount that the so-called “happiness” level. Maybe money has become associated with happiness. Money provides a security blanket to those in a state suffering from economic hardship.  How does your household income compare? What do you perceive that more money will provide you? Think big and long term. Will those things truly serve your purpose in life?

3. Personal Growth: Climbing the ladder may have nothing to do with money or social status. Some just enjoy and appreciate the climb. We meet all kinds of people and undergo all types of experiences during our lives. A career is just one of those avenues that allows our spectrum of people and places to be broadened. Monetary and status rewards may be perks to the growth one experiences during their time in the workplace. Personal growth can also enable you to figure out who you are, why you are there and what you are meant to do. A lot of soul-searching is intended for those in this category. According to LIVESTRONG.com, a sense of clarity is added to life once personal growth is achieved. A sense of peacefulness and responsibility can result from personal development. It’s like Yoga for the brain! How are you currently flexing your mind? Are you challenging yourself daily to learn and grow?

Whatever category your “why” falls under, if any, just remember to stop and think why you are making the climb. No reward can be greater than being self-aware of your own goals and dreams.

Need help defining your why or adjusting your career to fit your why? I’d love to hear from you!

Until Next Time,
Kelly Olin, MHRLR, CPC

(Blog contributions by Gabi Jaye)