By Lynda Reeves, Marketing Promotions Coordinator, Career Professionals of Canada

If you are getting ready for a most enticing interview opportunity, there are some very important things about yourself you must know – and be able to articulate in an assured and positive manner.

Whatever role you hold, from homemaker to corporate executive, you should always be prepared to portray yourself and your achievements clearly, concisely, and honestly. In every situation you have encountered, there are nuggets of benefits, learnings, and successes. Your challenge is to recall them and describe them in the most favourable light possible. If you carefully think through your answers to some of the more common questions and put them in writing, you will solidify your goals and develop a rehearsal script to prepare for your interview.

The answers you give must always reflect what you can offer to fill the needs of the company or companies you are targeting! If potential employers only hear “I…” “I…” “I…” and a laundry list of what you are looking for, you will be seen as self -serving. Whether in writing or in person, your responses have to demonstrate a genuine interest in the role you want and a belief that you are just the person to fill it best.

Your interviewer is likely to ask some of the following questions. Construct upbeat and honest answers and then practice them to deliver your responses smoothly.

1) Tell us about yourself.

We usually hear this asked at the beginning of an interview. It is perhaps one of the toughest questions and the one that is most important if you hope to position yourself as a top contender for the role. What makes this difficult is that it is hard for many of us to brag. We’ve been brought up to be humble when talking about ourselves. Now is NOT the time to be shy! Prepare a short organized statement about yourself. Think about what you have to offer this employer. Discuss only the most important features that you need to promote. Also, highlight a bit of your personality. Consider the positive features you see in people that you admire. Chances are the things you like and respect in others are the very ones you possess. Are you: Friendly and outgoing? Easy to talk to? Precise, detailed, and organized? It is most important to set yourself apart from the others.

2) Why are you interested in a career move?

If you find yourself thinking, “because I hate my old job,” “to make more money ”or “I want better hours,” try to bring a more positive tone to the table. Never talk about what you want. Share what appeals to you about the new field in a positive manner. If you thoroughly dislike your current job, for instance, rather than focusing on that, discuss what you feel intrigues you about the job for which you are applying. Think about the challenges you would like to have in a new role and what you would you love to be able to do. Maybe it is something as simple as wanting more variety and working closely with other people instead of being isolated.

3) What would your current and past managers say about you?

Your response to the employer should always reflect a positive tone. Never speak poorly of past managers or bosses. Whether you are feeling on top of the world or slightly disheartened, the exercise of reflecting on the many good impressions you have made over time can be a most reaffirming one. Ask yourself: How have your bosses described you? What are some of the good things they mentioned informally or in writing? When have you received some accolades or have been acknowledged even in the smallest of ways? In your answer, include a strong example of what you have done to get the positive commendation.

4) How would your peers or customers describe you?

This is similar to number 3 above, although it may be harder to pinpoint. When managers put positive remarks in a performance evaluation, you have something to relate to; but fellow employees and clientele are less likely to have written flattering notes in appreciation of your actions. Recall some of the best experiences you have had with your peers and customers. Ask yourself: What did they say that helped you feel valued and appreciated? What did you do to prompt such a reaction from them? In relating this to the interviewer, indicate what they said and give a tangible example of what you did to garner their praise.

When preparing for your interview, list 10 accomplishments of which you are very proud. Ten you say? Ten!? Yes. In an average interview, you are likely to receive a number of questions and you will not want to repeat your replies.

You may easily be able to come up with three recent achievements. For example, you may recall the way you intervened the other day when two people appeared to be on the verge of fisticuffs. Or maybe you remember how your suggestion saved the company $10,000. Jot down a list. Then, flesh each item out with measurable descriptions. Include the actions you took and the benefit to your department or company.

If you are having difficulty recalling your successes, review your most recent résumé, job evaluation, or position description. Look for “thank you” notes, certificates of achievement, and similar acknowledgement that you may have received over your career and life. If you are a new graduate, get out your latest report card and look through your course descriptions. If you are returning to the workforce from a lengthy absence, contemplate any volunteer work you have done. By thinking through all your experiences, you’ll be surprised at how many more examples you can add!

This exercise is just one of many approaches you can take to ensuring a successful job interview. Whatever your preferred route to career success, you don’t have to do it alone! There are many career professionals available in Canada who can help you with marketing yourself to best advantage.

Lynda Reeves is Marketing Promotions Coordinator of Career Professionals of Canada. Lynda supports various organizations in the areas of Resume Writing and Marketing. You can contact Lynda directly lyndar.cpc@sympatico.ca.

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By Daisy Wright, CDPC, BA, CPS

Do you know anyone who is afraid of talking about himself, afraid to blow his own horn? I am not referring to a narcissistic person who believes he is the ‘greatest thing since sliced bread’. I mean someone who is reluctant to let others know about his on-the-job or personal successes.

Talking about oneself tends to conjure up images of conceit, self-centredness, egotism, and the like. It’s especially difficult when so many of us have been conditioned to believe that it is wrong to call attention to ourselves. On the contrary, it’s when we don’t that opportunities pass us by. A chance for promotion eludes us because we believe the boss already knows what we can do.

I remember in grade school if someone started talking about himself and how great he was, we would tell him that “self-praise is no recommendation”. That expression taught us to wait for others to shower us with praise – to wait on others to give us permission to acknowledge our accomplishments. We become adults and we find it difficult to acknowledge the role we played in the success of an event or a project. We sit back and watch others claim our successes because we are too afraid to speak up. In fact, even when others commend us for a job well done, we become embarrassed and downplay our role by saying “it’s all a part of the job.”

Taking credit for your accomplishments, in or outside the workplace, is not bragging. It’s admitting to yourself that you played an important role just like the others on the team. If you don’t take the credit, somebody else will.

Time and again, I hear clients downplay their contributions because “it’s all a part of the job”. One man told me he had interviewed for a manager’s position last year with his employer, a leading telecommunications company, and did not get the job. When he asked for feedback, he was told that he did not sell himself well. In other words, he did not blow his horn loud enough. When I asked him why he did not promote himself in the interview, he said the director knew him and knew what he could do. That’s a passive approach to take during an interview. He was too modest and believed if he had called attention to his achievements he would have been labelled egocentric.

Another client invented a safety product, which his company sold exclusively to a major home renovations company, and for which the company obtained a patent. When asked if he was recognized for the invention, he said “No, because it was all a part of the job”. He did not claim his success because he it was simply all a part of the job. To him, it was no big deal but to the company it was a big deal as it continues to reap huge financial rewards.

I advise people – clients and others who will listen – that modesty has its place, but if they don’t blow their own horns, no one will know they are coming. The candidate who knows how to blow her horn without being obnoxious is the one who will move ahead. So, the next time the boss asks you to state what you have accomplished over the past year, be prepared to confidently blow your horn and claim your successes without appearing conceited.

Daisy Wright is President of The Wright Career Solution. She is an employment coach and professional resume writer who helps individuals improve their employability and enhance their self-esteem through effective career coaching strategies. She can be reached via email at info@thewrightcareer.com or by website – www.thewrightcareer.com.

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By Daisy Wright, CDPC, BA, CPS

How many times have you said to yourself?

“I would like to find a new job, BUT I am too old.”

“I would like to enrol in a class, BUT I don’t have anyone to look after little Mary.”

“I would really like a pay raise, BUT my boss will just say no.”

“I would like to change careers, BUT I am afraid it might not work out.”

“I would like to start my own business, BUT I don’t have the money.”

“I hate my job, BUT if I leave it I won’t be able to make the same amount of money.”

“I would like to … BUT my (friends, coworkers, family, spouse, kids) keep telling me I would be crazy to do such a thing.”

Can you relate to any of those? What’s getting in the way? The big ‘BUTs’ – no pun intended. Everywhere you turn, there’s a ‘but’ that stops you in your tracks. These ‘buts’ are your fears that tell you that you don’t have the time, the money, the education, the nerve, or the skills. These ‘buts’ tell you that you should stick to the evil you know of and not venture into the unknown. These ‘buts’ cripple you and prevent you from going after your dreams.

The biggest of these ‘buts’ is FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real. You are afraid of what people might say. You are afraid to put one foot in front of the other just in case you might reach somewhere. You are afraid to take a leap of faith in your endeavours. You are afraid to fail, and in some cases, you might be afraid to succeed! Do you see the power that fear has? It has gripped you so fiercely that you hang on to the same job day after day even though it no longer gives you the satisfaction it once did.

The other big ‘but’ is the negative self-talk you engage in. Have you ever listened to some of the things you say to yourself? “Duh … what a ditz I am. I can’t do it. I’ll never be able to have that. I don’t deserve a raise. It’s my fault. Here I go again, making a fool of myself. They didn’t like me. I didn’t get the job because I am too old.” and on and on it goes. While you are wallowing in self-pity, you meet one other negative person who, in the name of sympathy, agrees with every word you are saying about yourself. That’s destructive behaviour!

One of these days when you are having such a conversation with yourself, try this little exercise. Write down everything you are saying or thinking. At the end, pretend you are telling your friend what you told yourself. “Duh … what a ditz you are! You can’t do it. You’ll never be able to make it. You don’t deserve the raise. It’s your fault. Here you go again, making a fool of yourself. They don’t like you. You didn’t get the job because you are too old.” Wow! Would you really say those things to your friend? If not, why are you saying them to yourself

You need to change that mindset. You cannot allow fear and negative self-talk to cripple you and prevent you from moving forward with an idea or a decision. If you set your heart on engaging in negative self-talk, consistently allowing the ‘buts’ to get in the way of your dreams, you are destined to remain where you are. Instead, ask yourself, “What if I moved forward in spite of my fears? What if I take a chance?” You could surprise yourself and succeed!

I have known many people (including me) who have been able to clear some of the ‘buts’ out of our way and move forward in spite of our fears. We were once where you are. At every turn we saw the ‘buts’, but never allowed them to thwart our progress. It took faith; it took belief in self and it took encouragement from positive-minded people

Surround yourself with positive-minded people who will encourage you to follow your dreams. It’s okay to listen to the naysayers, but continue moving confidently in the direction of your dreams, anyway

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt

Daisy Wright is President of The Wright Career Solution. She is an employment coach and professional resume writer who helps individuals improve their employability and enhance their self-esteem through effective career coaching strategies. She can be reached via email at info@thewrightcareer.com or by website – www.thewrightcareer.com.

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By Laura Macro

At this new century unfolds, there is a business imperative for continuous learning supported by both employers, and employees. As ‘baby boomers’ retire from the workforce; as the pace of change accelerates through globalization, technology advancements, and restructuring; as the workplace becomes more complex and timelines more rushed, there is an urgent need for the development of future leaders and effective contributors.

Therefore, asking an employer for sponsorship of professional development is a win/win request

Tips on asking employer to sponsor professional development and/or education:

1. Know your value. You know the contribution you are making within the organization. You know your role well, and you know from performance reviews or feedback how your contribution is perceived. You know whether your request is for future development or skill building of a remedial nature. Know your future plans, and link your request to increasing your value in future within the organization. Be clear about the benefits that will accrue from this professional development.

2. Understand your employer’s motivators for supporting continuous learning and having a skilled workforce. What problem is your employer trying to solve? What is the essential task and how does your work contribute to this focus? What added value will you bring to this focus through professional development? What are the business priorities that will have your employer supporting your ongoing learning?

3. Advocate for yourself. Believe in your right and responsibility to ask for formal learning opportunities. You are in charge of your career, whether you are in the early stages or whether you are looking at how you might transition out to the next phase of your career. You are in integrity if you know how your enhanced contribution will benefit your employer now, even if you are ultimately moving on. Know why specifically you will bring added value.

4. Understand the process. Find out what is in the budget for professional development for you. Who makes the decisions? What is the timeline for decision? What information is required for you to present to your employer to support your request? How have decisions been made in the past?

5. Negotiate. Be prepared to trade off some professional development that has already been approved with your preferred choice. Be prepared to negotiate for a portion of the enrolment fee if your employer won’t pay the full fee. Be prepared to invest in yourself as well as putting the request to your employer.

Laura Macro is partner and leadership coach at Soulzatwork Leadership for WomenTM. An active member of Career Professionals of Canada she is an advisor on the Organizational Development team, the Certified Interview Strategist Team, and the Certified Career Strategist Team.

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By Bill Caswell

Who among us doesn’t want a satisfying job?  But most of us feel we have to compromise along the way for one reason or another.  The most common obstacle arises from being under financial and emotional pressure to accept the first half-decent job that comes along.  Other barriers include: the realization that finding a new career is not an easy task; being too busy earning to spend time looking, etc.   But the rewards of a satisfying job are immense – too large to ignore.  You owe it to yourself to be very selective in your job search.  Job satisfaction is more than just an ideal; it is an achievable necessity.

You don’t have to Compromise

When career counsellors work with people in assessing their desired career directions, the counsellors should always aim for the highest possible position consistent with the person’s abilities.  Who would want anything less?  As will be shown below, you don’t have to compromise.

The Advantages on the Job

When you get a satisfying job, a lot of good things start to happen:

• Firstly, you work well and tend to do the job better
• The career is more interesting and challenging
• It makes use of your abilities
• The atmosphere is more stimulating
• You gain recognition and job stature increases
• You might more likely be the one asked to travel
• New job opportunities are more apt to arise
• You stand to be offered more responsibility
• Leadership growth can be a natural outcome
• Your salary is more likely to be better
• Your self-confidence increases

Setting up for an Ideal Job

The above “Advantages” give obvious reasons for pursuing the ideal job, but, many people, being buffeted around during their earlier career searches (before enlisting the aid of a career coaching firm), are very ready to compromise.  No need.  Here’s why.

Finding an Ideal Career

While most people know want they want to do, there are some who have no idea.  If you don’t know what you want to do, the process, although offering a little more challenge, is still the same – the selection and targeting of an ideal job.  While no situation will be the same as yours, we can illustrate a few CCI examples.  Mark M. a mathematician, after a career in academia in the U.S. knew he wanted a change – but not to what.  Today he is employed by a leading high tech company in Waterloo as a junior patent agent in a job that “is extremely invigorating; I never felt so alive in a job in my life!”  Mike D, a PhD. in particle physics knew he would be hard-pressed to find work in his city of choice since it was without a particle accelerator. Presently he thrives in Ottawa in a new-age environmental firm as Chief Research Scientist. Dave D., a former senior bureaucrat with a degree in agriculture, now employed as the Chief Operating Officer of a municipality in Manitoba, says: “I want to thank your team for your sensible, sensitive and practical guidance”.  A reasonable goal is not beyond anyone’s reach.

Conclusion

Finding an ideal job is not an easy task; but it is possible, and, we feel, probable – as long as you start off in the right direction by having a professional in your corner.  An ideal job lifts your personal self-esteem and allows you to become a better, more enjoyable, person, which often is reflected throughout your life, including your home.

Good luck and good hunting.

Bill Caswell is principal consultant at Career Coaching International. You can connect with Bill at www.ccinternational.ca.

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