EVENTS

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NEXT WEEK’s Event: CLOSING THE DEAL-Interview STRATEGIES…Thursday, February 20th@ 9AM at The Egg and I Restaurant

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Based on some awkward Egg and I logistics we will be returning to our regular time slot of THURSDAY MORNINGS and slightly changing our start time to 8:45 AM.  So, this coming week… Thursday, February 20th, we will focus on Interview concepts and strategies, including MoneySpeak and interviewing–including a PRE-Offer Negotiation Approach.  This stuff is worth your practice time in anticipation of that terrific offer you’ll get!

We meet at The Egg and I Restaurant (NW Quadrant of Arapaho and Montfort) in Addison.

Come prepared to work on YOUR most difficult or challenging interview issues.

As it is important to be prepared for pre-mature discussion of salary…

“He who mentions money FIRST, loses!”

When an offer is extended to you, you should feel prepared to respond appropriately AND consider optimizing the package offered.

Who should attend?

  1. Those who want to perform more effectively in actual interviews–get to the offer!
  2. Those seeking a systematic, focused, more predictable way to conduct any interview and discussion of salary;
  3. “Regulars” who need a ‘booster shot.’… and bring a guest;
  4. New Comers and tire kickers… this is a great session with which to supplement your job search effectiveness!
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THIS Week’s Workshop: Turning OPPORTUNITIES Into INTERVIEWS… Wednesday, February 12th @ 8:45 AM at The Egg and I Restaurant

Wednesday, February 12th,  we’ll focus on telephone skills/ scripting, call reluctance, and appropriate follow-up… all wrapped around your ‘value proposition’ for a specific job.  This is a significant re-working of the significant strategies and models for this Core Topic… and a good place for new comers to start with DFWCAREERPILOT.

We meet  at The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison, located 1 block east of the Dallas North Tollway. See Map on the right ==>

GETTING TO The Interviews…

Most interviews follow a predictable format, with logical steps that both the interviewer and applicant follow to decide if both will benefit from working together. The best interviews are ones in which both participants are equal and have a mutually beneficial, interactive conversation regarding the opportunity at hand.

Think of an interview as the natural extension, the successful result of your effective networking. In fact, many networking conversations actually become screening interviews, where influential contacts are assessing your qualifications, skill sets and experience relative to an opportunity at hand. “Perfect practice” of the basics builds the confidence necessary to perform well in formal job interviews. Let’s break down the basics into four areas…

1. Pre-contact preparation/ research,

2. Greeting and rapport,

3. Questions/answers, and …

4. Meeting closure.

All four stages are equally important and deserve your consideration and preparation.

 Research the company/position

Second level research will help you to identify attractive companies. But, this is third level (in-depth) research. Learn as much as possible about the company, the position and the individual who will be conducting the interview. Your research goals ought to include developing information about the company’s products, people, organizational structure, successes (and failures), profits (and losses), capital spending, strategic plans, philosophy and labor climate. Showing your knowledge of some of this information can give you added credibility over other candidates interviewing for the job.

 Use the following research strategies:

  •  Research the company web site, looking for information relative to your function and level… a company’s financial and annual reports can provide clues to their stability and market share. Don’t forget directories, trade journals, the “business press,” and databases of articles and other news.
  • Ask a friendly recruiter, business acquaintance or stockbroker what they know about the company… and by extension, call people with whom you have networked and ask what they know about the company and/or individual conducting the interview.
  • Check with the local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau.
  • Call the company directly; request a sales brochure, annual report or other company information. Companies have to market themselves, too, you know!

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Come prepared to practice your telephone presence.   YOUR “PRE-session HOMEWORK” is to increase your first level contact list on LinkedIn by TEN NEW individuals… and add ONE NEW GROUP to those you have already chosen.

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NEXT WEEK’s Workshop: Turning OPPORTUNITIES Into INTERVIEWS… Wednesday, February 12th @ 8:45 AM at The Egg and I Restaurant

Please SHARE this Post with a friend or two that you think may benefit from the information and interaction…

Wednesday, February 12th,  we’ll focus on telephone skills/ scripting, call reluctance, and appropriate follow-up… all wrapped around your ‘value proposition’ for a specific job.  This is a significant re-working of the significant strategies and models for this Core Topic… and a good place for new comers to start with DFWCAREERPILOT.

We meet  at The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison, located 1 block east of the Dallas North Tollway. See Map on the right ==>

Come prepared to practice your telephone presence.   YOUR “PRE-session HOMEWORK” is to increase your first level contact list on LinkedIn by TEN NEW individuals… and add ONE NEW GROUP to those you have already chosen.

 Who should attend this workshop?

  1. Those who might ask… HOW do I break through my ‘call reluctance?’
  2. Those seeking a systematic, focused, more predictable way to perform well in their job search;
  3. “Regulars” who need a ‘booster shot.’… and bring a guest;
  4. New Comers and tire kickers… this is a great session to supplement your job search effectiveness with!
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NEXT Week’s Workshop: Implementing Your Personal Marketing Plan… Wednesday, February 5th, 8:45 AM @ The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison

This session provides an excellent OVERVIEW of our 12 step Process to regulars and new comers alike.  Our focus is on effective time management to create focus and efficiency in job search efforts.  We’ll be rolling in OPTIMIZING your LinkedIn usage.

Who Should Attend?

  1. Anyone who wants to create a strategic plan for the rest of their working life… job changes will occur!
  2. Job seekers who find themselves in a rut…rapidly crashing into the black hole of depression
  3. Any job seeker looking to create focus within their search efforts
  4. Any professional to give substance to their next steps
  5. Newcomers to DFWCareerpilot… including tire-kickers

Please SHARE this post with your friends.

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NEXT Week’s Workshop: Developing Your Personal Marketing Plan… Wednesday, January 29th, 8:45 AM @ The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison

This session provides an excellent OVERVIEW of our 12 step Process to regulars and new comers alike.  Our focus is on effective time management to create focus and efficiency in job search efforts. We also look at the importance of personal accountability to ACTION!

We meet regularly at The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison (NW quadrant of Arapaho and Montfort… 1 block east of the Tollway)

Who Should Attend?

  1. Anyone who wants to create a strategic plan for the rest of their working life… job changes will occur!
  2. Job seekers who find themselves in a rut…rapidly crashing into the black hole of depression
  3. Any job seeker looking to create focus within their search efforts
  4. Any professional to give substance to their next steps
  5. Newcomers to DFWCareerpilot… including tire-kickers

Please SHARE this post with your friends.

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NEXT WEEK’s Workshop: In-Synch Personal Marketing Collateral Materials… Wednesday, January 22nd, 8:45 AM @ The Egg and I in Addison

Building on the concepts of ACHIEVING CareerFITness, next week’s Event will focus on content issues for high impact, productive collateral materials like a job seeker’s resume, verbal ‘pitches,’ and their LinkedIn Profile.

Who should attend:

  1. Job seekers who have not achieved productivity in their ONLINE efforts
  2. NEW Job seekers who need to develop their collateral ‘arsenal’
  3. Those that understand they must ‘tweak’ their resumes from time to time… but don’t understand HOW
  4. DFWCareerpilot ‘regulars’ with specific questions

Actions requested:

Bring hard and soft copies of your current resume draft… bring your laptop (or other wi fi-enabled editing tool) if you want to do some self-inflicted, hands on editing of your resume or LinkedIn Profile… everyone will have the opportunity to practice their verbal collateral materials.

 

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THIS WEDNESDAY’s Workshop: Achieving CareerFIT… Wednesday, January 15th at 8:45 AM @ The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison

Just what IS a good CareerFIT for you?

To achieve a good “fit” between you and any future opportunity, you have to ask yourself some basic questions about yourself and your prospective employers. The fit depends on how well the jobs meets your needs and how well your skills and abilities meet the employer’s needs. The employer will make a decision and extend an offer to you: now it is time for you to make your decision.

This week’s co-facilitator will be Brian Allen, Certified and EXPERT with a wide variety of assessment tools. He will be discussing the why and what  of wrapping your hands around knowing about YOU.  

SHARE THIS POST with your network… and let them know about the scheduling AND content changes at DFWCareerpilot!… THX

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Write out the factors that are important to you in a job… actually write out your list.  During your career transition, learn the value of setting your offer criteria, a key element of your Personal Market Plan:

  1. Creates an objective target for your efforts ahead;
  2. Gives you a meaningful set of questions to ask during research and networking;
  3. Provides an objective way to analyze and react to offers as they occur.

To manage your career wisely has you extending the same concept.  Consider some of the factors listed below … Examine each factor through the questions listed – and then ask, “does this opportunity fit me?”

Work Requirements and Expectations: What is the next  appropriate work for you? Is the work process or project oriented?  If it’s process oriented, are the requirements and expectations clear?  What kinds of projects will you work on? Will you work on one project at a time, or multiple projects? Are the projects long term or short term? Will you work on a project long enough to see the end result? Is it important to you to be able to see the project as a whole, including the result? Or will you be content to do the work without a big picture understanding?

Work Environment: Will the work space be a source of comfort and confidence for you? How formal or informal is the environment? Hectic, fast paced? Will you have the opportunity to have flex time, or to tele-commute? How many hours a week does the employer expect you to work? Will you have the freedom to wear casual clothes? What is a typical day like at the company you are considering?  Would they allow a “trial visit” or at least a site visit?

Career Path: Is there a defined succession plan? What position(s) can you move to next? How long do new hires generally stay in the same job? How quickly do people get promoted? Are your opportunities for professional development well defined and available to you? Are mentors available?

Training and Personal Development: what kind of training will you get from the employer to do the job? What kind of training will you get to stay current in your area of interest? Are the answers to these two questions different? Does it matter to you if the answers are different?

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This week Wednesday, January 15th, we will focus on a strategic, more career-oriented, definition of FIT,  answering your questions and concerns at each step of the way…  Your Careerpilot has created collateral development: resumes, correspondence, etc. as a separate topic for our next event.

This is a great place to start for new-comers as the other Core Topics will follow in sequence… THIS WEEK’s Workshop…  Achieving CareerFIT brings focus to those elusive decisions regarding positioning and targeting your efforts.

The first five steps of the 12 step process, from assessment to beginning the evolution of your LinkedIn Profile, will be discussed.  Please let me know you’re planning to attend by filling out this quick RSVP… THX

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MURPHY’S LAW Strikes DFWCareerpilot this, our first, week in 2014… We will meet this THURSDAY, Jan 9th at The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison

Everything was in place… scheduling change locked in at The Egg and I… Handouts updated to support all of our January Events… and your Pilot was all set to guide you through the challenging waters of your career transition in 2014…

And then BUSINESS HAPPENED!  Due to this conflict, we will simply meet one last time in our regular time slot: Thursday at 9 AM @ The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison.  ACTION REQUESTED: Please fill out and submit the contact form below so that I know that you’ve gotten the word on this change.  THX.  If you had SHARED earlier announcements with your network, please share this one, as well.

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In the traditional job market, the one that our Department of Labor “analyzes,” job seekers are the sellers and their potential employers are the buyers.  The commodity is JOBS and the competition is fierce.

In the OTHER Job Market, buyers and sellers hold equal responsibility for the recruitment process.  When employers have a need for someone to fulfill a specific role, often the most desired candidates are employed individuals with the credentials they seek.  Thus the employer must sell their Company to potential employees in the marketplace in order to attract the best of the lot.  Once identified, they simply select their choice and buy their services. 

In other words, the commodity is productive WORK being assigned to the most qualified individual who ‘fits’ the employers needs and departmental ‘culture.’  Often, this WORK has not been clearly defined yet and the employer has not approved an open job requisition.

Personal Marketing is a contact sport! 

We must be visible to potential employers who are seeking our services.  Creating this visibility is strategic, personal market planning and execution—it can be marketability without rejection!  So, the one thing you’ll need to know, and understand HOW to execute, for the rest of your career…

 We human beings were not born to be employed…THAT is a learned behavior.  Never be a job-hunter again!!!  It’s OK to be an interested, available and highly marketable professional.  Always seek a good CAREER “FIT,”  allowing it to evolve throughout your career… be aware of potential “next steps” at all times.

Personal marketing is an information gathering and relationship building process… use it to YOUR advantage!

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ACTION REQUESTED: Please fill out and submit the contact form below so that I know that you’ve gotten the word on this change.  THX

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Next Week’s Workshop: 2014: Embracing The OTHER Job Market… Wednesday, January 8th @ 8:45AM

Please note our change to Wednesday events…  Wednesday, January 8th, we will overview the entire 12-step process, answering your questions and concerns at each step of the way… this is a great place to start for new-comers as the other Core Topics will follow in sequence.

Please SHARE THIS POST with your network.

A job seeker’s Personal Marketing Plan will embrace all of the 12 Steps in our job search process.  It is meant to provide a focused and efficient approach to The OTHER Job Market…  You see, the notion of an “unpublished or hidden” job market is far from new.  However, knowledge of “The OTHER” job market, and your ability to execute your Personal Market Plan in it, will create both focus and productivity in any career transition.

In every marketplace, there are buyers and sellers.  In the traditional job market, the one that our Department of Labor “analyzes,” job seekers are the sellers and their potential employers are the buyers.  The commodity is productive work and the competition is fierce.

In the OTHER Job Market, buyers and sellers hold equal responsibility for the recruitment process.  When employers have a need for someone to fulfill a specific role, often the most desired candidates are employed individuals with the credentials they seek.  Thus the employer must sell their Company to potential employees in the marketplace in order to attract the best of the lot.  Once identified, they simply select their choice and buy their services.

The traditional job market, then, could be characterized by “requisitioned” jobs being filled by chosen job seekers.

The OTHER Job Market, on the other hand, is characterized by available/needed work being fulfilled by job seekers, contractors, internal candidates, third-party consultants, retirees, part-timers, temporary workers, etc.

Who should attend…

  • Regulars. to gain new perspective
  • New Comers, come kick the tires of a new approach to job search
  • Long term job seekers looking for a new edge… a new approach

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EMBRACING The Holidaze

Our topic in tomorrow’s Event, Thursday, November 21st at The Egg and I Restaurant in Addison (9 AM – 10:30ish) is a reminder for you to be Embracing The Holidays ahead.

In keeping with The Careerpilot’s Embracing The OTHER Job Market philosophy, here’s a look at the TOP TEN WAYS TO STAY POSITIVE as you ramp up your efforts in The New Year.

 

  1. Maintain ‘normal’ routine: The human body and its condition tends to fight change.  Don’t get into the bad habits of waking up late, ‘power naps’ in the afternoons or paying too much  attention to your ‘honey do list’ around the house and other distractions. Get up at your normal time, eat right and get some exercise (Walk your dog a mile a day whether you have a dog or not!).
  2. Stay current with what’s happening in your industry and chosen profession: Don’t let yourself fall behind just because you’re not working. The best approach is regular ‘market research’ of your industry and chosen profession as a regular component of your Personal Marketing Plan.  
  3. Positive thinking:  Let your research draw your mind to future possibilities rather than past  negative assumptions – you need to be able to bounce back. Concentrate on the skills and knowledge you have and how they may best be applied moving forward. Sitting around with a “woe is me” attitude is only going to further depress you.  Your closest in ‘support group’ is your best ally, here.  We will be discussing “Accountability Pairings.”  It may seem obvious, but…
  4. Avoid negative people: Negative thinking is of no value to you. You need to be around positive people and people who can have a positive impact on your life.  Staying with this concept…
  5. Support groups: You may feel as though you’re the only person in your situation without a job, but guess what – you’re not.  Reach out to people for support. There are many groups that provide excellent assistance in the areas of resume writing, interviewing, and job hunting. Don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for help. Let people help you change your life.
  6. Explore potential new careers:  Is there a trend in the market that could be taken advantage of… is it time for a change?  Mid-career training and education has been the foundation of many “re-invented” careers.   It’s never too late to try to learn a foreign language or a new piece of computer software… or even gain some experience in a new function.
  7. Network: maintain contacts and stay in touch with people. Make sure you network with positive people!! Again, avoid negativity. Negative thinking does nothing to help your situation.  Remember The Careerpilot’s third waypoint… “Always have a next contact to make…always!”
  8. Volunteer: You can do this at a church, hospital, homeless shelter or non-profit organization will open your eyes to people who are less off than you and give you a sense of contribution. There is no greater reward than helping people who are less fortunate than us.
  9. Manage your expectations: Not every job you apply for will be a success. Don’t be put off by this. Instead, concentrate on the positives and look at what you achieve each day. Be accountable for what you do each week.  Last but not least…
  10. Don’t give up!  Jobs don’t find you, you find them!

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