November 2014 |
Transition-e-news Volume 3 Issue 100 |
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Transition Insight
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Interviewer Mind Vision Goggles (IMVG)© Tom Wolfe, author; all rights reserved; excerpts from Out of Uniform: Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition; used with the permission of the author and publisher, www.potomacbooksinc.com. The interview is over. You leave the room and put on a pair of IMVGs—special goggles that allow you to see inside the mind of the interviewer, specifically the vision you created there during the interview. What do you see?
For that interview to have been successful, only the last one on the list will do. Creating that vision in the mind of the interviewer is your goal. It is not an easy task, but you can do it, especially if you pay close attention to four precepts: Self-knowledge, Showing Interest, Interviewing Empathy, and the Power of Questions. Self-knowledge. Advanced preparation is key to any successful interview. A major component of that preparation is knowledge—of the position, of the organization, and, most importantly, of yourself. What are your needs? Your wants? (No, they are not the same). What motivates you? What do you really care about? Are you aware of your strengths, attributes, skills, and traits? How about your weaknesses, deficits, faults, and failures? What makes you tick? What is in your head, your heart, and your gut? Are you ready to openly and credibly discuss this information with a stranger, backing up what you say with specifics and examples? Showing interest. You must appear interested during an interview. Just because you show up does not mean you will be perceived that way. Assuming you are indeed enthusiastic about the opportunity, you need to convey that feeling in a clear and definitive manner. Although the interviewer cannot read your mind, he or she will pick up on the signals you are sending, both verbal and non-verbal. On the non-verbal side, pay attention to your body language. Be engaging and enthusiastic. Lean forward in your chair. Smile. On the verbal side, here are the two best ways to show interest: ask good questions (see below) and say the words I am interested in . . . . Fill in the blank: learning more about this opportunity or visiting the facility and meeting the team or taking this interview to the next step or receiving an offer or accepting an offer to work for your company or something similar that lets the interviewer know how you feel. Identify the next step in the process and ask for it. Be bold! Interviewing Empathy. Successful interviewing is the art of telling the interviewer exactly what he or she wants to hear . . . as long as it also happens to be the truth©. That is my mantra and your mission. You have a long list of what matters to you and it is important to factor that into your job search. However you also must factor in what matters to the interviewer if you want the process to go forward. Knowing this and keeping it in mind throughout the interview is critical. You need to be aware of and hit the interviewer’s hot buttons. Make connections. Emphasize related skills and experience. Make sure that every word that comes out of your mouth is somehow relevant to the job, the company, the industry, or the interviewer—assuming of course that it’s all true. Power of Questions. First a question for you: why do we ask questions? The obvious answer is to get information. An interviewer asks questions to find out if you are the kind of person he or she wants on the team. You ask questions to find out if this opportunity is right for you. The less obvious answer has to do with conveying interest. Short of coming out and simply saying I am interested, properly chosen, worded and timed questions are the most powerful tools in your transition toolbox for showing interest. These questions need to focus on the company, the job, the industry, the opportunity, the people who work there, and the interviewer—not on you. Selfish questions, i.e., ones about salary, benefits, perks, holidays, vacation, etc., have their place—after the job offer is on the table. With an offer in your pocket the answers to those selfish questions will help you decide whether or not to accept it. Those four precepts are interrelated. Strong self-knowledge enhances your ability to build empathy and ask good questions. Asking good questions also builds empathy while showing interest. Employing them in combination enhances the chances of the right vision showing up in those IMVGs. For a more thorough discussion of this and other military-to-civilian career transition topics, read my book, Out of Uniform (www.out-of-uniform.com). Good Hunting! © 2014; Tom Wolfe, is an author, columnist, career coach, veteran, and an expert in the field of military-to-civilian career transition. During his career he assisted thousands of service members in their searches for employment, placing more than 3000 in their new jobs. Prior to civilian life, he graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy and served as a surface warfare officer. He teaches transition courses, gives seminars on career and job change, writes about the career transition process, and continues to counsel current and former military personnel. His book, Out of Uniform: Your Guide to a Successful Military-to-Civilian Career Transition, was published by Potomac Books in 2011. Tom lives on the North Carolina coast with his wife, Julie, and their Chesapeake Bay retriever, Maggie. |
Job Interview Success - Know the Employer Before the Interview© Copyright, 2014, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved. In the military (and in marketing), a fundamental strategy for success in any battle is often called, "Know the Enemy." It's logical because you can't usually succeed in battle without knowing as much as possible about "the other side" of the conflict — who they are, what they want, how they behave. In a job search, "Know the Enemy" morphs into "Know the Employer," and it means collecting information on potential employers so that you can focus your job search efforts on organizations where you will have the best opportunities. And making an informed decision when you accept a job offer — NOT a fingers-crossed, please-let-this-work-out decision! 5 Important Sources of Information About Employers In a job search, your adversary (hopefully not your enemy) is the employer — the hiring manager, the recruiter, everyone who interviews you, and everyone who works there. Find out all you can about them. When the interview is scheduled, ask the names of the people who will be interviewing you. Hopefully, that information is known to the people scheduling the interviews, and you have a right to know it too. Ask politely. If the information is not forthcoming, move on. We have tons of information available online now, and ignoring that information is ignoring an excellent opportunity to pick the best potential employers as your job search targets while avoiding the worst, to stand out from the competition by leveraging that information, and to land that job. 1. Employer's website Visit their website, and learn as much as possible from it. What they do? Where they are (local, national, or international)? Who leads the company? Who else works there? What are the products and/or services? How big is it (employees, sales, profits or losses)? What do they show as "news"? You won't find all of those answers on the employer's website, but hopefully you will find some of them. 2. LinkedIn Research
3. Google (Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.) the Employer Put search engines to use.
4. Yahoo Finance If the employer is a publicly-traded company, Yahoo Finance is a treasure trove of information about the company. Most of it is aimed at investors, but that information is very helpful for job seekers as well. Profits going down — maybe a cutback (with layoffs) is pending? Sales skyrocketing — maybe a big increase in staff is pending? Look at the stock performance. If the stock price is jumping much higher than competitors, the market is expecting some good news. But, be careful — good news to the stock market may not be good news for your job search. The news could be a hot new product or service being introduced, OR it could mean the company is being sold and investors expect to make a killing. See what the stock analysts think. 5. Direct information collection If possible, talk to current and former employees about the organization (LinkedIn Advanced Search) and what it's like to work there. Which are the best departments/divisions, best locations, best products/services, etc. Who are the best managers? And, conversely, what are the worst departments/divisions, etc. How long do people stay? Why do they leave? Where do they go when the leave? Applying the Intelligence Once you have gathered and analyzed the information, apply it for your job search:
Bottom Line Once you have collected the information, you will find more ways than I can describe to use that information for your job search. Use it in networking, cover letters, and other correspondence with the employers. Mention it in your job interviews — employers want to know you didn't just click the "Apply" button. Just take the time to collect the information, analyze it, and consider how to apply it About the Author… Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 2011, NETability purchased WorkCoachCafe.com, and Susan has been editor and publisher of WorkCoach since then. Susan also edits and publishes Job-Hunt.org, is a Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a columnist on HuffingtonPost. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+ |
Veterans get hiring boost with online courses, networking
by C.J. Lin
ARLINGTON, Va. — Veterans looking for a job will now get an extra boost via new and free education and networking perks, first lady Michelle Obama announced Monday as part of the administration's efforts to get more troops hired after they leave the military. "It's about making your transition to a fulfilling and wonderful civilian career as seamless as possible," Obama said. "Because we know that leaving the military can feel like you're stepping into a whole new world. And in the past few years, too many veterans have struggled during these crucial few months right after you hang up that uniform." To improve their prospects for being hired, all veterans are now eligible for a free certificate for select courses on Coursera, an online site where users can take college courses in a variety of topics, Obama said during a keynote address to the Business and Professional Women's (BPW) Foundation. The courses range from data science and cybersecurity to entrepreneurship and health care. Coursera is also partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch 20 "learning hubs" around the country — physical centers that would offer online access and support for veterans on the job hunt. After completing a Coursera course, veterans can upload the certificate to online job networking giant LinkedIn, which will also be offering a free one-year premium subscription that would otherwise cost about $360 a year. The subscription will allow the veterans to appear as featured applicants to potential employers, and will allow the vets to access training materials tailored for those who served in the military and contact anyone on the network. "This commitment doesn't just give you a leg up on your competition, it saves you money and saves your family some money as well," Obama said. LinkedIn will also be integrated with the Veterans Employment Center, the online database system the VA launched this year to help veterans connect with employers. Veterans will be able to upload their VEC profile to LinkedIn, as well as access resources specifically for veterans. Last month, the unemployment rate for female veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan was 11.2 percent, five points higher than male veterans from the same wars and more than double the rate for civilian women, Obama said. "That's just wrong," she said. "After everything … all of you have done for this country, the fact that any of you are worrying about where your next paycheck is going to come from, or struggling to put food on the table — that should be appalling to all of us as Americans." The announcements came as part of a female veterans career development forum held at the women's memorial at Arlington National Cemetery ahead of Veterans Day. The event was a follow-up to a private roundtable in July in which Obama met with five female veterans to discuss challenges they faced in finding civilian jobs after leaving the military. Among them was Trish Freeland, who retired as a chief master sergeant after 30 years in the Air Force. While serving, she developed training and financial plans, earned a leadership award, and got her bachelor's and master's degrees with honors. "I didn't think I would have any trouble finding a job after leaving the military, but I quickly found out that wasn't the case," said Freeland, adding that while she had the experience that employers were looking for, she lacked the experience in specific fields. "How do I get that when I've been 30 years in the military?" Freeland eventually participated in a mentoring program where she received interview preparation, and six weeks ago she landed a job as a public information officer with the Small Business Administration in St. Louis. To other veterans who are looking for a job, she recommends getting a degree to stay competitive and reaching out to other veterans working at companies of interest. "Anything you can do that makes it easier for veterans to connect with companies is going to help tremendously," Freeland said of Obama's announcement. "I didn't know very many people in companies that I wanted to work for. So these portals that they're creating help veterans get a foot in the door. It's going to be extremely beneficial." For more information, visit http://veterans.linkedin.com, www.coursera.org or www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/jobs |
Veterans Are Natural Born Entrepreneurs
By: Jesse Torres Veterans are 45 percent more likely to be self-employed than nonveterans, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. And the agency estimates that about 2.4 million or 9 percent of all U.S. small businesses are veteran-owned, representing about $1 trillion in annual sales. The SBA announced last month that it would extend fee relief on its popular 7(a) loan for amounts of $150,000 or less. The fee-relief program, originally slated to expire on Sept. 30, was extended one year. "We owe a debt of gratitude and so much more to our service men and women, and veterans who are the cornerstone of small business ownership," said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet in a prepared statement. "This fee relief will continue to help veteran business owners who grow their businesses, create jobs in their communities, and put their training and passion for our country to work in their neighborhoods." Many consider a veteran to be the perfect entrepreneur. The Fire and Adjust website noted 10 reasons why veterans make good entrepreneurs: confidence, self motivation, discipline, listening skills, determination, leadership, risk management, stress management, teamwork and focus. Eddie Sell, an active fire captain in Long Beach, Calif., and the owner of Bellflower, Calif.-based Firehouse Chefs Food + Drink, represents one of the nearly 10 percent of U.S. entrepreneurs who went from servicemember to entrepreneur. "I was very fortunate when I was in the Navy," Sell tells me during a recent interview. "I was trained in the culinary arts and I was assigned to a high-profile position serving an admiral and other VIPs." "I loved what I did and always knew that I would one day own my own restaurant," Sell adds. "I started with a catering business that eventually turned into Firehouse Chefs Food + Drink. It took a while but I was able to make my dream come true by staying focused on my goal and taking advantage of a special loan program." In the near term more than 250,000 servicemembers a year will transition into civilian life, according to the SBA. This means the economy will likely experience a significant increase in veteran-owned businesses. The SBA helps entrepreneurs like Sell through its Small Business Development Center (or SBDC) program, providing management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. These centers offer one-stop assistance, including information and guidance, to individuals and small businesses in central and easily accessible branch locations. "I know firefighting and cooking inside and out," Sell says. "I did not know how to put a business plan together. The consultant at the SBDC worked with me for several months to put together a business plan to help me succeed with the restaurant and to get a bank loan." What's more, the agency arranged for the consulting services to be provided for free. In September, Kauffman FastTrac, created by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, announced a free 10-week online entrepreneurship training program for veterans. "Veterans possess some of the most important skills needed to become successful entrepreneurs," said Michele Markey, vice president of Kauffman FastTrac. "Leadership experience, and the ability to calculate risk, manage teams and take initiative are invaluable characteristics of successful business owners." The following are some tips to help veteran entrepreneurs succeed in business: 1. Leverage military training. Through their years in service, veterans learned valuable skills relevant to running a business, including confidence, self motivation, discipline, listening, determination, leadership, risk management, stress management, teamwork and focus. Veterans should make the most of their acquired skills and treat them as a competitive advantage. While these skills no longer mean making decisions that amount to the difference between life and death, they can be enlisted to keep a business alive and thriving. 2. Set up a veteran-owned business. These days diversity programs extend beyond aiding minority- and women-owned programs. Programs within large corporations and government agencies assist veteran-owned and disabled-veteran-owned businesses. Veterans should seek out local, state and federal certifications that give priority to veteran-owned businesses. 3. Check resources. Other organizations assist veteran-owned businesses. Check local SCORE chapters and the Boots to Business website to find resources that aid veteran-owned businesses. 4. Seek out training. Running a business is not easy. Programs such as the one offered by Kauffman FastTrac or Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses can be beneficial. Veterans can also inquire about other training opportunities by contacting local community colleges, SCORE and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 5. Network. Being an entrepreneur is a lonely job. Apart from accruing business-development advantages from actively networking, veterans can receive valuable mentoring from other former servicepeople. Such relationships can be beneficial for dealing with business matters and challenges arising from having been in active service. |
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