September 2015 |
Transition-e-news Volume 3 Issue 110 |
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The Power of Questions© 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. Questions, especially the ones you ask in an interview, are among the most powerful tools in your career transition toolbox. For any tool to be effective it needs to be both well honed and appropriate for the task at hand. To understand why questions are so important, let’s ask ourselves one: why do we ask them? There are two answers; one is fairly obvious and the other somewhat obscure. The obvious reason we ask questions is to get answers. There is much to learn about a potential position and a new organization before we can commit to a new career. What are the responsibilities of the job? What is the potential for career growth? How is individual performance measured? What is the corporate culture? Will the compensation, benefits, and location support quality-of-life goals? The answers to these and other questions will help the job seeker decide if the opportunity is right for him or her. However, since you cannot accept an offer you do not have, we need to dig a little deeper. I know a United States Marine Corps command sergeant major named Michael who was turned down for a position that he felt was ideal for him. When asked for the reason for rejection, the company said that although Michael was well qualified for the position and highly regarded by the entire interviewing team, he did not appear to be interested in the job. The company reached this conclusion based on the fact that Michael asked very few questions during the interviewing process. In the company’s opinion, this lack of questions indicated a lack of interest, hence the rejection. Showing interest in the opportunity and the company is one of the most important keys to successful interviewing. Asking questions is the single most powerful tool available to us to express this interest. A lack of questions is one of the most often cited reasons for rejection in the interviewing process. Keep in mind the dual-purpose nature of asking questions. First, to send to the potential employer strong signals of interest. Second, to gather information about the position and the organization so that you can decide whether or not to accept an offer of employment if one is extended. There are additional factors to consider—scope, timing, and content. We can address these factors by taking a look at some typical interview questions, specifically these ten:
For the sake of this discussion, assume you are interviewing for a position called Distribution Manager, you are in the early stages of the interviewing process, and the interviewer, Richard, is in charge of distribution operations for the company. Scope. When asking questions it is important to consider the perspective of the individual with whom you are interviewing. This is called interviewing empathy—what is important to Richard and what falls under his span of control? Look at question #6. Even if he knows the answer, is this subject appropriate? Well, if Richard just happens to also be the Director of R & D, then yes. Otherwise, no. Timing. Look at questions 4, 8, and 10. Are these questions appropriate during the job-hunting process? Everyone cares about benefits. But consider the timing. In the early stages of the process, the answers to these questions are irrelevant. Unless you work for the company, what difference does it make what perks are available? When should you ask these and other selfish questions? Wait until the job offer is on the table. With the offer in hand, the answers to the selfish questions will influence your decision whether or not to accept. Content. Look at the odd numbered questions. See how powerful they can be? Asking them gives you information that you need and sends a strong I am interested signal to the interviewer. They are appropriate for both the scope of the interviewer and the timing of the interview. Question #2 was saved for last because it deserves special analysis. Since both you and your potential employer care about your growth potential, this question needs to be asked. Be careful of your phraseology, timing, and frequency however. Bring it up too early or too often and you might send a signal of disinterest or impatience. Questions are powerful tools in your transition toolbox. Like the skilled craftsman about to begin an important project, you need to decide which ones to use, gather them together, sharpen them, practice a little, and time their usage appropriately. Applying the right tools at the right time will help you build a successful career transition. GOOD HUNTING! © 2015; 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. |
The Biggest Career Management Tool Veterans Aren't Using
by Sultan Camp Do you Tweet? There, I asked it. Now before you start rolling your eyes and sighing, let me ask you a question: If you’ve read my previous posts, have I given you bad advice so far? If the answer is yes, then read no further. However, if you gained insight on taking your career to another level, read on… Most military professionals don’t even think about using Twitter as a tool in their job search. How can someone possibly share any meaningful thought in 140 characters or less? (By the way, that last sentence was already 81 characters.) Many veterans believe Twitter is too self-absorbed and just another fad. In doing so, they rob themselves of invaluable opportunities. I may have to drag you into it kicking and screaming, as I originally was. But I think that as you learn what it can do, you’ll grow to appreciate Twitter as I do.
Twitter: It’s No JokeWhat started off as a joke and side project of Odeo in 2006 has evolved into one of the most influential social networking sites in 2014. “Disruptive technology” is a term coined by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton M. Christensen to describe new technology that unexpectedly displaces old technology. Twitter has flattened hierarchical communication on a global level, and its instant messaging capability makes Twitter the most powerful, yet most misunderstood, tool — not just for the military professional, but for most professionals. In 2014, most folks have grown to (albeit reluctantly) the see the value of LinkedIn. However, many still see Twitter in a totally different light. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll understand why I tell every transitioning service member they need to be on Twitter. More importantly, you’ll understand how to use the platform more effectively, not only for managing your career and job search, but also in your day-to-day professional lives (and even as a veteran who may be considering owning a small business). By now, you should be acutely aware that managing your online reputation is becoming increasingly important. This is because hiring managers and recruiters alike look to mitigate their risk among their pool of potential candidates. No one wants to be laughed at because they were “the one” who hired the new bad apple at the company. An active Twitter account helps you as a professional. (Like this thought? Tweet it!) It establishes an additional online footprint by increasing your ranking in Google’s search results, making you more findable as a professional and potential job candidate.
Debunking Twitter MythsIt never fails. When I start a training session, regardless of the participants’ ages, I have to listen to every apprehension about using Twitter. The overwhelming majority of professionals fail to see the benefits of one of the most powerful career and networking tools ever invented, simply because they are misinformed. When Twitter was first founded, it asked its users “What are you doing?” because it was mainly a network for sharing personal updates… seven years ago. Today, the most successful company CEOs are interacting with their customers and lowest employees on Twitter. You can follow news in real time, even before it gets reported via traditional channels, and have immediate access to jobs and recruiters. To see how Twitter has evolved just in its first three years, check out this cool TED Talk by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams from 2009. Do you even remember way back then? The other objection to using Twitter that I typically encounter is the sentiment that it’s a complete waste of use of time. To that end, I respond with, “So is everything else.” It all depends on how you use it. For example, while I was still in grad school, we were discussing the importance of diversity in the workplace. I went straight to Twitter to see if anyone among its 645+ million users around the globe was conversing about that topic. It turned out some users taking a Human Resource class in Argentina were tweeting about the very same topic at the same time we were! Immediately, our class size grew by 11 participants, and we were discussing different perspectives and ideas in real time on a global level. Talk about an “open class session.” In a similar fashion, you can exponentially increase your reputation and value to potential employers and business partners in less than 10 minutes a day. (We’ll get to that in a bit.)
Get Superpowers LinkedIn and Facebook Can’t Give YouOne of the biggest mistakes many professionals make is to treat all social networks the same when they are not. Each of them has very distinct characteristics. While LinkedIn and Facebook require you to have some type of relationship to connect with someone, Twitter does not. What does this mean to you? If someone follows you, you don’t have to follow them back. So, while they can see your updates, you don’t have to see theirs. (Think of all of those annoying Facebook friends you want to unfriend because of the information they share.) Subsequently, if you couldn’t care less about what celebrities, politicians or sports figures are doing, then just don’t follow them. However, if you wanted to stay abreast of your Veteran’s Benefits, TRICARE, Branch of Service’s leadership and current job opportunities, then follow those accounts. Your ability to connect with the resources, contacts and movers and shakers of your choice is boundless.
Access the Collective Consciousness InstantlyRemember my example of how I used Twitter in grad school? Well, by searching for your current command, squadron, unit or organization name on Twitter, you can see if anyone in the world is talking about it. Talk about a real-time Command Climate Assessment tool (for you Equal Opportunity folks out there). Also, by posting a tweet, you can get feedback, ideas and even help with any topic you’re interested in. Even better, if your tweet is retweeted (which means someone thought enough about the information you shared to share it with their network), your professional reputation and messaging are exposed to an even larger audience. The bottom line is that you define your Twitter experience. If you choose to use it to strategically and intentionally grow your professional network and develop your reputation, then that is what it will do for you. More importantly, it will place you way ahead of your peers (translation: your competition) who still believe social media is just for kids.
Companies Really Do Use Twitter to HireBelieve it or not, hiring managers, headhunters, placement agencies, recruiting professionals and internal HR are using Twitter on an unprecedented scale to fill positions. Why? The reasoning may not be as obvious as you think. Many folks falsely assume they use Twitter as a medium to appeal to a broader audience. The opposite is true: it boils down to good business. Twitter actually allows a company to target a niche audience, because only Twitter users who know how to effectively use the network and who are engaged with the company or organization will see its tweets. Companies want to hire people who want to work for them, not just any job seeker. Additionally, where there are significant costs to post a job to a job board, Twitter is free and quick. Don’t take my word for it. Go to Twitter (you do need to have an account) and search for the hashtags #job, #career or #hiring and the name of the city in which you want to work. Voila! Like magic, you’ll see a list of job postings, which typically include a link to the position on the company’s page where you can apply directly. You may be shocked to see that some posts might be less than a minute old! Some of the more creative companies (mostly in the tech industry) will actually ask you to apply for a job directly on Twitter. While I was facilitating one of the military’s Transition GPS classes, a student showed me that a company had tweeted, “Tell us in the next 24 hours why we should hire you.” His response was, “I’m an IT Professional, delivering results on time every time under budget.” The company then looked at his LinkedIn profile and called him in to do a site visit. Did I mention anything about a resume in there? As a military job seeker, you have two objectives in using Twitter. The first is to get access to real-time jobs, and the second is to build professional relationships. I have to stress that even though Twitter makes it easier to connect with people, it’s still based on the old-school technique of relationship-building, just using new-school technology. By interacting on a regular basis, you increase your visibility online and demonstrate your value to potential employers. The goal here is to develop those relationships to the point where you can speak on the phone (my preferred method) or by email with people who have the ability to hire you or get you in front of a hiring manager. Whether you’re thinking about leaving the military or still have years left on Active Duty, you can work smarter using Twitter as an effective tool in your toolbox. Are you ready to get started? Then check out this post on how to build your Twitter profile! |
When Your Job Interview Doesn't Go Well© Copyright, 2015, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved. Sometimes you have the feeling that an interview isn’t going well. You may be wrong, but, unfortunately, you may also be right. Possibly, something may be happening for the individual or the organization that is providing a major distraction. Visible lack of interest might be a reflection on you, particularly if you arrived late or dressed inappropriately. Those are self-inflicted wounds that can be avoided if you are well-prepared and plan well. Unless you get “bad vibes” in every interview, don’t assume that you are the reason things are not going well. [To maximize the possibility of job interview success, read 10 Steps From Job Interview to Job Offer.] Signs Your Job Interview Is Not Going WellUnderstand that, sometimes, the interviewer is just plain bad — or inexperienced — at job interviewing. Many organizations just throw employees into the interviewing process without any training or guidance. [Read 3 Bad Assumptions About Job Interviews.] The Interviewer Would Rather Be Doing (or Does) Something ElseThe interviewer may be good at interviewing job candidates (or not), but they just aren’t engaged in the process at this moment. Signs that is the problem:
Yes, they really might be this rude, and chances are good that it is no reflection on you. Why Does This Happen?Assuming that you were on time, prepared, and dressed appropriately, many things could cause this kind of situation:
Hopefully, only one of the interviewers acted in the manner described above. If all of the interviewers acted that way, that’s a more serious situation. How to RecoverRecovery can be challenging, and depends on your interest in the job. While You Are There —Your options while still there:
When you ask about re-scheduling the interview, some groups/people will be defensive and get angry about any lack of professionalism on their part that this indicates. But, most well-managed organizations/people will acknowledge the lack of professional conduct, apologize, and agree to reschedule. After the Interview —Your actions after the interview can depend on the answers you received to your questions (above) and how interested you are in the organization and/or the job. Carefully consider whether or not you want to work for this organization. Perhaps it’s very large, and this is a small part of it you might want to avoid. However, if it’s a small organization, you may have had a front row seat to observe how they operate — perhaps they are always in crisis mode. Not usually a good thing, but possibly something you enjoy (never a dull moment!). Send a Thank You Note? Post-interview thank you notes are typically a signal required when you are interested in the opportunity (the job and/or the organization). No thanks! If you have decided that you are really not interested, don’t send the thank you, understanding that you are missing an opportunity to build a bridge. One more chance? If you do decide that you are interested, send the thank you referencing your wish to speak with them again since the situation was less than ideal. If they don’t respond, you can cross them off your list. If they do respond, you can give them another chance. More About Tough Job Interviews and Thank You Notes 18 Practical Tips to Hep You Ace Your Job Interview 3 Bad Assumptions About Job Interviews 5 Steps to Recover from Bad Job Interviews How to Tell if a Job Interview Is Going Well How to Answer the Top 10 Job Interview Questions The VERY Important “Housekeeping” Questions Very Short Job Interview – Ouch! 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+ |
Number of veterans getting federal jobs is at a 5-year high
By Lisa Rein - The Washington Post The share of federal jobs going to veterans is at its highest level in five years, new statistics show, with former service members making up almost half of full-time hires in the past fiscal year. In government, 1 worker in 3 is now a veteran, proof that the White House's six-year push to give those who served in the military a leg up for federal jobs is working. The bad news is that once veterans get into government, they don't stay long. They're more likely than non-veterans to leave their jobs within two years, the Office of Personnel Management reports, even if they have transferred from other federal agencies. The Small Business Administration had the most trouble keeping veterans in fiscal 2014, with just 62 percent staying two years or more, compared with 88 percent of non-veterans. Former service members left the Commerce Department at similar rates, with 68 percent staying two years or more, compared with 82 percent for non-veterans. Even the Department of Veterans Affairs, traditionally a draw for former troops, lost a little more than a quarter of its veterans within two years, compared with 20 percent of its non-veterans. The only agencies that kept more veterans than non-veterans were the Defense and State departments, the report released last month shows. The growing presence in government of male and female veterans is the most visible federal effort to reward military service since the draft ended in the 1970s. Starting in 2009, President Barack Obama pushed agencies to increase hiring of veterans, in response to the bleak employment prospects that many service members faced after returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The initiative has fueled tensions in federal offices, though, as longtime civil servants and former troops on the other side of the cubicle question others' competence and qualifications. Last year, 47.4 percent of new hires for full-time jobs were veterans, an increase of 1.3 percentage points over fiscal 2013. This is the first time that the administration has measured how well agencies retain veterans. Senior leaders will be rated at the end of the fiscal year on how well they closed the gap between veterans and non-veterans who leave. "Federal agencies hire them, but where they're placed and into what job is not always the best fit," said Joseph Sharpe, director of veterans' employment and education for the American Legion. "These retention rates are huge issues for us." He noted that many veterans drop out of college and quit jobs in the private sector, too. At a Legion conference on veterans employment in Baltimore this weekend, hiring managers from the OPM and the departments of Energy, Transportation, Labor, Defense and Treasury are scheduled to address the issue, Sharpe said. Hakeem Basheerud-Deen, the OPM director of veterans services, said by e-mail: "New-hire retention rates vary between agencies. Each agency has its own culture and mission, so it's difficult to explain the differences in their new hire retention rates." The employment data offers a detailed profile of former troops who went to work for the government. Men made up 81 percent of veterans hired, but just 45 percent of non-veterans. Forty percent of veterans had college degrees or higher education, compared with 54.7 percent of non-veterans. Just 10 percent of veterans were hired to agencies in the Washington region, while 17.5 percent of non-veterans ended up in the area. Pay and the types of jobs also differed. Almost twice as many veterans as non-veterans were hired into blue-collar jobs. Veterans hold the edge on administrative jobs, while non-veterans were hired into more professional posts. Veterans who have joined the government find that it's too bureaucratic. They bristle at the resentment they feel from colleagues who know they went to the head of the hiring queue. They acknowledge that they don't always fit in: Just below the surface, deep culture clashes in their offices simmer. These are some of the issues at the root of why veterans don't stay long in federal jobs, say former troops still working in government and those who have quit. "Some veterans will say, 'I go to staff meetings with a pen and paper, and I'm all about the mission,' " said Walter Elmore, a drill instructor during the Vietnam War who set up an affinity group for veterans at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Things don't move that quickly in government. There's a culture here that's very different from the culture our veterans are used to dealing with." Elmore said that veterans suffer from a widespread perception that they aren't qualified for the jobs they receive, because they benefit from preferential hiring for civil service jobs. "People look at us in a very hostile way," he said. "It's a little bit of 'Who do they think they are?' When you come into a place and you feel like you don't fit, you say, it's a good job, but I want a certain peace of mind.' " Washington Post staff writer Emily Wax-Thibodeaux contributed to this report. |
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