Post Number 2

Mistake #1: You bomb when asked – “Tell me about yourself……and geez, this is almost always one of the first questions you’ll be asked.

Clarity, simplicity and focus are key when it comes to who you are professionally.
Recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to guess at what you do and they
don’t care about everything you’ve done since childhood. They want to hear
about experience that is relevant to their needs. They are also expecting a
consistent message between your resume and your interview answers.

So, here’s how to deliver — Have a meaningful Professional Summary at the top
of your resume and make this statement your “brand”. Be able to orally
communicate this message with confidence. It’s one thing for the hiring manager
to read about you on paper. It’s quite another to hear it from you – in your own
words.

Your objective should succinctly communicate four things:

1. What you do (your profession)
2. Your level of experience
3. Areas of expertise
4. Core competencies (top skills)

Here’s an example of a professional summary from a resume:

Results-driven Sr. Financial Executive with proven success as an effective
change agent in the development and advancement of both Fortune 500 and
start-up companies. A hands-on team builder able to reach objectives through a
combination of entrepreneurship and “outside of the box” thinking. Expertise
spans all aspects of finance and accounting functions for manufacturing and
distribution industries with the proven ability to consistently impact improved
productivity and profitability.

You’d sound like a robot or even worse – a telemarketer if you responded with a
word-for-word response to the message on your resume. So it’s important to be
able to relate the information on your resume conversationally.
There’s only one way to do this well – practice. Be able to have this message
flow from your mouth without hesitation, nervousness or fear.
Here’s an example of a verbal version of the same professional summary:
My financial background and leadership expertise have made me an effective
change agent for both large and small organizations. I help companies identify,
develop and implement strategic methods and processes that link business
objectives with fiscal goals. As a result companies enjoy greater productivity,
revenue generation and profitability.

Both statements say the same thing in different ways…… Ditch the 20 minute
monolog that chronicles everything you’ve done since fifth grade. No one cares.

If you’re missing this critical information, here’s a few additional illustrations to
help you create one.

First, define yourself professionally:

• Quality oriented customer service representative (you could switch out
  “representative” for “manager”, “associate” or “professional” depending on
  your level of confidence and experience)
• Business development executive
• Strategic human resource manager
• Entry-level accounting professional
• Consummate administrator

Once you define yourself professionally, go on to explain what you do best and
what skills you have honed that support your efforts to deliver successful results.
To do that, fill in the blanks in these two sentences:

• I have most experience in:
• My strongest skills are:

Mistake #2: Your mouth is saying one thing, but
your body language is screaming a different
message.

You can tell someone you’re confident and accomplished, but if your body
language is sending another message, you won’t be taken seriously. You make
that all-important first impression when you walk through the door. It’s based on
appropriateness of your clothes, the way you carry yourself, grooming, projected
attitude, confidence (or lack of it), timeliness and overall professionalism.

In today’s casual environments, you should still show up for an interview in
traditional business attire (even at the IT gigs) unless told differently. Make sure
you are well groomed wearing clothes that are clean and pressed. Put some
energy in your movements and enthusiasm in your voice. Make eye contact and
be aware of your posture – look up, stand tall and sit comfortably without
stiffness. It’s kind of like taking golf lessons. The pro will put you in an awkward,
unnatural stance and then tell you to relax and swing. Be natural. Calm down.
Enjoy the experience.

If you want to get an interview confidence groove going, start by practicing your
oral messages and projecting self-assured body language at networking
meetings. Here’s the key, you have to do it often. You’ll only get comfortable and
competent with “spaced repetition.” If there is too much time between networking
events, it will always feel like the first time until you build enough proficiency. So
at the beginning, plan to get out and network at least twice a week. You can also
practice with friends and business associates that you know will be honest and
helpful in your development.

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