Background
During these times of corporate downsizing and reorganization, many of the victims of layoffs are middle and senior managers. For these and other candidates, there may be a problem with age. Although there are age discrimination laws which are designed to protect people over 40, a preoccupation with this kind of problem can derail your search for years before a final resolution.
Redirect
Several perceptions may be tied up with a concentration on age. Some employers are concerned about a lack of energy or the resistance to change. For other companies the question may be about compensation – could they hire someone younger for less? Another possibility might be the expected term of employment - will you be around long enough to make a significant contribution?
Qualifying
Many of the problems of older candidates can be solved by a confident, energetic presentation. You must realize that in actively pursuing a search, you are opening up your life to all kinds of new possibilities: new challenges, new colleagues and new situations. Show your interviewer that you are excited about the prospects for accomplishment. Use dynamic CABs (Accomplishment based stories) to show how you have been able to meet challenges and innovate.
Take advantage of the positives associated with age: seasoned, with a depth of experience not matched by others; knowledgeable, respected, a proven leader.
Additional Concerns
Be sure to “walk like you talk.” Your wardrobe should be up to date, with well-tailored suits and good quality accessories which are appropriate for the position that you are seeking. Project energy and enthusiasm. Be professional, act professional, look professional.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Career Liabilities - Career Changes Entrepreneur to Corporate
Background
If you think about the large number of merger and acquisitions over the past few years, you will realize that many of those companies were run by entrepreneurs who then became corporate executives. However, many company managers will be hesitant to hire someone who has been running their own business. Even though many large organizations have started to form entrepreneurial business units within the corporation, when they come face-to-face with a real entrepreneur, they back down. You can expect resistance to your risk orientation and decisiveness from some corporate interviewers.
Redirect
The book on the entrepreneur is that he or she is an independent, quick-draw maverick used to making unilateral decisions and shifting focus and attention rapidly from one subject to another. The perception is that you can not be a team player or work within a structure to accomplish common goals.
Qualifying
Your presentation needs to tone down the entrepreneurial image. Practice a little humility and make an extra effort to listen closely to questions. Remember that job hunting puts you in the role of the seller and that the buyer in this case is the company. If you have experience in sales, try to adopt a consultative role where you work with the interviewer to determine how you can solve the problems associated with the position. Emphasize your commitment to professional management and human values to tone down the “tough guy” image. CABs (Accomplishment based stories) which point to working out viable compromises or developing subordinates are good choices, along with those related to maximizing results or creating innovations.
Additional Concerns
It might be helpful to cultivate some references that can help you convince people that you know how to work as part of a team. If you have community activities or outside group interests where you are not the primary leader, you might use these as examples of your ability to work in a cooperative role.
If you think about the large number of merger and acquisitions over the past few years, you will realize that many of those companies were run by entrepreneurs who then became corporate executives. However, many company managers will be hesitant to hire someone who has been running their own business. Even though many large organizations have started to form entrepreneurial business units within the corporation, when they come face-to-face with a real entrepreneur, they back down. You can expect resistance to your risk orientation and decisiveness from some corporate interviewers.
Redirect
The book on the entrepreneur is that he or she is an independent, quick-draw maverick used to making unilateral decisions and shifting focus and attention rapidly from one subject to another. The perception is that you can not be a team player or work within a structure to accomplish common goals.
Qualifying
Your presentation needs to tone down the entrepreneurial image. Practice a little humility and make an extra effort to listen closely to questions. Remember that job hunting puts you in the role of the seller and that the buyer in this case is the company. If you have experience in sales, try to adopt a consultative role where you work with the interviewer to determine how you can solve the problems associated with the position. Emphasize your commitment to professional management and human values to tone down the “tough guy” image. CABs (Accomplishment based stories) which point to working out viable compromises or developing subordinates are good choices, along with those related to maximizing results or creating innovations.
Additional Concerns
It might be helpful to cultivate some references that can help you convince people that you know how to work as part of a team. If you have community activities or outside group interests where you are not the primary leader, you might use these as examples of your ability to work in a cooperative role.
Friday, November 21, 2008
How To Write A Great CAB Story
CAB Stories
Last week I introduced you to the concept of CAB stories. Let’s now talk about developing your first CAB story. As the subject for your first CAB, think about a situation in your career where you had the biggest impact on your organization’s performance. For managers this could be a significant boost in revenues, serious cost cutting or big gains in productivity. Specialist professionals might be more comfortable with innovative solutions to problems, fast-track project response or significant quality improvements. In any case pick one situation for your first CAB. Now we are ready for the most important part of the CAB story.
The CONDITION
What was the opportunity, problem or challenge that you faced?
What had/had not happened which caused you to act?
How bad was it? (Quantify if possible)
What was the likely outcome if things continued as they were? (Bottom line effects)
How were you involved in the situation?
The whole idea behind a CAB story is to involve the person hearing or reading your story. This introduction should be brief but still contain enough “setting the scene” to let people know what you were facing. You want them nodding their heads saying, “Yes, we have a situation similar to that right now!”
The ACTION
What specific actions did you take?
List these actions in the time sequence or structural order, whichever gets the message across.
Use active verbs and personal pronouns to make these sentences come alive.
“I formed a team of specialists…”
“I instituted tighter controls…”
“I developed a new system…”
Usually three or four sentences like this are enough to convey what you did. This is your opportunity to highlight special skills, knowledge or insights that are important decision factors in your job search. Use jargon or acronyms if they are appropriate for all the people who will be reading or listening to your presentation. Use action verbs.
The BENEFIT
Now it’s time to quantify the results you produced in $$$ dollars, percentages, or other real numbers like man-hours, inventory turnover, rejection rate, etc. Exact numbers are better if you know them, but good “ballpark” estimates are OK. Include timeframe when the benefit was realized by the organization. Here’s your chance to stand out by showing an “enterprise orientation” – concentrate on how your actions made a difference in the overall performance of the company.
Review
Now it’s time to write that first CAB story. When completed read it over and determine if it meets the requirements for a good story. Is it concise? Is it believable? Does it highlight important skills, knowledge, and understanding? Does it deliver a measureable benefit to the organization?
The Rule Is
CAB stories must give credence to your talents, skills and abilities while fulfilling the needs and wants of the interviewer. CAB stories must be logical, provide impact and sound good.
Last week I introduced you to the concept of CAB stories. Let’s now talk about developing your first CAB story. As the subject for your first CAB, think about a situation in your career where you had the biggest impact on your organization’s performance. For managers this could be a significant boost in revenues, serious cost cutting or big gains in productivity. Specialist professionals might be more comfortable with innovative solutions to problems, fast-track project response or significant quality improvements. In any case pick one situation for your first CAB. Now we are ready for the most important part of the CAB story.
The CONDITION
What was the opportunity, problem or challenge that you faced?
What had/had not happened which caused you to act?
How bad was it? (Quantify if possible)
What was the likely outcome if things continued as they were? (Bottom line effects)
How were you involved in the situation?
The whole idea behind a CAB story is to involve the person hearing or reading your story. This introduction should be brief but still contain enough “setting the scene” to let people know what you were facing. You want them nodding their heads saying, “Yes, we have a situation similar to that right now!”
The ACTION
What specific actions did you take?
List these actions in the time sequence or structural order, whichever gets the message across.
Use active verbs and personal pronouns to make these sentences come alive.
“I formed a team of specialists…”
“I instituted tighter controls…”
“I developed a new system…”
Usually three or four sentences like this are enough to convey what you did. This is your opportunity to highlight special skills, knowledge or insights that are important decision factors in your job search. Use jargon or acronyms if they are appropriate for all the people who will be reading or listening to your presentation. Use action verbs.
The BENEFIT
Now it’s time to quantify the results you produced in $$$ dollars, percentages, or other real numbers like man-hours, inventory turnover, rejection rate, etc. Exact numbers are better if you know them, but good “ballpark” estimates are OK. Include timeframe when the benefit was realized by the organization. Here’s your chance to stand out by showing an “enterprise orientation” – concentrate on how your actions made a difference in the overall performance of the company.
Review
Now it’s time to write that first CAB story. When completed read it over and determine if it meets the requirements for a good story. Is it concise? Is it believable? Does it highlight important skills, knowledge, and understanding? Does it deliver a measureable benefit to the organization?
The Rule Is
CAB stories must give credence to your talents, skills and abilities while fulfilling the needs and wants of the interviewer. CAB stories must be logical, provide impact and sound good.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Communicating Your Accomplishments
In my previous blogs I have discussed common career liabilities and shared with you an approach for responding to them called the ARQS (Acknowledge, Redirect, Qualify, Satisfy) technique. I have also mentioned on several occasions to Satisfy with an accomplished based story. Today, I would like to share with you a technique for telling these accomplished based stories. I call them CAB stories.
The CAB Story
An effective resume, telephone conversation or interview relies on the ability to communicate clearly and concisely. You have to understand the audience – their needs, style and interests – and respond in a way that showcases your abilities. We have found that the best way to get the point across and be remembered by decision makers is to use real world stories about your past accomplishments and tie them to current or anticipated needs.
CABs – Stories that Work!
Rambling, disconnected reminiscences won’t get the job done. You need a story format that will be easily understood and remembered. The best structure is the CAB story. CAB stands for Condition, Action, Benefit – the three keys to successful communication.
Imagine an interview. The person you are talking to says “One of our biggest problems is accurate budgeting in a rapidly changing environment.”
How do you respond?
CANDIDATE 1: “Well, I’ve worked on budgets for many years. My tasks have included preparing annual projections, reviewing budgets for accuracy and following-up on actual results against projections.”
CANDIDATE 2: “I understand how that can be a problem. Condition When I worked for XYZ Corporation as a Regional Manager, we had difficulty with our budgeting because the industry was changing rapidly and historical data wasn’t enough. Action I took responsibility for developing better projections. I formed and led a team to investigate indicators that could be tied to our product lines. We researched regional and national trends, interviewed front line managers and increased the use of our sales force in collecting information. I created a spreadsheet analysis package which combined our best data to project sales revenues for the upcoming period and used that to generate operating budgets. Benefit The following year, we were able to reach a 95% accuracy level for revenue projections and succeeded in controlling spending well within budget limits. This effort saved more than $125,000 in excess inventory costs and $73,000 in vendor discounts. Is that the kind of performance you’re looking for?
Telling an effective CAB story like CANDIDATE 2 is your chance to really score some points. Most job seekers are focused on the tasks they performed: wrote procedures, trained salespeople, scheduled production. Make yourself stand out by showing an “enterprise orientation” – concentrate on how your actions made a difference in the overall performance of the company. Even if you can’t establish a direct cause/effect relationship with your actions, if you contributed to a positive outcome say so.
The CAB Story
An effective resume, telephone conversation or interview relies on the ability to communicate clearly and concisely. You have to understand the audience – their needs, style and interests – and respond in a way that showcases your abilities. We have found that the best way to get the point across and be remembered by decision makers is to use real world stories about your past accomplishments and tie them to current or anticipated needs.
CABs – Stories that Work!
Rambling, disconnected reminiscences won’t get the job done. You need a story format that will be easily understood and remembered. The best structure is the CAB story. CAB stands for Condition, Action, Benefit – the three keys to successful communication.
Imagine an interview. The person you are talking to says “One of our biggest problems is accurate budgeting in a rapidly changing environment.”
How do you respond?
CANDIDATE 1: “Well, I’ve worked on budgets for many years. My tasks have included preparing annual projections, reviewing budgets for accuracy and following-up on actual results against projections.”
CANDIDATE 2: “I understand how that can be a problem. Condition When I worked for XYZ Corporation as a Regional Manager, we had difficulty with our budgeting because the industry was changing rapidly and historical data wasn’t enough. Action I took responsibility for developing better projections. I formed and led a team to investigate indicators that could be tied to our product lines. We researched regional and national trends, interviewed front line managers and increased the use of our sales force in collecting information. I created a spreadsheet analysis package which combined our best data to project sales revenues for the upcoming period and used that to generate operating budgets. Benefit The following year, we were able to reach a 95% accuracy level for revenue projections and succeeded in controlling spending well within budget limits. This effort saved more than $125,000 in excess inventory costs and $73,000 in vendor discounts. Is that the kind of performance you’re looking for?
Telling an effective CAB story like CANDIDATE 2 is your chance to really score some points. Most job seekers are focused on the tasks they performed: wrote procedures, trained salespeople, scheduled production. Make yourself stand out by showing an “enterprise orientation” – concentrate on how your actions made a difference in the overall performance of the company. Even if you can’t establish a direct cause/effect relationship with your actions, if you contributed to a positive outcome say so.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Career Liabilities - Frequent job changes
Background
Unless you are in a career with extremely high demand or which has a tradition of movement, frequent job changes (two years or less at each of your past employers) can be a serious liability. If your level of responsibility has jumped significantly at each change, you may be able to characterize yourself as an aggressive, fast-track kind of person who will settle down for the right opportunity. If you can justify your moves by showing the progress in each situation, you can defuse many of the problems. Most hiring managers can understand the need to accept “an offer too good to turn down” because of substantial increases in pay, responsibilities or opportunity. A string of bad luck with mergers or closings is also acceptable, particularly in an industry which is contracting because of economic conditions or overseas competition.
Redirect
The biggest difficulty for a “job-hopper” is convincing a prospective employer that you will be around long enough to justify their investment in your training and break-in period. Most companies appreciate stability and the ability to complete long-term projects. Some interviewers may be worried that your moves are timed to avoid the consequences of poor performance or serious errors.
Qualifying
The best way to qualify a history of job changes is to present the advantages gained from each shift in terms that the company can understand. Accomplishment based stories illustrating your contributions can help, and good references from each of the past employers might show that there were “no hard feelings” because you left the company in a professional manner.
Additional Concerns
If your problems in repeated job changes are of a serious nature, now is the time to settle down to a more permanent position. You should take a look at the characteristics which create your need to make frequent changes and exercise extreme caution in selecting your next position. Establish that the company’s position is likely to be stable over the long term, with enough growth and the right culture to meet your needs for recognition and advancement.
Unless you are in a career with extremely high demand or which has a tradition of movement, frequent job changes (two years or less at each of your past employers) can be a serious liability. If your level of responsibility has jumped significantly at each change, you may be able to characterize yourself as an aggressive, fast-track kind of person who will settle down for the right opportunity. If you can justify your moves by showing the progress in each situation, you can defuse many of the problems. Most hiring managers can understand the need to accept “an offer too good to turn down” because of substantial increases in pay, responsibilities or opportunity. A string of bad luck with mergers or closings is also acceptable, particularly in an industry which is contracting because of economic conditions or overseas competition.
Redirect
The biggest difficulty for a “job-hopper” is convincing a prospective employer that you will be around long enough to justify their investment in your training and break-in period. Most companies appreciate stability and the ability to complete long-term projects. Some interviewers may be worried that your moves are timed to avoid the consequences of poor performance or serious errors.
Qualifying
The best way to qualify a history of job changes is to present the advantages gained from each shift in terms that the company can understand. Accomplishment based stories illustrating your contributions can help, and good references from each of the past employers might show that there were “no hard feelings” because you left the company in a professional manner.
Additional Concerns
If your problems in repeated job changes are of a serious nature, now is the time to settle down to a more permanent position. You should take a look at the characteristics which create your need to make frequent changes and exercise extreme caution in selecting your next position. Establish that the company’s position is likely to be stable over the long term, with enough growth and the right culture to meet your needs for recognition and advancement.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Common Career Liabilities - Fired from last position
Background
Being fired is not always an indication of poor performance or incompetence. In many cases termination is the result of economic or business conditions which required cutbacks or restructuring. If your campaign is effective, you may be able to avoid addressing the question of why you left your last position directly. If you are unable to avoid the question, then special care is necessary in responding.
Redirect
A firing can be caused by several different kinds of conflicts: personality clashes, corporate power struggles, serious errors of judgment, a string of minor mistakes or overall poor performance. Personality problems and power struggles are usually seen as problems in getting along or working as a team player. Judgment errors, minor mistakes or poor performance bring up concerns about competence and reliability.
Qualifying
You should avoid relating all the bloody details of a personality conflict or power struggle. Do not purposely bring up a situation which might allow the listener to perceive areas of possible incompatibility. Learn to establish a good rapport with your interviewer and generate proper chemistry. Qualification emphasis should be on your ability to work with all kinds of people or your skills in building effective teams.
Errors and mistakes are part of everyone' s career. Try to emphasize your record of successes and direct attention to your overall record rather than specific instances of failure. If you are unable to avoid discussing specific failures, then bite the bullet and take responsibility for the results. Qualify by emphasizing what you learned from the experience and how you would address the problem now. An Accomplished based story which emphasizes a turnaround or disaster recovery can point out you ability to recover from a problem.
Character issues such as reliability or honesty can be some of the most difficult to overcome. Business and personal references can offset some problems, but you might have to deal with these concerns directly. Some of these situations can be best treated by rephrasing the circumstances in a more positive light. You might be able to point out mitigating or external factors which the interviewer can identify with. Again, you must be careful not to let the discussion dwell on the problem, but try to focus on your positive accomplishments.
Additional Concerns
The ability to learn from the past is one of the best human qualities. Be sure to emphasize that these kinds of things do not happen twice, that you have gained a little humility and that your ability to respond to adversity is strengthened. Then make sure, when you do accept a new position, that you really do learn something. Pay particular attention to developing strong working relationships with your subordinates, peers and superiors. Complete your work diligently and concentrate on making a superior contribution to the organization.
Being fired is not always an indication of poor performance or incompetence. In many cases termination is the result of economic or business conditions which required cutbacks or restructuring. If your campaign is effective, you may be able to avoid addressing the question of why you left your last position directly. If you are unable to avoid the question, then special care is necessary in responding.
Redirect
A firing can be caused by several different kinds of conflicts: personality clashes, corporate power struggles, serious errors of judgment, a string of minor mistakes or overall poor performance. Personality problems and power struggles are usually seen as problems in getting along or working as a team player. Judgment errors, minor mistakes or poor performance bring up concerns about competence and reliability.
Qualifying
You should avoid relating all the bloody details of a personality conflict or power struggle. Do not purposely bring up a situation which might allow the listener to perceive areas of possible incompatibility. Learn to establish a good rapport with your interviewer and generate proper chemistry. Qualification emphasis should be on your ability to work with all kinds of people or your skills in building effective teams.
Errors and mistakes are part of everyone' s career. Try to emphasize your record of successes and direct attention to your overall record rather than specific instances of failure. If you are unable to avoid discussing specific failures, then bite the bullet and take responsibility for the results. Qualify by emphasizing what you learned from the experience and how you would address the problem now. An Accomplished based story which emphasizes a turnaround or disaster recovery can point out you ability to recover from a problem.
Character issues such as reliability or honesty can be some of the most difficult to overcome. Business and personal references can offset some problems, but you might have to deal with these concerns directly. Some of these situations can be best treated by rephrasing the circumstances in a more positive light. You might be able to point out mitigating or external factors which the interviewer can identify with. Again, you must be careful not to let the discussion dwell on the problem, but try to focus on your positive accomplishments.
Additional Concerns
The ability to learn from the past is one of the best human qualities. Be sure to emphasize that these kinds of things do not happen twice, that you have gained a little humility and that your ability to respond to adversity is strengthened. Then make sure, when you do accept a new position, that you really do learn something. Pay particular attention to developing strong working relationships with your subordinates, peers and superiors. Complete your work diligently and concentrate on making a superior contribution to the organization.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Common Career Liabilities - Unemployed
The discussions of common career liabilities are designed to suggest underlying realities and develop a positive “mind set” about your ability to meet the objections raised by an interviewer. Let me suggest that in the coming weeks that you review all of the liabilities, since there are comments in each which may help you in the days and weeks to come. I will start with the first one on my list.
Presently Unemployed
Background
One of the most feared comments an interviewer can make is “I see you are currently unemployed.” Even if you have just been fired, laid off or resigned there is no reason to panic. If you panic your ability to think logically and reason will become impaired, your confidence will be lost and you’ll telegraph this to your interviewer. Being unemployed in today’s market is neither a crime nor an uncommon condition. One out of every four people will successfully overcome the unemployed stigma in their lifetime.
Redirect
For many companies, a candidate being employed is a validation of their own perceptions. If another organization wants to keep you, then you must be a valuable employee. Some managers might see unemployment as an indication that you were unable to “cut it” in your previous situation-that you are not competent. Another concern might involve your work habits, your ability to commit the time and effort demanded by the position. Finally, there may be a perception that you have been “out of the loop” for too long and your knowledge and skills are no longer current.
Qualifying
Most unemployment today results from factors such as restructurings, acquisitions and mergers. If you are in this group, then the first qualifying step can be to review the business or economic situation which led to your unemployment. You must be sure that you also cover the question of competence with an Accomplishment based story which shows your skills to best advantage. If you were fired for cause, I will cover that liability in an upcoming week.
The best way to resolve questions about work habits is to maintain your discipline while you are conducting your job search. Follow a definite schedule each work day, dress as if you were going to the office, attend professional networking meetings and set up opportunities to talk with other people with specialized skills. You have to stay current in the industries that you are targeting for your search. Read the publications devoted to these industries as well as the Wall Street Journal and newspapers. You will be maintaining many of your business contacts as part of your search so invest a little bit of each contact in keeping up with your industry. Good qualifying strategies for this type of concern are situations which show your ability to get up to speed quickly or the application of state-of-the-art techniques to a problem.
Additional Concerns
Maintaining your own motivation and a positive attitude can be the worst part of being unemployed. Don’t let it give you a loser’s complex or start feeling sorry for yourself. Spend some time each day enjoying yourself with your family, your hobbies, and your friends. Remember, you’re OK. Follow your plan to find the best possible career for your self.
Presently Unemployed
Background
One of the most feared comments an interviewer can make is “I see you are currently unemployed.” Even if you have just been fired, laid off or resigned there is no reason to panic. If you panic your ability to think logically and reason will become impaired, your confidence will be lost and you’ll telegraph this to your interviewer. Being unemployed in today’s market is neither a crime nor an uncommon condition. One out of every four people will successfully overcome the unemployed stigma in their lifetime.
Redirect
For many companies, a candidate being employed is a validation of their own perceptions. If another organization wants to keep you, then you must be a valuable employee. Some managers might see unemployment as an indication that you were unable to “cut it” in your previous situation-that you are not competent. Another concern might involve your work habits, your ability to commit the time and effort demanded by the position. Finally, there may be a perception that you have been “out of the loop” for too long and your knowledge and skills are no longer current.
Qualifying
Most unemployment today results from factors such as restructurings, acquisitions and mergers. If you are in this group, then the first qualifying step can be to review the business or economic situation which led to your unemployment. You must be sure that you also cover the question of competence with an Accomplishment based story which shows your skills to best advantage. If you were fired for cause, I will cover that liability in an upcoming week.
The best way to resolve questions about work habits is to maintain your discipline while you are conducting your job search. Follow a definite schedule each work day, dress as if you were going to the office, attend professional networking meetings and set up opportunities to talk with other people with specialized skills. You have to stay current in the industries that you are targeting for your search. Read the publications devoted to these industries as well as the Wall Street Journal and newspapers. You will be maintaining many of your business contacts as part of your search so invest a little bit of each contact in keeping up with your industry. Good qualifying strategies for this type of concern are situations which show your ability to get up to speed quickly or the application of state-of-the-art techniques to a problem.
Additional Concerns
Maintaining your own motivation and a positive attitude can be the worst part of being unemployed. Don’t let it give you a loser’s complex or start feeling sorry for yourself. Spend some time each day enjoying yourself with your family, your hobbies, and your friends. Remember, you’re OK. Follow your plan to find the best possible career for your self.
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