Interviews Archives - Successful Blog

Do You Have the Executive Knowledge for a New Employer?

September 28, 2016 by Thomas

In a world where jobs can be hard to find at times (especially on the executive level), it is important for candidates to put their best foot forward when going on interviews.

That said getting to those interviews in the first place can oftentimes prove to be the biggest challenge of them all.

If you are not feeling 100 percent confident in penning your own resume, turning to an executive resume writing service can make all the difference in the world.

For starters, such a service is geared towards helping those executives who are considering a new job (be they presently employed or out of work), though may be struggling somewhat to write a winning resume, one which will get them in the door for an interview.

In the event you feel it is time for such a writing service to come to your rescue, do you know where to begin your search?

Use the Internet to Get Started

While word-of-mouth is still a good way to go about finding the products and services you need in today’s digital age, the Internet itself proves a fantastic resource.

By doing a Google search of executive resume writing services, you will have a number of them with which to choose from, setting you off in the direction of what you need.

Once you have that service selected, it then comes down to connecting one-on-one with a professional resume writer.

So that you are able to put your best foot forward when it comes to being considered a strong candidate for an executive position, remember these tips as you and your writer put your career highlights in writing:

Resume – First and foremost, what will your resume say about you? It is important that you have a resume that catches eyes, not electronic trash cans. To do the former, work with an executive resume writing service, knowing that these professionals can make your resume stand out for all the right reasons. As an example, your experience as an executive is your best attribute, but you don’t want to go on and on about that experience. A professional resume writer can help you get to the meat of the matter, all the while avoiding a lot of leftovers. Also make sure your resume is directed towards your target audience. Once again, an executive resume writer will want to sit down with you and discuss the type or types of jobs you are going after. Always make sure you provide as much direct information as possible, making it easier for a professional writer to come up with a winning resume, not one that will get tossed in a heap with many other unattractive ones;
Attitude – Nothing screams more that you are not the right person for the job than going into an interview with a negative attitude. Do your best to come across as a go-getter, not someone just looking to collect a paycheck. As an executive, you would be expected to be one of the leaders of a company, so leadership means going out there and accomplishing things. If you have led on a number of pertinent projects over the years, discuss them with the writer preparing your resume. He or she can highlight one (perhaps a couple) that will jump out when an employer or HR recruiter goes over your resume;
Drive – Finally, your executive resume writer can do a fantastic job on your resume, but it is up to you to then sell it, along with selling yourself when an interview or interviews present themselves. Be sure to show that you have the drive necessary to not only handle the prospective position, but exceed at it. While experience and education are certainly key ingredients to getting a new job, your drive can never be taken for granted. For many employers, they want to see someone walk through their door that is passionate about the job they are interviewing for, not someone who just appears lukewarm to it.

Finding the best executive resume writing service for your needs does take some time and effort, so give it your best shot.

Once you find that service, it is up to you and your professional writer to combine on the resume that will turn heads for all the right reasons.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Are you missing out on this under-the-radar marketing resource?

December 11, 2014 by Rosemary

They’re everywhere.

Interviews, case studies, Q&As with your ideal client.

They’re happening on competitor blogs, podcasts, marketing blogs, YouTube channels, magazines, and more.

Your ideal client (or her colleague) is spilling her guts all over the place.

Are you catching that inside information?

One example is the ChiefMarTec blog, run by Scott Brinker. He’s been interviewing CMOs over the last several months, and one question he usually asks is, “What does a day in your life look like? What are the toughest and most interesting parts?”

Well wow. If I’m someone who sells to CMOs, I’m reading that interview and taking notes.

It’s so important to be able to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What better way than to listen to them talk about their daily challenges?

Here’s your actionable tip for today: think about your idea customer’s job description. Once you have it firmly in mind, go seek out media outlets where they might be giving interviews.

Even in more obscure industries, investigate the big trade show or conference for that industry (they all have them). Usually the keynote speaker will be interviewed, or there will be presenters giving interviews. Pay attention to the media buzz, and soak up those insider stories.

Look for the trade magazines. They are always doing profiles of key management. Whether it’s online or in print magazines, this is another good resource to find out about the daily life of your prospect.

Take it another step farther if you have your own business blog—interview your own existing clients. Ask them what their day-to-day work is like, what their key challenges are, and what solutions they’re seeking.

Armed with this information, you’ll be able to provide services that directly address those challenges.

Do you use interviews as a resource?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary OÂNeill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: www.audio-luci-store.it via Compfight cc

Do You Really Have to Write What You Know?

November 28, 2013 by Rosemary

By Miranda Marquit

Pretty much every aspiring writer has heard this advice: ÂWrite what you know.Â

The logic behind this approach makes sense. A certain expertise and confidence accompanies knowledge, and the words come easier when you write on a familiar topic. But you donÂt need to write what you know in order to build a successful blogging business.

ItÂs especially important to learn how to learn about various topics if you plan to provide content to other blogs. Today, I provide content to dozens of blogs and web sites each month. When I began as a freelance writer and professional blogger, I found that the topics I knew about werenÂt in high demand. In order to land more clients, I began writing about things I didnÂt know. That flexibility is one of the reasons I have so many clients today.

Approach Blogging Like Journalism

While many journalists eventually settle into specific beats, the reality is that many of those beats arenÂt the result of chasing after what the writer Âknows.Â My journalism background provided me with tools I could apply to blogging, but you donÂt need formal training to develop the following skills:

Research: ItÂs possible to find information about almost any topic, thanks to the Internet. If you want to learn to write about something you donÂt know, start with a little research. Just make sure that you understand how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Identify reputable sources for your information. When I first started writing about finances, I knew nothing about money management — beyond the fact that I had more debt than I was comfortable with. Research into the world of finances has not only allowed me to write about money, but it has increased my own financial savvy. Now finances fall into the category of Âwhat I knowÂ and I even have my own ideas about money management.
Interviews: So, you arenÂt an expert on a subject that youÂre writing about. Find someone who is! Find an expert to interview, and write a blog post based around his or her viewpoint. One of the easiest ways to find knowledgeable experts is to turn to Help a Reporter Out (HARO). You can offer a query, and youÂll likely get plenty of eligible responses.

With the ability to research, experts to interview, and a willingness to learn, there is no reason to limit yourself, as a writer and a blogger, to what you know. In fact, getting outside your writing box is probably good for you (and your writing business) in the long run.

Expand Your Horizons

Even if you decide to focus mainly on writing what you already know, donÂt limit yourself to those topics. Take the time on occasion to write about something you donÂt know. ItÂs a good challenge that will force you to improve your writing skills. Plus, youÂll learn something new, and maybe interview someone interesting that you wouldnÂt normally have met.

Too often, we think we canÂt do something because itÂs different from what weÂre used to. Forcing myself to become knowledgeable about a topic I didnÂt know turned me into a better writer, a more successful person, and helped me build a successful blogging business. Plus, I like learning new things, so itÂs been fun, too.

Author’s Bio: Miranda Marquit is a freelance journalist and professional blogger. She writes about freelancing at MirandaMarquit.com and money at PlantingMoneySeeds.com. She is also the author of Confessions of a Professional Blogger: How I Make Money as an Online Writer. Follow Miranda on Twitter: @MMarquit.

How Much Can the Wrong Hire Cost You?

October 23, 2013 by Thomas

Hiring a new employee carries some risk.

The person you choose to hire may look and sound great during interview, but he or she may turn out to be a poor performer in the end. It is essential that you try to avoid making a wrong hire, because it can cost your company dearly.

According to The Harvard Business Review, about 80 percent of employee turnover results from poor hiring decisions. Here is a look at the potential costs of a bad hire.

Financial Loss

In a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, about 41 percent of companies estimated that a bad hiring decision cost them more than $25,000 and 25 percent said that it cost them more than $50,000.

The financial cost of replacing a bad employee can vary greatly depending on his or her position in your company.

The Labor Department estimates that the average cost of replacing a new hire is about one-third of his or her annual salary.

Some of the expenses that are involved include interview expenses, orientation and training, employment assessment, termination costs, potential legal expenses for wrongful dismissal, relocation and career transition. A large portion of the financial loss results from the need to repeat the hiring process to find a replacement.

Lower Productivity and Work Quality

Poor job performance is usually the main reason why a particular employee is considered a bad hire.

An employee who is not making enough effort to fulfill his or her job duties satisfactorily can have a significant negative impact on the overall productivity of your company.

If he or she is constantly failing to meet deadlines and delivering poor quality work that needs to be redone, it will take a longer time for your company to complete projects and possibly cause your workforce to become more disorganized.

Negative Work Environment

Hiring the wrong employee can also have an adverse effect on the morale and satisfaction levels of other employees.

Competent employees may be required to pick up additional work because of the incompetence of the new employee, and they may feel dissatisfied as a result of that.

If the new employee has an attitude problem, he or she can undermine teamwork and create an inharmonious work environment, which can in turn hinder your business performance.

Reputation Damage

Employees who deal directly with customers are the “face” of your business, and their attitudes and behaviors can affect your customers’ perception of your company.

If the new employee occupies a customer-facing position, he or she can jeopardize your relationship with your customers. Poor service and negative attitude can upset and frustrate customers, and cause them to lose loyalty. A bad employee can cause significant damage to your business reputation even if he or she is with your company for just a few months.

A good workforce is one of the key ingredients for business success.

As such, you have to take the necessary measures to ensure that you hire the right people for your company.

Photo credit: pinnacleplacement.com

About the Author: John McMalcolm is a freelance writer who writes on a wide range of subjects, from human resource management to online reputation management services.

What Great Interviewers Ask to Always Hire the Best

August 18, 2011 by Guest Author

Guest Post
by Riley Kissel

Insight on Interviews from Stan Duncan, SVP, Westfield

People power boils down to one thing: potential. Just ask Stan Duncan Senior Executive Vice President of U.S. Human Resources and Global Head of Management for Westfield. Rome could always have been built with enough hands, but those hands needed a dream to follow and voices to guide them. In the 20-plus years that Stan Duncan has worked with human resources divisions in several multinational companies, heâs learned a thing or two about what makes a good job candidate. Heâs learned which specific resources are vital to those who are ultimately hired and, more importantly, which questions to ask those candidates.

Duncan says that itâs all about asking the candidate to tell you what they want, what they have done, what will make them successful and âwhy.â

According to Duncan, having a prospective employee reveal what they see as their own abilities and competence is a surefire way to not only get a raw understanding of their talents and pros and cons, but also to get an understanding of their ability to adapt and their potential to last in the long term. âWe arenât looking for super-humans; in my two decades as an HR executive, Iâve yet to meet one. We want people who are talented, but most importantly, willing to grow and change as the company grows and changes, too.â I believe people who know a lot about themselves do the best selling themselves in an interview. Basically, make sure youâre introducing yourself, presenting the real you in the interview.

Duncan is certainly not shy about his two decadesâ of experience as an interviewer. That was proven when he was asked what heâs learned about hiring the right people: âDoing this for 20 years certainly helps you see the big picture; itâs all about potential.â Duncan has been around long enough to see what works for the long-term and what only succeeds in the short term, and his reflections have resulted in him founding an HR model that prizes a prospective workerâs long-term potential over short-term spunk.

âWorking in human resources for companies that focus on everything from career apparel, managed services, aerospace glass manufacturing to chemical agent creation has allowed me to see what always stays the same despite the change in labor practices, techniques, and strategies. Human resources are universal in that HR personnel are always seeking out that potential for a long-term employee presence once theyâre hired. Thatâs because longevity in employment means a stronger, more developed team, which increases the likelihood that each member reaches their potential due to the longstanding support of one another.â

The beauty of Ancient Rome would never have been erected by unorganized stone cutters with no collective vision, no matter how many were hanging around looking for work, which demonstrates the power of potential. Without a guiding vision, the kind that an institution like Westfield has and HR leaders like Duncan possess, the potential of individual talent to serve something greater is often wasted. Asking the right questions and paying close attention as human resources workers is the only way to uncover that potential and make sure the talent stays around long enough to make an impact. After all, Rome wasnât built in a day, and your company wonât be, either. Let Stan Duncanâs success show you what can be accomplished in 20 years if you put your mind to it.
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Riley Kissel is a freelance writer who covers many industries with style. You can find out more about him at RileyKissel.com

Thanks, Riley, for new insights on a critical topic.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

Do You Interview People Who Offer You Work?

January 21, 2010 by Liz

You’re Asking Questions Too — Right?

We often walk into potential work conversations thinking the person offering work needs convincing that we can do the job. But wait a minute. Not every job, not every contract is a great fit. Work situations are mutually beneficial. That’s why there’s compensation involved.

What about making sure the fit goes both ways?

In a 2008 Harris Interactive Survey, respondents were asked to describe their affection for their current position based on the following responses: I like my job so much Iâd marry it; I like my job enough, Iâd date it seriously; Itâs ok, Iâd date it casually; I donât like it, it wonât last long; or I hate it, I want to break up with it immediately. Key findings show that employees lack deep affection for their current position:

Only 9% of all survey respondents said they love their job so much they would marry it.
Conversely, 14% of respondents either hate their job so much they want to break up or they donât like it and it wonât last for long.

A 2009 Harris Interactive Survey on job satisfaction might make us think even harder about needing a little convincing ourselves. A few questions of our own could save us from being among â¦

36 percent of workers [who] said they believed top managers acted with honesty and integrity
29 percent [who] believe management cares about advancing employee skills
one-third of all workers [who] feel they have reached a dead end at their jobs

If we know value our investment going in, we’re more likely to be among the luckyâ¦

20 percent [who] feel very passionate about their jobs
less than 15 percent [who] feel strongly energized by their work
31 percent (strongly or moderately) [who] believe that their employer inspires the best in them.

Clients can also make or break how we satisfied we are with our work. Joseph Carrabis describes the main bad client behaviors include

dangerous or risky business decisions.
disregard of your suggestions in favor of their own research or opinion.
Unmanageable and / or inappropriate behavior.
refusal to make decisions while demanding that you make them.
Lack of respectful communication, preparation, participation

And don’t forget the clients who stretch, break, or fail to keep contracts.

Building a strong professional personal identity is a safe guard as well as a concrete career strategy. We can steer clear of obvious bad fits and check more deeply those that interest us.

Become self-aware. Gaining an objective understanding of your abilities, preferences values and interests is a fundamental step in determining the best career fit. Career Vision suggestions for increasing job satisfaction

Whether weâre looking for a company or client work, honesty is the best policy.

It is best to be honest about who you are and what you want from a job. Honesty will also create a better match between you and your new employer. What’s the sense of faking it through a series of job interviews, just to take a job you don’t like or that doesn’t suit you? You’ll just end up repeating the entire process as you look for yet another job! Careerbuilder.com

A great working relationship matches a personâs skills, potential, goals, and personality with the needs, potential, goals, and culture of the business. A great working relationship â career or contract — starts with three questions. The boss or client wants to know …

Can this person do the job or project?
Will this person do the job above expectation?
How will this person fit with the team or culture?

We should want to know three things too …

Can this person and this company support a position or project like this one?
Will this person see, lead and manage my work in ways that allow me to excel?
Is this a company culture that is a good match for me or my business?

The first pair of questions is objective — about ability, experience, and resources to execute the job? The other pairs of questions are subjective — about attitude, passion, personality and values. Itâs tempting to reach for a ârightâ answer. The right answer is being convinced that the value exchange goes both ways.

When we know our unique value, conversation about aligning goals and values becomes natural and fluent. We trust people to understand us, because we know what weâre saying is true. Discussing competence, resources, and needs becomes an honest test of the strength of the potential relationship.

How do you interview people who offer you work?