Talking Just Enough to Meet Your Goal

Have you ever been on a long flight sitting next to a person who talks too much? I mean a real Chatty Cathy or a Talky Terry. (This always happens when you’ve brought some work to do that’s due ten minutes after your flight is scheduled to land.)  At first it’s nice talking to the person, after some time your neck starts to hurt from turning toward them. Later, your mind starts to wander and you start to wonder if there are any air marshals on the flight...

 People who talk too much can lose opportunities to make networking contacts. Networking always begins with a hello and a smile. And often in a first meeting there is an exchange of names and business cards or contact information. Hopefully there is a connection that is made and a seed of a relationship is planted. It’s important to realize that this is a lot to accomplish in a first meeting. Sadly folks often try to push too much into these first meetings and then they wonder why the other person doesn’t follow up afterwords.

This happens a lot in interviews, too. A candidate has an interview and talks too much, but doesn’t realize it. As a result they don’t land a job that “they are perfect for!” In my practice, I’ll conduct a mock interview with a client and they’ll talk my leg off with answers that stretch on for 5 or more minutes. Sometimes they answer the question succinctly, then as the interviewer starts to jot a note they start talking again; interrupting the interviewer‘s train of thought. In the end their wonderful response is lost in the minutia of their droning on and on.

Be mindful of people’s body language and facial cues when you are talking to them.  Are they getting your point... are they falling asleep, with drool dripping down their cheek? If we consider the average length of a television commercial we have some idea of the average person’s attention span. I teach my clients that they should shoot for responses of 30 seconds or so.  This allows dialogue and not only your monologue!

This means that you should know what you’re going to say and practice it over and over in order to know how the response will sound when it really counts, in the interview.  

If you’re on a long flight, chat pleasantly for a few minutes noting your neighbors body language. After that, take out your book or IPad or watch the in-flight movie. As your flight is preparing to land, tell the person you enjoyed talking to them and would really like to connect again; then offer to exchange business cards.

Next time we’ll talk about following up and moving along in the networking process.

Holiday Job Search

   Don’t listen to people that tell you that no one is hiring during the holidays. Don’t slow down just because it’s Thanksgiving. Don’t relax since Christmas is almost here.  People are getting jobs every day and lots of folks are celebrating this Thanksgiving because they landed a job this week. Business doesn’t stop for the holidays. In fact, many companies are interviewing in November and December so they are ready to add headcount in January. 


   The holidays are a great time to interview and land a job. Sure some folks are distracted, but most are working hard and are in a little better mood due to the holidays. There’s Christmas music starting the day after Thanksgiving on radio stations around the country. The stores are hiring seasonal help getting ready for the “Black Friday” shopping surge. People are feeling a little more optimistic this year. It’s a great time to be doing a job search.


   So don’t give in to the temptation to slack off after Thanksgiving. Get out there and network. Reconnect with people you haven’t spoken to in awhile. Use the holidays as an excuse to contact them. “Just want to call and say hi. It’s been a while since we last talked...” Then ask if they can meet for coffee. Wouldn’t it be a great Christmas present if you landed a job at their company and they get a referral bonus?


   Your job search needs a sense of urgency and momentum. The momentum is easy: just increase your phone calls everyday. Follow up with more people everyday. Schedule two to four meeting everyday. Use the holidays as a reason for the urgency. “I thought we should meet before the holidays to discuss any ideas you might have. I’d really appreciate your help and advice...” 


   It’s the season of giving and what better way to help someone feel good over the holidays than letting them help you in finding, interviewing and landing a job. Happy Thanksgiving.

"I really liked him, but..."

On the way out to my next appointment, the manager stopped me to ask me what we were talking about. I had been working with a client at a local Caribou Coffee shop discussing  networking and interviewing techniques. She over heard me making a point to my client. 

Maria told me that they had a Job Fair the other weekend from 9:00 to 1:00 and 30 people came in to fill out applications and interview. She shared with me some of her experiences from the Job Fair and as a manager interviewing candidates. 

She had one young fellow that was really sharp and had really great answers to all of her questions. She really liked him and would have hired him but... he was wearing a baseball hat backwards during the interview. She went on to tell me that they have a uniform at Caribou and she doubted that he would respect the uniform. 

Maria told me to her, little things really matter - a lot! How someone dresses, do they have a pen and a copy of their resume all shout to her about the person's attitude. "If they're not prepared for the interview, how prepared will they be on the job?"

Maria shared with me a frustration she has with professionals in transition. These folks may have had big jobs managing big budgets or departments; in the interview they talk about what they did in the past job without consideration of what she is looking for. She's looking for people who can make a year or more commitment and can demonstrate customer service and teamwork skills.

It's important for folks to remember that it may be a survival job to you, but to the interviewer it is their career. What messages are being sent? The interviewer may be looking for punctuality and dependability, and feel patronized when the discussion moves to how you managed a million dollar budget.

This is not dumbing down your resume, it's presenting your skills and abilities in response to the interviewer's needs. It's putting your focus on the job and not on your needs  or making yourself feel important. 

So, if it's a survival job your looking at or even the next step in your career remember everyone's favorite radio station is WII-FM. (What's in it for me!) Play the songs and tell the stories they want to hear. Be prepared to make a favorable impression by presenting yourself in a positive light.

Good hunting...