Career Coach Office Hours: July 29 2022 | JobSearchTV.com
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
I answered questions about #jobsearch #hiringstaff #management #leadership #workplace issues. Join me at 1 PM Eastern on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can also message me on Linkedin before the show and I will answer it, too #careercoachofficehours #careercoaching #careercoach #jobsearchtips #jobsearchadvice #interviews #hiring #managingpeople #leadershipskills #linkedinlive #linkedinlivestreams
Using LinkedIn The Right Way Even When You Are Not Job Hunting
03:33
If an interviewer told me, I should hear from a recruiter in about 10 business days, does that mean I’m hired? No. It doesn’t mean you’re hired. It means you should hear from them in two weeks time, 10 business days as to whether or not they’re interested in next steps, hiring you, to tell you you’ve been rejected something along those lines. But what in those words tells you that you are hired? I don’t know. Seriously, what would tell you that you are hired when someone says you should be hearing in 10 business days of our decision? Nothing. Don’t use wishful thinking. It doesn’t serve you in your job search or in any element of your career. You could have at the time of that, say “Is this about a decision favorably or unfavorably? Do you have more people that you’re talking with?” You could have asked a clarifying question but you didn’t. So for now, all we know is in two weeks 10 business days, they will have a decision. If it comes to day 11, contact them because they said they’d be back to you with with next steps. So day 11, you can message them, text them, whatever and just simply say, ‘you know, I spoke with someone. She told me I should hear in 10 business days, about next steps, and I haven’t heard anything. So would you be kind enough to bring me up to date on where I stand with this position?’ ‘Which position is that?’ And you tell them which job you interviewed for, who it was, who was in HR if it’s not the same person that you’re speaking with, who the hiring manager was …whatever it is, what you do is you talk to them and don’t just sit by the phone, wondering if they’re going to call you up and ask you out on a date. Be the aggressive one at that time. Okay?
05:40
The company selected you for a reverse mentoring program that connects senior managers with younger experienced employees. In order to exchange fresh perspective, you’re assigned the CEO as your mentee? How do you make this opportunity valuable for both of you? I thought this was wonderful. And I’ll just simply say, the way of making it valuable, is you treat this as an opportunity to be a mentor to them. Don’t hold back; be courteous, and cordial and professional. And as a mentor might come to you and ask you, ‘So what do you hope for out of this mentoring relationship?’ After the initial chit chat, you asked the same thing. ‘Oh, I’m just participating in this in order to be one of the team.’ ‘That’s not really useful for you or for me. If that’s really your goal, let me shake hands with you verbally. Let’s move on. I don’t need to waste your time or mine. But I’ll just say, you know, we were put together for a mentoring relationship, not because you were trying to be part of the team, but because it was a perceived value for you. Where do you think? What do you think would be beneficial for you in our working relationship,’ just like might happen if you were assigned a mentor, and you were being asked, ‘What do you hope for as a relationship?’ So start the conversation with them and ask them what they’re looking for. And then when they answer the question, go in deeper. Get clarifying information from them, so that you can understand what their real desires are in doing this, not because they feel some obligation to do it, but
because it serves them and in their leadership to do it. Thus, if they are kind of that dismissive character I represented earlier, what you can do is very simply say, ‘This doesn’t really serve you well. There’s a great opportunity for you in our working together to really understand what it’s like to be a less experienced person working in the organization. And as a leader, I would think you’d want to know about that, wouldn’t you?’ ‘Oh, yeah, it’s important.’ ‘But when you say it’s not important, and then you say it’s important, it feels like what you’re doing is an obligation. So if you want to bring this to an end, by all means, we can do that. But I think it can serve you and serve you very well in your leadership.’ And that’s the way you play with it. Okay?
08:49
What are the upsides and downsides of working for an employer whose way of managing is, ‘it’s my way or the highway?’ Ooooh. I just find this . . . Are there still people like that out there? Apparently. But I’ll simply say, you’ll learn a lot from people who do that. And, no, the punch line is ‘what not to do.’ I know that, but that’s not where I was gonna go with this. They have a thought process, and you want to learn it, but you can deliver the message differently. So for example, it’s my way or the highway. And thus, when they give you an assignment, teach me how you thought about this because you’re very clear what you want. I’m going to give a tip– I want to learn from you. So how did you come to this decision?’ And thus, you listen to them and then you can circle back with the consequences of the decision if the result was negative, or you can circle back and say, ‘you know, that really worked well. Let me give you feedback about what worked well, what might have done a little bit better. ‘I really don’t care.’ ‘Your call, I think you’re missing a growth edge here for yourself. And I’ll do exactly what you’ve asked me to do.’ And they will start listening to you as you go forward. Okay? So the upside is you can learn the thought process. The downside is, at times, it can feel like a bad relationship, like a toxic environment, if you can’t cut through the noise and their clutter, their mental clutter, and convinced them to open up and tell you how they think and how they came to certain decisions.
10:41
Can a leader be both charismatic, and intelligent? Of course! Of course, they can be both. But let’s look at charisma for a second. What makes someone charismatic? What makes someone charismatic is in the relationship. You and they have formulated a relationship where there’s something personal about it. It’s not just about the work. It’s about the relationship. So how do you develop a relationship when you see someone that way that you really want to follow them? And I think of a model of leadership that’s been nicknamed The Castle Principles developed by a man named Lance Secretan–Secretan.com, is his website. There’s a lot of great information there. And he uses this model called The Castle Principles. That is an acronym for courage, authenticity, service, truthfulness, love, effectiveness. So will this person be charismatic really comes down to they’re demonstrating courage so that you want to be willing to follow them, that they’re authentic, so that you can believe them? That they serve you and others well, that they’re truthful, because people who lie, they’re not charismatic, that you feel their love, and they are effective in what they’re asking you and others to do. So, can someone be both charismatic and intelligent? Of course, they can be. You know that. But for some reason, you thought this was a question that made sense. I think the short version is good enough for you. A longer version might talk in terms of someone can be charismatic, who you can feel. You can feel their heart. You can feel their emotions. They’re not abusive. They’re also smart. Someone could be both, of course.
13:38
I’ve been told that applying for jobs is practically useless. Is that true? If so, how should I apply for a job in person? So I wouldn’t apply for a job in person unless you’re in an industry like retail, where you can walk into a store, or a restaurant where you can walk into a restaurant, and talk with people who are real decision makers. Walking into an office building and saying, ‘Hi, I’d like to speak to the manager of the company on the 15th floor.’ No. First of all, in major cities, they’re not going to let you in the building. You’re a security risk. For all they know you’re someone who’s going to steal someone’s backpack or bag. They don’t want that to happen. So it’s not about applying for jobs in person. It’s about using your network of relationships to be introduced to organizations and their hiring managers so you cut the line and get to the front. Cutting the line and getting to the front– social proof that you’re a qualified individual– That’s what everyone talks about. It’s not about applying in person, nor is it about applying because when you apply you’re stuck with the applicant tracking system, right? And it’s called the black hole for a reason. So skip the black hole, and instead get referred to people so that in this way, you’re able to cut the line, get to the front, be introduced by someone who the hiring manager respects, and be able to move ahead faster.
15:27
Why are structured interviews perceived to be more fair? Well, unstructured interviews have an arbitrary quality to them. Everyone is interviewed in a different way. And thus, they are unfair because they can be used for discriminatory purposes. The old woman… let’s give her all the tough questions. The average person, let’s give him something easier. And thus, using whim to ask questions doesn’t allow you to establish a baseline of knowledge. And thus, number two, you’re more likely to hire the wrong person. So they’re more fair because everyone is judged based upon whether they meet a baseline of knowledge so that way, when you go to the next tier of responsibility, the next tier of questions, the next tier can be more difficult. And thus, what you’re able to do is hire someone who meets certain baselines of knowledge, are decent people… Whatever criteria you establish, you can do that with a structured interview, without it being seen as being arbitrary and unfair. So always, always do a structured interview. It is fair. That’s the fact of it. And as a result, you do better hires and get better results.
Recession-Proof Your Career: Don’t Neglect the Mental
17:08
Is it legal for an employer to rescind the job offer once it’s been made and accepted? Apparently, it is, because there are many people who’ve lost job offers, who’ve had them rescinded on this run up to the recession. So it’s legal. Most of you live in at will states, which means you can be employed by a firm at their discretion. Thus, it’s legal. And even though you accepted it, even though they made the offer, there’s no responsibility on their part to put themselves into bankruptcy because they extended an offer to you So is it legal for them to do it, not desirable, but it is legal. And the fact that you accepted it, it’s kind of irrelevant here. What they want to do is hire someone who’s qualified, interested and available, who they can afford, who will be a world class performer.
18:25
How can trust the built between employees and managers/leaders? Trust first comes in a variety of different forms. But generally, it’s an earn thing. Earned over time. It’s not that someone does something wonderful once, but they do great work over time so that in this way, they’re able to perform well on the job and deliver great results as a result. So the way you build trust is a shared experience. Again, going back to The Castle Principles, you demonstrate courage, authenticity, service, truthfulness, love, effectiveness, so that this way, someone’s able to make develop that connection with you.
19:28
How many jobs do you think you can truly apply for within a month? As we know it’s hard work to apply, network in, land an interview and then do good post- interview? I personally have set a goal of five to 10 good jobs for me, so I don’t get burned out. Thank you for asking this question. So let’s start off with there’s a difference between someone who’s working and someone who isn’t working. Someone who isn’t working. You’ve got all a lot more time than to apply for 5 to 10 good jobs. You can find more than five to 10 good jobs, but you’re talking about applying. I think in terms of networking and connecting with people, so that you develop relationships so they want to recommend you to firms that they might be working for, or where they know someone else can
use your talents and skills. Applying for a job– it is the least effective way of getting an interview and a job. Why? Because the statistics tell us that. Depending upon whose statistics you look at, somewhere between 70 and 85% of positions are filled as a result of their network, the people who they know, who recommend them to someone who they don’t know, that results in an interview that results in a job. So the result is if you only are applying for jobs, you’re missing the largest proportion of people that you might connect to. And remember, it’s your connections, your network, they lead you to work. So 5 to 10 good ones … maybe if you’re working. I’d have to think about that a little bit. But could you do 12 to 15? I think you could. So more is better. And remember, you’re tailoring your resume. You’re submitting it to things where your resume and the keywords, your role and responsibilities, measure out for the job involved. So that when it arrives, it does not look like a spammed resume. It looks like it’s been something customized to demonstrate a fit for a role. And that’s how you do it.
21:52
How do you ask on a job application how much money you earn per hour? Do you have to answer? If not, how do you dodge the question, other than leaving it blank? Can they check that you make that amount? So let me start with that last question. Depending upon your employer, your current employer may reveal that you’ve lied on an application, which is immediate grounds for dismissal if you’ve already started or being disqualified if you haven’t. So I’m not a big fan about lying about what you’re earning. Firms often cooperate with one another. And they’ll say things like, ‘Was Jeff earning $5 an hour? No? It’s restaurant jobs so it’s $5 plus tips. No, how much were they actually earning? Okay. And thus they discovered that you’re lying. So no lies. The way you dodge it, the way you do that is you defer and deflect. So when they ask about compensation, how much you’re looking for, what you say is, ‘you know, I haven’t met my future boss. I haven’t met the team. I haven’t really spoken with them about the role and responsibilities and what the expectations for me are going to be once I come on board. All I’ve seen is this job ad, which may or may not be accurate in the manager’s mind. So can we come back to that later?’ ‘I need an answer now.’ ‘Okay, I just want you to understand, I can give you a number now, but after I talk to people, I may want more, I may be willing to go a little bit less. But if you pressure me, I’ll give you a number.’ And what that is is defer and deflect. You’re telling them a number which makes them happy because they have to do something for their systems. And they’re also saying I’m not wed to this number. And I need you to understand that if I don’t like the job and the salary proposed for this job after I talk to people, I’m not going to be interested. And that becomes a smart way to do it. It’s a deferral until later; it’s a deflection until such time as you have more information and you’re going to circle back.
24:51
What does it mean if a job posting on LinkedIn via easy apply, but not on the company website? There’s a couple of things that it could mean,. It could mean that the position is new. They haven’t gotten it on their website, which gets less traffic than LinkedIn does. So that’s one possibility. The reason it may not be on the website is they haven’t had a chance to post it there. They get more traffic on LinkedIn than they do on the website and thus, all it means is they haven’t gotten around to it. So don’t sweat it. It may not be on the website for completely innocuous reasons. It doesn’t mean anything that it’s not there. All it may mean, I have to say, may mean is that they’re too busy and need to hire someone in HR, who can post these jobs, take them down, process everything. . . stuff along those lines, so that you have a reasonable chance of getting hired.
26:05
So, if you receive a job offer today, which factor will determine your decision? I don’t think anyone should ever answer that question for someone. I’ll just simply say what’s important to you may be different than what’s important to me. And thus, if you work with my list as though, of the million possible options, these are the top seven to 10 that I would consider, what does that really mean? Really, what does that really mean? So in thinking about this, just understand, you want to have a fair offer that you can afford to pay your bills with and ultimately, you’re going to be in a situation where you enjoy the work and the people you’d work with so that in this way, they are not hung up on time– time you worked at a particular organization, they’re not interested in inconsequential things. Instead, what they’re doing is talking to people who are qualified, interested, available and able to perform the job. That’s all they care about.
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27:47
What should what should you do if you accidentally missed a scheduled interview, and you still want the job? So I understand you’re relatively junior. And thus, you missed the interview. You call them up, act apologetic, and simply say, ‘I am so sorry. I got distracted at work.’ They don’t want to know that you overslept. ‘I got distracted at work. And I’m so sorry, I missed the appointment. I really, I’m so sorry. Could we reschedule?’ And that’s all you have to say. And you want to sound pained. You want to sound sincere, as you say these things, because without sincerity, they may take a pass. And with sincerity, there’s no guarantee you’ll get invited back in. But that’s the way to do it. So you have a chance of being invited back.
[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN8U9w2WUws[/svp]
Recession-Proof Your Career – 7 Ways to Make Sure You Land Your Next Job Stress-Free
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2400 episodes.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? People hire me to provide No BS career advice whether that is about a job search, hiring better, leadership, management or support with a workplace issue. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses The courses include ones about Informational Interviews, Interviewing, final interview preparation, salary negotiation mistakes to avoid, the top 10 questions to prepare for on any job interview, and starting a new job.
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