Having been around the blogging community for eight years now, this blog (and the Blogspot-hosted one that preceded it) have enough content that makes it stand out in search results for certain keywords.  I also have made myself accessible through this blog.

Since I have been getting more emails lately from individuals asking for advice, I feel that it’s important that I help clarify what it is that I’m doing over here so you know what to expect from me.

Clarifying expectations

1. This blog is something I’ve done as a hobby, out of a desire to share what I’ve found interesting or useful in my own job searches and career development.
2. I am just a guy who writes this blog in his free time. Much less free time, now that I’m back in the workforce, since earlier this year. (I’m sure you agree that this is a very good thing.)
3. I am not an expert on SCOTI, or as it’s better known, Ohio Means Jobs, even though this blog post remains the most popular one here and continues to rank highly in search engines. (As far as I know, when you register for unemployment benefits, you’re registered for this program. Check with your state unemployment representative for more details.)
4. Whatever I share in this blog or in response to personal emails from the Contact page is simply my own opinions, which come with no express or implied guarantees.
5. Whenever you contact me through this blog or via email, you understand these things and are comfortable with them.

Now that we have an understanding, I’d still love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me via the comments or the Contact page.

Last night I attended the $timulus Book/Networking Group in West Chester, Ohio. Monte Washburn led the discussion about Carmine Gallo’s book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience(affiliate link).

The context of these discussions is always around how the principles within can help people in their job searches and careers.

Check out Monte’s blog post.

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I have a confession to make.

I became fascinated with marketing as a result of being in a job search. I saw myself as that product/service/brand, and that it was my job to tell intriguing stories that would inspire people, especially hiring managers, to want to know more.

My journey has taken me to a place where I not only see this in myself, but I’m also looking at every marketing communication now as just that. I’m seeing the stories being told and identifying the targets for those stories.

You may have already made the jump to match what I’m writing here as to how it applies to your job search.  Let me encourage you to watch this video with pen and paper, so you can take notes on what Rory Sutherland has to say.

Click here to watch the embedded video.

Have thoughts or comments to share? How are you applying these marketing lessons to your job search? In what ways have you branded yourself to those you are connecting with?

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If you’re passionate in your job search, it shows. If you have a goal, a targeted opportunity you’re zealously pursuing, it’s obvious. You cannot hide it.

Like this guy, who wants to work for U2.

Click here to watch the embedded video, if you cannot see it.

He’s even got a Facebook page that you can join to help him in his journey.

Hat-tip to Cliff Ravenscraft from GSPN.tv for the link via Google Buzz.

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Carla, a longtime blogging friend, posted this on my Facebook wall yesterday:

I want to pose this question, Dan, to you and some of your readers of your blog. I am pondering the answering to this in my own life because I need some perspective in my own family’s situation, and would like some thoughts from others on this too. “What is unemployment teaching you”–about how you see life, family, Faith etc. It’ll be interesting to hear answers to this question!

When I think about the times I’ve been unemployed (and even underemployed), they have been defining moments for me.

I think I’ve been able to see my life as more than just a job. Unemployment forced me to separate work from my identity. With so many other people unemployed, and with the “wounded animal” demeanor that often accompanies the announcement that one is unemployed, I resolved to not let it be the most interesting thing about me.

It has naturally been a huge strain on my family financially. Unemployment benefits are certainly better than nothing, but they are barely enough to live on. So it forced us to really consider what is important.  As one friend told me, when it’s really boiled down, all we really need is food, shelter, and clothing.  This friend has been seriously reconsidering the direction his life is taking and is making some changes.

Managing the emotional side of job search has been one of the key things I really went after this time around. I resolved at the beginning of 2010 to be an incurably tough-minded optimist. It’s been hard, but that resolve has helped me focus on protecting my mind from negativity and disappointment.

I’ve read so much more during this period because I knew I needed to continue growing and changing, and I look forward to continuing this habit.

Having emotional support, not only from my family, but also from my church community and local job search support groups, has been very important this most recent time around.

Now it’s your turn…

What do you think about what Carla has asked? What is unemployment teaching you?

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What is the hardest part of your job search?

Is it finding contacts to one of your target companies? Is it building a list of companies you’re targeting? How about preparing for interviews?

For me, the hardest part of my job search is also the most important part.  What I’m about to say is echoed time and again from people I’ve interviewed for the How I Got My Job job search success stories podcast. I believe it’s the most important part and most often the hardest. Because it requires so much work up front.

The Hardest Part of Your Job Search

The hardest part of your job search is finding out who you are, what you have to offer, and communicating that value to others in a clear manner. One of the most common qualities of successful job seekers is Authenticity. These are people who understand themselves and have communicated it in such a way that matches what hiring managers are looking for.

Why It’s Hard

In his latest book, Linchpin, Seth Godin talks about “thrashing.” In my own words thrashing is that emotional and even physical unrest we experience to some sort of change. It’s the body’s way of trying to protect itself from harm, part of the survival instinct that craves routine.

When you find yourself out of work and needing to reinvent yourself, this thrashing occurs. Someone has said that they don’t need you anymore, and it’s not surprising that you find yourself in an emotional tailspin.  So you thrash as you work toward finding out who you are and what value you have to offer.  It’s good that it occurs, actually, because you need to work out the emotions to get to the other side of the process.

(Re)-Discover Who You Really Are

I’ve been thrashing over the past day, weeks, and maybe even months, working on identifying what I have to offer. I’ve spent the past 14 years primarily doing paid work in information systems, in application development.  But over the past 8 years I’ve also developed some great expertise in social networking, so much so that others routinely ask me for advice and have even hired me from time to time to help them.

I’ve also gone through the StrengthsFinder assessment process and have learned that I have the following top 5 strengths:

1. Woo: winning others over; connecting easily with others
2. Positivity: seeing the best in people and situations
3. Strategic thinking: seeing things from the 40,000-foot perspective, ability to make the complex simple and easy to understand
4. Communication: expressing ideas in oral and written form, especially through stories
5. Activator: kick-starting projects, getting others excited about ideas

So maybe I don’t fit the profile of a typical application developer. But what to do with this experience and background? And how can I work that into a marketing document for myself?

The Resume Exercise

I agree with Dan Miller, the author of “48 Days to the Work You Love” and “No More Mondays,” that the exercise of putting together a resume is important, whether we’re planning to go to work for someone else or doing work for ourselves. The act of being able to authentically communicate who we are and what we offer to people who can hire us is of course important to them, but it’s equally important for us.

And yet this is where I’ve thrashed. Hard.

I think I’ve experienced what Cincinnati author Andrea Kay, in her book “Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want,” calls “Rigid Resume Syndrome” (RRS). It’s this ideology that resumes must be a certain format or have a certain number of pages, and so forth. Different people tell you different things. The best resume is the one that gets you the interview, though, right?

I’ve had a technical resume that focused on what I did at my last job.  I’ve also put together a functional resume that highlighted my experience in the social networking space, but I was wasn’t really satisfied with it.

A Cause for Urgent Thrashing?

Yesterday I got a phone call from the co-owner and President of the company who was our primary vendor at my last job. He asked me to interview, based on a recommendation from former coworkers. And he also wanted me to email him my resume.

So I thrashed. But I eventually overcame the resistance I’d felt and was finally able to put together a resume I feel brings out the combination of skills, strengths, and experience that make up who I am and what my unique value proposition is.

In typical social media fashion, I’ve uploaded it to my Virtual Business Card page where people can download it.

Parting Thoughts

In a world where many of us are continuing to build our digital footprint in the online space, it’s easy to expect it to be enough for people looking to hire us to seek us out that way and that resumes shouldn’t be required. I’ve wondered why hiring managers have continued to ask for my resume.

I see things differently now. The experience of creating the resume has further distilled my personal marketing message, and I feel better equipped to talk about who I am and what I’m looking for to others.

Your Turn

What about you? I’d love to hear about your experiences in this area. Feel free to leave them in the comments below. Or, if you’d like to discuss privately, you can get in touch via the Contact page.

Make it a great day!

Daniel Johnson, Jr.

Note: I’ve included affiliate links to books mentioned above because I’ve found these resources helpful and believe you might as well. Also, this post was inspired by this morning’s Google Buzz update. More about how I’m using Google Buzz.

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Ever felt snubbed by an HR department when you’ve sent in your application, having dotted all the i’s and crossed the t’s?

Here’s an interesting article shared on a LinkedIn group I’m a part of that might make you feel better:

Complaint Box | The E-Snub – City Room Blog – NYTimes.com

Getting laid off and losing a job doesn’t have to be the end of the world.  It can be the best time to reinvent yourself. As one person in Lemonade: The Movie said, it’s not a pink slip – it’s a blank page.

Please set aside 36 minutes and watch this movie. I saw it on Hulu, and I’ve embedded it here for your convenience.

Could a job with a non-profit be in your future? I’ve interviewed a few people who landed jobs at non-profits. They’ve shared that the biggest difference between working at a non-profit versus a for-profit is that at a non-profit you don’t work to make money; you work to make a difference.

Here’s a comprehensive list of job boards for non-profit job seekers:

http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/tips-and-tools/nonprofit-jobs

I wish you the best in your search. Let me know when you’ve landed so that we can share your story with others.

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crossposted to danieljohnsonjr.com/main

Yesterday was a down day. I don’t think I’ve felt so down like this in quite a long time. It was quite an emotional day of dealing with insecurity, anxiety, stress, and self-doubt.

As I think back to what contributed to this, I can definitely see that, among many things, I was very tired from having overextended myself earlier in the week. In addition, I haven’t been as active physically lately. I’ve loved taking our dog for long walks and using that time to relieve stress and haven’t been doing that as much.

I think down days are good for us, and I’m grateful that I saw it as only temporary. When we’re in those down periods, it’s good to explore why we’re feeling what we’re feeling to see what we can do to get back up.  For me, it was taking a long nap and getting out of the home and going for that long walk with the dog.

I’m grateful to have great emotional support from my family. I’m glad my wife encourages me the way she does, and that I have a daughter who thinks I’m the greatest Dad ever. Because it’s so easy for me to look in the mirror, or be told on the phone or in an interview or a rejection letter that I don’t measure up to expectations.

I’m grateful for a network of friends who think very highly of me and let me know. I need to be reminded of my accomplishments, to be encouraged, just as much as I encourage others.

So I spend time in prayer and meditation. I find that music to help me with my mind and listen. I watch funny movies. I check out these 37 Videos That Will Blow Your Mind (thanks again, Chris Ryan, for pointing me to the link!).

And I blog.

I made a confession on Twitter and Facebook yesterday: I hate writing resumes and cover letters and sending them off to people. I realize it’s a necessary part of the hiring process, but I’ve found it tedious and in some ways overwhelming.

I think the reason for this has to do with changing a career. I have a resume that somewhat worked for what I did at my last job, but, since I’m now moving in a different direction, I have to come up with a different resume. In my mind that often seems to be like an insurmountable task.

Last week I went to the library and browsed the books in the job hunting section for inspiration. I noticed this thin, tall book by fellow Cincinnatian Andrea Kay, entitled Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want (affiliate link). This book was first written in 1997, and it contains a lot of things that are helping me overcome my dread of writing a resume.

Andrea writes in a real, down-to-earth style, and I love the approach that the book takes. She starts from having us inventory our strengths, expertise, and experience. Then she helps us get to the core of what we want to do and how we can make a difference, combining this into a thesis statement and objective. Once we do that, we’re able to put the accomplishment statements that support the thesis on the resume.

I’m still reading the book, but I wanted to let you know about it right now, because it’s actually given me hope that I can overcome my dread of writing a resume. I also have no problem recommending you check it out and use my affiliate link. Check it out at the library, or get it here.

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I recently put together a composite, highly-subjective list of some of my favorite posts across all my blogs. It’s still interesting to see what you’ve enjoyed reading as well. Based on Google Analytics data, here are the top 10 Get That Job! posts from this year:
10. National Podcast Post Month series: job interview questions answered
9. How to prepare for your first job fair
8. Workshops, HARO, and Lowball Job Offers
7. Pursuing your passion
6. It’s time to move on
5. Overcoming rejection
4. Using social media for a job search | Rachel Levy – Boston marketing pro (social networking, Twitter)
3. How to find freelance and consulting jobs
2. I have a document like this and so should you
1. Promise Me Something

Hat-tip goes to Chris and John from Marketing Over Coffee for the idea.

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Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’ve released a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I practiced answering a typical interviewing question.  Were my answers perfect? Probably not.  This experiment had the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the last installment of the series, as Day 30 of 30:

NaPodPoMo Day 30: Series Wrap-up

Feedback

Dawn from Cincinnati sent in a great critique of how I did with the videos, mentioning that the idea was great and shared some suggestions for how I could get better. Chris Meyer from Las Vegas sent in some audio feedback that this series came out at a time that he was interviewing for a job, and the interviewers commented that he was well-prepared. This series helped him be prepared for the interviewing questions.

Lessons Learned

• Seeing the return on my time investment. Producing video content to go out every single day was rather strenuous. If I didn’t see the benefit of me getting practice answering job interview questions, I probably wouldn’t have done it this way.
• Producing in bulk, scheduling to be published later. Many of these videos were recorded and produced in bulk, and then scheduled to be published on the days they went out.  Creating content, whether video or blog posts, in bulk while in a creative frame of mind, was very helpful.  Being able to schedule the blog posts ahead of time was also very helpful.
• Learning to produce and edit video. I feel much more comfortable recording, editing, publishing, tagging, and in general producing video now. The tools I used were
  • Lenovo Easy Capture for the webcam recording, built-in laptop mic
  • Windows Movie Maker to edit, add titles, and publish
  • Free Video Converter utility to convert WMV files to MP4
  • iTunes to add ID3 tags
• Promoting through social networking. Promoting the videos on Facebook and LinkedIn, and occasionally on Twitter, helped drive traffic.
• Would I do this again? I don’t know if I’d commit to producing video every day like this. We’ll see. NaPodPoMo 2010 is a ways off.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 8:27, 16.4 MB)

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• National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo) (danieljohnsonjr.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 29 of 30:

Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:30, 10.6 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Persuade me that you have strong analytical skills. – NaPodPoMo Day 17 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 28 of 30:

Tell me about a time when you had to go above and beyond the call of duty in order to get a job done.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:52, 9.4 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Persuade me that you have strong analytical skills. – NaPodPoMo Day 17 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 27 of 30:

Tell me about a time when you missed an obvious solution to a problem.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:52, 9.4 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 26 of 30:

Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 6:10, 12 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• Tell me about your ability to work under pressure – NaPodPoMo Day 09 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 25 of 30:

Describe a time on any job that you held in which you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:55, 11.5 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Today, I’m answering a question constructed from a statement in a good example of a job description for a social media job. This comes from Amber Naslund‘s blog post entited “Hiring for Social Media: Good Moves“.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 24 of 30:

Tell me about your ability to engage online audiences, both reactively and proactively, ultimately empowering others to talk about the brand.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

I also talked about Movember, a movement for Prostate Cancer Awareness that has led me to grow a moustache this month.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 6:26, 12.4 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Today, I’m answering a question constructed from a statement in a good example of a job description for a social media job. This comes from Amber Naslund‘s blog post entited “Hiring for Social Media: Good Moves“.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 23 of 30:

How have you been able to take larger strategy and insights and translate into ideas and executable plans in the social media space?

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:09, 10 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Today, I’m answering a question constructed from a statement in a good example of a job description for a social media job. This comes from Amber Naslund‘s blog post entited “Hiring for Social Media: Good Moves“.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 22 of 30:

Tell me about your willingness to experiment and innovate.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:15, 8.3 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• How have you demonstrated effective written communication skills? – NaPodPoMo Day 19 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral Interview Questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 21 of 30:

Give me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 6:11, 12 MB)

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• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? – NaPodPoMo Day 10 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral Interview Questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 20 of 30:

By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:15, 10.1 MB)

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• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
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• How I Got My Job as an Administrative Assistant – Bill Green (howigotmyjob.com)
• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• Tell me about your ability to work under pressure – NaPodPoMo Day 09 (getthatjobonline.com)

Have you been enjoying the daily video update series over here at Get That Job! so far this month? It’s been quite an experience for me, and I’ll be talking about that more as we wrap up the series on Day 30, November 30, 2009 as soon as my laptop comes back from the shop – probably Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

To that end, I plan on sharing your feedback during that last video update, and if you’d like to get in touch to share how, if at all, this series has helped you, please get in touch. Keep in mind that I have less than 10 minutes of time in order for the video to make it onto YouTube, so hopefully keep it brief. I may actually excerpt comments during the update but post them in the actual post here on the website.

As I’ve mentioned during the series, it’s been highly experimental, and I’m learning a lot. Hopefully you are as well.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral Interviewing Questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 19 of 30:

Tell me about a time in which you had to use your written communication skills in order to get an important point across.

I will be reading your feedback on Day 30 of this series, so please send in your comments. Has this series been helpful to you? Was I truly crazy to do this project? etc.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:12, 8.0 MB)

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• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
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• How I Got My Job as a Manager of Technology and Talent Acquisition – T. Murray (howigotmyjob.com)
• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral Interview Questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 18 of 30:

Describe for me a time when you had to serve as the leader in order to accomplish a goal.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:08, 7.9 MB)

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• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• How To Use Interview Generator (slideshare.net)
• Show confidence without being arrogant (getthatjobonline.com)
• How I Got My Job as a Network Technician – Brent Bradley (howigotmyjob.com)
• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years? – NaPodPoMo Day 10 (getthatjobonline.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral Interview Questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 17 of 30:

By providing examples, persuade me that you have strong analytical skills.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:15, 8.16 MB)

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• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
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• How I Got My Job as a Chief Technical Officer – John Buehler (howigotmyjob.com)
• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• Show me how you’ve used your teamwork skills. – NaPodPoMo Day 16 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral interview questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 16 of 30:

Tell me about a specific project where you had to use your teamwork skills.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:59, 7.7 MB)

Related articles by Daniel Johnson Jr and Zemanta

• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• Show confidence without being arrogant (getthatjobonline.com)
• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)

Background

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Behavioral Interview Questions

For Week 3 of NaPodPoMo, I’m trying out some behavioral interview questions.  These questions are asked to infer future performance based on previous behavior.  Because of that, the answers are going to be very specific for each person who responds.

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 15 of 30:

Describe the most significant or creative presentation which you have had to complete.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:54, 11.3 MB)

Recent Media Appearance and Speaking Gig

Special thanks to NaPodPoMo founder Jennifer Navarrete for interviewing me for her NaPodPoMo project. I’ll update this post with the link to the specific interview as it becomes available.

A HUGE shout-out to the folks at the IHOM Job Search Ministry in the Cincinnati area for having me speak to them this past Thursday on the “Emotional Side of Job Search”. A heartfelt welcome to those of you checking this series from that group. Glad we got to share some chocolate together!

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• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• Why will I be glad that I hired you one week from your start date? – NaPodPoMo Day 13 (getthatjobonline.com)
• Are you overqualified for this job? – NaPodPoMo Day 14 (getthatjobonline.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 14 of 30:

Are you overqualified for this job?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:10, 10.0 MB)

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• Why will I be glad that I hired you one week from your start date? – NaPodPoMo Day 13 (getthatjobonline.com)

Ron Harper, good friend of mine, who recently shared how he got his job as a Radio Support Tech, passed along this article he saw in the Dayton Business Journal. The journal reports on a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management:

Save the clichés during job interviews, especially the overused “This is my dream job,” according to a survey of HR professionals released Thursday by the Society for Human Resource Management.

Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed said that’s the phrase they least like to hear.

Read the rest of the article here.

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As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 13 of 30:

Why will I be glad that I hired you one week from your start date?

Special thanks to Rainie for suggesting this question via Twitter.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:02, 5.85 MB)

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• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
• How To Use Interview Generator (slideshare.net)
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• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 12 of 30:

Why should we hire you?

Special thanks to Barbara (@BarbaraKB) for suggesting the related question on Twitter: “What do you uniquely offer our company?”

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:25, 6.55 MB)

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• Multiple Interviews & Candidate Experiences (punkrockhr.com)
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As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 11 of 30:

What did you dislike about your last job?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:58, 7.6 MB)

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• Mastering the Behavioral-Based Interview (timesunion.com)
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• Show confidence without being arrogant (getthatjobonline.com)
• Why Some People Get Hired (punkrockhr.com)
• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 10 of 30:

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Special thanks to Jacqui (@redshoegirl) for suggesting this question via Twitter.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:17, 8.16 MB)

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Ever feel like someone’s trying to tell you something?

1. Early this afternoon I did an in-person interview for How I Got My Job with a good friend of mine, Marc Hopkins, about how he got his recent job as an adjunct professor at a local university. During that interview he talked about YourOneDegree.com. From their website: “Your One Degree is the specific focus and direction you were put on planet earth to pursue and accomplish.”
2. Later this afternoon, while browsing the aggregate feed for this year’s National Podcast Post Month (NaPodPoMo) website, I found this post from Will Brown entitled Pursuing Your Passion. I was intrigued so much that I had to take a second listen.
3. My good friend and Cincinnati-area colleague Cliff Ravenscraft from GSPN.tv has a blog and podcast entitled Pursuing a Balanced Life. You may have seen some updates on Twitter with the #PABL hashtag; Cliff and this community are behind that. He left a high-paying job selling insurance to pursue a passion in podcasting and has been able to make a living doing that. I’ve heard him share his story a number of times, and I continue to be inspired.

Maybe it’s that being in transition removes a lot of the other constraints I felt like I was under when I was working full-time, but I’m at least seeing a lot more varied opportunities come my way to try new things.

What about you?

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As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 9 of 30:

Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:09, 6.0 MB)

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• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)
• Why did you leave your last job? – NaPodPoMo Day 07 (getthatjobonline.com)
• What would your previous coworkers say about you? – NaPodPoMo Day 05 (getthatjobonline.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 8 of 30:

Would you rather be liked or feared?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 2:46, 5.35 MB)

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• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 7 of 30:

Why did you leave your last job?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:51, 7.4 MB)

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• 15 Ways to Annoy Your Job Interviewer (usnews.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 6 of 30:

What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:24, 10.3 MB)

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As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 5 of 30:

What would your previous coworkers say about you?

Links mentioned:

• I have a document like this and so should you
• Daniel Johnson Jr on LinkedIn

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 5:28, 10.5 MB)

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As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 4 of 30:

GTJTV: Job Interviewing Questions, NaPodPoMo Day 04: What is one of your weaknesses?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:16, 8.30 MB)

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As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 3 of 30:

GTJTV: Job Interviewing Questions, NaPodPoMo Day 03: What are your strengths?

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 6:03, 11.6 MB)

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• Job Interviewing Questions GTJTV NaPodPoMo Series, Day 01: Intro (getthatjobonline.com)
• Tell Me About Yourself – NaPodPoMo Day 02 (getthatjobonline.com)

As part of NaPodPoMo, I’m releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment every day in November 2009, where I’m practicing answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the next installment of the series, as Day 2 of 30:

GTJTV: Job Interviewing Questions, NaPodPoMo Day 02: Tell me about yourself.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 3:49, 7.29 MB)

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As part of NaPodPoMo, I will be releasing a video (preferred) or audio (if needed) segment here, where I’ll practice answering a typical interviewing question.  Will my answers be perfect? Probably not.  This experiment has the following objectives:

• Practice answering typical interviewing questions
• Produce content for the internet on a consistent basis
• Develop some rudimentary skill in video production

Here, then, for your enjoyment, is the introduction to the series, as Day 1 of 30:

GTJTV: Job Interviewing Questions, NaPodPoMo Day 01: Intro.

The background music for this series is called “Dodging Buses” by Derek K. Miller. Check out his Penmachine Podcast.

If you would like to download this file directly, you can do that as well. Direct link (mp4, 4:32, 8.62 MB)

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Are you applying for jobs you have no business applying for? Are you trying to pass off someone other than YOU as you work toward getting your next job?  Well, STOP IT!

Seriously, watch this short video my friend Kevin Dugan did with keynote speaker Artie Isaac, at SummitUp, a recent social media confab many of us attended in Dayton, Ohio. I happened to stumble upon it while browsing other videos on YouTube.

Know Yourself, Be yourself for better pitches with Artie Isaac.

Authenticity is by far one of the most important qualities you’ll need to get to your next job.  Nearly everyone I’ve interviewed for How I Got My Job has mentioned this trait in some way, shape, or form.  Know who you are and how you fit with the company and position you’re applying for.

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Last night I attended a networking group for job seekers at a local Barnes & Noble. The organizer is an employee there, and each week he plans a discussion around topics that are relevant to other job seekers, with some books he’s found.

Coping with Rejection

The topic for last night was “Coping with Rejection”. Monte, the organizer, described it this way:

Rejection can impede your job search in a number of ways. Some are subtle and some not so subtle. We will look at a number of different authors, books and web sites is seeing what defenses and strategies we can employ in overcoming this major stumbling stone. We’d love to have you join us but we won’t take it personally if you don’t.

To wallow or not to wallow: that is the question

Interestingly, he found that there have not been books written exclusively about how to deal with rejection; most books contain a chapter or a paragraph or two. I wonder if that’s because not many people are interested in buying books on rejection.  We can choose to wallow in the rejection, or we can rise above it.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t take time to figure out what happened and what we can learn from it. And I’m not saying there shouldn’t be time to be sad or down. But I think there needs to be a time when we pick ourselves back up and press on.

Different playing field – different ballgame

Many of us job seekers are finding that this time of searching is a completely different playing field. I imagine hiring managers are feeling the same way. Job seekers wondering why they haven’t even received a rejection letter; hiring managers too busy or overwhelmed with applicants to have time to send them out.

The great supply of labor has some employers on a bargain hunt. If we as job seekers are not willing to come in at a number they offer, they can probably find someone else who will. This is a different kind of rejection, isn’t it? We begin to wonder whether you’re worth what you used to make. If we opt for the lowball offer, that might pigeonhole us at a lower pay range. When the market improves, who’s to say that we won’t jump ship? Chances are that we won’t rise above it at that job.

Know yourself

This is where having a great personal brand, both online and in-person, is key.  We need to know ourselves, communicate who we are and what we’re about, in such a way that shows that we fit with an organization and position.  Doing this means getting out from behind the computer, taking that shower, and getting in front of other people. Learn about yourself and what your marketable skills are. Uncover leads for new opportunities, not only from searching online but also from asking others you know.

The power of a phone call

The phone is still one of the best social networking tools around. One person at the group last night told a story about having an interview one morning about 25 miles from his home. He awoke in a bad mood and wasn’t looking forward to driving in the sleet on the roads that he was sure would be a mess. The phone rang, and he let the answering machine pick it up. He hoped it was the hiring manager, calling to cancel or reschedule the interview because of the weather.  Instead it was someone he’d met from a networking event who knew about his interview. She called, saying she was reminded that he had his big interview that morning and wanted to wish him the best. His mood changed.

This story reminds me that I both need the encouragement and I need to offer it generously.

Another person, who has a background in sales, described his approach in calling on potential customers. He said before he had an intimidating call to make, he’d make a call to his best client.  He said this advice could work for us job seekers. If we have an intimidating call to a potential employer to make, we could first call someone from the group or another friend we know who’ll offer us the emotional support we need.

Prime the pump

Sometime during the evening, I brought up Zig Ziglar‘s story about the water pump.  Since I couldn’t remember all the details, Monte, the group’s organizer, told the group the compact, “Reader’s Digest” version. Through the magic of the internet (*wink*), I’m able to share it with you here:

Zig Ziglar – Prime the Pump.

I’m glad I went to this group and was sad that I had to leave early. Hopefully some of the things I’ve shared here have been valuable to you as well.

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Last week I asked the following question on LinkedIn:

What advice would you give to someone who will be attending their very first job fair?

Many unemployed workers are finding themselves in the job market for the first time in many years. Some have never been in the job market before. What advice would you give to such a job seeker? I’m looking for help in setting expectations, etc. This is also going to be for a blog post at http://getthatjobonline.com and will immediately go out to some local folks who will attend a job fair in the coming weeks. Thanks for your help!

I am glad that I received so many responses, and you should definitely check out what others have said, since the advice is too numerous to include in this post.  One of the many noteworthy responses came from Doug Field, who is a training manager, course developer, and instructor in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area:

Rent a copy of Hello, Dolly! starring Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi; watch the first 10 minutes several times and pay particular attention to how Dolly treats everyone she meets as a potential employer or source of work.

I did some research on YouTube and Wikipedia to see if I could find a short video clip to illustrate what Doug was talking about, and this is the closest thing I found. I’m not sure whether this is what he’s talking about or not. The song is “Call on Dolly” from the musical “Hello, Dolly“:

Anything more to add? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

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I just set up a Share the Show page at How I Got My Job.  Here’s one of the badges you can add to your site:

Posted using ShareThis

Negotiation Happens – at the Right Time – The Job Doc Blog – Boston.com.

Very good advice. We all look forward soon to being able to face negotiation.