Preparing for a Job Interview at the Last Minute

At least once a week, someone calls me with the happy news that they have a job interview...tomorrow. They want to know what to do to prepare. Here is the very least that you should know about interviews.

An interview is just a conversation. You want to find out what they need, tell them how it is you can do that , and make sure they heard you.

The first steps are as follows:
Look at their website. What do they do? What do they value? Google them to see if there is any recent news regarding them.
Look at the position. What experience that you have relates to this position? Focus on that in the interview. Everything else is extraneous.

Look at your work history….for each position, what did you do, what did you like most, what did you like least, why did you move on?
Look at any gaps, and think about any jobs that you did not leave simply for a better opportunity. Why did you leave?
Is there any experience in the job description that is not reflected on your resume or application? Be prepared to tell what you DO have that relates to this item. If you don’t know what a term in the job description or posting means, google it. Ask people you know for help.

1. Tell me About Yourself: This consists of what in your background fits this position and this company. End with, “And that’s why I’m excited to be talking about this position with you today.”
2. What are your three greatest strengths? Give an example of each.
3. What is your greatest weakness?
4. What is an accomplishment of which you are most proud?
5. How much are you looking to earn?
6. Why should I hire you?


Most interviews are behaviorally based. You answer the questions using the PAR technique.
P- Tell the Problem (VERY briefly…they understand there was a problem…don’t build it up or spend time proving it
A- What action did you take?
R- What was the result?


Prepare five stories, using the PAR technique to highlight your strengths, an accomplishment, and a time something didn’t go your way or you weren’t getting along with someone.
Most people forget to tell the result. Remember end on the positive!

Now you are ready to have someone quiz or mock interview you.

Put out your clothes tonight and shine your shoes.
Make sure you have the map, know how to get there, and take the contact information of the interviewer with you.

At the end of the interview, let them know the fit that you see there, and ask for the job, or what the next step is. Make sure to get their business card and follow up within 24 hours with a thank you note.

Food Stamps Shopping Cart

I remember envying the woman who lived in the room next to me in college. She had food stamps, and more food than I could afford with my tiny paychecks. She had fresh milk, fruit, iceberg lettuce, and hamburger. I ate spaghetti or a can of green beans for dinner, never both.

She might have had food, but did she have health insurance, as I had through my Dad's work? Did she have parents helping her with college tuition? Could she always pay for the books or paper or ink pens? Did she have a place to go when her roommate situation two years later didn't work out and her parents let her come home for a few months to get back on her feet? (I did.)

I didn't know these things then. At the time I assumed that even though her food stamps bought her more food than my paycheck bought me, I was the one coming out slightly ahead. I believed at the time that I somehow had a future that held better promise. Looking back, I hope I didn't. I hope those food stamps are what made it possible for her to go to college, likely without requiring extended family support,that she likely did not have. I don't remember her name. I hope she was the nurse that was able to finally get some blood out of my arm at Dublin Methodist Hospital. She was a nursing student.

Though I have helped people to get jobs for over 20 years, four of those helping people who receive public assistance, I sometimes forget how I used to see welfare benefits. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, two otherwise upbeat, cheerful and charming people without a financial need of their own that I can see chose to comment on "welfare moms". One was referencing a comparison for an animal who isn't properly caring for her newborn. The other,who upon hearing that I help people to get jobs, said, "Helping those women on welfare...that's something I wouldn't be able to do."

"Oh, really," I responded,"It really isn't usually very depressing. You are helping them with something positive, not creating problems. Now, being the case worker who has to be the one to put them into a Catch 22, that would be hard. As a Job Developer, I would usually know of one woman a week, who if she came to class, she couldn't attend her meeting at the homeless shelter, and she would lose her housing. If she didn't come to class, she would get sanctioned, wouldn't get her monthly cash, and would likely have to move, switch her childrens' schools, start over with getting childcare, so that she could get a job. THAT would be depressing. I don't know if I could do that."

Apparently I had missed her point, "I notice those women at the grocery store. They use their food stamps, then they use their own cash to buy things I wouldn't buy." Really? She had gone to Black Friday that day. What isn't she buying? What is it that she envies?

So, when you see that woman at the grocery store paying with food stamps, but buying a new pair of shoes, think about the last vacation you went on, the car repairs you can pay for with the money you have saved in the bank,the toys you can buy for your children, the gas you can put in your car to go to the metro park, the roof over your head. That woman doesn't have more than $300 month to spend.

If she is a working mom who provides childcare for your children so that you can work (yes, that woman is probably on public assistance), aren't you glad that she can have clothing without holes and can take her own kids (if she has them) to the zoo once in awhile, and can put gas in her car so she can get to work to take care of your kids? Aren't you glad that the woman who changes your mother's bed pan at the nursing home (it's very possible she receives public assistance) can buy a spatula if she needs it or can get one video game for her children like you do for yours? What life would you prefer for that woman? What about her life is enviable?

If you want to be upset, be upset that she only makes $9.00/hour. Be upset that these jobs don't pay more. Just because she gets food stamps, doesn't mean she doesn't have a job. And it doesn't mean she has children. If she does, she is taking care of them. Either way, she needs our help.

Why You Should Knit

I've been working on knitting the toe of this sock for three nights. Where the pattern says to weave in the ends, I am trying to do the Kitchener Stitch, which makes it look seamless. It is a little bit of knitting magic,and one of the reasons I like to knit.

Someone asked me recently why I knit. He said he just wanted to know why. He didn't think it was strange, but his raised eyebrow betrayed him. I gave him one reason, but there are many.

I like to knit because...

It is something that draws my attention, but demands nothing of me. I can set it down and walk away without resolving it's issues.

I love the way the yarn feels.

Every time I take a ball of string and two pieces of wood that look like chopsticks,spend some time with it, and it becomes a scarf or a mitten, or even a simple tube, it amazes me. (Actually, when I am able to successfully eat wtih chopsticks that amazes me too.) If you ever have the chance to turn a heel, or see someone do it, you should pay close attention. You are knitting along, and you slide stitches, and pick up some more, and in a little while you have a right angle that is the heel of a sock.

If we ever lose electricity, production plants, or other forms of power, someone will need to make clothes for us. I can do that. I can also pass the tradition so someone else can. We need to maintain the traditions that allow for sustainable living. You might know how to build a fire, or grow food. I am maintaining the tradition of knitting. Yesterday I heard a PhD say that she would help my colleague with his PhD if he promised to help five others. She has already helped twenty. I had a party at my house last winter for people who knit and the people who love them. The man next door learned to knit. Before that, I taught two women I worked with to knit. If you need to learn to knit, let me know.

People all around the world have knit for hundreds of years. Many have come up with the techniques apart from the others, but they all created scarves, hats, and sweaters. I like being connected to that history.

Alpaca socks are seven times warmer than wool.

Have you ever been to a yarn shop? Go a couple of times and try not to knit at least something.

You can make your scarf however long you want to.

You can make your sweater whatever shape you like.

I can knit and be around my family while doing something for myself at the same time. It's kind of sneaky.

I communicate with people all day (which I love), but my yarn doesn't require speech (which I also love). I can turn off that part of my brain.
While I am knitting it is often impossible to worry or think about "To Do Lists".

But one of the best things about knitting is the puzzles it brings. I have ripped out that toe three times now. Each time I have feared I wouldn't be able to get my needles back on the stitches. Somehow I have. Each time I have tried a new way. Tonight I will try another. Some people enjoy crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, or Jeopardy. I like knitting.

Many people look at a piece of knitting, and because it is so common place, they assume that it is easy. Though it isn't always complicated, it often involves math, thinking about spatial concepts backward, and finding new routes through patterns, especially if you aren't always willing to rip back multiple rows to correct mistakes. I am not. Sometimes I take it to the yarn shop and have them rip it back while I look the other way.

Knitting shares this in common with most other good forms of work. Focus, challenge, absorption, mystery, and discovery. Somehow I am hoping that these characteristics also build character.

What good forms of work do you do?

What's Your Larger Career Story?

One of the keys to interviewing well is to be able to tell your story. Almost any question I get about how to answer a specific interview question comes back to looking at the larger story.

For example, last week, one client asked about how to explain that he had left one of his positions for "philisophical differences". If this is the best we could come up with, then he would have to go with that. But is that the story he wants to create and share? The simplest answer is "Better Oppoortunity." If more detail is requested, then he could say "After twenty years of a very positive work experience, I located a better opportunity that allowed me to continue to grow and use my skills with _________________. Those are the same skills I understand you need from someone in this position. That's why I'm glad to get the opportunity to talk with you today."

"But why did you leave?" The interviewer could ask. They are asking for the larger story. When I probed a little further, it turned out that he had been with the company from the outset and helped them to be very successful. He enjoyed the work that they did and they were very pleased with him. After twenty years, a new management team wanted to go some new directions,as new managers often do. He located a better opportunity where he felt he could continue to grow. When he gave his four week notice, they asked him to stay, but he really felt it was time to move on.

Isn't this a more positive story than "philisophical differences"? Still, even this story only needs to be told if the interviewer probes for it. But be ready with the larger story. Each question doesn't come in isolation. It's the larger story that you are creating. Does my client go through his career having "philisophical differences"? Or does he do a great job, encounter workplace changes occasionally, and find the right place where he is a good fit and then continue to make positive contributions wherever he is? It's up to him.

Your story is up to you. What's your story?

Do I Really Have To Get LinkedIn?

Every week, I have an opportunity to talk with an individual or a group about social media, such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Last week we taught a workshop on the topic. Most people in the group were eager to get more tips on making better use of these tools. A couple of people shook their heads "No," they said, "I'm not doing that." Still others said, "Do we really have to?"

I could argue that it is effective. And it can be. I can argue that it's better and quicker than calling everyone in your Rolodex (do you still have one on your desk, too? If so, you should take this fun quiz to test your how old your really are by evaluating your social media skills But the more important thing...is that it is how things work now. It just is. I don't doubt that after the wheel was invented, there were late adopters, critics, and naysayers. But today, I can't think of a single group of people that doesn't use them.

We all realized somewhere between five and ten years ago that we had to use e-mail and do on-line applications. We have no choice. Not because it's a fad. It is what is.

Personally, I like a mortar and pestle, not a food processor. I like bicycles more than cars. I hesitated to use any cell phone, let alone a smart one. A year ago, I found myself asking other team members to take and send photos of our events. Then I realized, I need to do it myself too. I got a Droid. Now I take pictures and text. I realized that I have more than two decades more to work. I can't fall behind now! So, while I'm not the most current. I know I need to embrace technology.

I love to communicate in writing, and friends have been telling me for the past few years that I need to get a blog. I couldn't muster my fortitude to do it. I went to a Social Media Workshop last month where we were instructed to set up a blog as part of the class, and what you are reading is the result. Prior to the workshop, I had questioned whether I had missed the boat on blogs, or if I should save myself for books. Then, I realized that people will always be communicating with words. Blogs are one of the ways we do it now. It is what is. I don't need to question it anymore.

I have a team member that just reached what she deems the "Social Security age". Six months ago, she wasn't interested in a smart phone. "Too much money," she said. For some reason to got one anyway by September, and was eager to visit with her brothers and sisters,and be "the one who knows everything." She would tell how to get to the restaurant by using her google maps, and look up the answers to all the questions about which actress starred in that movie. Unfortunately, a hurricane cancelled the trip. She was disappointed to lose out on the opportunity to be the one with the phone. She will get her chance. Her plan is to stay current, because you never know how you will have to communicate with the utility company five years from now. Or five months. It changes fast. But it is just communication. That's all it is. And we've been doing that since our first year. I think most of us can manage it. It is what is.

So set up that LinkedIn account, follow that company you like on Twitter. Get yourself a blog and send me the link! Do you have any tweet successes to share? I'd love to hear them!

How to Promote Yourself in This Economy

You once had a great job, or at least one that paid well, and despite your best efforts, you still find yourself out of work. You have been attending every event you can, getting together with people for cappacinos, you pass out your business cards, you get Linkedin. You are promoting yourself just the way your Career Advisor suggested.  But you aren't getting any interviews.

Here's one more thing to try. A little humility. What does that have to do with getting a job? Sometimes everything. I'm not saying this because I have done such a great job of it, and you should learn from me. I'm just telling you what I have seen. I get to learn from my clients every day.

I have a client who has always owned her own business, continues to have her primary paid work in spurts, but not fast enough to meet all of her financial needs. She has a TYPE A ++++ personality, so I was quite surprised when a few weeks ago she said she would be willing to do a $10-12/hour job including call centers. We immediately stripped her resume of nearly every accomplishment, which was easy for her to accept, given her high level of self esteem. She immediately went about applying for entry level jobs. I got an email from her last week asking if she should wear an apron to her interview for a cashier position she found in the food court at the mall. After discussing, she settled on khakis and a white shirt (like what they wear) and a cardigan (to make it a little different). She was offered the job as a supervisor...at $9 an hour. I asked her if she was accepting, pretty sure she would have encountered a heavy dose of second thoughts.

"Are you kidding me?" she replied. "I have a heater to replace this winter. I'm taking it. They are going to try to get me $10." Here is a woman with self esteem, ability to read and adapt to culture, who can take of herself. A woman I have greater respect for who is more likely to come at top of mind when I see appropriate job openings.

What does humility have to do with getting a job. Maybe everything. What does it have to do with being a better person? Definitely everything.

"Humility is at the equilibrium of ego. When we're at the center, we manage our ego rather than it managing us."- Steve Smith

"Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right." - Ezra Taft Benson

I am fortunate enough to be working. Besides that giving me the opportunity to share this woman's story for the benefit of others, I also need to ask myself...

How do I get in my own way? Where do I need to show more respect for others? Where do I need to forget about who is right?

I hope you ask yourself these questions too.

This isn't all going to change the high rate of unemployment instantly. But it will make this a better time to live.

What is one place where you could show more humility in your life?

Notes on a Writer's Space

I used to think what got in the way of me and my writing was the family clutter that spilled into the sun room, which I had already claimed as my study. The dollhouse, the glitter, and extra pair of scissors that inevitably get left out. I recently cleared just an end of the room, and that's been helping. Physical space is important. One morning last week though, about an hour after I started working on revising an essay,  I realized the bigger issue. She called out to me at 7:22am.

"Mom! Mom.Mom." Is was an incessant, albeit brief hum with a bit of demand mixed in.

1. Some nine-year-olds would go downstairs, prepare cereal, and watch cartoons.This nine year old doesn't watch cartoons.

2. Some Dad's would hear their child and go to see what they need. This Dad was the one to turn out the lights last night, because this Mom couldn't keep her eyes open.

I considered letting her know where I was, giving her the option to do something quietly in the green chair in my room. However, the calling out stopped. The guilt remained, but a healthy silence ensued. I clicked along productively...until I realized that I needed to get up for something. I panicked (mildly). Was my writing time over? I put off leaving the room, fearing that my gig was up. Finally, when I could wait no  longer, I headed upstairs, tiptoeing past her bedroom. She saw me passing by and wore a shocked expression.

"Mama. I called out for you."
That morning I offered no explanation. "Yes."
As she looked at me, her hands didn't stop sorting markers. She had a basket out, as well as one of her desk drawers pulled out and placed on the floor. One of them was filled with strewn writing utensils. The other one was an orderly row of markers organized by color. She seemed content putting her things in order. By taking my own space, I had given her the gift of her own space as well.

In Yoga class last week, the teacher corrected me at least twice as I looked to see what Roy was doing and offered him comments and suggestions. "Stay in your own space, " she said.

At a class that I am taking, last month we spent the day reviewing our personality profiles, but we took time out for a boxed lunch at our tables, which were set up board room style. The guy next to me had been deemed task focused and orderly. Whereas, I had been deemed, well...spontaneous and communicative. Which means, I think that if you have to sit in a small room that you probably shouldn't sit next to me. We sat side my side, board room style.

As lunchtime came to an end, I noticed that despite the fact that I had cleared away the used food containers, I still had a lot of stuff I was struggling to fit into my little area. I looked at the space in front of the guy next to me.  It was very tidy. A Pepsi, an ink pen, and a notebook lined up neatly.
I made a gesture, encompassing my items, so many of which I can't name them.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm taking up a lot of room, aren't I?" I apologized.
He looked at me calmly and responded merely, "Yes."

I thought about my yoga teacher. I thought about Hannah in her room. And about me writing in mine. I thought about staying in my own space.

Have a Little Awe

This is all your writing space needs:
A bench (I'd argue that could be a chair, a table, or a bike)
Silence
A little awe

According to Eric Maisel, in A Writer's Space: Make Room to Dream to Work, to Write , much more can be helpful...enough to fill an entire book...but these are the basics.

Isn't that what all of our endeavors need? In order to create something new, we need to give it space to grow. A baby, piano music, an empty stockpot for chili, a garden. In the spring, we need to turn the soil and pull away the weeds. Water a little. And wait.

To enjoy nature, we need to take a little time to get outside to take a hike, a bike ride, or at least a breath, before we have an opportunity to glimpse that fall sunset made of fire orange and salmon joining together, becoming florescent for the briefest of moments. This is what I saw above the Kroger building as I rode my bike with my family back from dinner on Monday night. If I hadn't looked up to my left, I would have missed it. It was the sort of sunset you might expect to see on vacation. But maybe those are here too, more often than I know. On vacation, there is more time for silence. More time for awe. If we are paying the bills, making dinner, and vacuuming the rug, we miss it. If we don't look up, it passes us by. How many beautiful, amazing things have I looked past? Whatever we are doing: looking for a job, writing a novel, or going to Indiana, we need to remember three things. Take a seat for a minute. Be quiet. Have a little awe.

What filled you with awe today?

See One, Do One, Teach One

Last night,  I ran into a former client at the library. He was three years older than the last time I saw him, but his skin was brighter as he beamed and introduced me to his new wife. When I last saw him, he was recently divorced, had been laid off from a very good job,and was in a tough financial position as a result of both. He was uncertain about nearly everything. And he seemed somewhat alone. He came to the networking meetings and trainings we offered,as well as scheduling career advising sessions with me. Despite his frustrations, he was open to the feedback with the extensive mock interview we provided. He was successful in landing a job. But was that the most important thing that he got from us? And would that have been enough?

My client turned to his wife and said, "These are the people who helped me when I needed it. They taught me the tools that I'm teaching you." Was landing the job the most important part?

Over 20 years ago, when I started in my field, my focus was the world of work...its fulfillment for both the worker and the employer. As I have gotten older, it has expanded to include the larger scope of one's life...its fulfillment...doing it well. Not perfectly, but fully.

When I started out to work on work, over 20 years ago, I did so because the way I saw it, you are given a unique set of gifts.  It is your responsibility and your privilege to use them well. You work so many hours per week. You owe it to yourself and society to spend them well. Now, I think you have been given one life. Use it well. The work we do gives our lives focus. The life we have gives our work focus. It is a balance.

My mission is to help individuals and the community to be whole and to be well utilized. What is the workforce development professional supposed to do? Is it enough to help a job seeker to get a position? If that person gets a job, then someone else does not. My role then is to reduce unemployment.
If I can find the gaps where employers have a hard time filling positions and make sure people are getting trained to meet those needs, then we may have done something. If we can help people to use their gifts even while unemployed, then I believe we have done something. When we help them to get  closer to financial stability, then that is something more. Getting resources, food, clothing, shelter, job leads, training, health, helpful connections, that is something. So they can get on with their lives. Making sure they get the job is not completely within our control. Most people right now aren't trying to get ahead, they are just trying to keep their head above water. They need a raft. That was the case with this guy. I couldn't make sure that he got interviews or offers, but I could make sure that despite periods of discouragement, he would not fall out of the raft. That is the one thing we can always do for each other.

Just as I was about to part with my client, I remembered a model he taught me that they use in the medical world. "See one, do one, teach one". It's a bridge to take to get to other side of learning many things. I let him know that I have called upon this model many times. He looked pleased.

His wife is recently unemployed herself. He learned how to make it to the other side of it. We brought him a raft, he is bringing her one.

While I am thrilled that he got a job and he is still working, I'm even happier that it put him in the frame of mind and the position to be happily married and sharing what we taught him. He is living fully. It doesn't get much better than that.

MORE Placements

The MORE team places 12 individuals in September. Fred takes the lead! Keep watching. The first one to 25 from the start of September gets the prize! I am currently seeking a hotel stay donation as a well deserved incentive for my hardworking team. If you have one to donate...with flexible locations...please let me know! We will be happy to promte your name!