If You Don't Design Your Career, Someone Else Will

By Greg McKeowen

A client once responded to one of my questions by saying, "Oh Greg, I am too busy living to think about life!” His off-the-cuff comment named a trap all of us fall into sometimes. In just one example, it is easy to become so consumed in our careers we fail to really think about our careers.

To avoid this trap, I suggest carving out a couple of hours over the holiday break to follow these simple steps for reflecting on your career.

Step 1: Review 2012. Review the year, month by month. Make a list of where you spent your time: include your major projects, responsibilities and accomplishments. No need to overcomplicate this.

Step 2: Ask, “What is the news?” Look over your list and reflect on what is really going on. Think like a journalist and ask yourself: Why does this matter? What are the trends here? What happens if these trends continue?

Step 3: Ask "What would I do in my career if I could do anything?"Just brainstorm with no voice of criticism to hold you back. Just write out all the ideas that come to mind.

Step 4: Go back and spend a bit more time on Step 3. Too often we begin our career planning with our second best option in mind. We have a sense of what we would most love to do but we immediately push it aside. Why? Typically because “it is not realistic” which is code for, “I can’t make money doing this.” In this economy—in any economy—I understand why making money is critical. However, sometimes we pass by legitimate career paths because we set them aside too quickly. 

Step 5: Write down six objectives for 2013. Make a list of the top six items you would like to accomplish in your career in 2013 and place them in priority order.

Step 6: Cross off the bottom five. Once you're back to the whirlwind of work you'll benefit from having a single “true north” career objective for the year.

Step 7: Make an action plan for January. Make a list of some quick wins you'd like to have in place by January 31 2013.

Step 8: Decide what you will say no to. Make a list of the "good" things that will keep you from achieving your one "great" career objective. Think about how to delete, defer or delegate these other tasks. Emerson said, "The crime which bankrupts men and nations is that of turning aside from one's main purpose to serve a job here and there."

Many years ago I followed this process and, without exaggeration, it changed the course of my life. The insight I gained led me to quit law school, leave England and move to America and start down the path as a teacher and author. You're reading this because of that choice. It remains the single most important decision of my life.

Two hours spent wisely over the next couple of weeks could easily improve the quality of your life over the 8760 hours of 2013--and perhaps far beyond. After all, if we don't design our careers, someone else will.

I welcome your thoughts @GregoryMcKeown .

Is this the right job for you? 10 questions to ask during the interview process.

Once you've received the call from an employer inviting you in for an interview, the real preparation begins. Prior to an interview, candidates should research the company so they can not only answer questions, but have questions ready to ask the hiring manager as well.

The interview is where the job candidate and employer get to know each other. Think of it like dating. While a job interview is in a professional setting and the outcomes are different, the intentions are the same. You've exchanged information because you think there might be a connection, and now you're ready for your "first date." As much as you want to make a good first impression, the employer needs to make a good impression, too. Just like a first date, you don't want one person to dominate the conversation and ask all the questions. It should be a balanced dialogue, and you should ask questions that get to the heart of the matter: Who is this employer, and why should I work for this company?

More: 7 Part-Time Jobs That Pay Up To $40 An Hour

The Right Questions To Ask

Alan Guinn, managing director and CEO of The Guinn Consultancy Group, works with employers every day. He recommends that recruiters listen for these 10 questions from job applicants to see if they've done their homework and truly want the position:

1. I've been told that I work very well as a team member. What are some of the ways your company encourages teamwork?


2. We all know how important job satisfaction is to everyone. I want to be happy in any role. Is the company committed to promotion from within, whenever possible?


3. I love your published mission and values. How are these reflected in day-to-day life at the company? Can you share some examples with me?


4. If your son, daughter or a friend was looking for a job, would you recommend working for this company? Why?


5. What do you think distinguishes this company from its competitors, both from a public and employee perspective?


6. How often do you speak with your C-level officers? When you do, what do they normally ask you? Do they ask for your opinion?


7. How does the company demonstrate a sense of pride in its employees? Can you help me understand what it looks for in return?


8. Are there paid, ongoing learning opportunities offered at my level of job responsibility? What obligations do I have if I elect to take advantage of them?


9. What does the company expect in the way of personal and professional growth for a person hired into this position?


10. Does the company value a difference in work and personal time, or does it blur the responsibilities between the two?

Think About Your Goals First

Don't feel obligated to walk into the interview with a set number of questions, but these give you an idea of the right questions to ask. Also think of the questions in terms of your career and personal goals. If you're moving into a role with more responsibility, how will that affect what questions you ask? If you're starting a family soon, what do you want to know about the company's commitment to work/life balance?

Thoughtful planning and preparation for an interview will not only help you feel more confident but will also leave a great impression on the person interviewing you.

#1 Reason You Get Interviews, But Not Offers

Why is it that sometimes the candidates who are clearly more qualified and have more relevant experience often don’t get the job? Or, what goes wrong when you make it to the top two and then lose the offer to the other candidate? It is within this place that we often hear candidates talking about age, race, gender, or any other type of discrimination.

As much as we all like to spend most of our energy concentrating on how we will prove we have the most relevant work experience and qualifications, it’s a rare day when hiring managers will choose one candidate over another simply based upon one candidate being more qualified to do the job than the other. In fact, less qualified candidates often get the job offer, leaving the more qualified ones feeling relatively perplexed and distressed.

I am not going to say that no discrimination takes place because it does – as illegal as it is. But that’s not what is going on in most of these cases.

To explain this more clearly, please follow along with this scenario.

Let’s say that you are married and are planning a trip of a lifetime – just you and your spouse. If there is a place in the world you really want to go but you fear you may never get the chance, that’s exactly where you are going. You plan the trip a year in advance and you are staying there for three weeks. Imagine yourself talking about this trip with your friends and family.

As you share the details, picture the excitement that you will have in the tone of your voice (or that will pour out in exclamation marks as you write) and the passion that would exude out of every energy channel in your body. You likely end these conversations with, “I can’t wait!!!”

Now imagine that three months before you leave on your trip, your spouse tells you that he or she wants to separate. This is very unexpected and devastating. However, you realize there is a chance you two could work it out, so you aren’t canceling the trip – yet. Although if you can’t work things out, the trip is off.

You decide that outside of 2-3 very close friends, you are going to keep this under your hat and not talk about any of it. You want to work on things and don’t need the world to know.

In the upcoming days and weeks, many people are asking you about your trip. Of course you doubt that it is still on, but you aren’t saying anything so you just play along in hopes that everything works out.

Just last week, you were talking about and saying things like “Oh yeah! And we are staying three nights in this awesome hotel then going here and staying at this cool place, then we are going to be here where there is a pool off our balcony!! I can’t wait!!”

What does it sound like now?

Probably something like “Ahh… Yea… It’s going to be a lot of fun. It’s coming up soon… really looking forward to it…”

Even though you didn’t tell that person that you may not even be going,  he or she may now become suspicious that something is up just based on you expressing yourself with much less emotion.

And that should help you understand why a person who may be less qualified than you gets a job that you don’t get. It’s all in the presentation. Oftentimes you say all the right things but if your presentation is flat, it will fall on its face. If you don’t really want the job or you aren’t excited about it, it shows even if you say “I want to work here more than any other company.”

Can the Hiring Managers ‘Feel’ Your Words?

Enthusiasm, presence, and passion – these qualities excite hiring mangers and they will always tip the scale in someone else’s favor if you don’t show up with them in your interview.  When you are expressing  those qualities, people can’t help but love you and be engrossed in everything you say.

Most people know these qualities are important and say they have them, but if you don’t really feel excited and are putting on a show, it won’t come off as authentic  - especially when compared to someone else who authentically does have them.

This is especially important to remember when you consider that many hiring managers conduct back to back (or close together) interviews. I cannot express in words how often candidates get tossed out of the candidate pool simply by deficiencies in their overall presentation that only become apparent when running multiple interviews back to back or close together.

There have been many times I have thought a candidate interviewed well and was a good fit for a job – but only up until the next interview where that candidate’s presence blew me away making the previous candidate appear flat.

The truth is, if you don’t come off with a positive attitude exuding with those three qualities, hiring managers don’t even tend to think you have a neutral attitude. They tend to err on the side of caution and assume you might actually have a negative and bad attitude. Never underestimate the power of a positive attitude. Hiring managers will almost always say they would rather train hard skills than try to train an attitude.

People can feel other people’s true passion and excitement and you simply can’t compare to someone who walks in with a ton of passion and excitement if you do not – even if you have more skills and qualifications than that person has.

Be conscious of how you think as you prepare for your job interview (and make sure you really do want to work for the company!) Before your interview, take about 10 minutes to sit quietly and don’t think at all with your head about what you will say or not say.

To help chase your thoughts away, take six slow deep breaths and only concentrate on your breath going in and out. Then, imagine yourself working at this company and experiencing all the good things you think you will experience there. Let yourself truly feel the excitement you would have if you got the job. Visualize it, feel it, and get immersed in it.

Now that you have done this, when you go to your interview and are waiting to be taken in, take some deep breaths and mentally put yourself back in those thoughts and in that place. Focus on staying there and when you get in your interview just start speaking from your heart. There is no excitement, enthusiasm, nor passion that can come out of your head – it all comes from your heart. If hiring managers can feel that energy coming from you (not just hear words) it will give you a huge edge in winning the job offer.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012 · BY JESSICA SIMKO 

Your Resume Is Great! So, Now What?

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

Job searching needs to be a diversified effort. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Yet many people believe the only way to job search these days is to go online, post their resume to a job board, and spend time searching through the job boards looking for openings.
Yes, this is a piece of the job search puzzle, folks. But it’s not the whole pie. You can’t rely on job boards alone to find a job. That makes your job search a numbers game, and you would have to spend 40 hours a week on every job board you could find applying for every position you are even remotely qualified for—literally applying for hundreds of jobs a week to get a few call-backs and maybe one or two interviews.
Don’t fall into the trap of believing a job board is the only place to find employment. Below are some great ways to diversify your search and open some doors.

Social Networking

Facebook: I read a surprising statistic the other day: These days, more people are finding employment on Facebook than they are on LinkedIn. I was shocked. I had to investigate that a little further. But I suppose it isn’t all that far-fetched, considering all the companies that are on Facebook—not to mention the 950 million people there.
My recommendation here: Use Facebook to scout out companies you would like to work for to see if there are any openings listed on its page—and then apply if there are. If there aren’t, do some poking around; you may find a contact name you could send your resume and cover letter to.
Twitter: Twitter, people! Go get your tweet on—or at least get on there and search for openings. Did you know that there are more searches performed on Twitter every day than on the largest search engine? Don’t know who to follow? Follow @GreatResume and check out our followers. I have a lot of recruiters on Twitter who follow me—and that I follow—who post jobs every single day.
LinkedIn: Professional networking is a must! Get on LinkedIn, join groups related to your industry (great place to find jobs and get your foot in the door), and start making connections with people. Don’t just copy and paste your resume—put some time and effort into developing a search engine-optimized profile that will get you noticed.
Recruiters, hiring managers, and companies conduct searches for people on LinkedIn every day to find someone who would be a great match for their organization. Our clients always place high in search results. Need more info on LinkedIn? Check this info out.
Also, one more tip: Make sure your profile is 100% complete. It helps you to place well in search results.

In-Person Networking

Buy some networking cards. Include a link to your LinkedIn profile on your business card, professional blog, online resume, etc. It’s a great way to direct people to find out more about your professional experience and expertise. Don’t hesitate to give one to everyone you meet. Also, find local meetings for professional associations related to your industry/profession. Attend these when and where possible, and start working on your elevator speech.

Good Old-Fashioned Snail Mail

Believe it or not, mail still works. Target companies you want to work for, research the hiring manager’s name, and mail him or her a copy of your resume and cover letter. You would be surprised how you’ll find out about positions you didn’t even know were open and how you’ll get a better response rate than just working the job boards.

Think Outside the Box

Really get out there and think outside the box. Create a job search website that includes your resume and professional background. Consider other means of searching for employment that you’ve never thought of before. In today’s job market (and amidst the dismal unemployment rate) it’s important to BE REMEMBERED. So do something memorable (but professional, people).
And for goodness’ sake, if you’re going to sit on the job boards all day, spend some of that time finding some really awesome NICHE job boards that are right up your alley—or in this case, industry—and post your resume there. It usually costs employers less to post openings on Niche boards, and they know they’ll be getting candidates within only that specified field.

About the Author: A nationally recognized resume expert, Jessica Hernandez is President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast and a former human resources manager and recruiter. With more than ten years’ experience directing hiring practices for Fortune 500 companies, she has developed innovative and proven resume development, and personal branding strategies to generate powerful results for clients. As a global resume authority and trusted media source, Jessica has been featured and quoted on CNN.com, Monster.com, Job Talk America radio, SmartBrief, International Business Times, and more. Jessica has her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications/Public Relations from the University of North Florida. Contact Jessica onTwitter!

Best Interview Technique You Never Use

The more questions you ask, the more you learn about a job candidate, right? Wrong. Here's a better strategy.

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Eventually, almost every interview turns into a question-and-answer session. You ask a question. The candidate answers as you check a mental tick-box (good answer? bad answer?).

You quickly go to the next question and the next question and the next question, because you only have so much time and there's a lot of ground to cover because you want to evaluate the candidate thoroughly. The more questions you ask, the more you will learn about the candidate.

Or not.

Sometimes, instead of asking questions, the best interviewing technique is to listen slowly.

In Change-Friendly Leadership, management coach Rodger Dean Duncan describes how he learned about listening slowly from PBS NewsHour anchor Jim Lehrer:

Duncan: He urged me to ask a good question, listen attentively to the answer,and then count silently to five before asking another question. At first that suggestion seemed silly. I argued that five seconds would seem like an eternity to wait after someone responds to a question. Then it occurred to me: Of course it would seem like an eternity, because our natural tendency is to fill a void with sound, usually that of our own voice.

Lehrer: If you resist the temptation to respond too quickly to the answer, you'll discover something almost magical. The other person will either expand on what he's already said or he'll go in a different direction. Either way, he's expanding his response, and you get a clear view into his head and heart.

Duncan: Giving other people sufficient psychological breathing room seemed to work wonders. When I bridled my natural impatience to get on with it, they seemed more willing to disclose, explore, and even be a bit vulnerable. When I treated the interview more as a conversation with a purpose than as a sterile interrogation, the tone of the exchange softened. It was now just two people talking...

Listening slowly can turn a Q&A session into more of a conversation. Try listening slowly in your next interviews. (Not after every question, of course: Pausing for five seconds after a strictly factual answer will leave you both feeling really awkward.)

Just pick a few questions that give candidates room for self-analysis or introspection, and after the initial answer, pause. They'll fill the space: with an additional example, a more detailed explanation, a completely different perspective on the question.

Once you give candidates a silent hole to fill, they'll fill it, often in unexpected and surprising ways. A shy candidate may fill the silence by sharing positive information she wouldn't have otherwise shared. A candidate who came prepared with "perfect" answers to typical interview questions may fill the silence with not-so-positive information he never intended to disclose.

And all candidates will open up and speak more freely when they realize you're not just asking questions--you're listening.

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up fromghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

How to Get a Job in PR

If I had to guess, my boss, Founder of Qorvis and PR veteran has an idea how to get a job in PR. Here is some advice from Michael Petruzzello!

 by Michael Petruzzello · in Jobs http://qorvis-blogs.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-pr/

The job market today in public relations is the most difficult and competitive that I have seen in my 30 years in the business. This is not simply because of the economy, which clearly doesn’t help, but has more to do with the fact that too few job candidates are keeping up with the rapidly evolving environment in which agencies and their clients operate. The tools and technologies are more dynamic and complex than ever before. And the means and methods to clearly and effectively communicate a message to any audience are much more sophisticated and technology-driven.

For job seekers, that means agencies today are looking for candidates who are skilled, experienced, well-rounded and better equipped to meet today’s communication challenges.

At Qorvis, we receive more than 100 resumes each day. Of those, no more than four or five are invited into our screening process. At the end of the process, maybe 1 in 300 applicants are offered a position.

Why is this process so rigorous?

The simple answer is that so few applicants demonstrate the skills and experience needed to qualify for a job in a modern public relations agency. At the entry level, we are not seeing enough new graduates who have right educational background and basic skills in writing. For the more experienced professionals, too few have yet to adapt to the rapid changes in our business and have yet to acquire the right kind of professional development that agencies and clients need.

Here are some of the basic skills and experience an agency like Qorvis is looking for:

1 – Writing

Writing is the backbone of communication. All traditional and “new” forms of media depend on strong writing. It still surprises me to see how few professionals in our industry have strong writing skills. Whether you are fresh out of college looking for your first job or looking to reach the next rung on the ladder – written communication is an essential skill. I’m not referring to different types of writing styles – from a press release to ad copy – I’m talking about English and Writing 101. What should have been perfected in high school and college is too often not found in job candidates. If you are not a strong writer, it is time to get some additional training.

2 – Critical Thinking

We look for people who have the ability to examine a situation or issue, can clearly understand it from multiple angles and are able to recommend appropriate actions. We want people who are comfortable navigating ambiguity and who are solution-makers. Critical thinking is a skill that enables one to methodically consider information, separate facts from opinion or supposition and anticipate possible outcomes and consequences. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find strong critical thinkers. Developing this competency will certainly make any candidate stand out.

3 – Understanding the Newsroom

In our profession, much of our clients’ messages and information pass through the scrutiny of the newsroom. But few truly understand how a newsroom operates, how news decisions are made and what news is salient. Without this insight, which one cannot get from an HBO series, perfecting the art of media relations and media pitching is difficult and prevents many from engaging in one of the most critical parts of our profession.

4 – Social Media

All forms of digital and interactive media are no longer the domain of the specialist. Every public relations professional today needs to be proficient in all aspect of social media. Today, every individual is their own media conglomerate. Anyone can write, post, comment, blog and publish. How can we effectively communicate if we all do not have those same skills?

5 – Video

With the explosion of technology and bandwidth, more and more messaging is transmitted through video. Every PR professional today should have the skills and software proficiency to tell a story through video – from concept development through basic editing and distribution.

These are just examples of the more important skills and competencies an agency looks for in candidates today. It is far different from when I first applied for a job, but for those who have or can acquire these skills, the doors of the top firms in the country will fly open, even during the toughest economic times.

How to be the ONE intern who gets hired from your summer internship program!

This has been a crazy summer in terms of hiring at Qorvis. It has also been a difficult one because the vast amount of talent that is out there right now. The hardest part has been looking in the eyes of five extremely talented interns and only being able to hire one.

Here are some tips to be that one intern your company ends up hiring:

• Treat every day of the internship program like an interview. Know that everything you say can be heard and every person you work with is evaluating you. Yes, you are going to go out with other interns, but don't bring that drunk/hung-over conversation into the office. 
• Go above and beyond on every project. Take a media sweep (aka media monitoring) to the next level. Do something more than the last person who did the job. 
• Pay attention to detail! You don't have to speed through everything. It is more important that your work is flawless and accurate. 
• Get to know as many people as possible at your company. Not just a brief introduction but actually get to know the staff. The more people you have on our side, the better. 
• Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Your appearance is important. We want to hire someone who is put together and we can envision in a client meeting. Think about that everyday before you leave your house. 
• Meet with your companies recruiter and form a relationship with him/her. The recruiter needs to keep you top of mind at all times. Make sure you have a good relationship with that person. That way, when something does open at your company, you are the first person he/she thinks of. 
• Come in early and stay late. This is hard, especially if you are in an unpaid internship, but it shows the work ethic of someone the company can't live without. 
• Strategically look at opportunities outside of your company. As long as you make it known to the company you are interning with, that they are the 1st place you want to work, it is okay to look at external opportunities. Getting another job offer may be the one thing that turns your internship into a full time opportunity. We don't want to lose amazing talent to a competitor.
• Find a mentor. Mentors aren't always given to you. It is important to connect with someone in a job you want to have. Learn from them and make sure they give you opportunities to grow during the internship. 
• Become vital on an account. Some interns are given assignment to do little things on a number of accounts and some interns actually become vital members of a team. Be the intern on the client team. It will show your value and prove that the client relies on you. 

Do these things, and hopefully you will be employed by September. Good Luck!