He took the NYC phone book and called every investment banking firm listed. He went right down the list, not skipping any, and asked for the “manager or the managing partner.” This is what he said:

“Mr. / Ms. Smith, my name is Bill Jones and I’m a new graduate from Columbia University. I’m looking for career in the investment banking profession and I am willing to begin as an unpaid intern. I’m a very hard worker and it will cost you nothing for me to work for you. If I prove myself, and there is an opportunity, I hope that you might hire me. If after 90 days I don’t prove to be a valuable employee, you can send me on my way.

“May I come speak to you tomorrow morning or tomorrow afternoon?”

He heard mostly “NO,” but kept on calling.

He got hired by a small branch of an international investment banking firm. One of their analysts had to abroad for 90 days and he convinced them to hire him for that time. He ended up staying with the firm for two years (yes, they paid him for the 90 days). The experience led to a position a major New York bank, where, as of this writing, he is a vice-president.

He experienced numerous objections and refusals, but his persistence and determination landed his first job and led to a tremendous career.

Analysis of the script

This script employs a very simple, but very strong, strategy. The idea is to sell a face-to-face interview with the hiring manager whether there is an open position or not. You are not asking if there is a job opening; you are asking to be hired. The script is meant to be forceful and to the point.

There are a few crucial aspects of the script:

1. Do not ask the receptionist for “the person doing the hiring.” Nine out a ten times you will be sent to a dead end in the H.R. Department.

2. Instead, ask for the manager of the department for which you want to work. For example, if you were looking for a sales position, you would ask for the sales manager.

3. When speaking to the hiring authority, you have to provide a meaningful feature or benefit justifying a meeting with you. This is very important! If you simply call and ask for an interview, without giving specific features or benefits to the prospective employer, you won’t get to first base.

This is simple stuff – if you are aware of what you’re doing. Here are some examples:

“Hello, Mr./Ms.Smith. My name is Sally Jones and I am a new graduate <veteran> <etc.>. I’m offering hard work, commitment, and determination to a future employer.”

• “…a new graduate of <college name>. I worked my way through college, paying all of my own expenses while maintaining a 3.4 grade point. I will apply the same kind of diligence and commitment to my next employer.”

• “…a new graduate of <college name>. My degree is in engineering, and I graduated #4 in a class of 200. I was also very active in my sorority where I held two leadership positions. I will bring that same kind of performance to my next employer.”

• “…a new graduate of <college name>. I worked two jobs while attending college although, since I had to pay for all of my tuition and expenses, it took me five years to graduate. I did graduate with excellent grades in my major, and I’m ready to bring that kind of commitment and determination to a new employer.”

Then, after each one of these presentations, you would say:

“I would like to meet with you to discuss my potential with your firm. Would tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. or tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. be best for you? ”

The idea behind these features and benefits is to clearly demonstrate that you are a superior candidate with unique talent and a determined work ethic. Simply claiming those qualities is not enough; you have to provide supporting evidence.

The post Tip #19 Trust the Process appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

What Career Services Offices can do for college and university students.

Don’t overlook what your school’s career counseling service can do for you. A recent study found that the career counseling service is one of the most frequently used services compared to other university student services. However, a recent Gallup survey sponsored by the National Career Development Association showed that 60% of the college graduates would try to get more information about job and career options if they were starting over.

Most students, who don’t take advantage of their school’s career counseling service, claim that they visit the service to see if they have job opportunities available or posted. If they don’t immediately see job postings, they leave without knowing what other kinds of services they might receive.

Most career centers provide a staff of counselors who work with students at all levels to effectively manage career development and implement career plans. Through individual and group sessions, counselors assist students in exploring career options. Researching 150 college and university career counseling offices we found the following service available. Not all schools have all of these offerings. But you owe it to yourself to investigate what yours may have. The services that may be offered are:

• selection of majors, early planning

• assessment of interests, abilities, values and skills inventories and assessments

• exploration of occupations, career trends, job market possibilities

• implementation of job search strategies

• resume service, resume workshops

• internship and volunteer possibilities

• seasonal and temporary jobs

• mock interviews, interview coaching

• on campus career fairs and career fair coaching (for both on and off campus)

• alumni visits, advise from alumni, alumni lists and alumni hiring

• alumni career service

• parental advise for helping your career

• individual employer visits

• etiquette guides for interviewing, dining, dress and correspondence after the interview

• employer research services

• technical portfolio management advise

• negotiation of job offers

• preparation for graduate school admissions.

Many Career Services Offices sponsor campus recruiting and job referral programs that include information about full-time positions, internship opportunities, and part-time or summer jobs. Online systems allow the candidate to create a profile for review by employers, to view all active campus interview and job listings, and to submit resumes and cover letters for specific positions.

Career Services offices many times provide a library with career and occupational information including reference books and periodicals; government, nonprofit, and company publications; and videos. Common online guides include the Wetfeet.com or Vault.com Online Library.

Career Services staffs provide individual guidance for the development of an effective job search campaign. Staffs offer workshops and online guides that explain effective techniques for résumé and cover letter development, interviews, networking, and job search planning.

Career Services staffs, in conjunction with faculty, are an important resource in the admission process for graduate and professional school applications. Staffs assist students in developing strategies for selection of target schools; in preparing resumes, applications and personal statements; and in responding to questions about the admissions process.

A key component in the development of an effective career plan is the utilization of an alumni network to learn more about occupations related to the student’s career interests; to gain an in-depth understanding of career paths within industries/companies; to serve as a guide to the job search process; and to provide an internal marketing agent for a specific job/company.

To effectively use the services of the office, students should meet with a career counselor early in their college career to develop strategies for success.

The post Tip #18 College Career Centers appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

Typically, the fee was not incurred until the candidate was actually hired by an employer presented by the employment agency. Any agency that sought an up-front payment was considered a scam artist. Compared to the majority of recruiters today, the fee-based employment agent does focus on the candidate. He/she is essentially an “agent” for the candidate. Employment agencies are more oriented toward “marketing” a candidate to potential employers. They are candidate-focused rather than employer-focused.

Don’t hesitate to “register” with any organization that might get you good interviews. However, I would recommend avoiding those consultants or agents who want to charge you an upfront fee or any fee before they have actually found you a job. There are firms that will claim that they will market you to “hidden” markets, or provide you “secrets” of the market place….for an up front fee. Don’t do that!

The post Tip #16 Employment Agencies and “Up Front Fee” Consultants tags: appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

Specific and simple.

Goals should not be broad generalities. A statement such as “get a job and be happy” is not a specific goal. Also, it is best to state your goals in sensory language – words that describe that which is seen, felt, heard, and even smelled and tasted.

Examples of specific and simple job search goals would be:

“I see myself having five face-to-face interviews a week.”

“I hear the sound of a hiring manager making an appointment to interview me.”

“I feel the rush of success in anticipation for the opportunity to sell myself.”

Manageable, measurable, and motivational.

Having manageable, measurable, and motivational goals leads to reasonable outcomes. Manageable goals are the ones you can personally manage. Having a goal to grow wings and fly is not manageable. Having a goal to become a better person is not measurable. Motivational goals must be the kind of goals you personally get excited about, and inspires you to action.

Attainable and achievable.

You need to develop goals that, though they might be a stretch, can be achieved and are possible. For example, you can control the activities necessary to get a job, but not whether you get the job offer. You goals should focus on those activities.

Relevant and risk-oriented.

On the other hand, to be meaningful your goals must have a real possibility for failure. A goal that has no inherent risk is not a goal. When writing goals for this exercise, many people will describe results that are almost certain to happen and list actions they are already taking. Instead, the risk and reward of a goal must be balanced. A goal should require a reasonable risk, and a reasonable challenge as well. The goal pre-supposes that you have the ability, even as it pushes your limits to attain the goal.

Track-able and timed.

Your goals should allow you to track tangible and quantifiable action. For example, a goal for obtaining interviews would stipulate that you schedule a certain number of interviews. And the goal should include a time frame. This may seem elementary, but many people design goals and don’t set time limits – they let themselves off the hook before they ever start. Make goals that can be tracked and timed, and make those restrictions appropriately proportionate to the size of the goal.

As an example, a S.M.A.R.T. goal could be written like this:

“it is October 15th and my goal is to be onboard with my new job in time to celebrate Christmas. I know how grateful I will feel for my new opportunity. Everywhere around me, people will be happy about Christmas. Well, I am going to be doubly happy. My new job will be so fulfilling. I will see a new paycheck of a $____ a month. My family and friends will be so happy for me. I will be challenged and will feel like I am learning something new every day on my new job. My family will share in my happiness. I love my new job!”

This goal encompasses all of the S.M.A.R.T. attributes. Importantly, note that it is specific, and is stated in sensory-based language. It is also simple, measurable, certainly motivational, achievable, relevant, challenge/skills balanced, and timed.

Research reveals that goals need to be stated positively. The mind and emotions react differently to a positive statement or a negative statement. Goals stated negatively (e.g. I won’t do…) instead reinforce whatever the person did not want to do.

Research also reveals that public goals are more effective than private goals. This indicates that you make others aware of your goals. Psychologically you are more apt to achieve your goals if you know that other people are “watching.”

The post Tip #11 The Rules for Writing Goals – Be S.M.A.R.T. appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

The job of finding a job is not easy. It requires hard work and results in a lot of disappointment and frustration. Unfortunately, you cannot cope with its stress by taking a few days to mope around – if you expect a job any time soon. Your attitude needs to be positive, expectant, and grateful almost every day. You must be prepared for refusals, rejections, and blatant rudeness. I know that these are not natural character traits; they must be learned.

There daily exercises required to maintain the positive attitude you need to come across in the phone calls you make, the e-mails you write, and the interviews you have. Importantly, your family and loved ones should also see this attitude – remember that your job search is stressful on them as well.

Even if you have a positive attitude, as many of us think we do, you need to work on it all the time. Although this is a beautiful, wondrous, and mystical world, many negative things are going to happen to you, if they haven’t already. You cannot prevent every one of these negatives from happening, but you can control how you respond to them.

The first step in dealing with negatives is to understand and expect them. In your job search, expect to work hard, expect to be rejected many times, and expect to become frustrated. Understand what effect each will have on your psyche and prepare yourself for those feelings by having a plan to combat them.

The post Tip #8 Finding a Job is a JOB! appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

If it’s not too late, start your research as a Junior. Others have and more will be joining you the closer it gets to graduation. Most university placement offices have access to research materials, as well as websites of associations for particular types of degrees. Understand that any statistical information you read is almost certainly dated, however the trends usually last at least a few years, so the data could be relevant.

Be aware that your job search will likely be a “numbers” thing. At the time of this writing, candidates are averaging 16 first interviews before being selected for a second round interview. Expect to make every second round interview when you execute the skills taught by my program.

You must work hard to secure interviews and prepare to perform well. Do that, and the job offers will come. Get ready!

Good News: According to the Wall Street Journal, there will be 17% more jobs for new graduates over the next few years, compared to job data from the early 2000’s.

Bad News: Companies are becoming pickier about who they hire, and they expect new hires to have an immediate impact.

The post Tip #5 Understanding Your Competition appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

1. The Candidate did not adopt a committed, passionate, “failure is not an option” attitude about finding a job. 

2. The Candidate had no “system” for finding a job. Without a system, the candidate’s focus wanders. We see them abandon their search as they wait for one opportunity to complete its cycle. They are hung up on the “result” and quit executing. Your search should run like a well-oiled machine that schedules and executes effective interviews with targeted companies. Consistently performing in that process will result in job offers. By developing a “system,” you don’t have to worry about the results.

3. The Candidate was unrealistic – about her value in the market, her skills vs. other candidates, and the average duration of a job search. Do not harbor preconceptions. You are not really going to know your value and the opportunities available for you until you start to manage the job search process and go on interviews. Be skeptical of “salary surveys,” there is too much market fluctuation and geographic variance for them to be accurate. It is going to take a lot longer than you think, and there are going to be many disappointments along the way.

4. The Candidate thought finding a job will be quick and easy. I’ve seen recruiting information from some schools that suggest their degree/training will make your job search short and sweet. It won’t be. You might get lucky and find a good job quickly, but don’t count on it. Instead, expect a long hard road full of potholes and roadblocks. Plan on your search, to find a good job, to take three or four times longer than you probably think today. You will almost certainly become discouraged, maybe very discouraged. That is part of the deal and you need to be prepared mentally for these pressures. It requires that you focus on the “system” and not worry about the result. You will find a good job, but you are going to have to work at it. The only goal is to find that good job sooner, rather than later or not at all.

5. The Candidate did not realize that face-to-face interviews are the only things that really matter. Face-to-face interviews are the only way you can really get a job. Securing face-to-face interviews and performing well are the most important activities, the only ones that really matter, in your job search campaign. There are all kinds of things you can do to secure face-to-face interviews, however a recent study found that 85% of students polled thought they could get an interview by sending a resume. Simply sending a resume will rarely land you an interview. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of others are sending a resume; you’re just one of them.

6. The Candidate thought that the most qualified candidate is always hired. Lack of qualifications certainly keeps some candidates from being hired. However, most employers only reject out-of-hand those candidates who do not have their minimum qualifications. For every good job, there will be many candidates who are sufficiently qualified. The candidate hired will be the one who interviewed well. You need a foolproof, specific, scripted interview presentation that will insure success 95% of the time. It may not guarantee you the job, but it will guarantee that you interview well, and that will eventually lead to a good job.

7. The Candidate blows the interview. In our experience, this almost always happens because the Candidate did not prepare well for the interview, did not sell himself strongly, or did not ask for the job. We’ve seen all types of candidates fail to execute these basic interview functions, but new graduates fail more often. They neglect to dress properly, or can’t clearly communicate their talents and experiences. Many are too intimidated to even ask for the job. The techniques of preparation and execution are simple, but it takes awareness, focus, and practice to hone the skills.

8. The Candidate had the wrong attitude. Wake up! You’re not some valuable commodity over which companies will fight. The employer is not going to try to convince you to hire on – unless it is a bad job. Lose the “what can you do for me?” attitude. Replace it with “Listen to what I can do for you.” The right interviewing script will make the prospective employer want to hire you. If you give them good enough reasons to hire you, they will give you good enough reasons to go to work there. Remember, you have absolutely nothing until you have an offer.

9. The Candidate believed that a well-designed resume, sent over the Internet enough times, would result in a job offer. Not only new graduates make this mistake. There are 56,000,000 resumes on the Internet and barely 2% of them are ever selected for an interview. Undoubtedly, you do need a well-written resume, but expecting it to secure you a job is a pipe dream.

The post Tip #4 Job Search Do-Nots appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

The milestones in the job search process I recommend, in 21 words, are:

• Get interviews with many organizations

• Perform well on those interviews

• Secure a job offer

• Negotiate its terms

• Begin your new job

My simple process is focused on answering one simple question. Every hiring manager is going to ask in his or her own words, “What can you do for me that the other people I’m interviewing cannot?”

All of your job search activities have the goal of you answering that question persuasively. Writing a resume, phoning for an interview, working through a “screening” interview, and practicing your interviewing skills, are all designed to put you in front of that hiring manager and prepare you to answer that question. Your follow-up communications are intended to secure your opportunity to answer that question again for other decision influencers. Even as you negotiate the job offer, the employer is still seeking to confirm by your actions that your answer to that question was accurate.

The process is simple, the work is hard, and success can be yours – if you learn to answer that question correctly, and better than anyone else does. If so, you will have multiple job offers. If not, you will very likely have to settle for a job that is less than you think you deserve. It’s that simple.

The post Tip #3 How To Get a Job in 25 Words or Less appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.

How can I tell you to not believe most of what you hear or read about finding a job? Why should you believe me instead? Tough question. I think the answer lies in the fact that I give you tough answers. Almost all of the books, articles, etc., I’ve read have some meaningful tidbits, but most are sugarcoated beyond recognition. They are really just “feel good” books – “you’re out of work, but gosh, haven’t I made you feel good! Come back again / Buy my next book!”

Yes, I want traffic to this site, and I have a successful book out and another on the way, but I not going to pander to your anxiety to wring money from your purse. I’m going to tell you like it is – getting a good job is tough. It requires hours of work and practice. It takes dedication and persistence. You have to eat rejection like it was cotton candy. Use common sense – if getting a good job was easy, or fun, or something that had no stress or frustration, everyone would have good jobs. Here are a few clues that you might be getting worthless advice:

• Does the author/speaker seem too young to have significant real-world experience? I’ve seen authors who couldn’t have had more than a couple of jobs themselves giving others advice.

• Do they offer “interviewing tricks,” or “killer resume formats” or some such “special knowledge” that they have somehow discovered? I cover these topics, but there is nothing special about my answers – except that they’re right.

• Do they rationalize why you do not have to work as hard, or be as error-free, or pay attention to all of the details? Feels good, doesn’t it? The world is full of worthless things that feel good.

• Do they minimize the role of the face-to-face interviews?

Amazingly, I’ve read job search strategies that focused on sending out resumes. 95% of all hires happen because the employee asked the employer for the job in person, to their face. The other 5% were hired when the employer asked the employee to come work for the company. Rarely do these authors have personal experience finding people jobs every day. I’ve read and studied at least 200 books, articles, and websites from universities, technical colleges, “job/career coaches,” and other sources that claim expertise – most of what they write just isn’t true. Their ideas might seem plausible in theory, and almost certainly make you feel good about what you’ve been doing in your search so far, but the practical application of most of their advice will lead your job search astray.

I’ve been placing candidates from all professions and trades in good jobs since 1973 – more than 7,000 people in that time. I have resumes from more than 90,000 other people who I was not able to help. Why? Because in my profession, I find people for jobs, I don’t find jobs for people. I’m not paid unless my clients hire those people I find, so for many years, I have been teaching my candidates how to make my clients hire them. I’ve gotten very good at it.

Yes, there is some good job search advice available, but most is not. Check out the author’s credentials – do they have real-world experience? If you finish reading their advice and aren’t thinking, “Whew, I have my work cut out for me,” it was probably worthless advice.

If you liked this article the rest only get better. Go Pro now and get access to all of the advice I have to offer!

The post Tip #1 Psst, Hey Buddy… Wanna Hot Job? appeared first on Interview and Job Search Tips - Tonybeshara.com.