Do You Want Attention or Respect

Do You Want Attention or Respect Do You Want Attention or Respect Seth Godin has an interesting post today that dovetails with something Ive been thinking he talks about the difference between grabbing attention and having people want to buy from youMichael Jackson, Fidel Castro and Sarah Palin created drama. Paying attention, though, is the not the same as buying or respecting. Its possible to achieve both, but not easy.I was thinking about this after seeing a couple of stories about people who found creative ways to look for a job you know the kind of story the guy who walks around downtown Manhattan with a sandwich board, or the one whose wife makes a website for him called www.myhusbandneedsajob.com. That idea was so successful that it made CNN the only problem is that it made CNN months ago and when I checked the site today, it seems that her husband still needs a job. In fact, he posted this on his blogI think there might be a sweet spot in there between craigslist and Link edIn. If we can combine the simplicity and directness of craigslist with the networking ability of LinkedIn, we might have something there. Well, Im working on it. Hopefully I can turn myhusbandneedsajob into a useful tool and job board to actually help job seekers find a job. Stay tunedSo all that media attention didnt turn into a job. And now Mike is maybe going to set up his own business trying to help other people find a job (even though he hasnt found one himself).Who knows why Mike didnt get many interviews, but one possibility is that he didnt take the initiative to set up the website himself. Maybe employers saw his wife as the enterprising one? Whatever the reason, Seth is right. Attention doesnt necessarily equal respect. Something to think about if youre looking for creative ways to further your job search.

Interview Questions to Ask Overqualified Candidates

Interview Questions to Ask Overqualified CandidatesInterview Questions to Ask Overqualified CandidatesInterview Questions to Ask Overqualified Candidates DezubeFor many small geschftlicher umgang owners, finding the right job candidate to grow the businesscan be akin to convincing someone whos out of your league to date you.After all, small business growth often depends on a strategy for successfully recruiting large company employees.The rub hire the overqualified candidate and you may end up with an employee who continues to job hunt while hes working for you.departure by reviewing the right interview questions to ask the overqualified candidate.Competition for Talent Heats UpThe recession gave small companies an opportunity to hire better employees. As the economy begins to recover, many small business owners plan to hire in 2011 to help cultivate business growth.Yet a more competitive hiring environment will require a better recruiting strategy.A well-prepared interview will enab le you to differentiate candidates who look overqualified on paper from those who can help boost your firms expansion.It will also prevent a real-life version of the episode of The Office in which James Spader plays a hilariously overqualified candidate steam-rolling over the selection panel as he interviews for the bosss job.abflug with Company HistoryWhen interviewing applicants who are more qualified, older or more experienced, begin by asking an interview question that creates an equal footing. Start by talking about how you got your business to where it is today, suggests Nan Langowitz, professor of management and entrepreneurship at Babson College.Share your vision for the company and what you need such as a more diversified distribution channel. Conclude with a question How can your expertise help me?Interview Questions that Assess SkillThe best interview questionsincorporate what you know about your business and what your business needs. For instance, list the skills and ch aracteristics that keep you from expanding your business. Then create interview questions that probe how the candidate used those skills in the past, says Lori Davila, author of Perfect Phrases for Perfect Hiring Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Interviewing and Hiring the Best Employees.Your list of characteristics can then be used to create a values-based interview strategy that will enable you to match the candidate to your corporate culture.How Soon Will the Honeymoon End?After discussing the skills and characteristics that are specific to the job, delve into the challenges facing any overqualified candidate motivation, small-business environment limitations and what happens when the honeymoon ends.To go after motivation, ask What allows you to be successful? Youll be surprised at the answers you get back, Langowitz says.Theres no sense in hiding what you are as a company, Langowitz says. Cultural-values questions will tell you how a candidate would handle the limitations th at are inherent to your small business environment. You might describe a recent business trip where you stayed in an economy hotel watch for body language as you listen to what the person says in response to your revelations.Then, move on to organizational challenges by asking questions such as Tell me about a time you had to do an assignment with limited resources. What did you do? What were the results? What frustrated you? What invigorated you? What external resources did you tap?Opening the Company KimonoEventually, you have to find a way to tactfully ask without putting yourself or your firm down why such a fabulous job candidate would want to work for your company.Start with a subtle exploration of the job seekers priorities, values and interactions with others, says Lin Grensing-Pophal, author of Human Resource Essentials Your Guide to Starting and Running the HR Function with questions like Tell me about a personal decision you made and later regretted? What was the decisi on and situation? How did you resolve the issue?Then approach the issue directly How do you feel about coming to this position from your last position? Im curious about why this company is interesting to you and what would keep you here.Finish with open-ended interview questions What concerns do you have about the organizations size or culture? What would you like to ask me?Avoid candidates who ask only about things that affect them, such as time off or pay. Instead, focus on applicants whose responses and questions reflect an interest in how they can benefit you and your companys growth.

How to Face a Personal Career Crisis and Come Out Smiling

How to Face a Personal Career Crisis and Come Out Smiling How to Face a Personal Career Crisis and Come Out Smiling Typically, if you do face a midlife crisis, it willtake the form of a career-identity crisis. You may lose your sense of purpose in life and your sense of identity. Rather than just hating your manager or feeling bored atyour job, you may feel that your entire chosen career path is meaningless.The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to effectively manage your personal career crisis and come out the other side smiling. Hereare fourtips to help you do just that.1. Take Some Comfort in the Fact You Are Not AloneReports suggest that around half of workers may feelunfulfilled intheir current jobs, so chances are thatplenty of kindred spirits exist around you in the office. These are people with whom you can share your pain and from whom you can seek advice. You can bounce ideas off ofthese people and clarify your thoughts. Some of these peoplemay have a lready gone through the saatkorn crisis, and others may be currently going through it, but all across the board theymay have some practical suggestions.2. See Your Crises as a Career Transition InsteadWe live in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world, a time of boom and bust, a global environment in whichcompanies and political regimes rise and fall seeminglyovernight.This volatility is felt in thework world the traditional job-for-life has all but evaporated. Todays worker may have between 15 and 20 jobs over the course of their lifetime, according to certain predictions.Furthermore,a 2006 study from New York Universitys School of Continuing and Professional Studiesfoundthat todays professionals are expected to change careers three times in their lifetimes just 28 percent of present-day professionals expect to have lifelong careers.Becausecareer changes are so common and normal, it may serve little purpose to view your career shakeupas a crisis. Instead, take th e more productive route and view it as a career transition opportunity.3. Go on aVision Quest (Metaphorically Speaking)A vision quest isa rite of passage practiced onNative American cultures. It is a meditative exercise in whichthe individual spends a fewdays and nights secluded in nature in order to do some deep thinking and find spiritual guidance and purpose.Now, this exact activity might not be everyones cup of tea, but the concept of taking time out of your normal life to open your mind up to newpossibilities is a sound one.Why sit around your office orapartment, moping and wallowing in self-pity, when you can go on a retreat, take a few days vacation somewhere, and let the answers find you? Youll be able to think outside of the box and consideryour career in a much more liberated way, freeing your mind and enabling you to come up with some solutions to your crisis.Dont rule out any options at this stage, however strange the may seem. The professional vision quest is a brainsto rming exercise, so just enjoy the journey. Therell be plenty of time for realism soon.4. Come Back Down to Earth and Make a PlanOnce youve had time to brainstorm on your vision quest, its time to make a plan, which involves conductingyour own personal SWOT analysis.Lookat your strengths and weaknesses, your career opportunities and your career threats. Try tomatch your strengths and desires to viable alternative career options and opportunities. Understand what youll need to do in terms of training and thesort of title or position sacrifices you may need to make in order to be a credible candidate on your desired new career path. Also, identify the likely career transition period how long will it take you? Six months? A year? Two years?After following these steps, you should have acareer transition strategy and a positive direction in which to enthusiastically channel all of yourprecious, nervous energy. It could and should be the start of a wonderful journey