Career Cube Blog

I’m a career coach for a number of job sites on the web, and one of the most common complaints I hear from job seekers is that they don’t feel that they have a network of people to help them get a job. I remember a time when I felt the same way–really, I do. But then I got off my couch and started getting out of the house a little more.

One innovative way I’ve found is through a website called meetup.com. The site is a place for people to organize events and meet new people. Here’s how it works: say that you are a Johnny Mathis fan and he’s performing at a theater near you, but your friends look at you like you’re from another plant when you suggest getting tickets. You can hop onto meetup.com and form a group of Johnny Mathis Fans who are interested in going to the show. If people are interested, they sign up, and voila! You have a network of people who are Johnny Mathis fans just like you! Going to the show will give you the opportunity to meet people who have a similar interest as you but whom you may not normally come into contact with on a daily basis. At intermission, the conversation could turn to people’s jobs, and you can mention that you’re looking for new opportunities and talk about what you’d like your next job to be. Someone may have a good suggestion of who to contact at a particular company, or a totally different take on your career than what you were thinking of pursuing. Who knows-you may be able to help someone else too. Don’t just be in it for you-make an effort to get to know other people and see how you can help them. After the show, exchange contact information and when you’re home, make a note about what other people are looking for so someday you could help them in return.
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There are articles that discuss different interviewing styles and advise job seekers to learn them in order to be properly prepared to face whichever one they encounter.

This is absurd. There’s neither value nor benefit to it. Memorize every question and the recommended answers that apply to each style? And when the interview begins, you say to yourself, “Aha! It’s The Abstract Theoretical Look Sideways Style!” and you know exactly what to say and do. An interview is nerve-wracking enough without worrying about which style you’ll encounter.

Your interview preparation, which is an absolute must, is about you, not the hiring authority’s interviewing style. That’s because the interview is about the company and how your presence will benefit them. So your preparation should focus on what you’re looking for, knowing your capabilities, listing questions to ask, and forming your answers to fundamental interview questions. Selling yourself to the company is how you ace the interview. It’s how you retain the power to decide if you want to return. Do this properly and the style you encounter is irrelevant.
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Of course you don’t mean to do it.  You’re just asking a question, or not reading the job description closely enough.  But there you’ve gone and done it.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine forwarded me an email from a prospective applicant.  She’s an HR Director for a company that people recognize and would want to work for. You don’t want to tick her off.

But someone did, and no matter how qualified they might be-she ain’t gonna call ‘em.

They sent her an email inquiring if she was still hiring for a job that was posted on Monster.com.  They didn’t send their resume, just asked her to let them know if she was still hiring, then they would apply.

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