Ask-A-Career Coach: How Final Round Job Interviews Are Different…Or Not

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart™

A workshop participant recently asked me, “How do I prepare for my final interview at [major financial institution]?”

Kudos to this person for recognizing that final round job interviews are different from other interviews. At the finalist stage, the prospective employer knows much more about you and can tailor the interviews accordingly so dissect the rounds prior to this one and review what everyone who interviewed you asked and what you answered. You need to be consistent. You need to recall everyone by name (to show that you care). You need to be able to summarize what you discussed (to show that you were listening).

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Ask-A-Career Coach: Don’t Tell Me About Yourself

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart™

What do recruiters expect you to cover when they ask you, “Tell me about yourself?”

When recruiters ask the popular question, “Tell me about yourself,” they don’t really want you to tell them about yourself.  Recruiters don’t care to know where you’re born or why you selected that college or how you got your first and subsequent jobs.  They may ask and nod appropriately but they don’t really want to know.
Instead, they only want to know about you in relation to them.  If where you grew up means that you have an affinity to a geography that’s pertinent to an open position or their searches in general, then they care where you grew up.  If your first job is a direct parallel to a role they may have for you, then they want to hear about that.  The items of interest aren’t about you, but rather the link between you and the position.  Therefore, your primary objective isn’t to talk about yourself but rather to make that link between you and the position.

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Ask-A-Career Coach: Match Your Energy To Your Work

Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStartjobsearch

Take this short energy quiz.  Give yourself 1 point for every “Yes” and 0 points for every “No.”  How do you score?

  1. I know what time of day I am most productive.
  2. I schedule my most important work for when I am most productive.
  3. I know what time of day my energy tends to sag.
  4. I know what I need to do for a quick but sure energy boost (e.g., eat a snack, take a cat nap, go for a walk).
  5. I know some activities and tasks that I can do even when my concentration tends to wane.
  6. I know how much sleep I need each night.
  7. I wake up without an alarm clock.

So how much do you know about your energy rhythms?  Read more

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Ask-A-Career-Coach: The Versatility of Specific Graduate Degrees

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

I’ve been accepted into University of Richmond to study the Masters of HR Management. I find HR very interesting and want to learn about the subject, but what if later on I decide to focus on a career outside of HR? Will this masters degree hinder me? Since my undergrad is in business, I have absolutely no desire to go for my MBA. They seem like a dime a dozen these days. How would the MHRM be viewed to recruiters in terms of managing other areas of a business? Other departments?

If you ask 10 recruiters the same question, you will get a range of answers. Careers are not an exact science and vary based on an individual’s goals, skill set, personality, drive, etc. In this case, the only thing I am sure about is that you will find some recruiters who highly value the MHRM, some who dismiss it and some who will be in-between.
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Ask-A-Career Coach: How To Handle The First Days On The Job

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

I am starting a bigger role in a new company. How do I handle messaging, managing my team and the first days on the job in general?

Congratulations on the new role! Even more congratulations are due for recognizing that getting the job is just the first step. Any time there is a big change, be deliberate about how you will handle your first quarter, first half, and first year. Here are some tips for that first quarter:

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Ask-A-Career Coach: When Is The Best Time To Start A Job Search

Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart.jobsearch

I am securely employed at a premier management consulting firm. I know that I want to relocate sometime next year but I can take my time. Now that the market is picking up, is it better to start now, or do I wait in January? When does most hiring take place?

Congratulations to this person for recognizing that she can take her time with the job search. Too often people jump into it and settle for the first thing that comes. Even if you have more time urgency, you still want to launch a thoughtful search, and you certainly don’t want to show any time urgency to prospective employers. So a take-my-time attitude is good.
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Ask-A-Career Coach: What Are Good Questions to Ask in an Interview?

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

A job interview is a two-way street. Employers are checking you out, and you hope they pick you. But you are also checking them out, and you want your next move to be the best one for both of you. So don’t just answer the questions they happen to ask. Here are 3 key items you absolutely need to know:

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Ask-A-Career Coach: What Do You Do When Your Contacts Don’t Respond?

Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStartjobsearch

I have left several messages for people who know me well, but they haven’t called me back. What else can I do? I’d like to talk to them about my job search.

I’m not sure from the question how many times you have tried to reach your contacts, but I always advise a minimum of three times, including different medium (i.e., phone and email, not just one or the other). With email, you are never sure if the person even received it. Perhaps it went to his/her “spam” folder. Perhaps the person thought s/he responded but accidentally deleted it instead. The same goes for a phone message. So, at a minimum, you should try to contact someone three times by at least two different methods.

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Ask-A-Career-Coach: How Do I Talk About Being Laid Off In The Job Interview?

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

While layoffs are more common and carry less stigma, it is still true that employers generally prefer employed candidates to unemployed. So you need to be truthful and acknowledge the layoff, but you don’t need to dwell on it. In fact, you want to move away from the topic quickly and refocus back on the positive aspects of your career. A good way to structure what you should talk about is to take your cues from the employed candidates:

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Ask-A-Career-Coach: How Do I Create A Cover Letter Template?

jobsearchContributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

When creating a profile specifically for a company’s hiring site, what is the best, most effective “generic” cover letter for different positions within various divisions?

This question came from a recent teleseminar attendee, and I love the sub-questions implicit in it.

First of all, should you ever write a generic cover letter? The ideal answer is no. You should have a specific position in mind and a specific person to whom to address the letter. Knowing the position enables you to highlight the right skills and experiences within your background that position you appropriately. Knowing the person enables you to better engage the reader. However, some companies ask that all candidates, even senior ones, upload their resume into the hiring site, so in that case your cover letter ideally mentions you are referred by Jane Doe Insider regarding the X Specific Spot.

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