Posted on Mon, Apr 30, 2012 @ 10:38 AM
|
Our friends over at AMC here in Manhattan gave me a sneak peek at tonight's series premiere of "The Pitch" — the ad agency head-to-head battle series. Tonight's show features a work-around-the-clock Vegas agency against a Clio-award-winning New York ad veteran.
What draws you into the show is the live pitch that the two agencies do against each other to win new business, with a real account being awarded at the end of each show. It's intense, there are incredibly tight deadlines, and the two teams are playing for real stakes.
And watching the show, I thought about how you might feel going in to the interview.
Do you fret uneasily — maybe even ungraciously — about the competition? Do you worry about being over the hill? Are you pretty sure you're not good enough?
As one competitor on the show says, do you fear that "try not to embarrass yourself" is the best you'll be able to do?
Well, here are ten things you can do to chill out and relax a little before, during and after your big "Pitch":
1. Show up with a "good" level of knowledge after doing a "reasonable" amount of research. You'd be surprised at the number of people who haven't looked at the company's homepage, Googled its name, and checked out the stock ticker, before showing up for an interview. In tonight's show, for example, I liked how one ad guy actually went and took pictures of the client's business "in the wild." It shows interest.
Likewise, you might be surprised at the number of people who overdo it and show up with eight pages of questions — single-spaced — and start off with an inquiry as to why margins in the Southwest region have declined by 10% since seven years ago despite favorable currency rates. There is such a thing as overdoing it.
2. Be on time, unflustered, with a clean, well-presented copy of your resume. Sure, this sounds like "Interviewing 101", but you know that you've violated this rule at least once in your life because you didn't leave the house ten minutes earlier than you "thought" was safe. Do yourself a favor — it's far better to be wasting 10 minutes in the lobby than stressing out in transit.
3. Dress the part — businesslike and professional, no matter how party-rocking the company is. Except in cases where the culture is aggressively anti-corporate, a coat and tie or string of pearls never makes you look bad. Even the super-groovy adman in "The Pitch" pops a necktie for his big presentation — you should too.
4. Be kind to every employee you meet. As a matter of fact, be kind to everybody within 2 miles of the interview building — the receptionist, the parking lot guy, the janitor and the intern. When I ask our receptionists how a candidate behaved, it is shocking to hear the number of people who think good manners and kindness are only to be trotted out in the interview room.
5. Remember JFK? (Or remember what your parents told you about JFK?) Ask not what the company can do for you, answer instead "what can I do for this company?"
6. This ain't "Real Housewives" or "Biography" — "The Pitch" is about winning a business battle. Same thing with a job interview — it's a time and place for you to explain and sell your ability to do the job. Stick, mostly, to the business side and how you can solve the problems your future boss is currently facing. Don't go into a half-hour long disquisition on the relative merits of Mozart and Beethoven, the reasons you love or hate (but mostly love) the Yankees, or the intricacies of your college rivalries. The interviewer does not want your life story, they want to know your business capabilities.
7. "Bad mouth thee, bad mouth me." Whenever you trash-talk your former or current employer, guess what the interviewer thinks? "Oh boy, if we hire this guy, I'm next on the firing line!" Never, ever say a bad, mean or unkind thing (especially if true!) because that just shows off your ability to be an ingrate, gossip or ne'er-do-well.
8. Save the money talk for last. You should get a range from the recruiter or HR person before going in ("in the interests of saving everybody time, I would need to know what range this position is budgeted for, before considering") and side-step the grilling about your current compensation ("I think we're talking about what I'm worth in the future, not what I was worth in the past for a different role, with different responsibilities, at a different company — am I right or is that off-base?"). Don't bring it up in interviews until after they know how excited they are about working with you, because that's when they're most likely to get excited about paying you more.
9. Thank the interviewer for their time and ask (a few) good questions (especially my "single best question to ask in an interview"). A great all-purpose question to ask at the end: "Is there anything else I should've asked about this role or my future boss that I haven't asked?"
10. Send a thank you email. Thank the interviewer again and reiterate (very briefly) what you discussed and how you can contribute. Three sentences is a good length. Five sentences maximum. Walk out of the interview with a note taken on one specific thing you discussed: "I enjoyed our conversation around the changes in the mobile ecosystem and how my background could be useful in designing the advertising strategy for the Big Mick in McDowell's upcoming national campaign." This helps the interviewer remember why they like you when time comes to make the go/no-go decision on hiring you.
Now one of the biggest differences between a job interview and "The Pitch" is that you'll find out right away who wins tonight on "The Pitch." I enjoyed the show and the competition a whole bunch, so tune in tonight for the two-hour premiere at 9pm/8pm CT for the big fight!
And I hope these tips will help reduce some of the anxiety or nerves you feel during your "pitch" in the interview room.
By Marc Cenedella, CEO & Founder of TheLadders
For more insightful career advice from leading experts sign up for free ›
|
Posted on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 03:26 PM
This type of interview can be among the most intimidating for candidates, but preparation can help you come out a winner.
What’s scarier than interviewing with a high-powered hiring manager? How about interviewing with five!
The panel interview can be one of the most daunting aspects of the job search. “For many people it is scary because you feel you have five pairs of eyes staring at you instead of just one,” said Lisa Panarello, president and founder of Careers Advance. “You have perhaps five different personalities in the room and many different styles of questions coming at you.”
AMC’s new show "The Pitch" highlights the pressure-cooker intensity of these group interviews by following two advertising agencies as they try to land a major client, and premieres Monday, April 30. “I think the show will have merit from a job-search perspective,” Panarello said.
Much like a job interview, the stakes are high for all the principals involved in “The Pitch” as the ad men and women sell their brand to a room full of corporate executives. Panarello, an award-winning public speaker, said the challenge of a panel pitch is to handle the array of questions. “My strategy for a panel interview is the same as I’d give if you’re speaking to an audience,” she said. “Even though one person asked the question, they all want to hear the answer.”
She said the most effective way to address a panel is to start by directly answering the question to the person who asked it. Then, a few seconds into your answer, speak to the person next to her and go around the room — making individual eye contact with everyone on the panel — as you elaborate. When you get to the end of your answer, she said, finish with the person who originally asked the question. “Too many people just scan the crowd,” Panarello said. “That’s damaging to your marketability — you’re going to seem scared.”
Deliberately connecting with each interviewer will help you articulate the pitch for the group. The key, she said, is to keep track of who everyone is and what aspects of your brand each will find valuable. “To one person maybe you’re selling your technical skills, to someone else your creativity,” Panarello said. “You wind up being multiple people.”
All the public-speaking tools are helpful but they can’t be used effectively if you’re not thoroughly prepared. On “The Pitch,” a good portion of the show breaks down the preparation process, including briefing meetings where the teams come in to learn about the client and what they’re trying to accomplish with the advertising campaign.
Panarello says that preparation is at the core of any serious job interview. “I would prepare for a panel pitch just like any other interview — know the company as well as you can and include that information in your answers,” she said. That includes knowing the company inside and out and knowing as much as you can about everyone you’ll be meeting.
While researching for the interview, Panarello suggests Googling each of the interviewers by name if possible. Their backgrounds can be obtained through their LinkedIn profiles, and news articles could come up as well. “Go beyond studying only the company Web site,” she said. “That’s going to show you went above and beyond.”
All this familiarity could be useful when crafting your answers and will also help you gain confidence. Panarello adds a warning to job seekers and advertising agencies, alike: Don’t oversell yourself and don’t try to memorize everything you’re going to say, especially for a panel interview. “You never prepare for being perfect,” she said. “You prepare to be your best.”
By Andrew Klappholz
For more insightful career advice from leading experts sign up for free ›
Posted on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 03:12 PM
Reposted with permission from Personal Branding Blog
It sounds like a snarky question, but the answer is the core to your personal brand.
What is it that you can do that no one else can? Maybe your technical skills enable you to soar above the crowd. Maybe you can get away with making jokes others can’t and help people smile while they work. Maybe you are a rockstar at introducing yourself.
How are you special?
What can you get away with that others can’t?
I know a job seeker who showed up 10 minutes late for an interview and still got hired. In today’s job market. He was so good at his work — designing effective user interfaces — his potential employers were able to overlook his chronic tardiness.
What can you get away with that no one else could?
My younger brother can walk into a room full of people and almost immediately become the center of attention. It’s seriously impressive.
Almost no one can plan on engaging a large group of strangers in mere minutes. But he can.
What can you get away with that no one else can?
One of my colleagues charges almost double what everyone else in her field charges. And she is booked solid with clients for months out.
Her extraordinary strategic vision and ability to translate it into teachable, tactical steps is so valuable, that she can charge double and people will happily pay.
Not an excuse, but an opportunity
The question above is not at all designed to be used as an excuse. Its purpose is not to give you the power to say, I can be late for an interview because I am so great at my job.
It is not an excuse. Rather, it is an opportunity to better define your personal brand.
The things that you get away with that other people don’t is a direct line to a core aspect of your personal brand.
- Maybe it speaks to your talent as a designer.
- Maybe it speaks to your ability to relate to others.
- Maybe it speaks to your domain celebrity.
- Maybe it speaks to your ability to manage projects or people.
- Maybe it speaks to your ability to mentor.
What can you get away with? What makes you sooo special?
And the kicker — Why?
When you answer that, you’ve got a fundamental aspect of your personal brand nailed down.
By Rebecca Rapple
For more insightful career advice from leading experts sign up for free ›
Posted on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 12:13 PM
When networking, it’s important to talk about how you can help the person and add value to his organization. It may sound obvious, but people often get too caught up in trying to sound natural and overlook this key part of any communication.
Mark Grimm, a public speaker and messaging strategist, said it’s easy to lose track of your core value and wander into personal areas. “So many go about it the wrong way. They talk about the glee club.” It’s fine to be authentic and discuss your interests on an interview, but not at the expense of missing your message. “If I don’t know how [what you are saying is] going to help me, you’re not going to get the job,” Grimm continued.
Practicing an elevator pitch is good because it gets you to take ownership of your skill set and explain it with confidence — just make sure that it doesn’t come off as “canned,” Grimm offered. The trick to mastering this type of effective communication in the job search is to prepare that message and make sure it’s tailored to a particular person.
“The first question is always, ‘What does the audience want?’ ” Grimm said. “Delivering value to the listener is the most important idea.” Job seekers can figure this out by thoroughly researching the company and making preliminary inquiries before the interview.
But interviews aren’t the only venue where one would want to explain her value. Networking events and social engagements can be equally effective forums for such an elevator pitch. These setting require a bit of double-tailoring — to the person and also to the event itself. Speaking to a CEO at a backyard barbecue should be more casual than a formal sales call. You wouldn’t want to ruin the executive’s hot dog because you’re yapping about your accounting accomplishments — but you do want to slip in a tidbit or two about how you’ve saved companies small fortunes between the chicken wings. If delivered correctly, it could be the thing that lands you the big interview in the first place.
No matter the person or the venue, though, the message won’t get through unless you’re sure of yourself, Grimm said. “People are impressed with confidence,” he said. “The vocal issue is confidence. If you come across like you’re whispering, you won’t get it.”
To master that vocal sound, Grimm recommends practicing a variety of phrases in front of a mirror or on camera, even with someone who can provide feedback. “How you come across and how you think you come across can be two different things,” he warned.
But nothing beats the real thing. One of the best ways to gain confidence during an interview setting is to go on as many interviews as possible — and learn from each one. “If you don’t learn from your experience, then it’s not that valuable,” Grimm said. “It’s just a matter of moving forward until you get the job you want.”
By Andrew Klappholz
For more insightful career advice from leading experts sign up for free ›
Posted on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 12:11 PM
I’ve been in the business of helping people build their brands for a decade and each year, I publish my personal branding trends for job seekers. Take a look at this year’s trends and decide which will help give you an edge and attract the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.
1. Headshots Everywhere
Do you have a professional headshot?
People want to connect a face with a name. We have come to expect a photo alongside a blog post, Facebook profile and online article. People are less likely to click on a photo-less LinkedIn profile; and they’re less inclined to believe Web-based content if the picture of the person who contributed it is missing. Yet many people are still reluctant to post their photo to the Web. Some fear age discrimination in hiring; others just aren’t happy with the photos they have. Since it’s becoming common for hiring managers and recruiters to use Google and social networks to find candidates, your first impression could be your LinkedIn profile or other online content.
What does this mean for you?
Ensure those who are researching you get to connect a face with a name and credentials. Because there are so many places where your photo will appear — from your Google profile to your You Tube channel or about.me page — get a series of professional headshots and upload them to your social network profiles and Flickr or Picassa account. You don’t want someone doing a Google image search and seeing one photo replicated 30 times.
2. Crowdsourcing for Professionals
What do others say about you?
You’re only as good as the collective opinions of those who know you. Consultants have always understood the value of client feedback. Now, with the ease of requesting and providing recommendations, you too must be mindful of the power of external reviews. Virtually every new social network or app includes the opportunity to request and display reviews. LinkedIn calls them recommendations, BranchOut and BeKnown call them endorsements. Honestly.com calls them reviews. Regardless of what you call them, they’re extremely important to those who are making decisions about you. A Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey determined that 90% of consumers trust peer reviews. Although no research to my knowledge has been done about this topic as it relates to people, I predict we will quickly become accustomed to using crowdsourcing to make decisions about each other.
What does this mean for you?
If you are looking for a job, what others say about you will be critical to getting hired. Get out there and get testimonials, recommendations and endorsements and make them visible through various social media and your own Web site. Hiring managers will be dubious of those without any external recommendations.
3. Personal QR Codes
Do you have a QR code?
QR codes are taking off in all kinds of ways that weren’t originally anticipated. For example, according to brandchannel.com, it’s now possible to place extremely large QR codes on the tops of buildings that will be photographed by the satellites that feed Google Maps. The QR code will cause a logo of that company to appear when someone looks at their building’s images on Google. Putting a giant QR code on the top of your house may not be the best way to land a job. But you do have the opportunity to use QR codes to point those who are evaluating you to your Web sites, blogs and other relevant career marketing content. I have seen QR codes on the top of resumes, on business cards and on networking name-badges. Vizibility.com allows you to customize what people see when they click on your QR code – and change it often, so you can direct hiring managers to the perfect presentation of your capabilities.
What does this mean for you?
You have a great opportunity to direct recruiters to the content you want them to see. If one of your brand attributes is 'innovative,' think about how you can use QR codes to tell others what you want them to know about you. If you’re a more seasoned professional and want to demonstrate that you’re innovative and on top of the latest trends, using QR codes on your resume and business card is like digital Botox. It will demonstrate that you are connected to what’s happening.
4. Job Postings R.I.P.
Are you relying on job postings in your search?
Job postings are inefficient. Many unqualified candidates apply — especially in a down economy. The volume of resumes received can be unmanageable. As social networks make it easier to identify qualified potential hires, job postings will become obsolete. More and more, when hiring managers and recruiters have an open position, they’ll scour the Internet and reach out to their social networks to find the perfect candidate. When SHRM conducted research in 2011, they learned that 56% of HR managers use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to source candidates (it was 34% in 2010). The number one reason they’re using social media in this way is to recruit passive candidates (84%). The Facebook app, BeKnown, finds and recommends jobs for you based on your skills and experience (from your profile) — before you even do a search.
What does this mean for you?
It’s becoming more likely that your next job will come to you — if your virtual brand is visible and compelling. Ensure your social network profiles are engaging and up-to-date. And make sure you use all the appropriate keywords in everything you post online so you’ll be found by those who seek your expertise.
5. Professional, DIY Video
Are you using video to stand out?
Professional, DIY video. Those used to be two different options for getting video produced – professional or DIY. Now, you can have both. For example, Distance Record from videoBIO (disclosure: videoBIO is a partner of my company, Reach Personal Branding) allows you to record your own video in your home and send the video file to them for editing. In addition, you can have a producer on your computer screen directing you through the video. In the past, there were two things standing in the way of using video to build your brand: 1. Self-produced video looked amateurish and didn’t always create the best impression; and 2. Studio shoots produce professional video but they come at a cost and are time-consuming. These new, hybrid services will certainly increase the use of video as a way of building your brand.
What does this mean for you?
Video is a differentiator. It helps you stand out in a job search. It allows you to deliver a complete communication. Produce a video bio. First, write your branded bio (combining your credentials, experience and successes with your personality and passions). Then, create a script. Practice, don’t rehearse. Then work with an organization to get a high quality video produced. Upload your final video to YouTube, and other video sharing sites, and use the app in LinkedIn to embed your video bio in your LinkedIn profile.
6. Permanent Unemployment
Do you appear unemployed?
In a July 2011 study, CareerBuilder learned that employers prefer hiring people that already have jobs over those who have been laid off. If you’re unemployed, this must seem depressing. But it need not be. What it means is that instead of being unemployed, you need to remain active — even if you’re no longer at the company you were working for. Taking on a volunteer activity, putting your own shingle out or getting involved in a project you are passionate about are valuable ways of remaining a compelling candidate. If it looks like your full-time job is looking for work, you’ll be less attractive to recruiters and hiring managers.
What does this mean for you?
Don’t consider yourself unemployed. Be prepared to consult or volunteer if you find your name on the layoff list. In the future, you’ll probably move from being employed by companies to self-employment and back. Get in this mindset now to ensure you remain an attractive passive candidate. And be visible where hiring managers will find you. Use the right keywords in everything you post on the Web. Contribute thought-leadership content to job function or industry portals. Keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and compelling (this is the number one site hiring managers check according to a SHRM study).
7. Personal Qwikis
How do you present your qualifications?
Qwiki delivers interactive, multimedia presentations of information you’re researching. It’s a 3-D way of representing information – making it more impactful and easier to digest. Think of it as a multimedia, customizable Wikipedia. This is part of a trend away from text-based content — to richer, more effective communications. In last year’s personal branding trends, I stressed the importance of combining video and images with text content to tell your brand story. Soon, with a series of Qwiki-like tools, you’ll be able to create a multimedia personal brand presentation. Instead of resumes or portfolios, you’ll be able to use a personal Qwiki to present your qualifications in a more attractive way. And you can direct people to this multimedia presentation via your personal QR code (see trend number 3 above).
What does this mean for you?
Multimedia is becoming even more important to you as you build your brand. Ensure you take every opportunity to create and obtain video and images related to your brand. When Qwikis become personal, you’ll be able to put together a compelling, customized presentation about your brand — accomplishments, thought leadership, passions, etc. The more content you have to work with, the better your presentation will be. Multimedia is a must!
By William Arruda
For more insightful career advice from leading experts sign up for free ›
Posted on Fri, Apr 27, 2012 @ 11:37 AM
Practice makes perfect, but be sure to tweak your pitch to keep it effective.
In the job search, the "make or break" moment for candidates often comes down to just a couple sentences: the elevator pitch. This is a quick statement about who you are and why you should be hired. Theoretically, it should be so brief that you can sell yourself while sharing an elevator with a hiring manager.
But traveling between floors of an office building isn’t always the scenario where an elevator pitch needs to be deployed. Some variation of it can be drawn on during anything from a networking event or a cold call to a Little League game or a chance encounter on your daily commute.
A base elevator pitch should be something like:
“Hi, I’m Jane Smith. I work in sales for NBC. I’ve beaten revenue projections for the past nine quarters and I’d like to do the same for CBS. My knowledge of the industry, contacts in the business world and proven track record of success would be a great asset to your company.”
Why would anyone say “no” to that? Well, if that exact pitch is given in the middle of the CBS executive’s yoga class, they’d have good reason to ignore you. “If you’re at a casual social event, you want to make it more casual — not so much of a hard sell,” said Patty Malone, a communications professor at California State Fullerton. Malone helps job seekers perfect their interviewing and networking skills atdrpattymalone.com.
She says that elevator pitches, while important to practice out loud and memorize, are most effective when they don’t sound like they’re rehearsed. And, she adds, it all depends on the setting. During yoga, it would be nice to compliment the person’s downward dog before getting down to business. If you’re at a Little League game and your son is playing the team of the CBS executive’s son, talk about the game without being an annoyance. “You can chit-chat a little bit, but don’t just hang out there,” she said. “Don’t take up too much of their time.”
Malone said that in such a setting, Jane Smith would be better off if she seemed like a parent — not a job seeker — and mentioned, almost in passing, that she’d be a good asset to CBS. “I would walk up and introduce myself and let him or her know that I’m interested in their company,” she said. “And say that I’d like to talk to them in the future and send a resume.”
It’s all about adapting, said Andrew Schrage, the careers expert at Money Crashers Personal Finance. “Adapt your pitch to the situation you’re in,” he said. “If you are in an office setting or a formal setting, you’ll keep your pitch more formal … and talk yourself up. In a casual setting, the Little League setting, you want to straddle the line between casual, along with being personable, and connect with that person.”
By Andrew Klappholz
For more insightful career advice from leading experts sign up for free ›