“When a company with money meets a person with experience, the person with the experience winds up with the money and the company with the money winds up with the experience”
It’s useful to know that no matter how strong your experience, qualifications and expertise your success will depend on how well you perform during the interview.
As an ‘icebreaker’ the interviewer may well ask “tell me about yourself”
In this case this is not an opportunity to tell your life story but instead it’s an opportunity for you to tell your professional story within 60 seconds. A ‘60 second pitch’ or an ‘elevator speech’ is a quick overview of your skill set and experience which can be shared with another person whilst in an elevator!
Your ‘elevator speech’ should be short and last for no less than 30 seconds and no more than 60 seconds. In this time you should be able to introduce yourself, explain what you do, what you can offer and why you should be hired.
Informing the person with just enough information to “hook” them in will leave them wanting to know more about you.
Take a look at the following 5 tips that will help you to create and perfect a winning 60 second speech during an interview, whether you are looking to move internally with your existing employer or external with a new company:
1) Too Long – It’s called a 60 second speech for a reason and whilst it’s very easy to speak for longer make sure that you stick to the allocated 60 seconds
2) STAR – Spend a couple of hours writing down five to ten work or personal experiences. These experiences should follow the STAR technique Situation or Task, Action and Result. What was the situation or task, what did you do, and what happened? Before the interview takes place think about what one of your experiences is appropriate to mention in your 60 second speech
3) Clear Language – Don’t try and be smart by using fancy words or industry jargon, use language that everyone understands. If your interviewer doesn’t understand what you’re saying then you will loose them and the opportunity.
4) Practice – Imagine an actor performing on stage without practicing his lines, remember that when you’re in an interview you are also on stage so be sure to practice. Practice your speech out loud whilst at home, perhaps in the shower! Stand in front of a mirror and practice until you feel comfortable and your speech feels natural.
5) Feedback – Ask a friend to listen to your speech, what did they remember and at what point did they stop listening?
Above all be authentic in your speech, show passion and enthusiasm. If however, your passion and enthusiasm is elsewhere other than your existing day job then it could be that you don’t know enough about the role so why not build on your knowledge and experience. By attending training courses, taking professional qualifications or just by sitting with a colleague you can build on your existing skill set. If on the other hand your enthusiasm lies within another interest then look at ways as to how you can build your knowledge and experience further within this field, create a plan that will enable you to perhaps make a living from your interest!
“Experience is more important than money”
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Thursday 23 September 2010
Friday 17 September 2010
P is for…Personal Brand
“Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room”
When creating your personal brand ask yourself “What does my name say about me?” If you were to put your name into a Google search engine what information could a potential employer find out about you on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or perhaps even your Blog?
It’s important for you to know that it’s becoming more and more common for recruiters and potential employers to Google names of individuals and make up their own assumptions before they even consider a meet.
So, bearing this in mind it goes without saying that when looking for work it’s vital for you to portray a professional image. Below I have listed 5 different ways in which you can start creating your personal brand:
Be Authentic What are your passions, desires and dreams? In order to be authentic you have to be real, genuine and not false. You should be able to provide evidence and facts with regards to your experience and show that you are reliable and trustworthy too.
Contact Details You must ensure that an email address or a mobile answer message is simple and professional. Create a simple Yahoo or Google email address and remember to check this on a daily basis when looking for work.
Social Networking Be aware of anything derogatory on Facebook and if need be ask your friends to take down photos that include you. If you haven’t already then I would recommend that you set up and complete your profile on LinkedIn, a social network for professionals www.linkedin.com
Tell Your Story Prepare and practise a 30 second speech or pitch so that you can explain what sets you apart from other candidates, what makes you different.
Personal Appearance It’s important that the clothes you wear portray the image you want to give. I would recommend that you always attend both internal and external interviews in smart business dress even if you know that they have a policy of ‘dress down’
Branding Test
1. Identify three brands that you like and write them down on a piece of paper
2. Why do you like them? Write down specific reasons for liking each one.
3. Do you notice any common themes across all of your three brands? You may have chosen your brands because they represent “quality” or “reliability.” The traits that come up repeatedly are likely to match your own personal brand values.
4. Now that you know some of your personal brand values, use them as the basis of messages that you could use to advance your career. Write down your brand messages.
5. Review your brand messages. Are they powerful and convincing? Why not show them to your boss, close colleagues or perhaps even your clients and ask them for honest feedback.
Leave a good impression and start to create your personal brand now.
A good read is a book called ‘Brand YOU’ written by John Purkiss and David Royston-Lee
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brand-You-Talents-Winning-Formula/dp/0955116422/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284639554&sr=1-1
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
When creating your personal brand ask yourself “What does my name say about me?” If you were to put your name into a Google search engine what information could a potential employer find out about you on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or perhaps even your Blog?
It’s important for you to know that it’s becoming more and more common for recruiters and potential employers to Google names of individuals and make up their own assumptions before they even consider a meet.
So, bearing this in mind it goes without saying that when looking for work it’s vital for you to portray a professional image. Below I have listed 5 different ways in which you can start creating your personal brand:
Be Authentic What are your passions, desires and dreams? In order to be authentic you have to be real, genuine and not false. You should be able to provide evidence and facts with regards to your experience and show that you are reliable and trustworthy too.
Contact Details You must ensure that an email address or a mobile answer message is simple and professional. Create a simple Yahoo or Google email address and remember to check this on a daily basis when looking for work.
Social Networking Be aware of anything derogatory on Facebook and if need be ask your friends to take down photos that include you. If you haven’t already then I would recommend that you set up and complete your profile on LinkedIn, a social network for professionals www.linkedin.com
Tell Your Story Prepare and practise a 30 second speech or pitch so that you can explain what sets you apart from other candidates, what makes you different.
Personal Appearance It’s important that the clothes you wear portray the image you want to give. I would recommend that you always attend both internal and external interviews in smart business dress even if you know that they have a policy of ‘dress down’
Branding Test
1. Identify three brands that you like and write them down on a piece of paper
2. Why do you like them? Write down specific reasons for liking each one.
3. Do you notice any common themes across all of your three brands? You may have chosen your brands because they represent “quality” or “reliability.” The traits that come up repeatedly are likely to match your own personal brand values.
4. Now that you know some of your personal brand values, use them as the basis of messages that you could use to advance your career. Write down your brand messages.
5. Review your brand messages. Are they powerful and convincing? Why not show them to your boss, close colleagues or perhaps even your clients and ask them for honest feedback.
Leave a good impression and start to create your personal brand now.
A good read is a book called ‘Brand YOU’ written by John Purkiss and David Royston-Lee
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Brand-You-Talents-Winning-Formula/dp/0955116422/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284639554&sr=1-1
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Friday 10 September 2010
P is for...Practice
“When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you come up against that someone he/she will win”
Why is it that we practice certain skills in so many areas of our life? We practice our driving technique before we take a test, actors practice their lines before the actual take, expectant mothers practice childbirth before labour and Tennis Players practice their shots before a game.
And yet for some reason job seekers spend no time at all practicing for an interview?
I often hear from people that they didn’t have the time to practice for their all important job interview and if successful will enable them to work in a better role that will lead to a higher income and therefore a life with more choices and job satisfaction.
Unless a serial job hopper then you can assume that a majority of people haven’t interviewed for a while, sometimes 2 or 3 years or even more than 10 Years. Think back to when you were at school or university how much time did you spend practicing the answers for your exams? Did you receive the results you had hoped for or can you now own up after all these years and acknowledge that perhaps you didn’t practice enough?
Preparation = Practice and Practice = Preparation
Preparing for an interview is different from practicing for an interview however when time has been taken to do both they equal the same and enhance the interviewees chances of success.
“It takes a skill to interview and it takes practice to build a skill”
Taking the time to practice for an interview is essential for all job seekers. Below I have listed 5 different ways in which you can practice your interview skills:
1) STAR - Practice your stories by using the STAR technique, Situation or Task, Action and Result.
TIP
Take a sheet of A4 paper and divide it into 4 boxes. At the top of the page write a question for example “Tell me about a time when you have changed someone’s mind” in each of the 4 boxes place an S, T, A, R – each box will tell part of your story
What was the Situation or Task, be brief, two sentences will be acceptable
What Action(s) did you take and why did you take them
What were the Results for you and those around you and remember win/win
2) Record Yourself - Practice your interview answers by recording yourself until you feel confident with the answer you hear.
TIP
It may seem strange however try reciting a nursery rhyme at first for example Mary had a little lamb…and notice the difference in the way you project your voice after the third attempt
3) Mirror - Observe your body language and expressions by saying your answers out loud in front of a mirror
TIP
Even better use a webcam if you have one, you can buy one for less than £10!
4) Role Play – By role playing an interview situation it allows you to practice being your worst over and over again
TIP
Ask a friend / colleague to help you role play the interview and ask that person to listen, be honest and provide you with constructive feedback. Remember not to take feedback personally as others will hide their true thoughts
5) Telephone – arrange to call a friend / colleague the day before your interview, give them a list of 5-8 questions and ask them to give you a quick practice session
TIP
Practicing your answers to questions the day before an interview will help you to refresh your mind and can make a huge difference on the interview day
REMEMBER The interviewer will be preparing questions for you, do yourself justice and practice the answers!
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
Why is it that we practice certain skills in so many areas of our life? We practice our driving technique before we take a test, actors practice their lines before the actual take, expectant mothers practice childbirth before labour and Tennis Players practice their shots before a game.
And yet for some reason job seekers spend no time at all practicing for an interview?
I often hear from people that they didn’t have the time to practice for their all important job interview and if successful will enable them to work in a better role that will lead to a higher income and therefore a life with more choices and job satisfaction.
Unless a serial job hopper then you can assume that a majority of people haven’t interviewed for a while, sometimes 2 or 3 years or even more than 10 Years. Think back to when you were at school or university how much time did you spend practicing the answers for your exams? Did you receive the results you had hoped for or can you now own up after all these years and acknowledge that perhaps you didn’t practice enough?
Preparation = Practice and Practice = Preparation
Preparing for an interview is different from practicing for an interview however when time has been taken to do both they equal the same and enhance the interviewees chances of success.
“It takes a skill to interview and it takes practice to build a skill”
Taking the time to practice for an interview is essential for all job seekers. Below I have listed 5 different ways in which you can practice your interview skills:
1) STAR - Practice your stories by using the STAR technique, Situation or Task, Action and Result.
TIP
Take a sheet of A4 paper and divide it into 4 boxes. At the top of the page write a question for example “Tell me about a time when you have changed someone’s mind” in each of the 4 boxes place an S, T, A, R – each box will tell part of your story
What was the Situation or Task, be brief, two sentences will be acceptable
What Action(s) did you take and why did you take them
What were the Results for you and those around you and remember win/win
2) Record Yourself - Practice your interview answers by recording yourself until you feel confident with the answer you hear.
TIP
It may seem strange however try reciting a nursery rhyme at first for example Mary had a little lamb…and notice the difference in the way you project your voice after the third attempt
3) Mirror - Observe your body language and expressions by saying your answers out loud in front of a mirror
TIP
Even better use a webcam if you have one, you can buy one for less than £10!
4) Role Play – By role playing an interview situation it allows you to practice being your worst over and over again
TIP
Ask a friend / colleague to help you role play the interview and ask that person to listen, be honest and provide you with constructive feedback. Remember not to take feedback personally as others will hide their true thoughts
5) Telephone – arrange to call a friend / colleague the day before your interview, give them a list of 5-8 questions and ask them to give you a quick practice session
TIP
Practicing your answers to questions the day before an interview will help you to refresh your mind and can make a huge difference on the interview day
REMEMBER The interviewer will be preparing questions for you, do yourself justice and practice the answers!
Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global http://www.chillipepperglobal.com/ advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.
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