The in-person interview! You NEVER have a second chance to make a first impression.  Dress for the interview: Guys, suits and shined shoes. Ladies, that smart looking interview outfit. Make a dry run to the location if time permits. If not, give yourself plenty of time. Allow time for road construction and the typical highway traffic. If you arrive at the location earlier than 15 minutes, go sit someplace else. Do not sit in the company parking lot for an extended period of time. The reasons to not sit in the parking lot are too numerous to mention here. Trust me just don’t do it. Enter into …

Last week I wrote about the screen interview. This week, the God awful phone interview; unlike the traditional face to face interview, this exercise leaves us with NO opportunity to read the persons “non verbal communication." Did I answer that question well? Did she like the answer? How can I tell? Let’s start with preparation for the phone interview. Men have more difficulty with this than the ladies. Dress for the interview.  If you take the call in your pajamas with your big floppy slippers, you will sound as if you are taking the interview in your pajamas with your floppy slippers on. …

This is the first in a series of types of interviews. The first we will discuss is a screen interview, which is different from a phone interview.  This type of interview is often unexpected and is conducted by somebody who was hired to “Screen You Out." They have a list of questions that they ask in an attempt to get the number of resumes from about 10 down to three or four. These lucky three or four will be extended in the process. The other six or seven, let’s just say it’s not their lucky day. The screener will often ask if this is a good time. Guys, if it’s not say so! Do not take the …

By Brian Coughlin Over the last few weeks, we have been addressing interviews from both the employer and candidates’ point of view. As a career coach, I often find true life examples of interviews gone badly to be a learning experience for both parties. This week, I would like to ask you to help readers by sharing your worst interview nightmares.  Like my interview story of last week in Auburn, tell us what has gone wrong in your job search. Please, omit the names to protect the guilty! If you are, or have been a job seeker, what was your worst experience?  If you are an employer, tell us …

By Brian Coughlin As you walk into the hiring managers’ office, what should you be looking for?  As I teased last week, it boils down to being prepared. Here is what you should be looking for. As you read this week’s column, you may want to review last week's to see the similarities.  First, you want to make sure that you have a full understanding of the job posting.  Did they forget to put information about excessive travel in the posting? Did they set different expectations than those that you are interviewing for? Never underestimate the ability of an organization to change the position …

By Brian Coughlin Does the thought of going on an interview make you sick to your stomach?  Do your palms start to sweat at the thought of going through the inquisition? If so, you are not alone. Most people react to the interview in the same way. Let’s face it; we only use these skills a few times in our lives. The more you prepare, the better you will do. So as you prepare for the all important interview, what are hiring managers looking for? Let’s take a look. First they want to insure that you have not told a fib on your resume. Did you really do what you said you did? Enquiring minds …

By Brian Coughlin Does your company have a well written, easy to understand employee handbook? If the answer is no, or yes, but it was printed when Norton was 150 years old, now may be the time to update this important, often times used as legal document. A good, well written handbook will let managers and employees know what the rules and expectations are. In some cases, ignorance of the law is not a defense.  Things have changed, laws have changed. If your handbook is missing some of the items below, or has been copied more times than a high school hall pass, you may just want to update …

This week, I want to address the employers of our community. As we come out of this recession to recovery, I contend that now it is more important to focus on training than ever before. Over the past few years, many have reduced their staffing needs to bare bones demanding more from team members.  Failure to provide additional skills or strengthen employee knowledge may result in unwanted turnover.     When was the last time that you offered your employees sexual harassment awareness training? A year ago, two, maybe never! Now is the time. You should not do sexual harassment training because …

Last week we talked about networking and building up or maintaining informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship could bring advantages, such as job or business opportunities. But how can you expand that network? There are several networking groups in the area but none more convenient than Norton Networkers. The meetings are facilitated by Bill Lippincott, Anne Crawford and Barbara Martin.  They meet at Trinitarian Congregational Church each Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. (a great way to start your day) and end about 9 a.m. Given the amount of time that you will spend in your…

By Brian Coughlin Studies now show that 80 percent of people looking for a new job will find it through networking. Networking is the practice of building up or maintaining informal relationships, especially with people whose friendship could bring advantages, such as job or business opportunities. Many people begin their search with a resume. They find themselves in transition, and all they want is a resume. I would argue that the first document that you need is a marketing plan. The marketing plan will provide those that you network with a better understanding of what you do and where you …