If you're up on job-search and career-development advice, you've likely been hearing the term "personal brand" used more and more. By all accounts, developing and maintaining a consistent, effective personal brand is as important to the modern worker (in just about industry) as having a great resume and an engaged network of peers.

But the term is sometimes used in a vague way--what is a personal brand, and how does a job seeker begin crafting one? I asked personal-branding expert Chris Perry, of CareerRocketeer, to explain some basics. 

Monster Blog: Why is having a personal brand important--and is it important for all job seekers?

Chris Perry: Everyone has a unique personal brand. You communicate your own brand in everything you do--whether you know it or not. It's important to remember that personal branding is so much more than what you put on your social networks or what you write on a blog. It's who you are inside and out, online and offline. Your personal brand is your reputation.

Effective personal branding is essential for all job seekers, as it not only makes you stand out from the crowd to employers and recruiters, but also can increase your job security during your career--by communicating your value as a leader and team player to your organization.

Monster Blog: How can a person decide what his or her personal brand is?

Chris Perry: Your personal brand is the unique and differentiating value that you can bring to an organization, a team, and/or a project, [communicated] in a professionally memorable and consistent manner in all of your actions and outputs, both online and offline, to all current and prospective stakeholders in your career.

Here are a several steps to help you create your personal brand:

    1. Write down your differentiating strengths (those you feel make you stand out from the rest).

    2. Ask your friends, family, colleagues, and managers to do the same.

    3. Identify the top three to five strengths that you feel will support the career direction you want to pursue.

    4. Create or find a word or phrase that can become your personal brand and that represents these strengths. (Note that you should ensure that your word or phrase is versatile and can change with your career direction.)

    5. Develop a short pitch [what some experts call an "elevator speech"] that builds on your brand, describing your strengths in more detail.

Monster Blog: Then how does someone use that brand in a job search?

Chris Perry: Here are a few of the ways that you can build and communicate your personal brand both online and in-person:

•     Create a LinkedIn profile and follow the suggested steps to complete your profile, making sure you include your personal brand and pitch in your subtitle and summary sections.
•     Consider creating a personal website or blog where you can house all of your information, including your brand, experience, education, skills, honors, entrepreneurial efforts, and more.
•     Include your personal brand on your resume, cover letter, business cards, email signature, and voicemail message, as well as across your other social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook.
•     Conduct informational interviews with target network contacts (whether or not you're seeking a job) and share your personal brand with them in your introductions.
•     Join associations or networking groups within your industry and try attending their events to meet new contacts and build your target network.  Be sure to share your personal brand with those new contacts you meet.

-- Check back next week for more tips from Chris Perry, on how to maintain your personal brand over time. If you have more questions on creating a personal brand, let us know in the comments section, and we will try to include answers in next week's blog post.

Chris Perry, MBA, is a Gen-Y brand and marketing generator, an ambitious entrepreneur, and a career-search and personal-branding expert. Perry is the founder of Career Rocketeer; its partner efforts, including Launchpad; and other online career services and communities, such as MBA Highway.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Chris St. Hilaire, the author of "27 Powers of Persuasion: Simple Strategies to Seduce Audiences & Win Allies," for a new article on Monster+HotJobs, "The Art of Persuasion in Your Job Search."

I'm enthusiastic about his approach to persuasion, which is very simple, and which is fundamentally about positivity: making other people feel good about themselves makes them feel good about you.

One of my favorite tips in the book embodies that notion well (and is a little "gem" of a job-interview tip, I think): You know how when you go to a job interview and the hiring manager asks you if you'd like something to drink? St. Hilaire says you should ask for a glass of water. He explains, "People want to do something nice for you, but not too much. This is a surefire way to make them feel good about themselves without inconveniencing them.'"

Other tips that didn't make it into the article (due to a shortage of space) include tips on actively liking people (when you like someone, it helps him or her like you): St. Hilaire says, "I really, really like the people that I interview with, and part of that comes from practice."

He says that in any meeting, you should find one thing to like about everyone in the room. In some situations, that will involve a mental adjustment: "Every trait can be viewed two ways ... when you flip negative to positive, stubborn becomes resolute, skeptical becomes careful," and so on.

He also advises job seekers to turn their own negatives into positives, and to address them forthrightly. In the book, he likens this to something we often see in politics: a politician turning the weakness of "inexperience" into the strength of "being outside a corrupt political system," for instance.

You can do this with your own "weaknesses"--for instance, a long gap between jobs. Before going into an interview, prepare a succinct story about how you've been spending your time between jobs (or addressing whatever your "weakness" is). He says the trick is to think about the effect your weakness has on the way you interact with the world, and identify the positives in that effect.

(For tips on filling resume gaps, see "Fun Ways to Beef Up Your Resume.")

Other good tips from my notes that didn't make it into the article include "if you need to fidget, wiggle your toes" and "let others finish a question before you start to answer." Also, don't forget to breathe. 

Get more strategies and tips on having great job interviews.

We heard about people who'd stretched the definition of "casual" to include sleepwear--for instance, a female who "wears a man's robe" around the office when she's cold. And of course we heard from many people who think flip-flops are out of place in a professional setting. (How can they be so ubiquitous yet so despised?)

People should be careful about wearing "playtime" clothes like flip-flops and shorts to the office, according to image consultant Sherry Maysonave, the author of "Casual Power: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication and Dress Down for Success." She adds, "It's like their goals go on vacation." (Read more advice from Maysonave and others, in "What Not to Wear to Work" on Monster+Hot Jobs.)

Mirza Grotts adds, "Now more than ever, we live in a competitive world. Jobs are few and far between, so put your best foot forward--but not with a pair of stilettos!" (Or, we might add, flip-flops.)

(Get more workplace style advice--read "Dress Appropriately for Interviews," and check out the video series "How to Wear It" from Jones New York for more office style tips.)

We heard about people who'd stretched the definition of "casual" to include sleepwear--for instance, a female who "wears a man's robe" around the office when she's cold. And of course we heard from many people who think flip-flops are out of place in a professional setting. (How can they be so ubiquitous yet so despised?)

People should be careful about wearing "playtime" clothes like flip-flops and shorts to the office, according to image consultant Sherry Maysonave, the author of "Casual Power: How to Power Up Your Nonverbal Communication and Dress Down for Success." She adds, "It's like their goals go on vacation." (Read more advice from Maysonave and others, in "What Not to Wear to Work" on Monster+Hot Jobs.)

Mirza Grotts adds, "Now more than ever, we live in a competitive world. Jobs are few and far between, so put you best foot forward--but not with a pair of stilettos!" (Or, we might add, flip-flops.)

(Get more workplace style advice--read "Dress Appropriately for Interviews," and check out the video series "How to Wear It" from Jones New York for more office style tips.)

Jones New York has recently posted an online book you've got to check out. Called "The Little Black Book of Career Advice," it's a collection of career advice, wisdom, and humor from more than 100 of the world's most influential and interesting women. (But you don't have to be a woman to benefit from the great advice here.)

With a forward by Dee Dee Myers, a former White House press secretary and the author of "Why Women Should Rule the World," this collection provides not only pithy aphorisms and words of encouragement, but also these women's empowering, true stories of success--in their own words.

Find out what Sandra Bernhard thinks is the key to joy in life, which qualities Arianna Huffington is trying to instill in her daughters, and what life lessons Donna Brazile draws from cooking. From CEOs and inventors to world-famous artists, the women here offer a wide variety of perspectives--share "The Little Black Book of Career Advice" with friends and colleagues whenever they need words of encouragement.

We're also partnering with Jones New York to promote its "How to Wear It" series--it's got a walk-in closet's worth of great advice on workplace style. And we want to hear your tips on dressing for success. Send a tweet with the hashtag #monsterstyle; we'll be collecting the top tweets and publishing them in an upcoming blog post.

You may also want to check out this collection of stories about dressing for success at a job interview.

Sure, social media enthusiasts like to think of themselves as “rock stars,” but as the MTV Video Music Awards proved, there’s still a long way to go before they’re the real thing. In typical fashion, Lady Gaga was the talk of the night with her “meat dress.” While we can’t think of many other offices other than the MTV stage where this qualifies as work-appropriate attire, we’re hoping this casual Friday comes and goes without any similar fashion choices. No matter what you’re wearing to the office or to interviews, here are the top five stories from the world of work you might have missed this week:

5. Lessons Learned in the Job Search: Job searching is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Molly Wendell outlines some tips from her colleague Mike that helped him save time and get back to work faster.

4. 5 Ways to Tell If Your Internship Is Legal, Regardless of Pay: Just because your internship is paid, doesn’t mean it’s a good opportunity. Heather Huhman discusses the five factors you should consider and why.

3. Dressing for the Interview, by Industry: There's no getting around it: In every job interview, you're going to be judged -- at least partially -- by how you look. But how you should look varies depending on your industry and the job you're interviewing for. Peter Vogt takes a look at general interview attire expectations for eight career areas so you can dress to impress.

2. How to Ace the Interview Without Saying a Word: While you’re preparing for what to say in your next interview, have you thought about preparing for what you won’t say? Shadow Nightwing explains how to prepare your nonverbal communication for your next interview.

1. 9 Steps to Responding to a Lowball Job Offer: What can you do if you receive an offer that undervalues the skills you bring to a company? First step, remember that it’s a negotiation, and apply Donna Svei’s nine tips to negotiate your job offer to get what you deserve.

Which of these was your favorite? Did you write a great article we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

For more must-read content, check out the Monster 5: Works Edition for this week’s top articles from the world of talent management.

Today's post is by Ashley Melo, Monster's public relations intern:

With all the hype surrounding Ellen DeGeneres leaving American Idol, it might be time for Randy and Kara to prepare to job hunt.  These top 5 articles from the world of job seeking might help!

Here’s a look at this week's top 5 stories from the world of job seeking:

5. Interview Questions Guaranteed to Make You Hurl: Have you ever been stumped with a ridiculous interview question? Mark Jaffe recounts the tale of an advertising executive who was asked, “If you were a breakfast cereal, what kind would you be?" How would you answer?

4. Introvert or Extrovert? Tips for Job Search No Matter Which ‘Vert’ You Are: Whether you're reserved or outgoing, Erin Kennedy gives us an inside look on how to utilize your strengths as an introvert or extrovert in your job search.

3. Ace the Job Interview with "Why?" -- Not "How?" Executive career coach Meg Montford offers advice on what kinds of questions job seekers should ask during an interview.  

2. Take Advantage of Downtime at Work: Do you have some unexpected free time at work? Roberta Chinsky Matuson says to use it on one -- or all -- of these six career-boosting activities.  

1. Three Ways for Job Seekers to Gain Inside Company Information: While most candidates know how important it is to research a company before an interview, publicly available information isn’t enough to keep a job seeker above the competition. Phil Rosenberg offers three ways to get inside information about a company and get an edge.

For more must-read content, check out the Monster 5: Works Edition for this week’s top articles from the world of talent management.

Which of these was your favorite? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.

It’s Friday, and we’re spotlighting five more articles we consider to be must-reads for job seekers this week. 

Here are the top 5 stories from the world of job seeking you might have missed:

5. A Hiring Manager Perspective: Do's and Don’ts of Applying to an Internship: Wondering what the hiring manager is really thinking? Get inside the head of hiring manager Chris Brablc as he explains what really stands out when reviewing the resumes and cover letters of internship candidates.

4. 10 Interview Styles That Make My Blood Run Cold by Tim Tyrell-Smith: Review these interview styles so you know what NOT to do in your next interview.

3. The Weirdest Job Interview Questions and How to Handle Them: You’ve prepared everything for the interview from company background research to news results. You’re ready for any question they could ask -- or are you? Susan Adams from Forbes magazine explains how to prepare for the weirdest questions you could be asked.

2. Top 10 Annoying Habits at Work: Don’t be "that guy" at work. Beverly West outlines the annoying habits you should avoid.

1. Some Assembly Required: Wondering why you aren’t getting a call back after applying to a job online? Dawn Bugni asks whether you're following the directions.

Which of these was your favorite? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.

So for a short case study on how not to get along with your interviewer, let’s review the litany of mistakes an individual we’ll call Candidate J made when I interviewed him several years ago at another company. Where did he go wrong? For starters, he argued with me, insulted me, shouted me down, refused to answer key questions asked multiple times and talked himself so hoarse that he needed to leave to get water. On his way back from the water cooler, he chatted up a former colleague in the hall for 10 minutes, at which point I decided I had had more than enough and ended the interview.

Candidate J interviewed with several other people on the team that day and behaved just as boorishly with them as well. I don’t remember if he sent a thank-you note, but I do remember he couldn’t think of a weakness. And no, he didn’t get the job.

This behavior goes way beyond the more common ways to wreck a job interview, such as being late, dressing inappropriately, not researching the company and failing to ask any questions. None of this is to suggest that there aren’t boorish interviewers as well — surely, there are — but job seekers still need to do their utmost to develop a good rapport with any interviewer they face. Here are some tips that Candidate J failed — spectacularly — to heed:

·  

Respect Your Interviewer: Even if the interviewer would be a peer or direct report, he already has a job at the company you’re applying to — and may have more influence over the hiring decision than you know.

·  

Read the Interviewer’s Body Language: You may be in trouble if the interviewer leans back in his chair, shakes his head or checks the time.

·  

Actively Listen: The interviewer may be revealing an important point about the position or key concern about your qualifications. Respond well, and you could advance your candidacy; miss it, and you leave the door open for someone else.

·  

Check In with the Interviewer: You’ll have only so much time with the interviewer, so keep your interview answers concise, but remember to ask from time to time, “Do you need me to go into more detail?” This way, you’ll spend the bulk of your time discussing what the interviewer considers to be the most important aspects of the job.

Have you ever had any disaster job interviews — either as the candidate or interviewer? Leave a comment below, and check out these articles to brush up on your interview etiquette:

·  

Think of Your Interview as a Simple Conversation

·  

Interview Tip: Listen Well

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Steer Clear of Interviewers’ Pet Peeves

About 10 days ago, I began a second and final round of interviewing, and everything went swimmingly. I was thrilled when the recruiter called to say there was a job offer in the making. But sealing the deal with this recruiter has been a bumpy ride.

Usually the recruiter would have relinquished the offer process to the firm’s hiring manager or HR department by this point. The problem is, I have questions about the offer, which means the recruiter has had to chase down answers. Trying to untangle the phone conversations, I requested to see everything in writing.

And so, I wait by my mailbox.

Now it’s time to focus on wrapping up loose ends. So much gets put off during a search for permanent full-time employment -- doctor's appointments, postponed luncheon engagements and the home office to-do pile. My biggest task by far is finding full-time care for my 2 young sons. The good news is that there are many more quality caregivers in the market now -- a manifestation of underemployment, perhaps? In theory, then, my job offer will actually employ 2 people.

What happens when I finally find the written offer in my mailbox? I will carefully carry out my benefits and salary due diligence. You only have one chance to come out of the gate swinging, so now is the time for negotiation. Once I have all my questions in a row, I want to understand how this firm will treat me as potential employee. Given that I am unfamiliar with the company culture, I am very cautious -- as they say, buyer beware. But the hiring courtship often indicates how an everyday employee is treated. A few of my unemployed friends have accepted jobs even though they didn’t like how they were treated by the hiring firm, but the positions satisfy their healthcare and revenue needs. I would prefer to find a position that satisfies both my fiscal and emotional needs.

When you receive an employment offer, what next steps will you take?

About 10 days ago, I began a second and final round of interviewing, and everything went swimmingly. I was thrilled when the recruiter called to say there was a job offer in the making. But sealing the deal with this recruiter has been a bumpy ride.

Usually the recruiter would have relinquished the offer process to the firm’s hiring manager or HR department by this point. The problem is, I have questions about the offer, which means the recruiter has had to chase down answers. Trying to untangle the phone conversations, I requested to see everything in writing.

And so, I wait by my mailbox.

Now it’s time to focus on wrapping up loose ends. So much gets put off during a search for permanent full-time employment -- doctor's appointments, postponed luncheon engagements and the home office to-do pile. My biggest task by far is finding full-time care for my 2 young sons. The good news is that there are many more quality caregivers in the market now -- a manifestation of underemployment, perhaps? In theory, then, my job offer will actually employ 2 people.

What happens when I finally find the written offer in my mailbox? I will carefully carry out my benefits and salary due diligence. You only have one chance to come out of the gate swinging, so now is the time for negotiation. Once I have all my questions in a row, I want to understand how this firm will treat me as potential employee. Given that I am unfamiliar with the company culture, I am very cautious -- as they say, buyer beware. But the hiring courtship often indicates how an everyday employee is treated. A few of my unemployed friends have accepted jobs even though they didn’t like how they were treated by the hiring firm, but the positions satisfy their healthcare and revenue needs. I would prefer to find a position that satisfies both my fiscal and emotional needs.

When you receive an employment offer, what next steps will you take?

In all the months spent researching and searching for permanent full-time employment, who should emerge as one of my top targeted firms? My former, former employer. Not the one that laid me and hundreds of others off about 6 months ago, but the firm I voluntarily left more than a decade ago. Recently they opened a branch just 20 miles from my home – a civilized commute in my congested part of the world. Since I have a solid track record with the firm, and I thrived in their culture, I never hesitated to contact them again. And through the magic of networking, it’s likely that I'll have an interview there next week.

Naturally, many of my former coworkers have moved on given the 10-year time span. But I am sure that if I work at this firm again, I will encounter some of the same colleagues. There’s a big lesson from my professional tenure: you never know who you will meet again and under which circumstances.

I've learned through my networking conversations that there are two key skills the firm is looking for. One is a sense of urgency or as I like to call it, "getting it done-ness." The other is leadership. Getting things done is a fairly straightforward skill set for anyone with two young boys. Even something as seemingly simple as propelling my sons forward in the mornings -- getting fed, dressed and ready for the learning day -- requires a sense of urgency. The added teamwork and motivation further finesse my “get it done” skill set.

Leadership is a tougher skill set to illustrate with any employer, former or not. People define leadership differently, so figuring out how to frame my leadership experience is a primary goal in prep for the impending interview. I will sound out various resources, gather feedback and apply this to my work results. Since my leadership “sagas” don’t lend themselves to retelling in an interview setting, I will craft brief, to-the-point leadership snapshots.

Now that I've mulled over my approach to this interview, I had better get it done!

Would you consider working for an old employer?

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Last week, I was fortunate enough to land 3 interviews in as many days. Other job-seeking friends are reporting an increase in activity too. In some cases, it is because firms want to spend their remaining Q4 budget by bringing someone on board. In other cases, the companies are gearing up for their Q1 hires now. Whatever the business rationale, I welcome the opportunity to interview, although it does require some pre-work. Here are the 3 fundamental steps that I use to prepare for interviews:

1. Read All Available Public Domain Information

Obviously, the Internet is a great tool for collecting general data about the prospective company. To dig deeper, consider a subscription business information service such as OneSource. Thanks to their high-level overview of one particular firm's financials, board members and recent performance results, I gleaned useful information about a large, family-owned business.

2. Reach Out to People Who Have Worked at the Firm

Of the past employees I spoke with, most were balanced and neutral in the assessments of their former employer. Of course, some contacts departed the company on unfavorable terms, so you may wish to take their perspectives with a grain of salt.

In these informational interviews, I try to understand their views about the company’s culture and team dynamics. I discovered that one firm has had very high turnover. What would spark these departures even in these economic times? I was told that some of the departing folks will actually be rehired as consultants, and that this is essentially the firm’s “growth” plan. Hmmm, my gut is telling me to be careful. I will dig around more before another round of interviews with this particular company.

3. Check Out the Firm’s Competition

To round out my intelligence gathering, I also look at the companies’ competitors. While competitors will not speak to me about strategy or other proprietary information, they are more than happy to expound on their products. In preparing for an interview with one of the companies, I stumbled across a major patent case that reached the Supreme Court. Given my limited legalese, I turned to a patent lawyer who happens to be in my job search networking club. He did a little pro bono patent law definition for me, and now I really feel that I've turned over every possible stone.

The pre-interview work isn’t complete until I polish my questions and make sure that my career portfolio is presentable. While time consuming as these preparations are, they all paid off. I've secured second-round interviews in all 3 cases. That’s a good feeling!

What techniques do you use to prepare for a first or second interview?

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Last week, I was fortunate enough to land 3 interviews in as many days. Other job-seeking friends are reporting an increase in activity too. In some cases, it is because firms want to spend their remaining Q4 budget by bringing someone on board. In other cases, the companies are gearing up for their Q1 hires now. Whatever the business rationale, I welcome the opportunity to interview, although it does require some pre-work. Here are the 3 fundamental steps that I use to prepare for interviews:

1. Read All Available Public Domain Information

Obviously, the Internet is a great tool for collecting general data about the prospective company. To dig deeper, consider a subscription business information service such as OneSource. Thanks to their high-level overview of one particular firm's financials, board members and recent performance results, I gleaned useful information about a large, family-owned business.

2. Reach Out to People Who Have Worked at the Firm

Of the past employees I spoke with, most were balanced and neutral in the assessments of their former employer. Of course, some contacts departed the company on unfavorable terms, so you may wish to take their perspectives with a grain of salt.

In these informational interviews, I try to understand their views about the company’s culture and team dynamics. I discovered that one firm has had very high turnover. What would spark these departures even in these economic times? I was told that some of the departing folks will actually be rehired as consultants, and that this is essentially the firm’s “growth” plan. Hmmm, my gut is telling me to be careful. I will dig around more before another round of interviews with this particular company.

3. Check Out the Firm’s Competition

To round out my intelligence gathering, I also look at the companies’ competitors. While competitors will not speak to me about strategy or other proprietary information, they are more than happy to expound on their products. In preparing for an interview with one of the companies, I stumbled across a major patent case that reached the Supreme Court. Given my limited legalese, I turned to a patent lawyer who happens to be in my job search networking club. He did a little pro bono patent law definition for me, and now I really feel that I've turned over every possible stone.

The pre-interview work isn’t complete until I polish my questions and make sure that my career portfolio is presentable. While time consuming as these preparations are, they all paid off. I've secured second-round interviews in all 3 cases. That’s a good feeling!

What techniques do you use to prepare for a first or second interview?

I’ve just had one of the most unusual first interviews in my 20 years as a working (and, lately, job seeking) professional. Armed with excellent information and company market research about the firm’s products, I went in prepared with a PowerPoint marketing strategy. I also brought along photos of the company’s products captured in a variety of store format settings. None of these materials were asked for, but since I do not have this particular industry experience, I had to show my marketing skills proactively.

The first interviewer was with the actual hiring manager. She was interested in my capabilities in developing new products and delivering revenue. This was a great topic for me as I have developed many new products, in various firms, generating well over $300 million. She was also impressed with the work I had done in my PowerPoint presentation.

After a 12-minute wait, the next individual to interview me was the group’s senior manager. This is where the interview got strange. Her first reaction to my resume was “Eewww, you worked for ABC company,” which she said in a very denigrating tone of voice. I was rather taken aback given that ABC company is a good corporate citizen and has generated more than $50 billion in the local economy. I did not want to start this interview on a negative note, so I chose not to respond to this remark. After many more questions, interviewer number 2 then concluded the meeting with, “So when can you start?” What a turn of events!

The last person I met with held the position I was interviewing for -- he was moving on to another job in the firm. We had a long and lively conversation, which concluded with his asking me, “So when can you start?”

The very next day, I received a call from the recruiter who told me the firm decided not to proceed with my candidacy because I didn’t have the necessary marketing skills. What a rollercoaster ride that was, to say the least.

That night, after receiving the news, I diverged from my usual organic menu and ate a big pile of mac & cheese (Why is comfort food bad for you?) and did some soul-searching. Obviously, I need to up my game to get beyond the first interview stage. To put my new plan into action, I went to the library and loaned out several key career books. I also set up appointments with 2 professional job interviewing experts. But emotionally, I am not great, I am "just OK.” It takes a lot of bad things happening to me for me to end up “just OK.”

A friend in one of my job search support groups tells me of another member who’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He has had many second-round interviews in the past year, but none are progressing to the offer stage. Another buddy of mine is upset about the undercurrent of disrespect pervading the job seeking experience. I am very worried for them. Fortunately, this job club is very supportive of venting, and all involved are very understanding.

There are many of us hanging on by various diameters of threads, ropes, etc., in this job search climate. How do you feel about your situation?

Sounds trite, doesn't it?

For all the advice given by job search "experts" (myself included), one might wonder what are actually true or just subjective thoughts.  A new article by Liz Wolgemuth at US News suggests there is something to such things as actually developing and following a plan for your job search.  A recent study at the University of Missouri after having followed 327 job seekers aged 20 to 40 found two things:

1. Make a Plan: Having and following a plan in your job search pays dividends, possibly because these were the job hunters who tended to be more conscientious.  This directly affected the number of job offers they received. As Liz noted, having qualities such as "self-discipline and dependability seemed to affect a job seekers tendencies to set goals and develop a plan."

2.  Stay Positive: They also found that having positive emotions seemed to help those job hunters behave more confidently or cope better with the stress of unemployment.  The researchers also noted that this helped those job hunters respond more skillfully during their interviews. An important point.

While they admit that job hunters may not be able to change their personalities, they CAN change their behaviors and how they display their emotions.

Although this is not ground shaking news here, it is good to get confirmation on the attitude as well as the planning concepts.  In my "Over 50" teleseminars, one of the ten points I stress is to avoid negativity and check your attitude.  While it might be easy to talk about, it's admittedly much harder to do in this age of divisiveness and cynicism.  It's good to know that research actually validates positive results from those who actually are able to do so.

In the last 2 weeks, I’ve had several interviews of such vastly different styles, I thought sharing some perspectives might help you in your job search. For example, I’ve learned to discern what questions I need to ask up front before going to the interview location. While it is gratifying to be asked to interviews these days, any interview should still have a reasonable return on time and energy, given I need to focus all my time and energy on finding and landing a job.

One of the three interviews is definitely a nomination for the comedy category. This firm had posted for some rather engaging and fun marketing positions involving local products for the local market. So I submitted my resume thinking a local position would be ideal given my young sons, allowing me to simplify my commuting/care-giving situation. Within 3 days, a very, very happy person called me about my “perfect” background for their jobs. She called herself a recruiter for this company and said she was working with the hiring managers to screen the resumes, and mine had made the cut. It sounded reasonable, so I accepted her suggested time and date and waited to receive driving directions by email.

Red Flag #1: The word “perfect” for the job -- really nobody is perfect.

Red Flag #2: The directions were very poor and not really written to be sure a candidate would find the firm.

Red Flag #3: This is a big one. The recruiter was sitting in the company’s reception area, busy making personal calls while I waited for the actual interviewer.

Red Flag #4: The application form resembled an ancient mimeograph machine copy (do these machines even still exist?) and looked very unprofessional.

Red Flag #5: This is the last one, and pretty big at that -- the style of the interviewer. Both in a fashion sense and professional approach, the interview was a comedy of errors on the interviewer’s part. As always, I was dressed appropriately in my best interview suit with a resume in hand and a list of prepared questions for the interviewer. The interviewer could barely tell me her name and had zero answers about the firm’s business model for marketing their local products. I rephrased the questions several times and was only told I needed to stay “glued to my cell phone” so they could invite me back to an open house.

Interviewing Lesson Learned: On the phone, I should have clarified the job description I was interviewing for. That in itself would have ferreted out this firm’s nonsense approach, because they would have been equally as evasive on the phone as in person. Fortunately, I found the humor in this interview and it hadn’t been such a far drive for me.

The next interview was a very serious one at a regional, well-respected firm that drives multimillion-dollar building projects. All the preparation was done by an external recruiter who was very professional and excellent in following up to set the stage for the interview. The top HR person interviewed me for twice as long as the allotted time. It was a solid dialogue about my accomplishments and the benefits I could bring to this firm. However, at one point in the dialogue, the HR person mentioned he liked and had fun interviewing all sorts of people given the diversity of dialogues he could have with the job seekers.

Interviewing Lesson Learned: While it is nice to have a good dialogue with the interviewer, it has to be for a specific end result in landing a position. Hopefully, landing a job with this firm continues to be an option and I wasn’t just the half-time entertainer.

The third lesson learned came from a recent interview with a national firm that has local offices specializing in consumer products. The interview was set up as very casual, but professional. I was asked to bring any public domain materials of work that demonstrated a track record of success. I was prepared in all aspects. But it turned out the hiring manager only had a 15-minute “screening” type of interview in mind and just wanted to focus on a reality check of working with customers and consumers. The next steps are the actual further interviews to begin in a few weeks.

Interviewing Lesson Learned: I should have asked on the phone about the time allotted for this interview or how long I needed to plan for my parking space.

What lessons have you learned and are now incorporating into your future interviewing experiences? Any that have made a key difference when you leveraged a lesson learned?

For more job interview tips, check out Monster’s Interview Advice.

Over the past few months in my job search, several wise hiring-firm insiders have told me that if you are brought in for an on-site interview, it means you are considered to have the skills needed to meet the job requirements. So the interview is mostly about your fit with the company’s culture. That said, almost everyone has once held less-than-glamorous job but has been able to move on and adapt to a new company culture. And tales of these jobs offer insights to potential employers about your capabilities that could get you invited for a second interview or even a job offer.

Often the past jobs that seemed rather unattractive at the time did have value beyond the money earned. Many folks learn certain skills or characteristics they can leverage in the job search when going for a new position. One of my favorite colleagues, who had a real nuts-and-bolts industrial job, really appreciated the hard work he had put in on the factory floor for many years while he earned his degree. The job he had was a very smelly one -- he was in charge of applying a paste to a surface that was then baked. This paste-and-surface combination was very fragrant. And if he did not properly apply the paste while crawling under moving machinery, then a very expensive piece of material became useless to the company. His job function was critical to the firm, and he learned he had to do his job 100% every single time. As a result, he can speak with confidence in job interviews about the importance of meticulously doing a task right with complete accuracy the first time out of the gate.

A sporting friend of mine worked as a lifeguard for a local community center for many summers. Given the center was funded by local taxes, the lifeguards also had other tasks when they were not working the guard stands in the pool areas. One such task was to service the bathrooms and locker rooms. This involved using lots of chlorine and other sanitizing products on the floors and surfaces of the facilities. My friend had the ability to clean the facilities with a smile on her face as she always kept in mind that if the restrooms were clean, then most likely the people entering the pools were clean. While this work was not glamorous, it was necessary to keep the community center up and running and in compliance with local health laws. If the community center had been shut down, she would have lost her revenue stream. She’s able to express this past work experience as an integral part of keeping a business afloat to not only her own financial benefit, but also to the benefit of the greater community, literally.

Yet another job seeking compatriot had the opportunity to drive a forklift for several months. Her firm had a slight labor disruption at the factory and many of the employees had to step up to the plate to keep the customers satisfied with product shipments. While driving a forklift is an unusual skill and very useful if you wish to be on the factory floor, it doesn’t fit in with my friend’s normal corporate persona. However, she can prove to prospective employers she is willing to roll up her sleeves and do whatever it takes to keep the customer happy. After all, the customer pays the bills and she’s demonstrated exceptional customer service by extending herself.

What unusual skills have you gained from past experiences that you can leverage to set yourself apart from other job seekers?

For more about how to promote your skills in your job search, check out these articles:

· “Assessing Your Skills”

· “Showcase Marketable Skills in Your Resume Skills Section”

· “The Skills You Have and the Skills They Want”

The recent holiday weekend was a good milestone to assess how far I've come in my job search as well as bringing me to a turning, semi-crisis point. My young sons’ caregiver is returning to university in her country now that her year as an au pair is done here. Having paid all of her fees last year while I was still employed, it made sense to keep her engaged for her manageable weekly pay until the end of the summer. So I've had to make a number of choices and arrangements to manage child care and my full-fledged job search going forward. Nonetheless, I am rather stressed and conflicted despite the logic I applied to the choices.

I've decided to take a bit of a hiatus in my job search for just 2 weeks until my mother, bless her, is able to pitch in with child care for 4 weeks. So for the next 10 business days, my job search work will be conducted only during the hours the boys sleep, as I'll be their daytime caregiver. Within those 10 days, I have one all-day teaching gig, so I planned ahead and have spliced together 2 friends for kiddie coverage.

A few other retired teacher friends are willing to pitch in some hours here and there should I get an interview scheduled, which is likely given several screenings from before the long weekend. Even for a scheduled phone interview, I'll need peace and quiet and someone to watch the boys. I've put some friends on notice and hope to be able to give them ample time, but I don't want to wait to schedule an interview. I need to be viewed as an employee who is not burdened with single-parent concerns as it may unwittingly put a slight prejudice against my candidacy for a position, so I need keep my child-care concerns out of a potential employer’s view. I want to be the best possible candidate without the small "but" coming up during key stakeholder conversations for a job offer.

While I have the essential job search obligations covered while I’m caring for Owen and Evan, I am distressed at the number of networking events I will need to pass on. For example, my local project management chapter is having its kick-off for the year this week, and it is a fabulously well-attended networking event with up to 200 folks and a great deal of interest from local employers. I'm also missing out on the Marketing & Martini Mixer featuring Speed Networking from the greater metro area marketing group. That is a really cool one, but it has an undefined ROI for me as well as a two-hour plus drive. On a much smaller scale, I’ll be missing out on two local job-hunting groups that offer seminars and tips. It seems everyone kicks off events, right after Labor Day, but I don't feel I can cash in all my friends' good will by also using them for these "nice-to-do" job events.

For 3 out of 4 of these events, I will be able to sound out a few of my fellow job seeker friends and get their reports back. But it is just not the same as being there in person. Fortunately, it is only a two-week gap in my job search, and the night hours are great for online networking and follow-ups. Then with my mother's help full-time, I'll be able to arrange my job searching days as I had with my au pair. To give my mother and myself a small break, I've managed to find a nice young college student with licensed day care center experience. She'll be able to take care of the boys for 10 hours a week at a very reasonable fee but already has another job.

So far, my planning seems like a crazy patchwork quilt, but it is all with people my sons know and trust. Additionally, my mother and friends all understand and fully support my main educational points for my sons in addition to any structured preschool coming down the pike. So it is reassuring to have consistency in that regard as well.

When my mother leaves in 6 weeks, I'll have planned my next steps for kiddie coverage. As they say, one day at a time. And who knows? I might land a decent position with on-site day care that won't bankrupt me or my sons’ college educations.

Do you have any personal dilemmas such as child, elder or other care that impacts your job search? How do you address those challenges?

For more tips on balancing work and family obligations, check out these articles:

* "Tips for Working Mothers"

* "Manage Work and a Family Crisis"

* "How to Get a Flexible Schedule"

* "The Sandwich Generation Balances Children and Elderly Parents"

For some reason, my state's unemployment office keeps wanting to see me (and many of my laid-off brethren) in person every 6 weeks or so. While the sentiment is nice, it means I have to take an afternoon off from my job search to go to a location that is not convenient to my library or home. This last visit clearly indicated that the state employers were overworked. The two managers escorted a number of us into a testing room setup and then read us a list of 10 items word for word. These 10 items were the basics of job interviewing, such as "wear clean and pressed clothing." While mildly interesting, I was more focused on eating my lunch, which was much delayed given non-stop meetings all morning. I tried to eat it in the car, but there was too much traffic to safely drive and eat. Lo and behold, I was told you can't eat in the unemployment office, so my stomach grumbled.

After listening to the 10 items, we job seekers were suddenly and summarily dismissed by the two unemployment managers. Now I had won back an hour of time! I politely asked if I could use the resource center to process more job posting applications given the bank of computers in the unemployment office. Oops, it is closed on Friday afternoons. I guess the staff may have gone to the beach? So back in the car to drive all the way back to my library's computers, which fortunately are now open 7 days a week.

In other driving adventures, I made the "quick" drive to a neighboring state that hosted a stop on Monster’s Keep America Working Tour. One key technology firm was focused on hiring for 80 positions. I was astonished! I asked what was driving this quantity of positions and even intimated that I was wondering if the jobs were real. The internal company recruiter assured me that the 80 positions were viable and solidly available. The driving factor behind these openings was that this firm's fiscal year ends on September 30. So this firm's business units are gearing up for their new fiscal year (in short, an advanced 2010) on October 1 and wish to have their teams hired and in place by then. There must be other firms that follow this same type of fiscal model, and I wonder if they may be also driving such strong hiring numbers?

Also of note in this job fair was the quantity of recruiting firms. Each recruiter I spoke with was very encouraging about participating in their firm's job banks. They went out of their way to really impress upon me to go to their Web site and be engaged with their recruitment efforts. I only had my first name on my badge, so they didn’t know who I was. Another bonus in talking with these recruitment firms: I was able to practice my 30-seconds-or-less elevator speech. It's now fine-tuned to really rock.

So the 4-hour drive (only 88 miles) to the job fair paid off in a variety of ways (I also squeezed in a satisfying networking luncheon), while the 22-mile trip to the unemployment office only left me hungry. Nonetheless, I was left with plenty of food for thought after both of these trips and use my drive time for some of my best creative thinking as to the next steps in my job search quest. I wonder, if I drove to Alaska might I land a position?

How do you use daily life routines -- and bumps -- to keep focused in the search for employment?

Congratulations!  So you’ve made it past the initial resume review and you’re being called in for those important next steps. There are a few days between now and then, and anxiety is building in anticipation. You want to do well in your interview, and in this economy you know that it’s tougher than ever to stand out amongst the crowd. So what do you do? Time to channel that energy into something productive!

Read the job description: I know, as I said in my last post, I’m not a big fan of job descriptions (JDs). It’s just the nature of the beast – how much information can you really fit in a few short paragraphs anyway? It’s an overview at best: a window into your potential new job. But this doesn’t mean it should be overlooked! No! You should carefully read through the JD to understand the role, requirements, and the team & product, and then relate this back to your experience.

Know the role:  SDE, SDET, PM? What do they each do, and what is unique about each? The job description will give you a basic understanding for your potential new responsibilities. SDETs for example, are responsible for owning the quality of their feature and developing test tools and test automation that really digs into the code and finds issues. There are a variety of resources (the Careers site, JobsBlog, Bing) that can help you to understand the role you’re interviewing for and prep accordingly.

Research the team & product:  In my experience, the team and product are often overlooked by potential candidates. Again, from my last post, it’s important that if you’re interviewing for a product-focused team that you download the product, try it out, and as one commenter mentioned, really put some thought into how you would test it. Visualize yourself actually working on this product. Is it something you see yourself doing? I would even suggest taking this further and also researching what competitors the product has, trying out those products and coming in prepared with ideas & comments.

Prepare to relate: Once you understand the role and the team & product, you should be prepared to relate your experience with anecdotes that highlight your qualifications. This shouldn’t focus on buzzwords from your resume or the job description, but real stories about your previous work: the areas you owned, the technologies you worked with, and the challenges you overcame. You may only get the opportunity to tell one or two of these types of stories – so choose well!

The last thing I’ll mention is to take advantage of your recruiter and not be afraid to ask questions. In a lot of ways, your recruiter is your advocate for the position you’re interviewing for and is usually a great resource for clarifying details of the job description, role, and the team & product...and if they don’t know the answer, they usually can help point you in the right direction!

Good luck!

-Kenji

I confess that my secret desire is to become the “Ali Velshi of Job Search”.  I want to be on CNN.  I want to have my own TV show.  Call me delusional, but we all have our dreams, and that's one of mine.

Well, big dreams start with small steps.  You want to be on TV?  You've got to start someplace.  My someplace was with ABC TV 15 here in Phoenix.

It all started about a month ago when I went to a local networking meeting at the invitation of the hostess, Christine Springer.  She's a LinkedIn Open Networker (known as a "LION" among the LinkedIn crowd) and the group is a local LION gathering. It turns out that the speaker for the day was a news reporter from the Phoenix ABC affiliate. The reporter explained how to get yourself interviewed on TV (and presumably have thousands of people see you). 

The talk was impressive and my wife, Sue, and I took notes. Afterwards we said, “Gee, TV exposure would be great! Free publicity and all that!”  I decided to put some effort into writing a strong press release with the goal of getting interviewed on TV.

The weeks passed, however, because life's about other priorities.  Finally, last Thursday Sue and I pulled out our notes, sat down and finally wrote a press release about effective job search and how to overcome the challenges of the recession. We included some powerful tips that people can use right now. We e-mailed the press release with a note to Christina. We had no expectations about what would happen next.

I received an e-mail back late Friday afternoon indicating possible interest from the producer. The e-mail added that the reporter would know for sure by Monday.  I received a call on Monday afternoon. The TV station wanted to do the interview…in about an hour! Yikes! 

OK, but where? 

“Well, let's see”, she said, “I'm coming up from central Phoenix and you're 30 miles away on the north side.  I have an appointment at 6 so I can't come to you. How about we meet half way?”

“OK”, I said. We agreed to meet at Bell Road and the freeway. Welcome to big time TV!

So after quickly dressing for the interview (no, I don't normally wear dress clothes and tie), Sue and I headed south on the freeway on a blisteringly hot 111-degree Phoenix afternoon.  The actual location of interview was to be determined later by cell phone with the reporter.  I arrived at the general area and spotted a small bank by a major shopping center just off the freeway.  We coordinated the spot and the reporter pulled up right behind us. 

She selected a spot in the shade right next to the bank building. Being very professional and efficient, she quickly set up while I stood there by a parking lot near a freeway in the middle of west Phoenix with a temp that could singe flesh.

I was miked and positioned for the camera right outside the bank with traffic zooming by just 20 yards away.  Showtime!  I was recorded and the interview was saved for posterity. 

My TV Interview on job search made the 10 o'clock news on ABC the next night.  My first of many steps toward becoming the “Ali Velshi of Job Search”.

Here's the link.

And that’s a wrap, as they say.

Joe Turner interviews Bill Gaffney, senior recruiter and career coach about his other top 5 myths about job search.
Length 14:50

Bill is a senior recruiter, career coach and he also writes a column entitled "Ask Amaxa".  As a followup to our last interview with Bill, he tackles his second 5 top job search myths. 

These are ideas that many (perhaps you?) hold true in job search.  Bill thinks otherwise and tells you why.

Listen in as Bill also offers some sensible advice for job hunters during these trying economic times.

Joe

Joe Turner interviews Bill Gaffney, senior recruiter and career coach as he deconstructs 5 top myths in job search.
Length 20:50

I caught up with Bill Gaffney of Amaxa group and he takes on 5 of the top ten myths and ideas in job search.  Whether you agree with him or not, Bill says it like it is and offers his honest take on what works and what may not in job search today.

Give a listen as Bill offers his opinion on several strategies and techniques you might actually be wasting your time (or money) on.

Joe