How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

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woman-2773007_1920Congrats! With graduation looming, you’ve nabbed a sweet summer internship that you hope will provide the experience you need to entice prospective employers when interviewing for jobs.

What I love about internships is, they are ten-week try-it-before-you-buy-it opportunities. Meaning, students – and companies – get an inside look at the company, the industry, and the type of work the job entails. A peek behind the curtain.

It’s hard for many of you to hear this but for most students, it’s not as important what you’re doing as that you are doing something related to your field. The internship should be viewed as a resume builder, especially since most students lack experience in their field of study.

Something to consider is that the entire ten-week period is an interview and review for both you and the company. The company is interviewing and reviewing you. You are interviewing and reviewing the company.  Make no mistake, though: While you can decide not to work for the company after the internship, the company has the upper hand.

So how do you make the most of your summer internship? Here are steps you can take that will help both during your internship and later, when you update your resume.

Write About It

From the moment you step foot in the door, take notes. About every, single, project or thing to which you contribute.  If you’re company is highly organized with their internship program – and some are – you may be fortunate to receive a schedule or outline of what you will be doing during the internship. Keep it.

I cannot stress enough the importance of taking notes daily.  Trust me when I say you will not remember enough details if you wait a couple weeks or, heaven forbid, until the end of the internship, to write this information down.

Numbers Matter

Companies are in business to succeed, and as a result, employers want us to quantify our achievements. How many?  Increase or decrease? Savings? Highest sales?  You get the idea.

When given an assignment, look for ways to quantify your work and successes.  This goes for individual projects or group projects. Even if you have the dubious honor of cleaning and organizing the supply room (not kidding, this could be your task), take a moment to consider the before and after. Had it been neglected for months? Years?  How many people rely on this supply room to do their jobs? How many different items are stored in the supply room? Because of your contribution, was the company able to save money since you found a stash of long-lost supplies?

It’s All in The Details

Whatever it is you work on during your tenure, note the name.  Include number of people, other departments involved, your specific role, dollar amount of project, purpose of project/strategy/expected results, any presentations you contributed to, etc.  All of this can be used when preparing your resume and/or describing your work experience during an interview.

Keep a Secret

Some of this information may be confidential, such as the project name and the exact financials.  That said, you may speak in more general terms on your resume and still get the message across.  “Customer Relationship Management Project saw an 11% increase over expected results”

Connect – Cautiously

Your internship provides a great opportunity to connect with a lot of people in the organization.  Some of you may want to jump right in and schedule coffee with the CEO.  Not so fast.

Each company has its own culture. And it takes a while to understand the rules of that culture. Break a rule, and you’re an outcast.

Important to remember: your number one job is to do a great job as intern for the person to which you’re assigned. That person will be the one writing your performance review, and may influence whether or not you receive an offer of permanent employment.

Take cues from others around you. Ask your direct supervisor to make introductions if you would like to meet another executive, and explain why. Keep in mind people are busy; if you are lucky to land a meeting keep it brief and have serious questions prepared in advance.

Presentation

Early in my career I was told two valuable pieces of information that have served me well, both related to how I present myself.  The first, “Dress for the position you want, not the one you have” followed by, “It never hurts to be the best-dressed person in the room”.

Consider how you want others to think about you.  It may be jeans-Friday everyday at the office, yet there’s still room for creative professionalism. For me, I’d wear jeans with a jacket and fun heels to make a fashionable yet professional statement.

Build Your Network

Different from trying to connect with corporate mentors, you’ll have an opportunity to meet peers during your internship. These peers have been in your shoes recently and may be happy to provide insight and even help when you begin your job search.  Be sure to develop these relationships now vs. trying to do so after you leave the company, including connecting on LinkedIn.

Worst-Case

What if your internship isn’t what you expected?  Smile and be thankful it’s only ten-weeks, that you didn’t commit to a long-term job. That’s the beauty of an internship!   The good news is that this experience is teaching you what you don’t want.  And it’s still good for your resume – it’s still experience, right?

Putting it Altogether

An internship is a great opportunity to gain experience and add to your resume.  Remember to put your best-foot forward, taking copious notes along the way.  You’ll thank yourself later when you’re updating your resume.

 

 

 

Stop Dreaming About Making a Career Change

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Dream vs PlanHow many times have you dreamed of doing something different with your career? Your life?

You stare out the window while the computer pings new messages. The office buzzes with sounds while your mind wanders as you think, “What if..?”

If I’ve learned one thing from my life and career so far, it’s that dreams are just that: dreams.

Nothing’s going to happen unless we take the steps to make it happen.

I can hear you now – or maybe it’s the voices in your head – crying some version of, “But how?”

Quite frankly, I don’t know how. That’s because I don’t know exactly what your dreaming about.

What I do know is this: there are endless possibilities out there for all of us, just waiting to happen. Pursuing these possibilities takes a few steps. Specifically, we need a plan to pursue our dreams. Or to see if it’s possible for the dream to become a reality.

Assuming you have a dream you want to pursue, consider the following:

Step 1:  Research your dream

For example, if you want to become a dog walker for a living, research the competition in your area. Visit with them. Determine the pay scale. Is the market saturated with dog walkers? Is the wage realistic for full-time work or is this a part-time gig?

Step 2: Develop a business plan

This includes any funding you might need, creative/marketing plans, legal work, etc.  Include metrics for success and time frames for accomplishing your goals.

Step 3: Share your plan with a TRUSTED partner

Not someone you just met at a bar who claims to know something about business. This person should be someone you know well and trust implicitly. Someone who also knows you very well, what you excel at, and what you don’t.  This person needs to provide constructive criticism and ideas and be strong enough to say, “No, this is not a good idea”.  You need to be strong enough to hear what this person has to say.

Step 4: Gain the support of your spouse/partner

Taking a leap of faith and leaving a salaried position, or taking on a part-time role affects the family. It’s always better if everyone is on board.

Step 5: Have an exit strategy; a Plan B.

What will you do if things don’t work out or you decide the “dream” is not what you expected?

Bottom line: I’m a firm believer in trying something new, especially when it comes to a well-thought-out career move.  So, wake-up, make a plan, and give it your best shot to turn your dream career into a reality.

No regrets, right?

Old Dog, New Trick

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Kylie Jan 2015

Recently I had a problem.  I wanted to learn something new – very quickly – to help my nephew.

I wanted to learn how to create a website.

This was not a totally selfless act, mind you, since any skills I learned could be used on my own website.  Challenge was that I kept running into negative roadblocks everywhere I turned.

  • “You can’t do this; you’re too old”.
  • “Remember how bad you are at programming? You made your first ever “D” when you tried to learn FORTRAN in college”.
  • “Websites are tricky; best to leave it to the professionals.”
  • “What the %$#@ are you thinking?”

And those roadblocks were just from my own thoughts, my own lack of confidence with computer technology. ME, trying to tell ME I couldn’t do it.

So typical for someone whose first experience with computers involved punch cards, a giant main-frame and hours waiting in line for your program to print-out, only to discover that one do-loop buried in your code had sabotaged the entire program.

No wonder I was afraid of trying something new with computers.

I mentioned my frustration at trying to either find someone to create the site for my nephew or someone to teach me how to do it to a new colleague at a networking lunch.  There was no time to enroll in a lengthy class; this was a two week assignment. As luck would have it, this new colleague knew websites.  And he volunteered to help me.

Hallelujah!

It was a business deal, for sure. He was going to do the hands-on work and build the site. In return I would review copy for a series of video tutorials he had been developing aimed at teaching others how to build their own websites.

Ah-ha! It was my light-bulb moment; the opportunity I had been looking for.

I became his ‘test student’, reviewing the course and putting the lessons to work to see if I could build the site by myself.  I assured him if this “old dog” could learn to build a site from the tutorials, then anyone could do it.

Was the prospect of trying to learn something new scary?  I’m not gonna lie; I was a bit nervous.  Nightmares of FORTRAN and punch cards came rushing back to me.  My dreams became giant do-loops.

But just like most things, the anticipation was far worse than the actual event.

And before I knew it, I had actually built a website! Complete with photos, video, text, multiple pages, etc.

Truth be told, with proper training it wasn’t that difficult to learn.  Honestly, I’m mad at myself for not trying to learn sooner.

Do I know everything about websites? Of course not.  It was only a few lessons and there is so much more to it.  Yet I am still impressed with my results and so grateful to my colleague for helping me.

Many of you may not consider this a big deal and are wondering why I’ve bothered to write about it.  After all, computers have been around for ages and it’s hard to understand why anyone would be afraid of them.  Plus you can Google just about anything these days, including “how to build a website”.

It’s just that many times I meet people in their forties and fifties who say they are too old to learn, or don’t have time to learn, or don’t have an interest in learning.  That makes me so sad – for them.

When these same people tell me that, based on their own job search experience, “There are no jobs out there for older workers”, it makes me wonder if it’s because these people refuse to learn something new.

I know, I know – there’s age discrimination and other factors.  Yet I still believe that having marketable skills that show you are current, paired with a desire to learn, may help get your foot in the door.

Besides, when does learning stop at a certain age?  I know plenty of octogenarians who are regulars at the community college and are constantly learning new technology just to keep up with their grandchildren.

Even if we’re not in the hunt for a new job, learning keeps us engaged and is good for our brain health.

Yes, you can teach an old dog a new trick.

Career Smacks

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“Smoothie of the day?” said the male voice.  I looked up from my chaise in the shaded cabana, romance novel in one hand.  “Of course!” I replied.   Hubby and I looked at each other and sighed.  Every hour, on the hour, a uniformed cabana host came around the pool offering guests a variety of treats.  They even offered to clean our sunglasses.

Yes, Hubby and I live a luxurious life.

On vacation, that is.

Each summer we spend a week in a luxurious parallel universe, one that allows us to pretend that we are “somebody”; one in which we are waited on hand and foot.

Many wonder why we do this.  We wonder why others don’t do this.

Our philosophy? If we can’t live this way year ‘round, we can certainly live this way for one glorious week.

And really, why not? We work hard. We usually take only one vacation a year.  So it had better be good.

Similar to waiting for Christmas when we were kids, Hubby and I wait for this trip all year. Literally. Less than 48 hours after arriving home and we already start planning for next year.

Arriving at the resort is ecstasy and departing is pure anguish; sometimes downright embarrassing. I “might” have shed a tear or two.  Okay, I openly sobbed as Hubby tried to pry my fingers off of the chaise as the sun disappeared over the horizon our last day.

No matter how long we stay it’s never enough.  Perhaps we need to re-think our at-home relaxation strategy so we are not upset at leaving?

Yet we know that at some point we must return home, back to the “real world”.

This time, we tried to prepare for re-entry.  We talked about a couple weekend trips planned for the fall.

Hubby and I swore on our pool-side smoothies that we would book one of our every-other-year “adventure” vacations.  We even pinky-swore that we would return to our favorite luxury resort for a long weekend this winter.

We departed feeling a bit better and less disappointed about returning home to our responsibilities.

As we deplaned we joked about the “re-entry” time, saying it doesn’t take long to get back to reality.

Folks, it takes exactly twenty-seven minutes.  That’s scientific.  It was the amount of time it took to deplane, get our bags, find our car and realize that we had a dead battery.

Nothing like the sound of “click-click-click” coming from the engine at 9:30 pm in a dark parking garage.

Sigh.

Smack!  That was the sound of reality, hitting us hard.  We tried to put on a brave face.  We tried to laugh at this sudden turn of events.  I tried not to cry.  We both tried
not to sweat in the hot parking garage.

Life is like that.  We plan, we prepare and even with our best intentions we can still get smacked in the face.

Yet this time was different.  Somehow both Hubby and I were able to keep the dead battery incident in perspective.

Instead of crying, I looked at Hubby and we both started to laugh. Seeing the humor, I immediately posted on social media about our “re-entry” debacle.

As luck would have it, a good friend saw my post and came to our rescue with cold water and jumper cables.

Just like that, we were back on track.

Similarly, at some point our career will smack us in the face.  It could be the promotion that got away, or an unexpected department shuffle, or something as serious as a job loss.  We can’t control it.  But we can control how we react to these “career smacks”.

Plan what you can, such as maintaining an up-to-date resume.  If your career does smack you, try to put things in perspective.  Reach out to your contacts for help.  You never know who might be available.

As for Hubby and me, one dead battery was no match for us.  We are already planning another trip.  And next time we’ll have a spare battery in the car, just in case.

Own Your Strengths

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Woman with Shopping Bags

Hi – my name is Tami, and I’m a…a…retailer. 

Yes, I’ve known this for quite some time.  Why haven’t I told you before?  Oh, I don’t know.  It’s one of those things that sometimes just doesn’t sound as good as I’d like it too.

Being a retailer is not an easy career path, and it’s one that I chose to pursue when I was in graduate school.  Retailing has everything: strategy, products, logistics, finance, communications, marketing and sales.  It’s old fashioned, with brick and mortar stores, yet so twenty-first-century with ecommerce and mobile apps.

My favorite part is that it’s fast-paced and constantly changing.  We had a saying at my first retail job out of school: you’re only as good as yesterday’s sales.  It’s a constant tug between “how did we do” and “what is our next big thing”, always striving to be better.  To be a good retailer, you need to be able to move between creative and analytical in a heartbeat.  It’s stressful even in slow periods.  And holidays – or should I say “what holidays”?  They are super busy when everyone else has time off.

And I love it!

For some reason I understand the business model, I like the frenetic pace, I enjoy mixing creativity, strategy and analytics, and above all, I enjoy seeing the results.

So why am I telling you this? 

After the layoff I was afraid to tell people I was a retailer.  Not because I was ashamed but because I wanted to cast a wide net in the job search and didn’t want to be exclusively defined by this title.  Frankly, I was afraid of being viewed as a “one-trick pony” when I knew I had much more to offer.

So what did I do?  I came up with some snazzy words to convey the type of work I did to avoid pigeon-holing myself into one industry.   I played down my past employment and spoke in general terms about my experience.

The result? In doing so I ignored my biggest strength:  I am a retailer and I thrive in that type of environment.

My advice to anyone looking for work is to be truthful about who you are in the work force and what type of work makes you tick.  Own your strengths and be truthful with yourself.

Otherwise you’ll end up miscast in a job that’s not right for you.  The last thing you want is to be a square peg pushed into a round hole.

This doesn’t mean you have to stay in your current industry.  As I discovered, my retail skills were transferrable to other industries and other disciplines.  The important thing is to determine what you excel at and apply those strengths to new opportunities.

The lesson here? It’s OK to be who you are. In fact, you need to own it. Your next employer wants it that way.

Chance Meetings Can Play A Part In Finding Your Next Job Opportunity

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Elton John tix

Chance meetings can be amazing.  Most are coincidental, but some are truly life-changing.  I like to think that such meetings are fate, karma or spiritually ordained – driven by a force far greater than myself.

Hubby and I were introduced by a “chance” meeting.  Sweet, conservative guy that he is, he’ll tell you we met at church.  He’s partially right, as we developed a friendship which led to romance when we were both part of a church singles’ group.

The real story is much more fun; definitely a chance meeting.  A friend and I had tickets to see Elton John in concert.  Close to the concert date, she told me the singles group from her church was also attending the concert and suggested we go with them.  Sounded like a plan to me.

It was a huge group of people and aside from my friend I knew no one. We all met at one person’s apartment, divided into cars and headed out. That’s when the chance meeting occurred.  My friend was driving the car, another person was riding shotgun, and I, along with some guy who was a stranger to me at the time, rode in the backseat.

I remember that this guy was friendly enough.  When we got stuck in traffic he carried on a nice conversation to pass the time.  I also remember thinking that he was really cute and I mentally chastised myself for daydreaming that he might ask me out.

I mean, come on, what was I thinking? We had just met. 

Weeks later, when I decided to join the church group, Hubby was a familiar face in the sea of singles. We became friends and the rest is history.

So technically, Hubby and I met in the backseat of my friends’ car on the way to an Elton John concert.

I told you it was more interesting than “met at church”.

Chance meetings can play a part in finding your next job opportunity too, and when it does, it’s awesome.

Some things to consider about chance meetings as they pertain to job opportunities:

  • Remember that every person you meet is a potential networking opportunity.  That’s not to say that you immediately launch into your “30-second elevator speech” – talk about socially awkward.  But keep in mind that you want to be upbeat and interesting.  Don’t over-share or complain about work with new people you meet.  And DO carry business cards so you are prepared when the opportunity is right.

 

  • We should not rely solely on chance meetings to find our next opportunity.  Problem with that approach is, well, it’s taking a chance. And that’s a huge risk.   A better idea is to develop a strategy with tactics for finding the next opportunity and work systematically toward the goal.

 

  • Chance meetings don’t happen at home.  This is a shocker for some people: you have to get out of the house in order to have a chance meeting in the first place.  Attend workshops, industry meetings or alumni events.  Work your network and set up coffee dates.  Volunteer or even take a part-time job, especially if you’re unemployed.  Trust me, this works. Both Hubby and I experienced the benefits of part time work when unemployed, with both of us finding job opportunities as a result.

I know, I know.  It seems like I’ve taken the “chance” out of a chance meeting. 

Not really.  Chance meetings will always happen; it’s just that we may not be aware of the significance of the meeting at the time.  That’s why we always have to be prepared, including being open to the possibility.

Look at me.  Who knew that I would meet the love of my life in the back seat of a car on the way to an Elton John concert?  Okay; at church.  Sheesh, Hubby, I know you want it told your way.

Just remember to be prepared. Chance meetings have a way of surprising us when we least expect them.

Pick A Strategy And Stick To It

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cards

Father’s Day last weekend had me thinking about my dad more than usual.  It’s bittersweet; fun memories mixed with sadness that he’s no longer with us.

Some people have dads that take them to sporting events. Some have dads who share a passion for the great outdoors, including fishing and camping.  Others have dads who teach the mechanics of fixing a car.

My dad taught me how to play cards.

He would bring us “gifts” of playing cards from his travels.  That was back in the day when airlines actually gave away decks of cards to help passengers bide their time. 

Dad taught me all kinds of games including Gin, Solitaire, and what became our favorite, Black Jack.  Or Twenty-One, as Dad called it.

Some may call this gambling. I prefer to think of it as strategic life lessons.

I would pull up the ottoman in front of his chair, grab a deck of cards and the lesson would begin, with Dad assuming the role of a Vegas dealer.  While I was learning, Dad would look at my cards and show me how to anticipate what the dealer might be holding in order to decide if I should “hit” or “stay”.

As I progressed in my abilities these games became quite competitive.  Dad had a pad next to his chair for score-keeping and it was such fun for me to actually beat the dealer.

We spent a lot of time playing cards, Dad and I. Lots of time.  We didn’t go outside much; he wasn’t that kind of dad.

What did I learn from the many hours spent playing cards with Dad?

  • I learned to do quick addition in my head.  Never a bad thing.
  • Poker face.  Never let them see you sweat.  As a child I didn’t fully understand the importance of this lesson.  As an adult it’s been an amazing gift for business negotiations.
  • Be consistent.  Dad would tell me you’re rarely going to beat the house, so whatever your strategy is, stay with it.   Since I’d yet to visit Vegas, I wasn’t sure what this meant or what the house was, but it sounded very important so I listened and tucked the knowledge away.

Now it’s all coming back to me and I understand what Dad meant.  If you keep jumping around and changing your strategy, you’re almost surely never going to win at Black Jack.

If you decide that you are always going to “hold” with sixteen, that’s a good strategy built on solid thinking.  While it may not win every time, if you are consistent with this strategy you will win some of the time.   Just be patient and stick with your plan.

The same can be said for our careers.  It’s easy to get impatient and want to change course if things don’t move fast enough or go the way we want them to.  Sometimes shifting direction works.  But the best bet is to determine a sound strategy and stick with it.

“Plan the work and work the plan” is what I say at the office.  Dad would say “Determine when you are going to ‘hit’ or when you are going to ‘stay’”.

Either way, just pick a strategy and stick to it.  It’s the best way to achieve your career goals.

 

Biking, Hiking and BBQs Oh My! But What About the Job Search?

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Beach pic

June is finally here and you know what that means: summer vacation!

As Pink Floyd so famously sang, “No more pencils, no more books! No more teachers dirty looks!”

I remember that euphoric feeling as the last bell rang for the year or in college when I finished my last final exam.  It was awesome knowing I had at least two months of relaxation without school responsibilities.

Too bad that all ends when we start our careers and enter the “real world”.

No more summer vacations.  If we’re lucky, we can bookend the summer with long weekends at Memorial Day and Labor Day. Depending on how the calendar falls we may get a third long weekend at Fourth of July.

Hardly the freedom-fest summers of our youth.

It’s been ages since I was in school yet for some reason at this time of year I still find myself wanting to slow down from work and take a step back.   With the sun finally shining I guess I’m ready to come out of hibernation.

Or more appropriately, I’m ready to get up from my desk, longing for a respite from the busy go-go-go lifestyle that has taken over.

Yes, I want to run away from it all. Even if only for a little while.

My mind plays tricks on me, suddenly forgetting all the things on my to-do list.  Knowing that we have a couple of trips planned, Vacation Brain tries to push Work Brain out of the way weeks before it’s time to leave.

I play all sorts of games to remain focused on career, networking, finding my next opportunity and the like, yet it seems in vain. There are simply too many distractions.

The swimming pool is calling me to come outside.  Friends in the teaching profession have free time to play.  Family wants to come to visit. Tons of summer festivals and events.  Biking, hiking, and BBQ’s, oh my!

Even the news is conspiring against me, telling me summer is a terrible time to look for a new job, that hiring tends to decrease over the summer as managers take vacations and a slew of other reasons.  My mind says this sounds reasonable.

Vacation Brain says, “Go ahead and give in; don’t do any work for the next couple of months”.

Work Brain knows I’m responsible and forces me back to reality saying “You know better.”   Sometimes I really hate being responsible.

Work Brain is right. We should not give in to the temptation to relax our standards just because it’s summer and vacation is right around the corner.

Especially anyone who is looking for a new job.  Don’t lose your momentum!  Let others drop out of the job search race if they want; that gives you the edge.  Besides, you never know when there might be a new opportunity and you could be the first to see it.

Should you enjoy summer and plan a vacation? Of course! It’s always good to take a short break to rejuvenate.   Just make sure you have a plan for staying on top of your job search strategy rather than dropping out completely.

When It Comes To Resumes, Content Is Critical

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Christmas at our house was a big deal when we were growing up.  Who am I kidding?  It’s still a big deal to me and Hubby knows it.  He has a hard time trying to live up to the expectations established by my family, particularly my grandmother.

Grandma always gave good gifts. I mean REALLY good.  We thought she was super rich. Only much later did I realize that she carefully planned her money and preferred to give it to the grandchildren instead of spending it on herself.

What Grandma understood best was presentation; the drama leading up to the gift.  She knew that we knew the gift would be good and she wanted us to work for it.  We had been taught to be so polite that if we opened her gift and were disappointed, we still smiled and thanked her profusely.  That’s when the fun began for Grandma.

Like the time I opened a huge box with a beautiful large bow, only to find a pair of fuzzy socks from the dollar store.  I smiled and thanked her, wondering if she’d lost all her money.  She coaxed me to try them on; I thought she was nuts.  But I did as she asked.  To my surprise, I found a diamond ring sewn inside the toe of the sock.

Score one for Grandma!  She knew the content of the gift was more important than the fancy wrapping and let me discover a true diamond in the rough.

Resumes are a lot like gifts.  They can surprise a hiring manager by presenting a good picture of the candidate or they can disappoint by looking good yet lacking substance.

Throughout my career I’ve interviewed a lot of candidates, as well as helped students and others with their job searches – I have seen my share of resumes.   Resumes on different kinds of paper, with all sorts of fonts and creative interpretations designed to make them stand out in the crowd.  One memorable resume was a on a DVD – talk about making me work for the information.

I imagine most hiring managers appreciate efforts by candidates to be unique.  Believe me when I say that I’m right there with you in wanting to separate myself from the pack during the recruitment process.

The truth is it’s the content of the resume that’s important.  Just like a Christmas gift, the fanciest wrapping doesn’t always yield the best present.

Make sure your resume really tells your story.  Sometimes this is the only piece of information a hiring manager sees in determining whether or not to interview a candidate.

I know; it’s hard to write about yourself but you have to try.  Ask a trusted friend or two to review your resume and edit it.  I’ve done this before and have received great feedback.  Sometimes we are too close to the subject to have an objective view.

There are also certified professional resume writers who do this for a living.  Yes, you’ll have to spend some money, although it’s worth the price if it means finding your next opportunity.

Worst thing you can do is limp along with a poor resume.  I’ve seen some doozies over the years.  Misspelled words, date errors, including way too much information or irrelevant information, information that indicates age or even includes skills that may be outdated – and those are not the worst errors.

The resumes that are most difficult to understand are the ones that fail to tell me succinctly who you are, what type of work you are looking for and why you are successful.  A good resume helps me understand why you could help solve my problems and intrigues me enough to schedule an interview.

Remember, the resume provides a snapshot of your personal brand to the hiring manager.  While a resume alone won’t get you a job, it may open the door for an interview where you can shine in person.

Your resume can still look good. Just make sure the content lives up to the wrapping.

 

Practice Makes Perfect

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Chocolate Cake Slice with Raspberries

“You are a ROCK STAR!” read the text from my PR guy.  Yes, PR people have PR people – it’s a real thing; look it up.

“That was awesome; you did great!” read an email from someone else.  “I can’t wait to watch the video,” said Hubby, who happened to miss the entire thing.

I may charge Hubby a fee for missing it. He claims being on an airplane is a good excuse.

The “It” I’m talking about was my first live online video chat through Google Hangout for the website Resume Edge. The topic was “How to Bounce Back After a Job Loss”, something I discuss when I’m invited to speak to various groups and a subject I’m very familiar with.

Why was I so nervous going into the Hangout?  Maybe it was it because this was my first time using this platform.  It’s always intimidating to try new technology for the first time – with everyone watching – and no IT guy nearby in case I needed help.  Maybe my nerves were acting up because I would have to think on the fly to answer questions as they came in.  Who knows?

So what does a good presenter do in such a situation? Have a Plan B.  And C.  And D, if you think you might need it.

Boy did I have back up plans!  My iPad was charged up and standing by in case my laptop failed me.  My smart phone was on the desk just in case.  I had my notes open side-by-side with the Hangout app so I could see both screens.  If all else failed, I planned to pick up my laptop with the built-in webcam and give everyone a tour of my house, hoping they would be confused and think they tuned in to HGTV or something.

You’d think I was some sort of Hangout savant.

Yet none of my back-up plans were necessary.  Things went smoothly.  Easy-peasy. Piece of cake.

Truth be told, the reason it went so smoothly was that I practiced.  A lot.

First I reviewed all of my presentations on the subject, taking notes and thinking about possible questions that may be asked.  Hubby assisted by randomly throwing questions at me at different times of day to see if I could answer intelligently.  He’s such a helper.

Next, I scheduled a Hangout with my PR guy to test the technology.  Good thing, too, since we quickly discovered that my computer’s internal microphone wasn’t working.  Yikes.  That would have been awful for everyone except those who could read lips.

Once I got the mic working, I spent hours practicing in front of my webcam. Rehearsing as if this were the real-deal.   Also gave me a chance to make sure the lighting was right and the background looked good.

All of the dress-rehearsals paid off.  There were some tech issues – the Hangout kept telling me I needed to login when I was already logged in – but like any good actor I just kept going.  I figured I was either doing a great job, or if I was talking to no one I’d get a text telling me they could no longer see me on the screen.

Practice.  No one likes to do it yet it can pay off in the end.  I am certainly not a fan of talking to myself in front of a video camera.  Boy, am I glad I did.

Same thing applies when you prepare for a job interview.  Practice answering interview questions – out loud.  There’s nothing like having to say the words.   At the very least prepare a list of possible questions you might be asked, then type out your answers.  If nothing else, you will have given it some thought and will not be “winging it”.

Practice allows you to enter the interview with confidence.  If you’re thrown a curveball question, it’s easier to respond.  True, the answer may not be perfect yet imagine what might happen if you tried to “wing it” in this situation?

Practice, people!  It’s what you should do.