BroadPeak Blog

What Sorority Rush Can Teach Us About Effective Job Interviews

As an alumnae of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority I enjoy supporting the local Chapter at the University of Texas. Alumnae get involved in fall rush (now called recruitment) by attending rush parties in a supporting role.

The other day I attended open house, the first day of rush. My job, and that of other alumnae in attendance, was simply to hand out glasses of ice water to the potential new members (also called rushees) when they entered the house for a meet and greet with the active members of the sorority. When the rushees left the house, the alumnae were responsible for taking their empty glasses back as they exited through the main hallway. From that vantage point I was able to watch both potential new members and actives as they entered and left the house.

Sorority rush at big schools is an interesting process and as I was watching the proceedings it occurred to me that interviewees and interviewers in corporate America could learn a lot from sorority rush.

First a little background on how rush works:
At the University of Texas, 800 young women are going through the recruitment process this year. There are 13 sororities at UT and each one will take 52 or fewer new members this year. The first day of rush is called "Open House" during which all 800 rushees are divided into alphabetical groups. Each group visits all 13 sororities which gives the rushees a chance to see the different houses and meet all the active sorority members. It also gives the sororities a chance to meet every single girl who goes through rush. It is an all day affair conducted in the hot August sun which ensures that by the end of the day rushees and active sorority members alike are exhausted.

In an effort to ensure some sort of equality, the collegiate Greek governing body, the Panhellenic Association, dictates that rushees wear matching t-shirts and shorts for Open House. Sororities aren't allowed to woo rushees with gifts or even food. On the first day of rush each sorority is only allowed to offer ice water as a refreshment. Each progressive day of rush is governed by different panhellenic rules about food, beverages, and dress code as both rushees and sororities gradually whittle down their lists. Each day of rush, the potential new members make a list of the sororities that they are most interested in joining. As the process progresses, girls visit fewer sororities based on their preferences and the invitations they receive. Rush culminates in "pref night", the final night of rush, when sororities make offers to the girls they hope will join their ranks.

Rush is a stressful process for potential new members and for active members. Similarly, the hiring process can be very stressful for companies that are competing for top talent. It goes without saying that interviewing for a job is nearly always stressful for interviewees. So, what can sorority rush teach both companies and interviewers? Here are my observations:

Companies, Interviewers and Hiring Managers Can Learn:

Never leave a candidate alone and when you are with him/her, act like you are interested in what the candidate has to say. 
When potential new sorority members enter the house, they are each paired with an active sorority member who never leaves her side while she is in the house. Sometimes the active members hand off potential new members to one another so that more actives can meet the rushees. But at no time is any potential new member left alone.

Why?
Candidates or rushees left alone can feel abandoned or not welcomed. Sorority members go out of their way to make every potential new member feels wanted, welcome, and like she is the most interesting woman in the world. Interviewers at companies should try to do the same. If you are interviewing a candidate who isn't going to get hired today you should still treat them as though they are talented, smart, and interesting. Attentiveness to candidates makes you and the company look good. Who knows, the candidate may be just the person you need in a year. Don't burn bridges. Make candidates feel like a million bucks so you can build relationships even if they don't come to work for the company today.

Job Candidates/Interviewees Can Learn:

Do your homework before interviewing and behave enthusiastically about jobs for which you are interviewing.
Potential new sorority members who enter the house smiling, happy, and poised have a better chance of impressing actives than those who look scared, unhappy, or unsure of themselves. It seemed pretty obvious from my vantage point which of the rushees would have a good shot at being invited back for a second party. I could be wrong about some of the girls of course...some of the girls who were quiet or less enthusiastic may have gotten a call back. However, generally speaking, no one likes to be around a sourpuss or someone who doesn't seem confident.

I was a hiring manager for many years and I can say with certainty that candidates who are friendly, polite, and confident have a better chance of getting a job than those who aren't. When interviewing for anything put your insecurities (we all have them!) aside and put forth as confident and happy a persona as you can. It will work wonders.

A Lesson for Both Interviewees and Interviewers:
Maintain your energy level. By the end of the day I am sure that both sorority members and rushees were hot, tired, and sick of meeting new people. I certainly would be. But none of them seemed to show it. Amazing. Can you imagine interviewing 800 people in a day? I was just handing out water and I was tired.

But if the active sorority members were tired none of them seemed to show it. The very last rushee through the front doors that day was treated to the same level of interest and enthusiasm as the first girl through the doors. It's a good thing too. The sorority has no way of knowing if girl #800 for the day will be their most desired candidate or not so they have to maintain enthusiasm and energy all day long so that their house maintains its desirability for ALL rushees.

I was the Director of Recruiting for a Big 4 professional services firm at one point in my career. On-campus interviews for our 50 summer internship positions was very similar to the rush process. By the time you interview a few hundred students over a 2 day period of time you are exhausted. But we were careful to drink a lot of caffeine so that each student got the red carpet treatment. We were competing with all other professional services firms so we had to put on a good show for every student. I have found that not all companies approach interviews in the same way and sometimes their hiring suffers. It's worth it to maintain your energy level so every candidate feels great about the process.

Original post can be found at Ultimate Resumes Blog

10 Tips to Help You Prepare for A Fall Job Search During the Summer

It's Memorial Day weekend which is a sign that summer is literally around the corner. Summer, historically, isn't the best time to land a new job but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't start getting ready for a job search in the fall. If you have been thinking of entering the job market spend the summer enjoying the weather and having fun with your family but also dedicate a little bit of time to preparing to start your search in earnest this fall.

Here are a few tips to help you get ready to start your job search:

1. Update your resume. If you find this difficult to do on your own get professional help but make sure that your resume is a great tool that you can use to sell your skills.

2. Consider going back to school. If you haven't finished your undergraduate degree spend time this summer researching alternatives including online programs. A college degree is a must in an ever-more-competitive job market. If you have a college degree and have thought about graduate school, spend the summer taking preparatory courses and filling out graduate school applications for fall or winter admissions.

3. Think about what you really want to spend your time doing. Are you passionate about something other than what you are getting paid to do? Spend your summer doing a little soul searching to figure out what you really want to do. It's worth the time to figure out what makes you happy. We spend a lot of time at work and it's more fun if you really love what you do.

4. Research. Research potential careers in other industries if they interest you. Or, if you are thinking of starting your own company do your homework about starting a new business, raising capital, and writing a business plan. If, after you have done the research, you decide that entrepreneurship isn't for you, at least you can launch a full fledged job search in the fall.

5. Investigate online tools to help in your search. There are many great tools like Jibber Jobber and LinkedIn to help you manage a job search...find out what is out there and start making them work for you.  BroadPeak can get you a discount on Jibber Jobber's premium services so be sure to ask Tom and Denise about the Jibber Jobber discount.

6. Consider a career coach. If you are having trouble figuring out how to navigate a job search or if you just need someone to talk to about potential career options call a good career coach.

7. Talk to your boss. Find out how you are doing at work by starting a dialogue with your boss about your performance. Interested in a promotion? Summer is a great time to put together a roadmap that will take you to the top of the organization.

8. Get in shape. There is nothing like getting yourself in top physical condition to get yourself motivated about putting on an interview suit and meeting new people. Plus you will have more energy and a positive frame of mind as you embark upon the journey toward a new job.

9. Meet recruiters. Get to know a few recruiters in your field (like Tom Hrinowich and Denise Martorano). Offer to meet them for coffee so you can get to know the person on the other end of the phone. Recruiters are people too and if you develop a good relationship with one you will get better service and more open communication.

10. Have fun. Spend time with loved ones, run a 5K, raise money for your favorite charity, get involved in a community event, go to the beach, plant a garden full of flowers...whatever floats your boat. People who have fulfilling lives outside of work have more to talk about with acquaintances and are more appealing job candidates. Take care of yourself and your family and you will have a great attitude when you get ready for the job search!

Have a happy memorial day and a wonderful summer!

Original post:

http://ultimate-resumes.blogspot.com/2007/05/10-tips-to-help-you-prepare-for-fall.html

Tips For Writing the Ultimate Resume

Last night I was fortunate to be able to present a webcast to students at Cardean University & Ellis College on the topic of resume writing. Based, in part, on my presentation, and based in part in the questions that the students asked last night I thought I would write a list of 10 tips for writing a great resume. This is not an exclusive list but it will get you started in the right direction if you need to write or update your resume.

1. Remember that your resume tells a story - think of it like a product brochure for the product "You, Inc."

2. Organize the document in a way that it is easy to navigate.  Put company names, your titles for each job, and dates in the same location for each job so that a casual reader can easily see where you have been and what you have been doing during your career.

3. Include a little bit (a couple of sentences) to describe each employer for whom you have worked. By doing this, you don't have to wonder if recruiters will have heard of that great start-up you worked for two years ago. Include ticker symbols and, if available, web addresses.

4. Focus on your accomplishments. Use bullets to emphasize your accomplishments in each job you have held. The best accomplishments are those that are quantifiable but any will do. Your accomplishments are what will get you hired.

5. Include some (but not a lot of) background about each job you have held. For your accomplishments to mean anything you need to include a short overview of your job duties when describing each job you have held. Put the background in paragraph form and include information like size of budget you managed, how many people reported to you, and a couple of sentences that describe what you were responsible for doing all day.

6. Include information about volunteer or civic organizations with which you are affiliated. Board memberships and leadership roles are always good to mention. Include dates of your involvement too.

7. Include, but be selective about, your technical skills. Generally, you don't need to mention that you are "proficient with Microsoft Word" because it is generally assumed that anyone hired into a professional environment these days knows the basics of the Microsoft Office suite. However, if you are a JAVA programmer or are an expert in a specialized software relevant to your field such as SAP or JD Edwards make sure to include that.

8. Include separate sections for for notable accomplishments such as patents that you hold, awards, media appearances, publications, or books you have written.  Big accomplishments deserve their own sections.

9. You don't have to include an "Objective" or "Summary" section at the top of your resume and if you do make sure it says something meaningful. Generic language that says something about your desire to work for "an industry leader" is meaningless and just takes up space on the page that you could be using to describe what a star you are in your field.

10. Proofread!! Use Spellcheck, check for grammar, punctuation, and readability. Grammatical and spelling errors will probably disqualify you from any job immediately. If the resume is hard to navigate or difficult to understand, a recruiter or hiring manager may just skip your resume in favor of one that is easier to read.

If you follow those 10 tips you will be on your way to having a resume that will help you to land the job of your dreams!  If you would like help in writing a great resume contact Liz at www.ultimate-resumes.com

Be Careful of What You Say

If you have been watching any news lately you have probably heard that radio host Don Imus has landed himself in hot water over some comments he made about some African American female basketball players. Without getting into a debate over what he said or whether the 2-week suspension that he has been given is punishment enough I would like to discuss what we can learn from this situation.

If you are a public figure or if you have the opportunity to address the public via radio or television you need to be very careful of what you say and how you say it. Don Imus is known for his salty rhetoric and opinionated rants. In fact that may be why he has a loyal following - a lot of people like to be entertained by those with extreme views like Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Bill Maher, and Ann Coulter. But we live in times when certain words, phrases, and opinions are coming under increased scrutiny. It doesn't matter what you happen to think of that fact...if you want to get along in the world today you need to accept that.

I think that being conservative with the language and opinions we share in public is just good manners. When you speak you should try to communicate without hurting anyone elses feelings. Diplomacy never goes out of style. Using racial, sexually based, or gender based slurs will probably offend or hurt someones feelings even if they don't speak up right away and tell you so.

As a rule of thumb don't use words that negatively classify any group of people. It seems like such a simple and obvious way to behave but many people have a habit of using certain words in private that they should never use in public. If you are one of those people, now is the time to work on breaking that habit before you inadvertently say the wrong thing in public.

It doesn't matter if hip-hop stars use the "N-word" or not. It doesn't matter if rappers call women "hos". I don't think anyone is taking etiquette lessons from rock stars/rappers/hip-hop stars. Not only that but if you aren't a professional entertainer no one will cut you any slack at all if you make a mistake and insult someone with a poor choice of words.

If you find that you have a hard time communicating without peppering your language with slurs that might insult a group of people it's time to work on sanitizing your vocabulary. These days, using an insulting turn of phrase isn't viewed as a simple gaffe or forgivable error. Using slurs can get you fired, ruin your career, and cause you extreme embarrassment. Just ask Michael Richards, Ann Coulter, and Don Imus...their attempts at humor have cost them money, respect, endorsements, and an audience.

When you speak remember don't be mean, be sweet or the price could be higher than you can afford to pay.

Turn Lemons Into Lemonade

A few years ago a young unemployed New Yorker named Karyn who had gotten herself $20,000 into credit card debt started a website which asked for donations to help her pay off her debt. Believe it or not, her idea really paid off and helped her to pay off her debt in 5 months. She has now written two books and, apparently, Sony has optioned the rights to her story. I think that Karyn did a great job of taking a bad situation and turning it to her advantage and that we can all learn from her example.

If you are in a difficult job situation or maybe you are having trouble finding a great job, remember Karyn and think about ways that you can turn lemons into lemonade. Read Karyn's story on her website...I'll bet that you will be motivated after you hear how she has turned her life around! www.savekaryn.com

What Is Your Value Proposition?

Yesterday I was fortunate to be able to participate in a teleseminar hosted by Jill Konrath, author of the blog Selling to Big Companies. Jill invited me to attend the teleseminar as her guest...thank you Jill!

The first thing you need to understand is that Jill is a super-saleswoman so she really knows her stuff. The second is that selling is exactly what job seekers should be doing - selling themselves. So, this seminar was a wonderful source of information for sales people, marketing executives, and job seekers alike.

The key take-away from the seminar is simple: business today is competitive and fast paced so if you want the opportunity to sell your product you need to lead with your value proposition.

There was a time when the sales process included a longer runway during which a salesperson had the opportunity to expound upon the pros of his/her company, product, or process before going on to describe to his/her potential client how the product would directly benefit his/her organization. Those days are long gone.

Jill explained that today's executives are thinking about the bottom line and achieving goals at all times. So, if you, as salesperson or job seeker, want to get your foot in the door you have to lead with, "My product will increase your revenue by 30%" or "This product will reduce your costs by 20%"

The same thing applies to job seekers. Your "elevator speech" should start with, "I can deliver results of ______" rather than focusing on your years of experience, elite education, or depth of knowledge. Once you pique a manager's interest with your value proposition you will have the opportunity to present your whole pitch.

These days, "what can you do for me" is the first question on every executives' mind. If you can answer that question up front, you will have the opportunity to present a more complete picture of your background later.

What is the value proposition that you offer to a potential employer?

I would encourage every job seeker to read Jill Konrath's blog. Her blog is focused on sales but she offers is useful for job seekers who wish to land the jobs of their dreams in a highly competitive environment.

Happy Workers Are Better Workers Than Unhappy Ones

I read a good article on the Wall Street Journal's Online edition entitled Happy Workers Are the Best Workers.  You can read the entire article by at WSJ.com.   

Every once in awhile someone writes a new book or an article about how employees who are treated with dignity and respect are more loyal and hardworking than those employees who are disgruntled - and we act like the writer has just re-invented the wheel. I mean it's a pretty obvious observation, right? Why do we need to be reminded to behave ourselves?

Anyone who has ever held a job can confirm the fact that employees who feel that their contributions are valued and who are treated well are more effective in their jobs and stay in those jobs much longer than employees who aren't treated well. It's not rocket science. Treat people well and they will reciprocate. I am not sure why the concept is so difficult for some folks in supervisory roles to fully grasp.

Read more of this post at Ultimate Resumes blog

Simple Courtesies

A friend of mine from across "the pond", Rowan Manahan, has a wonderful blog post about manners. I love his perspective and, in particular, his focus on cross-cultural courtesies. Manners make a difference in every aspect of our lives so I would encourage you to read his post.  A link to his post can also be found on the Ultimate Resumes blog.

Interviewing For Your First Post-College Job

You worked hard to get into a good college. You have had a lot of fun during your 4 years of college and have somehow also managed to get good grades. Now it's time to leave college and enter the real world which means you have to get a full time job. But in order to get that great job you have to master the campus interview. Here are a few tips from Ultimate Resumes that I hope will help you to get some great job offers:

1. Do Your Homework
2. Be Aware of Current Events
3. Tell The Interviewer How Much You Admire and Desire a Career With Their Company
4. You Don't Have To Tell Everything You Know
5. Be Enthusiastic
6. Understand That You Are A Blank Slate To Your Employer

Read the entire article at the Ultimate Resumes Blog

Help Others Achieve Their Goals

A friend of mine, Thom Singer, wrote a blog post today that is just fantastic. I think that his message about helping others is spot-on and I don't think there is anything else I can add to his well-thought-out comments. So please read his post about helping others to achieve their goals as a way to build and maintain strong relationships. You should also consider reading his book "Some Assembly Required". You can read a review of his book on Jason Alba's blog.