Ten Common Mistakes Women make on Job Interviews

According to the Unemployment Situation Survey released last week by the U.S Bureau of Labor, the unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent. At the moment, 8 percent of adult women are now unemployed. The competition for work is fierce. Linda Projansky and Kathy Carpenter of My Job Search Pilot and HR Pilots outlined ten common mistakes women make on job interviews.

“Women can really sabotage themselves during job interviews from being too chatty or by dressing inappropriately for an interview. Keep your talk and your clothing professional. Remember save that cocktail dress and conversation for your next night out, not for your job interview,” explained Principal of My Job Search Pilot Linda Projansky.

TEN COMMON MISTAKES WOMEN MAKE ON JOB INTERVIEWS

They tell instead of sell — focus on your accomplishments not just on your job activities or functions.
Women need to be liked — Women have a need to be “liked” that men don’t have. Place your need to be liked on the back burner. It’s not always about playing nice.
They talk about their personal lives too much — Don’t talk about personal things in a job interview. You don’t have to mention that you went on a maternity leave or your son’s middle name.
Women do not negotiate for a better salary — Women tend not to negotiate for better salaries. One estimate says that by failing to negotiate her starting salary for a first job, a woman may sacrifice over half a million dollars over the course of her career.
They are too chatty — keep the chit chat to a minimum. Be sure to keep the conversation focused on the job interview and your experience.
Women sabotage themselves with honesty — Women tend to be too honest, and they sabotage themselves in interviews saying things like… “to be honest I haven’t done that.” Focus on accomplishments, not on what you haven’t done.
They man dress inappropriately for the interview — if you’re not sure what to wear, ask your mother! Clothes can cost you a job, so be sure to be professional and polished.
Women sit by the phone waiting for a call — be proactive and make that call to find out about a position. It’s the professional version of waiting for the guy to call and ask you out.
They don’t have a clear idea of what it is that they want to do — Do not fall back on the classic line “ I want to work with people.” Say instead that you want to utilize your interpersonal skill managing and mentoring your employees.
Women don’t ask for help with their job search — Yes, networking can be intimidating or scary for a lot of women but you need to use your network.

“Networking can be intimidating for a lot of women, we think it is so important to reach out to your friends, family and former colleagues to ask for help. Of course, it is so important to have a clear idea of what type of job you are looking for first, said Director and Co-Founder of My Job Search Pilot Kathy Carpenter.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Publicist Amelia Estelle Dellos at 708.702.0406 or via email at aedellos@yahoo.com

Job Seekers are thankful for My Job Search Pilot – Press Release

JOB SEEKERS THANKFUL FOR MY JOB SEARCH PILOT
A Next Generation Outplacement Service

CHICAGO, IL (NOVEMBER 23, 2009) — Job seekers are “thankful ” for My Job Search Pilot a next generation outplacement service. Why are so many people having trouble finding work? According to Managing Director and Co-Founder of My Job Search Pilot Kathy Carpenter, “Yes, there are fewer jobs out there and competition for work is fierce. But that’s not the whole story, new recruiting technology has created a virtual ‘black hole’ in the application process. Seekers need and deserve up to date tools and insightful coaching to navigate and manage the process.”
“The research provided by My Job Search Pilot.com was a tremendous help in my job search efforts. They provided key contact information for not only my list of target companies, My Job Search Pilot also provided a list of direct competitor contacts, that saved me time in my direct mail and calling campaign. My Job Search Pilot really helped jumpstart my job search efforts,” explained Dave K., Professional Services Vice President.
This advanced outplacement model created by Linda Projansky and Kathy Carpenter is a People-First Service that uses technology, with the real emphasis on people helping people, making the service a win/win for downsizing employers and job seekers alike. My Job Search Pilot includes an online job search manager accessible 24/7, along with experienced job search coaches and customized research, plus administrative support to meet the unique needs of each individual client.

HR Director Peter B. is “thankful” for My Job Search Pilot because he says, “It is the first tool that I have found that has all you will ever need to keep all of your job search information in one location without having to keep volumes of spreadsheets. From the initial job search to the final interview stage all you need is at your finger tips. I have found this site to be the easiest to navigate of any without having useless advertisements pop up every time you enter it. I highly recommend using this tool for your job searching needs and know you will be more than satisfied.”

“We created My Job Search Pilot because we understand the new way companies recruit today and can give job seekers the inside view they need to effectively navigate the process to ensure that they are able to connect with the right people to find the right job,” adds Principal of My Job Search Pilot Linda Projansky.

For more information, please contact Publicist Amelia Dellos at 708.702.0406 or via email at aedellos@yahoo.com.

Are you concerned your company may be facing a lay-off?

Whether it’s for a few or many, any potential RIF may cause grave concern on a number of different levels – from unemployment costs and employer reputation to brand loyalty.
There’s a significant cost to making wrong decisions during a RIF. We all know that. Conduit Careers and My Job Search Pilot are partnering to bring the most practical and leading edge answers – designed for today’s climate – to organizations that are considering or preparing for a lay-off. We’e experts in next generation best practices.
We’re hosting a short-training. It’s a 45 minute webinar on November 11th. We’ll present a new look at how to take a complex and difficult circumstance and turn it into a strategic-based event that gives you, your organization, and exiting employees practical answers and next generation tools for success, with reporting tools for measuring that success.
If you’re interested in learning more check out this FREE short-training

or please email Mary@ConduitCareers.com and we’ll send you a personal invitation to join us.

Job Search Stalled?

For many out-of-work professionals, finding a job in today’s market requires far more effort than it did in the past—and a lot more stamina. Last month, the Labor Department reported that it takes unemployed workers an average of 27.2 weeks to land a job, up from 19.1 weeks in September 2008 and 16.7 in September 2007. But there are several ways job hunters can revive a stalled search. First, be more targeted in your search. Focus on companies where you want to work and go after them. Many companies have stopped posting to job boards because of the huge (and often unqualified) responses they get. So, often the only way to find an opening may be from a contact at a company or by going often to check the company’s career website. My Job Search Pilot makes it easy to do. By utilizing our web based job search manager you can add unlimited feeds from corporate web sites. So, you’ll never miss a new posting. Our coaches provide networking advice and our administrative support helps you build the contacts you need.

Candidate Care

Well done analysis (http://www.ere.net/2009/10/01/we-should-be-ashamed-treating-candidates-with-respect/) of what is wrong with corporate recruiting functions by Kevin Wheeler in ERE.net. Top notch candidates, active as well as passive job seekers are frustrated and down right angry about the way they’re treated in their search. As recruiters we can social network and tweet for the best candidates but if we don’t practice candidate care we will never be able to hire the best. Job seekers deserve more, we’ve all been there ourselves.

Keep up the search

The quote below is from a WSJ article, “Out of Work, Out of Hope”  (9/25/09). When you lose a job, there’s always a temptation to take time off, you deserve it, right? But, according to statistics, the quicker you begin your search the more likely you are to find a job faster.

The probability that a laid-off worker will find a job grows smaller the longer people have been out of work, according to studies in the 1980s by economists Lawrence Katz of Harvard University and Bruce Meyer of the University of Chicago. “Someone unemployed for six months is much less likely to find a job in the next month than someone unemployed for one month,” Mr. Katz says.

Networking your way to a new job

Networking?  What does that mean to you?  To some of us it’s a dreaded word.  “You mean I have to call a total stranger and tell them I need help?”  Or, do you think about wandering around a big meeting with a name tag around your neck looking for someone to make eye contact with?  Either way, it doesn’t sound like much fun. 

But, I bet if you ask people for job search advice, they’ll probably all start by telling you to “work your network.”  Here are few tips to make that task less of a chore and a more natural and useful part of your job search strategy.

First of all, the reality is that for most companies, a good portion  of their hires come from employee referrals, so without networking you might be cutting your chance of finding a job in half. The majority of companies pay a finders fee to their employees, often $1,000 to $5,000, for helping them bring in “known” talent. So, people you know might even have a financial incentive to recommend you.  And, having a current employee refer you for a job, helps get your resume out of the famous “black hole” and in front of someone who might actually read it  As a corporate recruiter, I always read resumes from employee referrals first and paid attention. 

The goal of networking is to get a warm introduction to a hiring manager. For hiring managers, the fear of making a bad hire is at the top of their list of concerns. Anything that reduces this risk, including an endorsement from a known entity, can quickly sway their hiring decision.

So, what can you do? Start by reaching out to your friends and acquaintances, explaining your situation and asking for their help. There’s no shame in searching for a job during this severe recession – they’ll understand. Complement this with using the social networks, liked Linkedin and Facebook, to see where you might have connections to a company. Make sure that you have an appropriate profile on those sites, and on Google.  Make a target list of companies you’re interested in and then dig for connections.  Request an introduction to someone at the firm via your friend connections.  Then, the call you dread to make will not be so cold afterall. 

Need more tips?  Contact one of the coaches at My Job Search Pilot.  We’re here to help you BE SEEN, BE HIRED, and BE HIRED.

Don’t give up the search!

Another great article in the New York Times about job searches in this recession.  The individuals profiled in this article have given up the search for work.  The coaching, support and tools provided by My Job Search Pilot will insure that you won’t become part of this trend.  Contact us for more information and a free trial of our on line job search management tool. information@myjobsearchpilot.com

 UUS   | September 07, 2009
Out of Work, Too Down to Search On, and Uncounted
By MICHAEL LUO 
| September 07, 2009 Out of Work, Too Down to Search On, and Uncounted By MICHAEL LUO Millions of hidden casualties of the Great Recession are not counted in the unemployment rate because they have stopped looking for work. A look at four of the uncounted.

Traditional Outplacement Stuggles to do the Job!

Click here to read this story in the Wall Street Journal.  (Outplacement Firms Struggle to Do Job – WSJ.com).  Traditional outplacement providers offer standardized services which provides little value.  Mass produced resumes, canned job advice and poor and/or non existent counseling.  Most large outplacement firms are still using methods developed in the 1960′s.  This is the 21st Century!  My Job Search Pilot offers the most up to date, modern approach to outplacement on the market today.  We mapped Web 2.0 recruiting methods to offer today’s job seekers the most comprehensive tool kit available to find a job: our state of the art on line Job Search Manager, one on one coaching with veteran recruiters and HR pros and administrative research support. 

Contact us to learn more.  information@myjobsearchpilot.com 

Job Search Firms – Beware of What You’re Buying!

This is a great article in the NY Times.  Job seekers need help but beware of what you are buying.  Paying thousands of dollars for a company to send out your resume, not worth it!

Job Search Firms: Big Pitches at Big Fees, but Few Jobs  

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/us/17career.html

By MICHAEL LUO

Published: August 17, 2009

In the most difficult market in decades, a bewildering and largely unregulated array of businesses offering assistance have left job seekers vulnerable.

Job Search Firms: Big Pitches at Big Fees, but Few Jobs