Taking Lessons on Job Search Strategies from the Olympic Games

This Friday is a rare night of "Must See TV" for me: the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. I can still remember the magical moment in 1996 when Kerri Strug ignored a bad ankle and clinched the Gold medal for the U.S. Women's gymnastic team by sticking the landing on her 2nd vault attempt.

While we are only able to see the U.S. team compete in the Olympics every four years, I think of the metaphors that can be drawn between the gymnastic competition and the job search frequently:

• Olympics:
  
  Both the competitors and the judges who evaluate them adhere to pre-established rules for each element of the competition. Gymnasts are well aware of the expectations for each event and know that each performance will be evaluated within the parameters of those rules.

• Job Search:
  
  The process is a bit different. Job seekers generally receive information on the requirements for a position through a job description and advertisement; however, there's less overt information shared on the evaluation process.
  
  Furthermore, many interviewers can appear to veer away from the position itself during the interview by asking questions that appear to be unrelated to the position at hand. Do not be fooled: behind every interview question, there's a motivation to learn more about you.
  
  Virtually all interview questions are designed to assess your core competencies, interest, and relevance of background--within the context of the position.

Successful gymnasts often speak of how they visualized the landing before they left the ground. To ensure your success in the job search, think like a gymnast by thinking "backwards" and focusing on your landing first. When asked a question, ask yourself: What skills and attributes are relevant for this position? Which of my experiences speak best to this area?

Develop your application materials and answers to interview questions so that you actively demonstrate your understanding of the position as well as how that position fits into the company at large. Ask yourself, "What are the most critical skills to perform in this position? Based on the position description and what I know of the industry and job function--what does the employer need most? How can I fill this need?"

"Reverse engineer" your application materials and responses to interview questions in this way and you'll be able to articulate your understanding of both what you offer the employer--and how the position and industry is a match for your skill sets and interests. In other words, you'll make it easy for the employer to hire you.

Furthermore, this strategy will not only help you shine in the interview and "stick the landing"--it will also help you in determining if the position is a best fit for you: If your potential employer isn't interested in evaluating you on the basis of your strengths and interests--or what you do best--perhaps the job isn't a fit for you? This is, perhaps, the most crucial area to for you to evaluate: just as most gymnasts pick an area of excellence (such as the high beam or floor exercises), you want to ensure that the focus of your day job is a type of work that you enjoy--so you can stick the "landing" with regularity and contribute to your team's success.

How to Prepare for Interviews in a Flash: Feed Yourself!

One of the best ways to make a great impression on a prospective employer is to show that you have an understanding of what they do and why it is important. Asking thoughtful questions that demonstrate what you know--and areas that you need to know more about--can go a long way in helping both you and the organization come to a mutual decision about whether a position is right for you. I've heard it said before that one of the fast ways to take yourself out of the running for a position is to simply say that you "don't have any questions" at the end of an interview.

The question then becomes: how to prepare? Is it really necessary to spend 8-10 hours researching for one interview? My answer: it's important to be prepared, but you can also do it as you sleep by setting up "RSS feeds" to feed you news and up-to-date information.

Using web tools such as "Google News Alerts," you can type in key word searches (e.g. company names, news, and events) and have the results sent to you automatically during the time duration that you specify--i.e. "as it happens," on a "daily" or "weekly" basis. You can then review the results of your key word searches, pick out the most relevant information and prepare questions in advance...You can also set up feeds on the Google News Reader or other syndicated content sites so that you can read all your findings in one place!

Feed yourself first, and then let the employer feed you later...

The Longest Day (What To Do When the Phone Doesn't Ring)

I'm writing towards the end of the official "Longest Day" of the year, June 21 (otherwise known as the Summer Solstice).

This longest day is traditionally one of my favorite days of the year, particularly as I enjoy attending solstice celebrations run by The Revels, an arts organization which promotes an understanding and appreciation of music, dance, and rituals from around the world.

On this official "longest day," I think of the unanticipated "longest days" of job seekers: the appointed time when you should be hearing from prospective employers (as sometimes promised), but the phone fails to ring or you don't receive any e-mail.

A friend who is currently in the job market, recently e-mailed me towards the end of such a day, "Should I be worried?, " she asked. "They told me they'd follow-up with me today regarding a second interview. I followed up with a thank you note last week, should I try again?"

My advice in this situation--and in similar events--is to be patient. On the other side of the employment process is an internal labryinth: there are interview feedback and authorization to hire forms to be submitted, there are colleagues on vacation, and there are often multiple positions to be filled simultaneously. In other words, frequently, a lack of immediate response from an employer means nothing more than that they are busy. (I encouraged my friend to wait four days before calling to touch base on the status of her candidacy.)

The best thing to do when you're waiting for the phone to ring is to ensure that you're busy, too. Seek out other opportunities and throw your name in the hat. If you've nothing else to do, plan an activity that you won't be able to do once you return to work do to your schedule. Program a "Google News Alert" to do employment-related research for you so you can wow your prospective employer when the time comes to follow-up. Above all, have fun: when you do land your dream job, you may find that your next "longest day" is one of an "endless to-do list!"

On Questions Versus Answers (& SLEEP)

Some Mondays aren't so hard. Today was one such Monday: I scored free tickets to see James Carville, Anderson Cooper, Tucker Carlson and Arianna Huffington talk live at Radio City Music Hall.

The focus of the discussion was on the Presidential Election and on predictions for the Pennsylvania primary. That being said, two general comments are worth mentioning.

1. One of the pundits (and I believe it was James Carville), said, "There are no bad questions, only bad answers."

The point being, you can complain all you want if you get asked a bad question--but it's up to you to spin it, and how you spin it says a great deal about who you are and demonstrates your ability to articulate for yourself.

2. Arianna Huffington talked about the effects that sleep deprivation has on candidates, and the human body in general. I've read that too little sleep for consecutive nights can have the same effect as being drunk (or worse) in terms of one's reaction abilities. This is particularly true among drivers who haven't slept in two days.

I can remember feeling this tired myself and hope to never have to repeat the experience.

Two points to think about with respect to the job search. I'd try to draw more parallels but I'm weary of providing you with a bad answer due to sleep deprivation...

On the Similarities between Applying for Jobs and Dating

The process of picking a new job or a career often resembles speed dating. A closer look at these stages.

Priming for the Hunt:
You spend several hours marketing yourself for the opportunity; you gather knowledge about the requirements and interests of your intended target. This typically includes dropping hints to your contacts to let you know of your interests in a transition while trying not to be too obvious to some (i.e. "nosy" people or--in the professional world--your current employer).

Putting Yourself in the Game:
Based on your research, you present yourself with your best foot forward: In the job application process, this generally takes place through a resume and a cover letter). In the dating process, it depends on how you intend to meet your interests...i.e. in person, through an introduction--or increasingly--online.

Making Your Presence Known: Knowing that competition can be fierce, you look for ways to follow-up without being too obvious.

Primping for the Interview: If offered a meeting time and place, you prepare accordingly. You do your homework on who you'll be meeting, prepare your list of questions to ask (based on your requirement) and dress accordingly.

The Interview or Date: Your eyes meet, you shake hands, and you make a quick assessment in two minutes or less (as per the research of most experts in both business and personal relationships). You spend the rest of your time together gathering information to either support or discount your initial impression.

Many questions are asked of you, and at the end--you have a chance to ask a few of your own and to assess your own opinion.

Here's where the comparison ends: with dating, most individuals approach the initial meeting as equals (i.e. the stakes are the same). With the job search, the stakes are much higher: i.e. the employer is deciding whether to financially support you on the basis of your work, and you are deciding whether you want to spend the majority of your working hours from this day forward spending time with this new group of people. The timeline for making decisions can be relatively short: just a few interviews before a full-time offer is extended.

The process of interviewing for positions and making career decisions is, in my opinion, the dating equivalent of going out twice--and deciding to move in together with a lease. It is about making a personal commitment. It is about making a financial commitment. And yet, unfortunately, it's commonly not a process that feels at the time like a decision among equals. Why not? Because as job seekers, we often feel like the employer has more of the cards than we do--if we don't have multiple interviews, we may feel like we have less options. And so, all too frequently, we approach our interviews with all the anxiety of adolescents or as if we are trying out for . We spend a great deal of time primping and not enough time asking ourselves all the right questions. It's as if we are trying out for A Chorus Line: we think to ourselves "I hope I get it, I hope I get it" and we pray quietly "I really need this job. Please God, I need this job. I've got to get this job." And when it doesn't go right, we turn to self doubt "God, I really blew it!
I really blew it! How could I do a thing like that?"

And yet, if we step outside of our situation: we should realize that the process of looking for jobs is one of mutual selection. My goal in my work is to help clients prepare for the process, so that they can gather information and present their own credentials in the best light possible--while also having enough room to honestly access whether a given position is right for them (irrespective of whether the position is offered or not).

I welcome your own observations and feedback.

Best,
Chandlee