Are you a job lover, an industry lover or a company lover? Did you know that when you interview, one of these roles is more important than the other 2?

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Maybe you are all of these things – if so – yeah!  Good for you and especially for those you serve!  You truly are a job/industry/company “lover” – not a “hater”!  Hopefully, you are not “lukewarm” to “mildly liking” of these things.  I especially hope you are not a job/industry/company “hater” – if you are – I feel bad for you but I feel even worse for those you serve – so, as Cher in Moonstruck would say “snap outta vit!”

So, if you could “snap outta vit!”and demonstrate that you are at least one of these – which would you think is most important to an interviewer?

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Going on a job interview? DO NOT talk about your past successes! Instead, talk about this…

By Gina Calvano | 2 Comments

Did you know that one of the fastest ways you can kill an interviewer’s interest in your candidacy is to talk on and on about all the amazing things you did or all the great, profitable ideas you had?  That seems so counter intuitive – doesn’t it?  Isn’t getting your amazingness across to a hiring executive the whole point of the interview after all?  Well, yes – actually it is, BUT talking about all the amazing things you did is not what really makes you amazing to anyone who has a stake in filling a job opening.

What does?  It’s the same thing that would make someone else amazing to you if you were doing the hiring.

Talk about what everyone wants to really know…

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Do you have the most important interviewing tool confident and successful job and career changers have?

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Successful Job Changer’s Interviewing Toolkit – item #3

Values Clarity Statements

Before I explain what these statements are – let’s get on the same page about what I mean by values.

 

Values – meaningful contributions you want to be a part of creating in the world

 

So how do you connect with your values?

 

You can start by simply asking yourself who really matters to me and what do I most want for them?  (If this doesn’t help you get started, don’t worry, I have a more step-by-step approach to offer you in a bit – and it will only cost you about 1 hour of your time).

 

Values are about what you intend and actively work to manifest for others.   When you are clear about who matters most to you, what you want them to experience and feel like – starting with what you can most control which is every interaction with you – a role that will fulfill you and an intended way of being in that role (how to behave) becomes clear.

 

One of our primary life responsibilities is to get clear about our values.  That includes the roles we play in life, the people who benefit from us playing in those roles, and our intentions for how we want to impact those people in our life.

 

Why so much focus on what we intend for others in an interview?   

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Your interviewing toolkit – say goodbye to interviewing jitters and hello to being a successful job or career changer

By Gina Calvano | 1 Comment

Successful Job Changer’s Interviewing Toolkit – item #2

A Demonstrated Commitment To On-Going Development

The next thing that belongs in your interviewing toolkit is a solid demonstration of your commitment to on-going development.  I don’t mean just something you can point to and say “I’m learning/reading/attending X right now”…

I mean a solid demonstration that development (both personal and professional) is a normal, regular on-going thing in your life.  One of the biggest mistakes a job candidate can make is to only talk about professional development opportunities that were afforded to them by their current or a former employer.

So how do you demonstrate that personal growth and professional development are a regular way of life?  Here are 3 factors that demonstrate a commitment to development – might they inspire you to make this commitment for yourself AND for those you serve …

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Get the tools successful career changers have to avoid interview jitters and to land the job over other candidates – even those with more experience than you

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

So you wanna change careers in 2015 but you’re feeling overwhelmed – how on earth are you going to compete with others who have more experience?  The answer often lies in having the confidence to sell yourself – with all the experience and skills you have – and don’t have.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I am going to gift you some confidence.  I am giving you tools to become a successful career changer yourself in 2015.  Over the next 6 blogs I will share secrets with you about what belongs in your interviewing tool kit so that you never have to feel interviewing jitters again – whether you are changing careers or just going after a new job.  So let’s get a jumpstart on the new year right now!

One way to get that confidence is to give yourself the tools to explain yourself.  If your interviewing toolkit includes a handful of key things – you will not only feel less anxious at interviews – you might actually enjoy interviewing – it can be fun to take your new tools out for a test drive.  So what should be in a good interviewing toolkit?  One thing that is essential is …

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The easiest mistake you can avoid making in your career

By Gina Calvano | Leave a Comment

Never underestimate the power of a good handshake!

Seems obvious, right?  Does anyone out there disagree with me on this one?  Probably not – so do I seriously have to blog about Handshaking 101?  Ahhh ya, I do because there are still far too many people out there who still hold onto their bad handshake and it is killing their advantage over their competition.

Bad Handshakers of the world (you know who you are), you must stop this insanity (you know, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result – as in – “I’ll give the ‘limp fish‘ shake again – but this time – this time by golly people will get that I have energy, and that I am confident and powerful!”).  Do you hear it now?  This is the kindest (full on – benefit of the doubt), talk bubble that good handshakers see over your head when they try to shake your limp fish hand. We get it – maybe you are having a bad day or you are a little low on energy or self-esteem right now, but unless there is a cast of some sort on your arm or hand – there is no excuse – for a bad handshake.  Why?  Because it is the least amount of effort, easiest and fastest way to convey a sense of energy, confidence and “glad to see/meet you”!  And if you don’t have energy or confidence at the moment for whatever reason, it is the least amount of effort, easiest and fastest way to fake a sense of energy, confidence and “glad to see/meet you”!

Are you smacking yourself in the head yet?

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