Squirrelly Career Advice: “Send a thank-you note”

This is the first post on a new series of squirrelly career advice floating around on social media. My opinions are based on my 25+ years from the hiring manager’s perspective on how to differentiate your expertise from other candidates in the job market.

There’s no doubt about it, career advice is as freely given as is political commentary these days because everyone has an opinion about everything. Some are learned and informed;  others are not so. Many of the career discussion forums on social media are populated with well-intentioned people who feel compelled to dole out career advice, often citing a single instance from their own career journey as a foundation for their counsel to others.There may indeed be an acorn of wisdom embedded in some of those posts (I’ll forego the old saying about a blind squirrel here…).

First up, the stale, old, passé advice for “sending a thank–you note to the hiring manager.” Here’s an example from a job seeker discussion group: “I haven’t heard back from the hiring manager after my interview…what should my next move be?” The responses overwhelmingly suggested sending a thank-you note to the hiring manager. Sure, go ahead and follow that advice–that everyone else is doing. That doesn’t differentiate you from all the other thank-you notes the hiring manager receives.  When someone tells you to do something that everyone else is doing, stop and reconsider that advice to ask yourself: “Does this advice bring my résumé to the top of the pile? Does this advice differentiate my expertise in a positive light and put me on the hiring manager’s short list?”

Think about it: a hiring manager has a need he or she is trying to fill or has problems in  need of a problem solver. You have offered your expertise to be that problem-solver and you are sending them a thank-you note?? Where’s the logic in that? Proper business etiquette rules suggest they should be sending you a thank-you note for sharing how you can help them.

You want to continue to share how your expertise differentiates you from other candidates after interviews are over. You want to keep your name fresh on the minds of hiring managers, not stuck in the middle of the deck with everyone else. You do that by following up with the hiring manager with a written one-page “case study” of some related project challenge you had a hand in resolving. Maybe a week or so later you again follow up with a copy of an article you had published in a peer-reviewed journal. You want to build familiarity with your name and expertise in the hiring manager’s mind. Repeated exposure to your name and expertise after interviews have concluded does this. Cognition theory (and test marketing) affirms that establishing familiarity with a brand creates a preference for that brand.

I’ve blogged about embedding your brand in the minds of hiring managers and I go into detail on the exact process (“The Trojan Horse Technique”) in my books. I’ll refer you to those resources for more details.

Thank you for reading this post.

Want to receive a free copy of my Career Strategy Tip Sheets? You get 5 bundled tip sheets (PDF) for career strategy, cover letters, résumés, job interview, and salary negotiation. Just let me know your thoughts on this or any blog post–or let me know of a career topic you’d like me to discuss from the hiring manager’s perspective.

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My name is  Donn LeVie Jr. and I’m a former hiring manager for Fortune 500 companies (Phillips Petroleum, Motorola, Intel Corporation, and others) and have worked in the federal government (NOAA) and in academia as an adjunct faculty lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for the University of Houston (Downtown Campus). I am the author of Strategic Career Engagement(September 2015), Runner-Up of the 2016 International Book Award for Business: Careers, and the book that reset the rules for successful job and career strategies:  Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 (June 2012, Winner of the 2012 Global eBook Award and Winner of the 2012 International Book Award for Jobs/Careers).  

I lead career strategy seminars (for job seekers and for hiring managers wanting to know how to spot talent) at conferences, business/trade schools, colleges and universities, and U.S. military veterans organizations. I also offer a Career Engagement Evaluation subscription program to associations as a member benefit.

Does your conference need a keynote speaker or a career strategies seminar for conference attendees? My 2017 engagement calendar is starting to fill up…contact me directly at donnlevie@austin.rr.com for more information or use the Contact page on this blog.

Don’t miss out on my blog posts…follow me now on Twitter.

How to Play the “Are You Interviewing With Anyone Else?” Question to Your Advantage

Some of the interview questions tossed at candidates by hiring managers – many 0f them posted on LinkedIn – tend to raise anxiety levels because there doesn’t seem to be one “right” answer to them. But, with a little bit of applied psychology and impression management, you can turn that Zen koan-sounding question to your advantage.

Nearly 30 years on the hiring manager’s side of the desk for Fortune 500 companies has taught me a lot about the hiring process. I’ve reviewed thousands of cover letters and résumés, conducted hundreds of job interviews, and hired and managed countless professionals in a variety of disciplines. Unlike a lot of recruiters who quickly (10 seconds or less) shuffle through résumés based on the shopping list of requirements I provide them, I’m usually the last link in the chain of “deciders” when it comes to the hiring decision. I’ve never provided a list of questions to recruiters to ask potential candidates because it was important for me to hear their response in person if they were called in for an interview. However, underneath all the skills, experience, knowledge, and expertise, the two variables that keep you moving forward in that process are documented accomplishments and a high likeability factor. Period. Everything else is frosting on the cake.

I have coached clients to ask another question in response to a question for the purpose of getting more information before committing to an answer, especially when it comes to salary negotiation.   When a client told me that he was pretty sure he would be asked about any other opportunities he might be pursuing, I mentioned that it could be a good sign that this hiring manager is interested in him. But the worry had him in knots (by the way, worry is a prayer for things you don’t want to happen), I suggested that he respond with a question: “Well, are you prepared to make me an offer now, because my response to your question depends on that answer.” He squirmed a bit with that advice, apparently not at ease with being so forward, but then I asked him: “Are you in charge of your career, or are you putting it in the hands of others?” He thought about it for a second and then said he would use that response, if asked.

And asked he was. My client reported that when he popped the question, the hiring manager hesitated for a couple of seconds, smiled, and nodded his head, then told him “not yet.” My client then replied (smiling in return), “Then I am interviewing with another company and moving forward in the process.”

Think about how that response is now like a pebble in the hiring manager’s shoe! The mere implication that my client is moving forward in someone else’s hiring process has the effect (perhaps momentary; maybe longer) of giving the hiring decision a greater degree of immediacy, maybe even expediting it. Interpersonal Psychology 101.

If the hiring manager would have responded with “Yes, I can make you an offer today” then my client’s directness (in a way) may have accelerated that hiring decision as well for fear of losing this very qualified candidate. Does this technique work all the time? There’s no way to know how many times it’s been tried, but it only works if you ask that first question of the hiring manager. It’s your Kobayashi Maru incident (Star Trek folks understand)….you don’t like a no-win scenario. This technique can be a win-win situation for you.

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Want to receive a free copy of my Career Strategy Tip Sheets? You get 5 bundled tip sheets (PDF) for career strategy, cover letters, résumés, job interview, and salary negotiation. Just let me know your thoughts on this or any blog post–or let me know of a career topic you’d like me to discuss from the hiring manager’s perspective.

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My name is  Donn LeVie Jr. and I’m a former hiring manager for Fortune 500 companies (Phillips Petroleum, Motorola, Intel Corporation, and others) and have worked in the federal government (NOAA) and in academia as an adjunct faculty lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for the University of Houston (Downtown Campus). I am the author of Strategic Career Engagement(September 2015), Runner-Up of the 2016 International Book Award for Business: Careers, and the book that reset the rules for successful job and career strategies:  Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 (June 2012, Winner of the 2012 Global eBook Award and Winner of the 2012 International Book Award for Jobs/Careers).

 I lead career strategy seminars (for job seekers and for hiring managers wanting to know how to spot talent) at conferences, business/trade schools, colleges and universities, and U.S. military veterans organizations. I also offer a Career Engagement Evaluation subscription program to associations as a member benefit.

Does your conference need a keynote speaker or a career strategies seminar for conference attendees? My 2017 engagement calendar is starting to fill up…contact me directly at donnlevie@austin.rr.com for more information or use the Contact page on this blog.Don’t miss out on my blog posts…follow me now on Twitter @donnlevie.

5 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting the Job Offer

I just returned from speaking on career transition strategies and doing personal career consultations with attendees at the 2016 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Global Fraud Conference in Las Vegas. This was my 7th year providing career strategy presentations and consultations for the ACFE, and it never fails that at least one attendee each year will confess to me, “I have a great cover letter and résumé that gets lots of interviews, but I just can’t seem to swing the job offer.”

Let’s assume for the moment that variables external to the hiring process are not influencing the hiring decision and look at some things that are in your control but might be causing you some problems.

1. You don’t understand the importance of impression management (“likeability”). We all use impression management for all social occasions, and I’ve blogged about the subject in the past. Impression management is not about being someone you’re not; it’s about bringing forward those qualities that garner favorable first impressions and draw people to you. You can’t walk into a job interview looking like you just came from your grandmother’s funeral (yes, we all know people who  seem to have one bland expression for all the emotions) because the first impression that telegraphs is “what’s eating this person?”
2. You just don’t get the idea of impression management. See the guy in the photo above, or this guy…who also doesn’t get it…

3. Your impression management language fails to focus on the future benefits of your expertise as it applies to solving the hiring manager’s problems; it’s less about the features of your past experience. It’s projecting your expertise forward as the hiring manager’s “wing man” (or “person”).

4. You don’t ask questions with a built-in assumption that you will be getting the job offer.  Three such questions: (1) “What would be the first project I would be working on?”; (2) “What is your highest project priority and how do you envision my involvement with it?”; (3) “Do you have any other questions about how I can help the team/department/project?”

5. You fail to answer THE QUESTION correctly: “So, tell me about yourself…” The majority of candidates will launch into a narrative about what they do (it’s already on the résumé, Einstein) and not who they are. They miss the opportunity to express a meaningful, memorable response. The best response I ever received to the question was from a software programmer candidate who told me, “I’m a cello-playing kids soccer coach and president of the PTA who also happens to be a damn good programmer with an eye on your delivery schedule and budget.” In on short sentence, I learned of his interest in classical music (my interest as well), his involvement with kids, the community, and how he’s going to be my solutions provider.

I decided then and there after that response that he was my No. 1 candidate and extended the job offer to him.

The hiring process–especially the interview portion–is always about what the hiring manager needs.

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Want to receive a free copy of my Career Strategy Tip Sheets? You get 5 bundled tip sheets (PDF) for career strategy, cover letters, résumés, job interview, and salary negotiation. Just let me know your thoughts on this or any blog post–or let me know of a career topic you’d like me to discuss from the hiring manager’s perspective.

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My name is  Donn LeVie Jr. and I’m a former hiring manager for Fortune 500 companies (Phillips Petroleum, Motorola, Intel Corporation, and others) and have worked in the federal government (NOAA) and in academia as an adjunct faculty lecturer in the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for the University of Houston (Downtown Campus). I am the author of Strategic Career Engagement(September 2015), Runner-Up of the 2016 International Book Award for Business: Careers, and the book that reset the rules for successful job and career strategies:  Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 (June 2012, Winner of the 2012 Global eBook Award and Winner of the 2012 International Book Award for Jobs/Careers).  I lead career strategy seminars at conferences, business/trade schools, colleges and universities, and U.S. military veterans organizations. I also offer a Career Engagement Evaluation subscription program to associations as a member benefit.

Does your conference need a keynote speaker or a career strategies seminar for conference attendees? My 2016-2017 engagement calendar is starting to fill up…contact me directly at donnlevie@austin.rr.com for more information.

Don’t miss out on my blog posts…follow me now on Twitter @donnlevie.

5 Ways to Up Your Interview Chops

Look, not all of us have that Tony Robbins charisma when it comes to speaking to crowds or even one-on-one in a job interview. But we all have the capacity to rise to the occasion when it’s in our best interest, especially when it’s to avoid negative consequences. I have a friend whose picture is in the Whos’s Who of Introverts, but can reason and persuade like William F. Buckley when it comes to talking himself out of a speeding ticket. He rose to the occasion to avoid  a very expensive ticket and taking a hit on his car insurance.

Interviews are no different. The negative side of doing poorly in a job interview is not continuing forward in the hiring process. That’s pretty strong incentive to put on your game face if you’ve made it as far as the job interview. It’s not about trying to be someone you’re not; it’s about stretching more out of your own comfort zone to embrace the opportunity. Just adding some slight vocal inflections and facial expressions adds enthusiasm to your statement “I have the necessary skills and background to help add value to the team” (or something like that). A genuine degree of enthusiasm helps convince the hiring manager you are interested in the position.

Here are 5 suggestions for upping your interview chops:

1. Embrace the fact that no one knows YOU and your expertise better than YOU. How can someone without the knowledge you have of your accomplishments, skills, and knowledge get the best of you? Only if you let them.
2. It’s OK if you’re a little nervous, but try to eliminate any fear of failure. The highly skilled concert pianist may be nervvous as he or she walks out on stage, but the audience is on the artist’s side – they want the event to be successful. It’s the same with hiring managers – they have thought highly enough of your background to invite you for an interview; it’s in their interest to want you to do well.
3. The best antidote to nervousness is knowing your résumé and accomplishments backwards and forwards. You can’t get tripped up by anyone regarding your work history if your résumé serves as your talking points; letting fear control your emotional response to an interview situation might, however.
4. Ask questions about the project work, challenges to be addressed, or specific tools to help you control any sense of being in the witness box. When there’s a two-way exchange of information, a conversation happens, which is a lot less threatening than an interview.
5. Have a sense when the interview is over. When I have interviewed quiet, introverted candidates, many just didn’t have any sense of timing when the interview was concluded. There’s that embarrassing pregnant pause and stillness in the room as if  the candidate is waiting for someone to call him or her out of the room.  I’ll often toss out the cue, “Do you have any other questions for me or about the position?” That’s usually a signal that we’re done if you don’t have any questions.

With solid preparation and going in to an interview to have a conversation about how you are the hiring manager’s problem solver, you’ll  eliminate the competition “from top to bottomus.”

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Want to receive a free copy of my Career Strategy Tip Sheets? You get 5 bundled tip sheets (PDF) for career strategy, cover letters, résumés, job interview, and salary negotiation. Just let me know your thoughts on this or any blog post–or let me know of a career topic you’d like me to discuss from the hiring manager’s perspective.

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Former Fortune 500 hiring manager Donn LeVie Jr. is the author of Strategic Career Engagement (September 2015), and the book that reset the rules for successful job and career strategies:  Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 (June 2012, Winner of the 2012 Global eBook Award and Winner of the 2012 International Book Award for Jobs/Careers). He leads career strategy seminars at conferences, business/trade schools, colleges and universities, and U.S. military veterans organizations.

Does your conference need a keynote speaker or a career strategies seminar for conference attendees? Donn’s 2016-2017 engagement calendar is starting to fill up…contact him directly at donnlevie@austin.rr.com.

Don’t miss out on Donn’s blog posts…follow him now on Twitter @donnlevie and join in the jobs/career conversations at the Strategic Career Engagement LinkedIn discussion group.

3 Critical Factors for Getting a Job Offer: No. 2 – Establish a Continuum of Belief

My previous post addressed the importance of creating value in the mind of the hiring manager. Closely related to creating hiring manager value is the establishment of what I call a “Continuum of Belief.”

Your value as the hiring manager’s problem solver must be expressed in the Continuum of Belief as conveyed initial in your cover letter. Here you set up the tone and conditions that communicate to the hiring manager your expertise and accomplishments. One of the purposes of a cover letter is to generate sufficient interest to get the hiring manager to look at your résumé. If you’ve read my career strategy books or followed me on this blog for a while, you know how important it is to pull your lists of accomplishments and achievements (quantified, if possible, and in bold typeface) from your résumé and place them in a bullet list near the top of your cover letter. If you’ve got less than 7 seconds to get a hiring manager’s interest, don’t beat around the bush with stating obvious information (such as “I am applying for…” or “Attached is my résumé”) and get to the point. Having the list of accomplishments immediately after your opening attention-grabbing sentence helps do this.

As the connections between the cover letter and achievement-focused résumé are being made in the mind of the hiring manager, in essence your standing along the Continuum of Belief strengthens as you move forward through the stages of the hiring process. If that initial stage is strong, your chances for being called in for an interview are higher. Score a great interview and your chances improve for getting on the hiring manager’s short list.

Your interview skills (both answering and asking questions) further enhance the Continuum of Belief as you proceed through this next phase of the hiring process. You may next have to interview with others in a second round, but getting through that round is made easier because of the stronger Continuum of Belief you established with the cover letter-résumé-initial interview chain. If you’re familiar with my post-job-interview strategy (detailed in Confessions of a Hiring Manager Rev. 2.0 [Second Edition] and augmented in Strategic Career Engagement), you’ll see how to further strengthen that Continuum of Belief.

After all, creating that unique advantage is really about demonstrating that you are the best available candidate for solving other people’s problems, and that requires a strategy for career engagement. When you leave your career strategy to chance, you shouldn’t be surprised with the lack of results.

Are You Ready to Take Objective Job Assessments? You’d Better Be…

I hated taking tests in school…I much preferred the term-paper option, which I excelled at (for myself and others, for a small “consulting” fee). Fortunately, I’ve never had to take any kind of employment test because when I graduated from college and started my first professional job, I already had two years of experience in an oceanographic laboratory and in the field. I worked as a co-op student for NOAA and upon graduation, was hired immediately as a research geological oceanographer. From that point on, my skills, knowledge, experience, and accomplishments opened doors for me no matter where my career path took me.

More employers are incorporating objective assessments as part of the hiring process. In fact, 76% of organizations with more than 100 employees rely on aptitude and personality tests for external hiring, and is expected to jump to 88% over the next few years. According to an article in the July-August 2015 issue of the Harvard Business Review, worldwide estimates suggest that tests are used for 72% of middle management positions and as high as 80% of senior roles, compared to only 59% for entry-level positions. And these assessments are becoming increasingly difficult to game, making it easier to weed out candidates who may misrepresent themselves.

According to the HBR article, the tests employers use today focus on three major areas: Competence, Work Ethic, and Emotional Intelligence. Competency includes expertise, experience, and ability to be trained; Work Ethic addresses reliability, ambition, and integrity; Emotional Intelligence covers self-management, social skills, and political (organizational) skills.

Résumés, aptitude tests, situational interviews are tools employers use to evaluate competency. I think that accomplishments and achievements–especially if they can be quantified–speak loudly and go a long way to measure not only competency but the capability to contribute to the higher strategic objectives of the organization. Employers will use references, personality tests, and peer evaluations to assess a candidate’s work ethic. Different types of interviews (think-aloud protocols, situational interviews/values, simulations) and personality tests are common assessment tools.

Rest assured, your assessment scores are not the only criteria for evaluating whether you continue forward in the hiring process. They are used primarily to establish a baseline or threshold to determine the candidate short list. One of the most important factors is your likeability, and there aren’t any assessments for that. It’s how the hiring manager feels about how well you’d fit in with the existing team, department, or organization. And as I write in my new book, Strategic Career Engagement: The Definitive Guide for Getting Hired and Promoted, many times the hiring manager’s intuition, gut instinct, or determination of “personal chemistry” with a candidate may override any difference in assessment scores with other candidates.