What I love about the job interview is having a chance to see if my fantasy of the company is true. This time to meet, ask questions and share my ability gives me an invaluable opportunity to see if we are a good fit for each other. If you are clear about what you are seeking, confident in your SELF and respectful of their needs to find the right match, interviews are a fun and productive assessment process.

The interview is such a tremendous opportunity to:
• Honor your vision
• Let them see your strengths and your ability
• Get curious about their work
• Find out about their needs
• Demonstrate your ability to connect

Be open and honest. Speak from certainty. Connect with sincere interest. Use this opportunity to begin creating a relationship and gather information to assess the fit…for you & for them.

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Once you’ve done your research and preparation, take time to relax so you can be the most at ease during the interiew. Get there a couple minutes early to take a few breaths and center yourself.

Then:

• Greet them & acknowledge them for their work.
• Listen to find out more about what they are seeking AND what they value.
• Ask questions to learn more information.
• Demonstrate your ability by connecting on a personal, professional level.
• Help them see you as a part of the company.
• Participate in a two-way dialogue.
• Create a relationship of respect, enjoyment and rapport.

Believe it or not, interviews can be fun–even for introverts, newbies and post-prime transitioners.

Salary negotiation is a vital step in the job search process–and so important for your future with the company. Don’t take what they offer out of desperation. Better yet, take time to consider what you want & what you’re worth. Then, take get ready to negotiate. This is a fabulous opportunity to create a great position and a strong compensation.

1. Know the industry.
Your knowledge of competitive salaries in the field can be a real advantage to you.

2. Establish rapport.
Negotiating is a fabulous chance see how your employer will interact with you when you are an employee. Regardless of the outcome, this is a chance for both of you to see how you will navigate many negotiations throughout your work together.

3. Don’t take it personally.
Allow ‘yes’, ‘no’, or something else. This is a vital aspect of negotiating. Stay in conversation!!

4. Share why you want the job AND how your abilities will benefit them.
Let them know that you want to make it work for both of you.

5. Ask for what you want…. Remember what you need.
Be clear on your must-haves, know your areas of flexibility. Remember your bottom line while being respectful. Ask them for some of the ‘roadblocks’ they might have.

6. Let there be silence.
(Breathe.. remember, you are building trust).

7. When negotiating, consider phrases like…
— Ex: I’d really love to work with you and would like to make it work for both of us.
— Ex: Can we talk about some creative ways of making this work?
— Ex: I understand your challenges, and I appreciate your willingness to consider x, y, z.

8. Allow yourself time to think about it.
I’d love to think about this, can I get back to you (state when)? Then follow through.

9. Take a moment to reiterate your excitement with the possibility.

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And please remember, you will be negotiating, in various ways, throughout your employment with the company. This is a great time to find out how respectful and considerate your prospective employer will be.

Own your bragging rights! Demonstrate your excellence and expertise.

1. Don’t do this alone!
The biggest mistake is to try and capture your value alone. This is not a time to be timid or vague. Get a support team.

2. Create a format that spotlights your strengths.
Get a resume book or go-on line to find a template that grabs you. Leave lots of white space. Make sure it highlights your expertise. Create a long-form resume, then hone it for the position you seek. Meld bullet points with concise descriptive sentences (versus lengthy paragraphs).

3. Create a power-punch purpose (AKA the objective)
• What do you really aspire to do? And for what results?
• Who is your ideal target market?
If you write your resume without having a clear objective in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to those that read it.

PROMOTE YOUR STRENGTHS AND YOUR VALUE TO THEM

4. Focus and highlight your accomplishments
List 10 highlights of your accomplishments. Don’t get stuck in listing details–think big picture. Use numbers, names and $ when possible.

5. Name what you’re recognized for.
This is not a time to be shy. Dare to name it. If you don’t know, ask people who respect you. Even if it is a new arena to you, translate your skills to match their needs.

6. Use strong language that highlights your strengths and impact.
This is a great time to use the dictionary and the thesaurus. For example, words like ‘develop’ are simply not strong enough to demonstrate your expertise and ability.

7. Adapt your resume to MEET THE NEEDS of your prospective employer or client.
Once you have this LONG document, you can tailor each resume you send to match the needs of that particular company/organization.

Now that you’ve been asked in for an interview, take some time to consider these questions. They will help you align your passions and interest with the company’s needs. More importantly, it will provide you an opportunity to solidify your intentions so that you can relax and connect.

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1. What is your career desire/objective?

2. What is your criteria for a ‘good fit’?

Write your 5 ‘must haves’:

Write your 5 ‘will not accept’:

And now, your ‘maybes’:

3. What do you really respect and appreciate about the company?
Be succinct.

4. What would you like to know more about?
It is important to be curious about them. Examples of questions might include where they would like to be in 5 years, or how they see this position impacting the success of the company.

5. In what ways are you a good fit?
Align your goals and abilities to their needs.

6. What 2-3 stories can you share to demonstrate your strengths?

7. Prepare a few examples that demonstrate how you’ve overcome (or learned from) a perceived weakness or challenge.

8. And, oh yes, you might want to practice your handshake.

Finally, just breathe. Now that you’ve done your personal preparation, just remember— the interview is about creating a relationship with another person. You’re both there to see if you share a similar vision and common approach to getting there.

The cover letter is a fabulous way to begin to build a professional relationship with a prospective employer. Your cover letter gives you a great chance to reveal a bit of your personality and emphasize what you can contribute to the organization. Unfortunately, it is one of the most overlooked, underused elements of the career seeking process.

Within 2-3 paragraphs your ‘job’ is tell them how you can help them! Write it in your own words so that it sounds like you–not like something out of a book. Keep it short. Below are the three parts of a dynamic cover letter.

Don’t forget to USE A PROOF READER! AND, Let your personality come through.

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PART 1: Start with Them! WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT THE POSITION?
This is where your research comes in.Take time to find out about their work. Include your knowledge in your cover letter. It shows that you know who they are, what they do and why you have chosen them. Don’t go overboard–just make it clear that you didn’t pick this company out of the phone book.

If someone has referred you to the position, mention their name. Just make sure that you get their ‘okay’ before you do. In a tight career market, strong connections are key.

PART 2: WHY YOU? Highlight your accomplishments.
Meld their needs with your ability and interests. Use terms and phrases that are meaningful to the employer. (This is where your industry research and networking come in.) If you are applying for an advertised position, use the requirements in the ad and incorporate their language.

PART 3: CLOSE WITH AN ACTIVE ROLE IN YOUR NEXT STEP.
Instead of writing that you ‘hope to hear from them’, consider how you can get in the driver’s seat and take the lead. For example, you might say, “I will give you a call and follow up next week”, and then make sure you do. If you have reference letters, add them to your ‘packet’.

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Just remember, your cover letter is your chance to let them see a glimpse of your personality, your ability and your interest in them.

5:30— Meet and greet with other small business owners
6:00– Seminar with Carolyn Campbell

For those you who want to boost your comfort, ease and success speaking in public, join Carolyn Campbell for this interactive evening to learn simple tools to present with impact–authentically and powerfully.

Inspire. Engage. Connect.

For more information about Carolyn’s work visit www.thecoresource.com.

If mission statements are so important, why do people avoid writing them like the plague? To start with, many people get stumped by the ‘have it all’ factor- thinking if they are everything to all people, they will get more business. Others shy away from taking a stand to avoid alienating certain people or being ostracized by others. And sadly, many people have participated in mission seeking processes that beat the life out of their dream.

There is a better approach! A compelling, inspiring mission doesn’t need to explain everything, it simply ignites curiosity and creates a common purpose.

Here’s a curious thing; businesses and organizations who have a powerful, inspiring mission achieve their goals in most unbelievable ways. Even when they are a bit shaky on their vision and their business structure, their passion and conviction inspires people to help them fill in the gaps and provide the needed support.

It is quite beguiling. What makes these organizations different? Their mission offers a story that resonates with our most fundamental human desires and deep yearnings in our life. They touch the heart and offer hope. Using stories brings the core essence of your work to the surface very quickly. Even more importantly, they encapsulate the most potent reason for your work.

Many people ask “how can we use story to create our mission?”

First, whether you are an individual or an organization, bring people together who will share inspiring stories that demonstrate the impact of your work. These stories will help you shape a mission that ignites interest and compels action.

Recently I worked with the Albany Cancer Resource Center, a newly formed non-profit board serving women undergoing treatment for cancer. Each board member shared why they felt the center was critical to their community. They were all committed to providing a local resource center so women undergoing treatment wouldn’t have to leave the comfort and haven of their community.

We then asked each person to share a brief story about a life experience they had– as a chemo patient, a caregiver, or a health care provider. We took a few minutes to discuss ways the center could provide the comfort and support needed to stay within the community.

One woman shared the challenges she endured through multiple breast surgeries while trying to maintain her job. She shared how, during an important meeting, the socks she used to stuff her bra became dislodged and were poking outside her blouse throughout the meeting. She laughed as she shared how her boss would give her little ’signals’ to let her know to tuck them back in. She wished that she had the support of healers and hairstylists who could help her adapt her image as her hair fell and how to maintain her feminine identity- an aspect of her care that most doctors didn’t know how to do.

Next, a therapist shared the unspoken grief of a family who were so engulfed in grief and fear of losing their mother, that they didn’t know what to do. She talked about the potential impact of creating a local support group so families could be with others facing similar emotional challenges.

The last story was told by a nurse, who quietly shared the deep emotions shared by her entire team when a woman dies, or a woman comes back and thanks them. “It would be wonderful,” she said, “if there was a support group for caregivers.” With each story, you could feel the conviction deepen, the value and need enriched.

As people told their stories, we each wrote down words or phrases that inspired us, adjectives that described the person’s experience. We then read the words out loud, notating the number of times a word was used. We took time to appreciate this rich patina of language. Each person then wrote a sentence, or two, incorporating these words to describe the intention for the organization. Some were stronger in the beginning, others in the end. The language was ripe with need, purpose and personal connection. The executive director gathered all the statements, and crafted a final version to share with her board.

If you have your own business, consider bringing together clients, colleagues and others who believe in your work and your vision. They can often find the words that elude you, the statements that reflect you. And when you’re done, send them your statement, and you too can have a team of invaluable supporters!

For those of you who are stressing about a dip in the economy consider this: Some of the most enduring businesses were started, and expanded in times of economic downturn.

Being a small business owner is a terrifically rewarding experience or a terrifying roller coaster of fear. By taking the time to create a strong foundation, connect with your clients and build lasting, intentional relationships you can create a lasting, successful business that endures the tests of time. Don’t let drama of news headlines send you into a reactive zone. Instead, pay full attention to what you do, connect with those who you serve, benefits of your service or product. MOST IMPORTANT, build relationships of common purpose and core values.

Here are a few tips to consider to ‘recession proof’ your business.

1. Name how your product or service is important to your clients, today.
Be specific. Take time to address the issues your clients are facing and demonstrate your understanding and ability to address their concerns and needs.

Here are a few examples:
** Why is a massage important when people are facing greater financial strain?
** How can financial planning help them get through this tough time?
** How can teen leadership be off greater value to corporate donors?

By addressing the factors that are impacting their life you demonstrate your appreciation knowledge of their challenges and provide practical tools to improve their quality of life.

2. Offer Outstanding Customer Service
Honestly, whether or not it is a ‘down’ economy, please, building strong customer relationships should be central to your business. As I travel throughout the country, I am shocked at the lack of true customer care. If you simply provide personable and honoring service, your business is already ahead of most.

I recently read “Little Giants. Companies Who Choose to be Great Rather than Big.” This is a fabulous book for those who want to be inspired to create a successful business/organization with intention. One company referred to their commitment as enlightened customer service. He shares how, although he can teach people the skills of customer care, the desire to truly be in service are a special quality. Please, value your customers. They are indeed precious!

During a down economy, people are less willing to take ‘risks’ with new people. Having your clients refer people to you is a tremendous mark of trust. Make sure you respond with a thank you!

3. Offer options for clients to maximize their resources.
In a weak economy, offering options, or levels of service is a great way to expand the potential of clients to work with you. Get innovative in your packaging of your services for greater affordability. Demonstrate that you understand their need for to creative with their finances. For example, you might offer a group program, a discount for a series of treatments, or a self-learning program. Just make sure you’re not doing it from a place of fear—thinking that if you don’t offer a bargain people won’t work with you.

4. Focus your outreach. Go public. Be seen. Gain valuable visibility.
One of most important things a business can do is to focus your attention on intentional and specific outreach and marketing. Start by identifying organizations who are respected and serve a common client community. Publish articles or other materials to demonstrate your expertise. Connect in a public forum to demonstrate your expertise in your arena.Step outside of your comfort zone and d are to lead than to follow. By gaining visibility, people have a chance to experience you and your work before committing their limited finances.

5. Stay Informed
If you are like most people, you are content with the status quo until something disturbs it. Now is the time to stay informed! Make sure that you are not reacting to the media or the ‘fears’ that run rampant. Talk to business leaders you respect. Read business management books. Experiment. Solicit feedback from your workers and customers. Stay focused on your mission, clear on your vision and connect with intention.

Thursday, August 14th: 5:30 - 7:00
Where: CFM Design Group, Tigard OR (contact barbara@cjhurley.com for directions)

5:30 — social time
6:00 — Seminar

If you are a designer, or if you work with designers, don’t miss this special outreach-focused seminar providing personal ways to connect with community partners and clients. What’s extra special? Come and enjoy fabulous salmon as you mingle with artisans from diverse businesses.

What’s extra special is that it is NWSID’s signature summer event. Enjoy fabulous salmon as you mingle with artisans from diverse businesses.

To get more information, contact Barbara at barbara@cjhurley.com

Have you ever had milk toast? If not, you haven’t missed much. When I was a kid and came down with the flu, my mother would make her special ‘treat’ of toasted white bread soaked in hot milk with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a pad of butter. She says its warm, mild, soothing ingredients got us back to health and comforted our spirit. In truth, it was probably her test to see if we really were sick. Who else would actually ask for something that soggy and bland?

This soggy dish did, however, inspire a comic strip character named Milquetoast, known for his meek and unassertive traits. Why is this relevant for you? Well, I am continually amazed by how often dynamic people turn to milquetoast when the public lens is turned on them. When it happens, it can feel tremendously frustrating and personally deflating.

If we want our work to have impact, if we want our words to be heard, it is essential that we dismiss Mr. Milquetoast and let a stronger, more vital voice come to the table. I recently met with a talented young man who is passionate about his work. During our conversation, he was articulate and inspiring. I had no doubt that he was extremely competent and had significant impact with his students. When I asked him how I could be of assistance he said, “I’m not creating the partnerships we need for my program to truly succeed.”

He then showed me his numerous brochures and his web site. I smiled politely, but inside I was thinking, “He is so dynamic. Why are these so bland and vague?” I then asked him about his connections with community partners. As soon as we began, he started to slump a bit and his words began to drift.

Whoa! What was going on here? He was passionate and articulate just a few minutes earlier. I asked him what was different from when we first started talking. “Honestly,” he said. “You expressed sincere interest in me. When I’m not sure if people are interested, I get really vague and disconnected.”

Sound familiar? Here’s the catch. If you wait until they-whoever ‘they’ is at the time- give you permission to fully come alive and share your wisdom, your timidity will prevent your story, your vision, and your ability to make a difference from being heard. This is not to say that you need be loud and brassy, in fact, please don’t. What it means is that you allow your fullest, most daring self to speak with the passion and enthusiasm you have for your vision.

My invitation: dare to be seen and heard. Trust in your vision. Let others feel your passion. As you do so, consider what I call the ‘so what’ factor.

Why is this relevant to them? What is the relevance here? Why is it vital today? Provide engaging stories that relate to your reader or listener and address the current news or life trends.

You don’t have to be funny or clever. You don’t have to be witty or pithy.

Just dare to connect your passion with their needs. Remember, it’s not about you. You are simply the conduit that inspires connection, reflection, and intentional action. All it takes is to have the courage to start the conversation and leave the milquetoast at home!