How are Your Telephone Skills?

Polishing your telephone skills
By, Cecile Peterkin

Does the thought of a telephone job interview make you nervous? Do you dread making business calls? Does taking part in a conference call stress you out?

You are not alone! Many of us prefer face-to-face communication; however, telephone communication is becoming more popular than ever before. As more of us work from home, deal with global colleagues and clients, and apply for jobs overseas, phone usage is on the rise. Your telephone skills have become a marketing tool.

The first few moments on the phone are crucial. There are statistics that show people develop a perception about you within the first 30 seconds of a phone call and their final opinion of you in the last 30 seconds. With this in mind, make sure the first and last things you say are memorable. During interviews, business, and conference calls phone time is often tight – don’t waste it – keep your answers short and relevant. Use active listening so you are aware of not only what the other participants are saying but how they say it and make sure the person is with you at each stage. The way you speak over the telephone conveys 85% of your message. Focus your voice effectively.

Before the call:
· Make sure you are prepared.
· Have all materials at hand and know the key points you want to cover.
· If calling from home, dress smartly for the call. It will boost your confidence.
· Minimize distractions; close your inbox and call from a quiet & private environment.
· Check for phone clarity.
· Use a headset if you can, and make sure it’s comfortable.
· Have the correct name of the person you are calling.
· At the start of the conversation, set out what the objectives of the call will be.
· Visualize the person you are speaking to, even if you don’t know them. This is a reminder you are in a two-way communication.
· Smile - Smiling changes the tone of your voice. Try standing up - standing can help you feel more authoritative.
· Speak clearly, slowly, and purposefully.
· Take notes if you have to.
· Do not multitask; focus on the call.
· Use the other person’s name when appropriate.
· When you are listening make the other person aware you are there, use statements such as “I see”, “Right”, “Ok”.

Remember! The phone doesn’t have to be a nightmare.

Cecile Peterkin is the is the President and Founder of Cosmic Coaching Centre, and publishes “Recipes for Success”, a Free monthly ezine on living your best life both personally and professionally.

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Read the above tips carefully. Dress for success even if you are on the phone. Your attitude comes the telephone lines. Put a mirror near your phone if you need to in order to make sure you are smiling.

Good luck in your job search!!

Fran Watson

The Organized Job Search

Start With A Resume Click Here!
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The Organized Job Search
By Janet Barclay, MVA


Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work quickly, feel they can’t afford to take the time to get organized. On the other hand, conducting your job search in an organized manner will reduce the amount of time you spend looking for information, following inappropriate leads, or waiting for your dream job to fall into your lap. It generally takes at least a month to find an entry-level job, and as much as nine months for one requiring a high level of skill and experience. Getting organized before you begin your job search can ultimately save you a lot of time and frustration.

You should take several preliminary steps before you even begin your active job search. Start by identifying your skills, interests, target market, and any child care, transportation, or other issues that you will need to keep in mind. A career or employment counsellor can be very helpful in this area, as well as with the preparation of your resume, cover letters, and any other job search materials you will need.

Once you’re ready to face the job market, there are three areas where you’ll find it beneficial to be well organized: your schedule, your workspace, and your contacts.

Your Schedule
First, you must decide how much time you can realistically commit to your job search on a weekly basis, and then create a weekly schedule of activities. Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job is in itself a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to reading and applying for advertised positions, but be sure to allow plenty of time for other job search activities such as making telephone calls, generating and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for follow up, writing thank you notes or other correspondence, and visiting placement offices, employment agencies, or other service providers. The percentage of time you dedicate to each activity depends on what is most effective for your field of work or geographical area, so it may be worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked for them.

Most people perform different activities more effectively at different times of day. Take your natural energy flow, as well as the availability of quiet time for conducting research and telephone calls, into consideration when planning your schedule. If quiet time is not available at home during the daytime or evening, an employment resource center can be an invaluable resource.

Keep your personal preferences in mind when planning your activities. For example, if you dislike talking on the telephone, it may be less stressful for you to get your calls out of the way before beginning your other activities, or to intersperse your phone calls between other activities so you don’t become overwhelmed.

If you’re planning to drop off unsolicited resumes, map out a route of targeted businesses that are in a particular area, and plan to cover the entire area in one day. This will cut down on your travel time and expenses as well as the number of times you need to dress up.

Keeping a log of the actual time you spend on each activity will allow you to see whether you are on track and to identify any problem areas. It’s not uncommon to become frustrated and depressed when you’re out of work, so be sure to schedule regular time for self-care and other personal activities like going to the gym or the hairstylist.

Your Workspace
At a minimum, you need a chair and a desk or table with plenty of space for you to work with your information, make and receive telephone calls, and plan your job search. All necessary supplies should be stored close by, including paper, pens, index cards, paperclips, staples, and your telephone directory. During your job search, you’ll likely accumulate various versions of your resume and cover letter, job postings, company profiles, advertisements, and business cards, but they will be of no value to you if you can’t find what you need. A binder or filing system, sorting the information into topics, will allow you to refer quickly to both the job posting and that specific application when you receive a telephone call from a prospective employer. It will also allow you to find easily any other information you may have gathered about the organization before your interview.

You may find it beneficial to have an alternate job search office such as your local library or employment centre, where you can research, read, and write without the distractions you may encounter at home. Many are equipped with computers that you can use for Internet job search as well as resume and cover letter preparation, which can be a great benefit if you don’t have a home computer or must share it with other family members. If you plan to use this type of service on a regular basis, you’ll a portfolio or briefcase to hold your job search material, including your resume in printed form and on a diskette, your calendar, and a notebook for jotting down leads and ideas. Most facilities do not allow you to receive telephone calls, so be sure that potential employers can reach you by voice mail, pager or cell phone.

Of course, you’ll need a calendar for marking down job interviews and other important meetings. You’ll also need a system for keeping track of your job applications. This information will help you to follow up on the contacts you make.

Your Contacts
During your job search, you will probably communicate with hundreds, if not thousands, of people, but in order to make effective use of the network you develop, you’ll need a way to keep track of all your contacts.

The simplest method is a card file system with a card for each contact. Each card should include the contact’s name, title, organization, address, telephone number, fax, and email address; as well as the source of the lead, and dates and details of any conversations, correspondence, or interviews. You may find it helpful to set up a recipe box with a set of dividers labelled with the days of the week and a set numbered 1-31 for the days of the month. You can file each card under the date you wish to contact that person. For example, you may speak with someone on the 10th who suggests that you call him or her in two weeks. After noting the information on the index card, file it in the section for the 25th where it will serve as a reminder for you to follow up.

There are wonderful software programs available that can help you with organizing your job search contacts. WinWay Resume, for example, has a section for storing contact information that you can merge with your cover letter. ACT! allows you to schedule tasks and reminders as well as perform mail merges. If you don’t wish to buy or learn a new software package, email address books in Outlook, Outlook Express or in free Web-based email packages are also an excellent way to keep track of your contacts. However, unless you have unrestricted access to a computer, or a portable system such as a Palm Pilot, you won’t be always able to access the information. The key features of any organizational system are ease of recording and ease of retrieval. If using an electronic system will make your job search more complicated and time-consuming, don’t use it.

Job searching can be overwhelming, but when you organize your schedule, workspace, and contacts effectively, you’ll be able to stay on track and find your new job more quickly.



Janet Barclay, Master Virtual Assistant and founder of Organized Assistant, provides administrative assistance and website services to career professionals and other small business clients. Learn more about Janet and her business by visiting her website http://www.organizedassistant.com and her blog http://www.janetbarclay.com. To receive monthly tips for Maximizing Your Time and Space, request a subscription to her ezine, The Organized Assistant Resource.

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Good luck in your job search
Fran

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P.S. Need a Resume?? Click Here!
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Interview Tips

As a Career/Employment Counsellor and Workshop Developer/Facilitator who has been working in the employment field for the past 17 years, I can help you with some interview tips and techniques.

Perhaps it has been some time since you have had an interview. Perhaps you think you can ace an interview. Whatever your current status, you may find these tips helpful.

Your resume is like an advertising flyer. It is what gets you in the door. If you have been job searching for a while and have not been having any luck, maybe it is your resume.

However if you have been getting interviews, but not the job, then it may be your interview techniques.

Common Job Interview Questions

By rehearsing interview questions, you'll become more familiar with your own qualifications and will be well prepared to demonstrate how you can benefit an employer. Some examples:

"Tell me about yourself."

Make a short, organized statement of your education and professional achievements and professional goals. Then, briefly describe your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the organization.

"Why do you want to work here?" or "What about our company interests you?"

Few questions are more important than these, so it is important to answer them clearly and with enthusiasm. Show the interviewer your interest in the company. Share what you learned about the job, the company and the industry through your own research. Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company. Unless you work in sales, your answer should never be simply: "money." The interviewer will wonder if you really care about the job.

"Why did you leave your last job?"

The interviewer may want to know if you had any problems on your last job. If you did not have any problems, simply give a reason, such as: relocated away from job; company went out of business; laid off; temporary job; no possibility of advancement; wanted a job better suited to your skills. If you did have problems, be honest. Show that you can accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes. You should explain any problems you had (or still have) with an employer, but don't describe that employer in negative terms. Demonstrate that it was a learning experience that will not affect your future work.

"What are your best skills?"

If you have sufficiently researched the organization, you should be able to imagine what skills the company values. List them, then give examples where you have demonstrated these skills.

"What is your major weakness?"

Be positive; turn a weakness into a strength. For example, you might say: "I often worry too much over my work. Sometimes I work late to make sure the job is done well."

"Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?"

The ideal answer is one of flexibility. However, be honest. Give examples describing how you have worked in both situations.

"What are your career goals?" or "What are your future plans?"

The interviewer wants to know if your plans and the company's goals are compatible. Let him know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead. Talk about your desire to learn more and improve your performance, and be specific as possible about how you will meet the goals you have set for yourself.

"What are your hobbies?" and "Do you play any sports?"

The interviewer may be looking for evidence of your job skills outside of your professional experience. For example, hobbies such as chess or bridge demonstrate analytical skills. Reading, music, and painting are creative hobbies. Individual sports show determination and stamina, while group sport activities may indicate you are comfortable working as part of a team. Also, the interviewer might simply be curious as to whether you have a life outside of work. Employees who have creative or athletic outlets for their stress are often healthier, happier and more productive.

"What salary are you expecting?"

You probably don't want to answer this one directly. Instead, deflect the question back to the interviewer by saying something like: "I don't know. What are you planning on paying the best candidate?" Let the employer make the first offer. However, it is still important to know what the current salary range is for the profession. Find salary surveys at the library or on the Internet, and check the classifieds to see what comparable jobs in your area are paying. This information can help you negotiate compensation once the employer makes an offer.

"What have I forgotten to ask?"

Use this as a chance to summarize your good characteristics and attributes and how they may be used to benefit the organization. Convince the interviewer that you understand the job requirements and that you can succeed.

Here are some other job interview questions you might want to rehearse.

Your Qualifications

What can you do for us that someone else can't do?

What qualifications do you have that relate to the position??

What new skills or capabilities have you developed recently?

Give me an example from a previous job where you've shown initiative.

What have been your greatest accomplishments recently?

What is important to you in a job?

What motivates you in your work?

What have you been doing since your last job?

What qualities do you find important in a coworker?

Your Career Goals

What would you like to be doing five years from now?

How will you judge yourself successful? How will you achieve success?

What type of position are you interested in?

How will this job fit in your career plans?

What do you expect from this job?

Do you have a location preference?

Can you travel?

What hours can you work?

When could you start?

Your Work Experience

What have you learned from your past jobs?

What were your biggest responsibilities?

What specific skills acquired or used in previous jobs relate to this position?

How does your previous experience relate to this position?

What did you like most / least about your last job?

Whom may we contact for references?

Your Education

How do you think your education has prepared you for this position?

What were your favourite classes / activities at school?

Why did you choose your major?

Do you plan to continue your education?

Websites with Interview INFO

http://www.careercc.com/interv3.shtml


http://www.job-interview.net/Bank/JobInterviewQuestions.htm



http://www.danenet.wicip.org/jets/jet-9407-p.html

Free Resume Information

http://www.umn.edu/ohr/ecep/resume

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/career/resume.html

http://www.rileyguide.com

http://jobstar.org/tools/resume.index.cfm

www.ersumes.com

www.damngood.com/introjobseeker.html

www.scu.edu/careercenter/resources/publications/resumes.pdf

Here is a FREE article on Killer Cover Letters by Jimmy Sweeney with my compliments

Come back and check for updates.

It's A Matter of Attitude

Some jobs can be very relaxed and some jobs can be very stressful, and sometimes your attitude is what can make the difference in whether you are content or discontent.

Our workplace, like many others, is going through some significant changes which have thrown the workers into a bit of a downturn with regard to morale. I have been one of those who has suffered some significant psychological distress over the situation, however this morning I remembered that the only one who can change my attitude is me.

I was thinking about a story that Zig Ziglar tells of a woman who hated everything about her job until he started asking her some questions such as, “Do you like getting a paycheck?” “Are you well paid for what you do?” and other questions which helped her to realize some of the benefits she had in her job. Now, some of the benefits that I had in my job have now disappeared and been replaced with tasks that must be performed, but I can either accept this and reduce my anxiety, or fight against it and suffer from increased blood pressure and more medication. My choice, which will it be???

What would you do??

Fran Watson

P.S. Looking for a job?

Personal Development

To attract attractive people, you must be attractive. To attract powerful people, you must be powerful. To attract committed people, you must be committed. Instead of going to work on them, you go to work on yourself. If you become, you can attract.
We can have more than we've got because we can become more than we are.

The big challenge is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit.

Pity the man who inherits a million dollars and who isn't a millionaire. Here's what would be pitiful: If your income grew and you didn't.

The most important question to ask on the job is not "What am I getting?" The most important question to ask on the job is "What am I becoming?"

It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.
After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what's important is not the million dollars; what's important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire.

Income seldom exceeds personal development.

What you become directly influences what you get.

Credit Statement to be included in Reprints:
These quotes are by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine, go to www.jimrohn.com or send a blank email to subscribe@jimrohn.com Excerpted from The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn. Copyright © 1994-2005 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.