============================================== "Achieve Your Dreams" - Volume 3, January 2004 ============================================== Greetings and Happy New Year! Welcome to "Achieve Your Dreams", a bi-monthly newsletter for people with a dream - - whether it's accelerating a career, changing careers, building a business, securing a new job, achieving that long-desired goal, or discovering a new life vision and direction. Each newsletter will offer 1-2 noteworthy articles, a section on "Office Happenings" and "Helpful Resources", and some favorite quotes and sayings to motivate and inspire you. In this issue: 1. "Ace The Interview Before It Begins" 2. "A Trip Down Memory Lane" 3. Office Happenings (Inclusion in an upcoming publication) 4. Helpful Resources (A MUST-READ for the Small Business Owner) 5. Favorite Quotes Feel free to forward this to those you believe would find it useful. Feedback is encouraged and appreciated. If there is a specific topic you'd like covered, please send the suggestion to me via the e-mail address below. Enjoy ... ================================== Ace the Interview Before It Begins ================================== Sweaty palms, a nervous twitch, parched lips, or words that just won't come - does that sound familiar? No, you're not about to perform before an audience of 20,000 adoring fans! You're driving into the parking lot anticipating your upcoming interview for a new job. What's the key to minimizing your fear and feeling in control of the interview? Preparation and practice, practice, practice are KEYS to successful interviewing. Even the most seasoned professional develops a solid interview strategy and prepares adequately to avoid an interrogation by an untrained interviewer. Don't make the mistake of comparing the "gift of gab" with well-honed interview skills. Remember... there is no such thing as an innocent question. You are being judged from the moment you walk in the door or speak on the telephone until the instant you are offered the job. Here are some tips to help you prepare and "ace" the interview before it even begins: -> Conduct focused research on each targeted company Once you land an interview, research the targeted organization thoroughly. Focus completely on the company's needs, not your own. Study the corporate website and read the Annual Report, executive bios, company mission statement, and other important information. Use the local library to learn more, stop in personally and ask for company brochures and other available marketing materials, and contact inside sources to learn about critical issues, concerns, or projects your targeted department might be facing. It's critical to know as much or more about the company than the person who interviews you. It is shocking to learn that many job seekers are not completely sure what the company does when they arrive for an interview! This simple, return on investment interview strategy sets you apart from the crowd from the beginning. -> Know your résumé inside out Develop a core message based on your value and capabilities and adjust that message to fit each company's need. Know your résumé inside out and prepare several success stories to support every point listed. Make sure your stories incorporate the CAR format (Challenge, Action, Result) and include an appropriate mix of "I" versus "We" phrases. With a strong arsenal of examples, you can adjust rapidly to almost any interview question and quantify, build, or adjust your answers to highlight your best skills and accomplishments. Think of questions you will probably be asked and prepare solid answers based on the benefits you will bring to the organization. Identify questions you do NOT want to be asked, and prepare a strategy to address each question with a positive, confident response. Finally, define a response to "Tell me about yourself" based on your skills and achievements that match the needs of the company. This is your 90-second "commercial" that sets the tone for the interview. Practice with a family member, friend or coach until you sound natural, positive, and comfortable. -> "Good hours, excellent pay, fun place to work, paid training, mean boss. Oh well, four out of five isn't bad!" -- Help Wanted Ad, PA newspaper, 1994 Don't ever forget... you are interviewing the company for a good "fit" as much as they are interviewing you. Develop five to six intelligent questions to ask the interviewer that show insight and interest in the company's goals and strategy - never about vacation, wages, or benefits. You will only have the opportunity to ask a few good questions, so prepare adequately in case some are covered during the interview. For an in-person meeting, take a dry run simulating interview day traffic and plan on arriving approximately 10 minutes early. Have your interview clothes dry cleaned (sealed in a bag if you smoke) and your shoes polished. If you are unsure about appropriate attire for the interview, drive to the company parking lot and watch how employees are dressed as they arrive for work. Then dress one level up from what you see. Or make a simple phone call and ask the receptionist for advice. In closing, remember - "A" players are the ones who can exude enthusiasm, give concrete examples of their achievements, articulately describe the value they will bring to a company, and present a positive, can-do attitude. Ace YOUR next interview before it begins! =================================================== TOP 12 MILESTONES: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE CAN ADD MOMENTUM FOR THE MILES AHEAD =================================================== 2004 will undoubtedly bring a rash of New Year's Resolutions (both career and personal) as many people look forward to a fresh start and clean slate. Some of us love to make resolutions; others happily dismiss them as an unnecessary evil. Whatever your opinion about Resolutions and looking forward, consider instead the benefits of first looking back and identifying your Milestones and Memorable Moments. Those milestones and memorable moments can be incredibly validating and provide enormous momentum for the miles ahead. Here are 12 Milestones/Memorable Moments to ponder. Take some time to write them down... they may give you cause for celebration! Milestone #1 - Accomplishments. What did you accomplish this past year that you are most proud of? Momentum is a byproduct of accomplishments. Look to your accomplishments - big or small - to see where you've made progress and built momentum. What elements did you have in place so you could achieve those accomplishments? Milestone #2 - Obstacles. What obstacles or fears did you overcome this year? What challenges did you conquer? Sometimes a breakthrough is all we need to propel ourselves forward to new opportunities. What motivated you to break through those fears? Who celebrated with you? Milestone #3 - Improvements. What improvements or opportunities did you capitalize on in 2003? Perhaps you committed to doing things a little differently. What caused you to want to change? How have these changes benefited you? Milestone #4 - Insights. What insights did you gain about your career/life this past year? Learning and growth stem from being aware of thoughts and behaviors. What are you aware of today about yourself that you weren't aware of at the beginning of the year? How will you use those insights to propel yourself forward? Milestone #5 - People. Who made the most positive impact on your life and career this year? We are inextricably connected to others, whether from working on a team, being coached or mentored, taking a class from an industry leader, reading inspirational material by your favorite author, etc. After you identify those person(s) in your life that positively impacted you, think about what you can do to attract similar people to your life in 2004. Milestone #6 - Impacts. What positive impact did you make on others this past year? Consider the benefits you've brought to your family, friends, boss, coworkers, colleagues, vendors, or customers. There's huge satisfaction in knowing that you've had a positive effect on someone else's life. Milestone #7 - Courage. How did you show courage this year? Merriam-Webster defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty." Who or what stretched you the most this year that enabled you to act courageously? How can you leverage that courage to face new challenges? Milestone #8 - Value. How did you add value to your career or business this past year? Maybe you've added a new skill to your toolbox or learned new communication or time management techniques. How has your employer (or clients) benefited from this value? Milestone #9 - Disappointments. Disappointments are an unavoidable part of life. What was disappointing to you this past year? What can you do to avoid repeating similar disappointments? Who knew the depth of your disappointment? Milestone #10 - Mistakes. "To err is to be human..." Mistakes give us the opportunity to learn, grow and do better next time. What are some mistakes that you made or tried out this past year that you DO NOT want to repeat? Who will hold you accountable? Milestone #11 - Gratitude. For what, are you most truly thankful? Who or what brought you the most delight/laughter/love this past year? An attitude of gratitude can be one of the most powerful success tools you possess. Rather than focusing on what's wrong, focus on what's right. It takes just as much energy to focus on the positives as it does the negatives - it's a matter of choice! Milestone #12 - Success. What's your definition of success? People define success in a number of ways. In the end, the definitions seem to boil down to doing what's important and brings joy to you while adding value to others. In your life this past year, what have you done that's important to you? If at the end of each day you can point to some activity that was significant to you and created value for others, you can consider yourself a success. Now that's empowering! Enjoy your trip down memory lane... and may the miles ahead be filled with great views, good company, and more meaningful milestones. ================= OFFICE HAPPENINGS ================= Once again I'm thrilled to announce that my work has been chosen for inclusion in an upcoming publication, "Gallery of Best Cover Letters - 2nd Edition" by David Noble. This book will have a wonderful selection of cover letters written by professional resume writers, along with a section highlighting unique and well-written resumes. Look for it's release in mid-summer. ================= HELPFUL RESOURCES ================= If you are a small business owner committed to the growth and success of your business in 2004, or a soon-to-be solo-preneur ready to take the plunge and start the business of your dreams, or a burned-out business owner ready to trash it all and re-enter the corporate world, then I have a MUST READ book for you. It's called "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What To Do About It" by Michael E. Gerber. It's an OUTSTANDING book that describes precisely why small businesses fail and how to get back on track or at least start your business off on the right foot. Michael's philosophy is that business owners need to make sure they are consistently working ON their businesses, not just IN them. And he teaches you how to make sure YOU'RE running your business instead of your business running you. The book can be read in a weekend and I guarantee you will be engrossed from start to finish. If you are currently running your own business or contemplating starting one, do not delay. Pick up this book TODAY! =============== FAVORITE QUOTES =============== "Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." -- Winston Churchill "Opportunities are often things you haven't noticed the first time around." -- Catherine Deneuve "Progress always involves risk. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first." -- Frederick B. Wilson "When you have found your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall." -- C. S. Lewis "Let your hook be always cast. In the stream where you least expect it, there will be a fish." -- Ovid In support of you, Jeanne ** If you would like someone added to this newsletter distribu- tion list, please forward their name and e-mail address to me. They will be added promptly. ** If you would like to be removed from this list, please reply to me via this e-mail address. I will remove your name promptly.