Skype Interview Mastery

Written by Melissa Anzman

There are so many new ways to interview these days, that having a Skype interview is most likely going to happen during your job hunt. I had my first one about four years ago and I remember being completely freaked out about the whole situation. Since then, I’ve had many Skype interviews and have been the one conducting them as well. Here are a few tips to help you ace your next one.

How to Ace Your Skype Interview

Do a test run.

Before every single interview, test your technology. I cannot stress this enough. Just because Skype worked perfectly yesterday, does not mean that it will be functional when you need it (speaking from experience here). And let's not forget that lately, Skype has been notorious for pushing out updates that take ages to populate on your machine.

Do a quick video chat with a friend about 20 minutes before your interview to test everything out, so you’re set to go before the interview - or at a minimum, do a test run with yourself to make sure you can a) open/access Skype; b) have a stable connection; c) nothing looks ridiculous in the background. 

Keep your Skype name professional.

Same principles apply as using a ridiculous email address on your resume. Your user-name should be your name or some variation of it, to make it easy and professional. If you have to set-up a new “job interview/professional” account, do it – it’s simple and free.

I once interviewed a great candidate, who's Skype name was something like... "partyhardyo" - let's just say I was a bit skeptical when it came time to interview her.

Pay attention to your background setting.

Since we typically Skype with friends and family, our surroundings are usually not the main focus. But remember, just like a phone interview, this is an impression situation – you only have a few seconds to make the strongest impression via the screen, so make sure that you have planned everything.

You don’t need to redo your office to make it designer-ready, just be sure to remove any offensive materials behind you. Think: posters, post-it notes, clutter, and so on. Test what is seen through your webcam and make sure it looks decent and comes off as professional, clean and put together.

I'll give you a personal example here - I was going a video interview last year with our very own Paul Angone, and he started laughing when he could finally see me. In the place I was renting, there was a stuffed animal moose head on the wall above me - not really the look I was going for. Be sure you test those things as well - and take a screenshot if needed, so you are able to review everything the interviewer can see.

Professional on the top, party on the bottom.

Just like a mullet, your shirt (top) needs to be business professional clothes, but there can be a party in back (bottom). This is an INTERVIEW. Wear a top that you would wear to an in-person interview such as a suit coat, button-up, etc.

No one can see below your waist, so no need to go all out. It actually helps me calm down knowing that I’m wearing silly pajama pants with a blazer. Do not forget that this interview should be taken seriously and make sure your top-half is groomed accordingly.

And I can't believe I have to remind you, but please do your normal grooming routine - make sure your hair looks presentable. I was interviewing another candidate who was a front-runner for the role, but when we had our Skype interview, she looked like she just rolled out of bed (hair was in serious award-winning bed-head style). I know it isn't always fun or easy to get ready for a 30 minute call, but it will be well worth it.

Figure out where to look.

Skype is strange – it’s hard to figure out where you’re supposed to look on the screen. If you look at the person on your screen, you’re looking down to the person on the other side. That’s ok – the person on the other side is struggling with the same thing as well.

I would advise sitting a bit further away from the camera (if you can), so you can do a better job at looking at the camera and the person. If you need to choose one, I tend to vote for looking at the camera – it’s easier to make a connection on the other end, and is closest to eye contact in an in-person conversation.

And while we're talking about where to look, make sure you position your camera appropriately: you want it at least eye-level to you, but having the camera slightly higher than you - looking down, gives you a better angle. Alas, remember the lighting too - I always look like I'm in the witness protection program when I go with natural light in my home... make sure you don't do that too! If so, I've found that placing a bright light right in front of the camera so you're basically staring into it, sheds the best light and gets me out of shadow. Try a few different angles in your workspace too.

Remember there is a camera on.

I am sure you’ve all heard the funny and scary things that have been captured on a webcam when the owner forgot the camera was on. Don’t be one of those videos on YouTube. Please. Right before and right after the interview, people tend to forget that they are on candid camera and either say or do silly things, forgetting that someone is on the other line.

I’ve seen people fixing their hair, flossing, using the webcam like a mirror to make sure they are prettied up, commenting on how it went (or their opinion about the interviewer… ahem, me), and so on. Remember that the camera is on and someone is watching you. Wow, that just turned a bit Big Brother, but I think you know what I mean.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a Skype interview can really work in your favor. You’re able to get across so much more about who you are live via video versus a phone call. Be you, let your personality shine through, and remain calm at all costs. Part of the lore of doing Skype interviews for hiring managers, is that they are very uncomfortable.

I’m not going to lie – I think it’s super strange that you’re interviewing and seeing someone in their own personal space. It’s awkward and surreal at first – how you manage that, is exactly what they’re looking for.

Remember that they are trying to gauge the following from you: your skills, your personality, how you engage others under pressure, what your “space” looks and feels like, cultural fit with the manager and company, and your skills. Good luck and keep Skyping!

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

Planning Advice from My Barista

Written by Melissa Anzman

I was talking to my local barista yesterday morning about her summer plans - with snow still falling every other day, I needed something fun and exciting to look forward to. She said, “I’m not really sure what I’ll be doing this summer, but I KNOW I’ll be in Australia next summer.”

Um... huh?

Me: “That’s awesome... but, um, how do you know what you’ll be doing next summer without plans for this one?”

Barista: “I’ve always been a future planner - I can’t manage the day-to-day well, but give me a year or more out and I know exactly what I’ll be doing.

Huh. That confused me on so many levels. You see, I’m not really a future planner - I can’t create a 5-year plan to save my life; I am happy to put down my annual business goals, but it’s pure guesstimation - not at all based on what will happen; and I wouldn’t even know where to start when thinking about where I’ll be next summer.

Me: “Wow - together we’d be the best planner in the world! We should get right on that.”

I’m not sure why it took a simple conversation to remind of these different approaches to planning and accomplishing goals, it struck me as a light-bulb moment.

Maybe it’s because I was recently asked how I planned to get to where I am in my career and I was left speechless (not a typical state of being for me).

Or maybe it’s because I have been trying to flex my planning muscles recently, growing a new tool for my toolkit.

But whatever the reason, it was a great reminder of the many paths to planning and achieving.

I tried to think like my barista since our conversation... ... If I knew that this time next year I’d be packing for a summer-long adventure in Australia, what would I need to do to get me there?

I was blank - nothing came up other than to pack my suitcase.

How I would save the funds? What I would do with my car? My cat? My things... and so on. No clue at all.

If you’re a future planner like my barista, you probably are yelling at your screen having everything planned out for me already (calculate the money you’ll need for the flight and living expenses, the amount of time you have to earn that much and you’re there... I didn’t come up with that on my own, my barista helped me with that answer).

For the first hour of this exercise yesterday when I was trying to plan for Australia and then more importantly, for my business and career, I was panicked. I could not create a future plan so therefore I will definitely fail... right? But I remembered that I got to where I am now with my shorter-term planning methods and am doing just fine.

I’m not the person who knows what I’ll be doing a year from now or 10 years from now, heck, I hardly know what I’ll be doing a month from now. But what I do know, is that if you are feeling fear or failure because you don’t have the same process as someone else - whether that be in planning, goal making, career pathing, or laundry - it doesn’t mean you can’t succeed at it.

Hearing how other people would tackle a situation is helpful, but it’s not the only way you can make your way through decisions along the way. Had I planned out my career as a future-planner, there is no way in the world I would be doing what I am doing now. Had I listened to the experts out there - I would have never have taken the various leaps I have that have lead my career on its unique path.

Just a little friendly reminder from my barista. Now go plan something - create SMART goals and set the right achievement timeline for you. :)

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

6 Things to Consider Before You Quit Your New Job

Written by Melissa Anzman

We are all questioning our career path and our “job satisfaction” levels to determine how much we want to kick butt during December when we’d rather be spending time laying on a beach or drinking egg nog. But what if instead of just having the year-end blues, you are in a new job or role that you can tell will lead to disaster?

You know, you’ve just been baited and switched. Or perhaps everyone was on their very best behavior during the interview process. Or you made a very bad, desperate decision. It doesn’t really matter why you ended up where you are – you are stuck with a new job that sucks. And you want to quit, like yesterday.

Can I Quit Yet?

I am a proponent of experiencing different jobs – hey, I can’t even count how many I have had throughout my career. But I do think that before you leave a job you need to consider the potential impact on your career trajectory.

{Interruption}: My dear Gen Y’ers – I know that you think that this doesn’t really matter for you. That you can job hop like the best of them without any care or worry on how it will impact your next job. I’ve heard it before – the job market is different for you. There are different rules. Agreed. However,you still have to make strategic career decisions. {end}

6 Things You Need to Consider Before You Leave Your New Job

1. Have you been in the role at least six months?

I know it sounds old-school, but if you haven’t been in your role for at least six months, you haven’t actually experienced enough to make a decision about the position. You may have known that your boss was awful on week two, but other opportunities or long-term solutions will not present itself until you’ve spent some time there learning and growing in the role. Six months also marks inclusion on your resume. Can you stick it out to at least reach this mini-milestone?

2. Did you make connections at the company that will be useful to you during your career?

It’s hard to think long-term when you are so miserable in the short-term. But I can’t tell you the number of people I met along my career journey in crappy jobs that have helped me later down the road. Seriously, some of my favorite people and mentors were added to my circle during my shorter gigs. Think BIG about this – is there an impressive leader who is in the role you want; what about a client that makes you genuinely excited to be working with them; or a coworker that you just know is going places? If you have awesome people to meet and build relationships with, it’s not yet time to leave.

3. Have you fully received the lesson(s) that you need to get?

Warning, I think I just went uncharacteristically woo-woo for a minute. But you are in that job to learn something. Maybe it was the “thing” that attracted you to the position in the first place or perhaps it’s a bigger life lesson. Whatever it may be, have you actually changed because of it yet? Will you be smarter and wiser for the experience in your next job? If you are rolling your eyes at this bullet, you haven’t embraced the lesson.

4. Did you exhaust your internal resources or lateral move options?

Six months tends to be the door-opener at many companies for when they will consider you for an internal position or lateral move. You may think the company is the problem, and it very well may be, but a different position may even out your Balance Scale appropriately. Have you applied for open internal positions? Being able to remain at a company longer, will absolutely help you further your career, so having a new role can feel like you’re starting something new and fun without the hassle of a full-blown job search.

5. Have you truly evaluated what you are going to do next?

I can’t really be a strong proponent for “making sure you have a new job lined up before you quit,” although I do think that’s smart advice, but what are you going to do next Monday morning after you’ve left your job? Are you prepared for the very real possibility of looking for a job for six months or more? Can you pay all of your bills without going into debt for even longer? Will you be able to motivate yourself to continue to look for income sources even when faced with rejection or no response… for months on end? Um, yeah – just make sure you’ve given this a lot of thought.

6. Can your role become a bridge job?

Are you able to shift your mindset from a stop along the career train, to this position being a bridge job? It is always ok to go to work to simply work. Can this awful job be re-framed into something that helps you earn money while you build your empire outside of work? Try it for two weeks and see if it’s something you can do for a longer period of time. No need to set long-term goals about it, but perhaps commit to it being a bridge job one month at a time and reevaluate where you are at with questions 1 – 5 at the end of each chunk of time.

The bottom line is this: Before you quit a new job, you need to consider the long-term impact on not only your career, but also how it can shape your credibility for future employers. It can imply that you are a “quitter” or not loyal – neither of which are good characteristics. But even more than that, it can prevent you from being considered for future positions because the recruiter/hiring manager will see it as a red flag of your poor performance. So if you can stick it out… a little bit longer, do.

What do you think? Is it worth sticking it out, or time to move on? Tell us more in the comments below!

About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

Waiting for Perfect Alignment

Written by Melissa Anzman

Our fears present themselves in many different ways – procrastination, frustration, anger, excuses, and so on. The easiest way to prolong anything is waiting for perfect alignment. You know, “I can’t do X because Y isn’t in place yet.”

When I was working in the corporate world, it usually looked like:

• I can’t apply for that job because I don’t match the job posting 100%.
• I’m not ready for a promotion because I haven’t been at the company long enough.
• I’m not a leader because I don’t have any experience with people management.

As a solopreneur, my alignment excuses have presented in many ways, recently:

• I can’t launch my new design because it’s not perfect yet.
• I am not ready to write a new book because the first two weren’t best sellers.
• I can’t pursue an exciting opportunity because it does not match my current trajectory.

The funny thing is, I’ve found that we’re all waiting for perfect alignment before we take risks of any kind. Whether we’re using perfection as a comparison tool or as a procrastination method, it’s holding all of us back.

Stop Waiting for Perfection

I wish I had a guaranteed method to walk you through to start bursting through your perfection and alignment ideals, but honestly, it’s hard work – and not a one-size-fits-all solution. But here’s what I know for sure:

• You are missing out on opportunities while you are waiting on the sidelines.
• The impact of “failure” or imperfection, is never as bad as you make it out to be.
• Perfect alignment will never come.

You are missing out on opportunities while you are waiting on the sidelines.

Good piece of advice there, no? A few years ago I was having lunch with one of my friends and we were talking about going out on our own and why some people make it “big” while others don’t. “Because they actually put themselves out there to try.”

That conversation and our eventual landing place, has never stopped bouncing around in my mind. Sure there are people out there who may be more qualified, or better equipped, or more experienced, or…. (enter any excuse here). But they are doing it while you just continue to ponder all of the things that can go wrong.

There is never going to be a job description that matches your skills 100%. You are never going to be hired for a job you don’t apply to. Your niche market is not going to be completely untapped. Your website isn’t going to be perfect – ever. But if you don’t apply, or pick a market, or publish the site – you won’t be any closer to your goals.

The impact of “failure” or imperfection, is never as bad as you make it out to be.

We’ve all failed – some more than others. And guess what – we’ve lived to tell the story. Sure it isn’t always easy or kind to our egos, but it’s a big part of learning. “Failure” teaches us what not to do again and forces us how to try again.

If you don’t get the job offer – it’s not failure, but a good indication that you weren’t a good fit with the company (or vice versa). And how awesome is it to know that before you spend your time and energy onboarding?

Perfect alignment will never come.

I used to wait for perfection – for a sign of complete alignment. For completing steps 1 – 4 so then step 5 can be PERFECT. I hate to tell you this, but it has never happened. I spent YEARS thinking and pondering and doing the what-if treadmill.

And I missed out on doing while waiting for alignment. I denied myself the joy of writing because I was waiting for a “sign” that people would want to read what I wrote. I didn’t travel because I was waiting for the perfect mate to travel with.

Stop waiting for everything to align perfectly. It’s NEVER going to happen. Perfection or the idea of perfection, does not allow you to pursue. To create. To explore. To achieve. To be you.

Start doing – take little steps if the big ones seem overwhelming. Stop saying one day and start going after the things you want, even if things aren’t “lined up.”

What are you stalling on? How does perfection alignment present itself in your life? Tell us more in the comments below!

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

How to Transition into Your New Job (without sucking!)

Written by Melissa Anzman

Another goodie request from the Life After College survey!

The way you transition within your career sets the tone for your overall success – trust me, I’ve made some big mistakes in this arena. Most people only consider how their first day will go, what they should wear, how they will fit in. But career transitions happen more than just on your first day and will always leave a lasting impression.

If you are transitioning into a new company, most likely you are excited to begin your journey in a job that you are excited about. As I used to plan my first day at the many jobs I started, I would have a little panic over which notebook I was going to bring for day one followed closely by what I was going to wear to be professional but still fit into a culture I had no clue about yet. Not once, until it bit me in the behind, did I think about planning my entry and introduction into the company, culture and the people.

How to Transition into a New Company without Sucking

Do not walk in with your guns a blazing.

I know you are excited to add value and leave your mark on the position and change everything at that company that is wrong. Perhaps your new manager has told you throughout the hiring process how you are going to be expected to jump right in or start the ground running.

During the interview process, you probably made notes of the jungle of low-hanging fruit that you could easily update and change and make and impact. And you just can’t wait to get in there and start delivering and being everyone’s new favorite person.

Your boss has probably started to drop little hints that you were hired to solve problems, to make things happen, to improve the items you’ve identified… right now.

Your boss doesn’t really mean that – I promise. What they actually want is someone who is a quick learner, able to take direction, catches on fast, absorbs information that is provided, and for all that is holy – does not rock the boat.

If he or she is persistent that you start getting to it, figure out how you can get things done without running over other people. I have often used being a new employee to my advantage – say things like, “I’m still so new and just figuring things out, could you possibly help me understand…” or “Since I’m still figuring things out, I’m sorry if I’m stepping on a land mine here, but it seem like….”

In other words, instead of delivering solutions, present them – you will get a lot farther this way.

Chill out on the over-friendliness factor.

I’m not saying be a jerk, but being too happy or friendly on day one comes across as phony. Smile when appropriate, introduce yourself when presented to others, but do not try to make small talk with every passing person. Just relax and try to go with the flow instead of turning every passer-by into your BFF.

Approach the people you meet like a genuine networking experience – start building relationships from day one, and worry about friends or a great contact, as you get to know your colleagues better.

Know that you are creeping in on their territory.

Just like walking into a lion’s den, you have no idea what you are walking into. Your predecessor may have left you big shoes to follow, or may have left you a mess. Even if you think you know why that person left, you have no clue, and each person you meet could have been a friend or enemy of the person who used to do your job.

Be respectful of that and know that you may not be welcomed by everyone at first. They are going through their own adjustment period and possibly dealing with their own insecurities over the situation, so treat carefully and lightly, and above all else, remember, you are walking into their domain.

Even the most friendly and open to change people, can change on a dime when you step on their favorite project or they perceive you as adding more work to their pile or criticizing their efforts. Be careful and aware, and ask permission (instead of forgiveness) when you come across a sticky situation.

Take some time to figure out the office politics in action.

Don’t assume that the hierarchy within the company is the same as it was in your previous company. Titles mean different things everywhere and more than that; titles typically have nothing to do with who is actually “in power.”

Figure out who the key players are and learn how to navigate either with them, against them, or abstain from them. This type of knowledge will only come from sitting back and watching everything play out in front of you.

Keep your opinions or solutions to yourself (for now).

For the most part, new ideas or efficiencies are not welcomed – think about it: they have clearly been doing something that way for ages, they do not take criticism, even constructive criticism, well. You have to earn the right and respect to start moving things in new directions – so give yourself a few weeks at the very least, before you start providing radical ideas.

Instead of spewing out solutions, try asking questions that get to the heart of your solution. For example, phrase your idea like this: “I’m curious if this approach has ever been tried and what the results were.” This immediately takes the potential sting out of your opinion/suggestion, while letting your colleague provide the historical information and get on the same page with you.

Use day one as a day to “peak behind the kimono.”

Not only with what you should wear, but also it is your opportunity to ask as many questions as possible and start to observe the buzz and feel of the office as a whole. Be sure to pay attention to how others interact with your boss, and what the expectations will be for you.

And I beg of you – stay away from engaging in any conversations where you start with: “in my last job;” “how did my predecessor do this;” or “what do you think about my boss.”

Have any transition tips to add or stories to share? Tell us more in the comments below!

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

The Roller-coaster of Work

Written by Melissa Anzman

Being an entrepreneur can feel like a roller coaster ride – sometimes it’s exhilarating and other times it’s scary. Lots of highs and lows.

A few weeks ago I started my day like any other, but something was off. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, again. I was going through the day unhappy, dare I say miserable, again. I’d felt like that for some time – frustrated, stuck, miserable, unsure, and so on.

I looked around me. And here’s what I saw:

A consulting client that I’d been working with for 2.5 years – feeling underappreciated, underpaid, and undervalued. Not to mention every time I had to get on a call or reply to an email, which happened 10-15 hours each week, I was annoyed.

A long-time client who’s partnership had changed dramatically in the way we worked together. I had gone from being the creative brain behind the machine, to an order taker. Not to mention having been told that she had been saying some seriously negative things about me as a person, while being sweet to my face for work. Even knowing that for several months and never saying anything, I just couldn't seem to get over it and not take it personally.

Constantly stressing and worrying about money. Even when it was coming in and I was ok, I was still worried about when it may not.

I hadn’t had a late night coding session, or creative brainstorm/rabbit hole, or been super excited about much of anything… for a long time.

Three of my clients had just completed extremely successful launches… which felt reaffirming, but I was a bit bummed our immediate work together was done.

Not to mention, I was finding it extremely difficult to find time to improve my new skiing hobby… and I live at the base of a mountain.

And all of that, is just the tip of the iceberg.

But I can honestly say, I started questioning if it was all worth it.

So I looked back at my life when I was in the corporate world, before I left the first time. I read a few journal entries and they looked a little something like this:

“I am making well over six-figures, I have the title, I work for a great company, I’m still moving up the ladder… but I’m so unhappy and feeling trapped.”

When my clients come to me in a similar conundrum, or if they’re just starting out with their business, I always remind them to create and keep their “Why” close at hand. But my “why” had changed since my first leap.

And essentially, despite my “why” I created the same work environment that I loathed when I was working for someone else.

I think we have all fallen down that same spiral before, whether we’re working for ourselves or for someone else. We naturally gravitate to the path of least resistance when it comes to the work we do. We can expand and focus on different skills and head in different directions, but we always tend to get busy.

When we get busy, we forget to look up and see what more is out there. Of the many ways we can live a bigger life.

We stop asking questions like:

• “Is this the type of work I want to be doing?”
• “Is this the client I want to partner with?”
• “What will really happen if I don’t respond to that email within 10 minutes?”
• “What skills do I want to learn to help me be a better me?”
• “How can I still do great work, but also become a better person?”

I felt like I finally looked up for the first time in a long time. And I wasn’t at all pleased with the world I built… I had fallen into the same bad work habits, with some improvements sure, that I had when I worked for someone else.

So I jumped without a net again.

I told the consulting client that it was time to move on. I told my long-time client that our time would be ending at the end of our project.

I knocked off a few of the long-hanging fruit. I fought to get back the freedom and flexibility I crave, regardless that those two clients were approximately 30% of my monthly income (and more "reliable" than my other income streams).

A weight was lifted from my shoulders immediately, but the worry was still there. It wasn’t the “smart” choice… the smart path was the one I was on. But for me and the work I want to do, it was time to be uncomfortable again.

Which leads me to where I am today.

I want to encourage all of you to look up; stop being busy for a few minutes and answer these questions for your own work/business, and share them in the comments below:

1. Is this the type of work I am energized about more than not?
2. How can I live my life and work, bigger?

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

How to Find Out About Work/Life Balance When Interviewing

Written by Melissa Anzman Another awesome topic from the Life After College survey!

The phrase, Flexible Work-Life Balance has not only become common place now, but is a “perk” that a lot of us are seeking in our jobs. More people than ever are looking for a career that fits in their life, instead of the other way around.

But how do you actually figure out if a new opportunity can provide you with the work/life balance you are desperately seeking?

How to Find Out About Work/Life Balance When Interviewing

“You” Questions

1. What level are you going to be at?

While not a hard and fast rule, the bigger your team, the more difficult it is to work remotely… or work less hours. I’m not saying you have to put your aspirations to be a director, a vice president, or more on hold – but what you want to be responsible for in your role, does have an impact in your flexibility.

At some point in your career, you may hit the crossroad of two choices: flexibility or the title.

This can be especially true if you’re at a larger company. I don’t think it’s right or even necessary, but seeing your face and being able to step into your office becomes more important the higher you climb.

2. What will you be responsible for?

I remember an employee coming to me and asking if they could work a flexible work schedule (working remotely 3 days a week), and her main duty was to get signatures on proofs. Think about that – her daily job was mainly walking around, talking to people and getting them to sign-off. How could she do that from her home office?

There are just some roles, although fewer and fewer these days, that require you to be onsite and working during “normal” business hours. If you are in one of those roles, it doesn’t make much business sense for them to approve more balance.

Ok, now that we have all of the “you” questions asked, here’s what to look for in the interview process.

Company Signs/Questions

1. During the interview process, will you be meeting the key stakeholders in person?

If a prospective employer has key stakeholders in different locations, whether it be at their home offices or other satellite locations, there is a better chance that you will be able to do your job from an alternative environment. This indicates that the team is already working with people who they don’t get to visually see and interface all day with – which helps your cause.

2. Ask: “What are your work-day hours/expectations?”

It sounds like a simple question, but it can reveal so much about the option to have more balance. If they are clear about it being a “butt in seat” type of role – heed that warning.

One answer I was given when I was interviewing was, “While we all work remotely, you are expected to be at your desk during business hours. Your time is monitored by your chat presence.”

That’s a pretty clear sign that there isn’t any flexibility in how or when you deliver things.

3. Ask: “Is this department open to various work arrangements and flexible work options?” or “Are there people on this team who have alternative work schedules?”

This can be a bit of a tricky question – you don’t want to tip your hat or come across as trying to get out of work. But it’s important to ask this if you are seeking more balance.

Sometimes the company is open to it, but the department isn’t – which is why you want to phrase it specific to the role, not the company. If other people are already doing it, it will make your request much easier to understand and process.

4. Find out if effort or time is rewarded

The foundation of wanting to have some balance, is to be able to deliver your work in a reasonable amount of time so you can do something other than work. The only way to achieve this, if your effort and delivery is valued over the time you spend at work.

Traditionally, larger companies lean more towards the time end of this equation – whereas smaller companies may need you to wear various hats, so they value delivery. Either way, find out what the hiring manager values in this equation. And listen to his/her answer – if they come from a more traditional work environment and are essentially attached to their crackberry, they are going to expect that from you… which obviously won’t lead to much balance.

Some Things to Remember

1. There are so many ways to create more balance in your work, be sure to try several of them before giving up.
2. Working shorter hours, means you’ll have to learn how to work more efficiently – it takes time to learn how to make this work for you.
3. Research work/life balance options before approaching the conversation. There are many different ways to create the work schedule that works for you – a 4/10 (four days a week, 10 hours each day – one day off); working remotely all or some days; and really whatever other arrangement you can think of. Consider how your absence will impact your colleagues, peers, clients, boss, and the overall organization, before you make your ask.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What’s your burning question about creating a flexible work/life environment?

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

Cover Letters Oh My!

Written by Melissa Anzman

Based on some of the responses from the 2-question survey about what you want us to create this year, (have you taken it yet? If not, here's the link), I was excited to see learning more tactical ways to move your career forward, was on the list.

One that grabbed my immediate attention, likely since I absolutely loathe them myself, is a request to learn all about cover letters. So I'm going to pull the HR curtain back and help you use these cover letter tactics to move your career forward this year.

Do I Need a Cover Letter?

Let's get this out of the way first: yes, you absolutely need a cover letter. I hate to give you that advice, but it's a necessary component of your resume toolkit. Cover letters are used in different ways depending on who the recruiter and hiring manager are, but they are important because they allow you to provide additional information as to why you are the right candidate for the role, and they can be used when a recruiter is on the fence about your candidacy.

Bottom line - you need a cover letter and it needs to shine, but you shouldn't be spending a bunch of time on it. 

How to Write A Cover Letter

The cover letter goes in the body of your email.

I’m not sure how or why so many people get this wrong, but do not attach your cover letter… anywhere. When you apply via email, your email IS your cover letter – so put all of the goodies in the actual body of the email.

When you are applying via online program such as Taleo or Brassrings, I recommend pasting your cover letter into the space provided when you are confirming your documents, versus doing it as an upload. This way, you know exactly which cover letter you’ve attached and helps alleviate another blunder.

A hiring manager or recruiter is not going to waste time opening another document, so make it as easy as possible for them to get a snapshot of what you bring to the table.

Have three simple and short paragraphs –that’s it.

1. Paragraph one: tell the recruiter who you are, where you found the position, which position you are applying for and one engaging fact.
2. Paragraph two: your differentiators – what makes you the best candidate for the job; what skills and/or experience do you have that directly relates to the position posted that is not highlighted verbatim on your resume.
3. Paragraph three: leave the recruiter with one fun or interesting nugget to remember you by and how and when you can be contacted.

Don’t say “I’m the best candidate for this job”

The recruiter is already assuming you feel you are the best candidate for the job, since you’ve decided to apply. Instead, SHOW all of the ways you are the best fit – what have you done that would support that statement, what else? Keep digging deeper until you are sure that your dad (or insert another non-industry adult) would understand your accomplishments, without knowing you personally.

For example:

• Tell: I was the top salesman at the company.
• Show: I was ranked 1 across the 33 sales people at the company, increasing profits over 13% which equated to $30,000 of new business.

See the difference? The “Tell” does not provide a reference point, leaving the recruiter left asking… so what? When you show, the recruiter is able to see the significance of your achievement.

Remove the gimmicks, insults, and superlatives.

If you’re making the recruiter roll their eyes, you are going in the "no pile." They don’t want to hear what your colleagues say about you, or how great your parents think you are. They want to see actual results – “I launched two HR departments at small companies which resulted in X, Y, and Z. This experience will directly correlate with the change management initiative responsibilities you’ve included in the job description.”

Your tone should be professional, concise, and to the point. And above all else, it should be fact. Your cover letter (or any job-seeking materials) should be rooted in fact, not smoke and mirrors.

If you include items in your resume that seem too good to be true (I am the best at Sales, better at Research and Development, and top-achiever in Marketing), you will be overlooked – even if it’s true.

Be consistent about your cover letter topic so it doesn’t sound like BS.

Remember, the recruiter wants to be friends - so make it as easy as possible for them to connect with you as a person. 

Your cover letter should be specific to each position.

While I also believe in tweaking your resume for each application (if applicable), updating your cover letter for each application is a must. There is no excuse for you not to include only relevant information here – address the hiring manager properly, if you are applying directly, include the company name and the correct position title, and be sure that you address specific accomplishments from the required skills.

No one cares about the classes you took and other miscellaneous information.

Being a new grad is ok – hiring managers have all been there too. But when you list “relevant coursework” in your cover letter, or even worse – on your resume, it looks like you haven't "accomplished" work yet.

Everyone knows that real life experience vastly differs from anything you have learned in a classroom.

You are wasting valuable space in your cover letter when discussing “I got an A in Accounting,” or “I may not have real life experience, but I took many business courses in college.”

These facts may help you when on the job, but it’s more important for you to SHOW how you utilize the skills you have learned.

Have some per-son-ality, you’ve got personality…

(Did you sing along to that or did I out-nerd all of you?)

A boring form letter will not cut it anymore. Let your unique voice shine through.

Your cover letter should be written in first person (no references like “Anzman does” or Melissa can”) and should come across as though you’re in an interview – condensed into three short paragraphs.

Boring is easily overlooked but obnoxious will not win you any friends either. Be YOU, write about YOU, SHOW the hiring manager what YOU bring to the table, and you will have instant cover letter personality.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What’s one thing you will do today to improve your cover letter?

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Holiday Party

Written by Melissa Anzman

It’s officially holiday party season – woot woot! I know we’re knee-deep in reflection and being thankful, but party time is right around the corner.

Holiday parties used to be a big deal. And the bigger the company’s revenue, the bigger the event was. After the crash in 2008, many companies have scaled back their party budget and perks, but still have some sort of year-end celebration. While the ostentatious-ness of the occasion may have been subdued, there is still a right way to party.

I’m not going to point out all of the things you shouldn’t be doing while celebrating, you can read all about how to shake your tail feather and what gift to get your boss here. Instead, I’m going to share three ways to make the most of your holiday party, and how partying can propel your career to the next level.

3 Ways to Leverage Your Holiday Party

Many of us attend several holiday parties – this advice can be applied whether you are going to your office party or a friend’s party. Essentially, these parties are a great informal way to network and learn important things about your performance and career trajectory.

1. Meet People You Want to Know

It’s so easy to stick to the people we know when we arrive at a party – we want to drink, be merry, have fun! But by doing so, you are foregoing the easiest “networking event” out there.

At parties, people are more relaxed, their game faces aren’t as in tact (especially after a drink) – which means it’s prime time for you to easily step outside of your comfort zone and meet influencers that can help you.

Before you attend the party, think about who could influence your career: they can be leaders, higher ups, or connectors. All of the people at work who have a seat at the table when discussing your career – then add them to your list to meet.

When you are at the party, you have so many warm introductions available to you – unlike most networking events. You can ask someone you work with to introduce you; you can mosey on up to the person and make small chat about the company/party/achievements/speeches; you can complement them on a project they completed.

In other words, you have built in reasons to meet the people you want to know. Take advantage of it.

2. Investigate the Gossip

I’m not a huge fan of gossiping at work in general, but when you are at a party, it’s a great opportunity for you to hear about all of the goings on. You don’t have to participate in the gossip, but it is an excellent way for you to understand what people are saying – about you, your team, and so on.

Whether you overhear something or someone makes a seemingly innocuous comment, you can learn a lot by being a listener more than a talker. And since this is likely one of the last opportunities you will get to improve your performance and create a halo effect before year-end, it can be career-boosting information.

3. Getting Your Cheer Back

I remember walking in to a HUGE holiday party I attended several years back – lights, glamour, food galore, and fancy people everywhere. I was beyond done with my job at the time – and I wasn’t able to find one positive thing to help me get through another year in my role.

But a crazy thing happened at the company party – I was smiling, happy, and started to get my cheer back. I think part of it was the holiday rubbing off on me, but it was also reaffirming to see my buttoned up colleagues relaxed, dancing, enjoying their time outside of work (hello, they are apparently human too), that made me see things through a different lens.

You can’t bring your negativity and disappoint in all things company/career, to your holiday party. Make a conscious effort to actually enjoy your time and learn more about the people you work with every day. Drink the cool-aid a bit.

Instead of looking for the doom and gloom, let the holiday party remind you of the upside… even if it feels like you have to stretch a bit to see it (gone are the days of super fancy people everywhere).Celebrate the year you had – the ups and downs, and the things you delivered.

Set Yourself Up for Year-end Career Success - Now

Written by Melissa Anzman

Somehow we’re already in the fourth quarter busy planning our holiday vacations and realizing exactly how much we need to start doing to achieve our annual goals, which of course has us questioning “where did this year go?” The last two months of the year are probably the most important months for your career – it’s you last opportunity to make an impact, achieve milestones that seem light-years away, and continue to tell the story of who you are as an employee.

Unfortunately, it is also the time of year that we are soooo close to wanting to check out – vacation, take a break, slow things down a bit as much as possible. While there is definitely some room for that, you also need to set yourself up for year-end success.

Writing Your Own Story of Success

1. Start Gathering Your Successes

Even though you know at the beginning of each year that you should be accumulating your successes as they happen, work can be too busy to keep that practice up. Now is the time to start compiling and gathering – so you can start crafting your performance story.

Look back at the projects you’ve worked on, the milestones you’ve achieved, the feedback you’ve earned – and make a list. This will be the backbone of your story – think of it as an outline of sorts for your self-assessment or year-end review.

If you find pieces of your story missing, now is the time to reach out to your colleagues to get their feedback and gain their support. If you wait until January when most everyone else will be reaching out for their input, it will get lost in a sea of requests and not be as telling. Now, is better.

2. Review Your Milestones

Most of us have annual goals or milestones that we aim to meet – the goal is obviously to meet and exceed them as often as possible. Take out your goal sheet, ahem – the one buried at the bottom of your desk, and start scoring your progress.

Look at the goals you’ve accomplished and the items outstanding. Where can you add even more value to the goals you’ve achieved (superstar status) and where do you need to push yourself and team members to deliver?

Create a specific and actionable plan to reach these goals. Burying the goal sheet back in your desk doesn’t count… piece it all out so you know exactly the steps you need to achieve to accomplish your goals. If that’s not your thing, check out Make Sh*t Happen – Jenny will be sure you know what needs to happen.

3. Talk to Your Manager

Likely you already are interacting with your manager on a somewhat regular basis – but are you actually learning anything? Remember, your manager holds many of the keys to the kingdom in the valuation and progression of your career – so find out what they’re thinking before you have to read all about it in your review.

When you have your one-on-one meetings with them, come in with a focused agenda. Fill them in on the various things you’re working on, provide status updates on items that may be stalled out and ask them for specific guidance on your performance. Ask questions like:

• I wanted to check in with you on this project X. How do you think it’s going? What can I do to make it a homerun?
• Here’s an update on my annual goals – which items should take priority?
• How do you think my performance is going (enter a specific area of focus here)?

Once your manager knows that you are not only interested in their opinion but also interested in your own career success, he/she will be a lot more inclusive in your overall standing – making it less likely for your year-end review to be a surprise.

Finally…

Remember that year-end is always going to be a stressful time of year – especially at work. But it is also the most important time of year to create long-lasting “halo effects” of your performance and capabilities.

If you start building in these practices now in an ongoing basis, you will increase your success factors for career success – and help eliminate and manager any type of issues that come up before it’s too late. Getting started now, allows you to tell your own story – not waiting for someone else to write it for you.  

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What’s one thing you will do today to start writing your year-end story of success?

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

Changing the Lens on Job Opportunities

Written by Melissa Anzman

The stories that we grew up hearing, the advice that we listened to whether willingly or not, and the modeling our families showed us – create the fiber of who we are, for better and worse. We start seeing the world through various lens and viewpoints, with some biases and “shoulds.” And for most of us, it gets confusing when we look at our own career.

I was taught to get a good, stable job; make heaps of money so you never have to worry about it; work hard – it gets recognized; climb the ladder; and pick one path and stay on it. You probably have your own story about what your career should be about, where today’s world of work or your own personal work style/preferences, don’t even enter the equation.

That’s why it is so difficult for us to make career changes. It’s why other people sometimes can’t understand our perspective.

But it’s time to shift the lens in which we make career decisions, ever so slightly. Breaking free a little piece of our own stories, will open up opportunities you’ve never knew were possible.

On a daily basis, I hear clients pondering turning down a job offer because they weren’t going to make “enough” money or because it didn’t have the next-level title. And instead, they go back to their job search miserable trying to find their very own purple unicorn.

What if this is the place where we shift our lenses? What if the way we look at opportunities, overt and hidden, change – taking us on a slightly different than originally planned course, but much more satisfying in the long run?

Here are some things to consider when you evaluating your next career move: try these lenses on for size.

1. Determine the skills you can gain in the opportunity

Starting with what you are going to get out of the experience, is a great place to start when evaluating any type of job opportunity. Ignore the money and title for now, and instead focus on the various ways you will grow as an employee and as an individual (or leader) in the role.

Is there a software program that you will get to interact with? A new cutting edge marketing tactic that you will get to employ? Will you be able to lead a small team for the first time?

Look for possible toolbox growth in all types of skills – interpersonal and job-specific, and evaluate how flexing those muscles will benefit your overall career package in the long-run. Consider the opportunities it could open the door on, five or ten years from now – then decide if it matches where you are today.

2. Understand the level of interaction with others that will be required

That sounds funny, I know. But one of the most critical things in your career, is knowing the right people at all different levels. When looking back at some of my horrible jobs, the only thing I came away from them with was a life-long mentor, one of my best friends, a career advocate, and so on.

I wish I could say I had the foresight to understand this earlier in my career, but I didn’t and probably missed out on opportunities to meet some great people and mentors.

For each new opportunity, determine who you will be working with closely and who will be in your sphere of interaction. You can look at levels or titles, but I would recommend looking at the people themselves. For example, if you interviewed with four different people, it’s safe to assume that they will be people that you will interact with often. Based on your interview interactions: can you learn from them; will you be able to collaborate and partner with them; did they seem like they would take the time to teach you; and so on?

Consider the players in a role and the potential friendships, partnerships and business connections you can create and foster for the rest of your career.

3. Get real about the money

This is the part where I tend to get in my own way, the most. When you get used to continuously making more and more money, your ego around money grows bigger too.

When evaluating an offer, get real about the money – quickly. Maybe the amount isn’t what you were making in your previous role, or perhaps it doesn’t come with a 15% increase over what you are used to, but is the number enough to cover your life expenses?

Not is the money ideal or more, but will it sufficiently cover what you need it to and have the type of life you want?

For some, it means being able to work remotely or having a flexible schedule or not having the kind of stress that comes with an “always on” job. Whatever that lifestyle is for you, do the money tradeoffs make it worthwhile? If the answer is yes, then forget about the number.

Overall, evaluating job opportunities is a difficult process. We think the next choice we make is our forever choice – it’s not. We consider where this choice will lead to for the next opportunity – it’s usually not a linear line. And we think that we can never get back “on track” if we make a choice that creates a detour – you can.

Jobs and roles are more than the money and title – even if the story we grew up with tends to leave that part out. Try putting on a different lens when you are evaluating your next opportunity, and see if you get better results.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What’s one thing you will do today, to change the lens of your career?

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

Followers Don’t Equal Influence or Support

Written by Melissa Anzman

There must be something in the water these days. The number of times I have had someone say to me that they aren’t really worried about making a sale or getting promoted because they “have a huge following on social media,” is driving me bananas.

I’m not sure when social media followers earned such a high ranking of influence in our society, but let me clear something up for you – followers do not equal influence or support. This is especially true when you are working in a traditional job.

Obviously your social media friends, followers or hoards (you know those requests you approve because the numbers count!), can play a role in your overall career, but they are not worth much at face value alone. Since their value is vastly different in a traditional job versus any type of business you start, I’m going to break their value down separately.

Social Media Peeps in Traditional Jobs

It seems ludicrous to think that social media followers can influence a promotion or new job… and for the most part, you’re right. The number of friends you have in any one outlet, is not going to be an active influencer in your overall success. I hate to break that news to you… well, honestly, my old-self can’t believe I have to. But I digress…

Your promotion-ability within a company, is mostly driven by your capabilities, delivery and likeability at work. Being able to put together and showcase the hard and soft skills. Getting the right influencers on your side within the company will always pay off more than having outside people talking about your awesome.

The importance of having a “tribe” increases when you are seeking a position. And even then, the value of followers and online influence or clout, is more about your network and possibilities there, than your followers influencing companies to hire you.

Bottom Line: Just because you’re a big thing online or on social media, does not mean much to a traditional job prospect/outlet.

In fact, depending on the company and position, it could be detrimental to your chances of being the chosen candidate. I’m not saying that you should get offline – not at all. But you should be careful about how and what you do on social media. Or, if you’re careless, just be sure to put the privacy walls up and in place so you can set it and forget it.

The most effective ways for you to leverage social media when you’re a job hunter or in a traditional job is as follows:

Be on LinkedIn

This is the one social media outlet that having more connections can pay off for you during a job search and when exploring next-level opportunities. Your ability to follow-up with and connect with relevant people will get you the biggest bang for your buck online.

Have a personal website

Get your name as a url and showcase who you are and what value you can add to a company, online. It doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need to spend money on getting a graphic designer or anything fancy. But think of your web-presence and an online/interactive resume.

Showcase your talent, update it, make sure it’s user friendly, and allow people to view your resume and connect with you. Your website will likely not be the first thing potential hiring managers and companies will see, but it will add value to the conversation and make you stand out from other candidates. Just be sure that it improves the conversation and is relevant for the types of roles you are seeking. (If you must have a personal blog, do it somewhere else).

Follow the Twitter accounts for companies you want to work at

I’m still not sure how effective tweeting for jobs is, in general, but I do know that most companies will tweet out new positions when they become available. It’s great to follow the job-specific accounts for companies that match your “dream” criteria. Here’s the thing though – interacting with them won’t add much value to your candidacy (in most cases). In other words, the people responding to your tweets will have zero influence in your job candidacy… so save twitter for other things. One big exception – if you are applying for a social media position or at a social media company.

Social Media Peeps as Solopreneurs

Now we’re getting down the fun part… the part where social media seems to have a more direct connection with converting sales. Ah, got your attention have I?

Myth: The number of followers you have is directly related to the number of sales you will make. This is FALSE, so very very false.

It sounds like it will make sense – the more people who like what you’re saying enough to follow you, will automatically be your fan base and so on. After working with many business owners on the back-end, this is absolutely not the case.

Social media followers have a significant role in being a business owner – they provide social proof, give you a community or tribe of people, can help you land a publishing deal (if your following is significant enough), and so on.

But just because people like you onlie does not mean that people will hand over money to you.  

Number of followers isn’t important in the equation of success. It’s a tool – but it is not the most important one to get paid.

1,000 True fans are worth more than 100,000 followers.

Don’t believe me, here are some awesome examples from a few people you know:

• Paul Angone has 2,700 facebook fans on his business page. Yet he still had a best-selling book on his first try!
• Not to mention Jenny Blake’s success with her first book, Life After College – I have no idea how many followers she had at the time, but it was fewer than she has now and it was still a huge success!
• And for me, I was able to sell books (still selling!) and a course with fewer than ahem, 750 followers (and really, I may have had 100 facebook fans at the time).

My point is, stop focusing on the NUMBER of people who make up your following. They are NOT going to be the ones who will buy things from you – they like you well enough, they enjoy the stuff you provide them with, but when it comes to opening their wallets, it’s not an easy sell.

Instead, focus on building fans and engagement… and most importantly, build your email list. The people who invite you and your messages into your inbox, are more connected with you – they are likely more engaged. They are the people who are closer to a sale.

And for the love of Nancy, stop telling me and every single business coach out there that you have a following so you’re not at all concerned about making money. That’s just insane – and it’s really annoying to the people who work very, very hard to make each and every sale. Oh, and if you stop this train of thought now, you won’t be in shock when you do have to make your first sale. :)

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What's one thing you will do today, to go after engaged influencers at work or engaged social media fans?

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

What It Means to Be Professional (at work)

Written by Melissa Anzman

It was my first day in a real corporate job, I was wearing my business professional (you can’t go casual on day one) outfit, ready to conquer the world. I looked the part, acted the part, but was not feeling the part. I was in the “fake it ‘til you make it” phase of my career – trying so hard to be “professional.”

I’m not really sure where I got the impression that I had to be buttoned up at all times when at work, but it had a long-lasting impact on my career and overall “self.” We are inundated with nuggets of advice like “dress for the job you want,” and act as if you are already in the next position. Decent advice, but how does it all fit into your idea of being “professional?”

I went along with the set expectations of the professional working world – wearing black pants with a suitable blouse daily, answering emails instantaneously, and using acceptable pen colors and notebooks. In other words, I complete erased my own identity at work in the name of being professional.

Looking back, I often wonder if my unhappiness in my corporate world originally stemmed from having to hold back so much of myself, in order to climb up the ladder. I was just so tired of muting my personality and love of color, to live up to someone else’s idea of being professional.

3 new ways to be professional at work – and not lose yourself in the process (and still move up the ladder):

1. Your professional self is an extension of your “home self”

I am all for figuring out how to make things work best in different situations, but don’t lose yourself completely when you show up at work. You want to be recognizable to your work friends at home and home friends at work.

The easiest way to do this is to stop thinking of decisions and actions through a “professional” lens all of the time. In fact, letting some of your true personality shine through will not only make you human, but it will make you more relatable and likeable at work.

For me, it means using the writing materials and pens that make me happy – I do have a bit of an obsession with office supplies. Surround yourself and your work area with things that truly make you smile, engaged and light up. If it’s colored pens, use them – if it’s a picture of your family, put it in your eye-line.

Stop letting yourself be limited by what you have assumed is professional.  Bring YOU to work, even if it’s just in small pieces.

2. You don’t need to conform to general consensus

When you look around your office, most people are probably dressed similarly, agree to items discussed in meetings, and have similar standard expectations. In other words, it’s one big group think.

While it may feel comfortable to get on board with the general consensus, it will also take away from why the company hired YOU to begin with – you have unique ideas and questions to bring to the conversation – bring them.

I’m not saying thumb your nose at the standards, I’m still HR through and through, but you should add in your own flavor to the standard dress code with a pop of color of crazy shoes; ask questions during meetings – or if inappropriate, bring up concerns behind closed doors. Innovation does not come from being “professional” – it comes from having different points of view.

3. Create your own meaning of professional

With so many different work options these days, being professional at work means something vastly different depending on what generation you are in and where you work. Here’s an example –Baby Boomers grew up in a “traditional” work environment, many of them probably had to wear suits and ties to work. Their first definition of professional is way more buttoned up than a Gen Y’s idea of professional where they see work a bit more fluidly. So there may be some ruffled feathers… at first.

But the key component to professionalism is delivering.  If you can add value at every turn, deliver above expectations, have a high standard for hard and soft skills, and be respectful and considerate, your professionalism will be the last thing you should worry about.

Be you at work – with a smidgen of polish, because they are paying you, and redefine what professionalism means to you. And maybe, just maybe, you will find that your job doesn’t feel nearly as limiting as it did before. 

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What one thing will you do today, to redefine "professionalism" in your work space? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

5 Ways to Make Your “Entry Level Job” Better

Written by Melissa Anzman

No one likes starting at the bottom – and yet, to build your career, you have to start somewhere. Your first real job may seem like a waste of time or a noose holding you back from what you’re supposed to do. But it can be so much more.

My first “real job” out of college was working at a jewelry manufacturing company in account management and sales – also known as doing everything that no one else wanted to do. Including, ahem, putting price tags on the items and stringing pendants. It was as bottom as you can get.

It was miserable, I’m not going to lie. I felt entitled to do more, be more, to not be the grunt person. And that’s where I went wrong. I was so wrapped up in how much better I thought I was than the job, that I missed many important lessons that I had to relearn later in my career.

When you’re in an entry level job, you can make it better than it sounds – and here’s how.

1. Plan your next two steps

I’m a fly-by-the-seat kind of gal for most things, but when you are just starting out in your career, having an idea or hope as to where you want your career to (realistically) be in the next two moves, is critical. It’s too easy to be aimless when you don’t quite have enough experience to be known for something, and are just too recent a grad to know nothing.

When you have your career plan in mind, you can start creating your map to get there and begin learning the tools and lessons you need for each step along the way. Know that your steps will probably change – and that’s ok, it’s about starting with a vision.

2. Create your toolbox checklist

Based on your forward-thinking plan, create a checklist of skills and tools that you will need to get you there. College is great for helping you learn, grow, try things out, and become a functioning human being – but it’s not so great with on-the-job “real life” experience training.

There will be HUGE gaps that will pop-up between your education and what you are expected to do at work. Figure out what those gaps are through research and being an awesome interviewer, and add them to your checklist.

For example, if you want to have a career in publicity, you will learn that the communications courses you took in school didn’t necessarily teach you how to customize pitches for different audiences or people; how to get a call back or an answered phone; how to find the right person; and how to use niche software to find your audience. These are four areas that you can add to your checklist of “tools to learn.”

3. Ask questions and make mistakes

Your entry level job is where you can make mistakes – it’s scary and can be stressful, but it’s sometimes the best way to learn. And I hate to say this, but it’s also where you are expected to make mistakes.

You have lack of knowledge and experience working for you when you are starting out – so leverage that. Ask questions about everything that doesn’t make sense to you and learn the information through other people’s experiences.

Try and ask at least a few big questions a week – and build your toolbox with knowledge and skills. It can be a game, making copy-machine duty not as dull.

4. Everyone started somewhere

I remember thinking in my first job, that that is my “start.” That at some point in the proverbial future when I would retell the story of my career, I would always look back to the jewelry manufacturing position as something I conquered.

Your first few jobs are your starting point. Sometimes the more awful the place or duties, the better the story is later on. The more lessons in skill and personal knowledge will come from it.

Says the girl who didn’t have internet because the company was afraid of... the internet and email – now can you see why I don't prefer the phone?

5. It’s your launch pad

The easiest way to make your entry-level job better than it is, is to use it as your launch pad to what’s ahead. If you are engaged with your work, your boss, your team, your company – you can create the type of job you want it to be.

In other words, you can take your own destiny back through delivering and adding more value. Don’t see your entry level title or job duties as limitations, but as the expectation boundary – then you know everything above and beyond that is more.

When you control your mindset around your entry-level job and to listen to lessons you can learn, your job can be so much more.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What was the best lesson you learned from your entry-level job? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

From Overly Ambitious to Moving Up

Written by Melissa Anzman

Impatience is a virtue… said the overly ambitious employee with their eyes set on their next move. Ambition is a great characteristic to have, especially early on in your career. It will help you stay on track, push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and keep you far away from the dreaded work complacency bug.

But while you are busy being ambitious, you tend to miss important lessons and skillsets around you. Ambition changes your focus forward – to what’s next, blurring out what is.

I know the narrowing of focus first-hand. I spent the first seven (that’s generous) years of my career so overly ambitious that I missed critical opportunities that would have propelled my career forward even faster.

I ignored the small things, the lessons, the connections, and the work.

My ambition scared people. My bosses felt threatened; their bosses didn’t know what to do with me; my peers didn’t want to be on the same team as me because I was too intense; and so on.

Only as I look back can I see how the approach I took wasn’t the best one, it wasn’t the most efficient one to move up. Learn from my seven-year ambition cloud.

How to Stop Being Overly Ambitious and Still Move Up

Create a Clear Map of What You Need to Learn in Each Role

For every job you take or create, you need to go into it with a clear set of skills and knowledge that you want to learn from the position. You shouldn’t see a role only as a bump in salary, a higher title, or the next stop on the promotion chain.

Each job can teach you something – usually it’s a lot of somethings. But if you are only worried about what’s next, the same lessons will keep hitting you in the head.

Use the roles that you are given, the projects that are handed to you, the annoying coworkers or boss who just doesn’t “get it,” to create your learning plan. Be specific and think outside of your everyday role. “Hard skills” are great – learning a program, how to process something, etc., but also focus on the “softer skills” – interpersonal communications, how to change perceptions, creating your work persona, and so on.

These skills should absolutely be part of what you will need to be successful at the next level, but here’s the catch: until you have learned each and every one of them, the next level shouldn’t be a second thought. Your map will get you there when you focus on your needed skills while doing the job you are in.

Fully Understand Your Why

I talk about “the why” a lot when it comes to your career – in general and in specifics. Understanding “the why” for you, will help you stay ambitious, but also keep it in check. If you know why moving up, getting promoted, or focusing on ruling the world is so important to you, you will be able to constantly remind yourself and work towards something specific.

One of my own worries when I was overly ambitious was that if I took my eye off the prize, I wouldn’t make it to the next level. It took growing up (ugh – how old-sounding is that?) and realizing that I wouldn’t wake up tomorrow with a personality transplant. I will still be motivated, focused, driven, ambitious, and so on – even if my immediate focus was on the present.

I had no "why" at the time. My ambition was solely focused on moving up, earning more money, and proving the proverbial “someone” wrong. I’m still not sure who that someone is, but I digress.

Create your why. Not your parents why; not your friends why; not the why you think you should have. Be true in why your ambition is so important to you, and that truth will keep you moving in the right direction.

Ambition Isn’t the Same for Everyone

Drive and ambition shows up differently for people. You may be externally ambitious, in that everyone knows what you’re seeking, while your cube-mate may be thinking the same thing but never express that out loud.

Your ambition belongs to you. Don’t judge someone else for “not being as ambitious” as you or for being ok with the position they are in. Maybe they have mastered the above two points and are moving along with their career stealthily; or maybe they are ambitious in a different way.

The point is, like religion and politics, ambition is off-limits in the work environment (ok, maybe that’s my work utopia world, but you get my point). Focus on your own growth, development, learning, and path – not what others are or are not doing to help you get there.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: How has your ambition helped or hurt your career path? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

6 Things to Do if Your New Job Sucks

Written by Melissa Anzman

Inevitably, once a week I get a call about someone freaking out over their new job convinced they made a mistake. They are usually in panic mode – ready to restart their search (again).

We’ve all been there, right? Maybe because we were blinded by the money or potential or cool-factor of a new job, instead of evaluating the “right things” during an interview, or perhaps it’s because our boss is a completely different person than he appeared to be. Regardless, jumping ship when you’re just getting started isn’t the best option.

6 Things to Do When Your New Job Sucks

1. If your health and mental well-being has been comprised…

Don’t try and make the situation better. Don’t worry about completing the steps below, listen to your body and make the best decision for you, health-wise. Please. I know you don’t want to start looking again or feel like you are quitting too soon, but no job is worth being physically ill for, capice?

2. It sucks because…

You have a list of reasons why your new job is awful, right? Start by digging deep about why is bothering you the most.

Usually when your new job sucks out of the gate, it’s because you didn’t do the hard work before finding a new job – or you didn’t know you needed to do the work. Essentially, you are going to continue to be unhappy at work if you don’t understand what you need from work to keep you motivated and performing.

There are usually two things, a Balance Scale that will keep you in check when things get annoying – so decide what needs to be on your scale. Reflect back on your balance scale a bit, and determine if you are getting enough of what drives you or if this is the missing component.

3. You had your rose-colored classes on

Transition and change is difficult – for everyone. When you bundle your big transition into a new job with expectations of what kind of environment or work opportunity you are walking into, you have invited stress into your life. And don’t forget that you are going to be the new girl. Having to make new friends, find new people to have lunch with, figuring out the dress attire, and arrival expectations, and so on.

Your first day, or week, or month, is not going to be great. It’s probably not even going to be good. Know that going in; expect that before you start.

4. Learning a new job takes time

We are taught in school to always be the best; to deliver above everyone else. But when we start a new job, while we have the skillsets, we are still very new and green to the position and company.

It can feel a lot like Bambi trying to walk for the first time. And that’s uncomfortable – especially as you were probably a high-performer in your last role.

When I took Jenny’s course Make Sh*t Happen, she helped me see the other side of that conversation. When you start something new, you are not going to be awesome at it. It takes time to build up the information you need, the way to get things done, the people you need to work with.

Being in a new job takes time to navigate. It’s not going to be the same job or company or boss as your last job – good, bad and ugly.

5. Set a skills learned goal

When I have a client who is a job-commitment phobe like I am, I have them set very specific goals around what they will be “using” their current job for. In other words, they have to gain certain skills that excited them about that role when they accepted it, before even considering moving on.

Not only does this approach help shift your focus away from the parts of your new job that you aren’t liking, but it also ensures that you are building your resume and skills toolkit for your next role. If you’re still not convinced, try and looking at it from this angle: if you are going to “have” to be in a crappy job, you may as well as improve yourself for your next job.

6. Commit to something small and then build on it

I am going to be blunt here {you have been forewarned}: leaving your new job before six months isn’t good for you or your career path in general. I’m not saying you will never get a job again or you will forever be seen as jumper, which isn’t a bad thing but a fear people have anyway; but you are left with limited options.

You can either include the position in your resume and then have a darn good explanation as to why you peaced out after only three months, or you leave it off your resume and figure out how you are going to explain a time-gap.

See, getting past six months is really the sweet spot. So if at all possible, try and stay and learn for six months. Commit to a date or a project one month out and then start counting down. Break up the time in smaller chunks to help you make it to your next mini-milestone. And while you’re doing it, build your own portfolio of goodies.

It’s extremely demotivating to think your new job sucks. I know, I’ve been there too. But it will either get better, which happens for most people, or you will have increased your marketability for your next job by sticking it out just a tiny bit longer.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: How have you worked through new job letdown? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

4 Quick Ways to Earn Your New Boss's Respect

Written by Melissa Anzman Starting a new job or having a new boss is always intimidating. You’re walking into a new situation, somewhat blind with high expectations of what’s to come. Without even knowing about it, you rub your new boss the wrong way… and all because you stumbled over the “respect is earned, not given” guidance.

In general, you will have earned a baseline of respect when you walk in the door – they respected your background and experience enough to hire you, so you have that going for you. But once you are officially on board, you are walking into a team. An organization that has been a unit before you joined them, so it’s up to you to start gaining their respect and integrating into the team.

4 Quick Ways to Start Earning Your Boss’s Respect

1. Don’t be the antagonist.

I know there are some personalities that tend to enjoy being the contrarian or the antagonist. I am constantly surrounded by a few, so I understand the urge to point out the potential other side.

It’s not a bad characteristic or trait to have, but when you are new to a team, it can be one of the most detrimental things you do. Remember, they have had ideas and successes for years before you came on board – you have no idea what land mine you are stepping on by playing devil’s advocate out of the gate.

Instead, if you have concerns or see future issues ahead, turn your contrarian view to another potential solution. You will always be more successful providing solutions instead of problems.

2. Deliver above expectations and meet deadlines.

When you are transitioning into a new situation, the new level of expectations can be stressful, particularly if you are starting your first “grown-up” job. The easiest way for your boss to start trusting you, is to deliver.

Listen carefully to the project terms, fully understand what the expectations are, and deliver on time and a step above what was expected.

The phrase, “Under promise, over deliver,” will gain you brownie points every time. Simple rule of thumb: try your best and meet your deadlines.

3. Create work professional relationships.

Saying, “be professional” is a bit vague and will differ depending on who you are and what type of company you are working at. What can be applied to every work situation, is to remember that you are at work.

Your relationships and interactions need to remain at a different level than the relationships you have with your going out friends. Your boss, especially, wants to know that he/she can trust you with information without having it blabbed to Bob in Accounting.

Each relationship/interaction at work should have the same desired end result – add value and enrichment to your work goals and personal learning objectives.

4. Round out the team instead of being a beacon of attention.

Your boss most likely wants to be successful, and the more you are able to help him achieve that success, the more respect you will gain. I’m not saying let him take advantage of you or your skills, but instead, become a true member of the team instead of trying to be the breakout player.

Pitch-in on projects when asked. Assist a coworker so that they don’t miss a deadline. Attend team functions with a good attitude, and so on.

If you aren’t jumping up and down shouting “Look how amazing I am!” you are more likely to be seen as a trusted and valuable team player, earning respect along the way.

Remember, that longer-term, the best always rise to the top. But let that happen without you having to shout about it all of the time.

Earning your boss’s respect takes time, but once you have earned it, new opportunities and interactions will arise. Continue to focus on delivering, being respectful, and doing your best work – and even when you stumble, you will be able to get back up.

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below: How have you gained your boss's respect in a new role? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

What Does Your Major Have to Do With Your Career?

Written by Melissa Anzman I remember having to choose a specific major in college – it was a paper and pencil form that I had to fill out, penciling in the bubble of the major that I wanted to commit to for the rest of my life. Having never thought of that question before, let’s just say that it was nothing less than terrifying for this commitment phobe.

Choosing your major is declaring what you are going to do for the rest of your life. Well, it felt like it at the time. After trying on a business major and clashing with a little class called Accounting, I quickly realized that I needed to stick with something that I enjoyed learning about and landed in Communications.

It was the last time I really thought about the choice I had made.

My communications major was hardly mentioned when I landed my first job – it was in sales/marketing, in case you were wondering, or my second job in advertising. Apparently they wanted to hire anyone who would accept the measly pay.

But when I leaped for my third job, my “major” decision in college was questioned and picked apart.

“Why did you major in that? What did you hope you’d do with your life with a major in Communications? How did you think you’d apply those skills in the real world?”

Those were the decent questions, I won’t scare you with the ridiculous ones. I paused, and really thought about it.

What did my major in college, that I chose when I was a young adult, have to do with the current state of my life? Almost nothing, really. And here’s why.

1. Your major doesn’t matter as much as you think it does.

Whether you’re about to graduate or are 10 years into your career, your major is a snapshot in time of focus. What it helps recruiters and hiring managers know before they meet you, is which subjects you excel at and where your knowledge base starts.

That’s it. It’s the quick way of figuring out if you have the core knowledge and skills for any job. But it’s not even close to the whole story.

Your major is a part of your overall career toolkit – not the most important piece or the only piece, it’s just a piece.

Some of the most interesting hires I’ve had, were doing drastically different jobs than their degree “qualified” them to do. I’m talking about Engineering degrees working in Sales; English Literature degrees working in Finance; and so on.

If you aren’t going into a job that has specific training, your degree major isn’t as big of a deal as your Career Services team has been telling you.

2. You can always supplement your degree.

Not receiving specific training through a degreed program can be a barrier for certain jobs. But it’s not a deal breaker in most cases.

Let’s say you’ve decided to become a paralegal five years into your career with a degree in Marketing. Sounds like a big jump – particularly for a trade specific profession. But here’s where you can supplement your degree with relevant and pertinent experience. Take law classes through a community college. Seek out paralegal certifications. Train or intern to be a paralegal through on-the-job training.

Your degree is not the only piece of paper you can earn in your area of interest – it’s a starting point. But there are so many different ways to expand your knowledge base and skillset, that it’s not a road block, just a detour.

3. Work experience trumps your major.

If you have a college degree in anything, about five years out of school, the conversation is going to shift from your major to your experience. It’s going to be subtle, you probably won’t recognize it. But it will happen.

Instead of being asked about Communications, I started getting questions like, “So tell me what you did in this role?” Or, “How did your degree help you manage this situation?”

Your value and worth comes from more recent life work experiences than classroom learning. This is especially true if your career path has veered off your degree path.

It sounds a little like the chicken versus the egg conversation – how can you work in, say Marketing, with a Finance degree, if you don’t have marketing experience to fall back on? Here are a few ways:

1. Repositioning things that you did learn from your degree courses into a way that makes them applicable to the position you are seeking.
2. Volunteer doing activities in your desired new space, to gain real-world experience doing it.
3. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Entry-level jobs tend to have less degree-specific requirements.
4. Take an internship position to grow in your new area.
5. Request a rotational assignment at your current company. It’s usually a short-term assignment where you become a member (full-time or part-time) of the other department, to learn the necessary skills and expand your knowledge base.
6. Go back to school - but only if you absolutely have to.

The bottom line is this: your major is important, but it’s probably more important to you than it will be for your overall career.  Which is comforting, especially as who can live with a decision they made at 18 for the rest of their life? 

PS - If you want to hear the Life After College Alumni peeps in action, check out Jenny and Paul on the Launch Yourself Podcast!

We'd love to hear from you in the comments below: How have you been able to "get around" your major? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

Side Hustles, Solopreneurship and Starting Out

Written by Melissa Anzman

Long before I ended up quitting my corporate job, I had dreams of venturing out on my own. I looked everywhere for advice of how to make it happen.

When I was planning my (second) exit out of the corporate world to become a solopreneur, I had dreams of grandeur. Thoughts of what being an entrepreneur meant. What my daily life would consist of. All of the money that would be rolling in the door and the clients I’d be helping.

I sucked at balancing the side hustle thing. I’m an “all-in” or “all-out” kind of gal, so sticking it out to do my corporate job and my passion project at the same time, wasn’t ideal. I was ready to launch – and be a solopreneur.

After a lot of thought and debate, I settled on what my company would be and who I would be serving. Put my shingle out on the web, and sat back waiting for one narrow niche demographic to find me. My first mission statement was, "I work with working professionals age 25–45 who are looking to redefine their career path."

In my mind, being a solopreneur meant that I could only do one thing – I had to be known for one thing, or I would never earn a living or have paying clients. The people around me, the bloggers and online business owners I followed, the coaches and writers, and everyone in between… seemed to have just one business. One income stream. One “passion.” And as restrictive as that felt to me, I figured they knew much more that I did.

So I followed the formula to the best I could. Pick your niche, market, spread the word, make connections, guest post, and so on . . . only to land a handful of clients. Enough to keep me afloat, but not nearly enough to survive on.

Then August 2012 happened. I recently alluded to my fear of August because I didn’t earn a single penny that month. Yes, the entire month was a big fat zero. As Jenny would say, my Inner CFO was five minutes away from a nervous breakdown.

To be a successful entrepreneur meant that I had to be a career coach, or nothing.

Until I found out a little dirty secret in a fit of panic. Many of the solopreneur’s I knew and followed, actually did other things on the side. They worked as a freelancer for another company. They managed someone else’s website. They were  contractors/consultants at a similar company to the ones they were trying to launch.

It was astounding. Even in trying to escape the traditional career path norm, I was instituting another structured definition of what being your own boss meant. I know, apparently I am that structured of a person.

Then September rolled around and I had a plan. Thankfully I landed some new clients at the beginning of the month that lessened my panic, but I also realized that I needed to build my own type of business. My own way to define what being a solopreneur meant.

I started researching some alternative jobs that I could do that would provide a somewhat stable income, take up some of my extensive free time, and also help me learn more about my own business. I stumbled upon a job board that promoted flexible positions – part time, telecommuting, flexible hours, and so on.

Through that site, I found two options that fit the bill. Submitted my resume for both and got calls back immediately. Both were telecommuting positions with flexible part-time hours. I could decide how much I would work and it would be consistent with my location independent business. One of them was a perfect fit – and I eventually signed on to consult with them on an ongoing basis.

I was ashamed about it. I may have told two people, total. I thought I’d be found out as a fraud . . . or lying about owning my own business, or that I was cheating. It didn’t feel like I was making it on my own.

But the thing is, so many people view solopreneurship as exactly that – creating your own definition of a career path. I wasn’t as “successful” as a full-time career coach on day one, but I also was kind of bored. Once I shifted my own perspective about working for myself, I started being open to new opportunities that didn’t fit neatly inside of the “career coach” box. I started helping other coaches with their websites; other online entrepreneurs launch their products and services; and continued working my steady consulting gig.

I now have various different income sources that help me not only pay the bills, even though my career coaching business is now profitable and able to cover everything 100%!, but also helps me feed my various interests and fills my schedule.

Perhaps creating various side hustles when you are already a solopreneur is not the traditional path of entrepreneurship, but it’s all about how you define “being out on your own.” I would not have met some great people along my journey, had the opportunity to try out different business models, succeed and fail, and so on – had I simply labeled myself a career coach, and nothing more.

Success for me is about making it on your own terms. When in doubt, I refer back to an official definition of entrepreneur: 1. A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. 2. An employer of productive labor; contractor. Not exactly the same definition we always think of first!

I'd love to hear from you in the comments below: Have you created your own definition of entrepreneurship? Have you continued your side hustle when you're already out on your own? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.

How to Interview with Recruiters

Written by Melissa Anzman You finally get the call (or email), for a position that you are super excited about, requesting your availability to chat with the recruiter and your foot is officially in the door. You are so excited to make a lasting impression now that you finally have the chance... everything is ready to go.

But following the phone interview, you aren’t asked back – and you have no idea why.

The Biggest Mistakes You Are Making During Phone Interviews

Your Approach.

Your excitement about landing an interview tends to lead to overshare during your first interview. The most important thing to remember when you are speaking to a recruiter is this: they are not the subject matter experts for the position you are applying for, the hiring manager is.

Stop getting in the weeds with details, acronyms, and your awesomeness when speaking to a recruiter. They typically are going to glaze over – they don’t have to know those types of details, and they aren’t usually looking for that type of information either.

Instead, approach your interview as you would speaking to a friend or relative about your experience. You want to impress them with your knowledge, but you want to make it “kid-friendly.” When we are attuned to expectations of our role, it’s easy to forget that not everyone knows what the heck we are talking about. The same can be said about most recruiters.

They will have anywhere from 20 – 50 (or more!) positions they are recruiting for at any given time. So their complete comprehension of everything that you do at the granular level, isn’t critical.

Instead, focus on the big accomplishments that you have delivered – think 30,000 foot view of your experience and performance, not the nitty-gritty details. Recruiters are looking to see if you meet the qualifications posted and if you would be a great culture fit – not the exact ways in which you’ve done your job in the past.

Think big picture about your skills and how to become their friend. The rest of the details should be saved until you’re speaking with the hiring manager.

Being Condescending.

I doubt many people intend to come across as condescending, but it happens – especially over the phone. When you are speaking to a recruiter, they aren’t the subject matter experts for your role (see above), so they aren’t going to always grasp what you are saying.

Keep that in mind when they ask what seems to you, ridiculous or annoying questions about your experience. If the question comes across as odd to you, most likely you went too deep into specifics when trying to answer a question, and you lost them.

Remember that the recruiter is the gate keeper for the position you are excited to land. So if you have to “fake nice” a little bit, then do it (although you should be respectful in general!). Answer each question with forethought and grace.

And above all else, do not use these phrases:

• As mentioned earlier…
• As you will see in my resume…
• My previous title clearly defines…
• I already answered that…

Stop talking.

No, I haven’t forgotten that this is an interview and conversation is necessary. But for the love of Nancy, please stop talking so darn much! I know it’s the nerves taking over, but if you continue to ramble on forever when answering each question, you will quickly lose the attention of the recruiter.

Listening is part of a conversation as well, and sometimes taking a step back to fully understand what the recruiter is trying to learn about you, will help you present yourself in the best light. Like any great discussion, if the recruiter isn’t engaged with what’s going on, then you have lost them as your ally to be presented in the next round.

Take a deep breath before you answer each question and try to formulate each answer in a STAR format? (Don’t worry – I didn’t just go all woo-woo universe on you). STAR stands for Situation/Task, Action, and Result.

When you are asked an interview question, you should phrase your response in this three-sentence, at most, formula.

• Sentence 1 (S/T): Describe the situation or task that you want to use as your example in response to the question.
• Sentence 2 (A): Talk about the actions that you took in that situation.
• Sentence 3 (R): Deliver the results that you delivered or the outcome (good, bad, ugly).

This will help you get out of the weeds of the describing everything in minute detail, and also help you be concise when asked a question.

Recruiters are people too.

I received hate mail the other day for sticking up for recruiters. Essentially the three-page email said that recruiters are idiots, take pleasure in preventing people who are desperate for a job a chance, and have no real value. Funny enough, I’ve never held the solo-title of recruiter, but I digress.

Recruiters have a job to do, just like the one hope to do for the position you are applying to. And it’s a tough job – they have to say no a lot more than they get to say yes, it’s thankless most of the time, and they spend hours on the phone (that alone should earn some sympathy).

A successful interview with recruiter’s starts and ends with treating them as you would anyone else that is important to you – as a human being. Respect their time, their judgment (even if it’s not in your favor), and their effort for doing the best job they can… just like anyone else.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. What have you found helpful when interacting with a recruiter? 

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About Melissa

Melissa Anzman is the creator of Launch Your Job  where she equips ambitious leaders with practical ways to grow their career. She is the author of two books: How to Land a Job and Stop Hating Your Job. Follow her @MelissaAnzman.