National Council Leadership Program to

Eliminate Health Disparities

July 18, 2011 – Washington D.C.

Planning for Career Transitions

Dr. Stuart Meyers, President

The Meyers Group, Executive Search Consultants

YOU will make a difference in

the lives of thousands while

on this career path….

welcome aboard!

Why this is a truly special

opportunity

A “headhunter’s perspective”

on developing a successful

career plan

1

“Talent alone won’t make you

a success. Neither will being

in the right place at the right

time….unless you are ready.

The most important question

is: are you ready?”

- Johnny Carson

2

“Before everything else, getting

ready is the secret to success.”

- Henry Ford

3

Question: Who is in charge of your career?

> Your boss?

> Your spouse or significant other?

> The economy?

> Your therapist?

> Your recruiter?

> All of the above?

> None of the above?

4

Real Answer: None of the

above….it is YOU!

Everything and everyone else

influences how you manage your

career, but only one person cares

enough to really manage it…to

take charge of it.

5

Some Words of Wisdom

“If we would first know where we are and where we are tending, we could

then better judge what to do and how to do it”

-- Abraham Lincoln

“We get too soon old and too late smart”

-- Source unknown

“Since we can’t start yesterday, let’s start now”

-- Source also unknown

“He who does not look ahead, remains behind”

-- Eastern Proverb

“ There is no coming to consciousness without pain”

-- Carl Jung 6

And one more quote….for now….

“Fear of change, especially a career change, blocks us from

taking creative control of our work lives.”

-- Helen Harkness (The Career Chase)

7

Back to Preparation…..where do you begin?

> So….Who are you?

> Where have you been?

> Where are you going?

> Why does it matter?

> Who else cares?

8

The world around you:

> Your family

> Your community (Demographic shifts)

> Your organization (it’s values & commitments)

> Your industry (e.g. integration)

> Public Policy….local and national

> (Health Care Reform)

9

Your Job:

> Job description

> Supervisor expectations

> Your expectations

> Peer/Colleague expectations

> Am I happy….satisfied…excited?

> Am I learning every day?

10

How do I demonstrate “Value Added” ?

> Humility

> Curiosity

> “Walk the Talk”

> Take the Initiative

> Attitude

> Take some risks

> Become the “go to” person

> How do I make others look good?

11

A word about Emotional Intelligence….just

how “bright” are you?

What correlates best with success in senior

management positions?

> Self Regard

> Happiness

> Interpersonal Relationship

> Reality Testing

> Self Actualization 12

Some basics of career building

1. Do what you are supposed to do…so well that it hurts. Excellence does

matter.

2. Stretch outside of your area of prime responsibility; diversify; become a

cross-functional resource.

(“I want your best athletes”)

-- A current client

3. Become indispensable

4 Increase your visibility both in and outside of your organization; get

involved

5. What goes around, comes around…be a decent person; genuine,

respectful, and always with honesty and integrity

6. Become literate in what is coming…..read, ask questions, listen

13

“Above all, regardless of their almost limitless

diversity of style, the effective leaders know

how to ask questions – the right questions.

They start out asking what needs to be done

and then they ask what can I do to make a

difference”

-- Peter Drucker

14

So let’s start out with the most important very

first step in the process:

- Commitment to self-assessment; do a SWOT

analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities

and threats). Ask for honest input from others

- What do I really want? What will make me

happy….meet most of my needs?

- Develop an “Action Plan”

15

“If you haven’t the strength to impose your own terms upon life,

you must accept the terms it offers you.”

-- T.S. Eliot

“Hell is to drift…..Heaven is to steer”

-- George Bernard Shaw

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Action Plan > Attitude

> Self-Assessment

> Strengths

> Areas for Improvement

> “Identity” (your “brand”)

> Career Interests

> Family Needs

> Location

> Your network; who do you know?

> Who should you know?

17

What’s out there? Career Opportunities?

Industry Trends

Where to look?

> Social Networking

> Trade Journals

> Conferences

> Internet

> Trade Associations, Groups

> Colleagues, friends, employers

> Cold Calls

> Find a Mentor

> Coursework….read, read, read 18

The “art and science” of job interviews

> to increase your understanding of the “art and

science” of a job interview

> what you need to do to excel in an interview

> what the hiring authority is looking for during the

interview

> why preparation is the key to success

> why 1st impressions mean so much

> why “honesty is the best policy”

19

The “art and science” of job interviews (continued)

> anticipating the questions you’ll be asked

> understanding the format, structure, & setting of

the interview

> the “no-no’s” of a job interview

> the importance of the close

> why the “joining up process” really begins with

your job application

> the actual stages of a job interview

> the ultimate goal of that interview 20

The Obvious

• be early

• dress appropriately

• do your homework (that preparation thing)

• body language

• honesty

• listening skills

• the importance of brevity and specificity

• humor….personality

• what was your name?

• follow-up 21

“Be prepared to listen; listen to be prepared.”

-- Source Unknown

22

Preparation

> What do you know about the organization?

> What do you know about the people you will

meet?

> How will the interview be structured?

> What does your resume & cover letter say about

you? (1st impression)

> Understand why this position is a good fit

> Why are you “value added”?

23

Preparation (continued)

> What do you want to know?

> How to handle compensation issues

> What questions will you be asked?

> Contact information (just in case)

> Stuart’s “control” theory…why it is relevant

24

“You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression.”

-- Source Unknown

25

“This is what I tell people: just ask to meet

me. Confidence is my strongest asset. I

know this because my hair is black right now.

A month ago, I was a redhead, and a blonde a

month before that. I'm willing to take

chances.”

- Cover letter, Michelle, currently

two-tone brunette/blonde

26

First Impressions

> Pre-interview: Resume and Cover letter

> Arrive early

> The waiting room … (you’d be surprised!)

> Cell phones

> The “presence” thing

> Non-verbal cues

> Opening Questions

> “Attitude” shows

> Perfume/cologne

> Humor

27

The Top 20 questions you will likely be

asked

1. Tell me about yourself (be relevant)

2. What would you say is your greatest

strength? (give an example of how it

served you well)

3. What is your area for growth? How

have you worked to address this?

4. Why are you interested in this position?

5. Why are you considering leaving your current

position? What did you like least in that role?

6. What was your favorite job, and what role did your

supervisor play in making it successful? 28

The Top 20 questions you will likely be

asked

7. How do you perform under pressure?

8. What accomplishment of yours

makes you most proud?

9. What have you done to grow

professionally over the past year?

10. What do you know about our

organization?

11. How would your co-workers describe you?

Your supervisor?

12. What do you think of your boss?

13. What was the hardest thing you ever had to do in your career?

14. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

29

The Top 20 questions you will likely be

asked

15. What would you say is your most

career defining accomplishment?

16. What other roles/companies are you

considering?

17. What are the 3 things most

important to you in a job?

18. How would you describe your ideal job?

19. What kind of salary are you looking for?

20. Why should we hire you?

30

The “Joining Up” Process & Psychological Contracting

Why is this so very very important??

31

What are the questions you need to ask?

And why these questions?

1. Why is this position open?

2. How would you define success in this role?

3. What challenges would need to be overcome in the 1st 30-60 days?

4. How will my performance be evaluated?

5. What makes this organization a great place to work in today?

In the next 3-5 years?

6. What opportunities for growth exist in the next 3-5 years?

7. How do you see the “fit” between me and the role based on

what you have learned during this interview?

32

What are the 5 most important things you want the

interviewers to know about you and the job fit?

(The “Close”)

1. __________________

2. __________________

3. __________________

4. __________________

5. __________________

33

Job Interview “No-No’s”

No matter how "important" the interviewer makes

him/herself out to be, refuse to talk to that

person, saying you want the "head honcho" only.

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35

Some Interview “No-No’s”

1. Refer back to “The Obvious”

2. Vague Answers…seek clarity for vague questions

3. Don’t be overly familiar

4. Don’t ramble (watch for body language)

5. Be truthful (including resume)

6. Don’t express resentment or be critical

of previous boss or company

7. “bragging” (the “art” of selling with humility)

8. lack of preparation (this is fatal)

9. wanting the job….too much!

10. When is it “I” vs. “we” in answering questions?

11. Failure to “close”…the last 3 minutes

36

A word about behavioral job interviews:

> What are they?

> How to prepare

> Why they are so frequently used

> Tips on how to be honest & “hit a homerun”

> The importance of dialogue

37

Compensation Issues

> How to think about this issue

> How to prepare

> How to address compensation if raised during an

interview

> What is the employer thinking? What are his/her

needs?

> No harm in asking

> Know your thresholds

38

The “Close”

How to be sure the interview ends on a high note

39

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Q & A

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