Getting the job (check list)

Videos to watch:30 60 90 day planVideo #1:http://www.phcconsulting.com/

Video #2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDqxdM-34dc&feature=related

NOTE to Linked In members: This is my personal checklist. I suggest you make your own and use this one as a sample.

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS1. --- Market yourself2. --- Send Resume and cover letter (to employers and recruiters)3. --- Keep track of the places you submit your resume to4. Next day --- Fallow up with everyone you send a resume to be sure they received it.5. --- Receive a call or email (from employer or recruiter)6. Same day --- Send a contact Fallow up letter (to employer and recruiters)7. --- Invitation to interview (from employer)8. Same day --- Send Confirmation letter outlining your objectives of the interview with portfolio attached9. Next day --- Send a Letter of introduction (to employer)10. --- Prepare a Portfolio for each interview11. --- Prepare one mini Portfolio for each person interviewing you plus 3 extra portfolios12. --- Go to the interview location the day before the interview to check it out, notice the way people dress13. --- The interview happens14. Same day ---Send an Interview Fallow up letter15. --- You get hired (Horary :)16. Send thank you letters to the HR people, head hunters, and anyone else that helped you get this job :>)17. --- You don't get the job18. Send a letter of disappointment and wish them good luck and a successful project.

MARKETING YOURSELF

There are only two ways to convince employers to hire you: perform your skills or prove them with empirical evidence.

A quote from Kevin Dunlin http://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/crossroads/index.htm?op=view&id=3767&newsletter_id=822&archive=1

1. Create a Self-Marketing PlanCreating a self-marketing plan is critical to your success. Your job has many similarities to a business. You have a product that needs to generate income and that product must be marketed to a target audience. Your skills sets are the product and the rate of pay is the sale price. Supply and demand will determine the sale price of your product. Demand is created by the quality of your marketing effort.

Just like starting a new business, you need to determine your target audience, identify your unique attributes and selling points, and look for effective ways to promote yourself by delivering a powerful proposition with convincing empirical evidence that hiring you will lead them to success.

2. Create a powerful resume for each type of job you wish to apply for. I have several resumes targeted at:

Database Architecture/Design Data Modeling DBA team supervisor/manager Oracle Production and Development database administration IT manager

This may sound obvious but never include information that is not related to the position you are applying for. It waters down your "targeted" message and contributes nothing that helps you get the job.

The first page: Summarize your skills and accomplishments that are targeted at the employer you are sending the resume to. Potential headings on the first page: Objective professional profile (3 to 5 bulleted lines) Summary of experience and professional qualifications (3 to 5 bulleted lines) Summary of experience and technical qualifications (3 to 8 bulleted lines) Awards Education

Professional History: Your work history section must be packed with accomplishments. This is not a description of what you have done as much as it is a description of the benefits your employer received because of the things that you did. For example. ABC Inc. reduced the expense of ... by over $1.5 million annually as a direct result of my leadership and database design expertise.

Awards and Accolades: I include a section at the end of my resume titled "Awards and Accolades ". This section may include a description of awards and quotes from managers, employees, customers, and recommendations from Linked In.

Action-oriented sentence starters: Your resume should never include the words “I” or “we.” For example, instead of writing "I implemented", begin the sentence with "Implemented". Here is a list of action words you can use in your resume. They are split into categories for easy use.

Management action words: elevated, spear headed, evaluated, directed, championed, saved, lead, restructured, transitioned, analyzed, coordinated, delegated, executed, incorporated, motivated, oversaw, responsible for, increased, streamlined, completed.

Communication action words: organized, planed, collaborated, teamed, addressed, authored, persuaded, summarized, renegotiated, reported, wrote, Liaison, advisor, Served, interfaced, Realigned, teaching, instructing.

Creative action words: Pivotal role, Turned around, Built, Automated, Architected , implemented, rebuilt, centralized, conceived, conceptualized, created, designed, developed, produced, implemented.

Detail-oriented action words: approved, compiled, edited, inspected, gathered, and proofread.

3. Create a powerful cover letter for head hunters and hiring managers. My experience in the past as a hiring manager has been that only 1 in 20 people send a cover letter. This gives those people a huge advantage by providing a "brochure" of their skills that are focused like a laser on the employers needs.

4. Help people with your time and resources. Publish documents in places like Linked In, twitter, face book, friendfeed, and U-Tube that help people. Create a reputation of helping other people with your intelligence, knowledge, and skill. This should be a vital part of your "self marketing plan". Remember; what comes around goes around.

5. Create a Linked in account that is 100% complete and then join at least 20 groups.6. Create your own web site portfolio that includes:

A resume version for every type of job you are looking for Reference letters from past employers Samples of your work A picture of any awards, certificates, or diplomas you have earned

Your contact information My web site is: http://oraclehugheskc.com/resume.html

7. Create videos on YouTube that demonstrate your abilities. These can be instructional videos demonstrating technical skills, leadership skills, organizational skills etc.

8. Identify at least 5 companies that have employees that do the same work you would like to do, create links to their web site, and check to see what jobs are available at least 3 times a week.

9. Post your resume to niche job sites that are targeted to your industry or location. http://www.dbacrossing.com/ http://www.jobsearchusa.org/jobs/washington/information-technology/oracle http://psoug.org/ http://www.seattle.computerjobs.com http://www.telecommute-jobs.com/

10. Post your resume on theses generic job search web sites: http://jobs.businessweek.com/a/all-jobs/list/q-Oracle/l-Seattle,+WA http://www.careerbuilder.com http://seattle.craigslist.org http://dice.com/ http://expediajobs.com/job_search/index.html http://www.jobfox.com http://www.monster.com/ http://www.mygeoweb.com http//jobs.usnews.com/a/all-jobs/

11. Make a change, any change, to every website that has your profile at least once a month to keep employers looking at your information.

12. Deliver your resume in person whenever possible. You might by chance meet someone that can help you get the job. Like the hiring manager.

13. If you can't deliver your resume then mail 3 color copies along with a cover letter saying the extra copies are to give to other people that may want to look at them.

14. If you must email the resume then send it several days prior to an interview.15. Consider a resume distribution service to more effectively target key employers and improve your chance of

getting noticed. I have used ResumeRabbit.com several times and loved it. It was totally worth the $50 bucks. They instantly posted my resume to 82 job sites. Doing it myself would not have been possible to do without devoting several weeks of 8 hour days to accomplish. I received lots of inquiries from recruiters and companies and I believe it dramatically increases the effectiveness of my job search strategy. These services increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time WITH THE RIGHT EMPLOYER. That's worth $50 bucks or so to me.

KEEPING TRACK OF THE PLACES YOU SUBMIT YOUR RESUME TO

1. Create a directory for files with job application information.A. Create a file with this information for each job:

Screen shots of job applications you make on line. The job description.

B. Save every file related to a specific job with the same number at the beginning of the file name. This includes cover letters, resumes, fallow up letters etc. IE: 22_cover_letter_IBM, 22_fallow_up_letter_IBM, 22_DBA_Manager_resume_IBM.

C. Keep a spread sheet with: The number of the file with the job information and screen shots The company website URL The name of the person at the company The company phone and address, A 3 word description of the type of work Whether you applied online, called the person, meet in person What was said or done IE: Sent DBA architecture resume and cover letter, or We talked about ... Date of the communication

When to fallow up in the future2. Create a directory for files that you often used to apply for jobs.

A. Put sample files such as: A resume for each kind of work you will be applying for A file with several examples cover letters in it A letter of introduction to introduce you to prospective interviewing panels PDF files of letters of recommendations, certificates, awards, and diplomas A document with references listed A document matching the job requirements with your skills sets

I can send you an example at your request ;)

WHEN THE EMPLOYER OR RECRUITER CALLS

When the HR person or recruiter calls to set up an interview ask for these things:

What are the three most important business objectives a person in this position will need to accomplish? Why are they important to the company?

NOTE: (If you're not able to get this question in beforehand, you can still ask it right at the start of the interview.)

Who will be interviewing me? (This enables you to learn about them via the WWW prior to the interview)

Write down how you can accomplish those objectives. Include relevant past experience and training and a plan for accomplishing the objectives.

PREPARATION USED IN ALL INTERVIEWS

Some of the best advice for achieving your goals is summed up in the words of Louis Pasteur: "Chance favors the prepared mind." You may have also heard "luck is when opportunity meets preparedness" create your own "luck" by being prepared :>)

1. Get personal business cards with contact information & 4 or 5 words of what you have to offer an employer. I get my cards from Vistaprint.com.

2. Create a compelling message that appeals to the employer’s self-interest … while ordinary job seekers are simply asking for a job.

Know as much about the company as possible to help create an effective message. Get on their web site and memorize their products and services. Look at their press release section for news. Talk to a few people about what they know (call the receptionist, sales people, service reps

etc.) Contact a stockbroker. They have access to industry and company research and annual

reports. Find out if they are in a fast growth mode, or are they in a conservative mode from undesirable performance.

Search for articles on the company in industry trade magazines and news papers. Look online for comments, discussions, blogs, forums, and additional insights. Search Google and the employer’s web site for press releases announcing new

employees. You’ll often find reasons why those people were hired. Look for good news about the company. Look for challenges that the company is facing, and think about how you might contribute to

their success. Contact customers and competitors of the target employer. Asked them, 'What is

it about Company ABC that keeps you awake at night?' or 'What makes your product or service superior to ABC's product or service' you can learn a lot of valuable information this way.

Create a one page paper with a summary of their products and corporate strategies. Include your findings about their top two or three competitors with an eye toward identifying key similarities and differences. Also include their products, services, customer demographics, and how the company was started, who the founders are, and if the founders are still with the company. they want to know that you care enough about "their" company and the job you are applying for to have done your homework

3. Learn about the great things people interviewing you have done. This makes it easy to talk about common interests and helps you get to know them before they even meet you. It also demonstrates that you do your homework. Search online for personal resume web sites and general information about every one you

will be interviewing with to find positive things about them or if you have anything in common. Check to see if the people interviewing you have Linked-In or face book web sites. If they do

print it out and put it in your primary portfolio. It may come in handy to compliment people on their accomplishments. Don't ever provide negative advice or expose negative information.

WEBSITES TO HELP YOUR PREPARATION:

Work source:https://fortress.wa.gov/esd/worksource/Employment.aspxVideos on preparing for an interview:http://newgradlife.blogspot.com/2009/12/job-interview-interview-questions.htmlVideo on interviewing in person:http://newgradlife.blogspot.com/2009/12/job-interview-questions-tell-me-about.htmlVenture beat:http://venturebeat.com/Top 10 personal branding tips:http://internsover40.blogspot.com/2009/11/top-10-tips-for-personal-branding_10.htmlSalery.com:http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_selectjob.asp?hdSearchByOption=0&hdLocationOption=0&rdbSearchByOption=0&rdbLocationOption=0&hdSortBy=0&hdKeyword=oracle%20dba&hdJobCategory=&hdZipCode=98030&zipcope=98030&hdStateMetro=&hdJSBoolDisplayAdverSalary expectations:http://www.livecareer.com/report/report.aspx?pagecd=SLRN&rcd=SR10&productid=7&urid=264425&testid=-1&guid={3EBAE89C-86C8-4AC4-A1CD-B53C15CBA6BC}&nc=1746568.694004969Press releases:http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/Pre-screening interview:http://internsover40.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-to-do-pre-screening-phone-call.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InternsOver40+%28Interns+Over+40%29&utm_content=FeedBurnerPay scale:http://www.payscale.com/Lookup anyone:http://www.lookupanyone.com/Crunch base:http://www.crunchbase.com/Company Research #1:http://start.cortera.com/company/research/k2l5nzo3s/becu/Company research #2:http://www.hoovers.com/Company research #3:http://www.corporateinformation.com/Company research #4 SEC:http://www.sec.gov/

PREPARING FOR THE PHONE INTERVIEW (part1)

Material to have displayed on your computer or printed A pen and paper for taking notes with the name and phone number of the interviewer at

the top. A picture of something that makes you feel happy Put on your smile and keep it on until the interview is over Genuinely feel and express interest in resolving their needs The getting_the_job_outline_of_important_things.doc 1 color copy of your resume A printout of the company's entire web site (with notes and questions written on it) A printout of the job description (with notes and questions written on it) A "Requirement Qualification Fulfillment" document. Email me and I will send you a sample. A printout of any interesting press releases you have found.

4. Have a story/example for each bullet on the job description and each bullet in your resume. Include the challenges you were up against. Action you took to overcome these challenges. Results you achieved. Policy put in place to prevent the problem from re-occurring.

5. Be an expert at answering this question "Tell me about yourself" When they say "tell me about yourself?"What they are really asking is:A. "Tell me why I should hire you for this job?"B. "Tell me how you can solve my problems?"

NOTE: Start with the last job you had and tell how that job qualified you for this position. Relate other experience you have to their needs. Use example of past achievements. Doesn't talk about you very much, instead focus on the benefits your employer received as a result of your contribution and the benefits you think the current company will receive from your employment?

NOTE: Your objective is to identify their needs and match your skill sets to those needs. Don't tell them about your hobbies or anything else that is not related to the job you are applying for. The exception to this is if you know they have a hobby that you also share.

6. Write down answers to standard questions such as: Your strengths. Where you want to be in the future. What was the worst project you have been involved with?

7. Write down the answers to difficult questions you don't want to be asked. Don't shy away from these questions and hope they won't be asked. Expect them to be asked and have your answers composed, practiced, and ready to go. Some questions to tackle are: Your weaknesses. If you have a gap in your resume, have a good response for when you are asked about it. If you were fired or laid off, be prepared to tell the employer why with a positive spin. If your job was outsourced or the company went out of business. NOTE: NEVER LIE about anything. Remember what goes around, comes around; and lies will

catch up with you some day. TIP: Google often has advice on answering tough questions.

8. Write down an introduction ; an opener that says who you are and what you do. This is your 60 second elevator speech that should leave the person excited about working with you and wanting to learn more about you. It's a tool that helps you target your skills to meet the employer’s needs. It allows you to summarize your most marketable strengths in a brief and concise manner. Your elevator speech can be used to answer these common questions: What are your strengths?

Why should I hire you? What makes you think you are qualified? What makes you think you can succeed at this job? Why do you want this job? Include:

a) Your past title or the title you are applying for. b) The type of work you have been doing as it relates to the job.c) How you can help them with challenges they are confronting.d) How you can fill a gap in their team skill sets.e) How well you work as a "team Player" through collaboration and helping others succeed.f) Why you are excited to be interviewing with this company.

9. Create an outline of important things for this meeting (interview). The below items came from steps above: The top 3 points you want to make sure you get across. What makes you different? The job related questions you have. Answers to standard questions. Answers to difficult the questions. Your 30 second elevator speech.

10. Rehearse your interview. Write a script with questions for someone to ask you and answers that you wish

to give. Write down some of your most insightful, witty thoughts regarding the state of

your industry and profession. Be prepared to describe past positions, responsibilities and accomplishments.

This is not a time for false modesty, so don't be afraid to highlight your professional strengths and play down your terrible typing skills. Remember it's not bragging if it's the truth.

Ask your spouse, your child or a friend to play the role of interviewer so you become more comfortable speaking about yourself in front of others. Again, this is a confidence builder. The more you practice, the more confident you'll be.

PREPARING FOR THE PHONE INTERVIEW (part 2)

Keep the conversation at the interview focused on those objectives. The employer will appreciate your ability to keep the interview focused on the employer's business objectives.

If conversation gets steered away to upcoming spring training or the snow this winter, or Tiger's apology on Friday, you just make sure that you steer it back to how you can contribute on the three key needs.

This interview is NOT ABOUT YOU and how wonderful you are.

If you think about the interview from your future boss' point of view, the interview is not about you. It's about how well you fit into their business needs. If you stick to your talking points above, you'll avoid one of the most common errors people make in job interviews: talking about themselves without a real purpose.

Yes, you need to discuss your career goals, but only in the context of how they match up with what your boss is looking for.

And, yes, you need to discuss your prior performance and successes, but only to the extent that it supports how you match the three key needs the company has for the open position.

A job interview is a sales call — it's about selling you, your experiences, skills, and talent to accomplish the business objectives of the employer.

1. Sit down at your desk 30 minutes early. That way if they call early you can still be "ON TIME". 2. Dress for success even. Dressing for success will help you feel successful even though they cannot see you

through the phone line.

3. Be poised, confident, upbeat, passionate, and excited about their company.4. Reveal what you honestly like about the person or the company. Sincere flattery starts the interview off in a

positive way. Mention something flattering about the persons LinkedIn Site or their personal web site. and/or say something flattering about the company that you have discovered via their web site or Google research.

5. Be interested in them and the challenges they are hiring you to overcome.6. Write down the name and job title of each person.7. Answer questions and ask them. Remember, it's a two way conversation, and an opportunity for both

parties to see if there is a match. Think of this as a meeting not an interview where your objective is to identify their challenges and propose solutions to those challenges.

8. Know what questions NOT to ask. Don't ask about salary, bonuses, vacation time, benefits, or your office space. Don't ask about on-call or overtime except in the context of doing it for no additional pay because on-call and/or overtime comes with DBA work.

9. Make sure you cover anything that was not discussed in the interview before you leave. For example: Did you cover your 3 points? Did you tell the interviewer what makes you different? Did you handle all objections properly? Did you ask the questions you wanted to ask? Cover this now; afterwards may be too late.

10. Tell the interviewer again why you want the job. 11. Ask what the hiring process is, and when you can follow up with them again.

PREPARING FOR THE "IN PERSON" INTERVIEW (part1)

Printed material for the interview The getting_the_job_outline_of_important_things.doc 3 to 5 color copies of your resume to hand out Directions to the interview location A printout of the company's entire web site (with notes and questions written on it) A printout of the job description (with notes and questions written on it)Prepare a portfolio for you to use of things that might be helpful at the interview.

a) Put your portfolio in a very nice briefcase or plastic report coverb) Either the cover letter you originally sent with the resume or a new one customized for the

job requirements.c) A "Requirement Qualification Fulfillment" document. Email me and I will send you a sample.d) A color copy of your resume.e) Awards you have received.f) A copy of Certificates and Diplomas.g) Letters of recommendation from past employers or college professors.h) A printout of any interesting press releases you have found about projects you have worked

on.i) Examples of your work (documents and programming code you authored).j) A printout of any interesting press releases about the employer's successes.

11. Prepare several mini portfolios of things to leave (one for each person interviewing you plus an extra one) Put your portfolio in a very nice briefcase or plastic report cover. Staple your business card to the cover of the portfolio. Items B through I above. Anything the employer expressed an interest in your primary portfolio during the interview.

12. Have a story/example for each bullet on the job description and each bullet in your resume. Include the challenges you were up against. Action you took to overcome these challenges. Results you achieved. Policy put in place to prevent the problem from re-occurring.

13. Be an expert at answering this question "Tell me about yourself" When they say "tell me about yourself?"

What they are really asking is:A. "Tell me why I should hire you for this job?"B. "Tell me how you can solve my problems?"

NOTE: Start with the last job you had and tell how that job qualified you for this position. Relate other experience you have to their needs. Use example of past achievements. Don't talk about you very much, instead focus on the benefits your employer received as a result of your contribution and the benefits you think the current company will receive from your employment?

NOTE: Your objective is to identify their needs and match your skill sets to those needs. Don't tell them about your hobbies or anything else that is not related to the job you are applying for. The exception to this is if you know they have a hobby that you also share.

14. Write down answers to standard questions such as: Your strengths. Where you want to be in the future. What was the worst project you have been involved with?

15. Write down the answers to difficult questions you don't want to be asked. Don't shy away from these questions and hope they won't be asked. Expect them to be asked and have your answers composed, practiced, and ready to go. Some questions to tackle are: Your weaknesses. If you have a gap in your resume, have a good response for when you are asked about it. If you were fired or laid off, be prepared to tell the employer why with a positive spin. If your job was outsourced or the company went out of business. NOTE: NEVER LIE about anything. Remember what goes around, comes around; and lies will

catch up with you some day. TIP: Google often has advice on answering tough questions.

16. Write down an introduction ; an opener that says who you are and what you do. This is your 60 second elevator speech that should leave the person excited about working with you and wanting to learn more about you. It's a tool that helps you target your skills to meet the employer’s needs. It allows you to summarize your most marketable strengths in a brief and concise manner. Your elevator speech can be used to answer these common questions: What are your strengths? Why should I hire you? What makes you think you are qualified? What makes you think you can succeed at this job? Why do you want this job? Include:

g) Your past title or the title you are applying for. h) The type of work you have been doing as it relates to the job.i) How you can help them with challenges they are confronting.j) How you can fill a gap in their team skill sets.k) How well you work as a "team Player" through collaboration and helping others succeed.l) Why you are excited to be interviewing with this company.

17. Create an outline of important things for this meeting (interview). The below items came from steps above: The top 3 points you want to make sure you get across. What makes you different? The job related questions you have. Answers to standard questions. Answers to difficult the questions. Your 30 second elevator speech.

18.Rehearse your interview. Write a script with questions for someone to ask you and answers that you wish

to give. Write down some of your most insightful, witty thoughts regarding the state of

your industry and profession.

Be prepared to describe past positions, responsibilities and accomplishments. This is not a time for false modesty, so don't be afraid to highlight your professional strengths and play down your terrible typing skills. Remember it's not bragging if it's the truth.

Ask your spouse, your child or a friend to play the role of interviewer so you become more comfortable speaking about yourself in front of others. Again, this is a confidence builder. The more you practice, the more confident you'll be.

PREPARING FOR THE "IN PERSON" INTERVIEW (part 2)

Reserve time to prepare for each interview in this order:1. 1 hour to prepare a cover letter and customized resume.2. 2 hours to prepare a "Requirement Qualification Fulfillment" document.3. 1 hour to prepare a portfolio of material to leave with the managers at the end of the interview.4. 15 minutes to print 5 copies of your resume and directions to the interview.5. 4 hours to research the company, its officers, products & services, customers, corporate initiatives etc.6. 1 hour to prepare an outline of important things to cover at the interview.

Total 9 HOURS preparation for each interview.

Rules for interviews and preparation1. Schedule interviews in at least 2 days from now and try to get 4 or more days.2. Never do interview preparation on the day of the interview unless it cannot be avoided.3. Prepare your clothing well in advance and only wear them on interviews. Never iron your clothes the day of

the interview otherwise they will wrinkle easy.4. Prepare an outfit that starts with a sports coat and can be dressed down with the removal of a tie and the

coat.5. Always have a "perfect", unwrinkled, spotlessly clean and polished sports coat, shirt, pants (dress), shoes,

belt etc.6. Take an umbrella that opens and closes with the push of a button. This will help you manage the things you

need to carry when it is raining.

2 or 3 DAYS BEFORE THE INTERVIEW. Send a meeting preparation letter.

Tell them you want to prepare for the meeting and that you think it should be focused on resolution of their business needs.

1. What are the two most important business objectives a person in this position will need to accomplish?

2. Why are they important to the company? 3. What could cause a person to fail at achieving these objectives?

Tell them you will be asking these 2 questions at the meeting:1. At the meeting I will be asking you what business initiatives will be impacting IT and/or the

database in the next 24 months?2. What is the biggest challenge you need help to overcome in the next 12 to 24 months?

If you think about the interview from your future boss' point of view, the interview is not about you. It's about how well you fit into their business needs.

1 day before the interviewSend a letter of introduction talking about:

How you have solved the needs of past employers Your work ethics Ways that you can help them overcome their challenges.Also include: A brief description of the things you will be bringing in your portfolio. 1 or 2 questions you would like to ask them. It is best if the question came from

research you have done about the company. This demonstrated commitment and dedication to this opportunity.

A "Requirement Qualification Fulfillment" document. Email me and I will send you a sample.

1 or 2 letters of reference from past employers.NOTE: All of these things should be a part of your portfolio and mini portfolio. Portfolios are discussed in

another section of this document.

The day of the interview not less than 2 hours before the interview1. Send a confirmation note the day before the interview

Include in your email the time the interview is to start, the address you are to go to. The email should be addressed to the person you are meeting.

DURING THE "IN PERSON" INTERVIEW (part 3)

Keep the conversation at the interview focused on those objectives. The employer will appreciate your ability to keep the interview focused on the employer's business objectives.

If conversation gets steered away to upcoming spring foot ball training, or the snow this winter, or Tiger Woods apology, you just make sure that you steer it back to how you can contribute on the three key needs.

This interview is NOT ABOUT YOU and how wonderful you are.

If you think about the interview from your future boss' point of view, the interview is not about you. It's about how well you fit into their business needs. If you stick to your talking points above, you'll avoid one of the most common errors people make in job interviews: talking about themselves without a real purpose.

Yes, you need to discuss your career goals, but only in the context of how they match up with what your boss is looking for.

And, yes, you need to discuss your prior performance and successes, but only to the extent that it supports how you match the three key needs the company has for the open position.

A job interview is a sales call — it's about selling you, your experiences, skills, and talent to accomplish the business objectives of the employer.

12. Arrive in the parking lot 30 minutes early. That way if there is a traffic jam, or your car runs out of gas, or you get lost you can still be "ON TIME"!!!.

13. NEVER BE LATE!!! Be 6 to 10 minutes early. Don't be more than 10 minutes early and don't show up less than 6 minutes early. More than 10 minutes early can disrupt the schedule of the person you are going to meet, "on time". Between 0 and 5 minutes early says you care as much as "everyone else" interviewing for the job. Do you want to be "everyone else" or "above average".

14. Dress for success. Dress a little more conservative than the average person at the company. It is best to visit the company (incognito) to scope out the environment, the general dress code, and learn how to get there.

15. I like to dress in the car or a bathroom close by. That way your clothes are "PERFECT" with no wrinkles at all. Especially those nasty wrinkles in pants caused by sitting in a car for 30 minutes driving to the interview.

16. Be poised, confident, upbeat, passionate, and excited to be there.17. Be interested in them and the challenges they are hiring you to overcome.18. Greet everyone with a firm handshake, looking eye to eye, and smiling in a confident yet comforting way.19. Give each person your personal business card.20. Right after your introduction; say something flattering to the interviewer. Reveal what you honestly like

about the person or the company. Sincere flattery starts the interview off in a positive way.21. Open your portfolio and put these documents on the table in front of you. This is so you can refer to them

and so the people interviewing you see that you have done your homework: Your outline of important things for this meeting. 3 to 5 color copies of your resume with business card stapled. Printout of the company's web site with notes and questions written in plain view. Printout of any related information such as press releases. Printout of the Linked In sites for people interviewing you. The mini portfolios. (You should have a mini portfolio for each person) An paper with the names of each person interviewing you, their title, and email address. An ink pen, green highlighter, and paper for taking notes. (green is a GO color, Yellow is a

CAUTION color, red is a STOP color, and blue signifies TRUST and COMPTENCE)

22. Answer questions and ask them. Remember, it's a two way conversation, and an opportunity for both parties to see if there is a match. Think of this as a meeting not an interview where your objective is to identify their challenges and propose solutions to those challenges.

23. Know what questions NOT to ask. Don't ask about salary, bonuses, vacation time, benefits, or your office space. Don't ask about on-call or overtime except in the context of doing it for no additional pay because on-call and/or overtime comes with DBA work.

24. Make sure you cover anything that was not discussed in the interview before you leave. For example: Did you cover your 3 points? Did you tell the interviewer what makes you different? Did you handle all objections properly? Did you ask the questions you wanted to ask? Cover this now; afterwards may be too late.

25. Tell the interviewer again why you want the job. 26. Ask what the hiring process is, and when you can follow up with them again.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INTERVIEW.

1. Send a thank-you note. Email one version and also send a handwritten version. Thank you cards work well here.

2. Include in your email anything you left out during the interview. Add credibility to your email by mentioning something specific the interviewer said that impressed you.

3. If you promised to follow up on a specific day and time, keep that promise.4. Continue interviewing. No matter how great an interview went, no matter how many people told you that

you are "the one", you do not have the job until you have formally been given a job offer in writing. Don't let everything ride on one job. Keep going until you are officially employed.

5. Don't turn down any other offers until you been on the job one week. Stall the other companies until you are absolutely sure the company you choose is the right choice.

AFTER A REJECTION LETTER.

This can be a valuable way to get the job. I have a friend that got hired after sending a response to a rejection letter. It makes you really stand out and that may be all that is needed.

1. Send a thank-you note for having the opportunity to interview with them. 2. Include the fact that you are disappointed. 3. State that this was a job you really wanted because ...4. Express a desire to work there in the future.5. Wish them and/or their team sincere success.6. Tell them you hope the person they choose fits well with the team and can help the company achieve their

corporate goals.

AFTER A OFFER LETTER.

Say thanks: When you get the job, send a thank you card to your references or take them out for lunch or coffee to show them how much you appreciate their help.

BUSINESS CARDS AND SIGNATURE BLOCK FOR ALL CORRESPONDENCE

1. Make sure you have physical and electronic business cards.2. Below is my signature block with electronic business card.

I am at YOUR service!Ken HughesExpect Excellence -- Oracle Certified ProfessionalPhone:H:253-859-7771C:206-310-8547Hugheskc@yahoo.comLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hugheskc

Make sure you have a document heading for all Word documents such as resumes or cover letters. Consistency will make the employer feel like you are professional, detail oriented, and dependable.

KENNETH C. HUGHES 11030 SE 270th ST. Kent, WA. 98031 Home: (253) 859-7771 E-Mail: HughesKC@yahoo.com 4/7/2023 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hugheskc

RESUME OF EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, AND PUBLICATIONS

Document Copyright (C) 2009 Ken Hughes hugheskc@yahoo.com 253-859-7771, 206-310-8547