When we are first laid off, it can be overwhelming. Our income is going or gone. And we face the prospect of going through a painful, barely understood process to get a job. This Power of You microcast sorts through the many things that are happening when we find ourselves out on the street and offers some ways of dealing with the crisis in a productive and positive way. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: When people ask me what I have done, I draw a blank. What can I d...
Feb 13, 2017•5 min
Those familiar with The Power of You will know that learning more and more about the positions, industries and organizations we are interested in is the most effective way to engage our network. For those of us sticking with a well honed expertise, the questions we want to ask are slightly different. This microcast looks at questions the expert will ask, in more detail. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: Can you give me some good questions to ask my networking contacts?...
Feb 13, 2017•5 min
As with many difficult questions, the main point of asking a nonsense question is to see how we handle the unexpected. While nonsense questions may seem impossible to anticipate and have no set answer, this Power of You microcast reviews some ideas for ways to prepare nonetheless. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: Is it really necessary for interviewers to torture us with such difficult questions? (TPOY021) Can you recommend how to handle behavioral interview questions...
Feb 06, 2017•5 min
In a continuing series on Difficult Interview Questions, this Power of You microcast addresses how to answer future oriented questions like what we will be doing in five years. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: Is it really necessary for interviewers to torture us with such difficult questions? (TPOY021) I have a really important interview coming up. What can I do to prepare beyond looking at their website? (TPOY011) The post How do I answer interviewers’ questions abo...
Feb 06, 2017•5 min
At various times in the interview process, we may suspect, that we are being viewed as a flawed candidate. This Power of You microcast addresses how to approach this sensitive topic. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: How do I approach learning where I stand in the interview process? (TPOY066) How can I do better in interviews? (TPOY010) The post I can imagine some objections to my candidacy; how do I tell which, if any of these I need to worry about? (TPOY067) appeared...
Jan 29, 2017•5 min
Interviews are the gateway to any job and so it is a good idea to know how we are being seen by our interviewers and what’s going on with the process generally. This Power of You microcast looks at how to get an idea of how we are doing. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: How can I do better in interviews? (TPOY010) What questions should I be asking in an interview? (TPOY020) What do I need to put in my interview follow up note? (TPOY065) The post How do I approach lear...
Jan 29, 2017•5 min
Everyone knows that we need to send a thank you note after an interview. This Power of You microcast shows how to go beyond thank you and create a note that furthers our candidacy and gives us a competitive advantage over other interviewees. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: What should be in my cover letter? (TPOY022) Can you give me an example of a good accomplishment story? (TPOY059) What’s the best way to make my resume effective? (TPOY003) How can I make updating ...
Jan 16, 2017•5 min
In a job there tends to be a focus on what we do. This is rarely true in a job campaign where unfamiliar and last-minute tasks arise regularly. Other than our overall goal of landing a job, our priorities in our job campaign are often in flux. This Power of You microcast explores some ways to organize a campaign so that we can manage unanticipated opportunities while ensuring ongoing efforts get the attention they need. The post Can you make any recommendations how I can organize my time to make...
Jan 16, 2017•6 min
We may choose to keep our personal life personal and not mix business with pleasure. It does not have to be that way. Many of the people we know socially would be glad to assist us professionally, if they could and, if they are approached in the right way. This Power of You microcast covers some ideas for appropriately leveraging social contacts professionally. The post How can I appropriately leverage non-work social media and social settings for help with my career? (TPOY063) appeared first on...
Jan 10, 2017•4 min
Being open to a variety of options gives us more scope for success. At the same time, it can spread us too thin. It turns out that being persuasive about our ability to do a job requires more than a cursory understanding of that job, to be competitive. We definitely need to start by listing our options. Then we need to select one to delve into it intensely. By doing this fairly early on we get practice presenting a deeper and more nuanced picture of what we have to offer. Other Power of You micr...
Jan 10, 2017•5 min
Many of us feel the urge to move on from our current job and don’t get very far because we don’t know what else we could do. This microcast identifies some ways to look at what we have done to get new ideas for ourselves. The post How can I find ideas for my next job? (TPOY061) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Dec 19, 2016•5 min
Whenever we are in a new or unfamiliar situation, like being out of a job, we tend to doubt ourselves and pay more attention to our fears than when we feel secure and in familiar territory. The bad news is that, in this state we naturally have more negative thoughts. The good news is that a shift in attitude can move us out of negativity relatively painlessly. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: Can you share some examples of functions and skills to help me think about w...
Dec 19, 2016•5 min
This microcast is the first in a series of samples that provide some ideas for the components of a good story. This story is a little over two minutes and 300 words. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: How can I talk about my experience without bragging? (TPOY005) When people ask me what I have done, I draw a blank. What can I do to remember more of my accomplishments? (TPOY006) How should I tell a story about what I have done so I don’t have to brag ? (TPOY027) Why isn’...
Dec 13, 2016•5 min
We hear a lot about selling ourselves when it comes to the job market. This can be a daunting prospect, but with some up front work, can be very manageable. This microcast shows us how to get a much better grasp of the product that we are before we go out and try to sell it. How can I talk about my experience without bragging? (TPOY005) When people ask me what I have done, I draw a blank. What can I do to remember more of my accomplishments? (TPOY006) How should I tell a story about what I have ...
Dec 13, 2016•5 min
We tend to think of our network as the people we know professionally and assume that building our network involves cold calls to people we do not know or becoming some kind of super salesperson. In fact, networking does not need to involve total strangers at all, as this microcast lays out. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: How can I network when it turns me into someone I don’t like? (TPOY004) The post Who is in my network and how do I get other people in my network? ...
Nov 30, 2016•5 min
It is tempting to think that a job campaign is like a lot of other things we deal with in the 21st Century: Do the necessary work up front, push a button and your result appears. A 19th Century analogy involving investment up front and then much learning by trial and error is a closer analogy. This microcast looks at the job market as a place we explore, as opposed to a place we look for something and then, act . Seeing it this way can make our career efforts less tedious and much more productiv...
Nov 30, 2016•6 min
Many interview questions can take the form of what is the Best? What is the Worst? Or the Most, or the Least. Don’t fall for it. This microcast describes how to answer the question, and change the game a little to lower the stress and show you can handle difficult situations. The post Interviewers are always asking me what is the best or worst or most important this or that – What is my best strategy to answer these kinds of questions? (TPOY055) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to yo...
Nov 19, 2016•5 min
A job campaign has so many moving parts that it is easy to get lost in the process and end up feeling like we are engaged in random activity. In this microcast we take a step back to put our efforts in perspective so we can reach a successful result more quickly and efficiently. We do this on three levels: the approach we take, the actions we pursue and the way we organize ourselves. On all three levels this means taking an active, not a passive approach to the job market. We are in charge. We n...
Nov 19, 2016•6 min
There are many questions we can ask our contacts. While we will ask no two contacts the same questions, it is useful to have some basic questions to stimulate our curiosity. The questions in this microcast are designed to remind us of questions we may have forgotten we had. The post Can you give me some good questions to ask my networking contacts? (TPOY053) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Nov 14, 2016•6 min
Negotiation begins long before we receive our offer. This microcast reviews how we can best position ourselves to improve our negotiating position starting from the time we target an organization. Other Power of You microcasts referred to in this microcast: I have received a job offer and want to negotiate my salary. What is the best way to approach the negotiation? (TPOY019) How can I avoid the ‘salary’ question? (TPOY018) The post What can I do to improve my negotiating position prior to getti...
Nov 14, 2016•5 min
Meeting with people is key to most job campaigns. This microcast covers how to make the most of our contacts and how to manage our network. The post I have very little idea who I should be meeting with or what to ask them. Can you help me get started? (TPOY051) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Nov 07, 2016•5 min
While many interviewers may ask difficult questions as part of the interview game, some interviewers will ask illegal or inappropriate questions which we may not wish to answer. This microcast outlines strategies and gives examples of ways to handle these questions. The post How do I handle it when I am asked illegal or inappropriate questions? (TPOY050) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Nov 07, 2016•5 min
Meeting with people is key to most career campaigns. This microcast covers the basic components of the meeting so that we can get the most out of the conversation. The post Now that I have gotten someone to agree to meet with me, what do I say in the meeting? (TPOY049) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Oct 30, 2016•5 min
Classes may have us to working in teams or we may have friends we study with, yet in the end, the grade we receive is ours. In the same way, just because the job we get is ours alone, getting to it is best done with the support of others and not on our own. This microcast reviews the components of a job campaign and how to get the support we need to take the rough edges off the process. The post Being new in the job market, I don’t know enough to land a job on my own. Who can help me? (TPOY048) ...
Oct 30, 2016•6 min
A job campaign commits us to change and often exposes us to all kinds of negative feedback, not least from ourselves! These things can undermine our efforts. This microcast suggests some ways we can support ourselves so we can achieve our desired result more quickly and with less pain. The post Can you give me some ideas how I can keep up my morale while I am working towards my next job? (TPOY047) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Oct 23, 2016•6 min
To make the best use of our scarce career time it is worth taking a closer look at the process of getting a job. Breaking what we need to do into its basic components allows us to have a better perspective on what we are doing so we can be most productive in the time allocated. This microcast focuses on knowing the components of our job campaign so we can do a better job executing it. The post I am doing everything I can to study and enjoy my last year in college – How do I manage a job campaign...
Oct 23, 2016•6 min
As much as stories are part of our daily life, we can lack the understanding or confidence of how to tell a good story in a work context. The microcast illustrates techniques and flourishes to bring our stories alive and further draw in our listener. The post If telling stories is so important for my job campaign, how can I tell a good story? (TPOY045) appeared first on The Power of You - Answers to your career questions ....
Oct 06, 2016•6 min
It is common to identify a few people who we can bring ourselves to talk to, to talk to them and when that does not lead to a job, to feel stuck, feeling like we have nowhere to turn and are left looking at ads and throwing ourselves on the mercy of anyone who might have a job, any job. This microcast shows how to turn our contacts into repeat sources so we do not kill off that resource. The post Being a student, I have run out of people to reach out to – How am I supposed to get a job or find o...
Oct 06, 2016•5 min
It is a good idea to remain positive about bosses, colleagues, clients, and most any aspect of work. Yet many of the examples of our abilities and character that we would want to share involve dealing with bosses and others who were not so positive. We rightly want to show these off, as the strengths that they are. This microcast illustrates how to present the negative in an interview. The post How do I handle interview questions about problems with my boss? (TPOY043) appeared first on The Power...
Sep 25, 2016•5 min
In our role as candidates we are focused on providing answers to the interviewer’s questions. Without experience we need to learn those answers. After a certain point that leads to having to ask someone. And yet, in asking we are showing our ignorance. This microcast clarifies how we manage the roles of being the person answering the questions in one case and asking the questions in the other. The post How do I find the information I need to successfully interview and at the same time appear rea...
Sep 25, 2016•6 min
