“Tell me about yourself?”

Job seekers are asked this at almost every interview they are participating in. It’s also one of those questions where job seekers tend to get nervous about. Listen to a conversation that discusses what’s behind the question and tips on how to answer it.

This podcast is with a human resources manager who gives advice on how to answer and why interviewers who ask this question are not experienced in interviewing. Our guest also talks in depth about how an interview is an opportunity to tell the interviewer about their knowledge, skills and abilities.

Take aways:

1.     When answering the question – tell me about yourself – don’t go into your life history.

2.     Ask the interviewer how they got their job.

3.     Have a list of questions prepared to ask the interviewer.

4.     Make sure the interviewer is selling the company, not just the role.

5.     Remember that an interview is a two-way conversation

Jeff Dean has a story to tell about being a seasoned professional who found himself in job search through no fault of his own. In this episode, you will hear ways to navigate through the waters of being labeled "over qualified" which is a euphemism for age bias to using your skills and persistence to find a better quality of life.

Take Aways:

- Participate (not just join) job seeker groups

- Networking is key, and more productive than ever before

- Use time wisely and consider volunteering

- Age bias is real, so be prepared to demonstrate your value over younger workers (e.g. loyalty, experience)

To network with Jeff Dean, connect with him on LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/jeffreyjdean

Related articles:

Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2022/09/25/how-to-combat-ageism-during-a-job-search/

Indeed:

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/ageism-in-hiring

It's 2024 and time to set goals! This year, I thought I'd talk about setting career related goals. So for the next five weeks, I'll discuss the following career goals:

1. Establish Processes*

2. Be Intentional

3. Focus on Closing Skill Gaps

4. Develop a Growth Mindset

5. Use Labor Market Data to Inform your Job Search

*Reference: Atomic Habits, Tiny Changes Remarkable Results; Author - James Clear

Listen to a person who embodies our podcast tagline - Success is a Journey. David D'arcangelo, Managing Director of Arc Angel Communications, former Commissioner for the Massachusetts Commission of the Blind, candidate for Republican Secretary of State, and and former Malden City Councilor at Large talks about his career journey. Here about how he started working in government, moved to the private sector and then returned to his calling in public sector service.

In this interview, you will hear how the number one reason for workplace discrimination for individuals with disabilities, how two-thirds of all working age people with disabilities are not in the labor force.

Take Aways:

- strategies for entering the new workforce

- perseverance and how it pays off

- secret sauce to identifying the right job/career fit

- how to use your natural skills to take you to the next level

For more information or to get in touch with my guest:

David D'arcangelo at Arc Angel Communications, visit his website - www.arcangelcommunications.com

Free personality testing information - www.truity.com (Myers Briggs, Big Five Personality Test, etc.

Disc Personality Test - www.discpersonalitytesting.com

SELF ASSESSMENTS/PERSONALITY/STRENGTHS*

Clifton/Gallup Strengths Finder – Free High Five; 

https://high5test.com/

VIA Institute on Character 

https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register

Enneagram – Enneagram Institute

 https://tests.enneagraminstitute.com/

 Positive Intelligence – Why only 20% of Teams/Individuals Achieve Their True Potential

https://www.positiveintelligence.com/science/

*Sourced from the Online Networking Group for 50+ Job Seekers - http://tinyurl.com/50plusjobseekers

Free Business Clothing for your Job Search

Are you in need of business clothing or interview coaching for an upcoming interview? Visit the Tailored for Success website to join our community - www.tailoredforsuccess.org

In this podcast, I review the top 10 soft skills desired by employers today. According to Peggy Clause the author of the book Soft Skills, "Soft skills get little respect but they will make or break your career".

The top 10 soft skills are: (1) Work ethic - the commitment, discipline and dedication one demonstrates toward their work or responsibilities; (2) time management - the ability too effectively prioritize time to accomplish tasks and meet deadlines; (3) Communication - communicating effectively involves conveying and receiving information, ideas, and feelings through verbal, nonverbal, and written thoughts; (4) Adaptability - the capacity to adjust and respond positively to changing circumstances, environments, and situations; (5) Problem Solving - refers to the ability to identify, analyze and find solutions to complex or difficult issues; (6) Teamwork - the ability to collaborate and work effectively with others toward a shared goal, fostering cooperation and contributing to a positive team dynamic; (7) Creativity - the ability to generate original ideas, think outside the box and approach tasks or challenges in innovative ways; (8) Leadership - involves guiding and inspiring others to work toward a common objective, motivating and influencing individuals or groups to achieve their best potential; (9) Interpersonal skills - the ability to interact and communicate effectively with others, building and maintaining positive relationships and (10) Attention to Detail - which refers to the ability to accurately and carefully focus on the specifics and finer points of a task or situation.

As you progress through your career journey, remember that employers can train you for the hard skills they require (i.e., coding, using excel), but they do not have the time or want to train you in soft skill development. Soft skills are the skills they are looking for and will often times make up for the "hard" skills you lack.

Enjoy the journey!

Everyone seems to be talking about the new artificial intelligence - ChatGPT. ChatGPT is OpenAI which is short for Open Artificial Intelligence. In essence it is an artificial intelligence research organization founded in December 2015 by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and several other prominent figures in the field of AI. OpenAI's mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity.

In this coffee break episode, I will give a brief description of ChatGPT and what uses it can have for job search. For more information, join Tailored for Success on July 12th 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST for a lunch & learn on the topic. To register got to: https://ChatGPT_for_the_Job_Search.eventbrite.com

This podcast will discuss several aspects of the power and influence of mothers: (1) the power mothers have on their families and communities, (2) the importance of self-care for mothers, how mothers overcome challenges and how mothers empower the next generation.

Happy New Year!  2023 is predicted to be a good year for job seekers, career changers and employees in general.  Stay up to date on what employers  want in candidates by listening to this week's Coffee Break.

For more information on the topics discussed in today's podcast:

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics December 2022 Jobs Report - https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

2. Strumpf Associates Center for Strategic Change - https://www.strumpfassociates.com/2023/01/05/lunch-with-lori-2022-12-1/

3.  Free & Not Free (but worth it) Professional Development Websites 

 - CareerOneStop www.careeronestop.org

- Coursera - www.coursera.org

- Linkedin Learning - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ (first month is free)

4.  LinkedIn and Your Personal Brand - https://youtu.be/27-PcXVqpzY

5.  Tailored for Success Reimagine Your Career Workshops

Is there a job seeker in your life that you want to support during the difficult holiday time?  Are you a job seeker looking to give people ideas of what to buy you for Christmas that will help in your job search?  Then consider these 12 ideas for gifts for job seekers.  Info for some of the items mentioned in this podcast:

1. Tailored for Success Career Closet - https://www.tailoredforsuccess.org/career-closet

2. LinkedIn Premimum - www.premimum.linkedin.com; comes with a one month free trial

3. How to find industry subscriptions: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/market-research-tutorial/trade; to help individuals stay current in their chosen field.

4. Audible - www.audible.com

5. Grammarly - www.grammarly.com (free) but the premium subscription is very helpful for job seekers

6. Entertainment Subscriptions - https://decider.com/article/gift-streaming-subscriptions/

7. Sensory Fidget Toys for Adults - www.amazon.com, search on "sensory fidget toys for adults"

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Tailored for Success, Inc. 

The holidays can be difficult for job seekers.  To help them and at the same time show your support for their situation, I wanted to focus this week's coffee break around what to give the job seeker in your life.  Over the next 12 days, I will provide some ideas to consider.  Today is Day 1 and the focus is on Professional Interview Attire.

Sustainable retailers mentioned:

ThredUp - www.thredup.com

Savers - www.savers.com

Tailored for Success Career Closet - https://www.tailoredforsuccess.org/career-closet

To order a gift certificate to our Career Closet, please email: [email protected]

Merry Christmas!