The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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Why Should You Make Confidence Your Essential Skill

Why Should You Make Confidence Your Essential Skill

Why Should You Make Confidence Your Essential Skill by Mark Anthony Dyson

Confidence makes a presentation powerful. It’s a legitimate job skill. Well, soft skill, but one employers desire.  Any presentation for any meeting whether in a large group, or one-on-one, confidence is what employers expect.

If you brag to compensate for the lack of depth in your superficial-frosted-flake-eating-mediocre-career-pursuing-barely-quit-before-I-got-fired 30 second elevator speech, then you have my permission to NOT read the rest of this post. It’s not for you. You are probably too engorged with pride and arrogance to take anything value from this post.

Thanks to the rest of you. At least you’re interested in grasping additional confidence for the next business meeting, networking event, job interview, or meeting your fiancée’s mother for the first time. Congratulations.

Again,  if you are self-indulgent in self-serving and self-pumping statements, this post will help you score.

You are probably getting call backs for commission-only sales jobs.  Arrogance, ha!

The habits of confident candidates do not include bragging, boasting, or attempting to compensate for the lack of HOT credentials. The impact of your contributions says it all. No need to offer egregious adjectives, or shout lies from the mountain top.

On the contrary, less is more.

  1. Confidence is genuine. Never fake. You can’t do both at the same time.
  2. A confident candidate has completed their due diligence to understand what the position requires. Based on research, questions are prepared to ask tactfully, but directly to the interviewer.
  3. Confident job candidates challenge but gently correct a potential employer who starts to make wrong assumptions solely based on the candidate’s appearance, speech, or looks. “Gently” is different than “abrupt” or “abrasive.”
  4. An accomplished candidate speaks in $ and %, and not just in ! and ?
  5. A hirable candidate has spent time developing his or her presentation skills. Practice and preparation was a part of the strategy.
  6. He or she practices writing and interviewing, and become sharp and ready. Remember point #2?

 

The solution: Less is more. Focus more about measurements, contributions, and impact.

 

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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This Is Why Informative And Strategic Storytelling Gets The Job

This Is Why Informative And Strategic Storytelling Gets The Job

This Is Why Informative And Strategic Storytelling Gets The Job by Mark Anthony Dyson

Zanie (not her real name) was 19 when I interviewed her for a customer service position. The most refreshing thing about Zanie was how measured and tactical she appeared during the interview. Her readiness, eye contact, and directness immediately impressed my boss and I.

We were wowed before the interview even began because of how well Zanie communicated over the phone. Her phone manners convinced HR to send her over to us immediately.

“She is everything described in the job post,” the HR rep told us.

Zanie’s performance became a benchmark for how candidates should perform during the interview process – especially when using narratives to answer our questions, provide proof of her abilities, and temper our doubts.

Stories are how we prove our value to those we don’t know. People personally connect with us through the stories we tell about ourselves. If you capture the imagination of the interviewers with a good yarn, you can capture their hearts, interest, and, hopefully, a job offer.

Mac Prichard, founder of Mac’s List and author of Land Your Dream Job Anywhere, knows how important it is for job seekers to connect with employers through stories.

“Having a great story that appeals to the people you want to motivate and take action can make an enormous difference,” he says.

For job seekers who want to create narratives like Zanie did, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. The Connection Is Critical

People remember what makes them laugh, cry, and empathize. Zanie effectively weaved emotion in her examples – e.g., “I was afraid at first to speak up. I decided it was better if I did.” Not only did this humanize Zanie, but it drew me into her stories.

2. Investigate Challenges

“Job seekers need to understand the employer’s challenges and problems, and through effective communication, they need to show how they can help solve those problems,” Prichard says.

Each of Zanie’s questions and answers during our interview proved well thought out and strategic. For example, she asked us how difficult callers were handled, and she shared an experience of hers where escalation procedures had broken down. We put Zanie’s concern to rest by explaining our processes and our success with complaints.

3. There Are Times To Replace the Data With a Tale

“Once you reach the interview, the facts matter,” Prichard says. “Your application, resume, and cover letter made the data case by showing your qualifications for the job.”

While data is essential, showing how it applies and impacts can be done through storytelling.

While Zanie came prepared with call reports and performance reviews, she focused on describing situations where her numbers made an impact rather than on the numbers themselves.  These examples were more valuable than any data she could have shared.

4. The Power of the Plot Places You

You can only persuade an employer to imagine you in their open position if you share stories that help them envision you in the role.

“The interview is to find out what the employer’s needs are and to show them you’re the right person [to meet those needs,” Prichard says. “Nothing beats storytelling to accomplish those goals.”

–

When Zanie worked on my team, she was often more bashful than in the interview, but she always smiled and stepped up when the moment presented itself.

Seizing the moment – isn’t that what a successful interview requires? You have to take your chance to show your value to the organization. Your thoughtful and relevant stories can place you in the open seat.

This article was originally published on Recruiter.com and Fox Business!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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5 Tips on Interview Prep With Thea Kelley

5 Tips on Interview Prep With Thea Kelley

5 Tips on Interview Prep From Thea Kelley by Mark Anthony Dyson

When it comes to landing a job, interview prep is just as important as your resume. Hiring managers interview hundreds of candidates throughout their careers; they can spot your lack of preparation from a mile away.

Thea Kelley is an experienced career coach and the author of Get That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview. Recently, she was kind enough to speak with me and offer her advice on interview prep:

1. Be Real

Many job candidates prepare for interviews as if they’re bracing for the impact of a car crash instead of getting ready for a conversation. Hiring managers can sense how guarded you are when you walk into the room, and it doesn’t make you look good.

Kelley says it’s important the interviewer “feels like they’re connecting with [you] as a human being.” In addition to letting your guard down, avoid talking as if you’re some kind of job-seeking machine.

“Phrases such as ‘I possess the ability’ – who talks like that?” Kelley ponders.

2. Keep Your Language Simple

It’s okay to use a little industry jargon to demonstrate your knowledge, but don’t deliver memorized soliloquies or use large words that are unnatural to you. If you can answer a question using smaller, simpler, more direct language, do so.

I like using a recorder with coaching clients so they can hear their tone, vocabulary, and grammar and take corrective action if necessary. Every aspect of your delivery will face scrutiny in an interview, so pay attention to it all when practicing.

3. Display Your Emotional Intelligence

“Emotions can be beneficial for job interviews,” Kelley says.

Telling stories rather than dryly answering questions allows you to showcase your passion, enthusiasm, and even a little appropriate humor. This makes it easier for the interviewer to envision sitting next to you for eight hours a day.

4. Relax

Kelley points out world-class athletes who earn millions of dollars take the time to learn relaxation techniques. You, too, can benefit from practicing relaxation techniques before an interview. Kelley suggests using visualization to “imagine yourself in an interview and being authentic.”

5. Be Memorable; Tell Vivid Stories

Stories connect candidates to interviewers in ways that data can’t. They foster relationships and conversation, rather than inquisition. Storytelling is also a valuable way to work your own questions for the interviewer into the conversation.

Kelley says a list of attributes is not enough to demonstrate your fit or expertise. You must be able to show how your experience is relevant. Offering the interviewer vivid and specific examples makes your qualifications real and convincing.

Don’t just interview to pass a test. Interview to make it real, capture the interviewer’s imagination, and connect with them.

The article came from excerpts from my interview with Thea below:

This article was originally published on Recruiter.com!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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I was interviewed on Scripps News show, “The Why!” 4/13/2023

I talked with John Tarnoff and Kerry Hannon of “The Second Act” podcast about job searching after 50 in October 2022..

I was on “The Career Confidante” podcast to talk about “boomerang employees” and “job fishing” in June 2022.

Making Job Search a Lifestyle With “Dr. Dawn Graham on Careers,” SiriusXM Ch. 132, Wharton School of Business May 2021

In May 2020, I talked with LinkedIn’s Senior News Editor Andrew Seaman on “#GetHired” Live.”

Beverly Jones, host of the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work,” invited me back to talk job search in May 20202

WOUB Digital · Episode 132 : Mark Dyson says “job search is a lifestyle” and connecting with others matters