Sometimes answering questions in writing isn't enough. That's why I'm putting together a series of videos for YouTube to answer some of the questions I hear most often.
Hope you find them useful.
Ellis

Question: Any advice on how to handle tougher and more complicated interviews?
Ellis,

I read your book and I understand now about the five basic interview questions, and I’d be happy if that’s all I needed to do. But the job interviews I’ve had have been a lot more complicated.

I just read a report on Glass Door that confirms my own experience. Tests, phone screens, more tests, role playing, group interviews, off-the-wall questions. And if that’s not bad enough, according to the report, the time it takes to go through the whole process has increased to an average 23 days in 2013 compared to 12 days in 2010. You give great advice for maintaining equilibrium while going through the job search process, but how do you stay sane when you finally get an interview and this is what they put you through?

Frazzled Interview Candidate

Answer
Dear Frazzled,

I started to notice around 10-15 years ago that organizations were taking much longer to hire. The increased hiring process always seemed to accelerate right after a recession, especially after 2008-2009 and 2001-2002. The big investment banks were an exception; they have had long, involved interview situations for a long time (one of them calls it Super Saturday, where there are perhaps eight in a row, AFTER several preliminary meetings). In general, though, what used to be around 2-3 rounds of interviews at most somehow has evolved into 5-6. More hurdles have gradually been introduced into the equation. Assessments. Interviews with potential subordinates. Group interviews. Initial phone screens (more and more common). Delays. Lack of response. Much longer overall process.  

I'm not sure that the increased hurdles have yielded better results, but one thing is certain--organizations are afraid of making hiring mistakes, and want to ensure successful hires. It's expensive to hire the wrong candidate, but It's not clear whether the new, extended interviewing has guaranteed the desired results.  

Unfortunately, job seekers frequently will now encounter these labyrinthine processes, and it's important to try to get through them by avoiding some of the pitfalls.  

Let's take a look at a few possible steps you might face in a protracted process:

• Group interviews are tough. You never know whether to address the questioner or behave as if the interview is supposed to be a performance, where you try to address an audience. I always think it better to address the answser to the person who asks the question. That way you can avoid the anxiety of having to perform for a group; the others in the group will hear the response, too. Responses to individuals are also more personal.

• Interviews with potential subordinates are tricky. You're always wondering whether the subordinate has already applied for the same job and been turned down (and may be a political problem later on). Or, you're thinking you need to impress with your command of the situation. I think the best way is to treat it the same way you would treat any other interview situation. Be prepared with those war stories that are addressed in the interview chapter of The Fun-Forever Job ("Would You Please Remove Your Blouse?"), to demonstrate that you know what you're talking about, and you've done your due diligence on the organization.

• Phone screens are tough. I will recommend what my senior sales clients have suggested, which is to have some scripted bullets in front of you, so that you don't go too far off target (time is limited and you want to make best use of it). Use a headset, so you can gesture, which adds energy to your phone manner. Stand up and walk around, which will add some depth to your voice. Don't worry about not getting much feedback; few phone screens yield any significant feedback, and you can't read the body language. Just accept that, and realize it's more typical to walk away from the interview not knowing anything than feeling optimistic about it.  

• I think it's an unwritten law that hiring managers and/or human resources professionals will not respond when they say they will. I can think of many reasons for that, but it is important to understand it's not usually about you; it's about not being able to get a decision together among many decision-makers. Or a requisition signed. Or funding secured. Or a person terminated (yup). So the applicant ends up reading tea leaves, endlessly ruminating and interpreting the signs, which is rarely useful, while sitting by the phone or at the computer. My general thinking about this is you never let more than 5-10 business days go by without reaching out. A simple email or phone call restating interest, or restating what a great fit this job is--and why, and a request about the status of the situation. At this point, I love to ask my clients or students, what do you have to lose? Self-respect doesn't matter anymore. You just want an answer. Years ago, when I was doing heavy recruiting at a large bank, if I didn't hear from a prospective employee, I would assume the person had lost interest, or found another job. So what's the harm of expressing interest, in a low-key manner? No desperation, of course, and no accusations of "You said you'd call me…"  Bottom line--be proactive.  
  

• Don't try to "close the deal." Closing the deal means a change of behavior.  That's the exact opposite of what should be done. If you've been asked back several times, that means they're interested. Why change your tactic? Be the same adorable, charming, brilliant person you were all along, because that's the person they've asked back--not the person who changes tone and becomes someone different (the deal closer). There is an old baseball adage that applies here:  Dance with what brung ya. In other words, use the same strategy that got you that far.  
  

• Assessment seems to be gaining some traction in some companies. That's a topic for a whole other blog, soon. Tricky issue.

The real takeaway is that you need to stay steady through all these steps, maintaining a consistent tone and building your value by showing what you can do for "them." I hope few of the people who are reading this have to go through all these steps, and can land with maybe two rounds. But, hey, it's good to be prepared. 

Ellis

To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Q: Is there a "right way" to do a resume? And how important are they?

Dear Ellis:
This resume thing is making me nuts. Everyone has an opinion. I've revised it so many times that I can't read it anymore. When I think I have it down, someone else will tell me that it should be one page. When I get it to one, then people will say two. Or that it should be a larger/smaller font. Or functional and not chronological/accomplishment format, and so on. Help. There just doesn't seem to be a right way.  
Resume Hater

Answer

Dear Resume Hater:
The fact that you're actually spending so much time on this is a typical problem in career transition. For some reason, job seekers think having a great resume is THE key to success. 

It's not.

It's only one of many important tools.  

Yes, I realize it's necessary to have a great resume. One that looks good (which I think is as important as the content), and clearly articulates how you're marketing yourself to your target. What it is not is a record of everything you've ever done professionally. Remember, this is a marketing document.  

But it's not going to get you a job all by itself. The exception is that for a very small number of people, a response to an ad or an approach to a recruiter or a key word search on LinkedIn will justify the agonizing over the resume. For everyone else--and we're talking about a large statistical majority here--the resume is probably somewhere around #12 on the list of important aspects of search. Necessary and important, but not the determining factor.

I can hear the loud chorus of professional resume writers, career advisors, and job seekers chanting all at once, "But it gets you in the door!" I recently saw a long discussion on one of the professional group sites on LinkedIn, which went on for weeks, about whether there were instances when a resume should have color on it. Weeks! This sort of rumination adds a complexity to the process that is unnecessary. While job seekers should be thinking about high-touch, relationship building--otherwise known as networking--they're thinking about the resume. Or revising it for a seventh time. This, in my opinion, distracts from the real work at hand--research, relationships, and maintaining those relationships over time.  

(For the record, I think color on a resume is silly; just keep it simple and to the point.)

Another loud objection to what I've just written (and I know there will be many) is you can't get to decision makers without a resume. I encourage my clients and students to use the resume only when asked for, and focus on getting to those decision makers through personal contact. The piece of paper cannot answer questions or address any possible issues that may be raised by something perceived to be unusual on the document. But you, in person, can answer those questions.  

I realize it's tough for many to accept the fact that the resume is not as important as has been commonly held. Let's face it--it's easier to spend lots of time writing something, and then rewriting it over and over. What's hard is the relationship building and getting to those who can actually hire. Resumes usually end up in Human Resources, which is not a particularly effective search technique. 

This shift of priorities should help create a successful search.
Ellis

To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Question: Could you give me an overview of the job search process?

Ellis,
I am completely overwhelmed by the prospect of putting a job search together. Haven't done one in years. I look at your book and others, and the process looks incredibly complicated to me. Whatever happened to answering ads in the newspaper and calling headhunters? Everyone says those techniques don't work so well anymore, if they ever did. Could you give me some kind of overview of what this process is?
Not in the Mood for Complexity

Answer

Dear Not:
It's not that complicated. It's like learning to write a term paper in college. You need to figure out your topic sentence (job targets), and then make sure everything in the paper points to the topic sentence (marketing plan).  
I don't mean to sound glib, so I'll spell it out a little. Of course, all of this does involve some complexity and that's where those books come in (especially mine!).    

Let's break it down into seven basic parts:

1) You need to figure out what you want.  

Too many people think that building a resume is the first step. It's not. How can you write a resume when you don't know what it's pointing to? A resume is a marketing document, not a record of everything you've ever done. What’s critical is figuring out two or three ideas for your next step.  

I feel strongly that it's a great idea to not only have those two or three ideas, but also to find out what the upside after those jobs might be. Putting pressure on yourself about making the right decision sometimes is too limiting --and even paralyzing. Keep the options open.  

2) Perform a "due diligence" on your ideas.  

Research via the library, or maybe a Vault or Wetfeet guide about areas you might not be familiar with. If the targets are familiar, find out through professional relationships and reading whether your ideas are valid and/or marketable. This aspect of the process is probably the most critical; you want to make intelligent choices up front, or at least as much as you possibly can. This is the heavy lifting in a transition process. Very little immediate gratification, but imperative.

Watch out for bad advice. You'll know it's bad if it's a minority opinion. That's why you want many opinions.  

3) Build your marketing materials.  

Okay, now you can do the resume. But, even more important is the lynchpin of your search--the two-minute pitch. The pitch will form the basis of all your self-marketing, your approach emails, your follow-ups to networking meetings, a way to brand yourself out there.  

4) Learn how to network the right way.  

High-touch relationship building, not the quick phone call, or the direct plea, is critical to a search. Take the time to learn this most essential aspect of your career, not just the job search part. And keep in mind that you don't have to be a big-time extrovert to become successful at it. The key element is understanding it's a process, not just a one-time meeting.  

5) Keep great records, and stay organized.  

Don't let that offhand suggestion someone made to you slip by. Go through your records daily; it will help you feel you have more control over a situation that's tough to control. And you won't forget that suggestion.  

6) Follow-ups are almost as important as interviews.  

Obviously, interviewing is important, and easier to learn than the first steps in this process. But many tend to write a perfunctory thank you note afterward. That's not enough. It should be a marketing document, reviewing the key elements of the interview, and adding some that were left out.  

7) Maintain a solid support system.  

While branding yourself, you don't  want to create the perception that you're desperate or unhappy. Of course, you will go through those periods during a search, but you need to main an outward appearance of success and confidence. Save the low moods and the anxiety for a small number of friends or family (but be careful even with significant others; you need their support!). Understand that search involves a great deal of rejection. If you get that part, then you won't internalize the negatives so much.

I hope these brief steps provide a coherent overview. Good luck!

Ellis

Question: This long distance job search has me discouraged, what can I do?

Ellis,
I just read an article on Yahoo Finance where you provided advice. You said only answering ads and sending out blind resumes was a serious error as a search strategy. As an accountant searching for a better job in a tough regional market, I generally agree with this statement. I want to relocate to a different part of the country, and cannot figure out how to expedite a long-distance search. Needless to say, my full time presence where I currently live makes it difficult to network in the area where I want to move. I've met several high-level folks here and there, but none that have honestly been able to help. I'm at the end of my rope here and am desperate to move forward in my career. I have often heard that having an out-of-area address is often an automatic trip to the "No" stack.
Extremely Discouraged

Answer

ED,
Yup, it's a tough move. But you're going about it in some low probability ways. Your frustration is creating a problem all by itself, as I've seen from your letter (edited here), and is not helping you see things clearly. You want this whole thing to end fast, and end NOW. Sorry, but it's still going to be a process, when you do it right. It's a heavy lift.

The following four points will begin to help.  

The Out-of-State Address

First, let's get rid of that address problem. You're right; adding the possible relocation expense might be a problem for a prospective employer. Many of the people I've worked with have, as a matter of course, dropped addresses from resumes. It seems to be a trend among younger members of the job force. An email address seems to be enough. A telephone number with an out-of-state area code doesn't seem to be a problem anymore; people take their cell numbers with them everywhere they move. So . . . no home address necessary.

Understanding Networking

Second, you need to fully understand what networking is. It is not just asking everyone you know if they know of openings or jobs. That's a sure-fire way of scaring them off, because people feel guilty when they have to say, "No, not at this moment." And that means you've burned through a contact, making it difficult to stay in touch. Networking is all about maintaining relationships over a period of time, a form of indirect marketing. The point is to build business relationships, keep them by staying in touch, so that when your contacts hear of appropriate situations, they think of you. That's how the vast majority of people find jobs, either by accident or by design.  

The Long Distance Search

Third, the long distance search. Since you can't be constantly traveling to your intended destination, you set up phone meetings instead of in-person meetings. They may be a little less effective than personally meeting others, but if you cultivate the relationships through following up regularly, you can make that relationship work. In addition, if you find some of your targeted people are amenable, you might say to several that you will be in the area during the week of ____________, and hope that you could meet them in person. Believe it or not, this works better, most of the time, than asking someone in your home area for a more open-ended time slot.  

Building Networks in a New Area - Using LinkedIn

Fourth, for building networks in an area where you don't know many in your profession -- try LinkedIn groups. Assuming your profile is up-to-date and promotes your skill set well (and you do seem to have an excellent one), look under "Interests" on the top of the home page. There is a subset called "Groups." Then, look for affinity groups. Punch in "Accountants," and see what comes up. Maybe a professional group you’ve already joined. Maybe 10 others that are related. Maybe one in your intended geographical area. Join. Get involved in the online conversations. If someone sounds interesting and knowledgeable, try to link in (with a personal invitation, not the LinkedIn template). If he/she responds, then perhaps you write a skillful introductory (brief) email requesting a short conversation because you're researching the market in their area and want to learn more about it.  

Technique, Discipline and Consistency

This is just a beginning. Clearly, there's much more you can do. I can think of a recently published book (mine!) you might read which will thoroughly take you through the process -- In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies That Work, on Amazon. Your task is eminently doable, even with the tough market conditions. Great search technique, coupled with discipline and consistency, will usually trump the difficult market
Ellis
To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Question: I'm having trouble with self-marketing, do I really need to keep doing it?
Ellis,
I'm a consultant and don't know how to keep up the self-marketing. Sometimes my business is doing okay, sometimes, things are very slow. I have a lot of difficulty being proactive and have pretty much relied on luck, and the kindness of strangers, so to speak. Over time, won’t that be enough?
Marvin I.

Answer
Marvin,
I'll take any opportunity to tell a consultant about the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 rule. I think most consultants instinctively know it, but have a rough time following it. The rule is as follows: A consultant should spend 1/3 of the time in delivering services; 1/3 in administration (billing, IT, proposals, etc.); and, this is the tough part for many, 1/3 in marketing. I'm not saying that's a strict allocation of time, when a consultant gets well established, the administration becomes less onerous and the delivery time - the billable part - should grow. But that marketing part should always be there, and requires a great deal of discipline.

Here's why -- an illustration of how things go wrong with even the most successful consultants:

Several years ago, I had the good fortune of working with a small consulting firm as an independent subcontractor. The two women who ran the firm were highly successful in their field and had cornered a huge piece of business at a very well-reputed, highly prestigious corporation. They practically lived there. At the peak of their business with this one company, they had 35 subcontractors on billing. To put it bluntly, they were making a great deal of money.

Their product was excellent, the relationship with the company lasted for several years (not typical for most consultants), and they made a terrible strategic error -- they stopped marketing elsewhere.

They did a few projects here and there, and constantly acknowledged that they were getting too complacent/comfortable with, and focused on, the one client.  

One day, because of a strong negative market fluctuation, the company terminated all consulting contracts. The 35 consultants dwindled down to a few, and eventually, the consulting firm dissolved. Both partners eventually recovered, on their own, but they each had a long period of trying to create new business from scratch.  

They violated the rule.

To answer your question more fully, though, involves another issue. Many consultants do not realize that a successful business includes the need for consistent marketing. If you're not comfortable with that, then perhaps you need a partner - and can create a kind of Ms. Inside/Mr. Outside sort of business relationship. But don't let that marketing piece go. The story I just related is all too common.  

Ellis
To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Question: What CAN'T a career advisor do for you?
Ellis,
I've read your book and several of your blog pieces about what career advisors can do for clients, and why the investment is worth it. I've never worked with an advisor before, am tight on funds, and wondering about one other aspect - what CAN'T an advisor do? I'm hoping for some definitive solutions to some pretty complicated career issues.
Interested In Return on Investment

Answer
Dear ROI:
The simple, somewhat glib answer to your question about what an advisor can't do is "magic." I don't usually say that to my clients or students, but it's what I'm thinking in certain situations.  

Sometimes I think client expectations are unrealistic -- they expect me to provide a magical solution to a very complicated situation, perhaps like yours, without much context or much understanding of what their interests, skills, and experiences have been. What I frequently want to say is "Hey, it's your LIFE we're talking about here; how can we possibly solve it in one meeting?"

I recently had a private client who’d had significant personal achievement in teaching, but had gone through a rough time over the past few years. He’d had one bad job, and was currently having a difficult time in his search. His search technique was not good, and he was what I call a "burn victim" -- someone whose perceptions have been thrown off kilter due to a bad work experience. It was tough for him to see that the bad experience was a cause of some of his anxiety and current lack of success.

He wanted me to come up with alternative solutions, perhaps another career entirely. At this point, he didn’t have any ideas of his own about alternate careers (perhaps as a function of his overall anxiety and listless search). I suggested he get himself on more solid ground by landing a teaching job, and then use that as a foundation to make career decisions while not consumed by uncertainty. I thought he'd be able to be much more creative when he was feeling better about himself, and employed.

We discussed search techniques for the better part of two meetings. He seemed to understand that answering ads was simply not going to do the trick alone -- he was going to have to be far more proactive in his overall approach, as well as in following up with current "live" situations. He left the second meeting feeling confident he could go out and execute our plan.

Two weeks later, I received an email from him expressing his disappointment with what we had accomplished. He then described a couple of ideas he had that were related to education, ideas I thought were worth exploring. He had not mentioned these in our meetings.

And then he informed me he was going on vacation for the rest of the summer (the remainder of education hiring season). The feeling I got from his email was that I had been expected to produce some immediate, concrete, easy solutions so that he could go on vacation. He said he "might" contact me when he returned.

This is a roundabout way of explaining that a career advisor can't just meet someone, and immediately come up with solutions. The advisor will have tools, assessments, exercises, and will try to get as much information as possible, so that the client will be able to put these factors together, with the advisor's perspectives, and come up with two or three possible solutions to explore. That's called intelligent career planning. While I'm usually not in favor of long-term career advising relationships, some situations might take more than a few meetings to solve, and success will be based on input from both sides.
 
Ellis
To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Question: Should I just forget about job hunting over the holiday?
Dear Ellis,
Should I take time off this Fourth of July week and take it easy on my search for the summer? After all, no one's around.
Harriet W.

Answer
Dear Harriet,
I hear this comment mostly during the summer - and then frequently in early November, when clients and students say it's pointless to look for a transition during the holiday season (Seven weeks? Really?). I've even heard people say that period starts at Halloween.

Wrong. On both counts. It's an excuse, and a myth. The excuse part is that it's awfully hard to keep up the discipline during the summer or holiday periods, when everyone else seems to be having a great time, or celebrating something. Why not take some time off? Do all the organizations close during those periods? Do companies stop their functions? Of course not.  Yes, it may be true that mid-August to early September is a tough time to look for work, for example, in financial services. And that there are other tough periods in other fields, too. But a reason to stop looking? No.

Stopping means loss of momentum. Picking up in September (or January) makes things far tougher than they need to be. Getting going is depressing. Building on momentum is far easier (if anything about transition can be called easy).

For example, if you know that many key decision makers are not around, does that mean you can't build on your networks? Or continue to do rigorous research and reading about potential targets? Or work on your group affiliations on LinkedIn? I've heard, over and over, that these slower periods are actually excellent times to meet people for relationship building. If it's late July, people may be more amenable than usual to meet with you. They frequently don't want to work, either.

My favorite reason for holiday period job search is that your competition is thinking the same things -- these are not good times to look. That means fewer people competing for information meetings and interviews.

If anyone remembers the film Kramer vs. Kramer, there was a scene where the Dustin Hoffman character goes from office party to office party during the holiday season, desperately looking for employment, and succeeds. Funny thing is I always thought of that scene as an example of the worst possible networking technique - but what I liked about it is that he succeeded in December.

I have innumerable stories about successful July/August and December job searches. Every time, the client has been surprised.

Not me.

One more comment. I do not mean to imply job seekers cannot take time off. Far from it. Since job search is a full-time job, then it, too, requires vacation time and long weekends. Don't be one of those people who stares at the phone. Get away from it, periodically. Even plan time off during the day. It'll help.

Have a great Fourth of July!
Ellis
To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work

Question: I'm out of work and short on funds, Is it worth spending the money to see a career advisor?
Dear Ellis,
I've been out of work for six months. I've always been good at search, and have been resourceful enough to find out the best techniques. Yet . something's not working this time. I've been told over and over that I should find a good career advisor to help me, but I hate spending the money during this time, and don't quite know what to expect.  
John R.

Answer
Dear John,
This one is always a bit uncomfortable to answer, because it's tough to avoid appearing totally self-serving. Obviously, I think seeing an advisor is a great way to help you get through this difficult time; otherwise, I would've chosen a different career. (Although there have been times when I have told prospective clients that they might benefit more from consulting with professionals in another field.)  

Okay, that's out of the way, and I'll be as objective as possible. 

My major reason for suggesting a career advisor is an emotional one - search is isolating. You've been separated from your routine, from a part of your identity, and from people you may have liked. Left on your own, you ruminate. You try to interpret every single aspect of the search, i.e. Why is this person not calling back? Why isn't my resume working the way resumes should? Why is it five days since they said they'd call and they had promised three? Have I made the right choice in what I'm seeking? Maybe it's time for a radical change? And, my favorite: Why are so many people so incredibly rude during this process?   

You go round and round in these thoughts (among many others about this process), don't get anywhere, and start to over-think every aspect. Some people end up reworking their resumes 10 or 12 times, almost always a colossal waste of energy. Sometimes, the result of all the rumination is to make bad career decisions, just to avoid the anxiety of the process itself.  If you have a significant other or family or both, that will probably add to the stress, no matter how supportive friends and family may be.  

What's lacking here is perspective, and I think that's where the experienced listener and advisor plays a most critical role. It always amazes me that at the end of a successful client experience, one of the comments I have heard the most over the years is, "You really understood what I was going through." It's not usually about the technical aspects of the transition, even if we spent two or three entire meetings reviewing pitch and networking technique.  

Of course, an experienced consultant will be knowledgeable about the (over-hyped) resumes, will help with interview presentation and content, will teach the value of high-touch relationship building, and, I hope, will understand and show the value of social media and social intelligence in the process.  

As for the money, if it helps, it's worth it. Think about the big picture.
 
Ellis
To find answers to your questions on job search and career transition, get your copy of In Search of the Fun-Forever Job: Career Strategies that Work