Career Communiqué Blog

This fortnight’s question comes from Audrey , when she asks:

Dear Annemarie

What sort of questions do you ask a future employer when you are enquiring about a job and they ask you if you have any questions after they have taken you around for a tour of the place?

Audrey

Hi Audrey

That is a great question, which I am so pleased you are considering as a survey of recruiters and employers indicated that one of their top dislikes when interviewing was when candidates did not have any questions to ask them. This gave the impression that the candidate was not really interested or enthusiastic about the role, which I’m sure is not the impression you want the interviewer to have about you.

Remember that the interview is a two way process – you need to ensure that the company culture, environment and values etc, are conducive to your values and needs, so some of your questions may support you in uncovering some of these key areas. For instance:

• How would you describe the experience of working here?
• Can you tell me a little more about the team with whom I will be working?
• How would you describe the management style here?
• Is this a new role or am I replacing someone? [If you are replacing someone – find out why they left this position.]

Other questions may include:

• What are the top three priorities the successful candidate will have to achieve within the first 90 days of employment?
• What’s the most important contribution this company expects from its staff?
• How do you see the company developing over the next few years?

There are numerous other questions you can ask that are listed in ’10 key steps to Ace that Interview’ including one of my favourites that allows you to find out whether or not the interviewer believes you are a suitable candidate for the role.

You do want to avoid asking questions about salary, holidays and other perks during the initial interview, as you want to make sure you are one of the top contenders before discussing remuneration.

To ensure you have at least one or two really good questions to ask an employer, write down a list of at least 10 questions in order of priority. You certainly won’t ask all of these questions however as the interviewer may answer most of them during the interview, but you will have at least one or two to ask.

I hope this has given you some ideas on what type of questions to ask an interviewer.

All the very best Audrey. Drop me a line at info@a-e-c.com.au Let me know how you go.

Annemarie

Last fortnight we covered the second part of our 4-part series on how to improve your relationship with difficult people in the workplace by using the DISC language.

In this fortnight’s article, we move to the third letter in the DISC language – being the ‘S’ Factor.

Susan’s story – a boss having difficulty communicating with her senior accounting assistant

Susan was a senior accountant in an accounting firm and was experiencing difficulties with one of her recently appointed senior accounting assistants – Debra. While Debra had excellent technical skills and could be counted on to complete all her assignments correctly and within deadline when projects were scheduled at a steady pace, she was unable to maintain this efficiency during extremely busy periods. With the end of the financial year and BAS deadlines looming, Susan needed everyone to take on the extra work, however she could see Debra crumbling under pressure and making numerous errors in her work. This in turn seemed to strain their relationship, with Debra becoming seemingly withdrawn, non-expressive and difficult to read/understand.

Read more…

This fortnight’s question comes from Samantha , when she asks:

Dear Annemarie

I’m applying for a position with a doctor and I need to write a cover letter. The problem is that I worked in that office years ago, but not for this doctor. The doctor that I worked for has moved away, but I’m not sure how to address this in my letter.

Samantha

Dear Samantha

Prior to putting pen to paper you may like to do some research in order to find out further information regarding the medical clinic which could also be beneficial for inclusion in your cover letter.

Your overall aim is to allow the doctor to be aware of your familiarity with the office, including procedures, and current patient/client base, which will ensure your ability to proficiently re-establish yourself as a productive team member (rather than them having to retrain a new staff member who lacks previous experience within that environment). This could involve:

• Colleagues with whom you have previously worked at the clinic may still be employed, so re-establishing contact with them may be another great way to get your foot in the door. Consider asking them if it would be possible to mention their name in your letter, to inform the reader of your previous working relationship which will no doubt attract the doctor’s attention.
• After connecting with your former colleagues you may also be able to ask them about the types of processes and procedures followed and utilised within the workplace. If these processes/procedures or even technologies are similar to the systems you once operated, mention this in your letter and ensure you highlight your ability to transition seamlessly into the workplace through having prior experience with their current methodologies/systems. You may even have contributed to developing/setting up some of these systems in your previous employment, demonstrating initiative as well as being a key driver for the successful operation of the clinic. This could also be drawn to the attention of the new doctor.
• Another area to consider would be if this doctor specialised in a particular medical field that the previous doctor was also involved in, thus allowing you to gain expertise in this area also – another added advantage.

I hope this has given you some ideas as to the information of relevance that would certainly make an impact if incorporated into your cover letter.

All the very best Samantha. Drop me a line at info@a-e-c.com.au Let me know how you go.

Annemarie

Last fortnight we began our 4-part series on how to improve your relationship with difficult people in the workplace by using the DISC language. To briefly recap the story, you will recall that my client Julie was experiencing tremendous difficulty with her new boss (who had only just taken over the reigns three weeks prior), and was seriously considering handing in her notice.

Using the DISC profiling assessment (the DISC language) Abigail recognised the characteristics of her boss’ behaviour and communication preferences and by adapting her communication and behavioural approach when dealing with her boss, was successfully able to restore a seemingly impossible relationship.

Read more…

This fortnight’s question comes from Julie , when she asks:

Dear Annemarie

During a few recent interviews, I have been asked ‘inappropriate’ questions by interviewers about children and my age. I thought these types of questions were illegal?
Julie
Dear Julie

Unfortunately, I’d have to say that quite a few of our subscribers have been asked inappropriate questions, namely women, around age and children.

Funnily enough, the ‘age’ question stretches from younger women through to more mature aged women. I had one woman contact me a few weeks ago, furious that a recruitment agent had contacted her and after the initial introductions etc, one of the first questions was about her age. The recruiter sounded extremely young on the telephone and the candidate was quite shocked by the question and asked the recruiter what relevance her age had to her being able to perform the functions of the role properly. Of course the recruiter couldn’t answer the question and as you can guess, the candidate had no further contact.

As you may be aware, here in Australia you cannot discriminate against so many things, including religion, age, gender, political affiliation - and the list goes on. A company/recruiter needs to be extremely careful about what they state in advertising the role right through to interviewing the candidate. So if a company needs to find out pertinent information from a candidate, it’s how they frame and structure the question that can make a huge difference.

Several months ago I was working with a client who worked in the construction industry as a Workcare/OH&S safety Inspector. Now that industry is a male dominated industry to say the least, however she had far more experience and qualifications that many of her male counterparts. So we put together a strong case right from the outset. We knew that the interview panel would probably have concerns about her working within this industry (which can get pretty rough and tough) so rather than leaving this potential concern unspoken and leaving any doubts and concerns in the minds of the interviewers, she brought this discussion to the table herself and presented examples and situations about how she (as a woman) has handled herself, even in the thick of confrontations with angry construction workers etc, and how she had continued to make significant contributions in the industry. Bringing this out openly on the table was a strategic move on her behalf and the fact that she was a woman no longer was an issue.

Perhaps her story may provide some insights on how you could approach this situation?

All the very best Julie. Drop me a line at info@a-e-c.com.au Let me know how you go.

Annemarie

Do you have a staff member or a boss that you have difficulty communicating with to the point that you actively avoid them? Or maybe you dread working with one particular person in your department as they seem to cause untold chaos within the team due to their forceful and insistent behaviour?

One of my client’s [let’s call her Abigail] had a new boss take over the leadership reigns and although he had been working in the department for three short weeks, was already causing havoc amongst the team. Compared to her previous boss [who had been a more caring and supportive leader], the new boss was the exact opposite. His behaviour was extremely aggressive, his communication style was very direct [almost blunt], and his impatient nature caused him to want things ‘done yesterday.’

For Abigail, the entire dynamic within her working environment had changed and a job that she had once loved she now despised. She was at her wits end and was considering leaving.

Read more…

This fortnight’s question comes from Leeuwin , when he asks:

Dear Annemarie

If you have been virtually self-employed all your working life, what is the best approach to adopt when at the age of 57 you seek a company to employ you?

You may have a lifetime of valuable experience, but no record of employment in the corporate world. Thank you.

Leeuwin

Dear Leeuwin

Working for yourself (and in your own business) can provide you with a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise to draw on and offer to a potential employer. However, the way in which you market and portray this expertise in your résumé and interview is crucial, AND your approach can either enhance or hinder your chances of success.

Here are a few things you should be considering:

• The role/industry you are targeting.
• Relevant experience and achievements to your job target that can qualify you against the job requirements.
• Additional transferable skills and competencies and how they can continue to add value to the employer.

Once you have a clear understanding of the above, it is important that your résumé portrays this information in the best possible way. Give your experience and background the recognition it deserves. Just because you have worked in your own business does not - and should not - lessen your candidacy for the role you are applying for. What challenges have you overcome? What successes and achievements have you delivered for your clients?

Unfortunately, some employers look unfavourably on self-employed candidates. However, if you are able to draw their attention away from this through highlighting your strengths and achievements in a way that is relevant to their job requirements/situation, the fact that you delivered these outcomes while working in your own business should not be an issue. Of course it is important to adopt strategic résumé writing skills, which you can find in our article database, blog or our résumé writing e-course. Or alternatively, to ensure you position yourself as the best candidate right from the outset, you may like to consider our multi award-winning résumé writing services.

All the very best Leeuwin. Drop me a line at info@a-e-c.com.au Let me know how you go.

Annemarie

Recapping last fortnight’s article, I introduced you to Sally who was feeling like a square peg in a round hole at work following her employer’s recent takeover and restructure. The role Sally had previously enjoyed was now completely the opposite leaving her feeling unmotivated, agitated and very unhappy.

The three areas that we covered (namely: physical environment, relationships and job functions) can play a significant role in whether someone is happy or not in their work.

Prior to handing in her notice, Sally’s last attempt was to speak to me, to see whether any of our coaching programs could support her in reclaiming control, enjoyment, satisfaction and fulfilment in her career. Through completing our Career Directions program she embarked on a journey of self-discovery and was able to uncover a number of things about herself that she had not been aware of.

The exercises and activities allowed her to pinpoint the reasons why she was no longer happy in her job, and, more importantly, enabled her to put into place action steps to ensure she could once again, regain meaning and fulfilment in her work.

Read more…

This fortnight’s question comes from Jennifer , when she asks:

Dear Annemarie

I get very frustrated and would like to know how come when I send résumés and cover letters to potential employees they don’t send me an answer? I feel as though I’m being ignored.

Jennifer
Dear Jennifer

That’s such a great question and unfortunately something that happens all too often. While some recruiters and organisations do take the time to respond to each and every application, due to time constraints and the overwhelming amount of applications some companies just don’t have the time and resources to be able to do this, even though it is a polite and courteous thing to do.

Recently, I had coffee with one of the recruitment agents in my professional network and she indicated that she can often screen up to 200 résumés in one given day. Add to that, telephone calls to prospective candidates for screening interviews, following up with clients (the companies), appointment scheduling reference checks and a myriad of other tasks she does on a daily basis, she just does not have the time to acknowledge each application individually. In fact, she specifically states in her advertisement that if you have not heard from them within a 2 week period then you were unsuccessful.

My advice would be to make sure that you avoid being one of the hundreds of applicants that never receive acknowledgement due to your application grabbing the attention of the recruiter/organisation each and every time so that you have an opportunity to interview.

All the very best Jennifer. Drop me a line at info@a-e-c.com.au Let me know how you go.
Annemarie

Sally [not her real name] came to me frustrated and ready to hand in her resignation. As a Sales & Marketing Manager for a small/medium company she had delivered some pretty impressive results over the past 3 ½ years. However, after a corporate takeover some 8 months prior, her enthusiasm for her role had continually declined, and she dreaded going to work because she felt extremely uncomfortable. What used to be an enjoyable and challenging work environment had become quite the opposite, causing her to feel extremely agitated, unmotivated and unhappy.

Does this sound like you? If so, you are certainly not alone as there are many people unhappy and dissatisfied with their careers and experiencing the ‘square peg syndrome’.

In working with clients I have found there are three main reasons that can cause discomfort and dissatisfaction within a workplace. These include:

Read more…