Sample Resume Download, Resume Writing Tips, Job Interview Tips

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Resume Writing and Interviewing Secrets "Oprah Style"
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(Click here to download this eBook - includes a sample resume
or click here to Submit Your Resume on WomensResumeList.com now.)

Three Keys For a Successful Interview

Key #1 Hold Your Tongue and Be Like Oprah

The biggest complaint we hear about candidates from hiring officials is “he or she did not listen.” Most candidates like to talk. Good candidates talk less. Great candidates talk the least. They ask a lot of questions and then listen, listen and listen some more. By asking good, thoughtful questions when being interviewed, you achieve a number of objectives. First, the hiring official becomes your fan. The more he or she talks about themselves and their company, the more they like you. In addition, as they talk, you learn more about their interests and goals. From this information you garner important facts. In many cases, a hiring official is giving you the answers to the test – and everyone knows a job interview is a test. You also learn details about the position, the company, the culture and the people. This is all very important information in helping you make a critical career decision. With this in mind, we recommend that all of our candidates follow Key #1 – “Listen and Be Like Oprah.” It sounds a bit crazy, but it really works.

Key #2 Validate – Oprah style

I recently saw an interview on Larry King with Oprah Winfrey. I rarely watch Larry, and almost never watch Oprah. But I do know she is one of the most successful women in America, so I took a minute to watch (and “listen”). It was near the end of the interview that Larry asked Oprah what made her so successful and well liked by all. Oprah’s reply was “I validate everyone.” This is Oprah’s way of saying “I listen.” She went on to say that it is a fundamental fact of human nature that everyone wants to be appreciated (meaning understood). She realized this early on in her career, and she views it as the key component to her success.

Key #3 Be Passionate

Who is the most successful person you can think of? Your CEO? Bill Gates? Oprah Winfrey? The one trait all these people share is that they are all passionate about what they are doing. They believe in what they are doing and are confident and passionate about their careers. If you can show a hiring official that you are as passionate about your career as Bill Gates is about his, I’ll bet you get the job.

Preparing for the Interview

Dress for success. The best rule of thumb is to dress for a position just above the job you are applying for.
Be on time. Although it is important to be on time, do not arrive more then 10 minutes before the scheduled interview.
Be sure to bring a briefcase or leather-bound folder. Be prepared to take notes and have a place to store several unfolded copies of your resume and cover letter. In addition, have a list of professional references.
Upon leaving the interview, make sure you get business cards from all the people you met so you can send thank you notes. Send the notes immediately.
Wait at least five business days to hear from the interviewer before you call them.

Keys to the Interview

Do not let the interview turn into an interrogation. Keep the interview on a conversational level. Start by thanking the interviewer for giving you the opportunity to see them, and begin by asking good questions like: How long have you been with the company? What firm were you with before you got to this company?
Make sure your interviewer can answer all your questions. Do not try to stump them.
Avoid talking about compensation during the first interview. Wait for the interviewer to bring up the subject. The interviewer does not expect you to take a position that is significantly under your past compensation level. If you did, you would quickly be looking for another position and the interviewer would have to do more interviews.
Be positive. Do not paint a negative picture of your current employer or past employer. If you do, you will be viewed as a complainer or management problem.
If the position does not match your skills, be sure to ask the interviewer if there are any other positions within the firm that would fit your talents.

How to Handle Interview Questions

Stay calm. Be diplomatic in your responses.
The key to answering negative questions (what is your biggest weakness?) is to put a positive spin on it. Describe some roadblocks you have faced and what you have done to get around them.
Show strength and charisma. Hiring officials love enthusiasm.

What You Must Articulate in the Interview

Express passion for the business.

• Consider telling a story of how you first became interested in this type of work. Provide some proof that you are just not shopping for a job.
• Talk about what you enjoy doing and draw a connection to this specific job. Elaborate on the skills come naturally to you and apply it to this job.

Show motivation and purpose.

• Do not repeat your resume. Practice a 60-second pitch that describes your motivation for talking to this specific company.
• Describe an encounter you have had with this particular company.
• Find some facts about the company that the interviewer would not expect you to know.

Highlight your skills and experience.

• Describe how you would use them in this job
• Talk about comments others have made about your work (highlight any awards or past accolades you may have received).
• Be honest with the employer. Tell them your weaknesses and how you balance them with the appropriate strengths.
• Draw parallels from your most current or previous job to the requirements of this job.

Show professionalism.

• Demonstrate how you manage stress and remain professional by giving a specific situation where you have performed in an outstanding manner.
• Describe how you have persevered to accomplish a goal.
• Explain how you gather resources, use time-management techniques, or go the extra mile. Use a specific example.

Demonstrate creativity and leadership.

• Provide examples of your initiative and resourcefulness.
• Provide an example of how one of your projects failed. Show how you learned from that experience.
• Show how you can work with others in a successful manner.

Describe your accomplishments.

• Offer proof of your accomplishments using real examples.
• Let the interviewer know how you deliver more than your employer expects.
• Site your long term career plans (5 years out).

When appropriate, discuss personal interests and hobbies.

• The interviewer is looking for consistency in your interests.
• Show the interviewer a history of commitment to your hobby.

Clinching the Interview

Ask for the job.

• If you want the job, tell the interviewer. Let there be not doubt in the interviewer’s mind that you want the position.

Write a follow-up letter.

• Express appreciation for the opportunity to interview (see sample on the following page).
• Express your continued enthusiasm for the position.
• Recap you strengths.
• Request to meet again.
• Try to find an existing employee within the company who will act as a positive reference for you.
• Contact the interviewer a week after you send your thank you letter.
• Send the thank you letter to everyone you have meet with.

The Art of the Negotiation

Important facts you must know when you get the offer:

• Your start date
• Official job title and associated responsibilities
• Your salary, overtime and total compensation
• Bonus structure
• Vacation policy
• Life, medical and dental insurance coverage
• Pension plan
• Travel requirements
• Do not quit your current job until you have officially signed on with your new employer.

Do your homework.

• Speak to a fellow or future coworker and get an understanding of the work environment.
• Try to speak with multiple employees.

Negotiate the Offer

• Wait for the employer to offer you the total package.
• Do not tip your hand and give the interviewer a concrete number for which you’re willing to settle (use a range but not a specific number).
• Do not try to negotiate before you know what you are negotiating with.
• When negotiating use your past three years W-2 to prove that you deserve a specific compensation package.
• Most employers are not going to guarantee you more money then you made the prior year so keep your expectations realistic.
• Call employment agencies or look in the want ads to find out the salaries that are being offered for positions similar to yours.
• Ask your friends in a similar industry if your offer is competitive.
• Most companies will offer you a package that is similar to or near what you made the prior year.

How to write a resume that WOWs:

When writing a resume pretend that you are a professional athlete. If you were playing professional golf and you had to write a resume you would not just state that you played on the LPGA tour. You would state that you won three championships and you were ranked third on the second last year. Whether you are a professional golfer, or sales professional, you are both professionals. The only challenge is writing a resume that showcases both your skills and accomplishments, clearly and concisely.

State the facts in your resume. Start by stating the function you performed and then state your accomplishments. Employers want to see that you not only were able to perform a job but that you could do it well. Surprisingly, some of the best candidates we have

worked with have the worst resumes. They leave out great information. Hiring officials want to see that you were the number one salesperson in the firm, that you were the employee of the month, or that you were a mentor for all new employees.

Do your best to keep your resume to one page in length. Unfortunately most hiring officials spend little time reading resumes. Instead they look first at your accomplishments. If you are a sales professional I want to know your sales numbers, not the name of your dog or your favorite type of food. Save that for the interview. Be short and to the point.

Be truthful. We have seen many candidates receive a job offer from a firm only to see that when the company does a background check they find out that the candidates was two credits short of graduating. This would not be a problem except for that fact that the candidate stated that she went to the University of Florida. Be 100% forthright! Employers appreciate honesty. Many firms use sophisticated techniques to do background checks and if they find any discrepancies they will view that as being untrustworthy or deceptive. Most firms would recind their job offer if they found out you lied on your resume. If you were an employer wouldn’t you? Make sure you use dates to state when you were with a company and when you left that company. Leaving dates out makes the hiring official think you are being deceptive. Include all your contact information on your resume (address, cell phone, home phone, email etc).

Most hiring officials use a resume as a reason not to talk to people. Yes that is right. We have often heard hiring officials say, “ She could never be a successful pharmaceutical salesman because she only has experience selling life insurance”. Might this employer change their mind if they knew you were the firm’s number one life insurance salesman out of thirty reps? Or would they change their mind if your resume stated that you were the youngest employee to get promoted to a Vice President role? Or might this employer be more interested in hearing what the name of your dog is or what your favorite food is? Only include pertinent information that showcases your skills and accomplishments.

(Click here to download this eBook - includes the sample resume)