As an executive job coach, an important part of my job is training my clients how to prepare for interviews. During this training, I am often handed the job description relevant to the interview. Most often I caution my clients to take that job description with a grain of salt. I have learned through the years working for major companies that “the bigger the company the bigger the mess.” I, of course, say this with sarcasm, but there is a lot of truth in this.

Typically, job descriptions are documents that Human Resources are required to have on file for reference purposes. They have no practical use except during the hiring process or during the yearly employee evaluation should there be a dispute. Once a position needs to be filled the job description becomes the focal point for recruiting. However, very often, these documents have not been adequately updated and made pertinent to the opening. At times they are outright misleading!

Evidence to this was when I interviewed with Honeywell. Truthfully, I was very reluctant to apply for the position advertised in The New York Times. It was two titles below my level, but it was a 15-minute drive from my house. Since I was so upset with my employer at that time, I was very motivated to make a change. Evidently, my resume was so impressive that I was called in for an interview. Only, during that interview, I find out that they are looking for someone with my background and accomplishments and not what they advertised for. I ended up spending the best fifteen years of my career with Honeywell.

So what is the candidate to do to be best prepared for the interview? The answer is to learn the skill of sleuthing into the company through his networking contacts and the skill of being able to ask the interviewer questions revealing the key issues on his mind. The job description may reveal some of the issues, but often they are buried among the details. The reason for this is easy to understand. Job descriptions are often written by HR. How often do they understand the core needs of the position? HR most often uses standard language descriptions that are very general, “Looking for a highly motivated self-starter with strong organizational and leadership skills. Must be an excellent communicator with…”. The same goes for recruiters unless they have a long-standing relationship with the company.

The solution is that the candidate should attempt to surface the true needs of the hiring manager as soon as possible at the start of the interview. One way to do this is by asking the interviewer a question such as “I understand what you are saying but I wonder if you could share with me what the hired candidate would be doing, say, in the first three weeks on the job?” Paraphrasing that question, you would be asking, “What is important for you?” After all a newly hired person will focus in the initial period on the job that the boss needs done. Right?

The Breakfast Club NJ Presents : “Key Financial Planning Considerations for Those in a Career Transition” presented by Bill LaChance.

Saturday May 9th at 8:00am ET

Synopsis:

““Key Financial Planning Considerations for Those in a Career Transition”

This presentation will cover a number of strategies to consider to help with cash flow during a career transition. The focus will be on those strategies that may not be well known or understood. Topics will include: Medical Insurance through the Affordable Care Act, impact of part time wages on unemployment compensation, pros and cons of rolling over a 401k/403b, tax implications of drawing down Roth and traditional IRA’s, tax deductibility of job hunting expenses, strategies to take advantage of lower marginal tax rates during the transition period etc.Note:

Please share this with other groups you may be in. Join us on Meetup.com at: http://www.meetup.com/The-Breakfast-Club-NJ/ to RSVP for the meeting.

TBC meetings for 2015 are free (courtesy of one of our members), and free breakfast (bagels) to the first 50 attendees!!!

Be sure to tell your friends and bring them along. Be a part of our growing network of Job Seekers, Hiring Managers, Recruiters, Career Coaches, and people who want to be able to help themselves and each other.

Event Location:

Days Hotel Conference Center
195 Rt. 18 South, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
732-828-6900

Meeting Format:

7:30 to 8:00 – Registration & Open Networking

8:00 to 8:15 – Welcome and housekeeping

8:15 to 9:15 – Presentation by the guest speaker – Limited to 60 minutes

9:15 to 10:15 – Elevator Pitch – 30 Seconds about yourself, who you are, what you are looking for, target companies (3-4), how we can help you, how you can help others. Follow the rule of the Three B’s of Public Speaking: Be informative; Be brief; Be seated.

10:15 until you choose to leave – Open Networking, follow up with people you are interested in meeting following their elevator pitch, exchange business cards, peruse the library, arrange follow up meetings, etc.

The Breakfast Club NJ – 10 Points for Good Member Citizenship

1) Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)

2) Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly

3) Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible

4) Once you have received your invitation and joined our linked in group, connect to other members directly(questions see Gerry Peyton -gpeyton@ptd.net)

5) Join groups Facebook group, Google +, and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman – adrienne1204@optonline.net)

6) Join groups twitter account (questions see George Pace – keeppace@gmail.com)

7) If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)

8) Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)

9) If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)

10) Help fellow members whenever possible

1. Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
2. Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly
3. Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible
4. Once you have received your invitation and joined our linked in group, connect to other members directly(questions see Gerry Peyton -gpeyton@ptd.net)
5. Join groups Facebook group and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman – adrienne1204@optonline.net)
6. Join groups twitter account (questions see George Pace – keeppace@gmail.com)
7. If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
8. Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)
9. If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)
10. Help fellow members whenever possible

We look forward to seeing everyone let’s make this a great meeting for our members that are in transition and welcome those that have landed