One time I was looking for some new ideas to help my clients make career transitions.  The easy way would have been to go directly to the career section.  But that area is all the way in the back. So I took my time and wandered up and down various aisles. At this point, it was important for me keep an open mind and allow new ideas and curiosities to enter into play. I picked up some books and read the tables of content and the back page synopses. I put the books back. Various display tables caught my eye, and I quickly perused the offerings.  I traveled some aisles that I normally don’t visit just to see if something resonated. It’s important to take one’s time so that the internal process can work its magic. 

If you are an intuitive type, then you are more likely to still be with me.  If you are not, then you are probably already past the skeptical stage and have arrived at dismissal.  But believe me when I say that that this process doesn’t begin with a well-defined goal.  It’s a journey through a big box maze of innovative ideas, original concepts, astonishing stories and a plethora of knowledge.  Trusting the process is key. 

I finally landed in the career section and looked at quite a few books.  The problem is that many of them started sounding alike and seemed to offer 6-step solutions to every career conundrum. I noticed that the ones I really liked were already happily ensconced in my personal library.  I encountered some new and intriguing titles but the content didn’t live up to the name.  So I slowly walked away. 

As I passed the business section, I noticed a bright orange book on one of the displays. It was like seeing a flashing neon sign.  The title sounded different, but it was the subtitle that really hooked me. As I read the back page my heart started to pound.  And the table of contents seemed to speak directly to me. I thumbed through the chapters and quickly saw that this was the book waiting for me. 

Enough with the suspense.  The book was “A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Informational Age to the Conceptual Age” by Daniel Pink.  As a highly conceptually person and rarely data driven, it was as if my inner thoughts had been captured and published.  And I could quickly confirm that the book’s content would bring a fresh perspective to clients whose careers were not linear by design. I would be able to easily illustrate the value of particular backgrounds once thought not to be high in currency. There would be new approaches to brainstorming. Clearly this book set the juices flowing. And it was so not what I expected to find me. 

Since I purchased the hardback, the paperback has been re-subtitled to: “Why Right-Brainers will Rule the World.”  Okay, all of my clients may not agree with the premise. But it is a fresh look at the new economy and marketplace with a novel set of lenses. And it has provided me with one of those rare times when I am delighted to go “by the book.”

Barbara Singer is a Senior Transition Coach on the Vandover Coaching Team.

• Try to remain objective. Maybe you think you didn’t formulate even one cohesive sentence or sat in silence for five minutes before answering a question, but the interviewer might not have noticed anything was wrong. Try to look back on the experience with an objective mind instead of being too critical of yourself.
• If you opted to not answer a question or didn’t provide a solid answer, send an email to the interviewer. Explain that you thought about the question a little bit more and feel this new answer is a more accurate representation of your experience or how you would solve XYZ.
• Ask for a do over. Call the interviewer to explain that you feel you poorly represented yourself and you would like a second chance to show you are the right candidate for the position. The worst they can say is no, and if you think you’ve already blown it, it’s worth a shot.
• Follow up with a thank you letter or email no matter how you did. Taking the time to send a note after the interview can go a long way. Highlight key information you gained during the interview, why you feel you’re the best fit, and show genuine interest in the position. If you don’t want to draw attention to what went wrong, you can keep the note upbeat.  
• Use it as a learning experience. Did you feel ill-prepared? Were you shocked when you walked in the room and five people were staring back at you? Did you not care very much about the position in the first place? Getting to the root of why you feel you did poorly can help you to understand what to change in the future.
• In the case that you showed up late, didn’t dress appropriately, or asked if you could eat your lunch in between questions, you might not get a chance at redemption. Employers understand that everyone has a bad day now and then, but if you were blatantly not making an effort to impress the company from the start, you might be out of luck. 

Always keep in mind that the interview process starts when the potential employer receives your résumé and ends when they offer someone the position. Yes, your face-to-face interview holds a lot of weight, but there are multiple components that can carry just as much weight. Each stage is critical in the employer’s eye.

What happens to a dream deferred?
-Langston Hughes

What are your dreams, and what are the obstacles that prevent you from embracing and pursuing that dream wholeheartedly? For many, retirement offers a unique opportunity to take the time to pursue dreams that may have been put aside for a number of reasons earlier in life. If you have a dream that you’ve been putting off, take some time now to evaluate the obstacles that have caused you to defer your dream, rather than declare it.

Obstacle #1: Money

Money is one of the few real reasons for putting a dream on hold. If money seems to be the primary thing preventing you from realizing your dream, try getting creative. Can you find ways to supplement your income at least temporarily in order to pursue your dream? What about instituting a savings plan, even if it takes a year or two to save up enough? If you’re really interested in realizing your dream, then money should be a consideration, but not necessarily an obstacle.

Obstacle #2: Courage

Courage, however, is another matter. Lack of courage prevents many people from pursuing their dreams. The key is to evaluate why you’re afraid. Are you afraid you can’t do it? Are you afraid of what people may think? When you take time to pinpoint why you lack the courage to proceed, you can start to also find ways to overcome mental or emotional obstacles like fear.

Next, Go Public

What other obstacles prevent you from declaring your dream and moving forward? Once you identify and evaluate ways to overcome these stumbling blocks, you can move ahead. Start by making a clear declaration of what you want to do: don’t keep your dream to yourself!

Going public with your dream – telling friends and family, maybe even select colleagues or former colleagues – starts making you accountable. Although there’s a definite difference between declaring your dream and working to fulfill your dream, telling other people about your dream can often be the first step towards achievement. In addition, remember that your friends and family can be an excellent support system to help you as you work towards your dream.

Moving Forward

Declaring your dream to friends and family can also serve as a commitment to take things to the next level. Now you have people to whom you can be accountable, but if you’re wondering what to do next, break things down into intermediate goals. What will you need to do to realize your dream? Create short- and long-term goals and put them into to-do lists to help you organize and plan in smaller steps. Don’t be afraid to take your time, but find ways to move forward even if you take it slow.

Keep your family and friends updated on your progress, and perhaps enlist their advice as you determine the steps you need to take. In addition to keeping you accountable, your friends and family may also be great resources to help you find information or fulfill particular tasks that will help you reach your goal.

Don’t defer your dream, and don’t keep it hidden. Instead, proclaim your dream loudly and let the world help you celebrate as you work towards fulfilling your ultimate goal.

Gmail (http://www.gmail.com)

Gmail – short for “Google Mail” is a free e-mail program that offers users more than 7,500 megabytes of storage space. Users create “labels” to organize their incoming messages, rather than folders, and everything you receive in your Gmail account is fully searchable – type any word, name, or e-mail address into the search in your Gmail page, and Gmail will show you all messages with that content.

Google Documents (http://docs.google.com)

Google Documents – known as Google Docs – is an online word processing suite that features documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. You can upload documents to edit through Google Docs, or create new items directly through the website. Users can also create forms and send them to individuals or post them on websites. Two of the biggest benefits to Google Docs include the ability to access your content anywhere you can get online, as well as the ability to share documents with others. This makes it easy to collaborate with other people to create materials.

Google Reader (http://reader.google.com)

Google Reader offers you a way to keep track with websites you like to read. This is an RSS reader that brings all the websites to you: simply copy a website address into the “Add” box, then visit your Google Reader account regularly to read new content to blogs and other sites you like to visit.

Google Calendar (http://calendar.google.com)

If keeping track of your schedule is an issue, consider the free Google Calendar option. In addition to all the basic functionality you’d want from an electronic day planner, you can also share your calendar with other users or have your daily agenda sent to your e-mail account.

Google Tasks (http://mail.google.com/mail/help/tasks/)

The Google Tasks program works best when used with either Gmail or Google Calendar (or both). If you like to create to-do lists where you can check off tasks once you’ve completed them, this tool is an excellent resource. You can view your Google Tasks lists in either Gmail or Google Calendar, or on your mobile phone. It’s easy to add deadlines to any task, as well as notes that you may want to remember as you work on a specific task.

Google Earth (http://www.google.com/earth/index.html)

Unlike the other tools included here, Google Earth is a resource that you download to your computer, rather than access online. Google Earth offers satellite-style views of the entire planet all the way down to street-level views of many cities (similar to the views available in the web-based Google Maps). With Google Earth, you can “tour” the world through 3D images. It’s a great educational tool.

Google Sites (http://sites.google.com)

Want to build your own website, but don’t know how? Check out Google Sites, where you can create a free webpage using one of many pre-made templates. You can create sites that are private, invitation-only, or available for anyone to view.

Google Books (http://books.google.com)

Google Books offers the chance to view either full versions of books – or newspapers or magazines, in some cases – online, or select pages from other books. Because of copyright issues, most of the full-text books available through Google Books are older ones that have expired copyrights. However, this can be an excellent resource for previewing a book that may interest you – or finding information you once saw in a particular book.

Blogger (http://www.blogger.com)

Blogger is Google’s blog publishing platform. Like all the other Google tools featured here, this is a free resource. You may start your blog and make it open to the world to read, or create a password-protected blog for select viewers only.

Picasa (http://picasaweb.google.com)

Picasa is Google’s free image management system. You can upload and share photos with anyone through this site, which offers free storage space of up to about 1,000 megabytes.

Unscheduled Telephone Interview: A company calls when you are not expecting it, perhaps to schedule an in-person interview or to ask several follow-up questions about your résumé and cover letter.

• Prepare a few “go-to” answers to common interview questions ahead of time so that you have some material ready to go at a moment’s notice. Put an interview packet together with your résumé and general interview questions/responses that you can reference while on the phone.
• If you get a phone call at a bad time, request a scheduled call-back time. This will allow you to clear distractions and be better prepared for a telephone-screening interview. The potential employer will appreciate your desire to focus your full attention on the interview. 

Scheduled Telephone Interview: Companies often use these to pre-screen candidates, especially those who live out of town. Because this format lacks the opportunity for face-to-face rapport, some people regard this as one of the more difficult interview types.

• Sit at a desk or table during the interview, if possible.
• Have your résumé and important conversation points nearby for easy reference.
• You may wish to dress as if it’s a professional interview to help you maintain the proper mindset.
• Before the interview, locate lists of common interview questions or create your own. Practice your answers using a tape recorder to hear how you sound to others. Speak clearly and confidently.

Skype/Web Video Interview: Web-based interviews allow companies to combine elements of a telephone and an in-person interview. They’re also useful for pre-screening, or to interview candidates who are not yet in the office location. Face-to-face rapport is possible, which gives you more communication tools than a telephone interview.

• Familiarize yourself with the software being used, so that you aren’t worried about hitting the right buttons during the actual interview. If you can’t access the exact software to practice, use Skype or another free service with a friend, so that you can both practice the format and tell your interviewer that you’re generally familiar with web video software, and just need a little guidance for the specific program they’re using.
• Practice making “eye contact” with your webcam’s lens, not the displays on your computer screen.  
• Remember that the interviewer can see most of your movements. Don’t fidget or move around a great deal; the video quality will become jerky and distracting for both of you.
• Clean up the room where you’ll be sitting for the interview. Look at the overall view from your webcam: does it present you as an organized, prepared candidate? Are there any items that you should temporarily clear or decorations you should take down?
• Alert your household of the day and time of the interview, so that they know to keep noise at a minimum and not to enter the interview room during that time.
• Dress as you would for an in-person interview.
• At the time of your interview, shut the interview room’s doors and windows so that pets, noises from outdoors, and other distractions are eliminated as much as possible.
• Turn off any other programs that might distract you during the interview, such as email popup notifications.
• If anything *does* go wrong with your setup, despite your best preparations, show off how well you can deal with the unexpected. Keep calm, handle it professionally, then get back on track.

Behavioral Interview: The interviewer uses your previous actions and accomplishments to assess probable future behavior and potential success in the position. Questions ask you to prove the skills you have included in your résumé or in a previous interview. You may be asked to describe a particular situation or example that illustrates your skills.

• Use a Condition, Action, Benefit (CAB) approach: Briefly describe the condition/problem, overview the action you took in response, and highlight your benefit to the company.
• Review your résumé: for each skill stated, reflect on professional, volunteer, or educational experiences and develop a CAB story to highlight that skill.
• Write these CAB stories in advance and be comfortable relating specific facts and details.
• Quantify benefits and results. Instead of saying an action “saved the company money”, name a specific amount or percentage.

Stress Interview: This type of interview may be used for positions in fast-paced, high-stress environments and industries. In this format, an interviewer exposes you to stressful elements intentionally to assess your response. This may include long waits, abrupt questions with cold stares, spilling something on you, or requiring you to complete a task and answer questions simultaneously. Unless you have inside information from the contact, you will probably not know in advance if the interview will be in this format.

• Remember, a stress interview is not personal. It is designed to test your ability to handle a stressful environment.
• Prepare as you would for any other interview: memorize your main points and go into the interview as relaxed as possible.
• If you are well-prepared to discuss your strengths, accomplishment, and potential benefit to the employer, you will be less flustered if the interviewer introduces intentional stressors.