Why I Decided Not to Look for a Job From Outside Israel

Why I Decided Not to Look for a Job From Outside Israel 6 A man was making his weekly check with the unemployment office. “I think we have a job for you this week,” the manager said. “There is an opening at the Eagle Laundry. Would you like to apply for it?” “I need a job real bad,” the man said, “but I don't think they would hire me. I've never washed an eagle.” Perception vs. Reality The above is only a joke, but perhaps it reflects the reason why there is a perception that Israeli companies don't like to hire people still outside the country? Mind you, would they have taken that person if he was inside the country? Probably not, but, with a bit of luck, this would have come out in the interview. I work in the Information Technology (IT) department of the largest bank in Africa. Our family has taken the decision to move to Israel and one of the questions asked to me most often is “where are you going to work?” I can't answer that as ‘everyone' I speak to in Israel tells me that it is a waste of time even applying for a job when you are not in Israel. I thought that they were not correct, so I started contacting potential employees. So Close Yet So Far The closest I got to what I felt was meaningful were two successive emails. The position offered was in Israel but I got the impression that the contact was based in America. He asked for my resume as I had a ‘glove fit' for the job. He then emailed me back and said “are you based in Israel?” I tried to work out how to say ‘yes' when the answer was clearly ‘no', given that the address in the resume was not in Israel and neither my current employer nor any of my previous ones were remotely near Israel. Not even in the same hemisphere, let alone the same continent. I thought of some philosophical answers like “can one ever be truly away from Israel?” or “Not right now but offer me a job and I can get on a plane”. I then remembered an old story and decided to rather be straight:eval Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young Engineer fresh out of MIT, “And what starting salary were you looking for?” The Engineer said, “In the neighborhood of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.” The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, a company matching retirement fund for 50% of your salary, and a company car leased every 2 years- say, a red Corvette?” The Engineer sat up straight and said, “Wow! Are you kidding?” And the interviewer replied, “Yeah, but you started it.”eval Don't Worry Be Happy I wondered if it was even worthwhile doing any research before getting to Israel. I phoned the head of a recruitment organization and she was helpful. She said “send your resume”. I replied that I had done so, four months before, and had not had any response. She implied that I could not have done so because they always respond. She suggested I re-send, which I did. I phoned again and she said my resume was fine and they would put it on file until, wait for it, I get to Israel. She said I should not worry about getting a job. The economy is fine and anyway, as a new oleh, you get a couple of months of pocket money. She also said that usually your first job does not work out, so you need to be prepared to keep looking for jobs even when you are in Israel and employed. Out of Africa A friend of mine is a dentist who gets bored sitting in Africa. He therefore contacts an agency in England and within no time gets a temporary position. He has been doing that for a few years. He has never met the agency and only meets his future employer when he arrives at the job. No questions like “are you in England” or “are you really serious about coming to work here?”. They don't seem to mind that he is only trying to find a temporary position or that he may accept the job and just not pitch. I suppose it is because he is a dentist and that is different to the IT industry. Success Story In fact another dentist friend of mine got a call from a friend in Jerusalem about ten years ago. He said to her “Bev, we have a job for you. If you get here within two months you can take it. If you don't, then I don't know if I can ever help you again”. Bev had a slightly unusual domestic set up. Her husband, Martin, spent his time getting contracts in the Middle East to deliver yachts. He therefore disappeared for up to ten weeks sunbathing while she kept the home fires burning. I once said to him on his return “tough life!”, to which he replied “yes, but someone has to do it”. Fortunately at the time Martin was at home so she told him about the offer. He replied that it was ridiculous, risky and foolhardy. How could they leave the comfort of home life with a stable income and go over to a new country with hardly any notice? She said to him that she was a dentist and a job is a job is a job, so what was the problem? They decided to take the plunge. Or maybe she decided to take the plunge while he was plunging overboard into the Mediterranean for a leisurely dip before dinner on the yacht? They had three children under the age of ten with one on the way. I spoke to them recently and they conceded that it probably was not a good decision, but things had worked out well so they were pleased with the move. The older children had battled for a bit and they had thought of coming back. They could not, however, as she had a job in Israel so what was the point of leaving? But Should You Even Try? On the subject of hiring someone from a different country, I am definitely sympathetic as there can be numerous challenges, one of them being different cultures. What if a person comes from somewhere where he tells numerous one liners and his work colleagues thinks he is really funny? Something like the following: A ragged piece of string went into a pub and asked for a drink. “Are you over 18?” asked the barman. “No,” replied the string, “I'm a frayed knot.” I therefore decided to sit back and do nothing about a job until we get to Israel, but then I got an email from a colleague of mine. He does the same job as I and yet he has managed to set himself up with a new job long before he even decided to leave. How did he do it? He said he had put his resume on the Internet and was contacted by a recruitment agency that was looking to fill an international position. His resume was submitted and followed up with a Business Class flight and a three-day stay at the prospective employer all at their expense. And the rest is history. Oh yes, I forgot to add that the new job is in Kuwait. About the author Philip is based in South Africa while contemplating a job search in Israel. This article is the third entry in the JobMob Guest Blogging Contest. Enjoy this writeup?

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out With a Website That Makes It Easy

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out With a Website That Makes It EasyIf you are wondering how to make your resume stand out, try the job application on a website that specializes in resume writing services. A good website will let you apply for numerous job openings on the same day and will give you tips and tricks for getting your resume read by recruiters.The key to getting an interview with any company is being able to differentiate yourself from the rest of the job seekers in their pool of applicants. So if you think that your resume is not doing what it needs to do to get you noticed, then take a look at your resume and see if there are things that you could improve upon. Perhaps you will find the one thing that will jumpstart your marketing game plan.Of course, no job applications online are complete without your resume. With so many options available, how can you make your resume stand out from the rest? The easiest way to make your resume stand out is to write it yourself. But, how do you do that if you don't have the time to write it all by yourself?Employers are busy, so you may be too busy to write your resume yourself. Thankfully, a resume writing service will take your resume, proofread it and turn it into a professional looking resume. This service should also give you tips on how to make your resume stand out and get noticed.So, what is the best way to use a resume writing service? Some of them offer custom resumes that you can customize according to your specific needs. When you sign up with one of these services, they will send you a free sample resume that you can work on before you pay them anything. This will help you get a better idea of how the website works and where to start.You can use a free sample resumes to help you create a resume that fits your qualifications and experiences. Also, make sure that you look at this sample resume multiple times to ensure that the information that you put in the resume is accurate. By the same token, you should also avoid things like photographs, acronyms, contact information that are not relevant, and information that are already included in your resume. The key is to find the balance between what is necessary and what you want included on your resume.As you begin to write your resume, you should also make a list of things that you know you are going to include on your resume. It is always better to be safe than sorry when you are applying for a job, so you want to list these items, and be certain that you have listed them correctly. If you do not list them correctly, your resume could get turned down for not having this information on it.The best thing about using a resume writing service's website is that you have someone that knows how to write a resume and put it together for you. They will take care of all of the details that you may forget and give you tips on how to use the format properly.

The 10 Best Recruiter Staffing Agencies in Charlotte, NC

The 10 Best Recruiter Staffing Agencies in Charlotte, NC Looking for the best staffing agencies in Charlotte, NC?You’ve come to the right place.Charlotte is an amazing city hosting all sorts of fun ranging from the Panthers and Hornets sports teamsto NASCAR, and of course, its beautiful seasonal changes.That’s why so many people flock to Charlotte for jobs. With so many great jobs, you can be certain that a plethora of staffing agencies have made their way to the Queen City.But don’t worry.Rather than having to filter through dozens of locally available staffing agencies, we’ve done all the heavy lifting to bring you only the best of the best.The Best Charlotte Staffing AgenciesIf you are in a hurry and don’t have time to read our detailed reviews below, here are the names of the 10 best staffing agencies in Charlotte:TalentBridge Hire Dynamics LINK Staffing CSS Construction Staffing AccruePartners Robert Half Go Healthcare Staffing, Inc. Accurate Staffing Consultants Debbie’s Staffing Fairview Search Group (Executive)Before re aching out to any companies on this list, we recommend that you make sure your resume is in tip-top shape. If you’d like professional help with your resume, contact the pros at Find My Profession.And now for the detailed reviews…1. TalentBridgeTalentBridge, formerly known as Employee Relations Associates, was founded by Tom Loele in 1985. TalentBridge provides companies with high-performance teams and candidates with better career opportunities while providing the best experience possible.Job Types: TalentBridge covers a variety of career fields including accounting finance, banking/financial operations, customer care, digital creative marketing, engineering, design life science, human resources, information technology, insurance, legal, manufacturing, medical, office administrative, supply chain, and talent management.Pros: TalentBridge hires tenured recruiting professionals who are knowledgeable about the local market and able to provide focused expertise on specific disci plines. Their website's “job search resources” offer some great videos providing tips such as how to respond to a headhunter’s call and more.Local Office:6100 Fairview Road, Suite 500, Charlotte,28210Contact:704-644-70002. Hire DynamicsHire Dynamics was founded in 2001 by Dan Campbell and his former college roommate and friend, Jon Neff. Hire Dynamics has grown to operate in more than 35 locations (16 in North Carolina) while specializing in contact centers, logistics, manufacturing operations, and office support services.Job Types: Hire Dynamics works on a variety of jobs in Charlotte including mechanical assembler, CNC machine operator, material handler, maintenance tech, accounting data admin, HVAC tech, and more.Pros: Hire Dynamics was rated as a Top 10 “Best Places to Work” by Charlotte Business Journal four years in a row. They have more offices throughout North Carolina than 90% of Charlotte staffing agencies.Local Office:8124 S Tryon Street,Suite A-4, Charlotte,28 273Contact:980-207-68003. LINK StaffingLINK Staffing was founded in 1980 by Bill and Karen Pitts. LINK Staffing has connected highly qualified job seekers with exciting opportunities in growing companies for over 35 years. Initially formed as an industrial-only staffing agency, LINK has grown to connect job seekers with roles in accounting, finance, IT, and admin work.Job Types: LINK Staffing covers jobs in industries such as manufacturing, construction, office administrative, healthcare, logistics, warehouse, transportation, retail, energy and utilities.Pros: LINK Staffing has a commitment to military veterans. Their LINKCORPS™ program has been established to help connect veterans with employment opportunities. They do this through skill translation (translating your resume from military to civilian language), career support, and employer connections.Local Office:9124-C South Tryon Street,Charlotte,28273Contact: 704-525-45554. CCS Construction StaffingCCS Construction Staffing i s one of the premier construction temp agencies committed to serving the needs of their clients since 2008. CCS has offices throughout the southeast and their primary area of focus is skilled trade. Each candidate they submit is a vetted, safety-trained tradesman to the construction trade.Job Types: CSS Construction Staffing focuses on trades such as administrative assistants, carpenters, electricians, general laborers, millwrights, operators, pipefitters, welders, plumbers, HVAC techs, and more.Pros: CSS Construction Staffing is the leading construction staffing agency in the area. If you are looking for a tradesman position in construction, there are few agencies in the area with the experience CSS has.Local Office:3600 North Tryon Street, Charlotte,28206Contact:704-561-00535. AccruePartnersAccrue Partners is a Charlotte, NC headquartered staffing agency specializing in staffing, search, and project solutions. With more than 30,000 placements since 2002 and a national recruiting c enter that allows them to source candidates in 41 states, they have made a huge impact in the greater Charlotte area.Job Types: Accrue Partners focuses on disciplines such as accounting finance, information technology, marketing, financial services, human resources, engineering, and office.Pros: Accrue Partners has been recognized locally in the Charlotte Business Journal as a 2018 best place to work. Also, Accrue Partners was named Charlotte’s #1 Contingency Staffing Firm for threeconsecutive yearsand is known as a Top 25 Charlotte Staffing Agency.Local Office: 1000 W Morehead Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, 28208Contact:704-632-9955 orinfo@accruepartners.com6. Robert HalfRobert Half is a company that pretty much everyone has heard of. With thousands of employees, more than 345 locations worldwide, and being a publicly-traded company and member of the SP 500, it’s fair to say that Robert Half has a massive presence not only in Charlotte but worldwide.Job Types: Robert Half works on many jobs in Charlotte including help desk, copywriter, computer analyst, inventory clerk, accounts payable, customer service, executive assistant, .net developer, and more.Pros: Robert Half has more jobs posted in Charlotte than any other staffing agency on this list. With over 200 Charlotte jobs to choose from, Robert Half is worth connecting with to help you with your search.Local Offices: 2 locations to serve youContact: 980-337-40987. Go Healthcare Staffing Inc.Go Healthcare Staffing Inc. is a Joint Commission Certified healthcare staffing firm specializing in the recruitment and placement of travel nurses for healthcare facilities across the U.S. With a management and recruitment team comprised of experienced travel nurse staffing professionals, Go Healthcare Staffing provides a full-service travel nurse staffing solution to its clients.Job Types: Go Healthcare Staffing focuses solely on travel registered nursing positions with specialties including MedSurg, PICU, PACU, ER , peds, LD, OR, ICU, cardiac, and more.Pros: Go Healthcare Staffing is one of the leading staffing agencies in Charlotte for healthcare staffing and travel nursing positions. With such a well-defined niche, there are very few companies you will find with such a large network of healthcare jobs.Local Office:412 Louise Avenue, Charlotte,28204Contact:844-966-8773 orcontact@gohealthcarestaffing.com8. Accurate Staffing ConsultantsAccurate staffing Consultants is a full-service staffing agency serving North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and beyond. Accurate Staffing was founded in 1985 by its current CEO, Catherine Wall.Job Types: Accurate Staffing Consultants featured a handful of jobs on their website. These jobs included forklift operator, warehouse service associate, welding engineer, production associate, electrical assembler, and more.Pros: Accurate Staffing is a boutique firm with an average internal staff tenure of 15 years! This is quite impressive considering many staffing agencies have an average tenure of fewer than 5 years. This means that you will get to work with experienced recruiters who know what they are doing.Local Office:920 Blairhill Rd B-118, Charlotte,28217Contact: 704-554-96759. Debbie’s StaffingDebbie’s Staffing is a leading Charlotte staffing agency founded in March 1986 by Debbie Little and later joined by company president Heinz Little. Originally founded in Winston-Salem, today Debbie’s Staffing has grown to service multiple locations across the U.S.Job Types: Debbie’s Staffing had limited jobs posted on its website. We recommend calling Debbie’s Staffing agency to see what they are currently working on in the Charlotte area.Pros: Debbie’s Staffing focuses on temporary positions. If you are looking for temp work instead of a full-time w-2 position, this company may be a great option.Local Office:5035 West W.T. Harris Boulevard, Unit B, Charlotte28269Contact:704-494-888410. Fairview Search Group (Executive)Fairview Sear ch Group is Charlotte’s top executive search, recruiting, consulting, and staffing firm for Accounting, Finance, IT, and Project Management on a direct-hire, contract to hire, or contract basis. With a combined 80 years of proven success and 80% of their business coming from repeat clients and referrals, it’s no surprise this company has made our list.Job Types: Fairview Search Group lists nearly 50 different job types on their website that they have experience with. Some of the executive jobs include CFO, CIO, CTO, IT manager, corporate controller, VP tax, FPA director, internal audit director, program manager, and more.Pros: Fairview Search Group is a true executive staffing agencyin Charlotte. If you are a senior-level professional looking for a well-connected recruitment firm in your area, consider connecting Fairview.Local Office:5950 Fairview Road, Suite 300,Charlotte,28210Contact:704-556-3021 orinfo@fairviewsearch.comThis List Serves the Following Areas Near Charlotte, No rth Carolina:Salisbury Monroe Albemarle Locust Concord Belmont Gastonia Kannapolis China Grove Statesville Hickory Shelby Hendersonville Asheville Morganton Lenoir Mt. Airy Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point Burlington Graham Reidsville Asheboro Kannapolis China Grove Rockingham Fayetteville ... and moreQuick Tip for Charlotte Job SeekersNot all the Charlotte staffing agencies on this list are going to have jobs posted on their websites that are a perfect match for you.Here’s what we recommend:Browse the website to see if you can find a job that you are interested in. Whether you find a job or not, give the staffing agency a call. Provide information about yourself and the type of work you are looking for. If you did find a relevant job on their website, now is the time to mention it. The agency will take down your information and reach out if they find a relevant position.You are better off having as many staffing agencies as possible aware of your search. It’s simply more eye s and ears out there helping with your job search.Last, but definitely not least …Before you reach out to these Charlotte staffing agencies, you need a professional-looking resume.The worst thing you could do is provide a below-average resume to each of the companies on this list.Check out our list of the 10 Best Resume Services in Charlotte.Or if you are an executive, check out the 9 Best Executive Resume Services in America.For the budget-conscious, check out the Best Resume Services Under $300.Additional Resources for Charlotte Job SeekersBelow, we have included a few additional resources that we felt might be helpful to your job search.10 Best Free Resume Review Sites12 Best Job Search Sites for All Career Levels10 Best Executive Job Search Sites50 Top Job Interview Questions and AnswersLocal Resume Writing Services (500+ Cities)

Twitter Keyword Targeting How Will It Help Recruiters

Twitter Keyword Targeting How Will It Help Recruiters “Keyword targeting” are the two key words on everyone’s lips at the moment this is of course in part to do with the fact that Twitter has only just recently launched their own keyword targeting marketing feature amid their own platform.  The new feature poses exciting prospects for advertisers and marketers because it allows them to market products and services with loads more relevancy than ever before. In the context of Twitter, keyword targeting means that we will be able to reach users who are using specific keywords and phrases, combine this information with their location, device and even gender, and then send out relevant promoted tweets into their newsfeed. The feature also works to identify the appropriate tweets that users are engaging with. Twitter’s example of how it works: let’s say a user tweets about enjoying the latest album from their favorite band, and it so happens that band is due to play a concert at a local venue. That venue could now run a geotargeted campaign using keywords for that band with a Tweet containing a link to buy the tickets. That way, the user who tweeted about the new album may soon see that Promoted Tweet in their timeline letting them know tickets are for sale in their area. Of course keyword targeting is nothing new and Google have been offering the feature to advertisers for a while now, using the keywords from people’s searches, but for Twitter it’s the next big step in generating ad spend â€" something the social media giant needs as it strives to profit from its massive user base. Keyword targeting and recruitment So as exciting as this concept seems to be for advertisers and marketers who are in quite a frenzy over it, what does it mean for us recruiters? Maybe not alot due to the limited time we have. As a social recruiter I can completely understand this discernment â€" on top of our constant search for great candidates, our relationship building with clients and job posting and placement procedures, we have to find time to build online talent communities, write blogs, organise networking events and of course post tweets and updates ourselves. With the time it would take to set up yet another comprehensive campaign to run with Twitter’s keyword targeting service, I tend to agree that most recruiters will of course understand it, but just  see it as nothing more than a “nice to have”. I also do not think that Twitter will be all that interested in promoting the feature for recruitment anyway. This is because generally recruitment advertising isn’t a big enough spend. Twitter is already having to compete with the likes of Google and Facebook for the attention of big advertisers that are prepared to spend big, so possibly recruitment is just seen as a smaller fish that’s not worth frying.  Of course recruitment advertising across Google, Facebook and LinkedIn is in good stead â€" we use ads across these platforms to great success already because they allow us to target and attract candidates who are unreachable through traditional channels. So if I don’t decide to give Twitter’s keyword targeting a shot myself, I am definitely looking forward to hearing the results and feedback from the recruiters out there who don’t think it’s going to be a waste of time. Like any new social-media ad platform, it’s absolutely worth being trialed and tested. And in this case there are actually great benefits to the feature that we haven’t had access to before â€" location, gender and device. Twitter says: Setting up a campaign to target keywords in the timeline is very similar to the setup process for search. Enter the keywords you want to target, choose whether you want to use phrase match or unordered keyword match, and specify your other targeting options such as geographic location, device and gender. What issues might it pose? Geographic location, device and gender of course the use of these words automatically alerts us to the issue of privacy. Twitter does encourage interaction and engagement, but could our candidates start to feel a little bit spooked if our promoted tweets are too tailored to the things they have been tweeting about? We all remember when Facebook ads first came out and were disturbingly too close to our personal lives. And using keyword targeting to advertise to potential candidates not only risks scaring them off with how much we apparently know about them, but if we tweet at them too much we also run the risk annoying them. Their feeds could potentially already be flooding with other promoted tweets from brands and companies, so to continue to see more impudent tweets about jobs could become exhausting. Perhaps it is in better taste to attract candidates by using the feature to share relevant industry news, information about events or articles of interest. Building our talent pool by being seen as helpful rather than a hindrance. If you have nothing necessary or helpful to tweet, then perhaps don’t tweet at all. Related: When Did Recruiters Become Marketers?

Free Resume Template - What Are the Benefits?

Free Resume Template - What Are the Benefits?If you've come across the term resume template, chances are you're looking for one that lets you put words on your resume that's free of charge. The reality is that this isn't a type of resume template that's out there right now. There isn't one that allows you to write your own words on your resume. Rather, there are free resume templates available online that will help you get your resume written.These kind of templates can help you create your resume using only words. This doesn't mean that you won't be able to have pictures or graphics included in your resume. You can include them. However, the purpose of these words is to get your resume written as quickly as possible.Resume templates are often used by people who need to prepare their resumes at a later date. They are often asked by employers to prepare the documents for them. A person who has a resume filled with their resume's words might find it much harder to go back and change th em once they're already being asked to send the document.The word free resume templates are also perfect for those who are experienced writers. They work well for people who are just starting out. By filling their resume with their own words, they'll find it much easier to write the same thing every time they do it. In other words, they'll avoid having to write the same resume over again.They also save money when they use the word free resume templates. Since they aren't going to have to spend money on buying copies of books or paying to hire someone to write the same resume for them, they can get away with spending less on hiring a professional to write it for them. The fact that it's a completely free option only makes it that much better.Another benefit of getting a free word template is that it's easy to learn how to put words on a resume. It can be done in about an hour or so and it will allow the resume writer to get started on the resume without spending a lot of money. By le tting them know they can save money, it makes it easier for them to get started.One thing you should know before you get started with your resume, though, is that you are going to be looking for free words and not necessarily free fonts. If you get a free word template and end up needing to purchase fonts or designs, you might be stuck with the free designs you were given. Don't make this mistake if you're unsure of what you're doing.You want to make sure that you get the right information on the Internet before you start your search. Before you go looking for the word free resume templates, though, you'll want to make sure that you know the purpose of this type of document. You don't want to be typing words that you can't easily read. Instead, get the information on what's really needed for the best resume before you head out to look for free designs online.

Ways To Say I Dont Know and Still Sound Intelligent

Ways To Say “I Don’t Know” and Still Sound Intelligent Most of us spend a big chunk of the working day in meetings. And whenever we’re with other people, we have an opportunity to demonstrate we have presence and impact… or that we don’t. So it’s no surprise that our reputations are built up or tarnished in these everyday occurrences. The fear of getting it wrong In fact, meetings are filled with situations that can go very right, or very wrong. One of my big fears was getting asked a question that I didn’t know the answer to. The fear of getting it wrong used to paralyze me in meetings and keep me from participating at all. I figured if I wasn’t the person in the hot seat, then no one could put me on the spot. But that way of thinking was not helping me get promoted, paid, or recognized. In fact, it made me look more junior than I really was. Doing the homework The next step I took was to do the homework to feel prepared. Sounds sensible, right? Well, while that is definitely a good idea, the problem is there is always another bit of research you can do and it’s impossible to cover all the bases. I ended up staying up way past my bedtime anticipating possible questions and figuring out possible answers. This resulted in my being so exhausted the next day that my brain wasn’t at its best, and my meeting performance suffered. Even though 80% of the possible questions I had prepared for never even got asked, I still felt better being prepared. But that left the problem of getting enough sleep. That’s when I started delegating the research to my juniors. While I got to bed a little earlier, they didn’t. And they found out that most of their research was unnecessary overkill. This resulted in my getting a reputation for “killing people” with work that didn’t need to be done. All in the name of being prepared. Or in this case, over-prepared. Admitting you don’t know is fine In the end, my husband convinced me that it was okay to admit that I didn’t know the answer in a meeting, and my “get out of jail” stock phrase became, “I don’t know, but let me get back to you.” but it only takes you so far That worked for a while, but then I started getting asked for my opinion on issues that weren’t directly in my area of expertise, which at the time was the bond markets. Things like, “What did you think of our competitor’s acquisition announcement this morning?” or “How will equity investors view this?” I was becoming too senior not to have an opinion, even on matters outside of my “wheelhouse”. Plus, I discovered that while it’s okay to admit you don’t know the answer to something, there’s a limit to how many times you can say that in a meeting before people start thinking, “does she know anything at all?” If I wanted to be seen as ready for promotion to the next level up, I needed to have a reputation for being effective in meetings, being able to think on my feet, and handle whatever got thrown my way. The temptation to “wing it” There’s also the opposite approach, which is to make it up on the fly and just “wing it”. Having seen some truly amazing examples of this in business school, I still marvel at people who could sound impressive in class and then you find out that they hadn’t even read the case materials. How on earth do they do that?! As an aside, the guy who did this the best also happened to be the one we voted to represent our section in the Student Government. But that’s another topic altogether. can put your reputation at risk Personally, I could never make this work. It’s just not in my cautious and perfectionist nature to risk giving my clients advice that I hadn’t thought through and brand it as a certainty. If it’s in your DNA, then proceed with caution. My experience is in the real world (as opposed to the “bubble” of business school), people who “wing it” will find that it ultimately catches up with them. At some point they get found out and discredited. And that’s a reputational dent that’s hard to overcome. The third way Since saying “I don’t know” and just “winging it” both have their limitations, it’s worthwhile to find what I call “the third way” to handle these meeting situations. One that allows you to operate with integrity yet present yourself with confidence even in the face of questions you don’t know the answers to, or to which there is no “right answer”. So, once you’ve anticipated the likely questions you may be asked and nailed those, the secret to putting yourself in a position to handle everything else is this: equip yourself with a toolkit of “go to” phrases that allow you to say “I don’t know” and still sound intelligent, confident, and on top of your game. “Go to” phrases It took me a long time to come across these phrases, and I wish I had had them sooner. This would have taken the fear out of meetings, given me back some precious hours of sleep, improved my reputation (certainly with junior team members), and helped me be seen as “promotion ready” sooner. Choose a few and experiment with them to see which ones work best for you. Here are some options for the first part of the phrase: My instinct is… Here’s my hypothesis… In my experience… My gut tells me… My off-the-cuff reaction is One way to look at this is… A parallel situation to look at is… In matters like this, I like to go back to first principles… In the most recent deal we did, In most cases,. It’s the kind of thing that could go either way, but I lean toward… Then you end with your caveat, which could be something like: but it depends on the context and I’d like to reflect and come back with a more considered view but let us come back and confirm that but I’d be happy to do some more work and come back if that helps but it’s a very nuanced issue and I’d want to do some more analysis if this is something you want to act on Come across as confident and intelligent Next time you find yourself worrying about how to field those unknown questions at a meeting, or debating whether to admit you don’t know or to try and “wing it”, just pull out your favorite go to phrases and you’ll be all set. Having these phrases at your disposal can help you come across as confident and intelligent when you don’t know the answer but need to make an educated guess or have a point of view. And  they’ll help you build a personal brand and reputation of being someone senior with expertise who can hold their own in a meeting. You’ll be glad you have them in your arsenal. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

Keep the Lines of Communication Open Thefocus of a networking meeting last night was to explore how two individuals landed their most recent jobs. I love hearing stories of success. These stories both involved a re-invention. What both of these people did was to assess and communicate their passions. It wasnt as easy or linear as they had thought it would be. But the results were spectacular. A common thread for both of these success stories was keeping their families in the loop. Paul considered it a coaching moment for his children.Robertand his wife worked very hardto prevent their childrens activities from being impacted. With the support of his wife and family, Robert found that he was able to maintain his momentum. The discussion in the room became about how families/wives/husbands didnt understand what was taking the search so long. Theres an old saying, before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his moccasins.Forthose in search, you wouldnt wish that in a million years. Search stinks.But it is helpful to communicate what you are doing and the results of your efforts with those who love and care about you. You see, they are just as scared, if not more, than you are. Keeping them updated on what you are doing and the outcomes will help them in many ways. You will need the strength and fortitude of your family sometimes.Just ask thatthey listen-no advice needed. It is lonely looking for work. Youve lost friendships from work and you need your family more than ever. During stressful times, sometimes people tend to remove themselves or drawback from the support of those that care. Fight the urge. Lean on them, gently if necessary. The strongerthe relationship, the better for everyone involved. Work diligently and with purpose to maintain and nurture all relationships. Thanks to everyone in the Employment Career Club for their open discussion and sharing.