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November 23, 2011 5 Major Don’ts (and Some Major Do’s) of the Modern Job Interview

By Margaret Smith
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
In one of my many back issues of Oprah Magazine I stumbled upon an article that had some tips for the job interview that I think will be very helpful for today’s job hunters.

Most of us are amateurs at making snap judgments; HR professionals do it for a living, and they’re tough! Susan Sommers explains that “a skirt suit is a good bet” and reminds readers that “navy is a softer neutral than black.”

However, corporate clones need not apply. “Be genuine—don’t dress like someone you’re not,” warns Susan Kim, Marketing Manager for a skincare company.

Another great way to boost your confidence and image is to make sure your grooming day-of is meticulous. To compliment this grooming, wear the best accessories you can afford.

5 Major Don’ts:

  1. Don’t wait until the last minute: Anxiety breeds mistakes.
  2. Don’t get a radical haircut or color job: Instead, opt for a trim or salon blow dry.
  3. Forget painful shoes: No matter how cute they are, don’t wear them if they bind, squeeze, droop, or bunch. You want to be as comfortable as possible.
  4. Avoid all black: Color has a persuasive, emotional power that should not be wasted.
  5. Don’t starve yourself beforehand: If the occasion does not include food, you may get lightheaded and really be embarrassed.

As for the men, I always tell my coachees to wear a suit and tie. You can always take the tie off, but it’s difficult to discreetly put a tie on at the last minute! Shoes should be comfortable for men as well, but keep them professional (black sneakers don’t count), and they should be polished.

Many times it’s the little things that make a big difference in those first 3 seconds when perceptions are critical. Invest the time in giving your look a little something that will set you apart in just the right, memorable way.

For more useful tips concerning the job hunt, cover letters, and your career, contact UXL today!

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November 14, 2011 Get a Life

By Margaret Smith
Speaker | Career Coach | Certified Insights Discovery Practitioner

Making your voice heard, being noticed, overcoming your inner saboteur, improving interactions with others: These are many of the topics I discuss with my coaching clients. These are also many of the topics that the writer Julie Morgenstern addresses in her article, “Five Ways to Get a Life” published in O Magazine. Read on for a bunch of useful and fun advice about taking back your life!

Morgenstern’s Advice:

  1. Shorten your work day by 30 minutes: This may seem counter-intuitive, but I promise that you’ll get more work done because committing to leave earlier gives you a deadline and forces you to eliminate the little time wasters (silly interruptions, procrastination, perfectionism) that typically eat up your day.
  2. Avoid multi-tasking: Recent studies show that it can take the brain twice as long to process each task when you switch back and forth between activities. By learning to focus your full attention on one project at a time, you can regain the extra hour or two you crave.
  3. Break the habit of total self-reliance: Insisting on doing everything yourself burdens you and prevents others from feeling valuable and needed. Delegate more at home and free up your time for things you love and excel at doing.
  4. Capture all your to do’s in one place: People who haphazardly write lists on stray notepads, post-it notes, and backs of envelopes waste time wondering what to do next and worrying that they’re forgetting something. Choose only one tool to track everything you need to do and prioritize from the top down.
  5. Schedule one purely joyful activity each week: Think of an activity (dancing, reading, playing an instrument) that you haven’t done for a long time that brings you instant happiness. Put it in your datebook as nonnegotiable and watch the quality of your life improve.

Also try to start each morning with the most important item, not the many small and easy tasks. Remember that you can always squeeze the little things into the gaps.

Your Challenge: Give one of these life-improving ideas a try, and let me know how it transforms your day!

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November 7, 2011 The Benefits of Being a Better Listener

By Margaret Smith, Speaker, Career Coach, and Certified Insights Discovery Practitioner
You may feel like you’re already a pretty great listener. Or perhaps you’re ready to admit that your listening skills could use a little improvement. Either way, everyone will benefit from a little refresher on the necessity of being a good listener, with a few helpful tips for staying focused on the person across from you, on the other end of the line, etc.

If your listening skills improve, you’ll also see improvements at work, at home, while socializing, and everywhere in between.

Has there ever been a time in your life when you’ve lost sight of what a conversation was really about? Have you ever been “sucked in” to a toxic conversation or argument that’s become completely unproductive? Of course you have—we all have!

I’ve found that the best way to avoid conversational distractions that become argumentative is to remember this one simple fact: Listening is about gaining knowledge. In a conversation, it’s important that I remain a dedicated listener because otherwise, I may as well have a conversation with myself in the mirror.

By focusing on the messages of others at work, you not only improve productivity, you also strengthen your relationships with the people in your life because you avoid misunderstandings and make others feel heard and understood.

An awesome benefit of being a better listener is the positive impression you leave with those you listen to. Being a better listener actually makes you seem more respectful, composed, and interesting to other people. It may seem counter-intuitive, but displaying genuine interest in what someone else is saying actually makes you a more interesting person to them.

Your Challenge:

Improve your listening skills starting now. Think about your plans for the rest of the day and choose an interaction that you’ll practice improving your listening skills during. This interaction may be with your children when you or they walk in the door, with a supervisor this afternoon, or even with the next person with whom you share a phone conversation.

Share your story: Have you ever interacted with someone who was a really good listener? How did this make you feel? How did it affect your image of, and relationship with, this person?

Interested in learning more about listening or working one-on-one with a professional career coach to gain a competitive edge? Contact Margaret Today to learn about career coaching and UXL’s public workshops!

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