Worrying Developments

That we are fast approaching the general elections is not anybodies guess. The stakes are really high and for a country like ours where most people focus on the distribution of the cake as opposed to creation of that cake, the stakes could even be higher. Its truly understandable. what worries me though is this obsession with excluding one Mr. Raila in the equation and by extension his supporters. It started with the creation of a G7 alliance which was basically bringing 7 provinces together and leaving out 1. For what reason really? What benefit will the rest get by excluding one province? And why should that be allowed to happen? Is anyone seeing this creating chaos and instability to everyone else. The  NCIC's mandate is to facilitate equality of opportunity, good relations, harmony and peaceful co-existence in Kenya according to their website. Why are they allowing this open discrimination to happen?  What kind of impression and emotion is being created in the minds and hearts of simpletons who look upto politicians for direction and leadership? Are we really creating a better country? 

THE UNSPOKEN REASONS FOR FAILING INTERVIEWS

There are many career seekers who consistently reach the final stages of interviews and yet fail to go through to be appointed. In a well structured competitive interview process, reaching the final stage means that any candidate selected among the group, cantechnically deliver the required results.  The issues to probe in the final stage are usually non technical and may include aspects such as person's working style, character, disposition and perhaps the chemistry with the panellists. Can you imagine probable discussions that may go on among the panellist to which some candidates may be dropped? Here are some.

Scenario 1

Panellist A: I guess, Richard is a technically suitable candidate, but at his age he will not fit the work environment. Staff will treat him like a parent rather than peer. This is not healthy for the consultative working culture we have.

Scenario 2

Panellist B: Karen's social life is glowing. I wish I can be that. I certainly think if asked to stay late to receive, say buyers from theUS, she will agree but her home sickness will be outstanding.

Scenario 3

Panellist C: Wambua has certainly cultivated a cordial and warm working relationship with staff in the two workplaces he has worked. He is bent towards a social worker than an authoritative Manager. We need someone who can turn tough when necessary.

Scenario 4

Panellist D1: Well, we did not probe him as much on hands on ability to be a mechanic. All I could pick is that his dressing was so flashy that I am not sure that the other engineers do not know here he buys his shirts. Perhaps he is a white collar wannabe.

Panellist D2: Hey, what's the problem with being well groomed?

Panellist D1: Nothing. Frankly speaking, I have been interviewing engineers for 18 years and they have consistently shown the same tendencies…..

Panellist D2: Being unkempt?

Panellist D1: Neat but not like, say journalists or bankers. Can you give my instincts the benefit of doubt?

Panellist D2: I have no choice. You will be the supervisor.

Scenario 5

Panellist E1: I liked Wendy from the beginning, until I noticed that she is manipulative. Did you notice she never answered any of the last six questions?

Panellist E2: Instead she rephrased the questions and answered her own.

Panellist E1: The worst we can do is hiring a politician.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE? SHARE IT.

CAREERPITCH – RESULT FOCUSED RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

Deadly hotspots.

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SOME CAREER PROFILING INTEVIEW QUESTIONS – WATCH OUT!

What event in your career do you attribute your current levels of professionalism to?

What is the one thing in your career that you would never repeat?

Are there any actions that you deemed mistakes in your career that turned out to be positive?

Are there any personalities that you have encountered in your career life that you deem made you to be what you are?

Are there persons in your career that given a second chance and option, you would never want to get to know?

Which is of your previous work places poses to be your career eye opener?

What do you expect to know from our company that you do not know already?

Briefly elaborate to us what you would do within the first two weeks of appointment to get to learn the basics of your job, incase we do not assign to you someone to orient you?

CAREERPITCH - RESULT FOCUSED RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

Interview Panel: If we were to ask any of your colleagues, chosen at random, about you, how would they respond?

Every prospective employer would want not just a technically capable employee but also one who has interpersonal skills to get along to achieving collective purposes with other work place colleagues. Sometimes this is misconstrued by job seekers to mean that you have to be absolutely liked. In real life being absolutely liked is abnormal and therefore saying that any staff asked about yourselves will almost sing praises is out of the blue. Result focused work at times involves getting a balance between stringency in terms of company policies and specific responsibilities and enabling others to appreciate their work through collaborations and commitment. Wholesome approach to working through others may involve one having to embrace a sense of comfort in terms of the kinds of communication in which other feel more relaxed. This may as well go off depending on how far it is taken. Below are samples of responses to the question of personality perception among colleagues.

Ruth: An average person at my place of work knows me to be a joyous, outspoken and open minded person in the company. Many find me approachable and easy to talk to.

Interviewer's mindset: Then all an employee needs to do to gain favour from you is to structure an emotionally appealing excuse to be exempted from their responsibilities. Wait a minute, do you have a negative side of you.

Timothy: I am not so outspoken and many find me less approachable. Some even think that I am shy. Some fear opening up to me; may be thinking that their thoughts may sound undermining. Nevertheless, I have found myself very instrumental in staff deliberations, especially on issues where emotional inclinations may lead to lack of focus. It is common that every work place has staff cartels – those who share certain biases of preferences. Believe me – I don't belong to any.

Interviewer's mindset: Quite a strict impression. How will you impact on staff if you don't know them nor are you interested in the undercurrents? You certainly cannot make a very in cohesive work force. Try consulting – but even consulting you may be subjected to highly politicised assignments that require political manoeuvring to enable solution acceptance.

Dorothy: They know me as very exciting to interact with but at the same time very strict in terms of company policies. They do not know much about my social life and I want to keep it that way. Peers know that I talk issues and I am hardly engaged in personal conflicts. My actions and thought process are predictable and reliable.

Interviewer's mindset: You sound like you are the best thing that ever happened to your company. Staff around you may as well have developed the impression that work cannot be enjoyed and life is so hard that you have to struggle, even if it entails inhuman competition. Your actions are so predictable – you do things in only this specific way. What is unique about you? You certainly sacrifice your own self esteem as a human being to serve the company.

 In all these scenarios, none of the candidates was right or wrong. In fact, with this kind of question, there is no one answer. What exists as a result of all the right answers is the level of fit to the required organisational culture and the specific person specifications.

Questions that reflect healthy work place personalities should bear in mind the following;

a)      Everyone has at least some slight negative perception about themselves at the work place that affects both their being liked or otherwise

b)     Impressions at the work place differ in various staff categories. Where the differences may be significant make it stand out. You cannot be the same impression to all people

c)      Work place traits should focus on how you make people comfortable with or around you, how you strike a compromise between interpersonal relations and official obligations, how to be effective and pleasant or at times your role in complex situations.

In the three sample responses there are positive aspects as well as negative aspects.

INTERVIEW: KNOWING YOURSELF

Interview drills have for the past two months been one of the most intense activities that careerpitch has offered to clients. The most interesting thing about interview drills is that most clients hardly get to prepare for them as much as they do for real interviews. Besides the understanding that at the end of the drill, the consultant is supposed top provide a feedback of some sort makes the candidate not to put their level best but rather to expect to learn more. However, this is to some extent and advantage because it has enabled us to be able to see candidates for what they are in ordinary circumstances.

Of the total time spent in interview drills, or perhaps ordinary interviews 30% of the time could be saved if the candidate has invested time and effort in knowing themselves well. Many times candidates going for interviews spend more time getting to have theoretical knowledge of the target jobs as well as the target employer but fail to develop knowledge of themselves. What does knowing yourself involve? Certainly, it is about going beyond what one physically does in their jobs to what competencies their present, past or mix of jobs has established in themselves. Here are key aspects of knowing oneself.

a)      At what level are you in your career (hands on – beginner level, quality assurance – verification, initiative development, assessment, supervisory, leadership, systems and policy formulation or strategic management)?

b)     What has your career exposed you to? (special contacts, extraordinary business environment, unusual market dynamics, special euphoria – technological breakthrough, specialized systems and procedures, mixture of external and internal influences, unique and induced traits)

c)      What does your career profile present? ( professional cross pollination – mix of careers, professional due diligence, loyalty – lengthy professions, adaptability, demonstrable progression)

d)     What career alternatives do you have? (advancement in your profession, change of careers, enrichment of roles – addition of responsibilities, change of work set ups – from organisation to networks or associations)

e)     What can you not do as of now? ( new careers, level of promotion)

f)        What do you aspire to be?

g)     Does you present position and market orientation make it easy for you to get there?

Personal appreciation enables one to save time on opportunities that are not necessary to pursue as well as enable the candidate to be in charge of any interview. Candidates who have detailed personal appreciation do not just apply for any position. They may get into an interview competitively within a notice of 30 minutes. How much does your personal knowledge about yourself empower you?

CAREERPITCH – RESULT FOCUSED RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS

Sublime

UNCEREMONIOUS INTERVIEW – NOT SPYING

Faced with an interview, each career seeker seeks to showcase the best in themselves – almost confident that the prospect employer has no doubts. Surprise! They also know and are busy innovating ways to cub this overwhelming brilliance that the job seekers seem to acquire. For some positions that require some character orientation that may not be easily picked up in an interview, the prospective employer may resort to certain methods that are not conventional. In such cases, even the career seeker has no idea that they are being interviewed. Let's look at some – don't be embarrassed if it ever occurred to you.

Scenario 1

Angela has been interviewed twice for an Executive Assistant in a blue chip company. The HR Manager just called her to invite her for the last interview. In addition he followed the invitation with an email. Angela just failed the interview. She gave the prospect employer a short cut to short listing. What did she do? She has been highlighting due diligence as one of her outstanding competencies but on this case she did not even acknowledge the email. The interview still stands but she will take it as a formality.

Scenario 2

While in one of the last sessions of interviews for a Marketing Manager, Gilbert agreed to be taken for lunch by the Managing Director. During the lunch meeting, Gilbert embarrassed himself by the number of people he was struggling to put off to give him time with his prospect boss. At one time a young, controversially dressed lady showed up and hugged him, thereby taking over the conversation. The Managing Director did not show any disgust – but in his mind, "Gilbert is an unstructured brilliant person who has not distinguished himself using an own code of communication and choice of friends. He is everything to everybody and is a potential risk to the reputation of the company. He would not even be comfortable as a member of the local club that the company subscribes membership to".

Scenario 3

 Faith has come out in the first round of an interview as a very humble receptionist with ability to sort out all kinds of external encounters face to face and even through telephone conversation. This day, there is a caller who is asking for a name of a member of staff that does not exist but he insists that he has just spoken to the target respondent. The argument hots up and Faith hangs the phone. He calls again and complains about the hanging of the phone and Faith gets indecent with threats. Two weeks after the call Faith, who was very optimistic of success and was initially the panelist best bet, has never been called for an interview and the position has been filled. Guess who the caller was?

Scenario 4

Adam Kent, the Managing Director of a Central African milling plant is meeting finalist candidates for the position of Business Improvement Advisor. Phillip is six minutes in the interview process with Mr Kent and all over sudden he rises up. "Phillip, I hope you do not mind me walking around during our chat – been interviewing the whole morning" he says. "Feel free to stand if you feel more comfortable that way – provided we have a conversation". Phillip then stands and the conversation goes on with Mr Kentstaring mostly out of the widow while leading on the cabinets. Ten minutes later Mr Kent says, "Do you mind if I smoke a cigarette? Do you smoke yourself? Come on, pick a stick – I smoke in my office". FYI Phillip is a smoker. What do you think the Managing Director was testing, if he was? Bear in mind, neither of the options was wrong – but the impressions were different. Also figure out the kind of responses that would portray Phillip decently - smoking or not smoking.

Impressions work really well if they are either representative of ones personal character or if they have been intensely internalized. Doing something or not, speech or silence, facial insensitivity or lack of it; all speak some language.

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SELF ORIENTATION IN A NEW JOB

In an interview process, Angie was asked a question that she has never been asked in many of the interviews she has attended before.

"If we offered you the opportunity, and gave you a chance to decide your priorities in our orientation exercise, what are the first five questions you would ask the person in charge of your orientation?"

Perhaps this is one question that she was not ready for and most likely her performance was dismal at this .it is reasonable under very competitive circumstances for employers to expect that new recruits pick out reasonably fast in their service delivery. At any cost the investment in new staff training and orientation should be minimal and where possible the new staff should gather the necessary information while undertaking the assignments. This is perhaps many employers in advertising for jobs tend to place emphasis on the fact that the appropriate candidate has to have good knowledge of their sector. In very structured set ups, the employer would even expect the new staff to be able to navigate their own learning process – identify the required knowledge for effective performance of their responsibilities.

Managerial position should prioritize on aspects like strategic orientation (mission, vision, and values), structural design and core processes. Specialized marketers would also prioritize on aspects like strategic orientation (mission, vision, and values), product competitive edge, market segmentation, market share and current performance. Operations management candidates may need to explore issues like capacities, lead times, unit costs, resource allocation etc.

Other than identifying what information is priority in ones area, it is important also to be able to figure out (may be not in technical detail) the kind of briefing or training that one requires to get a grasp of all this priorities and the possible sources of the information.

This is not only part of knowing oneself but also how ones personal drive fits within the prospect employer's business operational pace.

To your advantage the ability to navigate ones own orientation may be resourceful, especially in hostile situations. Ever encountered a new supervisor who does not want to freely train you? Or a work group in your new employment in which everybody seems to want to isolate you? Or perhaps a new job in which you seem to be sabotaged?

If it does not seem to come your way ordinarily, acquire it tactfully.

What constitutes your working style?

Many times we come across working environments that change our lives, inspire passion for certain work styles or reorient our strengths – yet we hardly systematically appreciate the impacts made. There are successful professional with performance track records but who cannot conceptually explain what makes them be what they are appreciated for.

Here are two samples of interview answers. What makes you the professional you are?

Answer 1:  I am an ambitious hardworking and disciplined person who makes sure that all work expectations are met. (These are more of work attributes than conceptual derivatives of experience and acquired knowledge. Your personality makes you a successful professional. You do not have consciously formed work styles).

Answer 2:  While working at DRT Pharmaceutical, I was assigned a unique team that was composed of highly specialized people. I feared handling them because I was more of a generalists than them. With time I was able to facilitate them working together without having to direct their technical delivery. From then I have acquired appreciation for facilitative management that works through empowering people to do best what they are good at. This is my characteristic working style. (You have explored only one work style that really applies to the scenario that you have explained. Does this apply to the position you are applying for?).

What have you learnt over the years or successfully applied that typifies how you choose to handle you professions? What exactly apart from your personality?

COLD CALLING – DODGING THE BARRIER (SAMPLE CALLS)

Too Blunt -  Less Styled

Caller 1;            Hallo, can I talk to the Human Resources Manager

Receptionist:     Hold on

(Transferring to the department Assistant)

HR Assistant: How could I help you?

Caller1: can I talk to the HR Manager?

HR Assistant: May I know who is on the line?

Caller1: I am Michael Mwangi

HR Assistant: Michael Mwangi from? (Bad English – don't mind)

Caller 1: From within Nairobi, town.

HR Assistant: Does she expect your call; or rather what is it regarding?

(Behold you have been trapped – your have to justify yourself to be connected)

Less formal Tactful and Cheerful

Caller 2;            May I talk to Andrew

HR Assistant:    May I ask the second name?

Caller 2:            Mr Andrew Mutiso, the Human Resources Manager - apologies for not being specific. I am Alice Awuor from Frewer Ltd

HR Assistant: Not at all. Hold on for Mr Mutiso

(She does not even know who she is transferring – but I guess she is charmed by this seemingly familiar sounding courteous caller)

(How he sustain this sense of comfort that he has vested in the HR Assistant is what matters)

Less formal Intimidating Caller

Caller 3;            could    Ms Monica Masinde be in or could I reach her on the cell

HR Assistant:    Let me just transfer you to her. She is in

 (Caller 3 may perhaps not be having the cell phone number for Ms Masinde. The HR Assistant has been made to have a feeling that whether she passes the call or not, the Caller will reach the target recipient. This approach is indecent and can only be complemented with very good negotiation skills)

Other Less formal opening statements

§          Nick please

§          A quick one with Walter

§          Could I pass a quick message to Bob

§          I would be please if you could squeeze me a minute with Robert. It is important.

Tactfully get over the barriers. Do not intimidate your target respondent. Make up for any inaccuracies you might have accrued to get to the target caller.

Can we see what the conversations with the target call recipients would be? NEXT

careerpitch@gmail.com

10 Pieces That Will Help Land You The Job

10 Pieces That Will Help Land You The Job

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INTERVIEW PANEL: WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR CURRENT WORK PLACE?

Why do you want to leave your current work place? Your experience seems exciting from your explanations!

Susan: The main reason why I want to leave my current work place is to seek new challenges.

Comment – This is the most realistic reason that everybody knows. It is like in a certain book that all job seekers read. In certain panels, the answer is so basic that it gets some panelist sarcastically smiling.

Austin: I have often admired your company and what it does and I would want to be part of it.

Comment: a panelist would ask whether you have a purpose for yourself ar you are just merely augmenting the organisation purpose. Would you be without a purpose if the organisation did not exist. This response is traditional and was geared to impress the target employers.

Alison: I look forward to a better pay ……….

Comment: This could be the most sincere answer but would mean that a candidate has no other attachment with the company other than a better pay and the acquired competencies.

Dave: The last three years in my employment has been characterized by a lot of market activity. I must appreciate that it made me develop and exercise my abilities in product and business development. We are now relatively stable and back to routine work. At this point I feel underutilized and I would be excited to be part of your ongoing expansion programme.

Comment: With such a comment, the panelists are sure that;

a)         You are not running way from anything

b)         You are in control of your career

c)         You are know the relevance between your career and the target employers

d)         You have an objective in each work place

e)         You know the target employer, their stage in business operations and current circumstances.

CAREERPITCH – RESULT FOCUSED RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS