By Andrew C. Abraham

I was always very ambivalent to the advantages of entering into a sales position upon graduation, but I soon realised how these skills are applicable to all aspects of my life. I remember shortly after being promoted to sales manager, I was training a group of newbies on the sales methodology of our company, citing different non-professional life situations where sales acumen was advantageous to succeed – picking up the opposite sex in a bar, meeting your in-laws for the first time, negotiating a pay rise, pitching to investors…the list is endless. Job hunting is no different, and job-seekers can learn many qualities that successful salespeople possess.

1.   Salespeople create value: If you were to ask many people what they believe to be the most important characteristic of a salesperson, they might say “persuasion” or the “gift of the gab” or “persistence”. While these are important, the fundamental ingredient is creating value for the client. A great salesperson creates a perceived value that justifies purchasing their product or service. Job-seekers need to do the same and demonstrate they can add value to a company that outweighs the cost of purchasing their labor. After all, a position is available so the company can solve a problem, not because they want to increase their headcount.

2.   Salespeople focus on benefits, not features: Creating value therefore switches the focus from yourself to the employer. The product that I used to sell was a media monitoring service that helped companies track press mentions online. The software came with some fancy analysis and distribution tools that were useful also. One of my colleagues was a master salesman. He consistently exceeded his monthly targets and appeared in the top ten list of salespeople within the company globally. If you ever listened to him on the phone, you’d understand why so many clients had bought from him. He never focused on the myriad of great features, but rather the benefits that one or two of them would add to the client’s operation. As a job-seeker it’s important you don’t just list your achievements to future employers, but focus on a specialized skill-set that will unequivocally benefit them.

3.   Salespeople handle objections: I don’t recall one sale I ever made where everything ran completely smoothly and the customer didn’t require any convincing whatsoever – “Yes Sir, your product is great, don’t bother about telling me the rest, I’m sold”. If only life was so simple. The truth is that in every sale and every interview, you’ll face objections. The customer is always looking for reasons not to purchase something and the best salespeople overcome these objections resoundingly. Objections should not be viewed as a negative sign though! Oh no, on the contrary, objections are a “buying signal.” It usually means that the customer is considering your offer but needs to be assured before proceeding. Therefore, if your interviewer ever confronts you about your lack of experience, or apparent job hopping, be ready to smash the objection back over the net!

By Phil Rosenberg

Most job seekers leave their recommendations up to chance when careful planning can help you tell the most important parts of your story to a potential employer.

The extent of most candidates’ reference planning stops at asking prior bosses, peers and clients to give a reference. While it’s polite to ask your reference first, it’s just not enough.

Do you know exactly what the reference is going to say to a potential employer? Since this is something you can control, why leave it up to chance?

Why Manage References?

Most candidates leave the content of their references up to chance because they don’t know what their references are saying… placing their faith that it will be something “positive.”

Just because a reference is positive, doesn’t mean it provides the help (or the right type of help) that you may need.

1. ”Positive” references come in many flavors: Will your reference give you just an OK ref, a good ref, or a truly great reference? The difference between these types of “positive” references can be communicated by tone, pacing, enthusiasm, and word choice. Do you know how “positive” of a reference you are being given (may not correlate to the positive reviews you got)?
2. References each tell a part of your story: A “positive” reference may naturally talk about the same aspect of your performance as the rest of your references. On one hand, it’s nice that everyone says the same thing, but it limits the outside corroboration that references provide your personal story. You’re typically better represented if each reference focuses on a different skill that you bring to an employer. Often the references you choose truly want to help, but don’t know what to say that will help you.
3. Reference doesn’t know what’s important to the company: Will your reference choose to talk about what a great team player you were, not realizing you are interviewing for a role where individual contribution is more important than collaboration? Will your well-meaning reference talk about the great job you did as a generalist, when your prospective employer is looking for specific subject matter expertise?

Most candidates leave these types of issues with references up to chance. Since there is so much out of your control in job search, isn’t it in a candidate’s best interest to actively manage the things they can control?

Now that you realize some of the risks of unmanaged references, let’s talk about how to manage your references.

Have you attended any networking events this summer? I just RSVP’d for an upcoming networking event in my area and I have to say, I always get excited at the prospect of meeting new people at events like these. Different people go to networking events for different reasons. People may attend networking events because they were invited by a friend, have seen an ad online, want to fill an open weeknight with a social event or have done some research on professional groups in the area and want to get involved. Whatever the reason may be, networking events can provide great opportunities for professionals to meet at a casual event without any pressure. These events serve as great avenues for creating new business and promoting products or services. More importantly, though, these events are meant to establish meaningful contacts and build relationships.

Whether you’re a seasoned veteran when it comes to networking events or just getting started, it’s worth taking note of the people you can expect to meet. Since I’ve started my career, I’ve been to quite a few networking events and have found there are some individuals you’re almost certainly guaranteed to meet while you’re out. So who can you expect to see at your next networking event?

In the workplace, you’re bound to make a few mistakes throughout the course of your career. Unfortunately, these mistakes happen, whether we like it or not. Many individuals may feel nervous about owning up to a mistake or beat themselves up over it, but it’s actually what you DO about your error that is the most important. What’s the best way to handle your next mishap at work? Try these four steps:

1. Admit to the mistake. One of the worst things you can do after you’ve made a mistake is to try and hide it. It may seem like the easiest way out of the situation at the time, but it will only make matters worse. Instead, it’s best to simply own up to your mistake and it will show that you can take some responsibility. When admitting to your mistake, however, avoid making excuses or getting defensive, as both of these will lead to less than favorable responses from your boss. Just own up to your mistake and your employer will be much more understanding and will appreciate your honesty.
2. Have a plan ready to fix the mistake. This may be the most important thing you can do to rectify the problem and it will make a world of a difference on how your boss reacts. Having a potential solution ready to present will show your boss that you understand the severity of the error and are willing to fix it immediately. This is important for your boss because he/she want to know that you understand what went wrong and that it will never happen again. Regardless if your boss chooses to implement your solution or comes up with an entirely new one, he/she will respect that you’ve given it some thought and taken initiative in the first place.
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Every day, millions of Americans feel unhappy and stuck in their present job situation. Are you one of these individuals? It may feel overwhelming at first, but keep your hopes up – there are other job opportunities available for you out there! If you put in the right efforts for your job search, you’ll find the right job. After all, both you AND your employer deserve to be happy! So what can you do to get a start on your new job hunt?

Here are some tips to help you get out of your rut and help you find a job that you really want:

1. Keep your current job and your job search 100% separate of each other. Your current employer is still paying you, so do not look for work while you’re at work. This may sound obvious to some of you, but you’d be surprised how many people spend their time in the office job searching. Instead, use your own time, such as breaks, lunch hours or time at home, to do anything related to your job search. Along those same lines, do not discuss your job search with co-workers. Use your personal e-mail when sending out resumes and applications and if you receive any job search related phone calls while you’re at work, take them away from the office to avoid someone overhearing you.

2. Build up a network. Networking is important when finding a new job. Where can you start? Consider joining professional organizations, attending luncheons or community meetings. You may also want to consider joining professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, which can provide easy opportunities to network with other professionals in your industry. Be careful what you post online, though. If you’re connected to your co-workers, it’s best to refrain from posting any negative comments about your current job situation or commenting about your job search at all.

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.”

–Russell Baker, American journalist and humorist

Monday marked the official start of the summer and while most of us may be concerned with losing a few extra pounds around our midsection or toning up our pecks before hitting the shores this season, this might not be the only shaping up that needs to happen.

This summer, treat your resume like you do your bathing suit bod and you will find much more ease with your job search! You may want to evaluate your current situation and determine the best strategy to boost your chances of getting a call back. Depending on where you stand, you may find yourself bulking up, slimming down or simply just toning up your resume a bit over the summer:

Need to bulk up: Is your resume looking a little bare? Need to beef it up? If you need to add to your resume, you may want to consider doing some volunteer work at local charities, alumni associations, community groups, professional interest groups, etc.

In honor of Father’s Day and Men’s Health Month during June, this post is dedicated to all of the working dads out there. The modern day father has a vast amount of responsibilities and commitments all vying for his attention. The responsibilities of working and building a career, sharing a household and raising children can all be overwhelming. As these men continue to burn the candle at both ends, this may lead to large amounts of stress. If you’re juggling overtime at work while meeting the changing needs of your family, you’re probably one of these men facing stress on a daily basis.

According to a Stress in America Survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, it was found that 50 percent of men were concerned about their stress level. Men, more often than women, said stress negatively affected various aspects of their lives such as job satisfaction (50 percent of men vs. 40 percent of women) and their overall satisfaction with life (45 percent of men vs. 38 percent of women).

With Father’s Day just around the corner and Men’s Health Month recognized during June, this marks a perfect time of the year to make an effort towards changing how you handle your stress.

With the onset of the 2010 World Cup quickly approaching, many of us will find ourselves glued to the TV as we watch and cheer on our favorite soccer teams from around the globe. Players will bring fierce competition to the pitch as they strive to beat out international opponents for the coveted gold cup.

In many ways, the job seeking process can be compared to our favorite World Cup soccer teams. In the job hunt, the job seeker can take on the positions of various players as each represents a different stage of the process.  Let’s take a moment to go through the different team positions and how they represent the levels of your job search, and what you should be doing at each stage you follow through:

Step 1 of the job hunt: You are the Goalkeeper

As a goalkeeper, you’re somewhat safe in home territory. Being in this position can be helpful at the beginning of your job search, because you’re at a point where you can step back and assess the current situation right in front of your eyes. This is the best spot to be in when you’re doing research and working on your hiring materials, such as writing your cover letter, updating your resume or filling out an application. It is also a good time to consider devising a strategy or some tactics to make the most of your job search.

Special note: To our male readers, we haven’t forgotten about you! Stay tuned for our special Father’s Day blog post in June.

Charlotte, Miranda, Samantha, and of course… Carrie. It seems that talk about Sex and the City is EVERYWHERE lately… TV commercials, radio interviews, Facebook pages, magazine ads… you name it! With the release of the new Sex and the City movie, I thought this would be a great time to talk about just why we love these characters so much. Each of these women embodies four distinct roles of which every woman in the country can relate to. Behind those roles, they are strong, motivated and ambitious – qualities women across the world have come to admire.

When it comes to their careers, the SATC women have got it all. Whether working as a famous columnist and book author, a manager of an art gallery (formerly), a career-minded lawyer or an independent businesswoman with a career in public relations, three of the four main SATC characters has never failed to show prowess when it comes to workplace aspirations (for the sake of focusing on the careers in the workplace, we’re excluding Charlotte on this one because she chose motherhood as a full-time job!). I mean, after all, how do you expect any of these women to buy a pair of extravagant Christian Louboutin shoes without some success on the job?!

Today, more women are graduating from college than men. Women have come a long way as successful professionals and an increasing number continue to make a greater impact on various industries and professions. According to the Department of Labor, women are expected to comprise 46.5 percent of the estimated 164.2 million persons of the labor force in 2016.

So, as the number of women in the workplace continues to grow, it’s more important now than ever to make sure you’re comfortable being a strong woman if you want to succeed and move up in ranks. If your favorite Sex and the City characters could give you advice on how to feel empowered in the workplace, what do you think they’d say?