So, Tell Me About Yourself (+ other job search fails)

So, Tell Me About Yourself (+ other job search fails)So, Tell Me About Yourself (+ other job search fails)When you know you have a lot to offer, but your job search has stagnated in the cycle of apply, submit, then cue automated rejection email, it may be time to reflect on what youve been doing, and capitalize on the opportunity to change and improve. Lets go over 3 major job search fails that can keep you stuck, so you can recognize them, correct them, and bring your search to the swift, positive conclusion that you want.Job Search Fail 1 Struggling with the interview question you know is coming 101% of the time.Its guaranteed theyre going to say, So, tell me about yourself. Instead of straining your memory or thinking about things too long, make koranvers to have your answer ready. Bear in mind that even though the question seems like an invitation for you to talk about you, what they really intend to find out is, What is it about you that should matter to me?Pro Tip Your answer i s going to change every time.3 components comprise an effective, engaging response to the question 1) youre so happy to be here / be on the phone / to speak with you today 2) it welches so clear when you familiarized yourself with the description of the role that they need a person with expertise in A, B, and C, which is perfect because thats precisely what youve been doing for the past 10 years and c) which is why youre eager to dive deeper into this conversation today.Lets break that down. Part 1 is simply you saying something pleasant. The key factor in Part 2 is that you call out specific expertise thats central to the job and leid-so coincidentally are the precise areas of expertise you bring to the table. Select the expertise that they would be paying you for if you landed the role. For example, virtually every ad says the ideal candidate should have good communication skills, and be a team player. However, having good communication skills is bedrngnis really the thing theyd b e handing you a paycheck every 2 weeks for. If the ad was for a abverkauf manager, it may say one of the qualifications is to, drive sales revenue in an assigned territory. Therefore, the area of expertise youd call out would be revenue growth thats what theyd be paying you every 2 weeks for. Part 3 is simply you moving the conversation along to the next question. Job Search Fail 2 Seeing Yourself As Someone A Company Should Take A Chance OnI see this most often when a candidate is looking to make a career transition. You read the ad and strongly feel you can do the job, but the trouble comes when its time to present yourself. The resume invariably devolves into a functional format that screams imposter key words like problem solving, time management, and work ethic. Beyond that, the thinking often is, Once I make it to the interview, I can just take things from there.justno Taking things from there is bedrngnis a strategy. Hoping to present yourself well in the moment, and hoping the interviewer will see in you what you know in your heart you have to offer, is not going to work consistently or quickly.Lets get off of hope floats and take a ride on the value train. Adopt a new perspective on brand Y.O.U. a candidate who brings specific value to the table immediately. Evaluate the ad and outline the top 5 things the employer would be paying you every 2 weeks to actually do. Then list what youve done in your professional history that most closely matches each of those 5 things. You can shore that up with relevant side projects, education, and professional training. Doing this makes for a much mora concrete presentation of the transferable skills you offer.Job Search Fail 3 Allowing Desperation To Overcome InspirationWhen you job search from a position of lack, you become more and more resigned to practically taking anything. I call that the money job, because you obviously need money to live, but the job is not the job that necessarily makes your heart sing.So metimes, theres fear in pursuing what really thrills you thats normal and natural for several reasons. You may not believe you deserve that role yet. (Why not?) You may have been told already that you dont really qualify. (Keep going.) You may see the ideal role in your heart, but you still perceive your reality as something different.I encourage you to think hard about what you really want to do, then go for that and only that. Yes, you will miss out on other opportunities. But guess what? They werent for you. What is for you will be yours in the end, especially if you execute the process to getting there the right way.The first question I ask every candidate I work privately with is, What do you envision working on every day for your next employer, that will make a difference in that organization? The answer is never about being results-oriented, or dynamic. Rather, the answer to this question gets to the heart of what you want to do and what youre good at doing. Lead with that brand so you dont end up punching a clock, but can land a job that inspires you and makes you happy in your life. Job seekers who are successful land the jobs they want because they execute the right steps in the right order and theyre prepared. If your search is more random, rejection, and countless resumes than it is results, take advantage of our new free 1-Page Job Search Cheat Sheet and Webinar. See exactly what regular people with regular backgrounds and regular education did to get hired in 45 days, 42 days, 30 days, and 21 days. Get your cheat sheet today.So, Tell Me About Yourself (+ other job search fails)When you know you have a lot to offer, but your job search has stagnated in the cycle of apply, submit, then cue automated rejection email, it may be time to reflect on what youve been doing, and capitalize on the opportunity to change and improve. Lets go over 3 major job search fails that can keep you stuck, so you can recognize them, correct them, and bring your searc h to the swift, positive conclusion that you want.Job Search Fail 1 Struggling with the interview question you know is coming 101% of the time.Its guaranteed theyre going to say, So, tell me about yourself. Instead of straining your memory or thinking about things too long, make sure to have your answer ready. Bear in mind that even though the question seems like an invitation for you to talk about you, what they really intend to find out is, What is it about you that should matter to me?Pro Tip Your answer is going to change every time.3 components comprise an effective, engaging response to the question 1) youre so happy to be here / be on the phone / to speak with you today 2) it was so clear when you familiarized yourself with the description of the role that they need a person with expertise in A, B, and C, which is perfect because thats precisely what youve been doing for the past 10 years and c) which is why youre eager to dive deeper into this conversation today.Lets break t hat down. Part 1 is simply you saying something pleasant. The key factor in Part 2 is that you call out specific expertise thats central to the job and not-so coincidentally are the precise areas of expertise you bring to the table. Select the expertise that they would be paying you for if you landed the role. For example, virtually every ad says the ideal candidate should have good communication skills, and be a team player. However, having good communication skills is not really the thing theyd be handing you a paycheck every 2 weeks for. If the ad was for a sales manager, it may say one of the qualifications is to, drive sales revenue in an assigned territory. Therefore, the area of expertise youd call out would be revenue growth thats what theyd be paying you every 2 weeks for. Part 3 is simply you moving the conversation along to the next question. Job Search Fail 2 Seeing Yourself As Someone A Company Should Take A Chance OnI see this most often when a candidate is looking to make a career transition. You read the ad and strongly feel you can do the job, but the trouble comes when its time to present yourself. The resume invariably devolves into a functional format that screams imposter key words like problem solving, time management, and work ethic. Beyond that, the thinking often is, Once I make it to the interview, I can just take things from there.justno Taking things from there is not a strategy. Hoping to present yourself well in the moment, and hoping the interviewer will see in you what you know in your heart you have to offer, is not going to work consistently or quickly.Lets get off of hope floats and take a ride on the value train. Adopt a new perspective on brand Y.O.U. a candidate who brings specific value to the table immediately. Evaluate the ad and outline the top 5 things the employer would be paying you every 2 weeks to actually do. Then list what youve done in your professional history that most closely matches each of those 5 things . You can shore that up with relevant side projects, education, and professional training. Doing this makes for a much more concrete presentation of the transferable skills you offer.Job Search Fail 3 Allowing Desperation To Overcome InspirationWhen you job search from a position of lack, you become more and more resigned to practically taking anything. I call that the money job, because you obviously need money to live, but the job is not the job that necessarily makes your heart sing.Sometimes, theres fear in pursuing what really thrills you thats normal and natural for several reasons. You may not believe you deserve that role yet. (Why not?) You may have been told already that you dont really qualify. (Keep going.) You may see the ideal role in your heart, but you still perceive your reality as something different.I encourage you to think hard about what you really want to do, then go for that and only that. Yes, you will miss out on other opportunities. But guess what? They w erent for you. What is for you will be yours in the end, especially if you execute the process to getting there the right way.The first question I ask every candidate I work privately with is, What do you envision working on every day for your next employer, that will make a difference in that organization? The answer is never about being results-oriented, or dynamic. Rather, the answer to this question gets to the heart of what you want to do and what youre good at doing. Lead with that brand so you dont end up punching a clock, but can land a job that inspires you and makes you happy in your life. Job seekers who are successful land the jobs they want because they execute the right steps in the right order and theyre prepared. If your search is more random, rejection, and countless resumes than it is results, take advantage of our new free 1-Page Job Search Cheat Sheet and Webinar. See exactly what regular people with regular backgrounds and regular education did to get hired in 45 days, 42 days, 30 days, and 21 days. Get your cheat sheet today.