Body language and the job interview

I tried not to squirm in my seat as our guest speaker, only about four feet away at the podium,  advised us on what our body language might be revealing about us at our next job interview.

I crossed my right foot onto my left knee, bracing myself into a position that provided comfort while allowing me to give the speaker my full, alert attention. 

“When you cross your foot at the knee, you may be perceived as arrogant,” warned our speaker, a professional psychologist. 

Oh, no, I thought. Do I shift to a pose with a bit more humility, or just sit tight? A man at the next table shot me an amused, sympathetic grin.

We were all there for the weekly meeting of the MAG!C  networking group, the Marketing-Advertising-Graphics-Communication offshoot of the Southlake Focus Group. Victoria Pederson was there to speak to the group as it celebrated its second year of helping professionals from these fields network for new jobs.

I’ll share an interesting nugget from her presentation.

What should the interviewee do if asked, “Would you like a soda or some water?”

The dilemma seems simple enough, but it is fraught with peril indeed.

If you opt for the soda, you may be perceived as someone who’ll spend too much time in the break room at your new job.  And the water option has its pitfalls, too.

If you do accept water, hold it in your left hand so that your right hand – the one you’ll shake with – doesn’t become cold and clammy. If it comes in a disposable container, take it away with you after the interview.  Don’t put the interviewer in the position of cleaning up after you.  And if you take just a few sips from a proffered water bottle, take it with you so you won’t look like someone who will waste company resources.

The worst thing you could do is dash into the interview with a parched throat, slugging down that complimentary water like a thirsty camel. It could give the impression that you have health problems.

That would be all too easy to do with the 100-plus temperatures we’ve had lately. So the best tactic, if you can manage it, might be to freshen up in the restroom before the interview, dabbing your sweaty brow and tanking up with water before you go in.

That way you can say, “No,  thank  you,  don’t need a thing” and carry it off.

MAG!C meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. at  1401 N. Main in Euless at United Memorial Christian Church.

The Secret Algorithm of Job Hunting

At my last job, I kept an anxious eye on my former colleagues who were previously laid off, to see how long it took them to land a new position.  If and when I found myself in their shoes, as has since happened, I thought I might be able to get a clue about what the job market had in store for me.

I applauded when a dear friend landed a good job in only four months, with a healthy salary hike.

After this week's session at the Career Solutions Workshop, I think my talented friend, who worked extraordinarily hard at her job search, is also darn lucky.

The Career Solutions Workshop is a 12-week course that is offered in continual rotation at a number of churches throughout the Metroplex. They're all on the same schedule, so if you miss your usual class, you can pick it up that same week at an alternate location.

This week's session focused on the finances of unemployment, and how to stretch those scarcer dollars for the duration of our unemployment. And to start out, our volunteer speaker, a banker from Wells Fargo, helped us figure out the likely length of our job hunt.

Using a algorithm that takes into account such factors as expected annual salary, your personal demographics, self-promotion ability, health and appearance and a number of others, including a mysterious "Market Agitation Factor," each of us came up with our own personal magic number.

 Mine was 13 months. Yikes.

Some of those factors are out of our control, but the good news is that there are things a person can do to shorten their job search.

Being an active volunteer in your community can slice a couple of months off your search time, we were told, because it'll get you out of the house and into positions where you will casually network with potential employers. Two groups that have been recommended to me are Habitat for Humanity and Tarrant Area Food Bank.

Also recommended: narrowing and focusing your search, concentrating on specific job titles and selected target companies.  Telling your contacts that you'll "take anything" won't be productive, because in order to help you, people need to understand and remember what it is that you really do.

Job seekers can jump into a Career Solutions Workshop at any point, as each lesson is self-contained. For more information, visit www.careersolutionsworkshop.org.

55 is not my limit

I astonish myself when I realize that last time I seriously looked for work, I was still in my twenties. Back then, when all resumes were delivered by regular U.S. mail and the term "snail mail" hadn't yet been coined, my phone (a land line, of course) would almost always jingle a few days after my resume hit the mailbox. Getting a job, or at least an interview, wasn't that difficult.

Thus far in my present job search, the only response to my resume has been an automated email from noreply@corporationthatwon'tbenamed letting me know that my online application has been received.

To anyone reading my resume who can count, it's apparent that this job hunter-and-gatherer is from a pre-historic era.

Yet, in my complimentary outplacement classes and according to speakers on the job-networking circuit, I should continue to use the "chronological resume" format that gives away my approximate age, along with  the decades of experience that may overqualify me for some jobs. They're quite firm about that. Employers will think you're hiding something if you go with the "functional resume" format.

You really can't hide your age from many of today's online applications, anyway. Some boldly ask for the month and year you entered college, as well as the month and year of graduation.

So I'll just go ahead and say it. I celebrated a birthday recently, and turned 55. There you go. But 55 is not my speed limit. Nor is it my defining quality as an employee.

At last week's Southlake Focus Group, where they're big on keeping stats on job landings, a speaker noted there was a big difference in the number of landings for those under 50 with "New Economy" skills, and those over 50, presumably loaded down with useless "Old Economy" skills. But on a more positive note, those who stepped up to the Southlake microphone that day to celebrate their landings had that distinguished, polished presence that only "50-plus" can impart. So, I'm far from throwing in the towel.

I believe that networking, maximizing personal contacts, and putting yourself out there in person are going to be an important part of the job-hunt strategy for everyone in this "Bad Economy," but especially for those of us whose wealth of experience, savvy, and good old-fashioned work ethic put us in danger of being deemed "overqualified."

Where's the lake in Southlake?

If you have experience managing a retail store, Dollar General wants to talk to you. This fast-growing chain, which is setting up stores in areas that Wal-Mart hasn't, needs store managers to keep up with their expansion.

If you'd like to become a security guard in a company that might give you a chance to move up, G4S Secure Solutions could be the company for you.

And if you're a virtualization expert -- whatever that means -- some company in Houston has a problem, and they'd like you to come down there and solve it.

How do I know this? From the general announcements at my second session at the Southlake Focus Group last week.

After the orientation I underwent on my first visit to Southlake, I was so tuckered out from the drive, the heat and information overload that I went home and took a nap. But I feel better after my second session at this well-known networking organization, which has received lots of media attention, including nationally. This time, I was able to try my hand at the actual networking process.

The organizers at Southlake have got the logistics figured out, when it comes to putting on this weekly event.  On your first visit, go early so you'll have time to get oriented and registered. Just do what the volunteers tell you, and you'll be OK.

It can be daunting to go to Southlake. The traffic on the road in front of White's Chapel United Methodist Church can tie you up in knots before you ever get there. On my second visit, I found a back way to enter with no problem.

And if you're a bit shy or reticent about meeting new people, brace yourself. Making new connections and sharing information and support are what it's all about here.

Southlake participants are urged to "HOPE" -- help one person every day. You're not here just be on the receiving end of support and job leads. You're also here to be a support to others in the same boat.

For basic information on this meeting, visit www.southlakefocusgroup.com.

Jobless is not the new black

I don't care much for the word "jobless."

It's a term I avoid using to describe my current status. "- less" is not more. Nor is it the new black.

It's a big diminuendo, without the pretty music. Less lunching with colleagues. Less money. In fact, jobless reminds me a bit too much of its separated-at-birth evil twin, homeless.

Both the jobless and the homeless in Fort Worth are catching a few breaks this summer from Tarrant County churches. Before I was downsized, I didn't realize to what extent that was happening.

It's a terrible time of year to be without air conditioning. Just imagine trying to sleep without it. During the hottest parts of the summer and the coldest nights of the winter, a network of local churches invites individuals without a roof over their heads to come inside for dinner, a comfortable night's sleep and breakfast. The program is called Room at the Inn, and I'm happy that my church participates.

I knew about Room at the Inn, but I didn't realize that so many churches also host ongoing programs in support of those of us who are looking for work.

The Career Solutions Workshop is a 12-session, one-night-a-week workshop that is hosted at a handful of Metroplex churches. Thus far, I have attended a session at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Worth and was impressed by the panel of three managers who told us the truth about what they like to see in a job candidate.

Learn more about that program at http://www.careersolutionsworkshop.com/. I've been told that the program is being disbanded at the Turning Point location because, it seems, attendance is low because former attendees have been getting hired. 

That's the kind of downsizing I like to hear about.

A card-carrying networker

When I was on the job, I often didn't bother carrying around my business card. I tossed a nearly full box of cards in the trash while packing up my office.

That's all changed. During the outplacement class I took before my last day of work, those of us on our way out the door were advised to get a personal business card so we'd have something with our contact information to hand out while we're out there, networking.

Networking, they say, is the best way to find a job these days. I'm hearing that consistent message wherever I go, and it's advice I am taking to heart.

Anyone can get a free set of 250 business cards from vistaprint.com -- all you'll have to pay for is shipping. That, and any fancy upgrades, such as opting to have the promotional line touting "FREE business cards from vistaprint.com" removed from the back of your card.

I procrastinated ordering my cards from vistaprint.com, and ordered a quick box of 250  from FedExOffice  because I wanted to be armed and ready for a networking opportunity. They're nicely printed and they'll certainly do, but when I run out, I'm ordering my free cards and making some changes based on what I'm hearing from the career gurus.

Here's what they tell me. One phone number is enough, and make it your cell phone, not your home phone. Include your email address, your Linked In address, and your website if you have one.

Oh, and speaking of your Linked In address, there is supposed to be a way to create a shorter URL with your very own name on it. I just haven't figured that out yet.

One caveat: don't put your street address on your card. No one's going to send you snail-mail correspondence these days, so they don't need to know where you live. Not until they hire you.