Executive phone interviews are very different from an in-person or video interview and pose special challenges. When the job position you want is on the line, you need to know how to make the right impression.

Employment interviews take place in person, via webcam, and on the telephone. The big difference for a telephone interview is the lack of your ability to see, or telegraph, important nonverbal cues.

To some, a telephone interview is a comfortable alternative to the exposure of a video interview, or the intensity of an in-person interview. Interestingly, a survey by Software Advice found applicants who had experienced a video interview preferred video to a phone interview. A big reason for the preference is the ability to share nonverbal messaging.

When you have a phone interview for an executive position, how can you use that format to your advantage?

From the top—techniques to crush the executive phone interview

A telephone interview usually means you are being pre-screened. As gatekeepers, recruiters, a hiring manager, or search committee are looking for specific abilities and traits. If you get through the phone interview, you will likely progress to a video, or in-person interview.

With that in mind, your phone interview could be the most difficult dialogue you face in the application process. You must be able to communicate your brand through voice alone—with the aid of your resume or CV.

To ace the interview you have to manage what you say—and what you do. We’ll look at both.

Keep these staging tips in mind when you are scheduled for an executive phone interview:

1. Schedule the interview:

While not likely, it is possible you could get a cold call from a company, or recruiter, where you expressed interest. While the request could be for a few minutes of your time, express appreciation for the call, and ask to schedule the interview on a mutually acceptable date and time. Even if later in the same day, rescheduling gives you time to collect thoughts and materials.

2. Dress the part:

While it is tempting to dress down for a phone interview, do yourself a favor and play the part. A downside to a telephone interview is perceived informality. Dressing for the interview, or at least straightening up, impacts how you present yourself. Project professionalism. Other physical points include taking a brisk walk prior to the call, standing for part of the time, and speak and smile as if you were being seen in person. The physical act of smiling lightens your mood and increases your confidence. Do not multi-task during a phone interview, and keep a glass of water close by.

3. Quiet space:

Be sure to locate a quiet office or other location in which to conduct the telephone interview. Ensure it is clear of interruption, noise, children, or pets.

4. Mind the phone line:

To avoid dropped calls or poor connections, try to use a landline. Otherwise, be sure your phone is charged and consider using a headset to free your hands. Why? Because you can more easily review your materials and gesture if that is your habit. Create an environment for an active, participatory interview on all levels.

What you say—and how you say it—is critical in a telephone interview. Consider these suggestions for engaging your telephone interviewer:

5. Be prepared:

With an executive position on the line, do not stint on preparation. Undertake an in-depth exploration of the organization, and the history of the job you seek. Be sure you understand the brand, its culture, history, challenges, financial performance, and interesting sidelights, such as key sponsorships. Research salary levels of the position, in case you are asked what salary you seek.

6. Crib notes:

While lack of visual context is a problem—it can also work to your advantage. Keep your resume, job description, and a summary sheet of achievements nearby. Make notes of dollars saved, acquisitions made, and other relevant financial or production numbers of worth. Write quick answers to common interview questions, and be sure to include details of action taken in the face of failure or difficulty.

7. Know yourself:

Be practiced and comfortable discussing achievements and the value you bring to the C-suite. Do not expect lengthy experience to get you to the next interview level—be ready to explain and discuss how you provide a competitive advantage.

8. Delivery:

At the outset of the interview, give the interviewer a full chance to speak. Respond throughout the call at a steady, if slow, pace. Vary the tone of your voice to express interest, curiosity, and confidence. Try not to speak excitedly because it betrays nerves and is not appropriate for a professional interview. If a difficult question comes your way, try to restate it back to the interviewer and ask if that is what they meant. Your job is to engage the interviewer in a pleasant and informative query. When the time is right, be sure to ask your own thoughtful questions about the company, and the position.

9. Name-dropping:

If you know connections within the company that could help you, mention the association during the interview, if appropriate. When you have worked with industry notables, or recruited top talent for your work teams, mention names if there is a natural opening.

10. In the end:

As the phone interview draws to a close, be sure to thank your interviewer, express interest in the job, and ask what the next step in the process might be. Avoid compensation discussions unless asked, and then use figures that are competitive in the industry. Follow the phone interview with a thank you email, or letter.

An executive phone interview is challenging. Be prepared, and be on point, in order to position yourself to land the offer.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

LinkedIn Referrals, which is being called the next generation of LinkedIn Recruiter, is where recruiters use profiles of their superstar managers and employees to find other applicants with similar traits and expertise to add to the rock star employee roster. So instead of trying to write a candidate profile or job description to capture the essence of that top-notch employee to find another one, now a recruiter can use the profile content of the superstar employee, within the tools of LinkedIn Referrals, as the basis to find the next key hire.

Why Are LinkedIn Referrals so Powerful?

What Recruiters Need and Want

According to this article from LinkedIn’s Head of Talent Solutions, Eduardo Vivas, about 80% of recruiters say the best channel to recruit quality candidates is employee referrals. “We asked ourselves two simple questions: How can we empower almost anyone who recruits to be a data-driven recruiter by making our products more intuitive? And how can we tap into our more than 380 million members’ relationships to help everyone who recruits identify and hire the right talent faster?” Vivas said.

The Recruiter Solution

Recruiters want to hire employee referrals. In this review of LinkedIn Referrals by Venture Beat, it cites a 2013 report by Deloitte where they state that employee referrals are a successful source of hire for them. Venture Beat quotes the report stating, “According to solutions provider ZALP, 46 percent of employees hired through employee referrals stayed on their jobs for more than a year, as compared to 33 percent and 22 percent of those hired through career sites and job boards, respectively. In addition, 42 percent of referral hires stayed for more than three years, as compared to only 14 percent and 32 percent of those hired through job boards and career sites, respectively.”

LinkedIn is giving recruiters the solution they wanted to find the desired applicant without having to craft complex Boolean search strings.

Why is this important to job seekers?

If corporate and search firm recruiters are using LinkedIn Referrals to write their search strings, this tool has the potential to have a wider-spread use. As it becomes adopted by corporate and search recruiters, job seekers will need to pay more attention to the proper optimization of their profile and the right use of keywords in the LinkedIn Profile to maximize their opportunities to be included in recruiter searches for the jobs they want.

Will this be good or bad for the job seeker?

Clearly, it remains to be seen the effect this will have on the mission of the job seeker. On one hand, it can help active LinkedIn users be found more readily if their profiles are properly optimized and they are doing the LinkedIn activities that tend to make a profile rise to the top of a search. On the other hand, if recruiters are seeking profile traits of certain employees and not evaluating the applicants on their own merits, will that adversely affect diversity initiatives or the personality varieties that contribute to the culture of the workplace. Is more of a good thing necessarily better?

Let’s wait and see….In the interim, it’s important for job seekers to play the game and get their LinkedIn profiles up to speed, as that never hurts.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you consider yourself shy, or introverted, what can you do to help yourself land the job you want?

This is a comment I received recently:

“Reaching out for extroverts is easy…for us people who are socially awkward, it can be so painful to just say hello to someone. It’s worsened by the fact that I dread small talk more than anything else out there…”

If you are shy, or introverted, hear this message: you are not alone. I understand what you mean because I feel the same way you do.

Working as a recruiter, and now in my own business, I can tell you that a lot of people are uncomfortable reaching out to others, and many people dislike small talk. That said—outreach and social connection are an essential part of your job search. So what can you do?

Introverts and extroverts—they are everywhere

Personalities of all kinds populate the workplace. Outgoing and more private personalities reach for different jobs, opportunities, and responsibilities. Depending on what statistics you read, about one of every three people is likely to identify themselves as an introvert.

One traditional differentiator for introverts and extroverts is how they naturally seek to recharge themselves. Do you gain energy by working a crowd and talking to people? Or do you naturally step back from crowds, listen and think before you speak, and refresh yourself with alone time? Another tendency is sensitivity to stimulation—are you exhausted by small talk in a relatively short time?

Long-held myths about introversion and extroversion sometimes color how people think of others and themselves. Consider these myths about introverts and extroverts:

• All introverts are shy
• All extroverts are outgoing
• Introverts do not make good leaders
• Extroverts are generally good public speakers
• Introverts are introspective
• Extroverts are not introspective

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, you may not be comfortable starting conversations, or reaching out in a way that would further your goals—or your job search.

Getting what you want just the way you are

Being comfortable building and presenting your personal and professional brand is an essential aspect of a successful job search. For some, this could mean gaining skills to help along the way. For others, it means becoming confident with the person you are right now.

For everyone, language is a vital part of communication. How your resume and cover letter are written, what you say in an interview and how you say it, and the way you follow through create the impression of who you are and how you might perform in the workplace. Part of my job as an executive resume writer is helping you use the language you need to get your brand across.

For anyone interested in functioning more smoothly in social and professional encounters, consider these top tips:

1. Know your pitch:

Before an interview, or networking engagement, think of your own “elevator pitch.” More than just a statement of your name and interests, understand what you have to offer, and what you might bring to a conversation.

2. Queue some topics:

A successful tactic for breaking the ice is knowing two or three questions that help you get a conversation started. A good resource for managing small talk is Debra Fine’s book, The Fine Art of Small Talk.

3. Know where to go:

At an event, workshop, or party, keep in mind there are others present who are less—and more comfortable—than you are. I sometimes try to find someone in a room who looks uncomfortable, and focus on setting them (and me) at ease. I walk up and introduce myself. I might ask what brings them to the event. Both of us gain an association. Alternatively, identify people energetically engaged in meeting and connecting with others. They often welcome your introduction and are happy to help you meet others.

4. Networking:

Making and cultivating social media and other contacts is important in a job search. You might find it difficult to cold call, or email, a connection and ask about a particular job. Instead of asking about a potential position, ask for helpful advice and feedback on your search.Informational interviews are a great way to less formally connect with people, and professionals, who might aid your job search.

5. Do your part:

When you are in a position to help others, reach out and do your best. For introverts, reciprocity is a great way to build a relationship—and your confidence.

You do not need to “conquer” or “overcome” being shy. Introvert or extrovert, thoughtful, or verbal—know your natural inclinations. Use your awareness—and the right tools and tactics—to make the most of your talents during your employment search.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

Business instability thwarts the best laid plans. Yet volatile and dynamic market conditions offer executives the opportunity for game-changing achievement.

Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) are here to stay. Once considered a cyclical process, technical and financial expansion—and contraction—cause ripples of change on a weekly basis throughout global economies. If you are an executive, or seeking a job shift, how can you use unpredictability to your advantage?

VUCA—what is it really?

While change is certain, VUCA is something different. The common factor of VUCA variables is instability. Change may usher in a period of instability, which is often foreseen and can be managed. VUCA has elements that cannot be managed—but can be exploited to help your company and enhance your resume.

Many C-suite executives take an oppositional perspective on our new VUCA world. Viewing VUCA as an unavoidable enemy, these leaders double-down on strategic planning and hope for the best. But the best way to deal with VUCA is to embrace it.

What does uncertainty look like?

American Airlines, Yahoo, and Twitter—what do these companies have in common? Consider these stories:

• In 2013, American Airlines Group saw only $1.8 billion in profits and merged with US Airways. Identified by Fortune magazine as one of the companies that lost the most money in 2014, an organizational reshuffle and providential fuel cost reductions gave American Airlines renewed vigor—and a revenue increase of 60 percent.

• Melissa Mayer, the Google executive turned Yahoo CEO, continues her quest to restore Yahoo. While the results are not in, Ms. Mayer is being closely watched as she continues to use market and company maneuvers to refine her turnaround plan for the company. Ms. Mayer has widened the audience who respect her agility and ability.

• Another web company, Twitter, is in the grips of turnaround in the highly uncertain Internet ecosystem. Interim CEO Jack Dorsey is saying all the right things after the departure of former CEO Dick Costolo. Can Mr. Dorsey navigate VUCA to build the relevance of his brand—and his legacy? Time will tell.

Each industry is unique. The specific recovery plan for an airline is not going to work for a web communications company. Yet an understanding of how to work and achieve in volatile circumstances is common to success across the board. Whether you are in an executive position, or in transition, alignment with VUCA offers more opportunity than fighting it.

Create achievement from ambiguity

How can you capitalize on VUCA to ride the changes and get where you want to go? Consider these tips:

• Volatility: Volatility has come to mean rapid, momentous market energy. This uneasy quality is easy to use with the right attitude: just accept that change is a constant condition and respond by using strategic thinking to create scalable processes. Recognizing the opportunity within volatility offers you a chance to position, or reposition, your company—and showcase your executive ability.

• Uncertainty: Uncertainty is the nagging feeling you do not know enough to make a solid decision. Trust that impulse. When uncertain—talk to experts, ask for feedback, and gather information to support your innate decision-making ability. Respected decision makers acquire trustworthy information. If seeking a C-suite, or other professional position, speak with mentors, associates, and other advisors to develop the information you need to create, or illuminate, your direction.

• Complexity: Perhaps the richest of all VUCA variables, complexity speaks to the interrelatedness of the dynamic factors affecting your business—or your job search. Step back to identify and understand the elements at play in your present professional or personal environment. This will enable you to develop a critical, comprehensive plan to address issues that are stifling your job search, or limiting success in your current position.

• Ambiguity: In any job search, or employment transition, ambiguity is present. Like complexity, awareness is key to managing and using ambiguity. Ambiguity, by its nature, creates tension. Use that tension to renew a job search, investigate new directions, or as motivation in your current executive position.

The element common to each VUCA variable is emergence. Steering your company through volatile economic conditions is a high-level resume achievement. Capitalize on VUCA to create the change, and achievement, you need—to get the new job or promotion you deserve.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.

It’s no secret that executive-level positions are often times given to internal employees. They’ve been with the company a while, they know how it works and the company already feels comfortable with them.

This can present some unique obstacles to an outsider trying to get in. However, it’s not impossible to make a move to an executive-level position in another company. All it requires is learning how to leverage the obstacles to your advantage.

How to Get the Job As an Outsider

Explain How Being From the Outside is a Strength

Research suggests that when people are trying to find a creative solution to a problem it oftentimes requires that they find an outsider. Simply put, the outsider has no preconceived notions about the situation, they also aren’t completely involved in it, whereas insiders maybe a little too invested and therefore blinded to solutions.

The ability to see a situation from the outside enables a person to find solutions easily. They can see holes where others can’t. They can also think outside of the box. This is a huge strength to play on when vying for a position within another company.

Here’s another strength: you may know more about the market and the competition than they do. Being from the outside enables you to see the company as a consumer. This a whole new way of looking at it that can be extremely beneficial when implementing marketing campaigns, revamping customer service or addressing product development issues.

Reach Out to the Right Contacts

Your best bet to getting any position (externally or not) is to come in with a personal referral in hand.

Connect with individuals within the company you’re looking to get into. You could start with your personal network and then expand outward with a LinkedIn search. You can also find many of these individuals partaking in LinkedIn groups.

The key is to find individuals who have enough clout within the company to help sway high-level hiring decisions.

Please keep in mind that just as with in-person networking events there is etiquette to follow when networking on LinkedIn. Customize your connection message, have a genuine interest in this person, and get to know them on a professional level.

Look for Companies That Are Open to Outside Management

Not all companies have policies in place that allow them to hire outside management. You don’t need to worry about them.

Instead, find companies that are flexible about opening up management positions to outsiders. This is easier than most people would think. Chances are that if they are posting an ad publicly then they are open to it, otherwise why would they bother when they can just look internally?

Big job boards can get convoluted easily. Instead try specific searches on LinkedIn or go straight to the company’s Careers section on their website.

You should also stay open to recruiters. Take their unsolicited calls and hear what they have to say. They’ve been hired by companies to search the candidate pool and find the best people.

By leveraging your skills and being strategic you can move up by moving over and get the job as an outsider.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

While researching how to write a good resume or LinkedIn profile you often times run into the advice of using certain words like “creative” or “efficient.” The problem here is that anyone who knows how to use Google is probably using all the same buzz words in their resume as well.

Over time this leads to an apparent overuse of words that recruiters and hiring managers can spot in a heartbeat. As such, a word that was once a great way to stand out in your resume is reduced to fluff.

This doesn’t mean that certain buzz words aren’t still great for your resume. The key is to use them effectively so your resume doesn’t sound like everyone else’s.

Avoid being subjective.

With a simple Google search you can easily pull up a list of some of the most overused words on resumes and LinkedIn.

According to Careerealism some of the top overused words on LinkedIn are “motivated,” “responsible,” “analytical,” and “innovative.” In fact, the chances of you having a few of these words on your own profile is pretty high.

The issue here is that these words break a common rule of personal branding: stay objective.

These overused words by themselves are very subjective. That is to say, you are essentially stating an opinion of yourself instead of a factual account of your work history.

Essentially, if you have “Responsible and motivated individual with extensive experience” on your resume or profile a recruiter’s immediate reaction will be one of two things:

• “Gee, this guy Googled how to write a resume and must have copied and pasted what he found.”
• “Who says you are all of these wonderful things?”

You can avoid this by describing what you actually did at the job. How can you support that you are a responsible individual? What is your extensive experience, exactly? Do you have an example that shows how you’re motivated?

Use evidence to back up your statements.

If the only word to describe what you did is “creative,” then so be it. The issue is that most people don’t back it up with evidence.

What you need to do is show how you were creative by using achievements based bullets. For instance, if you are a creative Human Resources Executive Vice-President, you can outline how you created an evaluation system for a 200 person organization that resulted in an 11% drop in turnover and an increase of 25% internal staff being promoted.

This provides a picture for the person reading your resume so they no longer have to guess what “creative” means. Furthermore, this is a results driven example that would be totally unique to you as a candidate.

Use numbers.

Numbers are perhaps the most compelling way to demonstrate your skills. Unfortunately, it’s also one of those small things most people forget to put on their resume or LinkedIn profile.

Start writing your resume and LinkedIn profile with numbers in mind and you’ll easily avoid falling into the trap of fluffy buzz words. Did you increase revenue? Do you have percentages to prove how you solved a problem? How many projects did you create?

For some good examples of how to apply this technique to your resume make sure to check out our resume samples.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.

We have all heard that old saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” and in many things in this life that saying does turn out to be true. When it comes to the job search, how many times have you gained an “in” with a company because you are good friends with someone who works there or know a family member of someone who works there?

Well, what do you do if you find yourself in a situation where you need to find a job but don’t know anyone? There are many reasons why this could happen. Whatever the reason, don’t believe your job search is hopeless. Here is where you can start:

Make a List of Connections

While you may think you have to build your network from scratch, I believe if you take a few minutes to really think about it, you probably know more people than you think. Sit down and make a list of people that you do know. While it is a good idea to try to focus on the field of interest you will be searching for employment in, don’t discount anyone. Start making a list of names that can include your family members, friends, people you have met in your new area, neighbors, almost anyone that comes to your mind. This will be the foundation of your new networking list that you will use to build upon.

Leverage the Power of Your Connections

You may not know people directly that can help you, but the power of secondary, tertiary and beyond (4th and 5th degree connections) are where you might find the golden contact to help you. By reaching out to the list you made of your initial connections, no matter how small that list may be, see who they know on LinkedIn and by asking verbally who they know who can help you achieve your next goal.

Leverage Social Media Power

Social media sites such as Facebook and, more importantly, LinkedIn, can help you build a network of people in your field that could be helpful tools when you are ready to search for a job. Join as many relevant groups on the social media sites as you can for your field and regularly check in with them. Post in the groups and contribute to what they are doing so people begin to recognize you as an expert and look to you for advice. Consider using the advanced search functions to help you find companies that are looking for people in your field as well. Once you find these, don’t just apply for the job, but also make an effort to network with people employed at the company.

Be Consistent and Participate

Probably the most difficult part of building your networking list, is the ability to stay consistent with it over a long period of time and making an effort to regularly participate in conversations and activities that occur within your network. It’s the consistency that enables online connections to become offline relationships. Building a networking list isn’t easy, but if you take the time to actively participate on a regular basis and continue to do so over a long period of time, you will begin to reap the rewards. Check in with your network using your online tools and participate in any ongoing conversations. Try checking in one or two times a day if there is a particular conversation that is very interesting taking place.

Just Start With One Action Per Day

While starting a job search without a network of friends and colleagues to help you along the way may seem daunting, it is certainly possible. All you have to do is start building your network today. Whatever you do, don’t delay. While you may find that perfect job without knowing anyone, it will definitely be easier if you do. So start building your network list today so when you are ready to make a change, you have an entire host of people that could help you in your search. 

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

Up until relatively recently, companies thought that hard skills are what would get them their bottom line.

Now we’ve come to realize that soft skills are just as important when it comes to growing a company. Soft skills are considered to be behaviors and traits such as adaptability, critical thinking, people skills, likeability, time management and so forth.

Essentially soft skills are those that aren’t as hard-driving or as upfront. Often times they are skills that have more to do with your personality, making them slightly more difficult to put on paper. That’s why how you present them is crucial in whether or not you’ll get the job. 

The following are some ways to effectively & strategically incorporate soft skills into your executive resume.

Use soft skills mentioned in the job ad.

Job ads will often times have soft skills written into them. This will give you a clue as to what the employer is looking for. For instance, one employer may emphasize that a candidate be “results-oriented” while the other may prefer “high energy and enthusiastic.”

Once you’ve identified the soft skills in the job ad make sure to incorporate them into your resume. This way you customize your resume for the position at hand. This technique is far more effective than sending everyone the same generic resume. 

Provide solid examples.

Anyone can say “strong communication skills” and “detail-oriented” on a resume, but not everyone can prove it.

As with any of the skills you reference in your resume, make sure you have examples and facts to back it up. For extra effect see if you can use examples using the STAR Method. That is to say, think of an instance when your soft skills fixed a problem for the company and yielded great results.

For example, let’s say your company was about to lose a big client over a misunderstanding. The client was irate and ready to terminate the contract but you swept in and saved the day with your communication skills. This is where you can say you “Communicated effectively with clients whenever there was a misunderstanding.”

Use verbs related to soft skills.

One of the biggest mistakes executives make when writing resumes is, avoiding the use of verbs. A quick way to remedy that is to use verbs that are associated with soft skills.

For instance, if you work in healthcare you often need to deal with a lot of people who are going through a hard time. Your ability to empathize with patients and their families and provide them with what they need is a key indicator in whether or not you are suitable for the field.

Highlight your leadership qualities.

Being a leader in the workplace requires the use of multiple soft skills at once. Simply put, you can’t be a leader if you don’t know how to deal with people.

Highlighting your leadership qualities on your resume can help you bring in very important soft skills into your resume. It’s also a very useful way of looking for examples that demonstrate soft skills.

Try to use quantitative examples.

If you really want to impress a potential employer try to find some quantitative examples of your soft skills. For instance, let’s say one of your soft skills is being “detail-oriented.” You can mention how you noticed a numerical error in a report that would have cost the company a lot of money had it continued unnoticed.

In a day when relationships build business, it’s important to highlight your soft skills in your resume.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

I believe that a successful, well-balanced job search is more than successful strategies and tactical actions a job seeker can take to get closer to finding that right job. A successful job search offers well-balanced advice to address the mind, body, spirit and financial well-being of a person. A balanced job search prepares the job seeker to be in the right frame of mind and in good health to perform well throughout the entire job search process.

Here are suggested websites that enable a job seeker to take a balanced approach to their job search by shoring up on wellness, positive mindset, health, money, global business knowledge and efficient job search tactics action to help them be viewed as ‘in-demand’ by prospective employers.

1. Zen Habits

I feel Zen Habits helped me change my own life and I encourage readers to use this minimalist philosophy, lifestyle and mindset suggested put forth by Leo Baubata, the founder of Zen Habits, to put life in its proper perspective and bring more joy to day-to-day living.

2. Tiny Buddha

www.tinybuddha.com

This website helps with your positive mindset each day. It helps you learn how to stop negative thoughts, manage stress, present yourself confidently, and empower your to the choices that make your life better.

3. WELL – Tara Parker-Pope on Health

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/

This leading NYT health and wellness blog by Tara Parker-Pope gives tips on how to eat well, exercise and take care of our bodies, that will ultimately help us perform better inside and outside of work.

4. MintLife

www.mint.com/blog

Effectively managing your money before, during and after a job search is paramount. Properly managed money, no matter what your job or income level, can take mounds of pressure off of the already pressure some situation of looking for a job and/or remaining employed, allowing you to make much better, qualitative decisions about your future.

5. Harvard Business Review

www.hbr.org

Show your next manager that you are up to speed on cutting edge management through leadership and demonstrate its application in preparing for yoru interviews. This is an amazing resources for lifelong learning.

6. Daniel H.Pink

www.danpink.com

Understanding how the world of work and employment is changing can help you present better in your next interview. Daniel Pink is a thought-provoking, motivational read, whether he is referencing content from his bestselling books or sharing favorite excerpts from TED Talks. Reading his blog, always leaves me feeling motivated and empowered.

7. The Recruiters Lounge

http://www.therecruiterslounge.com/

I have always said, “Want to find a job, understand how a recruiter thinks and then employ those strategies in your search to find opportunity and be found by hiring managers.”  Go right to the source to understand recruiters with this blog.

8. MeetUp.com

www.meetup.com

Feed your mind and your network by seeking out Meet Up groups that are aligned with your professional goals and personal interests (or the other way around). By finding like-minded people and engaging those with differing perspectives we grow our connections, increase our opportunities and expand our minds.

9. Tim’s Strategy

www.timsstrategy.com

Tim Tyrell-Smith has a blog that embodies a number of writers (full-disclosure, I am one of those writers) that address many career topics, effective job search tactics and resume strategies for all phases of one’s career. His blog is a job search tactic gold mine…

10. Jackalope Jobs

Jackalope’s  blog brings tactical expertise in ways to optimize your connections and your network to get closer to open opportunities. In addition, Jackalope Jobs has a great tool that enables job seekers to take their LinkedIn and Facebook network’s and leverage these contacts to see how the job seeker is connected to open jobs. Perfect complement to existing social media.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

Stressful meetings, negotiations and complex projects fracture the perspective of many job candidates and executives. If nerves are draining your confidence, there are strategies you can use to succeed.

The impact of acute or chronic stress on the human body is well-documented. While rapid release of cortisol and adrenaline may save your life in an emergency, the continued release of these stress hormones may damage your health—and career opportunities.

Enter the monkey-mind

The monkey-mind is a centuries-old Eastern concept. The term loosely refers to the endlessly chattering, curious, distracting and sometimes fearful self-talk experienced by most humans at some point in life.

In 2012, author Daniel Smith published a memoir entitled, Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety. The book explores the concerns faced by millions of Americans who suffer depression and anxiety disorders.

Simply put, the monkey-mind is a state of distraction, of living in the past, or a future task—anywhere but the present, thoughtful moment. It is a mind too full to be itself.

Why does it matter?

While being mindless seems a negative term, it is a good descriptor for the way most of us live. Rise to work, go from task to task, make phone calls, take meetings—a daily swing through the trees until the next day dawns. It is the automatic living of life until we are stymied by a job loss or other personal emergency. Then what?

Mindfulness is the process of fully cultivating a moment by remaining in the present. In recent years, movements espousing mindful living, like the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, made significant cultural and corporate inroads. Meditation practices and techniques are an important cornerstone of mindful living.

Some of the benefits of mindfulness include:

• Mindfulness practices impact wellness by reducing stress. Results can include lowered blood pressure, management of pain and heart disease, and reduction in gastrointestinal discomfort.

• Working with mindfulness techniques may reduce tendencies toward alcohol or drug abuse, improve the ability to deal with relationship conflict on or off the job, and improve your general quality of life.

• Executives, professionals and others report that mindfulness helps them increase focus, improve memory, reduce distraction, boost creative problem solving, manage complex work pressures and reduce self-imposed career limitations.

How can you incorporate mindfulness into your job search?

Training your mind, to free your mind, allows you to be fully present in the interview chair or other important events in your day and life. While there are apps to help with mindfulness and meditation practices, they can only support the effort you are already making.
Harvard professor of psychology Ellen Langer states, “At the very highest levels of any field—Fortune 50 CEOs, the most impressive artists and musicians, the top athletes, the best teachers and mechanics—you’ll find mindful people, because that’s the only way to get there.”

Consider these points to help yourself cultivate mindfulness:

• Breathe: There are many practices that center on breathwork as a calming method. Investigate and choose one that allows you to use your breath silently and responsively in the face of emotional, physical or interview stress.

• Meditation: Most mindfulness practices incorporate meditation techniques. Experiment and decide what works for you.

• Witness: Mindfulness involves observing sensations, ideas and emotions that arise in your mind and body. Watch, witness and let these qualities go. Repeatedly identifying troubling thought patterns, emotions, and physical feelings allows you to exist outside the grasp of the monkey mind.

• Avoid polarizing your life: Try to move away from black and white thinking. During a job search, curiosity is your help mate. Consider events from multiple perspectives to broaden and invigorate your job search and opportunities. Do not condemn yourself for mistakes you make. Remarks Ms. Langer, “When you’re mindful, mistakes become friends.”

• Be present: Mindfulness means sinking into experience. When you approach an interview mindfully, active listening allows you to fully engage with the interviewer, freeing you from the obvious anxiety of the moment. Author, poet and peace activist Thích Nhất Hạnh notes,“Machine thinking is the opposite of mindfulness.”

• Move beyond balance: By itself, striving for balance creates categories. Mindfulness flows, accepts, notices, and moves forward, allowing you to incorporate, rather than parse. A non-judgmental attitude is essential to accepting and exploiting what could otherwise be perceived as shortcomings in your life and the lives of others.

Mindfulness is tough to register on a resume, yet it resonates in a handshake, an agreement, or a tough decision. The monkey mind leaves you wondering why you said what you did in an interview. It threads its way through your workday, chewing at your confidence and your corporate persona. Practicing mindfulness can help you bring your most important asset to the table during a job interview—you.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer