Congratulations! If you made it through your first job interview and got called for a second you should be feeling pretty good. This means you’re high on the list of candidates to fill the position you’re targeting. The hiring manager is interested in you and wants to spend a little more time with you before offering you the job. What can you expect from this next go-round? How can you prepare so the session will be successful for both you and the interviewer?

• Ask for an agenda from the person who set up the interview.

This will help you anticipate questions and plan your answers. Second interviews often involve people from various departments of the organization so you’ll get a chance to meet and speak with people you’ll be interacting with if you land the job.

• Learn even more information about the company.

Check the web site, company blog, message boards, etc., whatever venue will lead you to information about management, staff, promotions, company contracts, and so on. Then you’ll be able to speak with knowledge and confidence during the second interview.

• Review the questions and answers from your first interview.

It will be worth your while to give yourself another practice round with a friend or relative. This will help you relax, take your time, and focus on the essentials before you walk into the interview room.
 
• Freshen and update your responses.

If, after the first interview, you realized you left something out or since that time you thought of something else you’d like to say, here’s your opportunity. Reread your notes from the first interview, checking for anything you’d like to add or clarify.

• Follow up with a ‘thank you.’

As you did the first time, send a thank you by note or email to each person you met with and restate your interest in the company and in the position you’re aiming for.

As the saying goes; "the harder you work, the luckier you get!"

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new "Secret Career Document" job landing system. Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."
Visit our friends at Job Interview "Secret" and discover Jimmy Sweeney’s breakthrough strategy that will have you standing out from the competition like a Harvard graduate at a local job fair… DURING your next job interview.

Post from: manager skill

How to ACE the Second Job Interview

Have you ever written a letter or email and after you signed off, suddenly realized you have one more thing to say? Or you wanted to remind your reader of something already stated? It’s easy to remedy. Just add a P.S. (short for postscript).

This powerful little addition is also an effective tool to use in your job search cover letters. Oftentimes the P.S. will be the first line to grab the hiring manager’s attention. These two letters of the alphabet strategically placed at the end of your cover letter can be more powerful than all the paragraphs that precede them. Decide now to add a P.S.––intentionally. Why? Because it’s impossible not to read it and it’s your chance to call your reader to action once again—namely to make an appointment with you for a job interview.

Saying Something Again in a New and Fresh Way

Add a bit of pizzazz to all your cover letters by using the P.S. to restate what you’ve already said in a way that will attract attention, motivate action, and promote connection between you and the hiring manager. Here are two examples to follow. Use your own wording, of course, so your reminder is unique.

P.S. On June 10 I will follow up with a phone call to be sure you received my application. I look forward to meeting with you in person and interviewing for this position. Feel free to call me at 555-555-555.

P.S. Thank you for taking the time to read my cover letter. I honestly believe I’m the perfect fit for this position. I’d welcome the opportunity to schedule an interview at your convenience. Please call me at 555-555-5555.

P.S. Keep in mind that people will never skip a P.S. so be sure to include one in your next cover letter.

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator. Jimmy is also the author of several career-related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job-Search Secrets.” Visit Jimmy on the web at Amazing Cover Letters.com for your ‘instant’ cover letter today. In just 3 ½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!

Post from: manager skill

P.S. Here's a Cover Letter Secret that Grabs the Eyeballs!

People who know how to influence friends are usually the leaders of the pack. They’re the ones who walk ahead of the group, the ones who aren’t afraid to speak up first. However, there are also times when the person you least expect to be the leader is the one who manipulates all the strings.

Both types may be poles apart and yet their strategies have the same end goal. If you want to know their strategies on how to influence friends, read on!

Influence Technique # 1: Make Sound Suggestions.

A great way to exert your influence over your friends is by being the one who comes up with the best suggestions.

For example, when deciding where to eat for dinner, you can either be the first to say, “Let’s have dinner at X restaurant and then dessert over at Y café,” or you can wait until your friends throw a bunch of half-baked suggestions before swooping in with your own.

Once they see how decisive you can be (without being too controlling), they’ll end up turning to you whenever a decision needs to be made.

Influence Technique # 2: Know What Makes Them Tick.

One effective way on how to influence friends is by paying them a lot of attention. Know what they like and what they don’t like. Know their needs and their wants. Once you have all this information, you can use it to persuade them to do anything.

For example, if you know that Friend A likes dogs, you can use it to convince him or her to go to the annual country fair with you by saying that there would be an animal show there. Just make sure you’re telling the truth, or you could lose your friend faster than you could say “sorry.”

Influence Technique # 3: Be the One Who Listens.

Being a good listener gives you automatic influential points. When people feel like they can trust you (and that’s what usually happens when you give them the chance to confide in you), they’re also more likely to trust your judgment. After all, they’ve already poured their heart and soul out to you.

So the next time your friend feels the need to talk about her lousy family life, listen. It just might pay off in the long run.

Learning how to influence friends can come quite in handy in the future. I’m not just talking about you having a say on this summer’s road trip. I’m talking about being able to use your persuasion skills in a more professional setting. The influence you have over your friends can transcend over to a meeting with your client or with your boss.

Post from: manager skill

How To Influence Friends: 3 Effective Influence Techniques To Have It Your Way

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How would you like to double your job search odds? Is that a ‘yes?’ If so, please read carefully because I have a bit of magic to share with you that can make that possible.

The secret formula is this: Contact the company you want to work for not once but twice—first in your initial cover letter and then in a follow-up cover letter, giving you a chance to be noticed two times instead of one.

Make a GOOD First Impression TWICE!

Most job-hunters neglect this important step. They send out cover letters and then wait and hope. If no response arrives, they get discouraged, and some give up. But you don’t have to be one of them.

Take It Easy and Keep It Simple

Ten days after your first cover letter write a short opening paragraph and add it to a copy of that letter and send it to the same person you contacted before. By adding the new opening you’re reminding the individual that he or she has heard from you before and now you’re writing to advise that you’re still interested and available to fill the position.

Example:

Dear Ms. Smith:

I contacted you a week or so ago and am following up here with a copy of
my original letter in case it missed you the first time. I’m extremely interested
in the position of (insert type of job) and would welcome meting you for an
in-person interview. (Continue with the original cover letter from that point on).

Think twice before you pass up this great opportunity to double your chance of landing an interview for the job you want. Follow through and follow up!

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today. "In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!"

Post from: manager skill

Follow Up Your Cover Letter With a Follow-Up!

You may feel comfortable meeting with one interviewer. But then you’re called in for a panel or group interview. Your palms grow moist and your head spins. It may feel as though people are ganging up on you. But that’s not the case at all. A group or panel interview is one way the employer or hiring manager can share the responsibility for making hiring decisions. Such an interview may work for you rather than against you. For example, if one person is uncertain, others may speak up for you, resulting in a change in perspective that could lead to a job offer.

Engage the Interviewers

When a question comes your way, respond to that individual, but make eye contact with the others too. The more each person feels included, the better your chances of making a favorable impression. Notice how the panel or group members get along with one another, as well. Is there a nice, easy fellowship, or do you detect a competitive spirit?

Consider What You Really Want

Of course it’s important to know the company, so find out all that you can before the group interview, but then think about what you need, the kind of organization you see as a good fit for your skills and personality, and if the mix displayed by the panel is one you can live with. Just because you’re offered a job doesn’t mean you have to accept it. Be sure that what you’re looking for is what you see in this environment.

Follow Up With a Thank You

Before you leave, ask for business cards from the panel members and send a thank you note to each one. At the very least, send a thank you to the person who arranged the interview.

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new "Secret Career Document" job landing system. Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Visit our friends at Job Interview "Secret" and discover Jimmy Sweeney’s breakthrough strategy that will have you standing out from the competition like a Harvard graduate at a local job fair… DURING your next job interview.

Post from: manager skill

How to Handle the Group Interview Like a Pro

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