My number one priority was to find a job. As the book title says,
my job was to look for a job. It is hard not to get frustrated when
people you’ve networked with or sought assistance from don’t return calls
and messages within your timeframe, but a colleague of mine put it in
perspective for me: “When you’re done talking with them, they go back
to their job.” As painful as it was to hear at the time, she was right that
my priorities may not have directly aligned with those of everyone with
whom I was speaking. My goal shouldn’t have been to change their priorities
to match mine. The goal should always be to keep the process flowing
and build a relationship strong enough that it can be further developed
over time.

When setting up networking sessions, if you are waiting for something
from someone, gently nudge things along with a reminder. If someone
requests a reminder, give it. In fact, be proactive enough to ask if it’s okay
to follow up if you don’t hear from someone after a certain deadline. You
must maintain your own priorities, but be conscious that they may not
match someone else’s primary focus. Understand that after you hang up
the phone, your network contact goes back to work. Don’t take it personally,
but do take the steps necessary to remain professionally relevant.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

In the middle of a real interview, the HR Director says to me, “Stop the
BS and stop with the buzzwords. What do you really want?” So, this
interview must have been going well. Based on what I had learned while
preparing for the interview, it became obvious before I even walked in
the door that my background and style wouldn’t fit well with this company.
However, I wanted to keep it moving in case my assumptions were
wrong, or at least get in the practice of interviewing.

I knew less than five minutes into the questioning that I would not
be hired. Instead of loafing through the rest of the interview, I made a
conscious effort to make the most of the experience. I challenged myself
to adapt to the interviewer’s style. I pushed myself out of my comfort
zone by trying to be even more creative than usual with my answers and
tested various versions of my elevator speech. My goal was to see what
could potentially work and what might not. Why not? What did I have to
lose? I loved the challenge of the uphill battle. I even saw enough pause in
some of the HR director’s questions and answers to indicate that she was
considering changing her mind—not enough to hire me, but enough for
me to walk out of there happy that I had gone through with it. If your interview
is not going well, you can use the experience as practice for future
sessions. What could have been a terrible interview turned out great—at
least in my eyes, which was a confidence boost.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

If you got on an elevator and only had two floors to impress the CEO
with who you are and what you’ve accomplished, could you do it?
Before you think this is hypothetical, let me tell you the story of a former
colleague who actually had this happen. We both were in town for a business
meeting and were working out in the hotel fitness center early in the
morning. We also saw my former company’s CEO working out every day
that week, but we had no interaction. I had an early flight Friday morning,
but my friend went to work out again. When he was done exercising,
he was just walking onto the elevator when the CEO stuck his hand in to
keep the doors open so he could enter.

An interview is a similar situation when you’re under pressure and
only have a finite amount of time to influence and impact the conversation.
If someone says, “Tell me about yourself professionally,” are you
ready? Will your answer take two minutes? Ten? Fifteen? Can you adapt
it to meet the needs of the interviewer or person with whom you’re networking,
so that your past translates into solving that specific company’s
business challenges? An elevator speech hits the high notes both personally
and professionally. How much you incorporate in relating your personal
answer depends on the circumstances and the person with whom
you’re speaking. However, on the professional front, your elevator speech
should be a clearly laid out map relating to your recent work, your key
accomplishments, and your future goals. I recommend writing out a
two-minute version and a five-to-ten minute version, and then know
both versions inside and out. Be careful to remember that this is not a
script; you can deviate as needed. The pitch should be a base to begin a
confident discussion. Having a foundation will allow you to modify your
elevator speech as needed. If you don’t know yourself inside and out, then
who will? More importantly, it goes beyond just knowing—you must be
able to clearly articulate it. If you can’t confidently tell your own story,
what kind of impression are you leaving?

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

When teaching how to interview effectively, I emphasize the need to
practice, or mock interviews. Here are the keys to make the most
of the experience:

• Don’t let the word “mock” throw you off—treat it as a real interview
and maximize the experience. Real practice turns into real success.
• Set it up now—it’s best to do it before you need it, but if that time
has passed, still set them up before the next big interview is on the
horizon.
• Make it a regular event, not a one-time shot—cramming becomes
obvious. Mock interviews are practice, thus need to be done more
than once.
• Understand it is a learning experience—be willing to make mistakes.
• Meet with multiple people with different styles. Talk with someone
you do not know well.
• If you are currently employed, use your manager in the process, but
understand that he or she does not count as a mock interview. I’ve
found that when I worked with managers, the questions tended to
be slanted to my strengths or weaknesses, which took away from
the feel of a real interview. Broaden your scope to find the most
effective interview partner.
• Use the exercise as a networking opportunity or a way to get your
foot in a door that might otherwise be closed.
It’s important to understand what mock interviews are not:
• An attempt to kiss up
• An attempt to predict questions
• An attempt to articulate answers you think the interviewer wants to
hear
• A working session or brainstorming session focusing on your
strengths and weaknesses—this should be done far ahead of a mock
interview.

Understanding the power of mock interviews ensures that you are
more comfortable in pressure situations, and keeps you sharp for the day
when you need to make the intended impression.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com

You should work for this company because I’ve heard…” or, “You
shouldn’t work for this company because…” I heard once at my
former employer that a company up the road, constant competition for
new hires, would tell prospective candidates that our company was going
to close down in the next year or two, so it was best to apply now, while
opportunities were still available. I don’t know if there was any truth to
that rumor, but I do know the need to corroborate stories and separate
fact from fiction. The rumor mill can be a scary place on which to base an
important professional decision that could impact you and your family.
As you pursue potential companies, make sure you have multiple sources
of information, including people who currently work there, people who
used to work there, news media, and social media sources to help formulate
your opinions using facts. You may not want to dismiss hearsay so
quickly, but you do want to do your due diligence prior to making any
rash decisions.

Thomas B. Dowd III’s books available in softcover, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only):

• Now What? The Ultimate Graduation Gift for Professional Success
• Time Management Manifesto: Expert Strategies to Create an Effective Work/Life Balance
• Displacement Day: When My Job was Looking for a Job…A Reference Guide to Finding Work
• The Transformation of a Doubting Thomas: Growing from a Cynic to a Professional in the Corporate World
• From Fear to Success: A Practical Public-speaking Guide received the Gold Medal at the 2013 Axiom Business Book Awards in Business Reference
• The Unofficial Guide to Fatherhood

See “Products” for details on www.transformationtom.com.  Book, eBook, and audiobook (From Fear to Success only) purchase options are also available on Amazon- Please click the link to be re-directed: Amazon.com