Closing the deal is the most critical part of the sales process – it should be your desired result from every interview you complete in your job search. Your ability to turn your interviews into viable job offers is important. In order to close the deal you must give the hiring manager a reason to buy – to hire you – the product! Before I go any further, let me make this disclaimer: There are no guarantees when you have an opportunity to compete for job opportunities. You can have an excellent interview and for whatever reason the …read more

I spent my day doing ballon art as a clown at Towsontown Festival. A local festival for local business here in Maryland. By the end of my very long day, I was asked to do a birthday party next weekend for a 10 year-old birthday party. I had no business cards, flyers, or even word of mouth, just my clown persona: Darling, and my relatively new acquired talent for doing balloon art. I accepted the paid job, and will invest an hour of my time next weekend hanging out with children and doing balloon art, a hobby at best. The …read more

There are many people today who lose their jobs for one reason or another. Some lose their jobs by no fault of their own, and others actually assist the organization in their termination by misbehaving, doing something unethical, like stealing, lying, questionable decisions that impact customers, suppliers and the list goes on.
It so important to evaluate yourself, give yourself feedback. You know yourself better than the closest person to you. You live with your thoughts and motives that determine your behavior. So take a moment and be real, honest with yourself.

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Have you …read more

Welcome Scott Allen to Interview Chatter today! He is my guest and I am pleased to share him with all of my readers here at Interview Chatter. Scott Allen helps companies transform virtual relationships into real business using social media and social networking. He is author of The Virtual Handshake and The Emergence of the Relationship Economy and blogs at Linked Intelligence and elsewhere.
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Using LinkedIn to Prepare for Your Interview by Scott Allen
Congratulations! You’ve finally landed a face-to-face interview for a great job. I know you probably already used LinkedIn to help with your job search. How can you …read more

Does a Severance Package Equal Termination? In a word “yes“. But take a look at this question I received tonight that sparked this post:
“Is it considered being fired when you negotiate a severance package and agree neither you nor the company will ever talk about the reason for you leaving (although they wanted you to)?”
Let me begin this response by saying the reason people get Severance Pay or Packages from organizations are for being terminated for poor performance, being laid off, outsourcing, mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, and resignations.
The reason I share these reasons is to help dispel the perception …read more

When is the perfect time to change jobs? The question below was posed to one of the many groups I belong to as a blogger. I truly felt it was an appropriate question to share here at Interview Chatter. I will also share my response to the question and some additional information shared by another member.  
I’m in a job where I’m not satisfied, and I want to find a new job where I will feel more fulfilled and I will be more fulfilling. BUT, fear is always there. It never feels like the right time to put in my two weeks (one month) …read more

This is a great article, A Hiring Manager’s Diary Includes Valuable Lessons, found on Columbus Business First. Here is the article in its entirety, written in September 2002. I will share my thoughts later. But the lessons are still applicable to anyone in the midst of a job change. If you are in the market for a job, read this article.
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Business First of Columbus – by Janice Worthington
Dear Business First:
Tomorrow we begin our search for a new marketing manager. As vice president of marketing and sales, I found our newly departed, underperforming marketing manager’s good-bye party enjoyable, however the grueling …read more

This post is part 3 of an ongoing Apprentice Challenge for B5media Business Channel Bloggers. Our first challenge: Bring in the Dough: Yielding Wealth In Your Own Business, and part 2, Facing the Lead Dilemna in Your Small Business.  Feel free to take this journey with us! Enjoy!
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The local newspaper just called:  they would like to do a feature on Kay and her business.  Kay is excited but nervous.  She has heard all kinds of stories about being misquoted and misrepresented.  She had been give all kinds of advice from don’t talk too much about your personal life to don’t talk too …read more

Here is a non-traditional way you can help market yourself in your job search. Given the direction we are going in with technology, “keeping up with the Jones’ is not a bad idea!
Online Resume? Yep, before I get too deep into this post, let me just say – Get One! Create One! I like this idea. I was out and about last night scanning blogs and leaving comments here and there and I stumbled on Cube Rules, by Scot Herrick. His name was familiar to me, but I didn’t make the connection. He is a colleague that use to write …read more

I wanted my readers to have another opportunity to sign-up for Tough Questions? Great Answers! Webinars that are available in the month of October. Who should attend? Everyone! Anyone who is in the process of interviewing for a new position. Anyone who would like to get promoted and would like some coaching prior to the interview. Anyone who would like to strengthen this area, the interview, whether you are in the market for a job or not.
Do You Get Cold Feet or Sweaty Palms When Think About Interviewing?
More than 7 years ago, I had the distinct privelege to develop …read more