Author Archives: bryandilts

What to ask in the interview – the 4 best questions

Posted on April 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.  (Twain)

Contributor, hard working, excited and interested will get you a job. Greedy, lazy, bored and distracted will get you shown the door out.

Excellent questions are a way to show the difference between you and the other candidates.  You need to ask questions that show you will take some of the burden off of the hiring manager.  You must show your great attitude with your questions.

“What do you see as the greatest contribution I can make to my team here?” is a winner.

 “What problems will I be helping to solve in this job?” works.

 “What burden can I take off of your back in my first 3 months?” will be a relief.

 “How will my performance be evaluated in one year’s time when I take this job?” is a great question. 

 Let them know you will be trying to meet their expectations.  Open up a conversation on what is really expected of you.

 Do you get the idea?  You need to ask questions that show the ways you can contribute and start taking away some of your new boss=s headaches. 

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Something To Do Today

Before your next job interview or pay review, make a list of questions that show your desire, interest and motivation.

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Posted in Interviews

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Sexy verbs make a resume attractive

Posted on April 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

The world is extremely interesting to a joyful soul.  (Stoddard)

Boring means not read.  Not read means no job. A sexy resume gets attention.

What does the person who gets your resume want to see? 

Don’t tell him what you are “Responsible for.”  That means you are overhead.  No initiative.  You didn’t cause anything to happen.  You just slowed things down and kept the people who do things from making mistakes.

“Supervised” means you didn’t accomplish anything.  You were useless.  If you had trained all those people well, you could have made the company some money.  If you say, “Cut support costs by 27% by realigning my team,” that’s a lot better than, “Supervised 10 people.”

Companies hate people who are overhead.  Overhead doesn’t make them more money. 

Go to www.agicc.com/actionwords.htm or www.agicc.com/actionwords.doc .  Replace the verbs in your resume with some of these.  Change the sentences to talk about how many more sales were made because of you, how much more money the company made, and how much money you saved the company.  Karen Woodworth’s list of “Action Words” can spruce up your resume.

Your resume may become irresistibly sexy.  That’s how you get a job.

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Something To Do Today

Get that sexy resume worksheet at www.agicc.com/actionwords.htm or www.agicc.com/actionwords.doc Run your resume through it.  Make your resume attractive

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Posted in Resumes

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Another top 100 list in healthcare

Posted on April 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/me2/dirsect.asp?sid=C6AF5F270EBF4809A9E6881632AEA97F&nm=The+HCI+100 goes for teh top 100 using purely financial criteria.  Different than the one two entries below.

Thanks for the tip Paul.

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Posted in Finding jobs

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Noncompetes – what really happens

Posted on April 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

This is a great summary of what happens in the typical hard fought non-compete case.  But look closely.  This really says it could arbitrarily have swung either way.

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Posted in Noncompetes

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I found a list of the top 100 healthcare companies

Posted on April 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

This is a list of the top 20 medical companies in 5 different specialties.  It gives their size, specialty, and a link to find out more. 

Whether you want to sell, do accounting, be an engineer, or program computers, this list is a great starting point for where you can focus.  I downloaded a copy so I can use it.

Go to http://www.findmedicalsalesjobs.com/?ref=s1ZlUM1ZPwBRC8HP .

Yes, this is one of my competitors.  The list is free.  She deserves the attention this brings her.

Enjoy.

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replay of 4 Secrets to getting a MUCH better job

Posted on April 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

This time the recording worked.  You can see my webinar free at this link.

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Posted in Attitude, Finding jobs, Promotions

Q&A – Where do I put the cover letter?

Posted on April 20, 2010 | Leave a comment

Question:  When sending a resume to a company’s website, should a cover letter be part of the resume document or should I write the letter as the email and just attach the resume alone?

Answer: Great question.  That depends on what you want the cover letter to do.
 
If you want it to highlight things not in, or obscured in your resume, it goes as the first page of the resume.  It MUST be in the same document as the resume. (I suggest you also redo your resume to highlight important points.)
 
If you think it has to be read to get someone to even open your resume, it goes as the email that your resume is attached to.  NEVER put it as a second attachment to your resume.  If you do, it will be ignored. 

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Posted in Resumes

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repeat of 4 secrets to getting a MUCH better job

Posted on April 19, 2010 | Leave a comment
How to get a great job is a secret only 5% of the people I talk to understand.  Nose to the grindstone, being the best, and sacrificing for the team DO NOT WORK without 4 other things.

For 17 years I have watched top performers get great jobs and get very bad jobs.  I’ve also seen mediocre and poor performers get great jobs (the poor performers were quickly fired).  

Yes, there are secrets.  Yes it takes……I’ll tell you in the webinar.

See you then.
 
Title:   4 Secrets to getting a MUCH better job
 
Date:   Tuesday, April 20, 2010
 
Time:   2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
Last Tuesday I did a seminar and it didn’t get successfully recorded.  So I am going to do it again.  I will put the recording up online when I am done.  That will be at www.howtoreallygetagreatjob.com/seminars/ .

To register for the live seminar Tuesday at 2 PM go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/474220114 
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

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Posted in Finding jobs, Interviews, Networking, Perseverance, talent

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Job search: The reality show

Posted on April 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. (Shaw)

Here is how your job search would look as a reality TV show:

Episode 1:  Fired?  I’ll have another job before I’m out the door, you slug.

Episode 2: If I call 3 of my friends, I’ll have two job offers by the end of today.

Episode 3: I better file for unemployment comp.  This may take a week or two.

Episode 4: After “Survivor” I’ll try to send out a resume on “Monster”.

Episode 5: Will the sun ever shine again?  Why don’t the stars twinkle anymore?

Episode 6: The capitalist military industrial complex corrupts and destroys all the slaves forced to toil therein.

Episode 7:  My dog still loves me.  That’s a start.

Episode 8: I can have the job? Really??  The pay is low, but I’ll prove you made a great decision!

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Something To Do Today

 The real job search progression includes:

  • denial,
  • getting mad,
  • reconciling with reality,
  • not knowing what to do next,
  • getting depressed,
  • realizing your self worth,
  • and finding a job. 

It’s natural.  Where are you at?

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Posted in Attitude, Finding jobs, Perseverance

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Fired! The first 6 things you should do

Posted on April 15, 2010 | 2 comments

If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm! (Lombardi)

Fired!

Fired.  Laid off.  Terminated. Given a severance or pink slip. Let go. Walked to the door.  It is a terrible, traumatic experience.

Here’s what you do.

First, be nice.  No bridge burning.  No yelling.  Your boss may have been ordered to fire you and is being fired in another week.  You may end up working for him at his new job.  Your future employer may call him for a reference.  Be careful.

Do not quit!  If you quit, they can argue against your getting unemployment compensation.  If they say, “You can resign, if you would like,” tell them, “No. You said you are firing me.  Is this an offer to let me stay?”  Dan Rather’s three writing assistants, who refused to quit, were still getting paid months after they were asked to resign because they would not quit. Then they got a great severance package.

Don’t sign anything unless there is something in it for YOU.  A good phrase to use is, “Let me take this to my lawyer and see if he wants me to sign it.”  You would be surprised how often they say, “Don’t bother.”   Most things they want you to sign are to protect themselves or keep from giving you money.  If they say, “You have to sign this today without legal counsel,” get that phrase in writing from them and take all the paperwork to your attorney.  Be careful.

Get your personal belongings.  All of them.  Get your job journal first of all.  If you even get a whiff of layoffs, get copies of your job journal, old job reviews, awards and attaboys to your house.  They will help you in your job search.

If someone argues with you about personal stuff you are taking, keep putting it in the box as you talk with them.  Your stuff is your stuff. 

You don’t have a right to take client lists, trade secrets, client contracts or other company property.  You can always ask for permission to take it, though.  The guy walking you out of the office often feels so guilty he will say, “Just take it.”  If he says you can take it, you have a presumptive right to it that you don’t have without his permission.

Now, go directly to the unemployment office and file for compensation.  Do it today.

Even if you are fired you can leave with grace.  All they can do is get you out of the building.  After that, it is all up to you.  Good luck.

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Something To Do Today

No.  Don’t go get fired for practice.  Go back and read:  What to do before you quit.  

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Posted in Quitting or Fired

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