THE 515 Congress Ave - THE Tips

1. THE Professionals Offer Tips & Information
Regarding A Career Search In Today’s
Market
We cannot take everyone on as a client, but we want to help, so we have put together
some suggestions on resumes, interviews and negotiating. A job search is difficult even
in the best of times and you are probably not going to find it on the Internet or the
newspaper. In today’s market it is even more difficult and takes longer. Without
professional help it is tough. We want to share with you some tips on how the market
works and some ideas to help you on your own. At THE we help our clients every step
of the way to find the right position. We work with the client to develop a base of
resource people in the industry of focus and train them to generate interviews with these
decision-makers.
We will help them identify job opportunities (even where there are no openings), market
themselves into a position, negotiate the best possible salary and benefit package. In other
words, we will work with the client from start to finish conducting a structured,
disciplined, and effective marketing campaign. But we can’t help everyone. Hopefully
these suggestions will help you. When you are ready to take it to the next level we will
still be here. At THE we help you not to just get another job but the right career
position.
Most Upper Level Jobs Are Not Advertised
You have to know how to tap into the informal market- to find the “hidden” job
opportunities. We know that only about 10 percent of jobs ever appear in the newspaper,
on the Internet, or in another form of advertising. If you can find those unadvertised
position you can drastically reduce the competition you face for them. But it is tough
and that is why our clients are successful because they have professional help.
The Austin News papers are filled with headlines about news of layoffs, business
closings and escalating unemployment rates. But a lot of Austin companies are hiring
and economist say central Texas stands out as a place where jobs are still being created
during the toughest national job market in more than 30 years.
Local companies are saying they’re getting overwhelming piles of resumes from super
qualified job seekers. They are reluctant to post positions on popular job search Web
sites out of fear of that a glut of resumes will fill company mailboxes.

2. Today’s Market Makes Job Search Difficult: More
Stressful Than Ever
US Department of Labor statistics state that 50 percent of the jobs we will have in the
next 6 years have not yet been created. StaffMark, the national temporary-staffing
agency, predicts that in the next 4 years, 50 percent of the workforce will be contract
labor. Time magazine noted that in 2002 approximately 1.2 million jobs were eliminated,
or 3,287 every day. That means that in a 45- year working span, a person can be expected
to have 14 to 16 different jobs. These changes require that each of us develops a clear
sense of whom we are and where we are going, or we will feel victimized by those
changes.
Here’s how these facts negatively affect us:
70 percent of American workers experience stress-related illnesses. 34 percent think they
will burn out on the job in the next 2 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. There is a 33-percent increase in heart attacks on Monday
mornings, according to the Los Angeles Times More people die at 9 o’clock Monday
morning than any other time of day or any other day of the week, according to the
National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is a 25-percent increase in work-related injuries on Monday, according to
Entrepreneur Magazine male suicides are highest on Sunday night, with men realizing
that their careers-and possibly their finances as not as they wanted. The good news is that
steps are being taken to add more than 2 million new positions annually, far outweighing
the traditional job losses. Yes, these jobs may look different; they may not come with a
company car, 401 (k), and medical benefits, but they are exciting new opportunities.
Being Out of A Job Has Many Labels But They All Mean
The Same—No Pay Check
In a recent workshop, the term for being “let go” became the center of attention as
participants shared their stories. It seems no one gets fired anymore in this politically
correct work environment. Back in 1980 a person got “fired.” By 1985 it was “laid off.”
In 1990 it became “downsized,” Now a person can be “right sized,” “restructured,”
“reorganized,” “reengineered,” or “put in the mobility pool.” Many people are being
freed up to “pursue other opportunities.” In this computer age, some people are being
“uninstalled” and receiving their termination notices via e-mail.

3. The coldest term recently is that certain people are informed that they are “surplus.”
It is surprising that morale is often low for the remaining employees whose workload has
tripled, while heir salary remains the same? Are they “lucky” ones to still be around after
all the smart ones took a buy-out package and got better jobs elsewhere? Just because you
have the ability to do something does not mean that it is well suited to you. This is a very
significant point that cannot be stressed enough. Many people have been misdirected
because they had the ability to do something well. At this stage in your life, you
probably have the ability to successfully do 100 to 200 different things career-wise.
What do you really want to do?
Change is coming- ready or not
The work world is rife with volatility. People will increasingly work at one career, retire
for a while when they can afford it, begin another career, and so on in endless variations.
True retirement will be delayed until very late in life.
Health care benefits are being eliminated. More and more people will continue working
simply to cover the cost of ongoing health care.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there will be 50 million new jobs in the next 4
years, but they can’t tell us what 50 percent of those jobs will be.
In the next 6 years we will need 6,000 new schools and 190,000 additional teachers in the
United States. And yet teachers are leaving the confrontational classrooms in droves.
In 10 years, 90 percent of what an engineer is taught in college will be available on the
computer. In electronics, 50 percent of what a student learns as a freshman is obsolete by
his senior year.
There has been a dramatic change from “production workers” to “knowledge workers.”
Most of us already get paid for what we think and create rather than for how many
railroad ties we can place in a day.
We’re also seeing a dramatic swing from being paid for time to being paid for results.
Keep in mind how recently being paid by the hour actually came into place; it was only
with the introduction of the assembly line that people expected to be paid for their time.
We are seeing a return to the kind of businesses out country was founded on. Seniority no
longer counts-only productivity. Are you the one that can produce?
Nearly 5 million workers are using the Internet as a primary component of their daily
job. 20 million Americans are telecommuting, working from a location distant from the
company headquarters. Electronic immigrants are now competing for jobs around the
world. With computers, faxes, and cell phones, work can be completed with no
geographic barriers. Job searches have changed dramatically. Are you preparing
yourself and your search accordingly?

4. A Pro Active Resume Is Essential
If you want to redirect your career path, you can begin the process with a well-designed
resume. Remember, if your resume is just a chronological history of what you’ve done, it
will pigeonhole you into continuing to do what you’ve always done.
You can redirect in major ways by identifying “area of competence” that would have
applications in new companies, industries, and professions. Knowing how to conduct
your job search process will transform the results you can expect.
Many people become convinced that they are not pretty enough, do not have the right
degrees, are too old too young, or are getting a bad reference from a former employer.
How you conduct the job search process will have far more to do with your success
than any of those factors.
You Have To Be Ready To Interview
Even though we know that the average job is now only 3.2 years in length, most
people remain unprepared for the interview process. They believe that they can send out
their resume, have some company decide it has to have them, and simply show up for the
routine interview. Few things could be further from the truth.
Knowing that most hiring decisions are made in the first 3 to 5 minutes of an
interview confirms that the interviewer is not looking at the fine print on the fourth page
of your resume, but rather is asking:
· Do I like this person?
· Will this person fit in well with the team?
· Is this person honest?
· Is this person fun to be around?
Words make up only 7 percent of the communication process. The proper words can be
effectively communicating your message but only with proper body language and tone of
voice. Do not be uncomfortable with silence. . Experienced interviewers may purposely
allow silence to see how you respond. Use the silence to rehearse what you may want to
offer or what you may want to ask. These are all things our professionals help with.

5. The Interview Process:
Six general rules will help you in this process.
Smile. Few things convey pleasantness, enthusiasm, and comfort like a smile.
Successful people smile a lot. People who frown are not perceived as happy, productive
professionals. Be pleasant and outgoing.
Do not attempt to take over the interview but respond easily and spontaneously to
questions. Show self-confidence. Fidgeting, nervousness, glancing down, not accepting
compliments, and self-deprecating statements all convey poor self-confidence.
Do not run down former employer or co-workers. Prepare positive reasons for leaving
any former positions.
Show sincere interest in the company and the interviewer. Remember, your task is to sell
yourself to the interviewer, not to just convince them you are best candidate for the
position. Most important practice!!!!! We work with our clients with video training
on all aspects of their interview process and negotiating skills.
Questions asked by the Interviewer
The following are some sample interview questions. Write out your answers to
these questions; just thinking about them is not sufficient preparation for the actual
answering. Writing your answers will help you be more comfortable handling the same or
similar question in the interview. Remember, the interview is not a formality since the
interviewer may feel you taking control of the interview.
1. Tell me a little about yourself.
2. What are your greatest strengths? What are 3 characteristics that would make you a
good candidate for this position?
3. What would your previous employer list as your greatest strengths?
4. What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?
5. What have been some of your most significant accomplishments? How were you
able to achieve those accomplishments?

6. 6. What have you done that has contributed to increase sales? Profits, efficiency?
7. What types of situations frustrate you? What are your weaknesses? What have you
attempted and failed to accomplish?
8. What are you looking for in a new position? Why do you want this job? What do
you find attractive about this position?
9. Why are you leaving your current job?
10. What important changes or trends do you see in this industry? How do you think
those changes will affect the way we succeed in this company?
11. How long would it take you to make meaningful contributions to our company and
what are the areas in which you would need more training? Do you feel you may be
overqualified or too experience for this position?
12. What do you look for in a supervisor? Describe the relationship that should exist
between a supervisor and his employee. What do you see as your difficult task as a
manager? What is your management style?
13. Do you prefer working alone or as part of a team? Are you better working with
things, people, or ideas? Are you better at creating or doing?
14. Describe an ideal work environment. In your last position, what were the things you
liked? Least? How do you handle pressure and deadlines?
15. Where, on you list of priorities, does you job fall? What kinds of things do you enjoy
doing outside of work?
16. Where would you like to be 5 years from now? What would you expect to be earning
5 years from now? Are you continuing your education?
17. How long do you feel a person should stay in the same position?
18. What does a typical weekend consist of for you? What do you do to relieve
boredom?
19. What other kinds of positions have been looking at? If we do not select you for this
position, would you be interested in another position with this company? How does this
job compare with others for which you have interviewed?

7. 20. Why should we choose you for this position? What can you do for us that someone
else cannot do?
21. Do you have any questions (a good interviewer will ask you this)
The only 5 Interviewing Questions that matter
There are really only 5 critical questions that an employer wants to know:
1. Why are you here?
2. What can you do for us?
3. What kind of person are you?
4. What distinguishes you from 19 other people who can do the same tasks that you
can?
5. Can I afford you?
Questions to Ask the Interviewer
In today’s Market place, it is not enough to competently answer interviewers questions.
You would be well advised to have listed 4 to 5 questions to ask when given the
opportunity.
Those who ask questions appear brighter, more interested, and knowledgeable.
1. What would be a typical days assignment?
2. What are the travel requirements?
3. What is the typical career path in this position? What is a realistic timeframe for
advancement?
4. Where are the opportunities for greatest growth with in the company?
5. What criteria are used to evaluate and promote employees here?

8. 6. What type of Training is available?
7. What kind of ongoing professional development programs are available to help me
continue to grow?
8. Whom would I report to in this position?
9. What management philosophy does the company use?
10. How would you describe the company’s culture?
11. What is the company’s mission statement? What are the company’s goals?
12. What are the skills and attributes most needed to advance in this company?
13. Who will be this company’s major competitors over the next 5 years?
14. What has been the growth pattern of this company over the last 5 years?
15. What do you see as upcoming changes in this industry?
16. Is this a new position or would I be replacing someone?
17. What qualities are you looking for in the right person for this position?
18. Is there written job description? May I see it?
19. How many people are in this department?
20. How do you see me complementing the existing group?
21. What do you enjoy about working for this company?