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The magic of common sense,
know-how, and spiritual exercises as
applied to the job hunting process

Janus: in Roman mythology the God of gates,
doors, doorways, beginnings and endings.

Daniel Barber

Handbook for (IT) Job HunTers

Handbook for (IT) Job Hunters
daniel barber
Copyright 2010

Handbook for (IT) Job

HunTers
da n I e l ba r b e r

Handbook for (IT) Job HunTers
Ta b l e o f C o n T e n T s

P r e fac e - 1

c ha P t e r 1 h ow to G o a b o u t t h e Job of Job h u n t i nG - 3

k n ow b e f o r e yo u g o 3
P l a n n I n g w HaT T o d o 3
C om m o n se n se 5
w HaT T o e x P e C T 9
T H e T y P IC a l H I r I n g P r o C e s s 10
reCord keePIng 13
r e g a r d I n g s a l a ry 14
Qu I z & r ev I ew 15

c ha P t e r 2 Yo u r t e a m - 1 6
C om m o n g oa l — C om m o n C au se 16
T H e P r o C e s s a n d T H e g oa l s 18
e sTa b l I sH I n g r a P P o rT 20

c ha P t e r 3 t h e wa i t i nG G a m e - 2 1
baC k f I l l P o sI T Io n s 21
ov e r f I l l P o sI T Io n s 21
Too many Cooks In THe kITCHen? 21
H r a n d yo u r r e sum e 22
T H e H I r I n g m a nag e r a n d yo u r r e sum e 23

c ha P t e r 4 e f f e c t i v e r e su m e De v e l oP m e n t- 2 5
T H e P u r P o se o f a r e sum e 25
T H e sum m a ry 26
e du C aT Io n 27
T e C H n IC a l sk I l l s 28
wo r k H I sT o ry 28
a sI m P l e a n d su C C e s sf u l m e T Ho d o l o g y 28
J o b sP e C I f IC aT Io n / d e s C r I P T Io n 29
a w e b d ev e l o P e r J o b d e s C r I P T Io n 29
r e sP o n sI b I l I T I e s 30
m a n daT o ry r e Qu I r e m e n T s 30
Preferred reQuIremenTs 30
d ev e l o P I n g a r e sum e f o r T H e w e b d ev e l o P e r
P o sI T Io n 33
m u lT I P l e r e sum e v e r sIo n s ? 41
a P IC T u r e I s wo rT H a T Ho u s a n d wo r d s 42
C o n sI d e r u sI n g a sk I l l s & e x P e r I e n C e g r a P H IC I n
you r r e sum e 42
leT Ters of referenCe 43
P r o f e s sIo na l r e f e r e n C e s 45

c ha P t e r 5 e f f e c t i v e i n t e rv i e w i nG - 4 6
T H e m o sT o f T e n s o u g H T a f T e r 46
T H e r o l e P r e se n C e P l ays 46
m o o d s a n d T H e I n T e rv I ew 51
m o o d Pa r I T y 54
mood sCale 55
o P P o sI T Io n — m I sI d e n T I f IC aT Io n — l a b e l I n g 57
“C Ha r g e” 63
d r e s s f o r T H e I n T e rv I ew 64
a n T IC I PaT e T H e C l I e n T 65
P r aC T IC e 66
w HaT m o s T P e o P l e wa n T f I r s T a n d f o r e m o s T 68
r a P P o rT 68

c ha P t e r 6 m or e a b o u t t h e Job i n t e rv i e w- 7 0
T H e T y P IC a l J o b I n T e rv I ew m o d e l 70
daTa g aT H e r I n g 70
f o C u se d P r e se n TaT Io n 71
C l o sI n g 76
f o l l ow u P 76

c ha P t e r 7 r e a l l i f e i n t e rv i e w Qu e st ion s - 7 8
u sua l Qu e s T Io n s 78
m o r e Qu e sT Io n s a n d P o s sI b l e r e sP o n se s 80
o f f- T H e - wa l l r e m a r k s 84
P r o b l e m - s o lv I n g Qu e sT Io n s 85
w HaT I f Qu e s T Io n s 85
sI l e n T a s se s sm e n T 86

c ha P t e r 8 s a l a rY e x P e c tat i on s - 8 8
T H e s a l a ry r a n g e 88
a b ov e T H e r a n g e 88
s a l a ry H I s T o ry 89

c ha P t e r 9 f or t h o se J u s t s ta rt i nG ou t- 9 0
you r g oa l 90
T H e e m P l oy e r sk I l l s a s se s sm e n T 91
C om Pa r I s o n 93
THe HunT 93
su g g e sT Io n s 93

c ha P t e r 1 0 f or t h o se w h o a r e u n e m P l oY e D - 9 5

f I r sT T H I n g s f I r s T 95
e x e r C I se 1 — sk I l l s a s se s sm e n T 95
sTa rT w I T H yo u r f I na n C e s 97
d ev e l o P a wo r k s C H e d u l e 98

c ha P t e r 1 1 G e n e r a l t i P s - 9 9
C om m u n IC aT Io n sk I l l s 99
P r e se n T vs . a b se n T 99
P o sI T I v e v e r su s n e g aT I v e 100
“ T H e b ox” — u n d e r s Ta n d I n g I T, wo r k I n g w I T H I T 100

c ha P t e r 1 2 w hat to l o ok f or i n a n aG e nc Y- 1 0 6
J o b C oaC H I n g 106
I n T e rv I ew C oaC H I n g 106
r e sum e d ev e l o P m e n T 106
mood sCale TraInIng 106

c ha P t e r 1 3 a DDi t i ona l t e s t i m on ia l s - 1 0 7
f r om J o b se e k e r s 107
f r om C o r P o r aT e C l I e n T s 112
aC k n ow l e d g e m e n T s 114

Handbook for (IT) Job Hunters 1

Preface

d aniel barber has a 41 year IT (Information Technology) back-
ground with 25 years as a recruiter, and is an experienced personal
advisor. He founded niche Technologists, Inc. in 1993 following 26 years
in corporate america where he held a variety of roles from entry to senior
level management/executive positions.

n iche Technologists is an IT (Information Technology) consulting
and staffing company that provides corporate clients throughout
the u.s. with flexible and permanent IT staffing support services.

m r. barber has been quoted in various trade publications, appeared
on television, participated in radio talk shows, published in sev-
eral newspapers and trade magazines, is an ex-drug rehab counselor, a
student of Crv (Controlled remote viewing), and student/adept in the
field of metaphysics the past 38 years.

“ my purpose in writing this guide is to empower job hunters to do
for themselves in their job search what I do for others. although the
slant is for the experienced IT professional, the guide should be useful
to anyone job hunting. It also gives one a look at the process on the
Corporate/Hr side.”


Chapter 1
How to Go About the Job of Job Hunting

k now before you go

a good first step is to write a plan before you launch into the job
search.
a simple, realistic plan will help to reduce the stress and establish
prediction and stability.
a plan gives you a road map to follow, keeps you out of the woods.
If you are currently employed, skip the obvious parts of the follow-
ing sample plan.

P •
lanning what to do

decide if you are willing to relocate for the “right” job. If you are,
make a list of geographical areas you are willing to relocate to.
• fully describe (write it out) what the “right” job would be for you.
• If you’re not willing to relocate, do not invest any time consider-
ing a job that would require relocation.
• decide if you are willing to take temporary work through a
consulting company/agency or if you would be willing to take
temporary work that includes a right-to-hire option.
• If you are, decide if you’re willing to travel during the week if
required; if you are, ask your associates for names of any consult-
ing companies/agencies they may be aware of in your area, and
then search for them and others on the web.
• Put the contact information of those consulting companies into
a folder labeled “Temporary Jobs”.

4 Daniel Barber

• make a list of current and past co-workers, and managers you
have reported to.
• Inform them you are looking for a job. ask for their help by
informing people they know who may be in a position to help.
• Put those contact names and dates you contacted them into a
folder labeled “networking”.
• search the major job boards on the Internet but do not post your
resume yet. what you want to do is search for, retrieve and print
out job descriptions that align with your background experience,
skills and geographical preference. Put these job descriptions in
a folder labeled “Job boards”.
• Create a search agent to automatically notify you when jobs are
posted that align with your background experience, skills, and
geographical preference.
• If you do not want to relocate, generate a list of companies that
are within a reasonable commuting distance. a directory of cor-
porations is available in some of the larger libraries and perhaps
through a local Chamber of Commerce. some libraries offer the
on-line use of “usa ref ” which is a database of thousands of
companies throughout the u.s. complete with contact names,
titles, addresses, etc.
• using the Internet, go to the web sites of these companies and
search their career opportunities/job postings for any that seem
to align with your background (do not apply on-line yet). Print
out these job postings and place them in a folder labeled “local
Companies.” revisit these web sites each week for any new post-
ings.
• go to the chapter in this guide on effective resume development
and read through it several times.


• go to the “Job boards” and “local Companies” folders. Pull out a
job description and create a “skills Comparison Table” as shown
in the chapter on effective resume development.
• follow the steps to develop your resume for that position.
• return to that appropriate job board or company web site and
apply / submit your resume on-line.
• Continue with the next job description until completed. keep a
list of all companies where you submitted your resume and the
date of submission.
• afterwards, post your resume on the major job boards.
• now go to the folder labeled “Temporary Jobs”.
• repeat the process.
• Purchase newspapers and review the jobs advertised. Proceed
accordingly.
• look for job fairs and attend them with several copies of your
resume (be sure to get as much detail on open positions that is
available).
• look for monthly or bi-monthly “business card exchange” gath-
erings. attend them with several copies of your resume.
• Contact the local Jaycees and ask if they can help.
• Contact the lion’s group and ask if they can help.
• Contact the association of retired professionals (or some such
title) and ask if they can help.

c ommon sense

If your skills and experience are a stretch for a particular job, don’t
waste your time by putting your resume forward. you’ll only become
frustrated if no one gets back to you.

6 Daniel Barber

If you have all of the mandatory skills and your background aligns
with a job description, go for it by all means but take the time to research
the company by going through their entire web site for starters, and then
surf the web on the company name.

If you have a majority of the mandatory skills and your background
aligns with the job description, go for it.

If you are entry level, look for entry level positions.

If you are entry level but can’t find an entry level position, look around
your area for consulting companies and agencies such as robert Half and
kelly services. Contact them for an entry level position or temporary job
while you search for a full-time position.

If you are entry level, think about starting your own freelance con-
sulting company to gain the necessary experience that can help you get
a full-time corporate position (you can always subcontract yourself out
to established consulting companies who work in your field).

If you’ve been out of the game for a while and want to get back in,
look for entry level positions — or make yourself available on a trial
basis for a more advanced position. offer yourself on a trial basis with
a right-to-hire option. These trial periods usually run 3 months. at the
end of three months, or before, a decision is made to either let you go or
convert you to full-time employee status. The objective here is to show
the client he does not have to make a long-term commitment right away
and allows both parties the opportunity to get to know one another (often
referred to as “try/buy”).


If your background reflects a pattern of career volatility (job hop-
ping), don’t expect a response to your resume if you apply for a full-time
position. Three jobs over a five or six year period usually qualifies as job
hopping. The client will see this as a red flag and have no reason to believe
the pattern won’t continue. doesn’t matter what caused the job hopping,
what matters is the pattern. That said, given the recent “crash” don’t put
too much attention on this, just be sure to include a brief statement in
each work history resume entry such as “laid off,” “downsizing,” “m&a
led to reorganization and layoffs.”

If you are a consultant wanting to leave the consulting sector for a
full time position, the client may be concerned about five things: (1) your
salary history, (2) your salary expectations, (3) why you want to leave
the consulting sector, (4) that you might return to the consulting sector,
or (5) that you may continue doing “freelance” work in your off-hours.

regards (1), your salary history, and (2), your salary expectations,
consultants typically out-earn full-time corporate employees. It’s likely
the full-time position pays far less than what a consultant is accustomed
to earning. It’s a trade-off that requires some careful thought on your part.

regarding (3), why you want to leave the consulting sector: the con-
sultants I’ve worked with who decided on a full-time position usually
wanted to eliminate extensive travel (spend more time with their families
or create a worthwhile relationship); wanted more stability in their life
(eliminate being unemployed for extended periods between contract
work); wanted to build a steady retirement fund (not always possible
for a consultant when he or she is not on assignment); wanted a good
medical, dental, vision, etc. benefits package (a consultant often pays all

8 Daniel Barber

or as much as 50% of this while a corporate employer usually pays all or
the majority of the costs).

regarding (4), you might return to the consulting sector, the items
in (3) above address this concern.

regarding (5), a good response is that your decision to leave the
consulting sector includes any free-lance work. what you do in your off
time is your business, but I’ve seen clients dismiss very qualified appli-
cants when they said they planned to continue free lance work on their
off hours. why they were dismissed is because the client/hiring manager
had a past bad experience with just such a person.

If you are a consultant who has left the consulting sector for a full
time position in the past but later returned to the consulting sector and
now want to return to a full time position, the client has no reason to
believe that pattern won’t continue.

The pattern is a reflection of your employment stability or instability
and, of late, the uncertain economy. but patterns can be deceptive. for
example, I’ve had candidates who were laid off a full time job and later
took a consulting engagement because no full time positions were avail-
able that aligned with their skills or that paid a decent salary. now that
one is available, they wanted to go for it. explain that to the client in your
resume summary (more about resume development in a later chapter).

be honest with yourself and those you work with during the process.
don’t kid yourself or waste your or their time. for example, if you initially
informed the client or agency that your salary expectation for a position


is x but you later decide it should be increased to y, you need to inform
those involved before you get into the interview phase. likewise if you
have known all along that a position does not include a bonus and you
agreed with that but later decided you want a bonus, you need to inform
those involved – I have had very qualified professionals tell me what their
salary expectations were, which I passed on to the client. The interviews
went so well the person told me he would bet the client would pay more.
I strongly advised against this but the person told the client he decided
he wanted more money. The client wanted to hire the person but decided
to walk away. The person was not viewed as trustworthy.

If you’re currently employed and decide to leave, isolate and identify
the exact reason(s) why you want to leave your current employer. Then, if
possible, discuss this with your manager and ask for him or her to work
with you to resolve the problem. realize that any new hiring manager who
interviews you is likely to ask “Tell me why you want to leave your current
employer?” or/and “did you try to resolve the problem with them?” what
will your answer be to those questions? I had one job seeker tell me he
left two jobs because “It was time to move on.” well, as a hiring manager
myself, I would and did discount him as a viable candidate. moreover,
there are always at least two reasons for moving on, the one you tell the
hiring manager and the one you don’t want to reveal.

w hat to expect

understanding the typical hiring process may help to alleviate frus-
tration you could experience during your job search.

10 Daniel Barber

t he typical hiring process

understanding what usually happens on the client side when they are
hiring will help. The sequence and time line explained below is typical
but not always the case.

• The job description is usually posted internally to give current
employees the opportunity to apply (career path opportunity).
This internal posting period is often for two weeks.
• If no internal candidates, the job description is then posted on
one or more of the major job boards, often posted on the client’s
corporate web site, and given to a few recruiting agencies the
client has developed a relationship with over time.
• resumes begin to arrive and are routed to an assigned Hr
(Human resources) representative.
• Hr reads through the resumes to determine if the candidates
appear qualified to the job description. If not qualified, the
resume is basically ignored. If qualified, the Hr usually does a
pre-screening interview by phone with the applicant. If the Hr
is reasonably assured the applicant is qualified, the resumes are
routed to the hiring manager for review.
• The hiring manager reads through the resumes and generally
sorts them into three categories: (1) those he wants to interview
first, (2) those he wants to interview in a second round if no one
is hired from the first round, and (3) those he does not want to
interview.
• The hiring manager then informs the Hr representative who
he would like to interview and includes dates and times he is
available.


• Hr then contacts the candidate directly or the agency to sched-
ule.
• The first round of interviews begins usually with the hiring man-
ager and one or more of his team attending. This first interview
is almost always a technical assessment; it can be on-site or on
the phone.
• all the while resumes continue to arrive and the process contin-
ues until the hiring manager has lined up four or more candi-
dates for the first round of interviews. This cut off point of four
is arbitrary and at the hiring manager’s and/or Hr’s discretion.
what generally happens is all resumes are put into a hold status
once this cut off number for the first round is decided. If no one
is hired following the first round, the hiring manager goes to the
second category candidates (my experience is that someone is
almost always hired when the first round concludes).
• when the first round of interviews is completed, the hiring man-
ager will meet with others who were involved in the interview
to decide which applicants they want to bring back for a second
interview. This second interview is usually to meet the senior
managers. note that it is not unusual for four or more interviews.
• again, the hiring manager will contact Hr with names of those
for the second interview and provide dates and times he and the
team are available. This is a narrow down and usually includes
the top two applicants.
• and again Hr contacts the candidates directly or the agencies
to schedule.
• The second interviews begin.
• once these are completed, Hr and the department managers
will select who they want to hire.

12 Daniel Barber

• Hr is contacted and they in turn call the candidates (or agencies)
to arrange a third and final meeting but this time with the Hr
representative. This meeting includes the formal offer, a review
of policy, benefits, forms to sign, establish a start date, etc. The
offer is often contingent on successful reference checks, drug
screening, sometimes background and credit history checks, and
almost always employment and salary verification.
• The remaining candidates are often not contacted with the
feedback that the position has been filled. However, the agencies
usually are and most of them will inform their candidates. I think
the reason so many candidates are not kept well informed by Hr
is because of the sheer volume of resumes received (hundreds
is not unusual).
• at some point, the job description will be removed from the
client’s corporate web site although any posted on the major job
boards are usually left to expire.

The above hiring process can take as few as 2 weeks or as long as 3
months.

you also need to be aware of another variable: there are agencies that
browse other agency web sites in search of job descriptions. They will
often copy them and then post them to their favorite job boards and / or
their own web sites in hopes of finding a qualified candidate (this often
explains why you’ll sometimes see several postings for the same posi-
tion). If they do find a qualified candidate, they will contact the agency
from whom they pulled the job description in hopes of working a “split
fee” arrangement.


most agencies (not all) will not go along with a split fee so be sure to
ask any agency if they have the job order directly from the client or have
been invited to help by another agency that was given the order by the
client (these agencies will have agreed to a split fee).

r ecord keeping

every time you apply for a position through an agency or on your
own, put the company name on a list and the date you submitted your
resume alongside. Tell agencies representing you to ask for your prior
approval before putting your resume forward to any client, and ask they
send you a copy of your resume that was sent to the client.

Having the agency get your approval before submission lets you check
the agency’s client against your list and avoids “double submissions,”
potential conflicts, and upsets. (be willing to give a copy of your list to
the agency so they don’t waste their time.)

I’ve seen clients walk away from valid candidates when two submit-
ting agencies made a fuss about who should receive commission if hired.
sometimes this is avoided if the client time stamps the resume on receipt
(first in wins). but the best handling is no handling when you employ
good record keeping and set the ground rules with the agency.

Having a copy of your resume that the agency sends to the client lets
you know what the client knows about you.

If you’re using an agency and you want to review your resume for
any changes they may have made, ask for a review before they submit it,

14 Daniel Barber

but be willing to guarantee your turnaround within a few hours or 1 day
at the most (time can be of the essence).

r egarding salary

many companies instruct the agencies working / recruiting for them
to never give a job applicant the salary range for a position nor allow it to
be posted on any job board. why they do this is because their experience
is that job applicants, hearing the salary range, will only remember the
top end of the range. This is too often the case and if the client decides for
any reason not to offer the top end, the applicant is upset, and the agency
who presented the client gets a hand slap or knocked off that company’s
agency list. but there is another reason salary ranges are usually not posted
within job descriptions: it happens that current employees of the hiring
company who have similar qualifications, perhaps in a similar role, will
find that job description and become upset if the salary range exceeds
what they are currently earning and this often leads to discord that can
affect an entire team/group.

If your average annual earnings over the past 3 years was in or near
six figures and your salary expectation is in or near six figures, don’t
expect a client to respond if the position pays a starting salary less than
$75,000 unless the position includes bonus, options or commission such
that, combined with the salary, you have a total compensation package
that can move you into that earnings range.

regardless of what the starting salary is, take into account the whole
package: salary, medical, dental, 401(k), pension plan, bonus or com-
mission plan, tuition reimbursement, company sponsored training, paid


vacation, holidays, personal days and sick days, career path opportunities,
working environment, and payroll taxes.

a starting salary of $75,000 can easily ramp into the six figures when
you take all of this into account — and you may be sure the client has
taken this into account in structuring the compensation package.

another thing to know about salary is they are often determined by
a Compensation analyst in Hr and, generally, are competitive for the
geographical area (but not always).

also to know is that hiring managers are sometimes given authority
to offer more but this rarely happens unless the hiring manager really,
really wants to hire a particular candidate.

Q uiz & review

1. list three reasons why having a plan to follow is a good idea.
2. what are some of the advantages of setting and holding to a
schedule when you’re between jobs?
3. why would it be important to understand the typical hiring
process?
4. what is the purpose of record keeping?
5. what are some of the things you can expect during your job
search?
6. what are some of the things you can do to relieve tension and
frustration during the process?

16

Chapter 2
Your Team

c ommon goal — common cause

your team includes you, your PC, the job boards, your resume, your
network, the hiring manager, Hr representatives, family, friends and
associates willing to help, agencies, etc.

your tools include your plan, a job-hunting work schedule you stick
to, an effective resume each time out, job board postings, the Internet,
job openings that fit, etc.

Hiring managers want to hire job seekers who are qualified to their
specifications (the job description).

Hr wants to give the hiring managers resumes that are qualified to
those specifications.

The successful job seeker wants to be hired and should only go after
job specifications for which he is qualified.

all share a common cause: all are working towards the same goal.

but on occasion there is another dimension on the client side which
the job hunter must be aware of and prepared to work with.

That dimension could be described as a veil that sometimes exists
between the job seeker and the hiring manager, and the job seeker and


Hr — a veil that you have to work with and through although you had
nothing to do with its existence.

If you were a hiring manager or Hr representative, how would you
feel about having to tell people you’ve interviewed and like that they will
not be hired?

what would you tell them?

what reason(s) would you give?

Hiring managers meet and interview dozens of job applicants when
they have positions to fill.

Hr is continually tasked with interviewing hundreds of applicants.

both try to get “close” to each applicant they meet in an attempt to
get a “good feeling” about the person.

a “good feeling” about someone means you would like or be willing
to have that person around, get to know, etc.

but a hiring manager and Hr know they are going to have to tell
some of the applicants they would like to have around that they aren’t
going to be around.

on the one hand they want to get to know you, but on the other
hand they may have become somewhat regretful from having gotten too
close to too many others before you whom they have had to disappoint.

18 Daniel Barber

most people don’t enjoy disappointing other people especially those
they have come to like even a little. In fact, some people may actually
feel as though they are committing a harmful act by having to disappoint
someone.

some people, rather than give someone disappointing news will
simply try to avoid talking with the person which, in part, explains the
absence of feedback.

regardless, the successful job seeker has to presume the existence of
this veil and work with it to bring about a “good feeling” about him by
the hiring manager and Hr.

a good feeling about someone is called rapport but it’s really a com-
posite of empathy, self-esteem, honesty, effective communication, and
the ability to interface with others.

you begin to work with the potential existence of this veil through an
effective resume which insures the client will know within the first 5 - 10
seconds of looking at it that you meet the job specifications — (Chapter 4).

you continue through effective interviewing (Chapters 5 – 7).

t he process and the goals

many job seekers fail to realize they are participating in a hiring
process without having a clear understanding of what that hiring process
entails; this lack of understanding can lead to a great deal of frustration.


of course, it would be nice if the process was explained up front but
it rarely is and that is why I’ve given you a typical hiring process. Having
some understanding of the process sequence and how it flows allows
you to put some reasonable prediction in with regard to what to expect
and when.

If you’re dealing through an agency, ask them to explain the client’s
hiring process.

If you’re not working through an agency, use the typical hiring process
model or ask the Hr representative if they would explain their process.

a majority of job seekers also fail to incorporate and more closely
align their approach with the goals of the client.

your goal is a no-brainer: to get hired.

a search agency’s goal, if you’re using one, is a no-brainer: to get
you hired.

Is anything missing?

what about the hiring manager’s goal?

The hiring manager’s goal is to hire someone he feels is best fit for
the position.

I can tell you with absolute certainty that “best fit” does not always
mean the most technically qualified.

20 Daniel Barber

managers regularly hire people they have a good feeling about whose
technical skills are lighter than stronger technical applicants they don’t
have a good feeling about or whose “soft skills” are lacking (a soft skill
would include strong interpersonal skills, high on empathy, willing to
interact with others, etc.).

The Hr goal includes reviewing resumes, interviewing applicants,
and sending to the hiring manager those applicants’ resumes they believe
fit the job specifications.

later in the process, Hr meets the applicants chosen to interview,
has them fill out an employment application, explain what they know
about the position, usually give an overview on the company, and ask a
few questions before introducing you to the hiring manager.

e stablishing rapport

establishing a rapport begins with realizing that you and the client
are on the same team, the same page, developing your resume to parallel
the job description, and the aforementioned attributes.

Q uiz & review

1. what is the value of having a team whose goals are aligned?
2. why would it be important for you to view yourself as someone
who is on the same team as the client?
3. what is the definition of rapport?

21

Chapter 3
The Waiting Game

T here are two types of positions you should be aware of so that you
can estimate how long the hiring process is likely to take.

The two types are often referred to as “backfill” and “overfill.”

a backfill comes about when someone vacates an existing position
(promoted, transferred, resigned, whatever). an overfill position is a
newly created position.

b ackfill positions

Hiring managers are usually in a hurry to fill them because his or
her team is carrying the extra workload. I’ve had backfill positions close
within two weeks from resume submittal, through the interviewing pro-
cess, and formal employment offer. However, sometimes they take longer.

o verfill positions

The hiring manager is usually not in a big hurry to fill these. I’ve had
overfill positions take three or four months to close.

t oo many cooks in the kitchen?

expect unusual delays in the process if three or more hiring managers
are involved in the decision making process. why is because each manager
has a vision of what he feels is needed and sometimes these visions are

22 Daniel Barber

not aligned. It becomes your job to find out what they are and to align
yourself to them (more about this in Chapter 6).

when there are too many cooks in the kitchen, whose vision do you
think will win out? usually it is the most senior of the managers.

h r and your resume

Hr representatives do much more than read through resumes,
schedule job interviews, make employment offers, review benefits, policy,
etc. many of them are also responsible for a host of employee relations
activities: understanding and implementing relative federal and state
legislative issues, resolving workplace issues, managing industrial and
labor relations, labor negotiations, mediations, employee counseling,
state and federal Hr audits, etc.

Hr is usually assigned to partner with hiring managers when the
hiring manager has an open position to fill. Their purpose is to save the
hiring manager time so that he can continue to spend most of it on his
primary duties.

when Hr is involved, it is they who first read through incoming
resumes, often hundreds of them. It is Hr who decides which resume
seems to fit the job specifications. It is Hr who usually interviews you
first, and who sends your resume to the hiring manager for his review if
a good interview, and it is Hr who will try hard to get feedback.

until you read through a few hundred resumes for a single position,
and sort out who seems to fit, all the while handling interruptions which


break your train of thought, having to turn your attention to a higher
priority issue, etc. you can’t image how frustrating this single task can be.

I’m not making excuses, but I am giving you an understanding of life
on the other end during the hiring process.

If your resume does not immediately convey to Hr that you have
what the job specification calls for, it’s not likely to find its way to the
hiring manager.

and if your resume does finds its way to the hiring manager, but does
not immediately convey to him that you have what the job specifications
calls for, it’s not likely you’ll be interviewed.

t he hiring manager and your resume

as hiring managers read through resumes, they usually sort them
into there categories: (1) candidates they want to interview first, (2) can-
didates they will interview if no one is hired from the first round, and (3)
candidates they will not interview.

Clients often, but not always, fill positions when the first round is
completed.

making the first round requires getting your resume to the client
quickly, making sure it presents you effectively and how long the posi-
tion has been open.

24 Daniel Barber

Q uiz & review

1. what is a backfill position?
2. what is an overfill position?
3. why is it important to know if the position is backfill or overfill?

25

Chapter 4
Effective Resume Development

t he purpose of a resume

The purpose of a resume is to get you the first interview (there are
usually 2 or more interviews in the hiring process).

There’s no such thing as a “job winning” resume. There is such a thing
as an effective resume summary drafted to the job’s particulars such that
you probably will be interviewed.

I’ll show you how to create a resume that will stand out above the
others and be more likely to get you the interview.

Presuming you have the hard and soft skills, you’ll win 2nd and 3rd
interviews through your friendliness, preparation, ability to empathize,
and effective communication and interview skills.

you’ll win the job offer through your friendliness, preparation, ability
to empathize, and effective communication and interview skills.

Here is an exercise that will help increase a person’s friendliness:
exercise 5
as yourself or have another person ask:
1. look around here and find someone, something, or somewhere
you would be willing to like.
that’s really real to you.

26 Daniel Barber

that you wouldn’t mind contacting or getting into communica-
tion with.
you wouldn’t mind or would be willing to understand more of.
you would be willing to have a higher quality friendliness toward.

Cycle through 1 – 5 over and over and continue until you notice and
feel a nice improvement in friendliness and then end off.

To increase your chances of getting the interview, here is one approach
I’ve been using with a great deal of success with hundreds of job seekers
for many years.

a resume would contain (1) a summary, (2) education, (3) Technical
skills, and (4) work History.

summary
education
technical skills
work history

t he summary

The summary is the key component; it is the first thing that appears
on your resume and the first thing the client will read.

The summary is developed and written to closely align with the cli-


ent’s job specifications.

(Job specifications are almost always developed or approved by the
hiring manager.)

your summary tells them you have what they have been looking for
(presuming you do).

They will read through your summary, realize you appear to have
what they are looking for.

at this point, they will look down into the “body” or work History
of your resume in search of entries that support what you have told them
in the summary

supporting entries in your work History show them where, when,
and how you have done what the summary says you have done.

If your work History does not support your summary, you’re out
of the game.

If your work History does support your summary, it is highly likely
you’ll be called in to interview for the position.

e ducation

Here you would include educational background including any cer-
tifications and on-going academic pursuits.

28 Daniel Barber

t echnical skills

software and Hardware.

w ork history

This is the “body” of your resume — whatever else it contains, it must
also contain entries that support your summary.

In this section, you would highlight or otherwise emphasize (bold
type works well) those entries that support your summary.

Q uiz & review

1. what is the purpose of a resume?
2. what sections should be included in a resume?
3. what importance does the summary have?
4. why is the summary placed at the beginning?
5. why is it necessary that the work History section support the
summary?

a simple and successful methodology

I’ll introduce you to a simple and successful methodology I have
used to employ hundreds of job seekers all over the united states who
were or still are employed by some of the largest companies in the world.

The methodology begins with a job description/specifications, con-
tinues with the development of a “skills Comparison Table,” and follows


through with the development of an effective resume.

J ob specification/description

you’ll find these posted on job boards, corporate web sites, in news-
papers, trade publications and magazines, or through agencies.

read through the job description several times until you understand
what is wanted and needed.

study the mandatory skills, desirable skills, preferred skills, and job
responsibilities. Honestly compare your skills and experience against the
job description.

a good way to do this comparison is to develop a “skills Comparison
Table” consisting of rows and columns (example below).

The left-hand column contains the skills, experience, etc. that are
listed on the job description.

The right-hand columns you fill in based on your skills and experi-
ence.

when completed, you’ll know if you’re qualified. If you are, you will
use the table to develop your summary.

a web Developer job description

Here is a web developer job description from one of my clients:

30 Daniel Barber

r •
esponsibilities

Handling day to day maintenance of HTml and Javascript on
any of our branded websites;
• building and maintaining the content management system for
various sections of our primary web site;
• researching emerging technologies and the ability to determine
how they could be applied to current initiatives.

m •
andatory requirements

2-4 years of experience with HTml, dHTml and Javascript
(not academic or self study);
• some knowledge of Java J2ee programming;
• sample work available for viewing either on disk or via url is
required;
• The ability to take direction well and follow project guidelines
closely, as well as have a strong desire to learn new development
languages and techniques;
• well-rounded in both client and user side interfaces;
• must live within reasonable commute distance

P •
referred requirements

experience with xml/xslT and JsP/servlets/oo Programming
• some knowledge of Coldfusion
• Prior experience with a content management system; e.g. Inter-
woven.
• 4-year degree


• some experience developing front-end applications in a portal
environment

A Skills Comparison Table developed from the Web Developer Job Description
mandatory skills my hands-on last time i my skills level:
(taken from the Job experience used the b = beginner
Description) not including skill i = intermediate
academic or a = advanced
self-study

HTML : 2-4 years 4 Sept 04 I
experience required

DHTML : 2-4 years 4 Sept 04 I
experience required

JavaScript : 2-4 years 4 Sept 04 I
experience required

Some knowledge of 1 2 projects B
Java programming since 2002

Sample work avail- Yes
able on disk or URL

Can take direction Yes
well and follow proj-
ect guidelines closely

Strong desire to learn Definitely
new development lan-
guages and techniques

Reasonable commut- 43 miles
ing distance from the
client?

Well-rounded in 3 Sept 04 I
client side user inter-
faces, and server side
dynamic scripting

Preferred skills (taken
from the Job Descrip-
tion)

32 Daniel Barber

self-study

XML No

XLST No

Servlets Yes Sept 04

OO programming Yes J2ee Sept 04

ColdFusion or similar No

Content management No
software; e.g. Interwo-
ven or similar

Developing front- A little Jul 04
end applications in a
portal environment

Computer Sciences No, Masters in
degree Biology

responsibilities
(taken from the Job
Description)

Handle day to day Yes For the
maintenance of past 2
HTML and JavaScript years
on any of the branded
web sites

Building and main- A little Helped do
taining the content this on a
management system project 1
for various sections of year ago
the primary web site


self-study
Research emerging Yes Respon-
technologies and sible for
determine how they this over
could be used with the past 2
current initiatives years
The completed table reveals that you have the mandatory skills, some
of the preferred skills, and experience with similar responsibilities.

you’re qualified to proceed.

D eveloping a resume for the web developer position

This is prepared from your skills Comparison Table using your current
resume.

(This applicant was invited in by the client for a technical interview, a
second interview to meet senior management, and subsequently hired.)

John doe
2 nabisco way
wala wala, wa 00009
(610) 555-1111
email address

web develoPer summary

i have been using html, Dhtml and Javascript since 2000 and rate myself
at an intermediate skills level with these tools. i also have used Java J2ee

34 Daniel Barber

since 2002 on two projects.

i have a master’s degree and a 6+ year it background with one employer
and have been looking for a web Developer position since relocating to this
area in January 05.

my communication and interpersonal skills are excellent. i am a strong
team player, take direction well and have no difficulty following established
guidelines.

[The summary was developed from the skills table. The table was developed
from the job description. The summary appears as the first entry in the resume
so as to immediately inform the client you have what they want]

technical skills

web Development: HTml, dHTml, Css, Javascript, Java, Jrun,
dreamweaver, asP, frontPage
Databases: sQl server, microsoft access 97/00
operating systems: windows 95/98/00
languages: vba/visual basic 6.0
software: ms excel expert, adobe Photoshop, microsoft office

eDucation

studied Computer Information systems at (name of college or university)
master of science degree in biology

work historY

(Company name, city, state) Sept 98 – Dec 04
web developer/Programmer

[The experience section supports the summary & objective. The support-
ing entries are highlighted so the client can easily and quickly spot them]

Technologies utilized: sQl server, asP, vbscript, Java

• upgraded existing Process Control Plan application to expand its use
across other engineering departments.
• added more users to the database and as a result improved security
of the application
• Improved robustness of sQl server back-end and asP front-ends with
increased normalization of entity relationships.
• Created Java classes for timers and escalation notices
• upgraded older technology used in the application to comply with the
J2ee standards

Technologies utilized: sQl server, Jrun, Java

• upgraded the business process by eliminating the usage of ms excel


and created a web-based Java front end using the mvC architecture
(JsP, Java servlets & Java beans)
• developed document/file management with version control and secu-
rity features.
• Produced HTml reports for management for tracking visibility of
upcoming issues.

Technologies utilized: visual basic for applications, excel, sQl server,
Jrun, Java

• developed an application that automates and consolidates the scorecard
entry of all validation employees.
• generated reports in ms excel using vba for departmental cost met-
rics, cell phone usage metrics, budget-based on workdays and glide
path report.
• used an innovative approach to integrate two different application
environments, Java and microsoft.
• upgraded the application by creating a sQl server back-end and Java-
enabled web front-end using mvC architecture (JsP, Java servlets &
Java beans) for entering information.

Technologies utilized: html, Dhtml, Javascript

• led a website development project for productivity improvement and
managerial efficiency.
• designed and developed website solutions for process validation, TasT,
departmental support, Iso, and the manufacturing engineering’s
executive director’s website. Had all of the sites certified by the I.s. &
s. board of certification.
• achieved balance between user and customer requirements and ePd
template requirements.
• effectively established a network within the engineering department
for data and web support.
• represented the department in developing a coordinated web strategy
for manufacturing engineering.
• Created a system delivery Process using sdP-21 for dTs application
• developed project charter, business case, project plan, system require-
ments, system design, and system construction

Technologies utilized: visual basic for applications, ms access

for the following three projects, analyzed user requirements, information
flow, project definition, design, development, implementation of security,
comprehensive data testing, piloting, data acquisition plan, documentation,
distribution, training, backup, and maintenance for several applications.

for all of the databases, a multi-user setting with multiple layers of security
was applied which was inclusive of creation and addition of users, granting
permissions to users, generating mde and mdw files.

technical specification Database
• Converted access 2.0 to ’97 and eventually to 2000
• Importing and exporting from ms excel to ms access

36 Daniel Barber

• Created macros in excel.
• successfully completed and deployed version I of the Technical speci-
fication database.
• revised version II with user-friendly front-end and lean charts for
database requirements.
• Compiled vba codes and compacted the database

metrics Database
• developed and deployed dimensional lean engineering metrics
database.
• effectively integrated ms excel charts with ms access.
• Compile vba codes and compacting the database
• key features included production of a variety of charts for average
hours/deliverable, average deliverables/engineer, and average cost/
deliverable.

facility Database
• Created initial version of a facility database: The application maintains
the departmental people information such as the personal info, profes-
sional info such as years of service, education, training etc.
• developed database design, user defined queries, reports, and forms.
• generated monthly headcount report to the director used for main-
taining headcount.
• generating complex queries, canned and ad hoc reports and user
defined forms. Creating modules, macros, sending objects via email.
Importing and exporting data from various applications.
end

another example
a hyperion essbase Job Description

Job title
Hyperion essbase systems administrator

Job Description
This position is responsible for Hyperion essbase application development
and administration within the management reporting and Planning divi-
sion. This position will work with the account department on monthly
system operations and maintenance. The position will be responsible for
developing and maintaining essbase cubes, developing relevant catalogs
and reports, applying essbase formulas, building load rules and running
calc scripts. In addition, the position will manage the budget process and
maintain systems related sarbanes-oxley control items. This position
requires primarily technical skills but knowledge of financial and profit-
ability information is required as well.


responsibilities
maintaining and developing essbase cubes
Creating and maintaining relevant reports and books in essbase
developing critical essbase applications to fulfill expanding needs of grow-
ing company and provide internal support for internal customers
day-to-day system operations and maintenance including system upload
plans and procedures, system backups and server upgrades
develop and maintain essbase calculation scripts
maintain system security, budgeting information, currency tables, business
rules, updating interfaces
manage development work
maintain system documentation
developing and delivering training on Hyperion reports and analyzer

experience and skills required
ability to develop database applications within essbase, implement those
applications into a production process and provide ongoing production
support to the application.
ability to work independently with business areas, internal technical sup-
port functions as well as external vendors.
ability to assume some senior level development and leadership respon-
sibilities.
bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or IT
display and ability to work with the financial aspects of Hyperion and com-
prehend complex financial calculations. International experience, including
working with multi-currency translations, a definite plus.
Two years experience with Hyperion essbase, reports and analyzer and
demonstrate the ability to develop applications in these disciplines on their
own.
strong technical background

hyperion essbase skills comparison table
mandatory my hands-on last used my skills level:
skills experience b = beginner
i = intermediate
a = advanced

2 years develop- Approximately 4 Starting in 1998, Advanced
ment experience years of experi- and used for over
using Essbase, ence (4 years 2 years. Also
Reports and with reports currently using it
Analyzer and and 2 years with during consult-
demonstrated Essbase and Ana- ing.
ability to develop lyzer). Extensive
applications in experience writ-
these disciplines ing reports, as
on their own well as building
data cubes.

38 Daniel Barber

i = intermediate
a = advanced
Bachelor’s Degree Bachelor’s degree
in Finance, in Economics,
Accounting or IT Master’s degree in
Finance and MIS

Experience Extensive in all Since 1998 Advanced
working with the aspects of my
financial aspects career. Experi-
of Essbase, and ence in financial
comprehend calculations as
complex financial well as statistical.
calculations

International International Intermediate:
applications experience comes I understand
experience and from working multi-currency
multi-currency abroad for over translations and
translations two years. international
applications.

Strong technical Yes Since 96 Advanced
background

Experience Numerous Throughout my Advanced.
includes devel- custom financial, career
opment and operational and
implementation reporting applica-
of applications tions in a variety
into a produc- of software.
tion process with Each has been
ongoing support supported and
documented.

Experience work- Both within
ing independently companies and
within business as an outside
areas, providing consultant.
internal techni-
cal support and
interface with
external vendors


i = intermediate
a = advanced
Experience Management
assuming some responsibilities of
senior level up to 20 people
development reporting to me.
and leadership
responsibilities?

hyperion essbase resume
(The client interviewed this job seeker, once on the phone and then flew
him in for an on site interview. a formal offer was made a few hours after
the on-site interview, which the job seeker accepted.)

John doe
2 nabisco way
wala wala, wa 00009
(610) 555-1111
email address

summarY

• approximately 4 years experience with reports and 2 years with essbase
and analyzer. extensive experience writing reports and building data
cubes (advanced skills level).
• extensive financial systems throughout my career (advanced level,
financial and statistical).
• i understand multi-currency transactions and international applications
from my experience at (company name) (intermediate skills level).
• bachelor’s degree in economics, and master’s in finance and mis.
• Development and implementation of applications into a production
process providing on-going support has been the cornerstone of my
career. i have created numerous, custom financial, operational and
reporting applications in a variety of software, supported and docu-
mented (advanced skills).
• experience includes working independently within business areas, pro-
viding internal technical support and interfacing with external vendors
and clients, both within companies and as an outside consultant.
• experience assuming senior level development and leadership respon-
sibilities with up to 20 people reporting to me.

technical skills

• Hyperion essbase, Hyperion analyzer, Hyperion reports, Crystal report-

40 Daniel Barber

ing, sPss, sas, saP, vantive.
• excel including programming macros, access including modules.
• microsoft office programs including word and PowerPoint, Project, visio.
• as400 applications including Jde.
• mainframe computing including foCus and nomad.

eDucation

master of business administration (Name of college or University)
Concentrations in management Information systems and finance Honors

bachelor of arts
major: Political economy minor: Political science (Name of college or University)

work historY

consultinG sept03-Present

• Currently providing analytical consulting for a range of clients.
• adjunct professor in communications and humanities.
• Created custom reporting database developed in access and designed
accounting reporting system in essbase.
• Conducted sarbanes-oxley process flow documentation analysis.

(company name, city, state) may 02 – sept 03
Project manager

• Performed data and financial analysis for channel incentive programs.
• organized writing and implementation of all original training, including
innovative reference documentation system for 75 person customer care
department. Trained all instructors in courses and teaching methods.
• Created manufacturing scheduling system in access to provide management
information not available with the current system.
• streamlined order process and reorganized department to improve efficiency
and increase productivity. directed my team in diagramming out the sales
order process from company receipt at end of sale to user receipt and fulfill-
ment. This included documentation, process flow analysis and reorganiza-
tion through saP and vantive. month end close time was reduced by 50%
with no additional headcount required saving significant overtime costs.
• supervised fifteen employees.

(company name, city, state) aug 00 – may 02
manager of finance and mIs

• Project manager on a comprehensive budgeting model using access in a
client server environment. This included designing the model to specifica-
tions, overseeing and coordinating development and testing, training and
support during use, and analysis of results.
• Project manager on several financial and hospitality forecasting models and
automated financial reporting process.
• both projects involved international analysis and reporting which incorpo-


rated currency exchange and consolidation from several countries.
• Provided all finance and mIs support for all divisions. This included ess-
base development and reporting, custom applications in visual basic, and
advanced Jde.
• Casino statistician.
• supervised two employees.

(company name, city, state) oct 98 – Jul 00
senior financial risk analyst

• directed essbase reporting for auto loan and lease division.
• developed several original loss forecasting methods that were later adopted
by a major consumer credit bureau.
• Implemented automated decision process.
• Created analysis of relationship between loan origination and loss rates
using sas.
• developed consumer credit criteria for targeted sales and database market-
ing analysis for subsidiary.

(company name, city, state) mar 96 – oct 98
financial analyst

• developed and managed implementation of new division level reporting
tools in excel and access using visual basic for automation. Contribution
for several sales and customer databases included design and formatting,
all programming, writing user manuals, teaching end users, and follow up.
• developed a production forecasting tool in access that incorporated infor-
mation from the as400 and the mainframe and provided automated output
within minutes.
• Provided monthly statistical regression analysis on forecasting accuracy
using sas
• automated several capital investment Irr processes, as well as roI model
for field use.
• supported all divisions including accounting close, marketing, sales and
manufacturing.

end

m ultiple resume versions?

This system does not require that you develop multiple resume ver-
sions for each position you apply for.

This system conditionally requires that you develop a new summary
depending on what skills and experiences are emphasized in different

42 Daniel Barber

Job descriptions. my experience has been that a resume developed, for
example, towards a web developer position with one company requires
no or very minor changes to the summary for a web developer position
with another company.

you can end up with multiple summary versions but the body (work
History) of your resume does not change other than what you highlight
based on the summary and job description.

a picture is worth a thousand words

from a survey I conducted with several hiring managers, one of
the questions I asked was: “what do you want to immediately see in a
resume?”

The majority of hiring managers told me: “a picture that shows me
the candidate has what I’m looking for.”

I’ve given you one approach, which is the summary at the beginning
of the resume.

There is another, often more effective approach: give them a picture
of the summary and then the summary in words.

c onsider using a skills & experience graphic in your resume

The next page gives you the picture incorporated into the resume but
only shows the graphics and the summary.
hyperion essbase resume with a picture and summary


John doe
2 nabisco way
wala wala, wa 00009
(610) 555-1111
email address

HYPERION ESSBASE ADMINISTRATOR
YEARS EXPERIENCE

ESSBASE & ANALYZER

HYPERION REPORTS

FINANCE & IT

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

summarY

• approximately 4 years experience with reports and 2 years with essbase
and analyzer. extensive experience writing reports and building data cubes
(advanced skills level).
• extensive financial systems throughout my career (advanced level, financial
and statistical).
• I understand multi-currency transactions and international applications
from my experience at sun International (intermediate skills level).
• bachelor’s degree in economics, and master’s in finance and mIs.
• development and implementation of applications into a production process
providing on-going support has been the cornerstone of my career. I have
created numerous custom financial, operational and reporting applications
in a variety of software, supported and documented (advanced).
• experience includes working independently within business areas, providing
internal technical support and interfacing with external vendors and clients,
both within companies and as an outside consultant.
• my experience assuming senior level development and leadership respon-
sibilities with up to 20 people reporting to me.

(The hiring manager immediately “sees” and then reads about the major skills he
wants. MS Excel was used to generate the graphic, which was then copied and
pasted into the resume in MS Word.)

l etters of reference

I suggest you obtain letters of reference as these can be powerful tools
if you know how to use them in your resume.

44 Daniel Barber

The following page gives a resume of a job seeker applying for a
network systems administrator position. This job seeker had letters of
references which I excerpted into the summary and then attached to
the resume which I sent to the client. The resume won him the initial
interview.

The Job description and skills Comparison Table are not included
in this example.

network administrator’s resume that includes a graphic and excerpts in the
summary from letters of reference

John doe
2 nabisco way
wala wala, wa 00009
(610) 555-1111
email address

HYPERION ESSBASE ADM INISTRATOR
YE ARS EXPERIENCE

ESSBASE & ANALYZER

HYPERION REPORTS

FINANCE & IT

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

summarY

my technical background for this position includes 6 years with windows
nt, 3 years with windows 03, 5 years with windows 00, 3 years with sQl, 5
years with iis, 4 years with terminal, 6 years with wins, 8 years with ms office
suite, 10 years with backup units, routers and scanners, 10 years with ibm
and compaq desktop and laptops, 5 years with norton antivirus, 4 years with
cisco hardware, 10 years with compaq and hP hardware, 5 years Dns, 6 years
Dhcp, 2 years landesk and sus servers, 5 years active Directory, 6 years with
application, print and file servers, and 4 years with veritas backup software.

i have a masters Degree in computer sciences, and a bachelor’s in business
administration. my certifications include mcP, mcP+, and mcse. i am
currently pursuing ccna/ccnP certifications.


references from my last employer are attached. excerpts below:

“he has performed extremely well in the daunting task of supporting in
excess of 200 users in 17 locations among 5 states. his ability to effectively
and punctually service and administer the infrastructure of the company
single-handedly is testimony to his abilities and work ethic. i whole-heartedly
recommend him.” — Director of mis

“his assistance in the communication and data area has been the key to
keeping our systems functioning at a high level of accuracy. he provided the
proper balance of support and direction needed to enable individuals to suc-
ceed and has a sense of urgency about business and consistently reinforces the
priorities of the company. he promotes good relations and adheres to a high
standard of ethics. i enthusiastically recommend him.” — vP of operations

(The summary was developed from the skills Table. The skills Table
was developed from the Job description.)

P rofessional references

Take the initiative and have two references lined up with former
supervisors.

Q uiz & review

1. what is a skills Comparison Table?
2. what is the purpose of a skills Comparison Table?
3. what is used to prepare a skills Comparison Table?
4. what is used to develop the summary?
5. why must the “body” or work experience part of the resume
contain information that supports the summary?
6. what is the value of having letters of reference in preparing your
resume?

46

Chapter 5
Effective Interviewing

t he most often sought after

I’ve seen hiring managers time and again hire the job applicant who
was friendlier, and whose interpersonal and communication skills were
superior to other applicants — even though the other applicants were
technically stronger.

This tells you the importance friendliness, empathy, self-esteem,
effective communication, honesty, and interview skills play in the process.

t he role presence plays

Presence is defined as you being “here now.”

Here are two axioms you can live by:

• where your attention is — Is where you are.
• where another’s attention is — Is where they are.

your attention can be in the past, the present, the future or all three
concurrently.

attention in the past

you left home earlier than usual this morning so that you could get
to the office by 8:00 am, plenty of time to complete the business plan that


you’re scheduled to present at a 10:00 am manager’s meeting.

severe traffic congestion and long lines at the toll booth caused
unusual delays and you end up arriving at the office at 9:15. you’re very
frustrated and frankly quite angry because now you have only 45 minutes
to prepare. Then you realize this time of the year is when a lot of people
are vacationing, more cars on the roads then usual and you get a little
angry at yourself for not remembering this last night so you could have
left home even earlier.

regardless, the plan is due and you immediately start working on it
— but you can’t seem to take the plan to a satisfactory end point because
of the frustration and anger. now you find yourself getting angrier than
before.

you are being pulled back into the past.

Do exercise 3 on Page 50.

attention in the future

you’re discussing the status of on-going projects with the project
manager in an 8:30 meeting, but your attention keeps getting pulled
onto the employee reviews that are expected by your manager at 4:00
pm. you’ve had review meetings with all 8 of your staff but still have to
complete the review forms and handle everything else that will probably
come up during the day. you know from past experience that each review
form takes about 1 hour to complete.

48 Daniel Barber

you are being pulled into the future.

Do Exercise 3 on Page 50.

again, where your attention is — is where you are.

absence prevents effectiveness.

In both of the above examples, the person was absent from the “here,
now.”

This can be especially lethal during an interview, review, presenta-
tion, etc.

Can you recall a time you became slightly annoyed with someone
you were talking to because he really wasn’t there — lights were on but
no one at home?

Can you recall a time someone became slightly annoyed because you
weren’t really there?

absence is the opposite of presence.

absence comes about when your attention isn’t where it should be
or where you want it to be.

Presence is vital to effective communication which is the mainstay
in successful relationship building, interviews, presentations, conflict
resolution, evaluating the important from the unimportant, establishing


priorities, envisioning, planning, implementing, etc.

exercise 2— freeing up your attention to increase your presence

below is an exercise that will help to increase your potential to be
more present.

• make a list of all the projects you may have your attention on —
set aside some time to do this and let it take as long as it takes.
• when you have completed the list, take a look at the first item
and estimate how much time it is likely to take to complete. Then
do the same with the next item, etc.
• now go back through the list and decide which should be done
first, second, etc. Here you are establishing priorities, orders of
importance.
• Then schedule time for the first item and do it. doesn’t matter
how long it takes to complete, what matters is that you do it fully
and to the best of your ability. (If you do something half-way, it
will come back at you to be done again.)
• Take the second item and do it.

Change priorities as needed, and allow for new things to be added to
the list. expect some things to take longer to complete than you expected,
and expect things to come up that may cause delays.

as each project is completed, you’ll feel a little better, more present,
less “scattered,” and more in control. your attention that was focused on
that project frees up and comes back under your control for use elsewhere.
This not only gives you an increased sense of well being but increases

50 Daniel Barber

your presence factor in that you have more of you to work with than
before. It’s that simple.

exercise 3 — how to increase your presence and friendliness

Here is a simple exercise that will help you become more present
and friendlier. I find this one particularly enjoyable while taking a walk
outdoors although it can also be done indoors.

• notice something in your surroundings.
• now notice something about it that you can agree with or like.
• notice something else in your surroundings.
• now notice something about it that you can agree with or like.

repeat this exercise until you feel more “here” and friendlier.

Q uiz & review

1. what is meant by presence?
2. what is meant by absence?
3. recall a time when you were present with someone.
4. How did that make you feel?
5. recall a time when you were absent with someone.
7. recall a time when someone was present with you.
9. recall a time when someone was absent with you.


m oods and the interview

moods can be very powerful and they play a key role in interviews
and in life.

a mood is just a mood. There are lots of them but the main ones
include apathy, lethargy, sadness, fear, masked rage, rage, anger,
Contentious, boredom, reserved, Interest, enthusiasm, and a few others
(refer to the mood scale below).

a mood is not you. a mood may certainly influence you, but a mood
is not you.

moods are triggered by the ups and downs of life. They put a person
into a particular frame of mind (attitude) and it is from this position that
we try to get things done.

so powerful are some moods that people have a tendency to become
the mood as reflected in their attitude: anger can cause a person to become
angry. Cheerfulness can cause a person to become cheerful.

bad moods are catching.

recall a time someone near you was in a bad mood.

How did that affect you?

good moods are catching.

52 Daniel Barber

recall a time someone near you was in a good mood.

How did that affect you?

everyone experiences a bad mood at one time or another so go easy
on yourself or the other person. keep in mind a mood is simply a mood,
not the person, and that moods are triggered by the ups and downs of life.

To handle the unwanted moods, you need to know more about them
and how to work with them.

ever try to be effective, productive or friendly when you’re angry?

Takes a lot of effort, and makes for a tough day.

ever notice how little effort it takes to be effective, productive and
friendly when you’re in a good mood?

not much at all and it makes the day more enjoyable for you and
those around you.

as an aside, it is when you are in a good mood that you want to think
about and plan your future.

when you are in a bad mood, your immediate goal should be to
separate yourself from that mood.

Here is an exercise that will help you do that: exercise 4
ask yourself or have another person ask: “describe your mood level.”


Then describe your mood level. describe everything you feel about
it, holding nothing back. repeat and answer this question as many times
as needed until you can feel that your outlook has improved if even just
a little. all you want to do here is improve your mood level so end off
when you feel a little better.

what happens during the exercise is that each answer to the question
requires that you actually push the mood slightly away from you so as to
get separation. The further it moves away from you, the better you feel,
and the more able you are to describe it. It’s the act of separating yourself
from the mood that causes improvement.

note: The agent that binds the mood to you, what keeps it in place,
is emotions which are contained within the mood so expect some to
manifest as you go through this extremely effective exercise.

moods generate carrier waves whose characteristics are determined
by the mood.

a carrier wave transports (carries) your feelings and words.

The carrier wave is projected outwards and makes first contact —
before the words arrive.

The negative moods generate dense, heavy and slow moving carrier
waves: lethargy and boredom are two examples.

The positive moods generate lighter, faster moving carrier waves:
interest and enthusiasm are two examples.

54 Daniel Barber

someone in a positive mood will be highly effective, more productive
and friendlier than someone in a negative mood.

m ood parity

what happens during a job interview if you are in a positive mood
but the client is in a negative mood?

a majority if not all of what you say will simply not arrive because
the absence of mood parity prevents connection.

you and the client are at different positions on the mood scale. He’ll
hear your words, see your lips moving, but the words won’t register. It’s
like trying to send an e-mail with no connection to the Internet or Intranet
(the message never arrives).

effective communication will not occur.

Conversely, if the client is in a positive mood but you are in a negative
mood, the same thing happens.

It’s like trying to draw a circle with pen to paper but not being able
to connect the start point to the end point.

you end up with a sort of but lousy circle or a sort of but failed attempt
at communicating because the two carrier waves were so out of range
they failed to connect.

you walk away feeling a little confused. The client walks away feeling


he’s just wasted valuable time.

you’ll encounter people in various mood levels so knowing how to
recognize and approximate various moods in order to achieve parity is a
vital skill to possess if you really want to win more often in life.

m ood scale

below are a few of the moods. There are many more, but these are
the major moods.

look up the definition of each mood. role-play each mood. observe
others and try to spot their mood. Then approximate their mood.

when you become reasonably accurate at spotting mood levels,
you can take a position on the mood scale that approximates the other
person’s mood.

The process of defining, acting out, observing and approximating
moods can be a lot of fun so long as you keep it at the spirit of play level
(keep it fun).

developing the ability to recognize and then achieve mood parity
is a tremendous asset that is vital to achieving effective communication.

achieving mood parity does not require that you assume the same
mood. all you really have to do is approximate the mood.

for example, if the other person appears to be in a mood level of

56 Daniel Barber

boredom, you can either assume boredom or the next higher mood:
reserved or conservative.

In a mood of reserved or conservative, you would be reserved or
conservative in speech and manner.

If the other’s mood is interest, assume the mood of enthusiasm.

In a mood of enthusiasm, you would be enthusiastic in speech and
manner.

earlier I said that good moods are catching. with practice, you can
actually lift another person’s mood level say from interest to enthusiasm
simply by being enthusiastic around that person in your manner and
speech.

If the other person’s mood is contentious, assume the mood of bore-
dom. and so on.

The main moods from top to bottom:

enthusiasm
Cheerful
Interest
reserved
boredom
Contentious
anger
rage


masked rage
fear
sadness
lethargy
absence

Q uiz & review

1. what is a mood?
2. what is a mood not?
3. what is meant by mood parity?
4. recall a conversation when mood parity existed.
5. what were some of the consequences of that?
6. recall a conversation when mood parity did not exist.
7. what were some of the consequences of that?

o pposition — misidentification — labeling

known opposition could be a member of the opposing team. for a
salesman it could be a competitor. for a job hunter it could be other job
hunters applying for the same position.

known opposition can also be problems that surface during a project,
not having enough time to do what needs to be done, having to make
a lot of things go right to get to work each day, managing a budget, too
many interruptions, too many meetings, trying to be well rested during
the week, etc.

58 Daniel Barber

It’s easy to go into opposition with someone or something — we do
it all the time.

known opposition has its dark side to be sure, but unknown opposi-
tion is insidious because it comes about unknowingly and without the
benefit of self-awareness or inspection.

example

you are introduced to John, a hiring manager, who is going to inter-
view you for a job.

shortly after being introduced to John you begin to feel something
about him you don’t like — you can’t put your finger on it but you can
feel it.

These feelings may include anger or resentment or anything at all.

you are aware of and sense the feeling but are completely unaware
of the cause.

In spite of your best efforts to suppress your feelings the interview
does not go well.

you leave the meeting confused, a little upset about what happened
and why. you may even think something is wrong with you.

afterwards, you rack your brain trying to understand what happened.


Then you get it: John reminded you of Joe!

Joe was a bully in grade school who frequently picked fights with
you or was always putting you down, making less or nothing of you in
front of your friends.

what actually happened?

although you were not aware of it at the time you met John, you
noticed something that was similar between him and Joe.

The similarity could have been anything: appearance, tone of voice,
facial expression, color of his hair or how it was combed, how he looked
at you, how he moved toward you to shake your hand, how he asked
questions, mannerisms, etc.

something about John reminded you of Joe and you still harbor anger
and resentment toward Joe.

Misidentification

you didn’t like John because he reminded you of someone you had
problems with so many years ago that you had all but forgotten. and this
silly little thing could cost you a job or a relationship.

worse, you walk away thinking something is wrong with you!

nothing could be further from the truth.

60 Daniel Barber

when you unknowingly and unwittingly connected John to Joe you
went absent from John — and the interview.

your attention was pulled back to those encounter points in the past,
the where’s and when’s you had major problem encounters with Joe.

your attention then got caught on those encounter points. you didn’t
know at the time what was going on but you struggled to maintain some
control and attention during the interview.

This, and the ensuing confusion, can knock anyone off the rails.

when misidentification takes place (Joe to John), the tendency is to
involuntarily superimpose your feelings about Joe onto John.

Labeling

you no longer see John — you see what John represents to you: Joe

something about John acted as a “trigger” on Joe.

The trigger caused you to access past incidents with Joe that were
still “charged up.”

These past incidents came rushing forward with your attention in tow
and were overlaid onto where you were (environment), who you were with
(people), and what you were doing (interviewing) in the present time.

The moods associated with these feelings included anger, resentment,

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