Discussing Career Setbacks

This article is from the Wall Street Journal and discusses the best ways to handle questions regarding career setbacks. With the current market most people are finding themselves talking about why all the time off, job hops, etc. 

In anticipation of being asked to explain a sticky situation in a job interview, such as a gap of employment on a resume or an arrest, a wise strategy is to prepare and practice a strong response in advance.
For employment gaps, be honest about what happened. Don’t dwell on it. Offer a brief explanation for your absence with confidence and then try to move the discussion forward. For example, you might say, “I am now ready to re-enter the work force. I am excited about this new direction in my life, and that’s why I’m happy to be speaking with you.”
Keep in mind that employers simply want to be assured that your past won’t be of any harm to their business. They also want to know that you’re ready to work again, so briefly mention the steps you’ve taken to get ready for this next career move. Give s short synopsis of what you did to get yourself psychologically and emotionally ready to rejoin the workforce.
As far as explaining the gap on your resume, you can list your experience up until the date you left the workforce and then explain briefly in a cover letter why you have been unemployed since then. Or, say on your resume that you took a sabbatical to cope with a personal matter.
But what if you have bigger troubles than a gap on your resume, such as a prior legal conviction or arrest? Candidates with this question sometimes decide to tempt fate and not mention their convictions in hopes that an employer a) won’t conduct a detailed background check or b) if it does, the crime won’t show up.
If you don’t disclose a misdemeanor and the company learns about it before hiring you, interviewers may question whether you have been completely forthcoming about other things. Employers often consider dishonesty worse than a past conviction. Trying to hide your past may give the impression that you can’t be trusted. You can minimize the potential fallout by disclosing the information yourself. But wait for the right time. Many executive candidates don’t get to the application and reference-checking stage until the company is ready to or has made

Can You Sell?

By Nick D'Ambrosio

I would estimate that 75%-85 % of the people who receive our monthly newsletter spend a good part of their days selling. The rest have jobs that don’t require them to sell each day but they probably sell more than they realize. Let’s face it, selling is part of all our lives, inside and outside the workplace. And while some make a living from it, we can all benefit from being better at it.  Look around your company or office, find the top producers and ask yourself,  “What do they do differently?”  I have interviewed thousands of people over the last 15+ years and the best sales people all possess a few fundamental characteristics. So whether you are trying to get a raise, motivate your team, get a project funded or land a job, improving your sales skills will improve your results. What traits are found in most all top performers?  


While there are undoubtedly dozens of different characteristics that can lead to being successful in sales, I highlighted 4 that all successful sales people possess.
  • Great Listeners- Average sales people  do a lot of talking. Walk onto most car lots and watch what happens. You get approached (quickly), get hit with a few basic questions and are shown your dream car. Wow, that was easy! Problem is, it’s typically not the car of your dreams. Great sales people spend a majority of their time asking questions and listening to your answers. They tend to be good at both.  They ask questions to determine what you are trying to achieve or if there are problems they can help you solve. They fight the urge to sell until they are convinced they have something that you will find beneficial, something that will solve your problem.  If they don’t have what you need, they won’t pretend they do.  The ability to ask good questions and uncover what you really are trying to accomplish (whether you realize it or not) is one of the most important skills that all great sales people possess.
  • Win- Win Approach- How many times have you had a sales person tell you he couldn’t help you but knew someone who probably could? I know this has happened to me and I am always impressed. Great sales people don’t sell to people who won’t benefit from what they are selling. They have no problem walking away from deals that don’t make sense.  This win-win attitude and willingness to walk away from a potential deal is not always easy. It certainly may not be the approach expected from management or where a company's mantra is: HIT QUOTA OR FIND ANOTHER JOB!  But time and time again it is those  who adhere to this "sales philosophy " that produce the best results.  They are proud of their profession and know that in order to win long-term, you need to focus on the big picture.   These are the people that also have better long term relationships with their clients and enjoy residual  business year after year.  They have earned this level of respect by simply thinking of their customers’ best interest, not theirs.  
  • They Are Passionate- There is something contagious about being around passionate people. It makes us feel good, we like them more, we want to buy from them and  refer them to our friends. Being passionate about what you do is another key to long term success. Without this passion, you often come across like a robot… just doing a job. As the old saying goes "people buy from people".  We all have felt this passion at one point in our careers and hopefully still do. It makes the day fly by and we actually look forward to going to work.  In a tough economy, remaining passionate about your job is challenging.  We are being bombarded with negative news, are being forced to work twice as hard for less money and are dealing with prospects that are  more reluctant to buy. And while we all face the same challenges, top producers find a way to stay  positive and outsell those around them. We all spend a majority of our time working and if the passion you once had is gone, your overall results are most likely going to suffer.  It is rare to find a top producer who lacks passion.
  • They Work Hard and Smart- Being a top producer requires hard work. Anyone that tells you differently is lying. Yes, there are occasional deals that may fall into your lap but consistent producers consistently work hard. They also are very good at  managing their time and spend most of their days doing things that will help them reach their  goals. (they always set goals) Contrary to the stigma sales people sometimes have, they spend a lot more time in front of customers and setting appointments,  than playing golf or doing lunch. They also work smart. They know what they need to do to meet their goals and won’t waste time on tasks that keep them from reaching them. They are  very good at knowing which prospects may actually buy something and which ones are wasting their time. They don't pack their pipeline with phantom accounts!  They may not seem to be working hard but don’t be fooled,  there are no short cuts to long term success. Working hard gets you in the game… Working hard and smart helps you win. 
If you are considering a career coach, choose wisely. Make sure they know the industry, understand your  goals and have a long track record of success. Speak to people they have worked with. We have helped hundreds of technology professionals reach their career potential, let us help you.  To learn more about our  our career coaching program, contact us at :  949.675.0000 ext. 101