Great research tool - ELM

We in Minnesota have a wonderful resource available to find tons of information through easy searches. It is called ELM for the Electronic Library for Minnesota. The URL is www.elm4you.org and it is a storehouse of information. It gives Minnesota residents online access to magazine, journal (academic or business), newspaper, and encyclopedia articles, eBooks, and other information resources.

Who can use it? ELM is available to any Minnesota resident of any age with any subject interest. For job seekers, it is a great tool for researching a company where you may want to work. You can get lots of industry and occupation articles and detailed reports on specific companies. For larger corporations they often have a MarketLine or DataMonitor Report, which are comprehensive summaries of business data about a company.

You can also find articles and PDF books on job search topics and lots of other random stuff. It is very cool and you can get lost in it for a few hours easily.

Have fun,
  --Mike

"People will never forget how you made them feel"

I was just sitting around waiting for summer weather to arrive in Minnesota, and was browsing a book I like called “You, Inc.” The author, Harry Beckwith, has a few paragraphs on what people value, and I think it is relevant to the networking and interviewing parts of job search.

He calls it “What people Value” and he summarizes from research that shows that where people put their money is what they value. For example, oddly enough on the average people don’t tip any more for prompt efficient service at a restaurant than they do for poor service. However, they do tip more for a server who makes them feel good.

This may sound trivial, but it is not. It is Maya Angelou’s quote that you may have heard, “People will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.” So, as you interact during networking or during an interview, remember to treat each person in a way that will make them feel good. Listen carefully. Recall a good experience you had together. Show sincere interest. Smile with a twinkle. Touch them on the arm. Think of what makes you feel warm and good when someone does it to you and do that toward others. And most of all, find someting about them that you appreciate and show it.

Good luck,

Mike

The Body Language of Confidence

 As a hiring manager I know how important body language is for assessing someone’s state of confidence and positivity, but as a job seeker, do you know how to use this to your advantage? I was just watching a great TED talk by Amy Cuddy called “Your body language shapes who you are.” http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html  

She has some simple suggestions to use before a job interview that will help you not only project confidence, but actually FEEL it. Research shows that when people feel confident they adopt body postures that are expansive and that take up more space. They are noticeably spread out and almost celebratory. For example, holding your arms outstretched above your head in a sort of victory pose. Arms on hips in a Wonder Woman pose. Leaning on a table like you own it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other side of the coin is that when people feel powerless, fearful, or insecure they tend to make themselves smaller by holding their arms folded or close to their body. They stand with feet crossed and they hunch a bit. They look downward more, and they make small gestures instead of grand ones.

 

     

What is important about Amy Cuddy’s research is that the mind-body connection is a two way street. Certainly our body often reflects how we are feeling inside. But more importantly is that how we stand, sit or gesture directly affects how we feel inside. So, we can turn things around by acting as if we feel confident until we do. It only takes a few minutes.

So, Amy Cuddy’s suggestion for job interviews are:

1)      Ahead of time go into a private area and stretch out your arms. Stand tall and spread out. Take up space. Act bigger and more expansive than you may feel. This will communicate to your brain to start feeling more confident.

2)      During the interview adopt body positions and postures that take up space. Make slightly larger gestures and own your space. This is no time to be a shrinking violet. Sit up tall, lean forward make eye contact. Act like you belong there, and soon perhaps you will.

Go get ‘em tiger.

  --Mike Powers