Moving Up, Moving Over or Moving On Be Ready For Your Next Great Opportunity! Government IT Symposium December 7, 2017 Phil Almeroth, LogiSolve Consulting Practice Leader
Agenda Accelerating Into What s Next Preparing Your Story Telling Your Story Taking The Next Step
What s On Your Mind?
Accelerating Out Of The Curve What s Next? How are you going to get there? What s changed since you last interviewed or changed jobs? Are you ready to accelerate out of the curve?
What s Next? Gartner Top 10 Strategic Tech Trends - 2018 AI Foundation Intelligent Apps & Analytics Intelligent Things Digital Twins Cloud to the Edge Conversational Platforms Immersive Experience Blockchain Event Driven Continuous Adaptive Risk & Trust
Preparing Your Story Improve your odds and advance your career!
Your Resume Types of Resumes Chronological Resume (Primary) Profile Resume (Specific Uses) Combination Resume (Rare)
Chronological Resume Most commonly accepted form Focuses on work experience and progression in responsibility Reverse the usual presentation of roles, duties, and accomplishments
Resume Content Tips Note certifications / credentials after your name o Full information at the end of the resume o Accurately identify certification status (active, lapsed) Provide a sentence after the company name indicating size and industry Sprinkle in buzzwords to help HR/ATS systems hits to flag your resume Account for all gaps in time Do not post resume on LinkedIn
Sample Resume
Related Topics Cover Letters Electronic Applications & Follow-up References LinkedIn Agency Relationship
Cover Letters Use discretion o Key information you want to quickly relay o Be factual and succinct Useful to communicate o Most relevant key skills to desired role o Address a career hiatus or shift
References Typically from 2 former managers and a direct report o Other relevant connections depending on the situation Share reference information when you re comfortable, not before Have prior permission from your reference
Telling Your Story Your Opportunity to Differentiate
Interview - First Impressions What people see first is what they remember and how they will treat you. Impression Times: o General face-to-face meeting: 4-6 minutes o Telephone: 45 seconds o Job interview: 30 seconds Impressions are formed by: o Non-verbal cues: 55% of impression o Voice: 38% o Words and content: 7%
Importance of First Impressions Focus on others in the conversation Gain information about them Don t talk only about yourself Listen 70% of the time, talk 30% Discover something special about each person Note things they do well or something they re concerned about right now Say thank you or express appreciation Remember specifics
The Interview A planned, purposeful conversation designed to determine the relative suitability of a job applicant for a specific position An opportunity to o communicate skills, experiences and qualifications o gather information about the company, the work environment and the position Differentiate yourself from other candidates
Preparing for an Interview Document Questions Company, Industry, Department & Position THE LAST QUESTION Specifically Relevant Skills Resume/Work History Position Description Relevant Skills Outline Role Play Types of Interviews Structured Unstructured Behavioral What to Bring Professional Portfolio Documented Questions Multiple copies of Resume Job Description
Behavioral Based Questions 1. Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to convince someone to see things your way. 2. Provide a specific example of a time when you set a goal and achieved it. 3. Provide a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a policy with which you did not agree. 4. Tell me about time when you faced conflicting priorities and how you handled this. 5. Tell me about a risk you took recently. o Hint: Make it a business risk that led to rewards 6. Tell me about a difficult decision you made in the last year.
Other Common Interview Questions 1. Tell me about yourself 2. What is the last change or improvement you made at your company? 3. What were your major responsibilities at your last job? 4. What did you like best/least about your last position? 5. Why do you want to work for us? 6. Why should we hire you?
Your Questions Have 8-12 questions prepared Ask 2-4 questions; pick them with care Ask about what you really want to know THE LAST QUESTION o Your chance to gather information and show that you have done your research!
Thank You Note/Email If not volunteered, ask for the business cards from those involved in the interview Wait a few hours after the interview before sending an email Send a Thank You note or email o Be brief o Summarize your level of interest and the main points of relevance you bring to the position o Close ask for the job!
Taking the Next Step What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Characteristics of Great Contributors Mentality o If not me, then who? o If not now, when? o Making Others Vision Reality Problem Solver o Seeing Great Ideas Through o Communicate with a purpose and with the objective in mind o Helping Others Collaborate and Communicate o Love the smell of progress Leader o A purpose for everything o Accountability yours and others o Consistency and Reliability
Personal Characteristics Agent of Change o Willing to help drive change in organizations at any level o See the big picture and guide your team through it o Deliver on the details People you actually like them! o Working with lots of different people, at all levels of the organization o Help others by making their work more enjoyable and productive o Help others solve problems o They come to you with their problems, because you ll find a way o Have deep respect for what every person brings
Roles Build on your experience as an Individual Contributor o SME o Analyst o Resource Manager o Salesperson or recruiter o Experience prepares you to for what s next There are no small roles, only small actors o How is what you re doing today a stepping stone?
Skills You ll Need to Cultivate Techniques o Breadth and Depth of Knowledge and Experience o Plan, plan, plan o Communicate, communicate, communicate o Deliver, deliver, deliver o Keep your head on a swivel o Large and varied tool box IT and Business Area Experience o Ask questions o There s always something new and changing
Skills You ll Need to Cultivate Strategic Thinking o Working in multiple business areas o Overlapping functions and interdepartmental dependencies o Creating options to success o Ability to see the big picture and do a deep dive Advocate and Advisor o Focus on the Objective o Set clear decision making process and roles o May be in IT - need to be viewed as part of the business team
Skills You ll Need to Cultivate Quick Learner o Domain experience a big debate in our profession o Some domain knowledge: good o Learning a new domain or aspects quickly: better! o Tricks for learning / expanding domain knowledge o Google, Your Network, Peers, Mentors, Leaders o Relating Past Experience to Current Problems Leading and Mentoring o Coordinating the efforts of multiple business and technical groups and resources o Understanding how all domains contribute to the outcome o Reviewing others deliverables for quality and consistency o Leading by example
What Else Is On Your Mind?
Contact Information Phil Almeroth Consulting Practice Leader Cell: 612.770.8047 Email: palmeroth@logisolve.com 600 Inwood Avenue North Suite 275 Oakdale, MN 55128