Need something to read as you relax on the beach over Spring Break?

Check out How to Build Your Personal Brand and GET HIRED: advice from author and businessman, Bill Hobbs

Still looking for resources to use for assistance in the job search? Take some advice from Bill Hobbs and his book, The Work Book: How to Build Your Personal Brand and Get Hired!. This book shows readers how to plan for and choose the right career, teaches them how to create a strong personal brand, and offers keen insights on creating an effective resume, preparing for interviews, and negotiating with companies (including dealing with multiple job offers!). With its workbook structure, this book facilitates immediate process application through worksheets that readers can fill out while they read through the text. 

 Here's a little taste of the valuable information that is included in Hobbs's book:

An Excerpt from The WORK Book, How to Build Your Personal Brand and Get Hired!:

“It is important that you understand how to effectively connect with an interviewer. “Connecting” begins when two people truly understand each other’s view point.  It is the first step in building trust and eventually creates mutual understanding.  You have probably experienced what it’s like to connect at different points in your life. Maybe this happened in a conversation with a friend, or family member while trying to solve a problem.  The moment when you and the other person suddenly understood each other, you were connecting. 

Connecting is critically important during any conversation where you need to reach a decision point.  An interview is a place where you definitely need to connect with the interviewer so that you can understand what he or she is looking for and he or she can understand what you are looking for. 

The first step to connecting is to listen.  Let the other person talk, and be sure that you understand exactly what he or she is asking.  Don’t interrupt, but if you are unclear even a little, pause for a moment and then ask a clarifying question.  Asking questions shows the person that you are listening and genuinely interested in answering the question he or she asked.

The second step is providing adequate information.  After answering a question, look for signs that the interviewer is satisfied with the type of response you gave.  It is very possible that the phrasing of the question he or she asked meant one thing to the interviewer and a completely different thing to you.  When this happens, you and the interviewer move further from mutual understanding. The interviewer won’t get the information he or she is seeking, and you may miss an opportunity to demonstrate value.  If you are not sure about the read on his or her reaction, simply ask, “Does that answer the question?”  “Does that make sense?” By doing so you can be sure that the interviewer got the type of response he or he was looking for.  If not, it will give the interviewer an opportunity to rephrase the question. 

Step three, be interesting.  Step back from the canned answers, and give some context to who you really are.  Canned answers are boring and push you and the interviewer further from connecting.  Think about the interests you have, and relate them to the job you are applying for. If you like sports, music, or the outdoors, talk about why your experiences in those areas make you a stronger “fit” for the company For example, I played football in college.  If I were applying for a job where teamwork was important, I could reference a situation where through teamwork we were able to pull out a fourth quarter win.”

Rather than just “winning the job,” focus on connecting during the interview. 

Spend some time preparing and researching before the interview.  During the interview be sure to listen, provide adequate information, avoid canned answers, and try to enjoy the process.  Finding a new career should be a fun and exciting time in your life."    

Check out this book for quick and easy reading as well as some great advice and application.

For more information on The WORK Book: How to Build Your Personal Brand and Get Hired! by Bill Hobbs, check out www.bill-hobbs.com.  The book is available on Amazon, Kindle, and Nook.

About Bill Hobbs: "Bill didn't just read about it, he lived it! Bill's career in consultative selling began in 2001 just as the Dot Com bubble imploded. Since then, he has sold hundreds of millions of dollars in products and services, conducted thousands of sales calls, and managed several successful sales teams. Bill has won the top performance awards in two Fortune 500 companies, is a co-inventor with an active patent, and is an avid writer. From interviewing new employees to his experience as a P&L manager and a coach, Bill has unique insight into the challenges that business professionals face every day."

Written by Kelly Gooch

contact: goochke@jmu.edu