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Quintessential Answers:
Q&A's with Career & College Experts

 

Questions and Answers with Career Expert Kathy Condon

 

Please note: On a somewhat infrequent basis, Quintessential Careers asks noted career experts five questions related to their expertise and publishes the interview in the current issue of QuintZine, our career e-newsletter. Those interviews are archived here for your convenience.

 

Kathy Condon is a career facilitator, columnist, international speaker, and trainer.

 

Note: Read our review of Condon's Connect with People: It's the Little Things tapes and CDs in our Quintessential Listening section of Quintessential Careers.

 

Q:

On your list of 15 Networking Tips, you note that "People will form an impression of you within the first five seconds." What steps can one take to ensure that the impression formed is positive and productive?

A:

There are two things that will help people make an "impression" of you within the first five seconds.   One is the way you are groomed. Like it or not, you will be judged by the way you are groomed. We are still living in an era where appropriate dress for the occasion remains of great importance if you want to be viewed in a positive way.   The other way to make a positive impression is by extending your hand to everyone you meet. We are living in a time when people are feeling the strong (often underlying) need to be recognized as an individual. When you extend your hand and give them a firm handshake, look them in the eye and smile you are communicating. Don't believe me? Try it for a day ... you'll be pleased with the results.

 

Q:

What's the one job-hunting secret you share with clients but that may not be widely known?

A:

All people need "contact cards." Yes, I am talking about that little card formerly referred to as a "business card." I discovered people that looking for work had nothing beyond their resume that had their name on it. They didn't have a business or work for anyone, so they didn't have a card. So I changed the name to "contact card," and I tell my clients that this card is an essential tool for job hunting. It should include your name, address, phone number, and email address.   (Editor's note: See our article, Networking Business Cards: An Essential Job-Search Tool for Career Changers and College Students When A Resume Just Won't Do.)

 

Q:

What's the best way to uncover job leads?

A:

Focus. If you say you need a job, people do not know how to help you. Let's face it, all of your friends, acquaintances, and former vendors you work with know you. Yet, when you cannot tell them what industry or what specifically you want to do, their brain cannot come up with the appropriate response. Even identifying the industry will help.   One time I was working with a man who was getting his MBA in human resources. I asked what industry he planned to work. He said, "I don't know -- manufacturing, retail, transportation." I said "Oh, you are going to look at all of them at the same time." I helped him focus, and he discovered that he loved the transportation industry. Then I could open doors for him.

 

Q:	What do you feel is the most disturbing trend in job-hunting today?
A:	That's easy. People believing that they will find their "job" on the Internet. When I was starting out in career-development field, I wondered if I was missing something. People were glued to their computers and were not leaving their homes. Now I know the number of people who actually find jobs using computers for their job search is down to 4 percent.

 

 

Kathy Condon is a Vancouver, WA-based career facilitator. She is a columnist writing on "Career Communications," and an international speaker and trainer. Condon recently received a three-year contract with the State of California Department of Mental Health and Rehabilitation for "Job Development and Retention" training through the State of California. She is an expert on "Identifying Your Innate Talents" and Business Networking. Contact Condon at 360-695-4313, kathy@kathycondon.info and visit her Website.

 

 

Check out all our interview with career experts in Quintessential Answers: Q&A's with Career & College Experts.

 

 

Maximize your career and job-search knowledge and skills! Take advantage of The Quintessential Careers Content Index, which enables site visitors to locate articles, tutorials, quizzes, and worksheets in 35 career, college, job-search topic areas.

 

 

 

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