Interviewing Over Lunch: Are You at Risk?

Sometimes a hiring process will include having lunch with the hiring manager. Despite anything said to the contrary (like "It'll just be an informal lunch so we can get to know each other."), this is a formal part of your interview!

This can be a very tricky situation. 

Impressions made in a restaurant are just as important as those in an office or meeting room.

If you don't want an "eating mishap" to ruin your chances at a new job (or a promotion if you're dining with the boss), follow these tips:

Vacancy > 1. Avoid ordering messy foods.

This includes long pasta, of course, but also anything with stringy cheese... you know, the kind that stretches up with your fork from the plate to your mouth.

Watch out for soup, anything with a sauce or other "drippable" ingredient. No matter how careful you are, you know an invisible hole can magically appear in your spoon and cause you to drip all over yourself!

Even a salad can be hazardous! Have you ever tried to spear a cherry tomato with your fork and squirted yourself, your neighbor, or watched the tomato go flying off your plate? Not impressive. Avoid cherry tomatoes.

2. Mind your manners.

First, let me say I am definitely NOT "Miss Manners." These are just common-sense tips, not something you'd learn at charm school. (So don't send me an email with the "proper" etiquette, OK?)

This may be considered old-fashioned and unnecessary by some (especially women's libbers, if there's still such a thing), but I think it's still a nice courtesy for a man to pull out a chair for a woman. Either sex can offer to take someone's coat and hang it up. In general, just be nice, thoughtful, and courteous.

Thank the servers.

If you're in a fancy place with 6 different forks, 3 knives and 2 spoons, don't freak out about which to use for what. In general, they're placed in the order in which the food that you use them with will be served... implement furthest from the plate being used first. So when the salad comes out first, grab the fork furthest from your plate. Or just watch what the big shot does and follow his/her example.

If your food comes out first, don't start scarfing it down while the other(s) wait for their food to arrive. If they're courteous, they'll invite you to go ahead before your food gets cold. Likewise, if someone else has been served and is waiting while your food is delayed, invite them to go ahead and eat.

Don't reach... ask someone to pass.

Don't use your bread to mop up sauce, soup, or anything else.

Don't slurp or burp. Ever. Yes, this may be acceptable in some countries as a way to show appreciation for good food, but if you're in the U.S., don't do it. Even if the big shot does.

3. Watch the cost.

It doesn't matter if you've been told, "Order anything you'd like, this is on me." Do not order the most expensive thing on the menu! Even if the big shot does.

4. Beer or wine?

Have you seen that commercial where several guys are at a restaurant with a big shot and he asks what they want to drink? They go around the table and all order a non-alcoholic drink except for the last guy, who orders a Sam Adams (beer). The big shot is "impressed" and orders the same.

Hah! Never fall for anything you see in a beer commercial!

Would you have a beer or glass of wine at the office? (You better say "No!") Despite the surroundings, food and drink, if this is a business function (and it certainly is if you're interviewing or discussing business with your boss), do NOT order alcohol! Even if the big shot does.

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Succeeding with Panel Interviews

These days, job interviews often consist of a panel of three-to-six interviewers.

A "team approach" to finding the best candidate can be beneficial for the employer. Each member brings a different set of skills, experience and judgment to the team, and can point out pros (and cons) about a candidate that the other interviewers might miss. 

Panel interviews can also be beneficial for the job seekers.

In a one-on-one interview you only have one shot at making the best impression. With a team doing the interviewing, your odds are increased.

Say for example that Interviewer No. 1 had a bad experience with your past employer and unconsciously (or consciously) holds that against you, even though you had nothing to do with what happened. Interviewers No. 2, 3, and 4 have no such prejudices and so could sway the vote in your favor. 

While panel interviews often seem more intimidating than one-on-one interviews, here are some steps you can take to ease your stress and ensure a better outcome.

1. Relax. Remember that being faced by a panel of strangers (versus one) is better for you.

2. Smile. Everyone in the room will smile back and you'll all get off to a great start.

3. Greet each interviewer individually. Shake hands with each person. Repeat their names as you are introduced (everyone likes to hear their own name, and it will help you to remember them).

4. Include everyone when answering questions. Face and make eye contact with the person who asks the question, but then extend your eye contact to everyone in the room. You're speaking to all of them, not just the person who asked the question.

5. Get their cards. Before leaving, get a business card from each person in the room. These will come in handy when it's time to send your thank-you notes. (If they don't have cards, ask for their names again if you don't remember them; jot them down. You can contact the HR person or receptionist later to get their email or mailing address.)

6. Send individual thank-you notes. Immediately send a thank-you note to each member of the interview panel, but don't make the notes identical. Make it more personal by pointing out something that person said or asked. For example, "When you asked me about my marketing experience, I forgot to mention that in addition to my three years as a marketing representative at ABC company, I also participated on several marketing focus groups while working at XYZ company." 

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Sales Basics, Prospect to Partner

By Ken Rogner

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy   

Recently I had a call from the manager of a wholesale distribution sales center in Houston. He had a question, "Is there a ten-step program that I can teach my salespeople to take a customer from prospect to partner?" It got my attention so I probed into his situation.

His sales center is part of a large national chain of wholesale distribution centers and he has two full-time outside sales people, one very experienced and one new. There are three other locations of his company in that market. My caller had been traveling with his new salesperson for the first time and, as he watched and listened to the presentation made to a potential customer, he realized how it rambled and lacked a specific overall plan.

My caller has been in distribution management for a long time but some of his past training included exposure to sales training from well known authors and consultants. He knew that there was no systematic process involved in the sales call he had viewed and he was hoping for a simple set of steps he could share.

His question forced me to reflect on the history of sales training. I realize that sometimes we complicate things because we try to continually improve the process. My caller made me take a look into the past into what the basics of sales education really is. Here is what I came up with.

I have read Tom Sant's book in which he gives the credit for developing a process for selling to John Henry Patterson. In about 1880, Patterson had taken over the rights to a patent for manufacturing a machine called a cash register. His new company was called NCR (National Cash Register). Even though Patterson was a strong believer in this machine and its ability to improve retail businesses, he had serious challenges finding a method for letting the rest of the world know its value. When Patterson held his first national sales meeting in 1886 the company was stuck at a sales volume of about 12 cash registers every month. He shared with his sales people all of the features of the new models and then began questioning them to determine "tips and techniques" they were using to sell these units. He had invited his brother-in-law, Joseph Crane, to attend that first meeting and offer input. Later that year Patterson convinced Crane to join NCR and they soon realized that Crane didn't need to be technically strong at servicing the machines to be successful at selling them. Crane eventually recognized that he didn't need to point out every feature of these machines but rather to concentrate only on features that would benefit each specific customer and meet his/her needs. As Crane became the most successful representative for NCR, Patterson worked with him to uncover the "system" that Crane was using. Patterson soon recognized that it was not the script or consistent wording that Crane was using but rather his focus on specific needs of the customer. This was, in effect, the beginning of what we call the consultative approach to selling. Patterson then created a process selling book called the primer, that all of his salespeople were required to follow. The primer system consisted of four basic steps, Approach (identify customer's problems), Proposition (develop a proposal to show value), Demonstration (show the answer to the problem) and Close (ask for the order).

So there, for my friend in Texas, was the start of process selling, a simple set of steps to be used consistently as a system. I could share those basics but he was asking for more. After all, he wanted a road map to go from prospecting to partnering.

I had to expand my proposal to my new friend. Here is the "simple set of steps" as I presented them:

1. Prospecting: This is "digging" to know and understand the marketplace, evaluating the territory first to find where your sales people should focus time and energy. I recommend doing a formal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) Analysis of your sales territory first.

2. Know and understand your customer: Learn everything about that target opportunity you can. Check with every independent and manufacturer's rep for input, use the internet, check with trade publications, pull out all the stops....know your target and as much about her business as possible.

3. Approach: Develop a series of questions that generate information about the customer's need and her definition of value. A well thought out and customized approach is key.

4. Proposal: This is step to create a response that comes from the results of the questioning and the matching to our products or services to address the customer's needs or value. I sometimes call this "marrying" the correct service with the correct need. Sometimes developing the skill that comes with writing good proposals is an additional necessity here.

5. Demonstration: This is where we must show that the product or service provides the hoped-for solution. It could be as simple as showing a new product that fills the customer's needs or as challenging as loading and demonstrating a new B2B software. Here is where product and service education within our respective companies becomes critical.

6. Close: This may be the most often taught and yet most avoided portion of every selling system. From trial closes, to dollarizing, to overcoming objections, etc. there are many approaches to this step. My recommendation was to ignore gimmicks; instead have his people develop a comfortable close that is honest and non-manipulative. In his case, as a wholesale distributor, everything is about long term relationship building, so sometimes a very successful close is making another appointment to bring in a specialist or for meeting with additional people on his staff.

7. Partnering: Success in sales definitely revolves around follow-up, continual contact and relationship building. This is where the relationship expands to one of trust and a mutual sharing of ideas, opportunities and information. This is the point where a sales person demonstrates to a customer that their loyalty is earned.

Obviously, I didn't end up with a ten step program...only seven. But these steps are the basics as I see them. The steps are somewhat simplistic but I hope they work for my friend in Texas. Developing a system for selling helps assure success, keeping it simple is sometimes the surest way of making that happen.

Promotional Duffel Bags - Too Tempting To Resist

By Sirangi Kalpana

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy   

If you are seriously pondering upon some new strategies to make your brand promotion a big extravaganza and contemplating to use some type of handy product for promotions, how would an idea to use a duffel bag sound? This extremely useful product can publish your logo in every sphere of globe, wherever these are carried. These days, people follow products that are catchy and trendy. Will this not prove one of the fastest ways to promote your brand and products? So, if you are struggling in a quest to find an appropriate promotional item for your marketing purposes, then Promotional Duffel bags can be an optimized solution.

Hand in Hand for Admirers

We all are well aware of the fact that athletic people are always the centre of attention and admiration for all. They influence people because of their scout, well toned physique and out bursting nature. This feature makes them winnable and demandable. Because of this assorted admiration by virtue of desire whatever they carry, wear or use becomes the first priority of all those who follow them. So the best recipients of your promotional products can be these athletes. These days, for many people, these athletes are no less than idols. So whatever they follow, enthusiasts imitate the same. It is not because they are insane after their image, but it is for the reason that followers have faith in their idol's choice.

Also, it would be a smarter way, if you supply these logo embellished bags to quality shoppers in fitness centers or gyms. This attempt of yours will bring positive response to your product and give the recipients sense of being special; thereby bringing you back various rewards like advertisement through word of mouth or even valued sales. Another option can be leaving these products with the gym owners and asking them to distribute your duffle bags as complimentary gifts to every new joining. This investment would result in hitting many stones in a single go and in a comparatively low cost. Your logo beveled on the duffel bag that a well known athlete will carry, will become a trustworthy promotion for your product. These bags will be owned by many for the reason that they look sporty and give a feeling of being an athlete, even when if the person is an average individual. Putting your investment in this idea can help you significantly in flourishing your brand name across potential customers like a wildfire.

Appreciation Gifts for Outstandingly Performing Employees

Awarding custom made duffle bags to commendable employees those who have worked sincerely for the growth of company throughout the year is another achievable step. This will not only bring jubilance to the employees after receiving this token of appreciation from their employers, but will also encourage motivated promotions throughout employee's acquaintances. Further modifications can be done by imprinting their name on the bags along with company's logo to bring more warmth and personalization to the gift.

Start Your Career, Working As A Pharmacy Technician

By Subodh Maheshwari

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

Pharmacy Technicians are these individuals, who are trained for execution of numerous pharmacy related works and to assist licensed Pharmacist in prescription filling and to provide safe and effective services to the patients and customers.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

The basic duties of a Pharmacy Technician is to collect and supply prescription orders, verify prescriptions, count tablets, measure medications, record patient details, arrange and stock medication in shelves and label bottles. It is also their duties, to counsel the patients on their insurance questions, inform them about, various effects and side effects of the drugs, reactions of medication, handle cash counters, answer phones, pack medications and perform various administrative duties.

Skills

In order to be a proficient technician, the following skills are essential:

1. He/she must be a multitask personnel.
2. Must bear the responsibility in handling Pharmacy work.
3. Skillful in safe serving of the patients.
4. Must be well trained and knowledgeable about drugs.
5. Must possess excellent communication and writing skills.
6. Must be well versed with computers operations.
7. Reading and Math skills are essential.
8. Should not have any history of felony charges, substances and drug abuses.

Availability of Jobs

A Technician can avail employment in following Pharmacies:

- Retail
- Hospital and Long Term Care Unit
- Mail Order

Retail pharmacies cover drug stores, super market stores or grocery stores, where technician serve patients and local public.

Hospital and Long Term Care Unit based technician's job responsibilities include, handling medication stores in these entities, supply medications to nurses as per patient's requirement, give medication to in-patients and out-patients as per physician's prescription and, mix and measure medications exactly, as per doctor's directions.

A Mail Order pharmacy technician serves customers independently by informing them about prescription contents, count required tablets and measure the drugs.

Job Outlook

The future job prospect of a Pharmacy aide is very bright, as innumerable numbers of Pharmacies are mushrooming all over the country, due to everyday new discoveries of life saving medications and advancement in medical field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, the requirements of these technicians will rise by 32 % by 2016.

Salary

The present Pharmacy Technician Salary is estimated at around $25,000 per annum to $40,000 p.a. as per education, training, location and experience. Per hour wage scale of these personnel comes to nearly $ 9 to $17.

In the present economic slow down, a technician job is most viable option for the new comers, who are planning to start their career in this field. They can also complete various training programs, degree courses and PTCB certification in less than one year to 2 year for better earnings and career growth.