Meet Certified Career Coach, Penn Berens

Penn Berens is a certified career coach with MyHuntPath.  He has been providing coaching for over three decades, including as principal consultant with his own firm, Berens Management Services.  In the last ten years he has expanded his role in management and career coaching. In addition to MyHuntPath, Penn is proud to offer PowerStart Onboarding and related coaching.

Penn attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Penn has taught at the high school and college level.  He has enjoyed a career in health care administration, including at the Cleveland Clinic.  He now focuses on consulting to and volunteering for leaders and boards in education, particularly charter schools.

Learn more about MyHuntPath's Career Coaching Services! http://bit.ly/2jRrjOu

Meet Certified Career Coach, Gary C. Chorba!

Gary C. Chorba has joined MY HUNT PATH (a career education management & outplacement company) as a certified Career Coach and Business Development Partner. Gary has over 20+ years of experience in the Executive Search Business. He was groomed to be a Headhunter since he was 9 years old, when his father started the Families Executive Search business back in 1979. His Father’s firm specialized in placing candidates with many different disciplines (ie, Accounting, Finance, Tax, Audit, Operations, Sales, and Marketing). The firm did business with many publicly traded and privately held companies in the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton markets then expanding across the Midwest.

Throughout his successful career, Gary has been able to advise and coach many of the candidates he was unable to place, “I always wished I could have placed everyone that I had met over the years, but that is absolutely impossible in the Executive Search business”. He always enjoyed giving his candidates counsel on how to conduct a successful search on their own. The search process can be extremely rewarding when done on your own terms, and with your own effort.

Gary C. Chorba has placed over 350 Mid, Senior, and C Suite Level Executives while negotiating close to $30 mm in salaries in his 20+ year career as a Headhunter. He always brings a very positive, enthusiastic, and energized approach to work with him on a daily basis, “I truly believe it is my passion and direction in life to give people HOPE and counsel when attempting a job search on their own.”

Keeping Negativity OUT of the Interview

When you are interviewing for a position, you most likely will meet with 2 or 3 people, and be competing against 5 or 10.  Your interviewer is looking for reasons to exclude you from the competition, one of the red flags being too negative about a past employer, co-workers, or job.

As a potential hire, focusing on all the things that went wrong in a past position can make the interviewer subconsciously translate that information to think “this will be about me.” Being negative from the start is an indicator that you may eventually form negative thoughts about the company a few months after hire, thus looking for a new opportunity before really diving into the position. 

One of the major questions that is asked during an interview is “why are you looking to change companies?” It may seem like an easy question, but formulating an answer without bringing a negative energy can sometimes be difficult.  Keep it light with simple responses such as, the company has been great but it isn’t the culture or it isn’t the right career path or industry.

Instead of approaching questions with a negative answer, try refocusing that negative energy and talk about the things you learned. Is there a new skill you developed? Did working with individuals with different opinions strengthen your ability to work in a team setting? Is there a project you are proud of or did you hit any major milestones?  Finding positive answers can illustrate your ability to find solutions and problem solve.

Droning on about a bad experience can leave your interviewer questioning whether you have the ability or willingness to do the job. You may have the right experience and qualifications, but attitude can also play a huge role during the decision process. 

The Importance of Knowing your Interviewer

One of the quickest ways to blow an interview is not knowing your interviewer, the industry, or the company itself. I cannot tell you how many times I have had interviews with individuals who have struggled to understand the company they were interviewing for, or had no clue that major industry changes were happening in their field of expertise.

Taking initiative to really research your interviewer, the company, and the industry creates an easier dialogue and connection points for a smooth conversation. It shows that you are knowledgeable and can set you apart from your competition.

Almost all companies have a website or social profiles for you to learn more about your interviewer. Find their LinkedIn profile, look at their bio and learn about their background. What groups do they belong to? Where did they go to school? Do you have any mutual connections? These are questions that give you the ability to create dialogue and questions.

Going into your interview, you should know about any company highlights, recent merges, or downsizes. Google the company, look at their press releases and read through their blog posts. Write down some of these highlights or changes within the company and utilize them as talking points during your interview. This knowledge can help you create leverage when speaking about how your skill set can bring true value to the company.   

Every industry has specific trends, breakthroughs, or major changes. Again, this is where a quick Google search, or a scan on LinkedIn Pulse can come in handy. Take time to browse through a few articles or reports on the industry or field you are in. Interviewers are looking for credible candidates and by having this knowledge, it shows that you really do care about the position you are interviewing for.  

Being prepared is key. Utilizing Google, LinkedIn and looking at PR pieces or blogs on the company you interview for can help transform the standard Q&A interview into a productive conversation.

Tis' the Season to Look For Your New Career

Many of us have already started our holiday weekends putting work and job searches on hold. One of the largest myths around search and career management is that “no one is around during the holidays, so it is a bad time”.  That is just an excuse, it is actually one of the best times to look.  

o   People tend to avoid travel, they are in town and in the office.

o   Most are winding down, so they are available to take  calls.

o   It is the time of the year that people (hiring managers) are assessing their teams and planning for additions or replacements.

o   People tend to be in a happy mood, more open and receptive to “help” someone.

-          It is a lot easier to write the emails, you have a theme. 

o   Dear XXXX,

I wanted to reach out and wish you a happy holiday and see if you might have a few minutes for a call/coffee etc.

-          This can also be a good time to follow up on previous communications.

o   I just wanted to drop you a note and wish you a happy holiday and follow up on our last conversation

If you are very serious about a specific situation, it may, and I repeat, may be a good idea to follow up with a small gift.  Sending a small gift basket to a high potential project with a nice note can be very well received, but it can also be viewed as a bit pushy, but it is a case by case basis.

For more tips on networking, career searching and career coaching, visit MyHuntPath! 

MyHuntPath Story: Scott H.

What was your background prior to working with MyHuntPath?

“I have a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and an Executive MBA. Prior to working with the team at MyHuntPath, I was in between jobs and trying to secure a steady position. “

What lead you to MyHuntPath?

I was introduced to Tom Johnston (SearchPath/MyHuntPath Founder) by a colleague which lead me to explore career coaching through MyHuntPath.

Have you used other Career Coaching services and how was your experience different?

I had used other outsourced placement systems in the past, but found MyHuntPath to have the toolset that can help someone search for a job. The process was efficient with each step outlined and defined. The coaching I received was spot on, and my career coach was able to wrap his arms around what the next step in the process should be, and how to drive it.

Would you say that this experience helped shape your new career direction?

I received help shaping my LinkedIn profile. This lead to being found by the Executive Vice President I currently work with, and landing an interview. I was coached by MyHuntPath through the interview process and was given advice during salary negotiations. I would say without that help, I might not be in the position I am now.

General comments?

Overall the career coaching I received was very impressive, and efficient. There was no wasted time or wasted activity during the process and it was very clear what I needed to do to improve and complete action items. I also felt that the MyHuntPath team was very knowledgeable and up to date with latest and greatest tools with how a person can find a job in today’s society.

Based on your experience, would you recommend MyHuntPath services and product to other job seekers?

Of Course!

The Right (and only) Way to Search for a New Job

When you’re suddenly faced with searching for a new job or maybe your first job, it can be a very scary process. Most of us have no idea what to do, or how to begin. Many of the standard tools and techniques that are suggested do not work. Posting a resume on a job board or responding to an open role usually results in nothing, not even a response. In addition, many experts will tell job seekers to “network” and discuss tactics without discussing a strategy.  This is a very confusing and difficult process that most have not fully grasped.

  

The key to building a successful lifetime career plan is to learn the skills and techniques of the professional Headhunter and use those tactics to plan and execute your future. MyHuntPath is a new career management platform that was developed by Headhunters and recruiters to give everyone an opportunity to learn the skills to evolve from being a reactive job seeker to a proactive career hunter. Here are some points to consider when searching for a new job.

-          Chose a Niche

o   All great Headhunters usually specialize in a very specific industry niche.  The goal in most hires is to not just find a great candidate, but find one that can contribute immediately and to do that, it is important to have industry knowledge.  Moving from industry to industry is very difficult because in a sense, it requires starting over and over.  Find an industry you love and then target your movements.

-          Target Networking

o   One of the main benefits of choosing an industry niche is that it gives you a very targeted group of people to begin building relationships.  The key to a Headhunters success is the extensive relationships they build over the years with top candidates. Join associations, go to meetings, reach out and offer to help people so that when you need help, you will know exactly who to call.

-          Understand the Why

o   Ultimately, the only real question any company will ask you is Why?  “Why should we hire you and how are you going to help us.”  Spend every day building your “Why Statement”.   It is a very competitive market, no one is going to hire you because you think you're special.  You must have valid accomplishments that will make you appealing to the companies in your niche.

-          Have a Plan – Where is your Buffalo?

o   If you do not know where you’re going, you will spend your life moving randomly from company to company, job to job. Know where and what you want, before you start your search.

-          Follow Up

o   The key to building long term relationships is to always follow up with people.  Most Headhunters will reach out to key contacts at least 4 to 6 times per year and some up to once a month.

Once you learn some of the basic techniques of the Headhunter, you will have the skills you need to take control of your career.  It will help you get the roles in the companies you want, not just the ones that happen to be hiring.

Explore MyHuntPath for additional information and tools on the Headhunters Approach.