A famous coach, of Green Bay Packer fame, spoke frankly when he said, "Perfect practice makes perfect."  Mr. Lombardi's intent was CLEAR.  He wanted his players to concentrate on PRACTICE, drilling on the "little things", the basics, so that they became instinct during the heat of real life. Such is productive mindset during any career transition, specifically related to your ability to answer questions effectively. 

1. Practice your two minute drill every chance you get.... its the fundamental building material of your communication strategy--your verbal collaterals!

2. Practice your exit and qualification statements... most all potential employers and networking contacts will want to know your current situation and why you are available.

3. Practice answering both common and tough questions... including pre-offer negotiation tactics.

The Basics of Answering Questions Effectively...

1. ANSWER THE QUESTION... The implication, here, is that you have heard and fully understand the nature of the question.  If this is true, simply answer the question in a straight forward, brief manner... and then stop talking!  Often the challenges come in knowing when to stop talking.  If the question is not clear, CLARIFY before answering.  Q: What are your goals? A: I am quite motivated by goal-setting... Are you most interested in my personal or professional goals (a context issue)?  Be prepared for the more common questions relative to your positioning ... the three most common are permutations of "Tell me about yourself."... "What is your current situation?" ... and, "What are your key strengths for this position?"

2. LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE AND CONFIRM YOUR STRENGTHS... Your purpose is to drive home your communication strategy--that set of key words and strengths that define your "message."  So, when a question is asked that relative to a job related strength, answer the question and confirm the strength by stating a behavioral example.  For example, you are applying for a recruiting job with a major firm and are asked, Q: Have you ever conducted nationwide recruitment programs? A: Yes (the answer...now confirm it as a strength), while with Johnson Controls I conducted a needs analysis looking at least one year forward in the operational plans.  I developed and implemented a recruitment strategy, unique for each of our operational centers... resulting in 80% cost-per-hire savings.  Whenever possible, state actions and results as a value add to your purpose.

3. AT LEAST ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A QUESTION Before blocking, turning around, or in any other way changing the subject... Salary negotiation, illegal questions and other non-standard questions often call for extraordinary responses.  Stay focused, get results... but never manipulate or deceive with your answer.  Q: How much did you make in base salary last year?  A: I am surprised the salary is an issue this early in our discussion of your opportunity... could you tell me more about...

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The most asked question during career transition is, "Tell me about yourself."  Appropriate use of your two-minute drill strategies, your "verbal collaterals", is a key ingredient to personal salesmanship...

• A verbal resume...  A tightly focused, upbeat telling of "your story" told in a high impact two minute format.  With practice, can be easily personalized to your listener.

• An "elevator pitch"...  A succinct summary of your qualifications for a specifically positioned function or opportunity.  With practice, can become quite spontaneous.

• Brag bytes...  Wordcraft various collections of words, phrases and sentences to capture memorable moments or accomplishments--the best you have to offer.  "...saved 80% cost-per-hire..."  Used in MSWord Auto Text Format can be quite efficient when building high impact correspondence as well.

• Personal Portfolio...  Your collection of certificates, pictures, examples of work, reference letters, etc that can bring life and interest (not to mention PROOF) to your story.

1. Be honest, but be your best, authentic SELF.

2. Anticipate the needs of your listener when talking about yourself.  Often before answering questions effectively you must have asked the right questions to direct your personal salesmanship.

3. Narrative, story-like answers are always better received than rigid, practiced responses.

4. Keep it brief, but meaningful...  Focused but entertaining... Speak WITH a person, not at them!

5. Be ready to back up what you say, confirming your qualification and key strengths.

6. Know when to toot your own horn...turn small talk into high impact, BIG talk.

7. Refresh your communication strategy often to stay in synch with your current marketplace.  There is no replacement for research.

8. Practice enough to be spontaneous... and use humor where appropriate.  You want to impress your listener, not get them to roll their eyes.

9. HAVE a sense of humor.  Don't expect your market to be as logical as you are.

10. It should make common sense to employ all your senses... Use your eyes, ears, head and heart when selling yourself.

Often you can build in credibility by talking about yourself as others see you, in the third person.  "My customers have always valued my responsive problem-solving nature.  Why, just last week...."  -or- "I have been consistently reviewed for my expertise in..."

"If you practice the way you play, there shouldn't be any difference. That's why I practiced so hard. I wanted to be prepared for the game."

GETTING TO "YOUR STORY" WITH DIRECTED SELF ASSESSMENT...

Assessment for the purposes of career development and strategy can become multi-faceted and deep.  But for a quick peek... to shed some light on what's next, answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge:

	What do you do for a living (do not state a title) and how did you get into it?
	What do you love or have a passion for in your work?
	Does your current or desired job showcase your three greatest functional strengths?
	What are three personality traits of yours that FIT this work?
	Name three personality traits that would allow anyone to do this work effectively?
	What are three personality traits or other "soft measures" that you are regularly complimented for... how do you last three answers stack up?
	What have you learned about your work in the past year?
	What lessons have you learned and grown from in the last five years? Within your career?
	Does your academic preparation match/ support your work?
	What's next for you to learn? More formal education?  Retraining?
	How do you make a difference for the people you serve?  Your peers?
	What professional organizations do you participate in?

So, then... "Tell me about yourself."