Job Interview? 9 Great Tips to Get You to Round 2

Amy Levin-Epstein provided valuable 9 great tips to get round two interview. Mrs. Levin-Epstein wrote the following in the Career section of MoneyWatch.com: Get ready to nail your next interview, job seekers. I’ve asked my experts for their A-list advice to get you a second interview. I suspect you’re already savvy enough to send a thank you note and avoid lying on your resume. Let’s take your technique to the next level.

What follows, in no specific order, is a tried-and-true list of job interview tips. And by all means, if something else has worked even better for you, please sign in below and share it in the comments section.

1. Ask them upfront why they wouldn’t hire you.

The interview is coming to a close, but make sure you stick your landing, says Roberta Chinksy Matuson, President of Human Resource Solutions and author of Suddenly in Charge: Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around. “Always end the conversation with the following question: ‘Is there anything about my background that gives you concern?’” says Matuson. Now you’ve bought yourself a bonus round to derail any doubts.

2. Prepare sound bites.

Successes and skills need to be displayed clearly. “A sound bite is succinct and direct, catchy and easy to remember. An example is ‘I’ve designed logos for three Fortune 500 companies,’ or ‘My efficiency plan decreased product-delivery times by 15 percent without costing the company one cent,’” says Charles Purdy, senior editor and career expert at Monster.com. Implant these one-liners in your brain, and you won’t be grasping for words.

3. Ask for homework.

Until you’re hired, you’re an unknown to your potential employer. You sound great, but can you perform? Erase that question by asking for a trial assignment, suggests Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs. “Ask whether there’s any job-related task that you could do for them that would allow you to showcase your qualifications and maybe even save them a little time,” says Sutton Fell. Do a good job, and you’ll be getting paid to do the same work soon enough.

4. Mirror your interviewer.

You might feel like you’re in the hot seat, but if you can match your interviewer’s speed of speech and mannerisms, you’ll both feel more like you’re old friends and less like you’re in an NCIS interrogation room, says Ken Sundheim, CEO and Founder of KAS Placement, a New York City-based staffing agency. Not sure how you’re doing? “If you’re following their tone, speed and breathing correctly, validate your pacing technique by taking a sip of water - the interviewer will take a drink as well,” says Sundheim.

5. Be a stalker (within limits).

I hope you’re already Googling the person who will interview you, and reading about the company - but you need to feel it out further. “Dig deep by using tools like Klout and Pipl,” says public relations executive Meryl Weinsaft Cooper co-author of Be Your Own Best Publicist: How to Use PR Techniques to Get Hired, Noticed and Rewarded at Work. “Lurk around LinkedIn. Do some investigations by interviewing people who work there, or those who have left, to get the skinny on the culture and crowd.”

6. Record a pre-interview practice.

Ever wish you could tell how you sound in an interview? Find out, suggests Marlene Caroselli, Ed.D., author of The Critical Thinking Toolkit: Spark Your Team’s Creativity with 35 Problem Solving Activities: “A week ahead of the interview, record your reply to expected questions. Play the tape back and analyze your responses. Would you hire you?” If the answer is no, press rewind and try again.

7. Lean in for the kill.

OK, we’re exaggerating slightly. But you do want to lean slightly forward so your interviewer can tell you’re game. “Slouching or leaning back may send the wrong signals. When you sit down for a formal interview, lean forward to show interest and active listening,” says Kathryn Minshew, co-founder and editor-in-chief of PYP Media, an online career consulting tool for women.

8. Use the word “we.”

Look, I trust you when you tell me you’re a team player - but during an interview, you can come across as a total narcissist by using only the word “I,” says Kimberly Schneiderman, job search consultant and owner of City Career Services. She suggests talking about what your last team created, and only then describing your particular role. An example: “At ABC Company, the New Projects Team, of which I am a member, created a new app that would identify bakeries by location for our users. My role on the team was to identify bakeries within a specific radius of New York City and categorize them by specialty.”

9. Bring props.

Think of an interview as show and tell, suggests Jenni Luke, national executive director of Step Up Women’s Network. “Bring a ‘brag book’ of career accomplishments which demonstrates the quality of your work. [Or] if you see great work that a competitor is doing, bring that to the interview and critique it,” says Luke. This will clearly show what you can do and how you think. Bonus: Having a prop can also calm jittery nerves.
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Source: moneywatch.com Your Career On the Job section written by Amy Epstein

HUSB Dean Barron H. Harvey is one of the 2011 Washington Business Journal Minority Business Leader Award Winners Honorees

The Washington Business Journal honored the Minority Business Leader Awardees. The honorees emerged from a pool of candidates with diverse backgrounds, industries and life experiences. Each of them has a different story to tell about building a company and paving a path to success. The Washington business journal said the thing "they all shared in common, aside from riding the roller coaster of business, is an unwavering optimism and sense of determination." Baron H.Harvey,Phd., the Dean of the Howard University School of Business was among the Honorees. This award is well deserved, as many of HUSB Alum can attest to Dean Harvey's guidance; direct experience with his deliberate management style or the results of his strategic management decisions. The following is an exert from the Washington Business Journal's interview with Dean Harvey.

Harvey, 63, has held the title “dean” of the Howard University School of Business, either as acting, interim or permanent, for the last 20 years. His career has produced a number of firsts — he was the first African-American to receive a doctorate in business at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and his consulting firm Harvey & Co. was among the first minority consulting firms to provide services to international clients. | Family: Lives in D.C. with spouse Edith. Two adult daughters, Pyper and Sondra | Education: Bachelor’s degree, accounting; master’s degree, business, accounting; Ph.D., organizational behavior with minor in accounting, all from University of Nebraska at Lincoln
What is the biggest challenge facing minority leaders in business today? I don’t know if there’s a unique challenge for minority leaders vs. leaders in general. Right now the challenge is multifaceted. It involves being not only aware of the trends and challenges that are confronting domestic business, but also global business. And the second piece is charting a strategy. Now it has to be global.
As a child, what did you think you would be when you grew up? When I was in elementary and junior high school, I thought about being a math teacher. And then I later thought about being a bookkeeper like my dad. Then I later thought I might be a dentist; my dad’s close friend was a dentist. Then when I started taking Latin and some of the sciences, I said, “I don’t know.” When I got ready to come out of high school I thought I was going to be a great athlete. So I thought I was going to study physical education. But my mother said, “Oh no, you’re not going to do that.”
How do you start your day? I usually get up at 5:30, 6 a.m. I’m out jogging in the park with my dog, exercising. I get home around 7, spend a little time with my wife. Look at my iPad. I leave the house, and I know what fires I have to put out, and I’m in the office by 8:30.
What is your favorite place, outside the office? My home is my favorite place. I like to be home. I like to get out in Rock Creek Park. I ride my bike, play tennis.
How would your colleagues describe you? Sometimes I’m very intense. Some would indicate I exhibit classic Type A behavior. They would also say that I’m constantly coming up with new ideas. And I’m very competitive.

Read more: Minority Business Leader Awards 2011 | Washington Business Journal
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Source: Date: Friday, March 25, 2011, 6:00am EDT - Last Modified: Friday, March 25, 2011, 4:43pm EDT

Read more: Barron H. Harvey, Howard University School of Business | Washington Business Journal

Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group Announces Partnership with Prestigious Howard University to Launch Online Executive MBA

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Orlando, FL, United States, 03/31/2011 - Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group, a premier provider of distance learning services, is announcing a new partnership with Howard University to begin an online Executive Master in Business Administration (EMBA) starting in Fall 2011.

online Executive HUMBA http://onlinemba.howard.edu

Howard University’s School of Business was the first university in Washington, DC to be accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and is nationally ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek and The Princeton Review. The online EMBA degree consists of 42 credit hours of quality executive business education that can be completed in about a year and a half.

“With an audience of more than 5 million individuals, the Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most sought after degrees in higher education,” said Barron H. Harvey, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business. “We were looking to expand our ability to offer this Executive MBA degree and working with Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group to take this degree online offered us that opportunity.”

“Howard University has one of the premier business schools in the country and has a reputation for delivering high quality business degrees,” said Steve Fireng, Chief Executive Officer and President of Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group. “We feel there is tremendous demand for Howard University to expand its degrees nationwide and are honored that they are entrusting us to help them deliver their degree online.”

Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group offers fully integrated online learning services such as marketing, recruitment, retention support, instructional design and technology services to a growing list of prominent institutions.

Howard University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Howard University’s School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

About Howard University

Howard University (howard.edu), founded in 1867, is a private, research university that is comprised of 12 schools and colleges. Founded in 1867, students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Since 1998, the University has produced two Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, a Marshall Scholar, 21 Fulbright Scholars and 11 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, call 202-238-2330, or visit the University’s Website.

About Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group

At Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group (compassknowledge.com), we partner with traditional not-for-profit academic institutions to help them launch and manage successful online academic programs that ensure quality outcomes for students and expand their institutional reach. We provide the entire complement of online learning support services–including market research, program marketing, student recruitment, instructional design and technology, student retention support, faculty training and support and technical helpdesk, allowing our university partners to concentrate on delivering high quality academics. Our success is based on a history of performance and innovation that provides our academic partners with the stability and agility required to meet the growing global demand for online learning. Embanet-Compass partners with 31 colleges and universities serving more than 100 distance education programs.
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Source: Embarnet-Compass Knowledge Group

HUMBA Alum William Egbe – President, South Africa Business Unit The Coca-Cola Company will speak @ Afri-Tech Conference

William (Bill) Egbe is President of the South Africa Business Unit. Prior to this position he was President of the East and Central Africa Division.

Mr. Egbe began his career at The Eastman Kodak Company in 1989 as a Financial Analyst in Rochester, New York and held various positions before being transferred to Muehlhausen in Germany in 1991 as Assistant Plant Manager. He was named Operations Manager and Controller for the Kodak Health Imaging-Dental Business (Europe, Africa & Middle East), in 1994, and the following year, was appointed Managing Director, Kodak Dental Products Europe Inc.

Mr. Egbe joined The Coca-Cola Company as Deputy Region Manager, Coca-Cola West Africa in 1997. He was appointed Region Manager, Coca-Cola Mid-Africa & Islands in 2000, and a year later, was made Region Manager for Coca-Cola East Africa. Mr. Egbe held the position of Region Manager, Coca-Cola East Africa & Islands from 2002 until 2005, when he was appointed President of the East and Central Africa Division.

Bill holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Howard University in Washington. He is an active member of the community and has volunteered for many organizations, including the Red Cross Society in Germany. Bill is fluent in English, French and German.

Bill was a featured speaker in the Africa Infrastructure Conference held in Washington DC on April 27th, 2010 focused on building dynamic growth in Africa. On June 15th, 2011, Bill will be a featured speaker at the Afri-Tech internet and marketing conference held in Nirobi Kenya.
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Source: www.afri-tech.com

HUMBA Alum Van Ewing, Managing Partner of New York Life

Van is a graduate of Howard University where he received a Masters of Business Administration in Finance and Banking in 1998. After graduating Howard, Van joined Texaco, Inc, located in Westchester County, New York. After completing the two-year management rotational program he was appointed to Director of Corporate Development of the Fuel and Marine Marketing division and written up in Forbes magazine as a 29-year old executive of the huge multinational Oil and Gas Company. Mr. Ewing resigned after a six-year tenure at ChevronTexaco Inc. with his last role being Director of Mergers & Acquisitions/Strategic Initiatives. Van is married to Dionne and they reside in downtown Chicago with their two dogs, Miles and Zsa Zsa. Van lives by the simple motto offered to him by his wife,"If it can be done, then I can do it.”

“New York Life has afforded me the balance of life issues that I always struggled with during my prior 8-year corporate career.”

Van enjoys the flexibility and learning/ development atmosphere of New York Life. As an agent, he was able to help a lot of families. In his current role as partner, he is able to recruit, develop and train agents to do much of the same on a larger scale.

Luke and Van are Managing Partners for New York Life's award winning Chicago Northshore General Office. As Managing Partners they oversee the operation and activities of one of New York Life’ s largest producing agencies, with over 111 agents throughout the greater Illinois area.

Mr. Ewing is a board member of the American Lung Association of the Metropolitan Chicago, a board member of the NAIFA Illinois Foundation and and corporate advisory member of Larabida Children's hostpital.

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Source: New York Life website

Howard University African Business Conference: Africa Redefined

The fourth annual African Business Conference will be held on February 25-26, 2011 at the Howard University School of Business in Washington, DC. The conference aims to redefine African business by highlighting economic and social developmental advances on the continent, as well as bringing the reality of the African business landscape to key stakeholders, professionals, students and potential investors. The conference features distinguised panelists and keynote speakers from Africa and the US.

Proposed sessions are:

The African Diaspora in African Business
New Horizons: Reshaping Tourism, Travel, and Hospitality in Africa
Reemergence of African airline industry (benefits, challenges posed)
Africa’s Banking Boom: The Expansion of African Banking and Investment
Stock market development in Africa
Entrepreneurship: The Challenges and Opportunities of Business Ventures in Africa
Corporate Social Responsibility: Unlocking the Corporate Potential in Sustainable Development
Rising to the Challenge: Capital for New Business Ventures and Project Finance
For more information visit www.huabc.org.
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Source: http://huabc.org
Tyrone Jackson ~ President, Graduate Business Student Council Tjackson05@gmail.com

Howard MBA Students Study in India and United Arab Emirates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON Thirteen Howard University MBA students recently completed two weeks of study in Dubai,United Arab Emirates, and various cities in India as part o the global education initiative led by School of Business Dean Barron Harvey.

The School of Business MBA program, a nationally recognized leader in business education, is scaling up its study abroad opportunities for students to bolster international business preparation and global competence across cultures. The team Global Management consulting course began on Dec. 8 and concluded on Dec. 22. Dean Harvey, the faculty leader for the course, is also traveling with the students.
All students have been assigned real life consulting projects for either Niju Scribe or Chamudni Silk, two India-based companies.Students will present their extensive research along with recommendations that will identify strategies and tactics that each company may utilize as solutions to previously identified business problems.In addition to presenting their course project, students will have the opportunity to learn about Indian culture, art and history.




They will visit and interact with students and professors from IFIM Business School in Bangalore, Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Visits to renowned landmarks are also included: Dilli Haat (an open art gallery), The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Qutab Minar, India Gate as well as Knowledge City and a Desert Safari in Dubai. Students will also enjoy viewing firsthand operations from an international perspective for Niju Scribe, Embassy Golf Links Business Park and NTPC Power Plant.

Students will also be hosted by Tyco and IBM, long-standing partners of the MBA program at Howard University. Both companies were participants in the initial study abroad trip earlier this year to Beijing and Shanghai, China. Mr. Shelly Stewart, Tyco senior vice president of Operational Excellence and chief procurement officer, who is also the chair of the School of Business Board of Visitors, will host Tyco Day for the second time this year. to expose students to global business strategies and operations.The Global Management Consulting Abroad experience will facilitate many more global opportunities to come. Other initiatives and future study abroad programs will include travels to South Africa, Brazil and France.If you would like more information about this topic, please contact The School of Business at mba_bschool@howard.edu or via phone at (202) 806-1725. ----------- Source:  Contact:Kerry-Ann Hamilton Howard University Media Relations Manager k_hamilton@howard.edu 202.238.2332