Job Coaches Talk Interviews in Easton

Easton resident Cathy Alfandre knows how to get a job. Alfandre is a certified career coach and master resume writer who shared her skills at the Easton Public Library on Tuesday. Professionals from Fairfield County gathered for the Easton Professional Networking group meeting to enhance and refresh their interviewing skills.

Alfandre led the group through the process of preparing for an interview by detailing key actions, including what to do before the interview, during the interview and after the interview. "Planning starts before you sit in front of the hiring manager or HR professional," Alfandre said. Her recommendation is to research company information using Google, checking business industry sites and connecting with insiders using social media sites such as LinkedIn.

"Anticipating, planning and practicing your responses, including the generic questions, is important to a successful interview, either on the phone or in person," Alfandre said. "For example, plan on how to answer the typical first question, 'So, tell me about yourself,' as succinctly as possible or in less than 90 seconds."

She led the group members in practicing their responses to that question with each other to determine how to refine their responses. Planning and practicing helps individuals maintain their professionalism and composure during an interview, which is normally nerve-wracking. "Interviewing is very competitive, and practicing with someone is critical to success, as with anything in life," Alfandre said.

The Easton Professionals Networking group's mission is to help members transition to the next job or to reinvent their careers. Paska Nayden and Lena Gjonaj conduct the weekly group coaching sessions around the principles of accountability, planning, tracking results and exploring options.

Nayden and Gjonaj help individuals determine the best options to meet their goals. According to Gjonaj, "95 percent of the people who are helped by her company become an owner of a business they would have never considered — or had discounted on their own."

To learn more about the business transitional meetings at the Easton Library or about pursuing self-employment coaching options, contact Lena Gjonaj or Paska Nayden at 203-275-8992 or by email at lena@tescoaches.com.

What kind of career skills would you like to learn?

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