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Chris Knowles, Meteorologist:
Now, over to John with some very important news on getting a job.

John?

John Muller, Co-Anchor:
Yeah, so many people, it’s rough out there right now. With looming layoffs at so many places, record unemployment rates, finding a job these days can be quite difficult. Here to show you how to use the tactics of honest spin to find employment in this very tough job market is our old friend Ara Chekmayan, an expert on public relations and job acquisition, and the CEO of Tactical Public Relations.

Welcome back to the show.

Ara Chekmayan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Tactical Public Relations, Inc.:
Thanks for having me, John. It’s great to be here.


Muller:
All right, let’s start out with the most obvious thing. We talk about, you know, appearance, first impressions.

Chekmayan:
Well, appearance is certainly important. Think of President Barack Obama and his appearance. His campaign for President was a massive piece of public relations. And, image is very important. You wanna look your best when you walk in to the job, and be able to, you know, have the right presence for the organization. As internationally renowned expert on communications Jay Bildstein says, “Appearance and action help craft,  perception of your abilities.”

 Muller:
It’s really true. What’s a key point to interviewing? We were talking a little earlier, uh, what do you wanna do in that interview? Key point?

 Chekmayan:
One ‘a the things you wanna do is you wanna keep positive words, you know. Everyone has to be upbeat, you wanna use words that can show that you can be, that you can be productive and that you can do things. For example, if you need to learn a computer program…

Muller:
Mm-hmm.


Chekmayan:
…and if you don’t know it, you don’t wanna say, “No, I don’t know that program.”

Muller:
Excited about the challenge.

Chekmayan:
But, you wanna say that you can do it, exactly.

Muller:
Yeah, that’s right, “I’m excited about learning about that.”

Chekmayan:
Right.

Muller:
Uh, you talk about being marketplace friendly. Why don’t you explain that for us?

Chekmayan:
Well, marketplace friendly as trends appear. You look at what’s happening in the New York market. Mayor Bloomberg said earlier this year that they’re gonna be cutting two, twenty thousand jobs. And while the city’s cutting jobs, the federal government is looking to increase jobs in the area of green, stability.

Muller:
Right.

Chekmayan:
Anything like a green-related job. So, you’d wanna look for opportunities in the green market, looking for that.

Muller:
All right. Let’s talk about getting noticed. There’s so many resumes out there, there’s so many people now, more than ever, looking for work. How do you stand out from the pack when there’s so many other people in your shoes who maybe are outta work?

Chekmayan:
That’s right, a very good thing. You know, there’s so many people that are out of work, and they’re looking to make a good impression. The way that you can stand out in a good way is by not courting scandal, but making things positive. Again, putting positive spin on your appearance, on your abilities. And, make it so that you can, provide an image that provides the impact that you want, and to show the ability that you can provide for the company.

Muller:
Is there any mistake, a big mistake that people consistently make in your opinion?

Chekmayan:
Yeah. One of  the biggest mistakes is lying. You do not lie ever. Don’t lie on your resume, don’t lie in the interview, don’t fudge things, don’t change,  facts. Make sure that you keep things factually relevant, and position them towards the, the job that you’re looking for.

Muller:
If you wanna build yourself up in a way without actually, you know, you don’t wanna lie, but you wanna build yourself up, that’s a, that’s a tricky, uh, balance.

Chekmayan:
Right, well, that’s, that’s the spin. That’s where you say, “Look, you know what, here’s something that I’ve done before.” If someone’s been , a stay at home parent and they’re just reentering the job market…

Muller:
Mm-hmm.

Chekmayan:
…that’s something that you can say, “Well, here’s different positions, things that I’ve done that apply to the workforce right now.” Don’t invent opportunities, don’t invent prior history. Make sure that what you’re doing is honest and is, forthright, and fits the job.

Muller:
Ara, thank you so much for coming in this morning. We appreciate it.

Chekmayan:
Thanks for having me.

Muller:
For more on job search tips, you can visit our blog at WPIX.com/morningnews. Plus, you’ll find an extra link to our career and job posting sight as well.

The News at 7:00 starts right now.