New Year’s Resolutions

It was hard to find much to cheer about in 2009. People and institutions seemed to let us down on a regular basis. Rather than place blame, let’s figure out what we can do to make 2010 a better year than the one we just left.

Get better. Get better at making promises, keeping promises and delivering more than you promise.

Get real. Find facts and face them. Face facts and deal with them. Deal with facts and take action on them.

Get moving. If you can’t run, walk. Put one foot in front of the other. And if that’s more speed than you can handle, take baby steps, just keep moving.

Listen more: Listen to what you don’t want to hear. Listen to what you need to hear. Listen to clarify, to understand, to fill the gap between what you see and what others see differently than you.

Agree more. Find reasons to agree, occasions when you share common ground, and times when there’s more that connects than separates you from one another.

Trust more. Trust facts. Trust others. Trust your gut. Trust more than you doubt, more than you dare, and more than you care to admit.

Open up more: Wherever you are, be there. Let people see who you are, know what you want, acknowledge how you feel and why you care as much as you do.

Clarify. Say what you mean. Say what you want. Say why it’s important to you.

Deliver. If you say it, do it. If you do it, do it right. If you do it right, do it on time. If you do it on time, do it with grace.

Confront. Go there. Be there. Address the issue that stands between where you are and where you could be. Find a way to accommodate what you want with what someone else needs.

Resolve. Get it done. Get it finished. Get it out of the way to make room for what’s next.

Work smart. Put most of your time where you get most of the benefit. Put most of your effort where you put most of your time.

Work hard. Work on what is worthwhile. Work on what you value. Work on what creates value for others.

Turn your talent into strengths. Turn what you do most easily into what you can consistently do well. Turn what is a gift into a treasure. Shape what you take for granted into what defines you.

Work more in your strengths: Do more with what you do best. Learn more about what you enjoy most. Give more of what is easiest for you to give.

Be credible: Create more substance than style, more actions than words, more outcome than expectation.

Be relevant: Stay in the conversation. Stay in the game. Learn more today than you knew yesterday. Advance your thinking by expanding your perspective.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started her own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Lonely Layoff? Get Moving!

It’s easy to get stuck between lonely and cranky when you lose your job, particularly when your neighbors and friends still have a job to go to. You know you have to get on with life and start interviewing, but you’re having a tough time getting off the couch and putting on your shoes. If that’s your situation and you have the energy to read this column, I have some ways to remedy your situation.

Begin by confronting your feelings. You’re going through a difficult experience and it’s natural to be bombarded with a variety of emotions, everything from disorientation to denial; guilt to grief.  Be patient with yourself. You can’t rush feelings; they unfold in their own time. So deal with them, and they’ll pass, even though it’s slow going.

You may get in a habit of sleeping in or hiding out. Whatever you call it, it’s time to rejoin the living. One of the best routes to reentry is through exercise, which is as good for your head as it is for your heart and all your other parts. Whether you power lift at the gym or power walk in the neighborhood you’ll start feeling better about yourself.

Once your energy’s returned and your optimism restored, you’re ready to launch your search. There’s plenty to do, so dig in.  Start with your resume. Organize your information in reverse chronological order, listing job titles, locations, employment dates, duties and responsibilities. Quantify your accomplishments.

Next, write a basic cover letter that accompanies your resume. You can customize it later. Keep it simple with three brief paragraphs: The purpose (the reason you’re sending a resume), rationale (how your experience demonstrates you’re the one for the job), and expectation (the date you’ll call to secure the interview). That’s it.

Now you’re ready to Network. Let your friends and acquaintances know that you are looking for a job by describing what you want to do and why you’re good at doing it. Ask for suggestions of people to contact, and offer to keep in touch regarding your progress.

Prioritizing and time management will offset procrastination. Know what’s most important, make a plan, then do what you find most difficult, first, what you find easiest, last, and stick with the program five days out of seven. You’ll have the weekend to do it the other way around.

Next on your list of must do’s: What do you want in your next job? For some, it’s more of the same, for others, it’s a clean break from the past. If you’re heading down a trail you’ve never been before, you’ll benefit from the advice of those who have already completed the journey as well as those whose business it is to advise about such things. Once you get the direction sorted out, describe it to others in ways they can understand so they can help you get there.

Now it’s time to make a list of individuals who can directly or indirectly connect you to the job you want. Who are the people who know people who hire people? Here are a few ideas to jump start your thinking: the person you sit next to at a ball game, religious service, concert, or dinner party. The person you typically stand next to at a soccer match, meet in the grocery store, or visit at a coffee shop. Former or current classmates, work mates, play mates. And what do you say after you ask them how they, their kids and the job is doing? If you’re changing career paths, try something like this:

“I’ve given a lot of thought to my next career move and what I want to do: (describe what it is and why you’d do well). I’d like to speak with people who do similar work and who enjoy it. They might know of businesses that could benefit from my interest and abilities. Who do you suggest that I contact?”

For every setback we experience, we learn important lessons about life and about ourselves. It takes courage to do something productive with what we learn.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at www.thecoachingassociation.com.

Rejoining Your Life After an Unexpected Layoff

I bet you know him. He goes to work early and stays late. He’s known as a company man. He’s dedicated, loyal, with a work ethic that challenges the most diligent. His only fear is failing health even though he’s never taken a sick day. (He’s never had a day that he stayed out sick. He’s had several sick days.)

He’s just been laid off and never saw it coming.

He was starting to think about retirement. Not that he wanted to, but he was losing his edge; slower than he liked, more forgetful, less enthusiastic. It took energy to be enthusiastic. He’d need to save his energy for nights that he worked late.

Retirement’s gone. He’s been laid off. Now he needs to get a job.

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If this sounds familiar, it is, and you’re not alone. The good news is, you can get your bearings, you can figure this out if you use your time and energy wisely and think differently than you have before. To get the next job you’ll need to connect with people you haven’t paid attention to in a very long while.

Rejoin your family. You need them to welcome you home. You’ll need to be as vital to them as you’ll soon find they are to you. You’ll want to have a place to be and a role to play. You’ll need to be a wise listener; an empowering husband, and an encouraging father. You want to learn about their life’s lessons, their struggles, and their successes so they’ll want to care about yours.

Take your time and stay the course. It won’t happen overnight. You worked your way out of their lives, you’ll have to earn your way back in, one day at a time.

Rejoin your community. Learn how to connect so you’ll know where to contribute. When you combine who you naturally are, with what you inherently do, and where that combination is needed most, and you give fully of yourself, you will get more in return than you can possibly anticipate.

Expand your thinking. When is the last time you read a book because you wanted to? If it’s been a long time (or you’ve never been a reader) you’re in for quite a surprise. There’s a world of information waiting for you. Explore and experience learning where other people go to learn. Go to the library, go back to school, go to a play, go to concert, google.

Take care of your heart, your head and your feet. If you’ve avoided check-ups because doctors tell you what you don’t want to hear, check-in. Tell them you’re ready to listen. And if they say it’s OK, lace up your shoes and take a brisk walk. Walk alongside babies in strollers, and dogs on leashes. Wave at children on swings and families on cookouts.

There are extraordinary ordinary people in this world who are ready and willing to assist you in your job search if you will let them know that they are important to you. Not because of what they do, but because of who they are.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at www.thecoachingassociation.com.

Tips for Job Seekers of All Ages

“It’s about time you got a job and earned your keep!”

Now that’s a comment that will get the attention of your children, whether they are fifteen or fifty. And it’s easier said than done, particularly if your youngster of indeterminate age hasn’t had any experience getting a job, has had a bad experience trying to secure one, or hasn’t been able to keep one.  With that in mind, here are some tried and true methods worth trying on and trying out:

Look for a job that enables you to do what you like. Sure, it’s called “work” but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. In fact, your early work experiences, if they’re positive, can help create a framework for a lifetime of positive work experiences.  When you learn from experience you’ll know the kind of boss you like, the co-workers you enjoy spending time with, and the work environment that not only brings out the best in you, it motivates you to keep learning and achieving.

So, whether you’re an avid reader (libraries, bookstores), relationship builder, closer (hospitality/sales), care-taking analytical problem solver (health and human services), computer whiz (designer, trouble shooter, programmer) handyman or woman (building/construction/installation/repair), or whatever else grabs your attention and focuses your energy there’s a job out there that will appeal to you.

Next, you’ll have to appeal to an employer and that happens when you’re willing to do what it takes to be a solid employee. For example:

Employers want employees who keep their word (if you say you’ll do something, you’ll do it), who get to work on time (they like it even more when you get there early), who are positive, energetic, have good people skills, who step up and get their work done, and leave when it’s the right time, not when the clock says it’s time to go.

Employers want employees who look for opportunities to contribute more than they’re asked, who initiate and pitch in, and who are as helpful as they are respectful. They want employees who ask questions when they know they don’t know, and ask for resources when they don’t have what they need. They remember what they’re told, learn from their mistakes and don’t make the same mistakes twice. They share credit for their wins and acknowledge their errors. They look for opportunities to learn, they ask for more responsibility and accept accountability. And they do all that, whether the job is part time or full time, a first job, a means to an end, or the last job they’re likely to have.

To get the job that you want and to be the employee that every employer wants to have, you’ve got to get hired. To make that happen:

Know what you’re naturally good at doing, how your abilities benefit your employer (not how your employer can benefit you), and how to present yourself in a way that demonstrates confidence that’s not arrogance, respect that’s not submission, and specificity that’s not self- limiting.

Provide a resume that’s a track record of accomplishment and a list of references who are as prepared to present your case as you are. Know what you need to earn and what you want to earn so that you can live with the former and set your sights on the latter.

If you’re fifteen or fifty, and have solid objectives, sensible strategies and time tested tactics and if you work your plan, you’ll increase the odds of getting where you want to go.  Armed with a clear direction and a course of action, you can stay on track while staying open and responsive to people and opportunities that align with your skills, intuitive strengths, and intended goals.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Know Who You Are

In your quest to find the right job you’ll need to maximize every interaction and leverage every opportunity. You can do that if you know who you are, what you want, and a good match when you see one.

To know who you are requires an understanding what’s important to you and an inventory of your intrinsic beliefs and extrinsic rewards; what you do best (strengths); what you want to accomplish (potential); and how you’re going to get there (action planning).

You’ll know the viability of a match when you can align what employers value (beliefs and rewards) and need (current and anticipated challenges); where they want to go (strategic vision) and what they expect you to accomplish (near and long term), with what you value, need, and envision for your future.

You can check your interview readiness by answering these questions. Work on them until you own the content and you’re comfortable that you can articulate your responses in meaningful, yet cogent ways. Let’s take it from the top:

Who are you? What do you care about most and value so deeply that if challenged, you would not compromise? What work settings enliven you? What management styles bring out the best in you and what leadership styles engage, challenge, and encourage you to contribute beyond your current capabilities? What intrinsic rewards have greatest meaning to you and what extrinsically, do you require?

What do you do best and most easily? What do co-workers, friends and family consistently ask you to accomplish for them because they know you do it well? What have you achieved that others have acknowledged as having added value to the company’s top or bottom line?

What do you want to accomplish in your career? To what do you aspire and what is your timetable for attainment? What contributions do you want to make? What trade- offs are you willing to accept in pursuit of your goals?

What do you want to accomplish in your life? How do you want to be remembered? What legacy do you want to leave? What concessions, if any, are you willing to make for that to happen?

What’s your strategy for getting there? Are you someone who can envision your place in the future and trust intuition to get you there? Is it easier for you to identify near term objectives and achieve them, one at a time?  Do you prefer to address real- time needs and solve pressing problems by taking life and opportunity as it comes? Whatever your preference, complement your strengths by consulting with your opposites, those who are  adept at seeing what you miss, doing best what you do least well:  Visionaries and tacticians; idea generators and pragmatists; designers and implementers, rule makers and rule breakers.

Ready? As you change focus to what the company needs, be mindful to match your strengths, skills, and potential to the company’s needs, challenges, and direction. What questions should you ask and who’s in the best position to answer them?

Begin with the company’s website and the information that highlights the leadership team’s vision, values and strategy. Check newspaper/trade paper/business journal archives for recent and substantive changes in leadership; news of acquisitions, spin-offs, product line expansions and consolidations; reorganizing, hiring, reductions in force, salary or hiring freezes.

Contact appropriate individuals in your network for information regarding the company’s financial stability, standing in the business community, and reputation among its employees as a strong, supportive place to work.

Proceed to the interview and participate proactively; articulate what you bring to the table, remain open and responsive to the questions you’re asked, and candid in the information you seek, information that enables you to make a sound personal and professional decision.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Cardinal Career Advice

I’ve noticed that people seem to pay more attention to suggestions when they’re offered in a numerical format. With that in mind I thought you’d benefit from a little cardinal career search advice.

Here’s a warm-up: you need to do three things before you leave for an interview:  1. Comb your hair. 2. Brush your teeth, and 3. Take your resume. OK so far? Good, now let’s get a little more complex.

There are three things you need to do before you network: 1. Be sure the person you contact is someone whose opinion and experience you value and trust. 2. Identify individuals with whom you share life values or skills sets, preferably both.  3. Network with people who themselves have networks and are likely to know and are willing to call others who can potentially help in your search.

There are four things you need to do before you interview: 1. You need to know what you do best. 2.You need to provide examples of when, using those core strengths, you protected bottom line or drove the top line of companies for whom you have worked. 3. You need to provide examples of how your strengths can benefit an organization now and in the future and 4. You need to know that what you do best is what they need most.

There are three things you need to know about your references before you put their names on your list. 1. That they are willing to serve. 2. That they communicate clearly and effectively. 3. That they know you and your strengths and feel good about the combination of both.

There are three things your references need to know about you before they are willing to be on your list: 1. They value your work style and strengths, having previously been or are currently your boss, peer, or direct report. 2. They agree that what you seek is what you do best 3. They know your work history and how your experience ties to your ability to contribute to a prospective employer.

Before speaking to a potential employer, you need to do one thing, three ways: 1. Do your research by (a) reading the company website, (b) reviewing current business publications that reference the company, and (c) talking with current or former employees who have worked at a level or position comparable to the one you seek.

There are four things you want to learn about the company as a result of your research: 1.Their profitability, 2. Their competition, 3. Their rate of expansion or contraction and 4. The greatest challenges they face regarding all three.

There are three tests your resume needs to pass before you distribute it:  1. The smell test. Have you told the truth, filled in the blanks, given credit where it’s due and taken it when appropriate? 2. The taste test. Is it interesting and chock full of quantifiable accomplishments that encourage the reader to want to learn more? 3. The touch test. Is it spell checked, grammar checked; are you accountable for everything in it?

What three things do you need to evaluate before leaving your job? 1. The extent to which you’ve been honest with yourself. 2. The extent to which you’ve been honest with others. 3. The extent to which you’ve resolved outstanding issues, challenges, and concerns so that you don’t have to repeat them in the future.

What three things do you need to do when on an interview? 1. Sell yourself and your strengths accurately, without hype or humility. 2. Ask questions about those things that can help you determine fit, both personal and professional. 3. Be realistic and encourage candor; the more you know the better decision you’ll both make.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Tips for your Job Search

“It’s been more than three weeks since I sent my resume to a local company and I haven’t heard a peep out of them. The ad didn’t say whom I should call to follow up so I’ve tried several different departments and I haven’t heard anything.  By now I’ve called several more times and I’ve started leaving messages that indicate how irritated I am at their obvious indifference to my search. Give me a break! They’re the ones who advertised the position and asked people to submit their resumes. What else can I do to get their attention?”

Ouch. I think you’ve gotten their attention. Just not in the way you might have intended. Yes, it’s frustrating to send in a resume and not know if you’ll be receiving a call to interview, particularly if you’re the kind of person who likes closure. And yes, it appears rude to not get a call back if you’re the kind of person who’s always careful to retrieve messages and return calls. But this isn’t about what you would do in a given circumstance; it’s about your ability to correctly respond to the circumstance you are presented.

With that in mind, here are some strategies savvy job seekers have found that work for them and get the attention they want. When they see an ad in the paper, they wait a few days before submitting their resume. That way the resume arrives after the initial avalanche of responses instead of being buried in the middle of them.

They write resumes that are focused, well organized, heavy on accomplishments and light on explication. They write them in easy to read 12 pt fonts that are plain, not fancy. They write resumes that are succinct and get the job done on one page and never more than two.

They pay attention to keywords. They realize that the company’s on-line or print ads contain key words that describe the strengths, skills and abilities the employer has identified as essential for success. They make sure their resumes contain those same key words along with accomplishments that highlight them.

If you want to know your applicant status and don’t want to be perceived as a nuisance, try this strategy that some “need to know” job seekers have found helpful when submitting their resumes:

When responding to print ads they include, along with their resume, a self-addressed stamped postcard that asks the resume reader to check one of two boxes. “Yes! We are interested and you’ll hear from us” or “No, we don’t have a match and will not be in touch”.

Here’s the deal: Resume readers receive hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of responses to their on- line and print ads. It’s unrealistic to expect that they have the time or energy to call or email their notice of disinterest.

You can save yourself needless frustration and aggravation if you embrace the notion that you’ll hear from a company that wants to interview you and you won’t if they’ve taken a pass.

When you do get that interview and after you’ve done your best to present your credentials, ask and answer questions, you’re not quite finished. Write a thank you note that highlights the ways you can contribute to their company. If two weeks pass and you’ve not heard anything, call, and whether voice to voice or leaving a voice mail, say something like, “I want to work for you and make a difference for your company. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”

Then get on with your search. Continue to network and apply for positions until the right people at the right company say you’re the right person for them.

And when you hear that, say yes! Positively.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Getting Back to the Basics

If you’re looking for work and your looking isn’t working, get back to basics.  For example…

Get off your duff. That’s right, get off the couch, the recliner, or where ever else you choose to occupy too many hours of your job search day. What’s that? You’re working hard, looking for a job on the internet, cutting out ads, writing letters, organizing files, and bolstering your self confidence by reading self help books and motivational magazines? You’re doing lots of good stuff but not the kind of stuff that gets you in front of the people who make hiring decisions. Get out there and make your case.

Did I hear you correctly? You don’t want to call those people because they’re busy and you could offend them and they might get angry at you? I’m not suggesting that you call strangers or strange people.  I’m suggesting that you contact people you know and respect, people with whom you share common interests or experience; people who know people who make business decisions (Yes, you do know these people. You sit next to them at church and football games. You know them from your old high school, your neighborhood, PTA, and where you volunteer) and ask for 20 minutes of their time. Why? Because you can benefit from their perspective and if you present yourself well enough, from their contacts.

Just don’t call the meeting an ‘informational interview’. That’s code for “I’m out of work and you aren’t” and a non- starter. You want a meeting with an outcome; you want the people sitting across from you to brainstorm options with you, even make calls on your behalf to other decision-makers. And they’ll be willing to do all this because they respect you and the people who referred you, on this one condition: that you can make your case. You have to describe, in living color, what you do best and how your best has made a difference in the past and will make a difference to the company that hires you.

If you can’t or won’t, the daisy chain of referral is broken and the game’s over.

Whoa. I see hesitation in your eyes. Yes, I know you were laid off. You and plenty of dedicated, hard working people, smart people were laid off and that doesn’t make you less effective, less successful, or less accomplished than your competition. It does make you savvy to vagaries of world economies and realistic about the need to get out there and make something happen. 

So yes, it’s up to you.  Finding a good job that’s a good fit is hard work. You’ll have to network again and again and if you run out of friends and friends of friends and instead of getting referrals you’re getting blank stares, or worse, cold shoulders, you’re making some mistakes.

The likely culprits are how you look, what you say, and how you say it. Bottom line, if you sound down (even if you think you don’t), act down, and look like last week’s laundry, the person you’re talking to doesn’t want to go down with you.

Do a daily sound check. Here’s how: Call your answering machine, leave the same message you’d leave a prospective employer, then listen to it. If you sound gloomy, punch it up. If you sound hyped up, level out. If you sound tinny and tense, do some deep breathing. If you sound toneless and boring, add some expression. Exercise. Watch your weight. Employers hire applicants who look good and sound better because they want to work alongside people who are energetic and have a positive attitude. When you make your case, make sure, absolutely sure, that you look and sound like you mean it.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

Job Searching for the Right Reasons

Spring brings out the job seeker in people: the curious, the bored, the conflicted, the “anywhere but here” and the intentional.

The curious: “I’m not really interested in looking, but if I were to run into something that’s too good to be true, I’d have to consider it.”

The bored: “Since I don’t have anything to do and nobody’s watching, I’ll check job openings on-line. That should occupy me ‘til closing time.”

The conflicted: “The job with the XYZ Company looks good, but I’ve got it good where I am. Yet, no one appreciates me here. I’ll talk to the ABC Company. But we have better benefits than they have. Maybe I should talk to a recruiter. But what if my boss finds out?”

The anywhere but here: “I don’t care where I go and what I do as long as I’m not working here.”

The intentional: “I’m committed to finding a better match than the job I’m in now. I’ve considered the options and consequences, done my homework, updated my resume, cleaned my suit, polished my shoes, gotten a haircut, I know what I want and where I want to go.”

I guess you’re not surprised that the “intentionals” are the most successful of the five job seeking types. Yet, why are the majority of job seekers congregating in the other four categories? Beats me. And rather than have a job search beat you, let’s get it straight and do it right.

Be intentional. You’re ready to conduct a job search when you’ve done your homework. That means completing an assessment of what you do best, what you enjoy most, what others have rewarded or acknowledged you for having achieved, and what you see as having potential for professional growth and development.

An honest, objective self- assessment requires that you examine your curious, bored, conflicted, or “anywhere but here” modality. To do that, ask and answer these questions:

Why do you want to change jobs? What are the barriers that keep you from making a contribution?  Being fairly compensated? Promoted? Matched to your strengths? What’s getting in the way of your success? Who’s responsible for moving the obstacles?

I don’t ask these questions to discourage you from leaving if that’s the right thing to do. I do ask that you take the time to answer them honestly, so that you know the right place to go.

Nadia (not her name) was a competent sales professional, doing a competent job, earning a reasonable salary. She was bored stiff and had been for at least a year. She wanted out but she didn’t know what she wanted to do next. “Anything”, she said, “as long as it’s not here.”

With that mentality she’d get another job, in another place, and odds are, she’d have the same problems. She knew the symptoms (“I’m bored stiff”) but she didn’t know the cause.

Once Nadia answered the questions I’m asking you to consider, she realized that she didn’t believe in the product she sold (“you can do better across the street”), her boss was impossible to read (“ I never know what he’s thinking”) , she had no future (“I don’t care enough to try”) and she didn’t enjoy the camaraderie of a team (“I spend my days in my car, alone”).

Nadia came to grips with the problem by identifying what she needed that her current employer couldn’t provide: a product she believed in and wanted to sell, a boss who clarified expectations and acknowledged success, a team that shared common values and goals, and an opportunity to use her creativity, leadership and drive to advance in her career.

Why are you looking? How will you know that what you find is the right job for you?

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

When All Else Fails

When all else fails, read the directions. Searching for a job is a big enough challenge without winging it. Rather than take a scattershot approach or sit at home and wait for the phone to ring, get out there and make something happen.

Here’s how.

Prepare your resume but don’t let the effort consume you. There are resources out there if you want them; libraries, bookstores, and internet sites just waiting to serve up the assistance you need. And if doing it yourself doesn’t do it for you, ask for help. You’ll find career counselors and resume writers in private practice and public places. Once you’ve made your best effort, ask for feedback from those who critique resumes for a living; people who hire people. Make the appropriate corrections and you’re good to go.

Next. Line up your professional references. Select individuals for whom you’ve worked who can and will describe your skills, strengths, and track record with positive enthusiasm. (If you detect a note of hesitation or negativity, have the courage to ask why. If the reference doesn’t appear comfortable in the role, find someone who is.)

Identify what you want to do next and move toward it. (If you know you’re in a bad job and don’t know what a good one looks like, go back to square one. You have work to do before you can begin your search).

Network. Make a list of people you know and respect that know people who hire people. Be sure that the folks you include are individuals with whom you have something significant in common. The more alike you are, the more likely they’ll know people with whom you have something in common. The more you have in common, the more likely you’d enjoy the same kinds of work and the more likely they’ll refer you to jobs you’d like.

Rehearse before attending an interview. Some folks practice by interviewing for jobs they don’t want. That’s a waste of time and squandered opportunity. Instead, focus on making a good impression and if the job’s not right, getting a referral for something with greater potential within or outside that company. Hit a home run every time you interview. Get the interviews, get the offers, be the one who gets to choose.

Practice in front of a live audience. Invite friends, relatives, and fellow job seekers to drill you with tough questions. Practice responding to stone-faced inquisitors, talkaholics, and disinterested bystanders. The more opportunities you have to respond to odd- ball or hard- ball questions the better equipped you are to do well when it counts most.

Know what you want before you leave home. Know why you want it. Know what you can contribute that makes a difference to the person sitting across from you. Demonstrate, through vivid examples, your drive, initiative, adaptability, flexibility, competence, and creative approach to problem solving.

Know your worth in the marketplace so that your salary requirements are consistent with your education, years of experience, expertise in your field of endeavor, and appropriate to the local area’s cost of living index. Given the competition and the current economy, it helps if your spending doesn’t exceed your earning potential.

Seal the deal with a solid close.  Express your appreciation for the opportunity to interview and clearly state your strong interest, ability, and desire to do the work as it has been described. Highlight two or three key challenges that you are particularly eager to tackle and ask for the job.

Follow through and follow up. Write a thank you note immediately after the interview. If a week passes and you haven’t heard anything, call and leave a brief message that indicates your continued interest in the position.

Don’t wait. Keep looking.

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Yes! You may use this article in your blog, newsletter or website as long as you include the following bio box:

Joyce Richman (www.richmanresources.com) has been specializing in executive and career coaching since she started he own practice in 1982. She works in a variety of environments including: higher education, manufacturing, sales, marketing, media, technology, pharmaceuticals, medicine, banking and finance, service, IT, and non-profit sectors. A member of the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, Joyce is certified to administer a number of feedback and psychological instruments. Joyce is a weekly guest on WFMY-TV and the career columnist for The Greensboro News & Record. She is the author of Roads, Routes and Ruts: A Guidebook to Career Success and co-author of Getting Your Kid Out of the House and Into a Job. A popular speaker, Richman conducts seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Her coaching profile can be found at TheCoachingAssociation.com.

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