Job Insecurity

April 12, 2011 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

Feeling insecure at work? Want some fear insurance? Make a plan. Everyone needs a strategy that’s ready to launch when necessary so that there’s no need to be afraid.

“What if I’m laid off? Who will take care of me? Who will help me?”

We get downright childlike when the “I don’t want to think about it” actually happens. It’s the grown up version of “I want my mommy!”

It’s understandable that employers and employees are spooked. Click on the news and there’s a story about cutbacks. Some unsuspecting folks learned of their imminent demise when reading the morning paper.

If the best defense is a great offense here’s a sound strategy that incorporates three initiatives

Figure out what you do best.
Write a resume based on a positive track record.
Network

Of the three, most people find that networking is their greatest challenge. They think networking means glad handing strangers and asking for jobs. That’s not what it is.

Targeted networking is meeting with like-minded people you know personally, who do work that is similar to what you do or want to do, and brainstorming ways and places there are opportunities for you to do the same.

During the course of the conversation your contact will ask you to clarify your career goals and to describe the kind of assistance you’re seeking. (If you’re not sure, you’re not ready to network). State outright that you’re not asking for a job or for them to find you a job. Say that you value their opinion (you shouldn’t be talking to them if you don’t) and are looking for ideas and suggestions of people to talk to or companies to contact. Then pay attention, take notes, and probe for more information when you hear something you don’t understand. Take it to the next level by making the calls your networking contact recommends. Repeat the process.

At the close of each meeting, ask for a business card and suggest a follow up conversation. Send a thank you note that highlights the gist of the conversation. “I appreciated your advice regarding _________ and will act on that immediately.” The more contacts you develop the greater likelihood that you will find the right job. Next initiative: resumes.

A resume writer, program, or internet site is only as good as the information you enter. You’ll need names and dates of colleges and universities attended and degrees completed; start and end dates of places of employment; names, addresses, and telephone numbers of places you’ve worked; job titles and responsibilities for each position you’ve held; and three accomplishments for each of those positions. I figured I’d get your attention with that last one.

Accomplishments: that’s where the rubber meets the road. What did you do that advanced the company’s market share, introduced new products, streamlined processes, improved distribution, saved time or money? Bullet point, validate, quantify.

Shun the resume that ‘s overwritten, overblown, or overwrought. It doesn’t matter if a resume service or computer program cranked it out; your name is at the top. You, not spell-check, are accountable for how it looks and what it says. Edit. Then give to someone else to edit. Then edit it again. Next initiative: what do you do best?

“Tell me about yourself” is a popular question that causes otherwise articulate people to babble. They don’t know what they’re supposed to say or where they ought to begin. Rewind. The questioner is really asking, “What do you do best?”

What you do best is what you most enjoy doing and want to do more. It’s when you’re most effective, it’s knowing where you want to go next and what you want to achieve as a result of having gone there.

Practice weaving your comments into an answer that takes no more than a minute or two to complete. Your reaction to that probing question opens the door to a purposeful exchange between two intelligent and informed people.

Now that you have a strategy you can listen to the news, read the paper, and get back to work.

Impression Preparedness

March 8, 2011 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

John Q. Employer is expecting you. He’s been interviewing for the last few weeks and he’s getting a little frustrated. He wants to hire someone and he’s determined to do it right. He’ll take the time he needs. It’s worth it to him.

You were due at 2:00 p.m. It’s 2:15 p.m. and you are nowhere in sight. You finally roll in close to 2:30, flashing a broad smile, extending an energetic handshake and brandishing several earnest excuses.

You’re late. Strike one.

John Q., irritated but not deterred, begins the interview. He starts with a few basic questions.

“Fred, why are you interested in coming to work for us?”

You’re immediately thrown off guard. You don’t know if you are interested in working for him and you don’t know anything about the company. What can you say?

“John, I’m glad you asked me that question. I’m interested in working here because you have a job opening.”

Bad answer. Strike two.

John Q. Employer is giving this young man one more chance.

“Fred, what can you do for us?”

Rats. Another tough question. How are you supposed to know what you can do for him? Turn up the charm and personality, that usually works.

“John, I’m glad you asked that question. What do you need doing?”

Strike three. Go home, Fred.

What does it take to have a successful interview and subsequent job offer? How about Three P’s: Punctuality, Preparation, and Priorities.

Punctuality. This one is easy. Get there on time. Be on the safe side, and get there a little earlier than on time. That gives you time to settle your nerves, focus your thoughts, and remember your name.

Preparation. This one has three parts and as the word implies, takes some time and effort.

Prepare questions for the interviewer by researching the company’s history, reputation, products, markets, and profit potential.
Prepare answers to questions. Examples: Why do you want to work for us? What can you do for us? How quickly can you do it? Why should we hire you? (If you need more examples of open ended interview questions, check the careers section of the public library or your favorite bookstore.)
Prepare to negotiate.
Know your real value (skill X experience).
Know your perceived value (who benefits from your skill and experience).
Know how to communicate your real and perceived value.
Know your walk away offer (if it’s any lower you’ll walk away).

Priorities. It’s a given that you need income to pay for your basic needs (food, shelter, and clothing). You need a good income to pay for anything more than that. If an interviewer asks why you want a particular job and “for the money” is the only reason you give, you’re likely to disqualify yourself. Not because money is your priority, but because it would appear to be the only priority you have. The one time a money answer works is when joining a company that’s only interested in hiring warm bodies. In that case, you’re a good match.

Priorities describe the relative order of your values. Your values are a composite expression of self interest, self awareness, self discipline, self esteem, and self expression: What do you care about most? What interests you most? How far will you go to achieve what you want? What aren’t you willing to do? What lines won’t you cross?

The more aware you are, the more clearly you can describe yourself, your strengths, your skills, and how you can make a difference to the company that hires you.

The more aware you are, the more clear you are about the kind of company that brings out the best in you, and enables you to be your most productive, loyal, and trustworthy.

John Q. Employer is expecting you.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, 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 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.

Filed Under: Interviewing, The Job Search
Tagged: Interviewing, Interviews, job search, Job Seeking

Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Interviews

March 1, 2011 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

We’re getting calls and emails from readers who have questions and concerns about layoffs. Here’s a sampling:

“With all this talk about layoffs, I’m so worried I can’t concentrate on my job. What can I do?”

The last thing you want to do is worry yourself out of a job. Change your unrealized fear from something you can’t control to something you can. Put together an employment emergency kit. Fill it with a financial plan, an updated resume, lists of contacts, and a personal inventory of strengths and work accomplishments. Then get back to work. That’s what your employer is paying you to do.

“What’s the difference between a merger and an acquisition? Am I safe in one and in jeopardy with the other?”

In business parlance a merger implies the coming together of equals. An acquisition suggests that the stronger (by whatever definition) has taken over the weaker. The true meaning and the outcome intended are in the minds of the players who cut the deal. Employees who are affected seldom know what that is. When are you safe? When you proactively direct and advance your own career.

“We’ve been laid off. None of us saw it coming and a bunch of us are angry and upset. If we interview now we’re going to blow it. We’ve got to find work, what can we do?”

Take advantage of your shared frustration and release your emotions with each other. The more you get out of your system, with safe people in safe places, the less apt you are to blow up where it’s not and when it isn’t. After you’ve finished venting (that can take a while) contact job seeker support groups in the area, where you can reframe your frustration into positive job search strategies.

“What three things do I need to know before I interview?”

There are more than three, but if I had to choose, they’d be:

Know what you do best and examples of when you’ve done it.

Know what you don’t do well, so that you won’t do it again.

Know what you’re looking for in a job (besides the money).

“What’s the difference between a strength and a skill? Which is more important?”

A strength is innate, a given, you have it without trying. You enhance your strengths by recognizing them (they’re not always as obvious as you might think) and expanding upon them. A skill is acquired. You learn it by study and repeated application. Strengths are immediately transferable, no waiting. Skills transfer, but may not be applicable. You need a combination of both. Proven success combines skills, strengths, and experience.

“How can you network if you don’t get out and meet anyone? I tend to be on the shy side and have never been a joiner. Help!”

You may not be a natural at networking, but you can learn the skills necessary for organizing one: Get together with like minded individuals (they like what you like and they’d go where you’d go, if you went anywhere). You’ve indicated that you don’t like to get out much. If you did, where would your interests take you? For example: If you were a reader, you would hang out in book stores, libraries, museums, and galleries. You would attend book reviews; book signings and book sales. You’d meet the people who attend, talk about mutual interests, and learn what they do, professionally. By describing your current job search you’d ask for suggestions of people you should meet and places you should go.

When you network with people who share your interests they send you looking in the right places.

“I’m over fifty! Who’s going to hire me?”

If you are emotionally and physically healthy, with a positive, energetic outlook, what’s not to like (or hire)? Companies are always in the market for stable, mature, nonjudgmental employees who know how to contribute to the workplace and come ready to work. What you may have given up in physical agility you’ve (hopefully) gained in wisdom and insight. As long as you don’t sign on as a contortionist in the circus, you’re a good bet as a new hire.

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

Filed Under: Action Plan, Questions, The Job Search
Tagged: job search, Lay Offs, Managing Your Career, transitions, unemployed

What can you learn from these seven snapshots?

January 25, 2011 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

#1 – I’ve been turned down by an employer who obviously doesn’t know talent when he sees it. For example, he asked me technical questions that I couldn’t answer. So I made up stuff that sounded pretty good, considering I didn’t know what I was talking about. He didn’t seem to appreciate my answers, or my jokes. Instead, he peered at me from over his glasses and read his questions off a long sheet of paper, like he was the Grim Reaper. Whatever I was selling, he wasn’t buying. With him being the boss and me being the applicant, you’d think he would have given me points just for hanging in. Well, it’s obvious now that he didn’t. It’s his loss. And I let him know it, in person and email. And I copied the president of his company. That’ll show him.

#2 – I applied for a job and wasn’t allowed to interview because I didn’t have a resume. I said I could talk about what I had done better than I could write about it. The employer said they had rules and one of them was that they needed a resume in advance of an interview, to determine if they wanted to go forward. I told him I was worth their time, and they should trust me on that. He said they’d take a pass. I showed up anyhow. He wouldn’t see me. That’s rude.

#3 – The interviewer had some nerve! Sure I had gaps in my resume. Sure I’ve lost a lot of jobs and quit a bunch of others. But the nerve of her to point that out like it was something I could control. Isn’t that against the law? Who can I report her to?

#4 – Can an interviewer tell me to leave because I’m smoking? All I needed was a couple of puffs to settle my nerves. The interviewer told me it was a “smoke free environment” which means they discriminate against smokers, and I told him so. That’s when he told me to leave. I said that I wasn’t going until I had my interview. He said there wasn’t going to be an interview. If that’s not illegal, I don’t know what is.

#5 – We interviewers know each other because we belong to the same organizations. It’s not uncommon for us to swap “war stories” about applicants whose behavior is outrageous enough to be memorable. When applicants are interviewing with one of us they’d do well to imagine themselves interviewing with all of us.

#6 – Some applicants like to ‘make friends’ with receptionists hoping we’ll put in a good word for them. What they don’t seem to understand is that we can, and do, put in a bad word as well. Our loyalties are to our employers, not to inconsiderate, clueless applicants who talk loudly and incessantly on their cell phones, who litter the reception area with food containers and soda cans, and stroll around like they own the place.

#7 – I conduct interviews in a small, poorly ventilated office. It‘s hard for me to breathe when applicants wear strong perfumes or have strong body odor. As a result, I have to conclude our conversations very quickly.

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

Filed Under: Interviewing, The Job Search
Tagged: Attitude, Interviewing, Mistakes, Self-Awareness

Interviewers: Ace the Interview

January 11, 2011 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

Interviewers who see themselves in the driver’s seat, need to check their side view mirrors. Their would be passengers can afford to be selective about where and with whom they climb aboard.

Job applicants can get mighty frustrated when they arrive at their interviews and are told ”we’re busy, come back tomorrow.” Most of them are currently employed and find it challenging to arrange time off without neglecting their ongoing responsibilities, and nerve wracking to explain their mysterious disappearances.

And there’s the other side. Interviewers have more to do than just, well, interview. Like the rest of us, they are multi tasking their way through days that require a quick response to many masters. They are doing the best they can. Unfortunately, juggling too many eggs at one time results in dropping a few along the way. When what goes splat are their applicants, the damage can be hard to estimate and the mess can be hard to clean up.

If you need a few examples from the annals of aggravated applicants, these might help:

“I was ready to jump in my car and head to my third and final interview when the phone rang. It was the employer’s secretary telling me that her boss was out of town and would reschedule my interview as soon as possible. When they didn’t call back, I called them. Their response? ”Didn’t anyone tell you? We aren’t hiring for that job anymore.”

“My husband accepted a job offer, passed the physical, resigned from his old job, and called his new boss to confirm a start date. The boss said that something had come up. He’d call right back. He never did.”

“I got to my interview with plenty of time to spare and wasn’t seen by anyone for two hours. No one could tell me what the hold up was or how much longer I should expect to wait. Finally, some guy said they were really busy; that I should come back another day.”

Recent calls and e-mails report more cases of applicant-neglect than I have space to print. I’m not the first person who will hear their story and I’ll not be the last. Bad news spreads quickly.

Why? People are more apt to talk about bad experiences when they believe that they have been dealt with badly. Maybe they’re trying to move past it and feel that talking about it will help. Maybe they want someone to say, ”You’re right. You were done wrong and that company shouldn’t have treated you that way.”

Is it fair, this one sided story telling? No, it’s not. But that’s the only side anyone who is willing to listen is going to hear.

You’ve all heard stories about companies with poor customer service and places that treat their employees badly. You know because the offended individuals tell you and everyone else they can find. You also know that unless companies change their ways, their turnover and related costs increase, and their customer base erodes.

Whether public or private, service related or product driven, companies are known for the way they treat people. Interviewing for a job is intimidating stuff. Rejection is a bummer. That’s life. There is no acceptable reason for companies to make the process more difficult or dehumanizing than it has to be.

And so, for those interviewers, and the rest of us, who sometimes lose sight of what’s really important, here are a few reminders:

Keep your word.

Say what you mean.

Be courageous.

Be courteous.

And tell the truth.

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

Filed Under: Advice for Employers, Interviewing
Tagged: Human Resources, Interviewing, Job Seeking

Resume Your Resume

December 14, 2010 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

We haven’t had a heart to heart about resumes in a while and it’s high time that we did. What you’re sending out isn’t getting the response you deserve. Here are just a few of the reasons why that’s happening:

You may not know the difference between a resume and a promotional piece.
You’re using the dump and stir method (dump it all in, stir it around, and let the reader figure it out).
You’re providing information that only a mother could love.

What can you do? Let’s start with the basics.

What is the difference between a resume and a promotional piece?

A resume is a synopsis of your work history. It begins with right now and goes back in time; fifteen years is far enough. You don’t need to introduce it with a summary, it’s already a summary. You don’t need to include an objective unless you are changing career directions. If you include one, make it clear, concise, and to the point. If it sounds self promoting, leave it out.

Each work entry should be accompanied by a brief series of accomplishments that are described in measurable, quantifiable terms. Resumes are built on facts. That’s what separates them from puff pieces.

Grammatically speaking, write in the active voice, go heavy on action verbs, light on adjectives, and leave out articles and personal pronouns.

You probably know to keep your resumes brief and on point. You aren’t an exception to that rule, so please, comply.

Only you know which jobs most closely match what you do best. If you put every skill imaginable into your resume, you send a message that you don’t know. Prospective employers, search firms, and employment agencies have neither the time nor desire to figure that out for you.

If you’re not sure where you’re taking your career, get help. Get it before you write a resume. Get it before you network. Get it before you interview for a job.

We’ve reviewed several thousand resumes over the years. Many are attention getting for all the right reasons: they’re easily read, clear, succinct, forthright presentations of experience and accomplishments.

Others are attention getting for the wrong reasons: they’re overwritten, overloaded, and over the top. Put these under the category of “resumes only a mother could love”. Here are a few examples of please don’t:

Please don’t include the names of your children, partners, spouses, or pets, in any order.
Please don’t include more hobbies than the time it takes to do them, particularly if you intend to hold a job at the same time.
Please don’t list arcane activities, organizations, or societies. They don’t mean anything to the majority of those who read these things.
Please don’t include your social, political, or religious affiliations. Omit your age, the date of your high school graduation, and that glamour shot you love so much. You are providing more information than is appropriate to the workplace.

Here are a few please do’s.

Please (always) send a cover letter along with your resume. (Your cover letter gets to brag and your resume doesn’t dare).
Please have a human spell check your resume after technology has finished the job. (Humans understand syntax better than machines do).
Please stop procrastinating!

Many folks delay the inevitable when the assignment seems ambiguous, the outcome can’t be measured, and the product will be judged by strangers. It’s a wonder that anyone writes a resume.

Nevertheless, the time is now, the subject is you, and no one can say it better than you can. If you need more help than books or computer software can provide, call a career counselor.

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

Filed Under: Resumes, The Job Search
Tagged: job search, Resumes

The Persistent Payoff

November 16, 2010 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

If you’ve been looking hard, and haven’t found a job worth cheering about, it’s time to return to job search basics. But before you dig in, look around and see where you are:

Are you sending out dozens of resumes and getting no responses? Are you toying with giving them out at basketball games? Have you tried billboards and carpet-bombing?

When is the last time you wrote an original cover letter? Are you still mailing that worn out one-size-fits-all you used when you graduated college?

Are you sleeping in longer and staying out later? Remember, if an aggressive search doesn’t cut it, try a passive approach. Dream about it.

Are you sleeping in longer and never leaving home? Never meeting people will lead to never getting a job. If that ‘s what you want, you are right on track.

Are you finding reasons to not accept very acceptable offers?

After you’re out of work for awhile, you can get squeamish about taking a job that looks challenging. Take a pass on all of them.

Are you seriously considering positions that lack challenge but provide temporary shelter? That’s the old “Please Under-Employ Me” story: take what’s so safe you’re bound to be sorry. Don’t go there unless you absolutely have to.

Are you talking yourself into jobs that you and three tackles couldn’t manage on a good day? That’s the “Of Course I Failed, Who Wouldn’t?” game. Don’t go there either.

The longer you look, without success, the more likely you’re backing yourself into a cave of your own making. That cave can get mighty comfortable, particularly if you like sitting around in a bathrobe, sipping coffee, and surfing the ‘net.

So what’s a person to do? Well, it begins with mind set. Think failure, and you will. Think success and you’re off to a good start.

The trip from thinking success and becoming successful takes planful action: getting out of your head and out of your cave and into the world where it is riskier. Taking risks results in either winning or losing. Minimize your losses by strategizing a plan that moves you forward. Maximize your wins by getting advice from people who know and have a track record to prove it.

About your resume: Whether you go to a pro or write it yourself, be sure to test it out on folks who hire and are successful at it. You’re bound to know them: a trusted colleague, a friend, and a neighbor. Ask: “What am I missing?” and “How can I improve it?”

About your presentation: Go to a career coach. Test your interviewing and negotiating style, skills and techniques. Role play, and have the courage to let go of what doesn’t work by replacing it with something that does.

About your networking: Learn to network effectively and purposefully. Identify successful people you know personally, and whose opinions you trust. Tell them what you want to pursue and why. Describe ways that you can make a difference. Ask how they have managed their careers. Ask what they’ve done that’s worked, as well as what hasn’t. Learn from their experience. Ask for suggestions in marketing yourself and your work. Listen to what they say. Confirm your understanding of what they are telling you. If their ideas take you down a path you don’t want to go; ask them to elaborate. Take your time before disagreeing (which can end an otherwise productive opportunity). You may benefit from a shift in your thinking.

About your interviewing: Know your strengths and what you bring to their table before you walk through the employer’s door. Be able to say what you mean, convincingly. Ask good questions, probe for deeper meaning, and know what to do with what you hear.

If you want the job, ask for it. And work hard to prove that they made the right decision when they hired you.

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

Filed Under: The Job Search
Tagged: Interviews, job search, Motivation, Resumes

Job Search Gauntlet

October 19, 2010 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

A recent caller wanted to know how to search for jobs that are closer to somewhere else than to where he lives. I figure that if I’m going to tell him, I ought to share the same information with you.

There are barriers to conducting an out of town search and ways to overcome them:

Barrier: The prospective employer doesn’t want to interview someone who lives “somewhere else”. They don’t want to incur travel and lodging costs, believing that they can find talent locally and for less money.

What to do? If you’re willing to pay your own way: Attach a cover letter (whether emailing, faxing, or snail mailing, always include a cover letter) indicating that you will be in their city several times in the coming weeks and can modify your meeting schedule to accommodate a conversation with them. Ask for dates that are convenient for them.

Barrier: You don’t know who’s hiring and for what jobs in the city you want to live.

What to do? Whether from home or the library, get on the internet. Places like www.linkedin.com, www.monster.com and www.companiesonline.com have all kinds of information regarding businesses, their locations, size, and more. If you’d rather get your hands around hard copy, reliable sources include Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory and Standard & Poor’s Register of Corporations. Mary Alice Watkins, Business Services Specialist at the Greensboro Public Library, also suggests taking a look at Ward’s Business Directory, a collection that includes small to medium privately held companies.

Barrier: You’re not internet savvy and don’t want to be. You want to work on an out of town job search but feel limited.

What to do? As you can see from the above, there are plenty of resources for those who prefer to wrap themselves around a good read, even if it reads like a telephone book. However, and before leaving the computer/internet subject too quickly, there is help out there for you, should you choose to avail yourself of it. The librarians in business reference can assist you (as can many young children). It takes a little courage to be a novice but you’ll find it worth the humility and the effort. The information you can tap into will knock your socks off. And in the job hunt there’s an expectation now that 21st century workers need to be comfortable using computers and the internet.

What else can you do at the library? Ask for newspapers from cities you’d like to live. If they aren’t available in hard copy, you guessed it, find them on the internet.

While we’re on the subject of newspapers: check for more than what you’ll find in the classifieds. Quality of life counts. It counts even more when transitioning from where you’ve been to where you’re going. Are you well matched to the place you want to call home? What are the issues that editorials and news articles address? Do city leaders, movers and shakers dedicate time, interest, and budget to sectors that you believe are important? What’s the city’s economic base and is it healthy?

Barrier: You want to take a job in another city. Your spouse is hesitant but willing to go. The problem? The kids. Your spouse doesn’t want to uproot your young children from the schools and neighborhood in which they have grown comfortable.

What to do: Be mindful that your children listen to the spoken and silent messages that you send. If you and your spouse talk with them and listen to their needs, while providing security, stability, and practical optimism, you can reduce the unexpressed fears a transition can cause.

Barrier: You’re not sure how another city’s salaries compare to what you’re earning. You don’t want to sell yourself short or aim higher than the market will allow.

What to do: For salary surveys that report data at the national, state and metropolitan statistical area levels, go to http://stats.bls.gov/oes/oes_data.htm. If you’re looking for a web site that provides cost of living data (and more) for hundreds of U.S and foreign cities, log onto http://www2.homefair.com/calc/salcalc.html.

If you need more, ask you local librarian, they’ve always been helpful to me and to the job seekers I’ve worked with.

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Yes! You may use this article by Executive and Career Coach, Joyce Richman, in your blog, 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 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.

Filed Under: Action Plan, The Job Search
Tagged: Career Management, job search, Job Seeking, Managing Your Career, Relocation, Resources

Cut to the Chase on Job Searching

September 14, 2010 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

Let’s cut to the chase: The best way to find a job that’s a match or has potential for being one is to network. Seventy-five percent of available jobs are found in the ‘hidden market’. Spend seventy-five percent of your time looking for them there.

Does that mean employers don’t advertise their openings? They do when they must but most would rather hire people they know personally or prospects referred by people they know. Most employers would rather save time and money by networking for candidates rather than going through the laborious and expensive process of scanning resumes, fielding and returning calls, setting up phone screens and formal interviews. When they can identify someone through referral they can fast track the hiring process

Then why should you respond to newspaper and on-line job postings?

They represent about twenty-five percent of what’s available so they’re worth about twenty-five percent of your time and effort.

What is networking?

Networking is an exchange of information that takes place between job seekers and those who potentially know where the jobs are. Networking is a contact sport. You call people you know personally and have a shared interest, who know people with whom they have a shared interest, who would be open to talking to you about who they know who might know where there’s a job for someone who does what you do.

That’s right, you’re going in circles.

To intersect with opportunities that are right for you, multiply your circle of contacts and you’ll reach the greatest number of people in the shortest period of time.

Why would they talk to you?

Because they have something in common with you. People recommend people they know and they typically like people with whom they share an interest. That interest could be opera or fly fishing; comedy or carpentry; dancing, diving, biking and hiking. That commonality invites trust and trust opens the door to opportunity.

What should you say?

Tell the truth. Keep it simple; be straightforward. Say you’re looking for a job. Describe what you do (in 10 seconds or less) and why it matters (in 10 seconds or less). Because you have something in common with the people you’re talking to, they’re willing to help. So ask their advice and brainstorm with them about who you should talk to, to find a good match.

What should you do?

Be quiet so they can do ask you some questions and make some suggestions. Be interested in their opinion and keep the conversation going. If the timing’s right, ask for names of people you can contact who can get you closer to your goal.

How should you act?

Focused, upbeat, optimistic, forward looking and appreciative of the person’s time and interest. You’ll get referrals if you’re flexible and easy to get along with; if you can communicate what you want and demonstrate how you make a difference; if you’re self aware and comfortable with who you are. Model those behaviors when network, interview, when you do your job, and live your life, and you’ll get closer to where you want to go.

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

Filed Under: Action Plan
Tagged: Action Plan, Interviewing, job search, Networking

Question from a reader: Is my resume better than I am?

August 31, 2010 by Joyce Richman · Leave a Comment

Q: I’m getting interviews. I’m not getting offers. Does this mean that my resume is better than I am?

A: It sounds as if your resume is doing a better job speaking for you than you are speaking for yourself. If that’s the case, you’ll want to know how you’re missing the mark. Those answers can come from a combination of soul-searching, self awareness and candid feedback from people who know you best. To jump start your thinking, here’s a sampling of comments from interviewers whose business it is to separate resumes that work from the people who don’t.

The applicant’s resume was spot on for what we wanted. We were ready to make an offer before the interview began. Luckily, we waited. Instead of the self-confident person we envisioned, the applicant appeared uncomfortable, insecure, and unsure of how to answer any question we asked. In order to stop the pain, we stopped the meeting after 20 minutes. We may have missed out on a real star, but we needed a solid communicator, who, right out of the box, could interact easily across functions, and manage up as well as down.

The applicant’s resume seemed too good to be true. And it was. We might not have checked had he been able to articulate what he had done as well as his resume said he had done it. So, out of curiosity, and because we don’t appreciate getting duped, we fact checked. He made up eighty percent of what he wrote and exaggerated the rest.

The resume was well written, well organized, and contained the experience we wanted. We interviewed the job candidate and concluded that she was intelligent and capable, but less assertive than we needed in this position. We questioned her about her ability to push back when needed, and to ask for what she wanted. She demurred on both counts. She said that she preferred to work in an environment where that was not necessary and said that an aggressive workplace created too much stress for her, given her emotional makeup. We respected her position but passed on her candidacy.

The resume was representative of exactly what we were looking for so we invited the applicant to an interview. Within the moments of our meeting we realized he was far more than what we wanted. He took over the room in ways that can work well at a sporting event or fraternity party, but he clearly was not a good match for our rather stuffy board room culture.

The resume was a great match for what we advertised. The candidate arrived right on time, was well-spoken, well educated, well groomed, and culturally sensitive. He had a keen awareness of how he could add value to whatever company he joined. What became increasingly evident, as we discussed a variety of issues, was that this candidate was more interested in changing career direction than he was in staying the course. We did not make him an offer.

As always, it’s up to you as the applicant, to match how you describe yourself to how you present yourself. Try practicing an actual interview with a trusted friend or colleague and as them to tell you, truthfully, how you come across. Be open to hearing what they have to say and use the information to improve how you interview.

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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.