Readers Respond to “No Excuses” Article

My August 8, 2010 career column in the Greensboro News & Record, entitled, “Excuses Get You Nowhere,” generated a few responses that I wanted to share with blog readers.  First, a few summary bullet points of the column if you don’t have time to click through to the News & Record:

• Excuses, no matter how valid, justified or prevalent, are your own worst enemy in finding a job.
• Take your excuses and find a way to respond to them.  The article gives a few ideas of how to do that.
• Take the time to know what you have to offer, come up with a positive and succinct way to present yourself to employers and then maintain a great attitude while doing it.

From a reader responding to the, “I can’t get a job because I am too old” excuse:

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to send this to me. I found it so interesting and really wanted to keep it because the time is coming soon that I will be out hitting the pavement looking for a job. I know I will voice these same excuses when I don’t get the job I want.

I just recently graduated Practical Nursing and am taking my boards soon and might even go back to school to finish a degree in Office Systems Technology, haven’t decided yet.

I am going to print this out to remind me that although I am fifty-seven years old, I am still the person for the job..

From a reader responding to the “I can’t get hired because I don’t have any experience” excuse:

I was given your article in the 8/8/2010 News and Record to read.  It is entitled “Excuses get you nowhere.”  I have a question regarding your recommendation of how to respond when applying for jobs, when one does not have job experience.  It seems as though many job listings state that experience is required.  Are you implying that one should apply and then address the issue of lack of experience?  If so, this could also be interpreted as the applicant not having the ability to follow directions.  Thanks in advance for your clarification of this point.

And my thoughts…

 

Thanks for writing and thanks in advance for being open to pursuing job opportunities in ways other than responding to on line postings… (the hardest way to get a job).

Consider this: the numbers of graduate and undergraduate contacts you’ve made through your academic progression.

The numbers of professors, instructors, and practitioners with whom you have worked and studied all these years.

Each of them likely know someone or several  who are in the field you are training to enter… who can not only refer you, but can be a reference for you… for a conversation, if not an interview.

This is the best way for you to find an opportunity that will provide you that essential ‘experience’.

No matter the business, industry, or area of specialization, people hire people. Relationships count.

Use them, in the best sense possible.

I appreciate all the emails and blog comments from readers — keep them coming!

 

 

A Key to an Effective Job Search: Networking

Networking is key to an effective job search. If you want it to work so you can go to work, use it, don’t abuse it. Here are a few scenarios that describe networking, done badly:

I asked my friend if she would help me look for a job. She said, “Sure, what do you need?” And I said, “I just told you, I need you to help me look for a job.” And she said, “Are you kidding me? Like you want me to go online and look for a job for you? And I said, “yes.” I haven’t heard back from her since. Some friend.

I asked my Dad’s friend if he would be a reference for me. He owns a business and I thought his name would look good to some of the people who would be reviewing my resume. Instead of his agreeing to, he actually asked me to tell him what I’m looking for, and when I didn’t do a great job of it, he said that I didn’t sound very sure of myself and that I needed to practice more before I started looking. Can you imagine that? I told my Dad that he didn’t have a very good friend.

 I’ve been networking for a year now and it hasn’t done anything for me. I go to all kinds of social events and tell everyone within ear-shot that I’m looking for a job. Hello? It hasn’t gotten me anywhere. What’s with these people?

 Here are some examples of networking done well:

I told my friend that I was looking for a job and described what the right opportunity would look like. I asked her if she’d be willing to brainstorm with me for just a few minutes about where the possibilities might be and who might know about them. She jumped right on it. Because we have so much in common she was quick to mention which of our mutual friends might be helpful and a few friends of hers, whom I didn’t know, who could be helpful as well. She was a great help and motivator, and I told her so.

I asked my dad if he thought any of his business friends would be willing be serve as a reference for me. He mentioned two, both of whom I’ve known for years. I called each, asked for an appointment, both agreed to see me and both meetings followed the same course of action. I was asked to describe the kinds of jobs I was going for and why I thought I’d be a good candidate. I had practiced so I was ready: I described what I do well and enjoy doing, how that’s benefited my past employers and how I can add value to current and future employers. It not only worked, I got to use their names as references, and each of them gave me names and phone numbers of people they know, who might know of something for me. I really appreciated their time and their help, and told them so.

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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)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.

Questions from Readers

Q:   I’ve been unemployed for the past 18 months and have worked dozens of part time jobs during that time. If I list each job separately, I’ll look like a major job hopper. What do you suggest I do?

A:  State the obvious: that you’ve worked temporary positions since (give the date) that enable you to serve a wide range of client organizations in a variety of ways that add value.

Q:   I’ve been fired, laid off, canned, whatever you call it. Bottom line, I don’t have a job and don’t know how to explain what happened to the last one. I was told that the company had decided to go in a different direction. What does that mean and how can I translate that to a prospective employer?

A:  Sometimes it’s not what you say but how you say it. When asked why you left your last job, respond with a firm, “they decided to go in a different direction and I respect their decision.” No translation necessary.

Q:  I’m going to graduate college this spring and I don’t have any idea what I want to do with my expensive degree. My parents are understandably concerned but their constant pressure for me to “commit” to something scares me away from making a decision that could turn out to be the wrong one. What do you suggest I do?

A:  Clarify what’s important to you in a work setting and what you value in the people with whom you work. Figure out what you enjoy, what you’d like to do more, and get better at doing. Ask your professors, extended family and friends for contacts they know who share your interests and values. Follow up, follow through and take a leap of faith that whatever you choose first will be a learning opportunity that you can apply to whatever you decide to choose next.

Q:  I’m in my mid forties with nearly grown children and I’m just now completing a college degree I began years ago. The clock is ticking and I don’t have time to lose, so how can I improve my marketability while I’m still in school?

A:  Network. If you were an active stay at home parent raising those now nearly grown children you’ve met plenty of contacts along the way, in the neighborhood, carpooling, going to doctor’s and dentist’s offices, school, PTA, and community events. Make a list, make calls and set up meetings to get re-acquainted. Describe what you’re training to do professionally and that you would appreciate any suggestions they’d have for internships and referrals. In most cases you’ll get a positive response and willingness to refer you as someone they know as a dependable, hard working, team player.

Q:  I graduated from college with a BA in General Studies and the only job offers I’m getting are for administrative assistant positions. I’m disappointed. I deserve something better, not because I’m so special, but because I have a college degree. Should I take the job, keep looking, or get over myself?

A:  I vote for all three: Take the job, keep looking, and get over yourself. Take the job to put structure in your life and help you determine what you do well, and what you don’t. Ask for expanded responsibilities and continue to develop your competencies. Ask managers how you can capitalize on your strengths and add value to the company. Apply for advancement opportunities within the company and if need be, outside. Go easy on yourself. Finding a career is a process that requires time, self-awareness, self-development, constructive feedback, openness to learning, courage, and determination to succeed.

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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.

Check List of “Gotta-Do’s” Before Going to Interviews

Whether you’re looking for a job or just thinking about it, you have work to do before you head out to your first interview. Here’s a quick list of gotta-do’s before you get going:

Self-assessment:  This is your starting point. You need to clarify what you do well and enjoy doing before you start interviewing. Validate your perspective with those who know and can assess your performance. If they give you a thumbs-up, ask them to be your reference.

Resume:  Top and center your name, address, telephone number, and email address on each of no more than two pages. Use the same font (Times New Roman, Ariel, Tahoma are all good choices) and type size (12 pt) throughout. Next, state your objective (that’s the job you want) and follow with your formal education. Include the name and location of the college or university that confirmed your degree; the degree you earned; academic distinctions; and the year you graduated. Follow education with work experience. Begin with your current or most recent employment and in reverse chronological order list the name of the company/companies where you’ve worked, their locations, followed by your job titles or positions, number of years employed. Summarize in one or two sentences the responsibilities of the job. For each position you’ve held, include a minimum of three quantifiable accomplishments.

Telephone answering machine/service:  When you record your personal, professional sounding no frills greeting, first identify yourself, then ask for the caller’s name, message and phone number.

Email:  If you are concerned about security, create a separate email account for your job search. Shut down any websites or postings that could be interpreted as embarrassing, compromising, or potentially damaging to your reputation.  Proofread, spell and grammar check messages, resumes, and cover letters before sending them.

References:  Prospective employers will expect you to provide them names and contact information for at least three individuals to whom you have reported and who are willing to provide information on your previous employment.  It’s up to you to secure their permission. 

Research:  Employers expect you to do your homework. Check out their company websites; Google the company name for articles in mainstream media and trade journals. If you want to know what the consuming public thinks about how they conduct business, check with the Better Business Bureau.

Dress for success:  When you start looking for a job people start noticing how you look. Don’t wait for an interview to be at your best. Develop and maintain a healthy life style with proper hygiene, good nutrition, exercise, and a good night’s sleep. Be as mindful of your behavior as you are of your appearance.

Networking:  Spend the majority of your search time where you get the greatest return on your investment: network. Connect with people you know who know people you don’t know, so you can tap into the Hidden Job Market. Here’s the deal: employers with jobs to fill don’t want to be inundated with a torrent of applicants and applications. They’d rather use their discretion by focusing on candidates referred to them by individuals they know and trust. If you’re networking with the same people and you’re a good match, you’ll get the interview. The more you network, the better your odds of finding and landing a job.

Telephone screening calls:  Companies save time and money screening applicants by telephone. The conversation is likely to be brief, so you’ll have to know what you want and how you benefit companies where you work. You’ll need to listen well and ask questions that move the process forward. How you sound is as important as what you say, so be positive and energetic. 

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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 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.

One More Tough Question Answered

What’s a tough interview question? One you don’t know how to answer.

I don’t want to be asked why there are so many gaps in my resume.

I don’t want to be asked why I went to a top school, got great grades, and then spent the next three years in dead-end jobs.

I don’t want to be asked about my ‘five year plan’ because I don’t have a one year plan.

I don’t want to be asked ‘tell me about yourself’ cause there’s nothing much to tell.

To answer the questions that concern you most, get real about your obstacles and remove them. Here’s one way to do it:  Write. Write the question that worries you, then write your response and keep writing. Write for five minutes without pausing to think, check, correct, or wonder what someone would think if they read your rambling response. Just keep writing. And there, right there at the end of your five minute marathon is the obstacle and the answer to the question. Take action on it and you’ll have the response you were seeking.

Here’s an example:

“Why are there so many gaps in my resume?”

If you knew what I’ve been going through you wouldn’t ask such a question. Do you think it’s fun to go from job to job, either getting fired or quitting because the people you’re working with are too stupid to recognize your intelligence or you scare the pants off yourself because you’re in a stupid job and you don’t know how to do it? Do you realize how frustrating it is to have this big deal, cost a fortune, four year degree and you’re working at something an idiot could do and you’re the idiot who can’t do it? I’ve got these gaps because I never sat down to figure out what I needed to do. I just believed that as smart as I am everyone would immediately get it and hire me into this great job and when that didn’t happen I lost all my confidence and now I’m back to square one, three years later, after my family thinks I’m a loser because I think I am, despite the fact I won’t admit that to anyone. So how do I get out from under of this load of you know what? I have to sit down with someone smarter than me who gets me and who is wiling to help me work my way out of it. That’s the biggest takeaway I’ve had from this insulting, ridiculous situation: that I’m not as smart as I thought, that other people can help me and I need to ask for that help because I’m finally ready to listen.

I’m there. I know what I have to do. I have my answer.

“There are gaps in my resume because until recently I had not taken the time I needed to figure out the direction I want to take my career. I’m doing that now and here’s what I’ve learned about myself and why I’m interviewing for this job…”

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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.

Advice for the Advice-Giver

If you’re a frequent reader, you know that I typically offer advice to job seekers, providing strategies for getting and keeping jobs. I often suggest they contact you, as possible references, networking contacts, and prospective employers, and in turn, ask that when you offer your wisdom and perspective you’re doing it to help them stay on the road and out of the ruts they inevitably encounter.

It occurred to me that you might want a little advice too; about how to handle these calls, particularly the ones you’d rather not get, and to remind you that their job search is not your burden. Getting a job is up to them, not up to you. With that in mind and if it helps, here are some tactics you might want to consider when asked to perform a service you’d rather not do.

If you get a call from an acquaintance, a friend, or relative of a friend, who asks you to serve as a reference, pause. And in that pause, ask a few questions.

“I appreciate your considering me as a reference. Let’s talk about the kind of job you’re looking for so I can determine if I’m the right person to help you.”

Listen to caller’s response. If it’s fuzzy, incomplete, or ill considered, suggest that he clarify his objective (or rationale) and get back to you. If he does, and can make a good case for the job he seeks, indicate that you will be his reference with this qualification: “I am pleased to speak on your behalf. I will describe to the prospective employer how I know you and the degree to which I am aware of your experience and expertise. Will that work for you?” Whether it does or doesn’t, you’ve demonstrated care and consideration.

If the caller is someone who has worked for you in the past, whose social skills are impeccable, and skill sets are not, and you believe that she is better suited to different line of work than that to which she is applying, say so. And suggest that she ask her other references for feedback regarding her current objective. If you’re outnumbered, let her know that the other references would do a better job for her than you would.

If the person calling is someone who has worked for you in the past, whose skill sets are impeccable and social skills aren’t, ask what he has done to improve in that regard. If he indicates a targeted effort with positive response, indicate that you will speak positively about his technical prowess and that you are pleased to hear that he is becoming more effective in his communication style. Suggest that he would do well to have additional references who can speak to that aspect of his performance.

Use the same degree of honestly and cordiality with those who would ask to network with you. If you are open to the possibility, ask how you might be a resource. If the person doesn’t know, you may be in for a long meeting in which you do all the work. Instead, ask her to get back to you with a plan. If she does, and is clear about the outcome she intends be sure you’re comfortable with it. If you’re not, you’ll unwittingly un-do the good will and time you have expended.

On behalf of job seekers who respectfully ask their references for permission, and their networking contacts for time and perspective; to those of you who so graciously assist them, thank you. Thank you for working with them, encouraging them, and telling them the truth.

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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.

It’s Always a Good Time for Change

According to the political writers, pundits, pollsters, and candidates, this is a time for change. Some describe change in ways that engage our hearts and imaginations. Some describe change in terms that are pragmatic and time bound.

When you call and email questions about jobs and your career, you want to talk about change. Some of your concerns focus on the future, some are about practical necessities, and some are fundamental to your systems of belief. You want to change jobs from the one you have to the one that’s a better match to what you aspire, do best, or value most. You may not be able to describe or define what change looks like (“I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, I just know it’s got to be better than what I’m doing…”) but you do know this: 1. You are no longer satisfied with where you work or 2. Where you work is no longer satisfied with you. Something has to change.

When employers ask for team-building workshops, they want to focus on change. They’re changing the ways they do business; changing the expectations they have of employees; changing because everyone else is changing and to stand still is to fall behind. What does change look like? What are those expectations? They don’t say. What they do say, is what currently exists has to change, for the company to survive and thrive.

When companies hire and promote, they want those employees to enhance the company’s ability to assess markets, drive competitive advantage and seize opportunity. They want them to articulate vision, design strategy, consolidate power, and embolden teams to drive through to success.

Bottom line, they want to hire, train, and promote employees who can think strategically, design innovatively, and anticipate competitively. They want employees who are primed for change; who are and have demonstrated themselves to be intellectually and emotionally flexible, responsive, able to learn, go and grow in whatever direction necessary to both lead and respond to rapidly changing markets and economies.

If you’re looking for a job, this changing market demands that you change with it. That doesn’t mean you have to give up your foundational values or pragmatic responses or imaginative impulses. It does mean that you become increasingly mindful that openness and flexibility are more than buzz words reserved for interviews and performance reviews. Openness and flexibility can make the difference between getting hired or passed over; advancing or getting placed on the ‘do not retain’ list.

Openness: Your co-workers are as likely to live across the world as they are across town. You may speak to them daily and never see them. They may define time differently than you; they may not share your preference for action or your sense of urgency. They may prefer to go more slowly, to develop relationships, consider options, and process possibilities, over time instead of just in time.

Open your thinking to different ways of seeing problems before you begin to solve them. Shift from the limiting perspective of your comfort zone to the possibility that others see the world and its challenges differently from you. Open your thinking so that you listen and understand before you prescribe. Accept that the outcome you want or the problem you see can be different from what others experience or want to address. Open your thinking so that you understand that people of other cultures may be more rule regarding or open-ended, more deferential or authoritative, more direct or indirect in communicating ideas, than you. Recognize that insistence creates resistance and when that happens, nothing changes.

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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.

Eliminating Job Search Frustrations

It’s frustrating to send your resume to dozens, even hundreds of job openings and not get a response. It’s frustrating to interview and not get a call back that tells you where you stand. It’s humbling to feel as though you’re being judged and maddening to feel that you have no way to control the outcome. What can you do to shift your emotional responses to tactical actions? Eliminate one frustration at a time. For example:

If you’re not getting responses when you send out unsolicited resumes, stop sending them. Mass mailings don’t work; they cost too much time, postage, and emotional capital for little to no return on investment. If you want to tap into the “hidden” job market, get away from your computer and get back into the world. Increase your visibility, meet with upbeat people who know people who hire people. Tell them what you do, how you make a difference, and ask for their advice as to who to call and what to say.

If you’re sending resumes to bona fide job openings that you’re finding on line or in the newspapers and you’re not hearing much in return, you’ll increase your response rate if your stated experience and accomplishments match the published opportunity. Include the job description’s key words in both your objective and the body of your resume.

If you’re sending your resumes to openings where the match ought to be obvious; you think you’re doing everything right; and you’re still not getting any responses, you need assistance from an objective third party. Here’s what you want to know: Does the objective on my resume clearly state the job I want and does my resume demonstrate my ability to succeed in that job? If the candid response is “no”, don’t wait. Request help from a professional career coach.

First it’s flattering, then frustrating, then exhausting, and finally a conclusive blow to your self-esteem and your billfold to be asked to interview, not once but several times with the same employer, and to never be told the outcome. Shame on company representatives who are so remiss in their duties as to allow this to happen. Having said that, there are actions beleaguered applicants can take in hopes of getting closure: 1) send a self-addressed stamped postcard to the decision maker. Request a check marked response to one of the following statements:

1. Yes, we are interested in your candidacy and we will be in touch.
2. No, we are no longer interested in your candidacy at this time.

Or place a call to the decision maker (a polite voice mail message will do) being sure to include your name and telephone number say: “I interviewed for the XYZ position on (provide the time and date of the interview). As I have not heard from you regarding the outcome I am concluding that you are no longer interested in my candidacy and will I continue my search elsewhere. Thank you for your kind consideration.”

If they’re interested, they’ll call. If they aren’t, they won’t. That may be all the closure you’re likely to get but it beats the alternative. Either way, you’ve taken control of the situation, your emotions are in check, and you’re determined to keep looking until you get an offer from a company that wants you, needs you, and shows it.

It’s tempting to want to take a few days or even weeks off from your search after you’ve had an interview and while you’re waiting to hear the results. Delay that gratification. Stay on course, stay focused, keep networking, and keep looking until you get the offer that’s worth the effort it took to get it.

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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 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.

Successful Applicants Ask Good Questions

Successful job applicants know how to ask good questions. Good questions let interviewers know that you’re curious; you’ve done your homework; you’re listening to what they’re telling you; and you want to find as good a match as they do.

Good questions focus on the future and explore ways that applicants can contribute to the company’s goals and objectives. Good questions keep the discussion energized and positive. Bad questions sound critical, cynical, confrontational, and close-ended.

Good questions: What are the qualities of your most successful employees? What are some of their greatest accomplishments? What direction is the company heading? What would you like me to achieve in the first 30 days, 60 and 90 days on the job? What training would you like me to complete so I can get up to speed as quickly and effectively as possible? What do you consider important for me to know about this business culture?

Good questioners demonstrate their listening and processing skills by connecting, combining, and confirming key elements of the conversation with good builds. For example:

“Tell me more…” “Please expand your thinking about…” “What I understand you to say is…”

Good questions open the discussion, invite interviewers to educate, elaborate and inform, to be experts, to be good stewards of the company.

Good questions, asked badly, suggest that questioners already know the answer, want confirmation or recognition of their points of view, or are trying to control the conversation. Examples are: “Is (or isn’t) it true that…?” “Can you confirm that…?” “Would (or wouldn’t) you say that…?” Each of these leads suggests the obvious response is a “yes” or “no”. Close-ended questions can stop the conversation in its tracks or take it in a direction that neither the applicant nor the interviewer want to go.

Bad questions focus on “What’s in for me?” These questioners want to know about compensation, benefits, vacation, time off, and exceptions to the rules (“If I’m supposed to start work in the next six weeks that just won’t happen.  I have to go on vacation… I bought my tickets before I knew I’d be interviewing for a job… they were expensive… my family is counting on me to attend…”)

Bad questions target what’s broken and who broke it. Instead of asking, “Why did you fire the last person who held this job?” ask, “What skills and abilities are you looking for in the person you hire?”  Instead of asking, “Why is this company in so much trouble?” ask, “What direction is the company heading?”

Applicants who solve problems want problems to solve and can turn potentially bad questions into good ones with lead-in statements that explain why they’re asking. For example, “I’m a problem solver by trade and training. I add value and contribute most when I protect your bottom line by finding ways to save you time and money. With that in mind, what are some of the challenges the company is currently facing and what are you looking for in the candidate who’s right for this position?”

Applicants who see themselves as efficient (and others may see as impatient) experience frustration and irritation when having to wait to ask questions that concern them most: Will you pay me what I think I deserve? Will you promote me quickly and often? Will I get the insurance coverage I need and the vacation time I deserve? If you cut to the chase too quickly you’ll be cut from the competition. You’ll have time and opportunity to get your answers after you’ve been made the offer and before you decide to accept it. In the meantime, stick with questions that keep you in the game.

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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.

Back to Basics

Many job seekers start the hunt with a positive sense of urgency. You do all the right things, in the right order, and when weeks turn into months and nothing happens, you lose your way along with your energy. If you’re bumping, slumping, and sputtering, it’s time to get back to basics.

Resume: The longer it takes to find a job, the more you’re apt to tinker with your resume. If you’re trying to be all things to all people, you may have a document that’s too fuzzy and too long for the interviewer who hasn’t the time or disposition to plow through your prose. Focus your thinking and you’ll focus your resume.

Objective: If you’ve done a variety of things and held a variety of positions in a variety of companies, focus your objective by specifying the position you seek. When responding to an advertised position, include key words that define the opportunity and correspond to your experience.

Summary statement: You don’t need one. It’s redundant. Your resume is a summary statement.

Simplify and clarify: Bullet-point your accomplishments and reinforce them with quantifiable facts and figures that are evidence of your success.

Personal information: Stick with the essentials of name, address, telephone number, and email address. If you’re a college graduate, include the name and location of your school, your degree and area of specialization. If you had a 3.0 or better, include it. If you didn’t, don’t.

Affiliations: Include professional and civic organizations and leadership roles/chair positions you’ve held. Do not include religious or political affiliations unless you seek their employment.

Selecting your references: Ask permission from individuals you’ve worked for and believe to be professionally savvy, connected, and reliable. If they’ve moved, find them and describe the position you seek and the organization in which you’d like to work. Ask for their reaction to what you’ve shared. Listen closely to their response and the degree to which they are supportive and encouraging. If you detect a note of hesitation, check it out. If they appear cool to the whole idea, rethink your objective or find another reference.

Networking: If your efforts appear to have fizzled, don’t give up on this most important search strategy. Networking opens doors to opportunities that can’t be reached in other ways. It’s a fact; more jobs are available than are advertised. Your quest is to find them. To do that you’ll need to talk to the people who know where they are.

Before you start making random calls, be sure you can succinctly describe what you do best. Then look for people who specialize in the field you want to enter or continue working. If you don’t have natural access to them, talk to people you know personally, who work in jobs that interface directly or indirectly with these people. If you’re not sure what your friends, neighbors, and acquaintances do and where they work, find out. Ask them.

Networking is a technique that enables you to connect your questions to the information you need, that takes you to the people who know, who in turn can introduce you to the jobs you want, and those who hire for them.

Yes, I hear you. Networking may not be for you if you don’t like to ask favors of people you know and like, or of people you barely know and don’t know if you like. You may be reticent, hesitant or reluctant to get out there and meet and greet. Get over yourself. You say you want a job, one that’s better than the one you currently hold or the one you no longer have. That’s going to take courage, creativity, focus, and connections that you’ve yet to fully tap. Start networking.

* * * *

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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