Do’s and Don’ts in Your Career

If you like self-help articles that give you five ways to do this and five ways to do that, today’s column doubles your pleasure or diminishes your fun: Ten ways to get derailed and ten ways to stay on track.

1. If you expect your workmates to understand your bad moods, tolerate foul language, and ignore big blunders, you’re in for a bumpy ride: they can’t, they don’t and they won’t. Instead, clean up your act, learn from your mistakes, improve your likeability and you’ll last longer and go farther.

2. If you hide in plain sight, letting your co-workers do all the talking, or you disappear, letting your co-workers make all the decisions, you’re AWOL and looking for trouble.

Appearances count. Prove that you make a difference. Do your homework. Work on what’s important to the people demonstrating a commitment to excellence. Talk with influencers about the key challenges facing the company. Be a resource, (“How can I help?” “How can I support you in your efforts?”) and show that you’re willing and able to step up and pitch in. Ask questions, offer perspective, and take action.

3. If you consistently ignore deadlines or create log- jams so others miss theirs, you’re more hindrance than help. When you meet deadlines and help others meet theirs, you create a perception of trustworthiness, credibility, responsibility and a reputation typically reserved for keepers.

4. If you isolate yourself and utter “not my job” sentiments you won’t have a job to be sentimental about. Team players are counted on to step up when it counts, not when it’s convenient. They work synergistically, not as loners. They’re flexible, responding to needs as they occur. They’re solution focused and action oriented, letting go of the past, living in the present and moving to the future.

5. If you advance your career at the expense of others you’re going to land someplace you don’t want to go. Instead, use your considerable talent to advance the company. Lead by example, involve others in strategic thinking; developing and implementing action plans designed to enhance opportunity for all those willing to dedicate themselves to the effort.

6. If you dress down for the part you used to play the introductions and opportunities you want will go to someone else. If you dress for the part you want to play, and introduce yourself to decision makers and influencers, you’ll tap into opportunities others didn’t know existed.

7. If you avoid risk, preferring to stay in your comfort zone, people will see you as stuck, unwilling to try new approaches and learn new ways of thinking or doing. Instead, take calculated risks. Learn to adjust to others needs and behaviors by engaging more, asking more, listening more and responding in ways that demonstrate your desire to communicate more openly and proactively.

8. If you stop learning you’ll stop growing. If you stop growing, you’re not worth the salary you’re getting. Instead, learn from strategic leaders and share perspectives with knowledge managers. Educate yourself and encourage others to do the same through cross- functional and international assignments, cross- cultural awareness, formal instruction and informal training. Consistently apply what you learn to what you do.

9. If you knee-jerk your responses or speak out of both sides of your mouth, you establish yourself as inappropriate, untrustworthy, or both. Instead, think before speaking or taking action, and demonstrate integrity through principled behavior.

10. If you open objectionable websites or send off-color, off-putting emails consider the consequences: everything you receive and transmit is on record and property of your employer. It’s not worth the risk. Conduct yourself professionally in person, in meetings, on the telephone, when using fax machines, copiers, scanners, and computers.

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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.

Get Out There With the Right Foot Forward

It’s competitive out there, the market is tight, and you want to be at your best when you interview. Attitude counts.  If you mentally argue with interviewers or imagine them as barriers to the job you want you’ll undermine whatever you say or do. Instead, think partnership. Think together you can make this happen, for the company and for your career.

Put your best foot forward: Lead with your strengths. Match your strengths to opportunities. If you’re not sure if a job taps into your best stuff ask questions. What does the employer need to get the job done? What has or hasn’t worked in the past? What needs to be done differently in the future? And are you the one who has what it takes to be successful? If so, say so emphatically, and have the evidence to back it up.

If you’ve been a loyal, hardworking, honest employee blindsided by an unanticipated layoff you probably need time to recalibrate before you start interviewing. If you require spiritual readjustment, talk to someone who resonates with your faith and beliefs. If you’re emotionally conflicted, talk to a therapist. If your health is compromised, talk with your doctor. If your doctor agrees, get some exercise. Talk, walk, journal, get the static out of your head and into a space with people you trust who can help you objectify subjective issues and change what you can’t control into a plan that you can.

You’ve interviewed for a job. The match is evident; the need is as obvious as it is immediate. The employer wants to hire you but doesn’t have the money for a long- term commitment. Should you walk or talk? Talk. Reframe the discussion. Convince her to hire you on a project basis with no overhead or commitment other than to pay you for work completed. It’s a win-win that provides relief for them and opens doors for you.

Network effectively and you’ll find jobs that aren’t advertised.  Succinctly describe what you do best and how you solve problems, increase revenues, protect bottom line. Then ask for ideas and directions to where the openings are and whom you need to talk to once you get there.

Cover letters are still relevant, to you and to prospective employers. Writing them enables you to state your interests and describe ways you add value. Formulating them gives you practice in answering the questions they’re likely to ask: Tell me about yourself; describe your strengths; your career goals; why we should hire you for this job.

I’m all for fragrances, garlic and anchovies, and if you’re a smoker, that’s

your business. Just be aware that what you spray on, chew, or inhale will be exhaled in the interview. Don’t let a habit, preference or indulgence turn a possibility into a non-starter. Delay your odorous gratifications for later.

Sometimes less is too little and more is too much. If you say too little about your abilities, experience and potential the interviewer’s going to think less of you. If you overwhelm the interview with too many stories or too much hype you’re more than likely to close the door on what you seek. Balance is key. If you don’t know how to find it, ask people who have and are willing to tell you.

Whether you’re looking for a job, wanting to advance, or just wanting to hang on, don’t isolate yourself. If you do, you can be working on the wrong things, out of the loop about the right things, and marginalizing yourself regarding the most important things. Get out there, find out what’s going on, apply what you do to what’s needed most to advance the company and you’ll advance yourself as well.

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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.

Sharpen Your Writing and Speaking Skills

Sharpen your writing and speaking skills folks, because the lights are on and they’re shining on you. With every resume, cover letter, telephone call, networking meeting and interview, you’re presenting your skills and abilities in the two ways most of us have learned to communicate; you’re either writing or talking. You better be good at both.

A worried reader comments that, “introverts like me don’t have a chance against extraverted competition.”

Instead of focusing on your fear, level the playing field by focusing on your performance. Your performance will improve when you practice speaking clearly, succinctly, and energetically about what you want, why you want it, and how you can make a difference to the company that hires you.

A female caller whispers, “I’ve been told that I speak with a little girl voice. I need to be taken seriously, particularly when I’m at work and speaking to people I don’t know or don’t know well. What can I do?”

If you’ve received feedback that your pitch, tone or voice quality has gotten in the way of your success get the help you need from a voice coach. If performance anxiety is your problem get additional help from a career coach or psychologist. If it’s a distraction that you want to manage yourself then name it and get it out of the way. For example, if you have a telephone interview, acknowledge early in the conversation that your voice may not be strong but your track record is and you want to describe it. Then do it. Put your energy into the content of what you say and how you respond. The listener will quickly adjust to your tone and hone in on your message.

Let’s move from the subject of pitch and tone to that of accent and pace and the difficulties that sounding “different” can present. If you’ve recently moved here and English is your second language you’ll benefit from learning how to sound as American as you are or soon will be. Get help from articulate native speakers who are willing to take their time to coach you. Ask for their assistance and feedback with your word choices, sentence structure, grammar, pace and tempo; role play networking and interviewing conversations. And in exchange for all these favors, ask how you can be of assistance to them.

Take advantage of the resources available to you in your local community. In Greensboro, the Glenwood Branch of the Public Library offers ESL classes and hosts a ‘conversation club’ that meets twice weekly, enabling you to practice your new English speaking skills with library volunteers. GTCC offers ESL classes through its continuing education program and UNCG offers classes and tutorials in accent reduction. In addition to public resources there are professional counselors, therapists, and voice coaches in private practice who provide these and related programs and offerings.

Now, let’s get real about writing a resume: It’s your work product and you’re accountable for its contents. Be sure that you tell the truth, that your spelling and grammar are correct, that it’s as well edited as it is well organized.  Writing a well- crafted resume takes time, care, and at minimum another set of eyes to check and double check that it’s error free.

Format: Write an objective that states the job you want and how you benefit the company that hires you.  Follow that with a reverse chronology of your experience. Write your accomplishments as bullet-points; make them fact based, specific and quantifiable. Lead with words that project energy and action. Get it all on one page, one and one half at most, and use wide margins, easy to read font, 12- point type, and no hype.

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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.

Always Have a Plan B

Today’s job market requires a great deal from employees: patience, drive, self-awareness, cultural sensitivity, business acumen, flexibility, adaptability, versatility, resiliency, and that’s just for starters. Today’s workforce has become increasingly aware of and responsive to what employers want and they do their best to deliver it. What many need and don’t have is a good, reliable Plan B.

“It’s tough enough having Plan A, why do we need a Plan B?”

Circumstances change, people change, and a job that once seemed so right and secure might not always look and feel as appealing. Employees are doing so much, so quickly; they aren’t taking time to develop personal career plans that can adapt to changing times.

For example, what would you do if you were terminated from your job or your company closed? What if you burned out? What if you woke up one day and realized that you had never been happy in your career and couldn’t continue another day?

“I don’t have answers but you sure are asking some good questions. I do

know that I’m teetering, out of balance, my company’s future is shaky, and I’m working harder than ever and enjoying it less. I haven’t planned for my future, saved for my future, or have a clue what my future can even look like.

I don’t have a Plan B. The job I have isn’t the one I want. I’ve known that for some time. I’m good at what I do but I’m tired of it. Because the company’s floundering I’m not likely to get promoted anytime soon, or get a bump in salary.

If you think I’m a mess, my company doesn’t seem to have Plan B either.  We’re so busy doing things wrong we don’t have time to figure out how to do them right.  We’ve grown so accustomed to operating in crisis mode using emergency tactics that it doesn’t occur to us to figure out what the problem is and how to solve it going forward.

When I started working here everything was new and exciting, I felt intellectually challenged and hungry to learn. I was making a difference to the company and the job was making a difference to me. At some point, and I can’t tell when, I went from loving what I do to just doing it.  This isn’t where I want to be or who I want to be, but I haven’t taken time to consider what my options are or if I have any.

I’ve talked to my boss about it and he’s as bummed as I am. He suggested that we talk to the folks in Human Resources. We did and they told us they’ve gone out of the career planning business; that it’s up to us to figure out what’s next; that we’ll need to find ways to make it happen.

Do you have any Plan B’s up your sleeve?”

For some employees, Plan B is the dream job they’ve always wanted but never dared to explore. For others, it means getting paid for what they’ve always loved to do and always done for free. For still others Plan B is returning to school, getting a degree, and demanding more of themselves so they can demand more of the marketplace.

Plan B can be as complex as a cross- country move and as simple as an updated resume. It’s as ephemeral as a three-day weekend and as lasting as a good long book on a 3- week cruise.

Plan B is Plan A with balance. Plan B is personal. With Plan B you do the right things because it feels like the right thing to do.  If Plan A is the destination, Plan B is the journey. Life’s short. Enjoy the trip.

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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.

Don’t Burn Bridges Better Left Standing

Three employees are headed toward what’s next and appear to be having some trouble leaving behind what was. They’re stuck at a prickly juncture on route to an unfamiliar place. Each wants to even a score:

“I was recently let go from my job and I’m still reeling from the experience. I feel like I was set up to fail. I want to write a letter to the plant manager letting him know just what happened and who he really needs to blame.”

“My boss asked me to sign a letter of resignation. He says it’s that or be fired. I think he’s a loser and this company stinks. That’s the only letter I want to sign.”

“I am leaving my job to join another company, one that’s much better than the sorry place and the sorrier people I’ve been working for the last 5 years. I’d like to write that in my letter of resignation along with a few other well placed zingers.”

No matter how badly you want to set the record straight, how right you think you are and how wrong you think they’ve been; no matter how clear, logical, and rational your argument, please don’t write that letter. You’ll come across as defensive, demeaning, and otherwise unable to accept the reality of your situation. It’s over. Let it go.

You’re working in a small world that’s getting smaller. Odds are, you’ll see these people again. It’s as important to you as it is to them to leave bad situations on good terms. Don’t burn bridges better left standing.

What’s so hard about letting go? In his book, “Managing Transitions”, author William Bridges describes the dilemma of change and our role in it as needing to have endings before we can have beginnings; that until we make sense of where we’ve been we’re stuck in the transition, unable to effectively move toward what’s next and what’s new.

Some employees are stuck in transition, staying with abusive bosses, assuming the insults will decrease or become more tolerable. Some stay in bad jobs, assuming the job will change or become more tolerable. Some employees stay where they are because they’re afraid to leave or stay until they are told to leave. Many employees are unaware that misery has a cost and a consequence that can blindside careers and personal relationships.

Get unstuck. Rather than assume and create different problems or repeat bad history, test your hypotheses and find out what was going on. Get closure on difficult situations by learning from the experience and converting that knowledge into new attitudes and behaviors. Widen the lens through which you gain perspective. Ask those who were present to describe the part that you and others played and what happened as a result.

Heighten your self- awareness. Read body language. Pay attention to the cues around you. Turn on the lights, something’s going on that needs your attention. Ask what it is and do something with what you see and what you hear.

Read the company’s culture, its unique set of values and beliefs. Employees who are attuned to the culture and responsive to it are typically comfortable within it and do reasonably well. Those who are either insensitive to it or disagree with it are apt to challenge and be challenged.

Read books and articles that address best practices in leadership, management, and supervision. Attend workshops and seminars to learn what you know and what you don’t know and need to learn.  Find a mentor, get a coach, learn from those whose interpersonal styles and life skills you value and are worth emulating. Ask for ongoing feedback from objective employees and ask what you can do to return the favor.

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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.

Asking for Honest Feedback

You can repeat your mistakes or learn from them. That’s up to you. Life’s lessons are many and varied. Some are easier to understand than others.

When it comes to interviewing it’s hard to know what comment, question, response, smile, frown, or explanation got in the way of your winning first prize. There are too many X’s and Y’s, too many unknowns, and too little opportunity to find out what worked and what didn’t.

To be or not to be: Interviewers base their hiring decisions on a variety of technical and interpersonal statements and impressions that emanate from the applicants’ ability to present skills, strengths, and contributions in cogent, convincing, compelling sound bites. Those who are selected come across as open, goal focused and confident while not appearing assumptive, arrogant, or overly ambitious.

Hiring decisions can be imprecise and difficult to justify, which is why even the most objective interviewers would rather not get into extended discussions about the finer points of their process with applicants who didn’t make the grade.

So what can you do to improve on your ability to make favorable impressions?  Practice with individuals you trust that are willing and able to provide you objective and subjective, constructive, honest, direct feedback and insight regarding how you can improve the style and substance of your interview.

Before you involve appropriate acquaintances, friends or family in your pursuit, assess your level of openness to different perspectives and your willingness to do something with what you hear. If you’re not prepared, don’t start.

If you’re ready and so are they, establish the ground rules: when you’ll meet and how often, what’s fair game and what isn’t, and if compensation is involved, how much? Establish an exit strategy. A great idea can sour quickly if either or both participants aren’t as enamored with the process as they thought they’d be.

What’s your starting point? Your ability to describe the job you want and the experience, strengths and abilities you have that enable you to be successful doing it. If you haven’t figured that out you’re not ready for prime time.

What’s the responsibility of the feedback provider? To play the role of interviewer, asking direct and probing questions about your current expectations, perceived value and future aspirations, asking you to describe your setbacks as well as your successes.

What’s the process? Feedback providers ask the questions, listen to your responses and feed back to you the variety of impressions they derive from what you say. If their impressions are positive, you keep going; if their reactions are mixed or negative, brainstorm and experiment with better ways to respond to the question. Practice your changes, don’t memorize them, and when your interviewer-coach gives you the thumbs up, move to the next set of questions.

For feedback to be helpful it should be specific, behavior based, and descriptive. In other words, you want to see and hear yourself as you are seen and heard. Here’s an example:

When I asked you to describe your worst boss this is what you said:

“He made me angry”; “he made me feel badly”; “there was nothing I could do”.

As you spoke, you slumped in your chair, looked fatigued, and your face crumpled as though you might cry. I had the impression that in that circumstance you saw yourself as a victim; that you felt helpless and unable to choose differently.

If I were an employer I’d want to hire someone with the experience and capability of making mature choices in difficult situations. Try again: how would you describe your worst boss in a way that illustrates your ability to deal effectively under adverse conditions?

If you want to learn from your mistakes, ask for honest feedback.

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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.

A Cautionary Tale

I typically dedicate this column to active job seekers, providing strategies, techniques, and best practices to enable them to reach the kind of outcomes that will be personally and professionally satisfying.

I got a call last week from Alex (not even close to his real name) who asked that I tell you his story. It’s not about how he’s looking for a job. It’s about why. Alex was fired four weeks ago. He wants to share his cautionary tale with you.
Alex is a mid level manager who describes himself as intelligent, hard working, and dedicated. He says he’s not the kind of person to whom people are naturally attracted. “I guess you’d call me colorless. I like to stay under the radar. I don’t argue. I don’t push back. I keep my head down and stay out of trouble.” He’s the first one at work and the last one to leave. The janitorial staff has gotten used to cleaning around him.

Alex doesn’t aspire to much more than what he’s doing but admits to being discouraged when promotions and increases don’t come his way. His average performance reviews describe him as “steady,” “reliable,” and “not apt to take risks.”

Alex admits he’s frustrated; he’s working harder and longer and getting less satisfaction from it. He supervises two people who do the minimum, leave at five, and appear to enjoy a very full and happy life.

Alex knows he’s out of balance. His wife told him so, in clear, unambiguous, and highly audible language. She’s said she’s tired of carrying all the responsibility for raising kids and keeping house. She’s tired of living like a single parent. She wants him home, not just to pick up the slack but to reawaken their relationship. They have three children. His kids call him Phantom and seem genuinely surprised and sometimes startled when they glimpse him during daylight hours.

“Why’s Dad home?” they say. “Did he get fired?” Kids can be prophetic.

When Alex is home (a few hours on a Sunday afternoon) he’s zonked out on the sofa in front of the giant TV he bought the family as a peace offering. They like the TV and plan their lives without him. Alex knows that things can’t stay as they are, that he works too many hours; but he’s afraid not to, afraid to fall behind.

“Is Dad divorcing us?”  That’s what Alex’s youngest son asks his mother. When she relays the question to Alex she’s playing more than the messenger. “We all want to know,” she said. “because if you are and nothing’s going to change, we need to make the arrangement permanent.”

Alex swears that he never saw it coming. “I know I sound insensitive, uninvolved, uncaring, everything you associate with absentee dads. I know I should have been more attentive. But everything I did, everything, was for them, for my wife and my kids. I thought they understood that.”

He doesn’t know what to do or say, so he responds the way he always has, he goes back to the office and works harder.
You can imagine his surprise when his boss greets him late one Friday afternoon to tell him, “Alex, this in your last day here.”

“Alex, you spend more time here than anyone else. I don’t know if you’re the hardest working employee we have. You’re definitely the most inefficient. You’re not managing your time and you’re not managing your subordinates. In twelve years you haven’t grown beyond where you were when you first came. You don’t lead, challenge, motivate, or empower anyone, yourself included. And at your level, that’s what we pay you to do. We’re doing you a favor, Alex. We’re letting you go.”

* * * *

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.

Basic Interviewing Mistakes

In life, little things can become big things. In job search, little things are the big things. Last week I described some big mistakes that job seekers make and asked you to compare them to the do’s and don’ts you’ve been practicing.

Here are a few more, just to keep you thinking:

What to wear: How to dress is a matter of concern to many interviewees who ask what they should wear if it’s casual Friday (or Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday) or if their chosen workplace doesn’t seem to care what people wear. Play it safe: Whether you’re on a formal interview or informally networking, respect the person who’s taken time to talk with you about your career and dress professionally. That suggests that you are well groomed, clean, fresh, pressed, jacket and dress slacks for men, suited skirt or pants-suit for women. If you wear jewelry, keep it simple. If you smoke or wear a fragrance, air-out. No sense triggering an asthma attack.

Thank you letters: If you send one (a good thing to do) make it work for you. Thank the individuals involved for taking their time to discuss with you the key challenges facing their organization and the role you can play in addressing them. Reiterate your ability to make an immediate difference and your strong interest in the position.

“This is a job I can do and want to do for you and for your company and I look forward to hearing from you.”

Develop a solid close: Most applicants spend so much time worrying about the front end of the interview (what will I wear? what will I say? what will they say?) and what happens next (did they like me? will they call me? should I call them?). that they don’t think enough about the importance of patience, pacing, listening, asking open-ended questions, overcoming objections, responding strategically, and asking for the job.

Negotiation: You haven’t completed your interview prep until you know the fair market value for what you bring to the table. In other words, what’s the going salary for people with your education, experience and track record, in your geographic area, for the position you want and the accountability that accompanies it? Once you know that range, you’re ready to discuss their offer. If it’s lower than what you can reasonable expect, you have room to negotiate. Don’t know how? Try something like this:

“Mr. Jones, I appreciate your inviting me to be part of your team and I’m excited about going to work for you. It’s a job I can do and one I want to do. The only thing that keeps me from immediately signing is the salary. Given my experience, track record of accomplishment, and the accountability that goes with this position, the offer is less than I had anticipated. Can we continue our conversation? If not today, then tomorrow?”

Then sit quietly and patiently and let Mr. Jones respond. Both of you need time to percolate so don’t rush to judgment. Chances are, you’ll get an offer that’s better than the one that’s currently on the table.

Show up: Whether you know it or not and whether they tell you or not, you’re on probation for the first thirty to ninety days that you’re on the job. If you interview over your head, saying you can accomplish great things based on your history, and your history’s bogus, you’re going to be history.

Bottom line, tell the truth. Do an honest self-assessment and find a job that requires what you do best, not what you do least well. Focus on what you know; what you enjoy doing, and what you want to continue to develop through experience, training, and education.

* * * *

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.

Interviewing Problems Tackled

Are you having trouble interviewing? If so, join these folks who have emailed examples of their situations and frustrations:

“I’ve gotten feedback that when I interview I come across as remote, even arrogant. I don’t think of myself that way, although I must admit I am smarter than most people I know and I don’t have a real desire to make friends with everyone I meet. That being said, I’ve snagged my share of interviews but have received no offers, so I must be missing out on something important.  What can I say or do that will cause me to appear more engaging?”

Focus on connecting instead of impressing. Make conversation, not combat. Ask questions to learn, not challenge. Understand context before responding.  Lean forward, just a little, and speak personally rather than abstractly. Listen as the interviewer describes the company, the opportunity, and the challenge. Smile, relax, and let the interviewer get to know you.

“I have trouble keeping my mouth shut. I’ve been told that I can talk myself in and out of jobs in the same sitting. I don’t know when to quit! I guess I get too excited or nervous, particularly if the interviewer doesn’t say much and is hard to read. What advice do you have for a well meaning (and sometimes loud) blabbermouth?”

It sounds like you are overwhelming interviewers who 1) desire a reasonable and balanced exchange of information; 2) have an inkling you over-talk and under-think and want to test their theory; 3) see you as unaware of your surroundings and 4) perceive you as insensitive or disrespectful. If any or all of the above ring true, you should 1) ask open ended questions and allow interviewers adequate time to answer them; 2) be sure you understand the “why” of the interviewer’s questions before answering the “what”; 3) adjust the volume of your voice to the space in which you’re sitting and 4) be mindful and respectful of the interviewer’s schedule. When time is currency, use it wisely.

“How do you know when the interview’s over? Is dead silence a dead give-away? I’ve been in interviews when the employer seems bored or stops talking after just fifteen or twenty minutes. Should I take that as a sign that I should leave?”

You should take it as a sign that you’re not contributing as much to the discussion as the interviewer expects. Interviewers want applicants to be fully involved; to listen, act interested, project their personalities, and ask good questions. Interviewers expect applicants to demonstrate how they can benefit the company by utilizing their established strengths and proven track records. If your interviews sputter and grind to a halt, it’s up to you to revitalize them.

“I’m not very good at small talk. Don’t like to waste time. I want to get into an interview, make my pitch, hear theirs, and get out. What’s your opinion?”

Take your lead from the interviewer. If he introduces herself in an informal way and asks some “how’s the weather” questions that have little to do with the purpose of the meeting, just relax and respond. He wants you to settle down, lighten up, and establish common ground. You’re on his clock, not yours, so take a deep breath and enjoy the challenge as well as the experience.

“I had a great interview. The employer said I’d hear back from them in a week. Ten days have passed and I haven’t heard a thing. I’ve called once and still no response. What should I do now?”

Write and walk: Write a brief note expressing your appreciation for the interview, your continued interest in the position, and three ways you can add value to their organization. Then keep looking.

* * * *

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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