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.

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.

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.

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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 Job Seekers of All Ages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cardinal Career Advice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bridges Burned

Don’t burn bridges, no matter how aggravated, provoked, or justified you believe yourself to be. It isn’t worth it. To illustrate, read on. I’ve changed the employee’s name but not the story:
Karen was ticked. In a major way. The manager that she had worked so hard to please had passed her over for promotion. Not once. Not twice. But three times. And three times was the charm. She decided she was going to leave and she wasn’t going quietly. She handed in her letter of resignation along with a request for an exit interview. Her boss said that he accepted her letter with regret, she had been a long time employee who had done her job quietly and efficiently. She had a stellar attendance record and never gave anyone a moment’s trouble. He asked why she wanted to leave the company. Karen said that she preferred to handle that in an exit interview with Human Resources. He immediately granted her request.
The HR manager echoed the bosses sentiments, and asked Karen if there were  anything she wanted to say in leaving.
Karen said that there were several things. And with that she let ‘er rip, fueled by feelings she had bottled up for years. The more she talked the more emotional she became. She ranted, she raved, she yelled and she cried. She described the times that she had gone beyond reasonable expectations of the job and received neither compensation nor commendation as a reward; the times that she had asked for transfers to positions that would take her to different levels and pay grades, and her requests ignored. She described taking work home and neglecting family obligations, all in an effort to please her boss. She said that despite co-workers she disliked, managers she didn’t respect, and customers who could be rude and at times abusive, she soldiered on, for the good of the company.
When she was finished, exhausted, and out of breath, she rose to leave. The HR manager thanked her for her candor.
Karen left with a sense of freedom and relief. After a few day’s rest she began her job search with characteristic quiet efficiency. Her resume was understated but impressive. She went on several interviews but nothing came of them. She was confused and disappointed. The hiring managers were impressed by the depth and breadth of her experience and said so. They indicated that they would check references and get back with offers. None were forthcoming. What was going wrong?
Karen did some investigating and discovered that reference checkers were told she had been a good employee with a strong work ethic and excellent attendance record. When they asked if her former company would rehire her, the company representative indicated they would not. The record stated that she had not shared professional concerns in a timely manner and had demonstrated excessive emotional responses to professional set- backs.
Ouch. Those moments of unchecked, uncensored feelings cost Karen a bundle. Was it worth it? Let’s ask her.
“Since I was leaving the company, I thought that it was safe to unload in the exit  interview. I had almost looked forward to it. I was going to say all the things I didn’t have courage to say for the five years that I worked there. I didn’t realize that my comments or conduct in that meeting would affect me in the future. The last thing I was thinking of was a reference. I just knew that I was angry and they were going to know it.
I realized my mistake once those references came back. Thankfully, I was
able to do some damage control. I called HR and my former boss and told them both that I realized how emotional I had been in my exit interview and I apologized for my lack of professionalism. I thanked them for the opportunity to work for them and that I had learned a great deal from the experience, which was true. They were very gracious and said that they appreciated my call.
I wish that I had been more open about my frustrations when there was time to do something about it. Lesson learned. I’ll know better in the future.”