Preparing for an Interview

November 8, 2011 by Joyce Richman
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What are three things you should know before heading out to an interview? Know about the company.  Know why you want to interview them.  Know why they ought to interview you. Let’s get down to basics. Do your homework before interviewing. If you’re short on time, check the prospective employer’s web site. If you have the luxury of more time and the company’s track record is good enough to merit space in business journals, go Continue reading →

Impression Preparedness

March 8, 2011 by Joyce Richman
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John Q. Employer is expecting you. He’s been interviewing for the last few weeks and he’s getting a little frustrated. He wants to hire someone and he’s determined to do it right. He’ll take the time he needs. It’s worth it to him. You were due at 2:00 p.m. It’s 2:15 p.m. and you are nowhere in sight.  You finally roll in close to 2:30, flashing a broad smile, extending an energetic handshake and brandishing several earnest excuses. You’re late. Continue reading →

What can you learn from these seven snapshots?

January 25, 2011 by Joyce Richman
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#1 – I’ve been turned down by an employer who obviously doesn’t know talent when he sees it. For example, he asked me technical questions that I couldn’t answer. So I made up stuff that sounded pretty good, considering I didn’t know what I was talking about. He didn’t seem to appreciate my answers, or my jokes. Instead, he peered at me from over his glasses and read his questions off a long sheet of Continue reading →

Interviewers: Ace the Interview

January 11, 2011 by Joyce Richman
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Interviewers who see themselves in the driver’s seat,  need to check their side view mirrors. Their would be  passengers can afford to be selective about where and with whom they climb aboard. Job applicants can get mighty frustrated when they arrive at their interviews and are told “we’re busy, come back tomorrow.” Most of them are currently employed and find it challenging  to arrange time off without neglecting their ongoing responsibilities, and nerve wracking to explain their Continue reading →

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

August 31, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Q: I’m getting interviews. I’m not getting offers. Does this mean that my resume is better than I am? A: It sounds as if your resume is doing a better job speaking for you than you are speaking for yourself. If that’s the case, you’ll want to know how you’re missing the mark. Those answers can come from a combination of soul-searching, self awareness and candid feedback from people who know you best. To jump Continue reading →

Asking for Honest Feedback

August 3, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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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 Continue reading →

Feedback in the Interview

July 30, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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When it comes right down to it, you don’t know what you don’t know. When it comes to interviewing, you don’t know what you’re missing when you don’t get feedback about how you’re doing; your presentation, articulation, clarity of purpose, listening skills, and ability to respond to the ambiguity of open- ended questions in ways that make sense and advance your case. If you’re offered the job, you’re not apt to care about what didn’t Continue reading →

Basic Interviewing Mistakes

July 7, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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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 Continue reading →

Killing the Interview

June 25, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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What are the mistakes that job seekers make and how do they compare to the do’s and don’t you’ve been practicing? Check these out and you decide: Smile. For some, that big bright toothy smile comes naturally. These job applicants use their pearly whites to send the message that they’re genuinely happy to be in your presence and you in theirs. As an interviewer you are easily drawn to their warm and expressive nature because Continue reading →

Interviewing Problems Tackled

June 17, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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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 Continue reading →

Interviewing Mistakes

June 10, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Sam was a candidate for the job but was flabbergasted at being removed from consideration before even getting his interview.  This is Sam’s version of what happened: Sam had a busy morning and as a result, was late getting to his interview. When he arrived, the receptionist asked him to wait for an escort to Human Resources. Several minutes passed before he was accompanied to the interviewer’s office where again he was asked to wait. Continue reading →

Nailing the First 20 Seconds

June 3, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Many interviewers will tell you they can spot a winner within twenty seconds of meeting the candidate. Whether that’s a race worth winning is the subject of another column. Today’s column is about the belief that it’s possible.  With that in mind, how can you make your case in less than half a minute? Smile. Smile from the inside out. Smile nice and easy. “I’m pleased to be here”, your smile says, “and I’m pleased Continue reading →

Questions You Ask for a Successful Interview

May 26, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Conventional wisdom has it wrong if the job you go after is a bad match for your skills, your innate strengths, and your style or personality preferences. As many of you can attest, you can do a good job matching your skill sets to the required need, only to find later that you have a serious personality mismatch to that of your boss and/or the culture in which you will be working. If you want Continue reading →

Common Mistakes with Resumes and Interviews

May 15, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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I’m often asked to describe the “one greatest error job seekers make when looking for work”. Well, you’re already ahead of me if you figured that there’s more than one, so, I’ll go through a short list of some of the more common mistakes and missteps, and you determine if you’re in the midst of making any of them. Let’s start with resumes. Many job seekers, in an effort to be all things to all Continue reading →

Meeting in the Middle: Selling Yourself vs. Self-Indulgence

May 13, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Three people. Three openings. Three applicants. I’ve changed the names but not the shoes. If they fit, wear them. Clara. You are perfectly put together. Your hair is perfect. Your nails are perfect. Your makeup, outfit, even your shoes, perfect, perfect, perfect. There’s just one thing you’ve missed. You’ve forgotten to connect your personality to your smile; warmth to your eyes. Clara, I’m looking right at you and seeing right through you and I’m not Continue reading →

What Does Win-Win Look Like in a Tough Employment Market?

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Job hunters make big mistakes when they negotiate from a win-lose mentality. It’s a buyer’s market. The jobs are few and the applicants many. If you project an attitude of arrogance or indifference, don’t bother to show up. There are plenty of applicants out there who understand how that game is played. Your win-lose gambit will turn into lose-lose outcome. Applicants make big mistakes when they negotiate from a lose-win mentality. Sure it’s a buyer’s Continue reading →

Two Views of Post-Interview Communication

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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“Joyce, I read your column regularly.  I would like you to touch on the subject of employers who do not inform potential employees of the outcome of interviews. With high unemployment rates, I can understand that they cannot possibly respond to everyone who sends them a resume. However, no employer should ignore someone who has interviewed with them for a position. It’s just plain rude to keep someone’s hopes alive if there is no offer Continue reading →

The Story of Ms. Take

January 23, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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If interviewers more readily acknowledged the challenges as well as the opportunities of their job offerings and applicants were more candid about their strengths and weaknesses, individuals would be better matched to what they do. Everyone involved would benefit from a more efficient, productive, and stable work force. “I thought I was making a great hiring choice when I hired Ms. Take”, said the human resources manager of a mid-sized manufacturer. “We spoke with her Continue reading →

Attitude, the Match Game, Networking & a Few Closing Thoughts

January 23, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Attitude: It’s competitive out there. The market is tight. As a job seeker you’re not  feeling too optimistic. That can show when it’s time to interview. You’re evaluated by what you say and how you say it. So here are a few reminders about attitude: It’s created in your head and demonstrated in your behavior. With that in mind, don’t mentally argue with interviewers. Don’t set up mental barriers. Think “partnership”. Partner with the interviewers Continue reading →

The Post-Interview Thank You Note

January 11, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Are thank you notes an outdated concept? Absolutely not. Interviewers always look for applicants who have as much EQ as they have IQ. Courtesy and respect are often as valued as intellectual skill, interpersonal savvy, and interactive ability. E-mail, snail-mail, or fax? If your earlier communications have been via e-mail, e-mail your note of appreciation. If the company is more formal and you’ve corresponded through the postal service, mail your thank you as you would Continue reading →