Tag Archives: Attitude

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

May 13, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
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 →

Learning from First Time Failure

May 12, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
We had just begun talking when my client started to cry. “This is hard for me”, she said. “It’s the first time I can remember failing, totally, publicly, and despite my best efforts, not keep it from happening. I’ve tried so hard. I’m exhausted from the effort of trying.” “I took this job for two foolish reasons. First, I accepted it because I was flattered.  I was ‘perfect for the position’, they said. ‘Exactly the Continue reading →

Accepting Responsibility

May 11, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
It all started amicably enough. I was on the road, had an afternoon off between speaking engagements, and wanted to do something relaxing with three hours of found time. I thought, “Movie! That’s the ticket.” So, by golly, I went to the neighborhood theatre, paid the admission, and was directed to door #9, my gateway to entertainment. I went in and with a mix of surprise and mild frustration realized that the feature had started Continue reading →

Bridges Burned

February 21, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
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 Continue reading →

Overcoming Obstacles with Self-Confidence, Focus, Networking and a Positive Attitude

February 21, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
A recent caller wanted to know if she could blame the economy for her inability to find work. I told her that if it made her feel better to do so, please, be my guest. She said that it didn’t. She wanted to somehow get past the fact that there were so few jobs and so many people looking for them. “I’m not a spendthrift,” she said. “I have bills to pay and no way Continue reading →

The Gap between “I Can” and “I Can’t”

February 20, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
Fear of failing. Fear of succeeding. Doubt, worry, and anxiety can take over the best that’s within us. We vacillate, falter, and dither over basic decisions and necessary actions. We disappoint ourselves and those we care about most. “What if I try and don’t succeed? They’ll know I’m a loser. I’d rather let others think I have potential than take a chance and fail. I’m not happy with my job and I take out my Continue reading →

A List of Big Mistakes

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
One of the biggest mistakes you can make on an interview is to tell prospective employers that you can do anything they need you to do. No matter how able and willing you are, if you make a pledge like that you’re bound to fall short. The employer knows that and won’t hire you. Instead, ask the interviewer to describe the greatest challenges facing the department in which you want to work, then describe what Continue reading →

What Do You Have to Prove?

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
He said that he was impatient, hard driving, focused, bottom-line. That he had trouble with people who wanted to think aloud, taking everyone’s time, noodling about what ought to have been immediately clear to everyone present. That his idea was good, it was the right thing to do and the right time to do it. So, he did what any clear thinking person would have done, he blew up. Well, not totally. But he did Continue reading →

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

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
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 →

Own Your Mistakes

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
If you’re like many hard drivers, you can be more than a little defensive when criticized for something you’ve said or done. “What do you mean, I’m defensive? I’m just explaining what happened and why I did what I did!” “That’s what I mean, you’re acting defensive. Just admit that you were rude this morning. I was in the middle of an important  presentation and you cut me off.” “Rude? How was I rude? You Continue reading →

Deny and Avoid – a Failed Theory

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
Cal, the employee, is in the middle of an approach-avoidance mess. He has a job that he needs and doesn’t want. He doesn’t know what he’s doing and he’s lost while he’s doing it. He forces a smile while he’s scared; he wants to leave and has to stay. As confused as he appears, he’s not the least befuddled about this: It may be scary “in here”, but it’s much scarier “out there”. Bottom line, Continue reading →

Notes for a Job-getting Action Plan

January 24, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
Bam. That’s the sound of your confidence hitting bottom.  The longer you’re out of work, the bigger the hit your confidence takes. Pretty soon you’ll have trouble remembering what you did well and why anyone was foolish enough to pay you for doing it. The good news is, you’re not alone. The bad news is, there’s no great comfort in having company. Is there real reason to be concerned? No, you are employable, you do Continue reading →

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

January 23, 2009 by Joyce Richman
No comments
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 →