Tag Archives: Managing Your Career

Advice for the Advice-Giver

June 1, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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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 Continue reading →

Tough Questions Have Answers

May 25, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Interview questions that are difficult typically ask about “why and how” not “what and when.”  They focus on demanding workplace issues, events, personalities, and the actions you’ve taken or didn’t take regarding them. When you do a good job responding to these questions you show self awareness and an ability to organize and articulate your thoughts in ways that are logical and understandable. You describe cause and effect and connect facts that may appear unrelated Continue reading →

It’s Always a Good Time for Change

May 11, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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According to the political writers, pundits, pollsters, and candidates, this is a time for change. Some describe change in ways that engage our hearts and imaginations. Some describe change in terms that are pragmatic and time bound. When you call and email questions about jobs and your career, you want to talk about change. Some of your concerns focus on the future, some are about practical necessities, and some are fundamental to your systems of Continue reading →

Eliminating Job Search Frustrations

May 4, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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It’s frustrating to send your resume to dozens, even hundreds of job openings and not get a response. It’s frustrating to interview and not get a call back that tells you where you stand. It’s humbling to feel as though you’re being judged and maddening to feel that you have no way to control the outcome. What can you do to shift your emotional responses to tactical actions? Eliminate one frustration at a time. For Continue reading →

Questions from Readers for All Ages

April 27, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Q: My anxiety is through the roof. Yesterday I talked back to my boss, something I never do. I apologized and he said we’re OK but I’m not so sure. He seems to be avoiding me and now I’m more concerned than ever. Should I start looking for another job? A: Exhale. If looking for another job helps you feel more in control, sure, do it. In the time it takes you to find something Continue reading →

Jack of All Trades; Master of None

April 13, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Bright, talented and articulate, he’s ready to do anything and seems poised to do it all. Yet he’s stuck. He’s the pin of a pin wheel, seeing multiple possibilities spinning by and instead of grabbing hold, is overwhelmed by them all. He’s concerned that: He’s a jack of all trades and master of none. His eclectic interests attract him to a variety of opportunities. He can’t focus on one job and dedicate himself to it. Continue reading →

Successful Applicants Ask Good Questions

April 6, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Successful job applicants know how to ask good questions. Good questions let interviewers know that you’re curious; you’ve done your homework; you’re listening to what they’re telling you; and you want to find as good a match as they do. Good questions focus on the future and explore ways that applicants can contribute to the company’s goals and objectives. Good questions keep the discussion energized and positive. Bad questions sound critical, cynical, confrontational, and close-ended. Continue reading →

Bottom Line: You Didn’t Have a Bad Reference, It’s the Interview

March 30, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Q:  I recently lost my job and have not been able to find another. I left my last job on not good terms with my former employer and I think they’re giving me a bad reference. I’ve had a couple of interviews with different companies and was told each time that I’d be getting a second interview. When I wouldn’t hear back I’d call and they’d tell me the position had been filled. Is there Continue reading →

Back to Basics

March 23, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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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 Continue reading →

Lessons for a Successful Career

March 9, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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It’s surprising, frustrating, and disappointing when our strengths, (“I’m so organized;” “I’m very decisive”), turn out to be our weaknesses (“He’s so compulsive!” “She’s so dictatorial!”).  Do any of the following apply to you? Career lesson #1:  No one likes the smartest kid in the room if the smartest kid makes other kids look dumb. When you’re launching your career it’s important to establish yourself as someone who is quick, bright, and eager to get Continue reading →

It’s a Match Game: Strengths to Company’s Needs

March 2, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Pete’s miserable. Miserable. Said that he can’t remember feeling worse. He’s stuck with a nowhere job at a nowhere company doing work he was doing five years ago and he was bored with it then. How did he get into this mess and how does he get out? He had a great career (his words, not mine) with a large, hierarchical, autocratic company (my words, not his). He lasted for 10 years. Lasted, because he Continue reading →

Unrealistic Fear

February 9, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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Tom (Dick, or Harry) has a problem. He’s in way over his head. Competent, well educated, articulate, he’s scared of the slippery slope that lies ahead. He could veer off the path, but he’s chosen to stay the course. And he’s relieved it will soon be over. They’re going to fire him, he just knows it. Realistic fear? Realistic, no, not remotely. Fear, yes, absolutely. I’ll leave the psychological evaluations to those who specialize in Continue reading →

Fast Track Your Job Search

January 10, 2010 by Joyce Richman
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You’ll fast track your job search when you increase your focus, improve your efficiency, and target your marketing. If you’re sending out resumes and not getting responses you have either lost your focus or never had it. Your resume has three roles: scout, matchmaker, and mouthpiece. It probes for possibilities, looks for a match, and speaks on your behalf. If it fails to deliver on any of these roles, it won’t be considered and neither Continue reading →

Stop Looking in the Rearview Mirror and Focus Ahead

December 22, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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If you only focus on where you’ve been and what you’ve left behind, you won’t see what lies ahead. All she could talk about was how stuck she was; how she and her business, both successful, had slowed, then ground to a stop. “My customers once had money to throw around and they loved to throw it my way,” she wailed. I had a high end business and my clients didn’t have to worry about Continue reading →

Networking Your Way Into a New Career

November 17, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Networking: the expression is abused, misused and under-explained. What is it and why should you care? Networking is the best way to find a job, change jobs, or even change careers. Doing it right takes time, patience, and persistence. Doing it wrong is a waste of effort, energy, and opportunity. Networking means having focused conversations with individuals who can directly or indirectly influence the direction of your career search. Networking means finding people whose character Continue reading →

Steps to Making a Successful Career Transition

November 10, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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Are you in the wrong job? Maybe the wrong career? That’s an alarming thought if you don’t have a clue what the right job might be. What’s the point of leaving if you don’t know where you’re going or what you’d do once you’d get there? The last thing you want is to end up in the same sorry mess you’re in now. There are plenty of reasons people stay in the wrong careers: They Continue reading →

Little Things That Count Big

November 4, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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  When you’re looking for a job in a market as competitive as this is, everything counts. Your outbound voice mail message should sound professional: When prospective employers call, they don’t want to hear an outbound message sung by your children or barked by your dog. They’re off-put by messages that sound menacing, mysterious, seductive, poetic, funny, or just plain strange. Simply put, employers want to know they’ve contacted the right person and that person Continue reading →

Lonely Layoff? Get Moving!

November 4, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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It’s easy to get stuck between lonely and cranky when you lose your job, particularly when your neighbors and friends still have a job to go to. You know you have to get on with life and start interviewing, but you’re having a tough time getting off the couch and putting on your shoes. If that’s your situation and you have the energy to read this column, I have some ways to remedy your situation. Begin Continue reading →

Career Fair in Town? Make the Most of It!

November 4, 2009 by Joyce Richman
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There’s a Job Fair coming to town and opportunity is coming along with it. Unlike most fairs, this one won’t cost you a dime. You’ll have a chance to meet company representatives from across the state who set up booths and organize materials with the express purpose of meeting people like you, hard-working, dedicated, skilled people who have the potential of making a difference in their organizations. If you want to maximize that opportunity it’s Continue reading →