SKILLS, CUSTOMERS, ‘OPEN MOUTH ...’

RESUME

Criminal past, summer, sports

TALKATIVENESS

Medical condition, 'unretiring,' recruiter's advice

DILEMMA

Outsourcing, decisions, chuckles

FACTOR

Spam, innovator, would you believe?

ANALYSIS

Concentration, Underemployment, Opportunity

Q: People tell me that I send too many emails, that I don’t answer all of their questions. My boss has said he thinks I need help with reading. I’m starting to job hunt and I don’t know how to handle this problem.

Staying calm during interviews

Q: I find interviews embarrassing. I have to sit and talk about myself as if I were interested, when I’m really more interested in finding out about the job. How can I keep from sounding too abrupt when I answer questions and from feeling self-conscious when I do?

Coach, Switcheroo, Skype

Q: I’ve been using a coach once a week for a month to help me decide what I want to do and develop a campaign. When we started, I thought we’d be further along by now.

Telecommuting plan

Q: I’ve been offered a promotion, which I haven’t yet accepted, because I don’t know how to convince my employer to allow me to telecommute. He knows that I have good relationships with my neighbors, that we spend time together in the evenings and on weekends. He also knows I date. I sense t…

Writing, whistleblowing, interviewing

Q: My resume is one page long and contains all of my work history. The graphics are eye-catching, but interviewers seems to be saying things I think they’re saying to everyone they interview. How can I inspire them to think about what I’ve done and how to use my experience?

Finding International Jobs

Q: I’m bilingual and second-generation American, but I’ve never worked overseas. My skills and experience will transfer to a variety of industries. How do I begin the process of finding companies in any industry that are Spanish-speaking? Central and South America would be fine. So would Spain.

Start Your Own Business, Strategicaly

Q: I’ve been working in a large organization for a long time, but I want to buy a business in a very different industry. Because I’ve been up in the ether, I’d like to spend a year or two in a small business to get ready. How can I best approach employers?

Don't waste energy on a "worthless" job

Q: The job I finally found more than a year ago isn’t worth having. I grabbed the first thing that came up and have regretted it since almost the first day.

Don't hide from a negative past

Q: I spent seven years in prison and three on the street. How can I ever find a job?

Job instability and uncertainty

Q: Last year I wanted a job so badly that I agreed to rent our house and relocate about 1,200 miles. We’ve rented here and the job has gone all right. Our children attend local schools.

Work for fruitful employers

Q: I work in an engineering department in a good firm. It’s small, but people here are decent. I’ve been going to school for my engineering degree so I can get out of support and into engineering. This spring I’ll have my degree.

If your heart isn't in it, don't interview

Q: It’s time to reinvent myself, because the field I’m in is contracting. Another field where I have experience seems to offer a great deal of opportunity; so I’ve been updating my skills, reading about it and speaking with people about it.

Flexibility to move forward

Q: It's a bit ironic: I'm afraid I won't be able to interview; so I've not sent out resumes!

The long day delimma

Q: I am a 58-year-old woman with a full-time receptionist’s job in a doctor's office. I love my job and the people, but I need a part-time evening job for financial reasons. Here’s my dilemma. Patient load determines when my day is over.

Ethical ambitions

Q: Now that the job market is gradually coming back, I want to be a recruiter. Before, I was afraid I’d be overwhelmed with candidates. Now I know there are enough employers out there to become my clients.