Today’s question came from a professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.
How to handle obnoxious questions about your job search. I’m talking specifically about how to handle questions from friends, family about how it’s going, why you don’t have a job yet.
One of the most effective ways to handle questions that annoy you is to turn the tables on those questions. Instead of seeing those questions as annoying; take them at face value; and thank them for their interest. Then tell them exactly what you are looking for, the industry you are interested in, the position level, the role and responsibilities you are focusing on. Share your career goals and make them a co-conspirator to your success. Ask them if they can think of any business or network contacts that you can reach out to. Ask to schedule some time with them to review their linkedin and facebook contacts, to see if they have anyone in their sphere that would be able to help you. Ask for their advise on who in their circle — you should meet and ask for a warm introduction from them.Once you switch your opinion of them from an annoyance to an asset, two things will happen:
1) You will start networking with the right people
2) The wrong people will stop asking the questions.
Hi, my name is Laura Rose. I am a speaker and author. My background is in time management, professional development and work life balance strategies.
I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff. I have a knack for taking big ideas and converting them into smart, sound, and actionable ideas.