Michelle Riklan ::

What Can You Do to Promote Gender Equality at Work?

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

In 1911, millions of men and women in Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany marched on rallies during the first International Woman’s Day. They fought for the right of every woman to work, hold public office, and vote. Today, we have come far in terms of women’s rights, but there’s still so much we can do to close the gap between…

Body Language Tricks to Succeed in a Job Interview

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

It’s not what you said, but how you said it. Sounds familiar? This is true for relationships and job interviews. As a job applicant, you need to remember that the way your body moves says a lot about you. Body language is one way people communicate without talking. If you want to get a job offer, you have to be…

Alert! Don’t Fall for these 3 Ego Traps that can Ruin Your Executive Career

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

You’re on top of your game. You’re the boss and you have a corner office to prove it. Yes, it definitely took a lot of hard work to get to where you are now, but what got you to the top may not be enough to keep you in this position. Being the boss can make anyone prone to a…

Unexpected Succession Planning: What to Do if a Key Executive Unexpectedly Quits

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

You may not be the CEO yet. But as a company executive, an executive’s unexpected resignation, termination, or even absence is cause for alarm. Best case scenario, you may be chosen by the board to serve as interim CEO or executive. On the flip side, you may lose your job or the company may go down in the dumps as…

How to Build a Strong Alliance of Supporters at Work

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

One of the secrets of succeeding in the workplace is building strong alliances. No matter how seemingly good and experienced you are, or even if you hold a top position in an organization, time will come that you’ll need someone else’s help. This is where building alliances comes in handy. Successful employees work hard to build themselves a network of…

When Office Friends Turn into Liabilities

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

In general, making friends at work make Monday mornings more bearable and over time work a little less stressful. Having friends at work can make an otherwise stressful environment enjoyable, but things can also go sour under different circumstances. In light of International Friendship Day on July 30, we look at the different situations where office friends can become a…

How to Prepare for a Successful Video Interview

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

If you haven’t already done this yet, you likely will sometime in the future. More and more employers and hiring managers are using video interviewing at some point in their screening process. This cuts down on travel costs for all parties involved and with the popularity of telecommuting, it is becoming more popular and more accepted. Still, most job seekers…

Job Hunting Survival Tips for an Executive Who Has Never Looked for a Job in Decades

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

A young executive I met recently mentioned that she never had to look for a job. From the time that she got her MBA, she moved from job to job through contacts, and as her career progressed, she was recruited by head hunters hired by companies. She has never written a resume because she never needed one before—until now. With…

Why Comparing Your Career to Your Friends’ is Harmful

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

You and your best friend have been through everything together. You’ve survived high school, experienced first loves and first heartbreaks, gone through college, found your first jobs and supported each other through loss. You shop together, have coffee together, and maybe have even roomed together. But while we celebrated Best Friends Day last June 8, we all know friendships aren’t…

Networking for Executives

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

These days, it’s not so much what you know as who you know. While you need experience and credentials to give you the know how to lead a team or run a company, it’s often the handshake of someone you know that will get your resume on the desk. Whether or not you think this is fair, networking is…

Three Crushing Experiences Every Job Applicant Experiences

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

You usually feel pretty good about your work experience, education, and your resume. That is until you start looking for the job of your dreams. Suddenly, your alma mater isn’t as impressive as your colleagues’ schools and your previous experiences don’t look as appealing. Your resume just didn’t sparkle the way it seemed to just a short time before. So…

Get Your Children Off the Couch – Radio Interview with Ed Tyll

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

What an honor it was to be invited on the Ed Tyll show on Starcom Radio! The topic was How to Get Your Children off the Couch and Into the Workplace. I am pleased to share the audio (please click here) as well as the entire transcript. Ed was a gracious host with thoughtful and insightful questions and it…

Networking for Millennials

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Millennials, as their reputation suggests, often do things differently. So it’s not surprising that they have their own strategies when it comes to networking. If you’re a shy millennial who would rather stay at home than mingle with your co-workers, or you’re a lost gen X-er who can’t figure out ‘the deal’ with millennials and their social habits, then this…

The Common Questions Applicants Ask Their Would-Be Bosses on Interviews

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Are you a manager or executive interviewing someone for a job? Don’t expect that you’ll be the only one asking questions. Expect good candidates to raise their own questions during the job interview. They want to impress you and make themselves more memorable compared to other candidates. Here are the top four questions you can expect to get from a…

Do’s and Don’ts to Survive ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

It’s not designed to be the most productive day of the year work-wise – but the implications of ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’ go beyond the day. It could shape a child’s future career, or even a life. The purpose of ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day’ is to expose kids to what their parent,…

Six Tips for Proofreading Your Resume

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Your resume is still a vital component to getting you the interview to the job of your dreams. It’s one of the first impressions that a hiring manager will have when you apply to a new job or position, and one of the biggest determinants about whether or not you will get called for an interview. While you can upgrade…

How to Make Work-Related Travel Less Miserable

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Gone are the days when work meant punching the clock at an office at 9 AM and sitting in a cubicle or with fluorescent lights on until 5 PM. Today, with the economy gone global and many companies doing business with people around the world, most jobs will entail some form of travel. While some people will travel only once…

Five Sage Career Tips from High-Flying Women for Women

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

In today’s world, women are a vital part of the workforce and many have prominent roles in most industries. There are many fields and areas that are growing in terms of representation by women, including civil engineering, law enforcement, law, and medicine. This month marks the 30th anniversary of National Women’s History Month, which Congress passed in 1987. In…

5 Common Mistakes That Could Cost You a Job Offer

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

You’re in an interview for the job of your dreams. It’s going well, but don’t get too excited yet. Remember that the job isn’t yours until you and your employer have both signed on the dotted line. Here are common mistakes that can ruin your chances of landing that great job:

How to Deal with Email Conflicts at the Office

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Ever since there was the written word, misunderstandings and misinterpretations have existed. Then email was invented, and miscommunications became more frequent. The nature of email today is that it is quicker than actual printed letters. People tend to treat email more casually than printed letters. Introductions are more casual and many times, they are not as carefully edited or their…

How to Make a Career Change as a 50-Year-Old Executive

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

These days, young people just entering the workforce will have an average of seven to nine careers in their lifetimes. That’s seven to nine different fields, not just employers. That number may seem unreasonable to older workers and baby boomers, whose parents worked their entire lives at one job. But even if you’re in your 50’s, it’s possible to make…

4 Career Advice Tips from Previous Presidents

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Taking your first step in the right direction forms the basis of a bright career. If you are looking for some career insights that can help you in finding the right direction and kick-starting your career, you have landed at the right place. With ‘Washington’s Birthday – President’s Day’ celebration today, I’ll share four prestigious career advice tips from previous…

Resume Trends to Watch in 2017

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

From hair to clothing to houses, everything is subject to trends. In the job search world, resumes are no different. Resumes go through trend cycles too. Forty years ago, resumes were pages upon pages. In the last 10 years, resumes have gone down to only two or three pages, as nobody has time to scan through a five-page resume. Today,…

Executive Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

You’re an executive, and you’ve been contacted by a recruiter about an opportunity for a well-known firm in your industry. Congratulations! Although you’re excited about this position, you’re understandably nervous about the upcoming interview. Of course, the interview isn’t the be-all end-all to getting the job – there are also references to follow up with, and portfolios and numbers…

Alert! Don’t Resign Until You’ve Asked Yourself These Questions

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Michelle Riklan

Happy 2017! A new year is a great time to look at your life. Many people take this time to take stock of their health, fitness, eating habits, relationships, homes, and of course, their work. So how is your workplace? Are you happy there? Is your career fulfilling? Does your current position offer you room to grow? Could you –…

Your Summer Job is Much More Important than You Think

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Michelle Riklan

Employment rates are better this year, which means fresh graduate are expected to have better opportunities of securing a job. I wonder though, how many will take their internship seriously? How many will show up expecting three easy months of coffee-fetching and copy-making work? A research from Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a Chicago-based recruitment firm, states that only 1 in…

Does Your Boss Secretly Hate You?

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Michelle Riklan

I was eating at a restaurant when I overheard this woman complaining about her boss to a friend. After ranting, her friend said, “Suck it up, you’re lucky to have a job.” After hearing this conversation, I realized that sometimes, no matter how nice and polite you are; your boss just doesn’t care. After all your effort, he can’t even…

Dressing Up for the Interview—It’s More Important than You Think

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Michelle Riklan

You only have six seconds to make a good first impression. Six seconds. That’s not even enough time to say your elevator speech! Best-selling author and LinkedIn Career Expert, Nicole Williams echoes this fact. What you wear makes a bigger statement about yourself and your chances of doing well at the job before you even start talking. A crumpled shirt,…

Be the Boss or Face the Consequences of Undermanagement

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Michelle Riklan

What do you get when you put together employees with diverse personalities, work backgrounds, different temperaments, habits, and varying levels of weirdness? Chaos. But nowadays, that’s what most managers call a “team,” and the difficulty of handling such team doesn’t stop with aforementioned differences. In fact, that’s just the start. Add a dash of disregard for authority, laziness, lack of…

Riklan Resources Resume and Career Services

Body Language Tricks to Succeed in a Job Interview

Alert! Don’t Fall for these 3 Ego Traps that can Ruin Your Executive Career

How to Prepare for a Successful Video Interview

Job Hunting Survival Tips for an Executive Who Has Never Looked for a Job in Decades

Why Comparing Your Career to Your Friends’ is Harmful

Three Crushing Experiences Every Job Applicant Experiences

Get Your Children Off the Couch – Radio Interview with Ed Tyll

The Common Questions Applicants Ask Their Would-Be Bosses on Interviews

Six Tips for Proofreading Your Resume

How to Make Work-Related Travel Less Miserable

Five Sage Career Tips from High-Flying Women for Women

5 Common Mistakes That Could Cost You a Job Offer

How to Deal with Email Conflicts at the Office

How to Make a Career Change as a 50-Year-Old Executive

4 Career Advice Tips from Previous Presidents

Executive Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Alert! Don’t Resign Until You’ve Asked Yourself These Questions

Your Summer Job is Much More Important than You Think

Does Your Boss Secretly Hate You?

Dressing Up for the Interview—It’s More Important than You Think

Be the Boss or Face the Consequences of Undermanagement

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Riklan Resources Resume and Career Services