job, but the path taken—the relationship to work throughout life. And as John demonstrates so compellingly in this book, empowerment begins with the questions applicants ask.
So much creativity and insight has gone into the concept of the “informational interview,” thanks largely to Richard Bolles and his marvelous classic, What Color Is Your Parachute? For job seekers, the informational interview at once reduces stress, manages expectations, and elicits—what else?—information. For the employer, the informational interview is just as useful.
But John has gone the process one better. In showing job seekers how to interview interviewers, he has taken the informational interview to the next level. As this practice takes hold, the benefits to employees and employers alike will be palpable.
How do I know this? Because empowerment doesn’t happen as some sort of grand revelation; it’s in the details, the small etchings on the clean slate, the right questions asked in the right way, at the right time. And because, for me, this process really worked—though I couldn’t have described it as such at the time.
I was born and went to school in the small community of Tarboro, North Carolina. I recognized in John’s book a road map of my own early experiences. As a young girl, I saw how people’s lives were shaped by their career opportunities, and I sensed that my own advancement was keyed to the kind of inquisitor I was. As a student in Project Upward Bound, a program for academically achieving, college-bound, disadvantaged students, I left North Carolina to expand my education, eventually working at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
Throughout my journey, one common thread emerged: The quality of the answers I received was related directly to the pointed nature of the questions I asked. The more engaged I was, the more those around me responded. This process was nonverbal as well as verbal. Without articulating it even to myself, I was advancing my credentials by being proactive and perhaps, now and again, a bit provocative.
Today, having founded a company in the business of helping people transform jobs into meaningful careers (and, yes, become empowered), I can say without reservation that even in an unsettled economy, talent will out. Good people, by definition, take charge. The interview is your fresh start.
We can thank John Kador that it will never again be a blank sheet.
Professionals in the staffing industry may be among the hardest-working people in the world. I am gratified to be able to acknowledge so many excellent people who carved time out of their busy days to help me with this book.
To these authorities, staffing professionals all, I express my gratitude: Anna Braasch, Kimberly Bedore, Janice Brookshier, Kate Brothers, Robert Conlin, Bryan Debenport, Mariette Durack Edwards, Sandra Grabczynski, Jeanette Grill, Scott Hagen, Joel Hamroff, Charles Handler, Beau Harris, Bob Johnson, Kathi Jones, Robin M. Johnson, Richard Kathnelson, Wayne Kale, Houston Landry, Grant Lehman, Joeseph LePla, Nancy Levine, Sonja C. Parker, Liz Reiersen, Jason Rodd, Tony Stanic, Susan Trainer, Tom Thrower, and Robin Upton. On occasion, I chose to ignore their advice and suggestions. If there are errors in this book, therefore, they are all mine.
Special thanks go to Janice Bryant Howroyd for writing a very personal Foreword and to Melanie Allred Mays and Gary Ames for giving my readers the benefit of some sharp intellectual property. Part III of this book would be impoverished, indeed, without their contributions. I thank Melanie Mays for the Company Cultural Survey and Gary Ames and Dr. Wendell Williams for the organization and many of the questions in Chapters 9–12.
Once again I am indebted to Dr. John Sullivan, professor and head of Human Resource Management at San Francisco State University, for sharing with me his experience and perspective on every aspect of the staffing process. I especially appreciate John for sharing the “superstar” questions in Chapter 13.
Professionals in the staffing industry may be among the hardest-working people in the world. I am gratified to be able to acknowledge so many excellent people who carved time out of their busy days to help me with this book.
To these authorities, staffing professionals all, I express my gratitude: Anna Braasch, Kimberly Bedore, Janice Brookshier, Kate Brothers, Robert Conlin, Bryan Debenport, Mariette Durack Edwards, Sandra Grabczynski, Jeanette Grill, Scott Hagen, Joel Hamroff, Charles Handler, Beau Harris, Bob Johnson, Kathi Jones, Robin M. Johnson, Richard Kathnelson, Wayne Kale, Houston Landry, Grant Lehman, Joeseph LePla, Nancy Levine, Sonja C. Parker, Liz Reiersen, Jason Rodd, Tony Stanic, Susan Trainer, Tom Thrower, and Robin Upton. On occasion, I chose to ignore their advice and suggestions. If there are errors in this book, therefore, they are all mine.
Special thanks go to Janice Bryant Howroyd for writing a very personal Foreword and to Melanie Allred Mays and Gary Ames for giving my readers the benefit of some sharp intellectual property. Part III of this book would be impoverished, indeed, without their contributions. I thank Melanie Mays for the Company Cultural Survey and Gary Ames and Dr. Wendell Williams for the organization and many of the questions in Chapters 9–12.
Once again I am indebted to Dr. John Sullivan, professor and head of Human Resource Management at San Francisco State University, for sharing with me his experience and perspective on every aspect of the staffing process. I especially appreciate John for sharing the “superstar” questions in Chapter 13.
吴昊林 (07/01/2008)
FOREWORD
job, but the path taken—the relationship to work throughout life. And
as John demonstrates so compellingly in this book, empowerment
begins with the questions applicants ask.
So much creativity and insight has gone into the concept of the “informational interview,” thanks largely to Richard Bolles and his marvelous classic, What Color Is Your Parachute? For job seekers, the
informational interview at once reduces stress, manages expectations,
and elicits—what else?—information. For the employer, the informational interview is just as useful.
But John has gone the process one better. In showing job seekers
how to interview interviewers, he has taken the informational interview to the next level. As this practice takes hold, the benefits to employees and employers alike will be palpable.
How do I know this? Because empowerment doesn’t happen as
some sort of grand revelation; it’s in the details, the small etchings on
the clean slate, the right questions asked in the right way, at the right
time. And because, for me, this process really worked—though I
couldn’t have described it as such at the time.
I was born and went to school in the small community of Tarboro,
North Carolina. I recognized in John’s book a road map of my own
early experiences. As a young girl, I saw how people’s lives were
shaped by their career opportunities, and I sensed that my own advancement was keyed to the kind of inquisitor I was. As a student in
Project Upward Bound, a program for academically achieving, college-bound, disadvantaged students, I left North Carolina to expand
my education, eventually working at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
Throughout my journey, one common thread emerged: The quality
of the answers I received was related directly to the pointed nature of
the questions I asked. The more engaged I was, the more those around
me responded. This process was nonverbal as well as verbal. Without
articulating it even to myself, I was advancing my credentials by being
proactive and perhaps, now and again, a bit provocative.
Today, having founded a company in the business of helping people
transform jobs into meaningful careers (and, yes, become empowered), I can say without reservation that even in an unsettled economy,
talent will out. Good people, by definition, take charge. The interview
is your fresh start.
We can thank John Kador that it will never again be a blank sheet.
JANICE BRYANT HOWROYD
Founder, CEO, Chairman, ACT-1 Personnel Services
Torrance, California
吴昊林 (07/01/2008)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Professionals in the staffing industry may be among the hardest-working people in the world. I am gratified to be able to acknowledge so
many excellent people who carved time out of their busy days to help
me with this book.
To these authorities, staffing professionals all, I express my gratitude:
Anna Braasch, Kimberly Bedore, Janice Brookshier, Kate Brothers,
Robert Conlin, Bryan Debenport, Mariette Durack Edwards, Sandra
Grabczynski, Jeanette Grill, Scott Hagen, Joel Hamroff, Charles Handler, Beau Harris, Bob Johnson, Kathi Jones, Robin M. Johnson,
Richard Kathnelson, Wayne Kale, Houston Landry, Grant Lehman, Joeseph LePla, Nancy Levine, Sonja C. Parker, Liz Reiersen, Jason Rodd,
Tony Stanic, Susan Trainer, Tom Thrower, and Robin Upton. On occasion, I chose to ignore their advice and suggestions. If there are errors in
this book, therefore, they are all mine.
Special thanks go to Janice Bryant Howroyd for writing a very personal Foreword and to Melanie Allred Mays and Gary Ames for giving
my readers the benefit of some sharp intellectual property. Part III of
this book would be impoverished, indeed, without their contributions. I
thank Melanie Mays for the Company Cultural Survey and Gary Ames
and Dr. Wendell Williams for the organization and many of the questions in Chapters 9–12.
Once again I am indebted to Dr. John Sullivan, professor and head
of Human Resource Management at San Francisco State University, for
sharing with me his experience and perspective on every aspect of the
staffing process. I especially appreciate John for sharing the “superstar”
questions in Chapter 13.
吴昊林 (07/01/2008)
Professionals in the staffing industry may be among the hardest-working people in the world. I am gratified to be able to acknowledge so
many excellent people who carved time out of their busy days to help
me with this book.
To these authorities, staffing professionals all, I express my gratitude:
Anna Braasch, Kimberly Bedore, Janice Brookshier, Kate Brothers,
Robert Conlin, Bryan Debenport, Mariette Durack Edwards, Sandra
Grabczynski, Jeanette Grill, Scott Hagen, Joel Hamroff, Charles Handler, Beau Harris, Bob Johnson, Kathi Jones, Robin M. Johnson,
Richard Kathnelson, Wayne Kale, Houston Landry, Grant Lehman, Joeseph LePla, Nancy Levine, Sonja C. Parker, Liz Reiersen, Jason Rodd,
Tony Stanic, Susan Trainer, Tom Thrower, and Robin Upton. On occasion, I chose to ignore their advice and suggestions. If there are errors in
this book, therefore, they are all mine.
Special thanks go to Janice Bryant Howroyd for writing a very personal Foreword and to Melanie Allred Mays and Gary Ames for giving
my readers the benefit of some sharp intellectual property. Part III of
this book would be impoverished, indeed, without their contributions. I
thank Melanie Mays for the Company Cultural Survey and Gary Ames
and Dr. Wendell Williams for the organization and many of the questions in Chapters 9–12.
Once again I am indebted to Dr. John Sullivan, professor and head
of Human Resource Management at San Francisco State University, for
sharing with me his experience and perspective on every aspect of the
staffing process. I especially appreciate John for sharing the “superstar”
questions in Chapter 13.