being intentionally late to an interview as a strategy by Alison Green on August 14, 2009 A reader writes: I’d like to share a job search tip with you (or at least receive your opinion about it). A resume attempts to showcase past achievements but it doesn’t do much to demonstrate a candidate’s character. So I deliberately call in late to the interview. About a half hour before the interview time, […] Read the full article →
4 biggest myths about job references by Alison Green on August 10, 2009 I get a lot of mail with misconceptions about job references — how they work, who gets called, and what they can say. Here are the four biggest myths about references that I encounter regularly. References are old-school; no one uses them anymore. Don’t listen to people who tell you that in the “new economy,” […] Read the full article →
how do I ask my boss for the money they owe me? by Alison Green on August 7, 2009 A reader writes: I am currently interning with a small environmental non-profit. I started the internship in February, at a time when essentially none of my target organizations were hiring, and I was looking for a position where I could gain experience in the field. Throughout the interview process, my contact and other staff members […] Read the full article →
gift for boss after he got me a raise and promotion by Alison Green on August 7, 2009 A reader writes: My boss got me a spot raise and a promotion this year. I’d like to give him a gift–is it appropriate? I was thinking either a bottle of booze or one of those inspirational prints (the former being old school and latter being wimpy/politically correct). What kind of gift do you think […] Read the full article →
how to answer “what do you look for in a manager?” by Alison Green on August 6, 2009 A reader writes: I was recently asked in an interview, “What do you look for in a manager?” My honest answer is “consistency.” My last boss was fine – but she was renowned for changing her mind. I challenged her about it at times. She admitted that sometimes she changed her mind because she hadn’t […] Read the full article →
It’s here: the You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator by Alison Green on August 5, 2009 It’s here! The You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator©, which will anonymously email that interviewer who never bothered to respond after your interview, has now debuted: www.EmailYourInterviewer.com Spread the word. (By the way, suggestions for improvements welcome.) Read the full article →
Ask a Manager needs your I.T. expertise by Alison Green on August 5, 2009 If you’re an expert in Apple Mail Scripts or otherwise a technical genius, and you want to help me create the You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator©, as described below, please email me. Together, we will shake the world of rude interviewers to its very core. Read the full article →
how late is too late for an interview? by Alison Green on August 4, 2009 You’re an interviewer. You have a 12:00 interview scheduled. Normally people go in the mildly annoying direction of arriving waaayy too early, but this candidate is late. How late can the candidate be before you (a) hold it against him/her, and (b) cancel the interview altogether? I consider lateness of more than a couple minutes […] Read the full article →
You suck, interviewer! by Alison Green on August 4, 2009 I’m on a bit of a rampage about interviewers who don’t bother to send candidates notices of rejection after a candidate has taken the time to interview with them. You put hours into preparing for the interview. Maybe you buy a new suit. Maybe you drive several hours to get there, spending gas money you […] Read the full article →
the ethics of cancelling remaining interviews once you find “the one” by Alison Green on August 3, 2009 Where do you stand on this question? An employer is interviewing for a position. They have five interviews scheduled. Interview #3 is fantastic, and the interviewer’s experience tells them that the other candidates won’t beat #3. If you were candidate #4 or #5 and your interview hasn’t happened yet — say it’s scheduled for later […] Read the full article →