what’s behind your nervousness in interviews? by Alison Green on August 6, 2010 When your nerves get the better of you in an interview, what exactly is it that’s causing your anxiety? I’m not talking about mild nerves, but rather the type of nerves that are severe enough that they impact your performance and/or make the interview horribly unpleasant for you. When this happens, what specifically is going […] Read the full article →
my manager refuses to give me better pay or better hours by Alison Green on August 5, 2010 A reader writes: I have been working at the same job going on four years and I am still part-time. This would not really bother me other than the fact that there are a few guys, younger than myself, who get better hours and better pay and haven’t been there nearly as long as I have. […] Read the full article →
update from reader who asked about long hours and low pay to get experience by Alison Green on August 4, 2010 Remember those “where are they now” updates that we did late last year? Here’s a new one. You might remember this reader from back in June, when she wrote in to ask if she should take a job with really long hours and low pay in order to get experience. Complicating her decision was this: […] Read the full article →
gimmicks have no place in the hiring process by Alison Green on August 4, 2010 I want to highlight something that I just posted in response to a comment on yesterday’s post, because I think it’s a message worth repeating more widely. This is in response to a question about using nice paper for your resume or sending it by Priority Mail: The day that I’m giving candidates extra credit for using […] Read the full article →
surprise — it’s a phone interview that you didn’t know was coming! by Alison Green on August 3, 2010 A reader writes: Is it customary to surprise applicants with a phone interview? I’m applying for an internal promotion with my current employer. I had an appointment to call my potential boss to ask questions about the position (this is standard practice at my company). HR told me I would have a phone interview Tuesday. When […] Read the full article →
let’s ring the death knell for postal mail in the hiring process by Alison Green on August 2, 2010 Several people have asked me recently about whether there’s any advantage to sending your resume — or later follow-up — by postal mail. I’m sure there are still some hiring managers out there who would disagree, but I hate postal mail in the hiring process for the following reasons: 1. It takes extra time. I keep […] Read the full article →
tell me what you think by Alison Green on August 2, 2010 You ask me questions all the time, and now I want to ask you a couple. I’m working with Ben Eubanks to create something kind of awesome, but I want to ask you a couple of questions in order to narrow down the direction we’re taking it in so that we can make sure it […] Read the full article →
when I talk to HR, don’t they have to keep it confidential? by Alison Green on August 1, 2010 A reader writes: I had a conversation with the HR Director about something happening in my department. She went to my boss with the issue, citing me as the source. This was not an official complaint by me, as we were not in her office but in the lunchroom. However, I considered conversations with HR […] Read the full article →
after starting job, found out pay was lower than I’d asked for by Alison Green on July 30, 2010 A reader writes: I was recently hired for a small retail gig while trying to make my way through college. I asked for $X amount on my application, and after I’d already been hired, my new manager said something along the lines of, “Oh, and I noticed you wanted $X.” And they started me about […] Read the full article →
why am I getting calls about jobs outside my field of interest? by Alison Green on July 30, 2010 A reader writes: I am currently looking for jobs online and have posted my resume on several job sites. I have received messages from potential employers regarding jobs for sales positions, but my resume states that I am currently looking for work in the clerical/administrative field. Why would a potential employer contact me for a […] Read the full article →