Ask a Manager

A reader writes: I am currently employed as a medical receptionist in a small outpatient mental health clinic, but I have applied for positions more in line with my long-term goal of becoming a physician. I recently had a phone interview for a scribe position at a urology practice. The job would allow me to […]

A reader writes: I have a job interview next week and because I’m a new grad it’s one of many I’ve had this year. All interviewers have been wildly different in their approach, questions, and scope of inquiry. I interviewed at the public library and felt like I had undergone trivia hour: explain our mantra, […]

A reader writes: I’m currently working in a job that requires what I can only describe as a soul-crushing amount of overtime just to keep my work afloat. This is common in my department and shows no signs of changing any time soon (if anything, it’s probably going to get worse). My field is very […]

A reader writes: I just had a second interview with a company I am pretty excited about working for. I’m not in a position at my current job where I feel like I have to leave, so there isn’t a lot of pressure. I was relaxed and felt I had some good banter going on […]

Sit down for any job interview and one of the first questions you’re likely to be asked is, “Why are you interested in this position?” If you’re thinking that’s a softball question, you’re right to some extent. For most interviewers, it’s a way of easing into the conversation that hopefully won’t be too high-pressure. But […]

A reader writes: I spent the past three and a half years trying to break into really competitive industries and haven’t had much luck. I’m not the most ideal candidate and am ready to just move on to plan B: grad school for an entirely different field that I’ve become pretty passionate about in the […]

One of the interview questions that most intimidates job seekers is one that most interviewers assume will be easy: “Tell me about yourself.” It sounds straightforward — but as every job seeker knows, it’s not that simple. What do they want to know? Are they looking for a complete history of you? Do they want […]

A reader writes: I have been on the job hunt for a while and have had numerous phone/in-person interviews for administrative assistant positions. I seem to struggle a little bit with my general overall presence during an interview (which has gotten better thanks to your tips!) but I am still having a hard time gauging […]

A reader writes: I’ve recently gone through a time-consuming but positive job interview process. The hiring manager has been in communication with me from day one. We had a phone interview, followed by a video conference with one other member ever of the team. The hiring manager then requested some work samples and, after seeing […]