how do I tell an interviewer about my hobbies when my hobbies are kind of boring? by Alison Green on October 15, 2018 A reader writes: I’m new to the job market (I went straight from college to law school and only just graduated this spring), and it’s going pretty well so far, but there’s one thing I’ve gotten conflicting information about/reactions to. I don’t put hobbies on my resume, but they have come up in some of […] Read the full article →
are short interviews always a bad sign? by Alison Green on October 8, 2018 A reader writes: I’m a recently barred attorney working on fellowship right now, but I’m in the process of interviewing for more permanent and long-term entry-level attorney positions. I’ve had several interviews at this point that didn’t pan out (either because they decided I wasn’t the right fit, or I decided they weren’t). But I […] Read the full article →
how to answer when your interviewer asks, “how do you relieve stress?” by Alison Green on October 4, 2018 A reader writes: I’ve encountered this question in many interviews for both customer service jobs and non-public-facing jobs, and I can’t figure out why they’re asking: “What do you do to relieve stress?” With most interview questions, there is a right and a wrong answer. I’m guessing the wrong answer here is “scream and flip […] Read the full article →
do you have to answer every interview question perfectly? by Alison Green on October 4, 2018 A reader writes: I have been interviewing for a position that I would consider my dream job. The interview took place over two days and I spent 5-6 hours in total with them, plus time exploring the organization. Overall, I think I did very well and connected with the employees. However, I definitely flubbed two […] Read the full article →
why are so many job interviewers terrible? by Alison Green on October 1, 2018 Employers generally agree that having well-qualified employees is a crucial part of whether or not their businesses thrive – so you might think it follows that they’d put real effort in to how they hire. But inexplicably, many employers give minimal or no training at all to the staff who interview their job applicants and […] Read the full article →
does it look bad to be unavailable on one of the dates an employer suggests for an interview? by Alison Green on September 24, 2018 A reader writes: On Monday, I got an unexpected call from an internal recruiter. We talked about next steps, and she indicated that if my resume was approved by another member of the firm, I’d get an interview. She said the interviews were on Thursday and Friday, and asked about my availability. I’d previously booked […] Read the full article →
here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing for a job interview by Alison Green on September 11, 2018 One of the things I hear regularly from people is that the quality of their job interviews – and their success rate – soared after they changed the way they were preparing for them. I’m actually convinced that the best thing you can do ahead of a job interview is to prepare for it about […] Read the full article →
how to answer the most common job interview questions by Alison Green on August 21, 2018 Some interview questions come up so reliably that you’d be missing a huge opportunity if you don’t bother to prepare for them — like “tell me about yourself,” “what interests you about this job,” and many more. There’s real benefit in thinking through your answers beforehand so that you won’t forget key details that you want to include, […] Read the full article →
is a really fast interview invitation a danger sign? by Alison Green on August 16, 2018 A reader writes: I’m wondering about really quick interview invitations. I just got one today which was less than 15 minutes (!) from the time I submitted my application. Am I correct in being put off? I’m increasingly desperate for work but I have to have standards too. I answer this question — and four […] Read the full article →
how to explain your weaknesses in a job interview by Alison Green on August 7, 2018 Most people, when interviewing for a job, aren’t especially eager to talk about their weaknesses. How, then, are you supposed to answer the so-standard-it’s-now-a-cliché interview question, “What are your weaknesses?” After all, we all have tons of weaknesses. Which one are you supposed to tell your interviewer about? And are you just supposed to lay […] Read the full article →