can I invite my interviewer to lunch so we can connect on a more personal level? by Alison Green on March 11, 2015 A reader writes: A few days ago, I interviewed at a company that I’m really interested in. You can say that I very much want this job. My background, experience, and degree make me an ideal candidate for the position, but the downside is that I’ve been unemployed for about 9 months due to being […] Read the full article →
how to research the company you’re interviewing with by Alison Green on March 4, 2015 On a recent post, one commenter wrote: When I first started job searching, I tried to research the companies a lot. That was a waste of time. No hiring manager I ever talked to quizzed me about my company knowledge. They wanted to talk about the specifics of the job. And honestly, when you think […] Read the full article →
should you walk out of a bad job interview? by Alison Green on March 4, 2015 A reader writes: I know people say “run, don’t walk” when you find yourself in a job interview with someone you would never work with in a million years. But does that mean that you can leave right in the middle of the interview itself? I flew to another state for a job interview with […] Read the full article →
I’m meeting my interviewer at a coffee shop — how does this work? by Alison Green on February 16, 2015 A reader writes: I have what I think is going to be an amazing opportunity with a just starting up private school. I am super excited about the potential for this position. I have been to many standard interviews, both at offices and at schools. I know the drill for those. This interview, however, is […] Read the full article →
don’t ask how many other people are interviewing for the same job as you by Alison Green on February 13, 2015 I co-sign this recent comment from commenter Spiky Plant, strongly enough that I felt it should be its own post: I’m always surprised by people who think they have new information when they know how many other people they’re up against. Or when people ask during a phone screen how many other candidates are screening […] Read the full article →
my interviewer asked me, “if I were to fire you, what would be the reason why?” by Alison Green on February 4, 2015 A reader writes: I wanted to get your take on a recent interview question I was asked. Normally I’m prepared for most questions thrown at me from various interviews I’ve been on, but this one threw me: “If I were to fire you, what would be the reason why?” My interviewer even stated that it […] Read the full article →
is there any advantage to interviewing first or last? by Alison Green on January 22, 2015 A reader writes: When given a few options for interview times, is there any value in going first, last or in the middle? I know that the most important part is being prepared for the interview, but do you think that there is some advantage to going first and “setting the bar” or going last […] Read the full article →
what does it mean to “be yourself” in an interview? by Alison Green on January 16, 2015 This was originally published on April 26, 2012. A reader writes: I am an 18-year-old college student looking for an entry-level part-time job. I have been trying to prepare my answers ahead of time to some of the common questions, and I have examples my previous work experience with things like “dealing with an angry […] Read the full article →
tempted to lie in a job interview? by Alison Green on December 1, 2014 Thinking about padding your resume or exaggerating your experience in a job interview? Maybe you’ve considered inflating your salary history to see if you can negotiate a higher salary offer from a new employer. Stop right there. Lying during a hiring process can destroy your chances of ever being hired with that employer – and […] Read the full article →
I turned down a job offer and now the recruiter is invoicing me by Alison Green on November 17, 2014 A reader writes: I was in the awesome position of interviewing for two roles through recruitment agencies and receiving offers for both. Both roles were aware that I had another strong offer on the table, and negotiations started between myself and the two agencies. As I was available immediately, both roles wanted me to start […] Read the full article →