Ask a Manager

A reader writes: I just got called in for my third interview for a political financial compliance firm. The first interview was over coffee at a Starbucks, and they drove to my location to make it easier for me to make the interview during my lunch break (I have a job and they know it). […]

A reader writes: I have been networking to try and find a job as an attorney or two years! Finally, one of my contacts has been able to get me an interview with one of the most prestigious law firms in Utah. At first I thought this would give me an inside track on getting […]

While you can never predict with certainty exactly what questions you’ll be asked in a job interview, some questions get asked so frequently that you’d be foolish not to prepare answers for them in advance. Here are five of the questions that you’re most likely be asked. (And even if these don’t come up, you’ll […]

A reader writes: My question is about … questions. How many are OK to ask in an interview while being respectful of time? I usually try to squeeze in as many as I can while monitoring how much time my interviewer seems to have available for questioning (usually allowed at the end). I have asked […]

A reader writes: I have a second-round interview coming up for an in-house legal position. This round of interviews is with senior management and will include the chief legal officer. My contact person is the HR manager in charge of legal recruiting. I am wondering what type of information I can request of her about […]

A reader writes: I work in commercial aviation as a pilot. I am currently applying for an internal management position that is seen by managers as a stepping stone to progressing up the company ladder. Every high level manager in my department is a man. I am 28 and have been in the industry for […]

A reader writes: I’ve been very selectively job hunting for the last year and have had a few interviews. I have found it difficult to get into the interviewing groove because I only have one about every four months due to the low number of applications I’ve submitted. I have a “big” interview coming up […]

A reader writes: I just had an interview today that involved a written test. The employer is a law firm and I was intertviewing for a legal assistant position. I was informed I would interview with 2 current paralegals and then take a written exam. I was given no information as to what the exam […]

A reader writes: A friend of mine just came back from a campus visit. At dinner after the presentation, she was asked to choose the wine. She doesn’t partake for religious reasons, so she was rather stumped for a moment before explaining the situation. I’m in a similar boat, in that I don’t drink. (Not […]

For some reason, I often get waves of questions on the same topic all at once. Lately it’s been a wave of letters about salacious office behavior (more on that soon), but I also just received three about interview attire in the same 48-hour period, so let’s group them together: 1. My interviewer told me […]