I’m a woman — does my interview attire have to be feminine? by Alison Green on April 21, 2021 A reader writes: I am a young woman about to graduate college and enter the workforce. I am also a lesbian and very uncomfortable with feminine clothing. In a perfect world, my professional attire would be near-identical to what is expected for a man. I’ve never had to interview for a job before, as all […] Read the full article →
how to screen out micromanagers in a job interview by Alison Green on April 15, 2021 A reader writes: I am part of the interview team in finding a replacement for our ex-manager. And our department would really like this person to not be another micromanager. Any ideas for questions I could ask? Or any red flags in the interviewee’s answers/demeanor to watch out for? I answer this question over at […] Read the full article →
my interviewer said I lacked “real world work experience” — what does that mean? by Alison Green on April 5, 2021 A reader writes: I’m a recent grad. All my work experience so far has been on-campus jobs such as tutoring or being an assistant in my department’s office. Recently I was thrown off by a comment an interviewer made. I was being interviewed by the executive director and the marketing manager together. The marketing manager […] Read the full article →
do you really need to say “I want this job” in interviews? by Alison Green on April 5, 2021 A reader writes: I’ve been reading a lot of career advice and I see a lot of people say that in an interview, it’s vital for you to directly say that you want the job. I have always assumed it’s implied that I want the job based on the fact that I am interviewing. I […] Read the full article →
I flew out for an interview — and they ended it after one question by Alison Green on March 15, 2021 A reader writes: I went on an interview for a position in another state that I was really excited about. I work in a niche field and jobs rarely open. I prepared well, researched the company, and prepared answers about how my experiences align with their core values. I felt great. I had to fork […] Read the full article →
employer rejected me, then sent a list of everything I did wrong by Alison Green on March 2, 2021 A reader writes: I’m a younger person who is job searching for something full-time for the first time. Haven’t been having a lot of luck of course due to the state of the world, but I recently got an interview where I made it all the way to the final round and was rejected. At […] Read the full article →
interviewers want to know how I’ve been spending my time out of work … during the pandemic by Alison Green on February 18, 2021 A reader writes: I was laid off in May 2020 (along with so many others, of course). My industry isn’t directly affected in the way the restaurant industry is, but it is indirectly affected, and of course more unemployed people just means more competition. I’ve been applying to hundreds and hundreds of jobs, interviewing like […] Read the full article →
my interview was great — but they hired no one instead of me by Alison Green on February 3, 2021 A reader writes: I am a restaurant industry professional, in the field of wine and beverage management. My experience in this area is fairly competitive and accomplished for my city (I have about seven years in management level wine/beverage director roles, and more junior but still relevant experience prior to that). COVID-19 has taken a […] Read the full article →
should I fake interest in the job during an interview? by Alison Green on January 26, 2021 A reader writes: What is your opinion on feigning enthusiasm for a job during an interview? For a few months now, I’ve been unemployed, like so many others. I’ve been actively applying to jobs that fit my skills and experience, but there aren’t many choices in my industry. It’s rare to find something to apply […] Read the full article →
I didn’t even get interviewed for an internal role I was told I was a strong candidate for by Alison Green on January 12, 2021 A reader writes: I’m on my department’s leadership team, with three business functions under my umbrella. One of the VP-level leaders on my team had a position open up in his organization, in a function I’ve previously worked in and am hoping to return to. He’s known about my interest in this area for about […] Read the full article →