Ask a Manager

It’s terse answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. Applying for a job at a company whose customer service I’ve complained about in the past

A job I’m interested in just opened up at a large telecom company based where I live that shall remain nameless. We’ll call them BT&T. I’m well qualified, the salary is quite a bit higher than my current salary, and I have an in at the company — one of my good friends is a manager. Seems perfect, right?

Well…the only hold-up is that in the past I have had HORRIBLE relations with customer service at this company. I’d like to blame it all on BT&T – and to the best of my knowledge all of my past troubles have originated with them — but I can admit I’ve lost my cool with the service reps multiple times somewhere during the 85th minute of being on hold or being transferred around. So, is it possible that these conversations would affect my chances being hired here? Do they keep files on this kind of stuff? I know they record conversations — so I just wondered if that meant I was in some sort of database of “angry BT&T customers.”

It’s pretty unlikely. I mean, I’ve never worked for a telecom company so it’s possible that something like this goes on, but generally speaking, it would be very unlikely. Hiring is a separate function from customer service. Unless you were a truly notorious customer, you’re probably in the clear. Anyone know otherwise?

2. How do I know if I’m being paid off the books or not?

I started working for a company in January and was hired for Sales/Marketing with a salary and commission. I get paid on time, I get a check, but no pay stub. He gives us a check and a handwritten break down of the taxes. I know he has two people employed off the books and I don’t want to be taken for a fool. How do I know for a fact that I am on the books?

You don’t. It’s entirely possible that he’s handling this all correctly but not using a payroll service and doing the calculations himself, but of course you don’t know that based on what you’re receiving. I’d imagine, though, that you could contact the IRS and your state tax agency to confirm that they’re receiving taxes on your behalf.

3. Should non-exempt employees be paid for time at non-mandatory work dinners?

Recently our entire department was invited to a dinner with staff members from an outside vendor. I believe the purpose of the dinner is to thank us for our business, as my company is their biggest client, and we do work with them almost daily. Our department head hasn’t said the dinner is mandatory but he cleared the date with us all ahead of time. As a non-exempt employee, am I entitled to be paid for my time spent attending this dinner? If so, how do I go about asking whether I’ll be paid if I attend? I’m an introvert and will likely find the dinner stressful so I don’t want to commit to attending if I’m donating my time. I do worry, though, about the impression it will give if I decline the invitation.

Say this: “As a non-exempt worker, how should I handle my time for this dinner?” It’s a reasonable question to ask. If you’re told, “Oh, since it’s voluntary, you won’t be paid for the time,” then it’s fine to decline to attend.

4. What to say at the end of an interview

I’m a recent graduate who has been trying to find a job in this tough market. Since December. I’ve applied to about 18 entry-level positions in my field, and have only had two interviews. Most recently, my dream job has come up (it’s a year-long internship in the cultural sector; I could care less about the “intern” title because frankly I’d love to work in the local arts and cultural scene for the rest of my career) and I’m worried that I’m a bit rusty in my interviews.

With that being said, here’s my question: as long as I don’t come across as desperate or begging–just using a firm voice with a confident smile–is it not too forward to mention at the end of an interview, “I want you to know that I really want this position, and I know I’d be a great fit here, if you’d give me the chance”?

Eh, it’s not a disaster or anything, but it’s a little cheesy. And you don’t really know if you’d be a great fit somewhere until you have much, much more insider information than you can get from an interview. Why not just say, “I want you to know that I really want this position, and I’d be hugely excited to be offered it”?

5. Letting an employer know I turned down another offer

Last week, I had two follow-up interviews at two different organizations. On Tuesday, it was a second interview, and a few hours later they called to offer me the job. On Thursday, it was a third interview for a job I really want. As we were discussing timing at the end of Thursday’s interview, I did let them know that I had received another job offer and so it would be helpful for me to know as soon as they could. The interviewer (who I know and have a good professional relationship with) said that she really appreciated my telling her and that she would be do her best to update me by the middle of this week.

Since Thursday, I have been in communication with organization A about their job offer and have decided to decline it. My question is…should I reach out to organization B to let them know that I did this? Ordinarily, I wouldn’t go out of my way to over-share with a job prospect on this, but I did get the feeling that she might twist her schedule/go out of her way to expedite a decision on my behalf. I am completely over thinking and going back and forth on which decision would give me more of a competitive advantage. But in the end, my inclination in general is to err on the side of transparency and tell her. What do you think?

Yes, transparency is generally good, and there’s no reason not to use it here. Particularly since she might feel pressured to get you a quicker answer than she otherwise would, and that can lead to the answer being “no” if she’s not 100% ready for it to be “yes” yet. Send her an email and let her know.

6. Is this a good sign?

I want to move back to my small hometown (10k) and was shocked when I found a company that does work in my niche industry. I sent a cold inquiry email with my resume on Friday night. I got a quick response early Saturday morning saying he was very interested in speaking, but couldn’t talk until after tax season ends, and would call me April 17.

Would you take “very interested” to mean he has a real opportunity and potential to hire, or possibly just willing to network for future?

There’s no way of knowing. But regardless, you’re better off taking it as “future networking” so that you don’t start counting on it in your head — since even if he means “I have an open position,” there’s no guarantee that it will stay open or that he’ll hire you for it.

7. I think my cousin is cheating his employees

My cousin owns a construction and assorted services (lawn care, snow plowing, etc.) business. I am not close with him; he lives several states away from me and I haven’t seen him in years.

I recently heard from another family member (who does know him well, spends a lot of time with him, etc.) about a number of problems he’s been having with his business lately, stemming from his poor treatment of clients and employees. One of the things she described was that, in retaliation for some employees “slacking off,” he retroactively cut their pay. I don’t know any more details (or even if it’s true, since I heard it secondhand), but it makes me so angry. His employees (who include other members of my family) are in no position to advocate for themselves. It feels like someone should do something, but I’m not sure what.

There are obviously plenty of family relationship issues here that are outside your scope. I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether I should get involved — and if so, what can actually do. I’ll say up front that my bias is that, ethically, I (or anyone in this situation) should do something (e..g, call the state Dept. of Labor, or whatever). I’m open to hearing that I shouldn’t, but I wanted to put that out there.

I don’t really see what you can do. You don’t have any way to verify the information, and you don’t have a relationship with your cousin where it would make sense to talk to him about this — you don’t have the standing to raise it with him the way you would if you were closer or in more contact. I think this falls under the “not your business” category, unless one of those factors changes.

It’s mini answer Monday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. Explaining why other companies didn’t hire me

I’ve been unemployed for over a year now, but I keep sending out applications and sometimes manage to get a interview. And a question I’ve been asked several times is, “Do you know why you weren’t hired by those other companies?” It usually starts when they ask, “Where else have you been applying?” and I say hospitals, universities, and biotech companies. Then I get asked, “Do you know why you weren’t hired by Other Place?” or “Did you get any feedback from Other Place as to why they didn’t hire you?”

The truth is that I usually hear nothing back, but once in a while I get a personal rejection letter that goes along the lines of “You were a great candidate but unfortunately another candidate had more experience.” So I say lack of experience, although it could of course be any reason. But am I supposed to do a little soul-searching to answer that question? Are my interviewers wondering if I showed some red flag that is preventing me from getting hired for over a year? I don’t think I’m any weirder than the next person, but do interviewers think there must be something wrong with me, otherwise someplace would have hired me by now? Or is there is really something wrong with me?

This is really odd. It’s an odd question for any interviewer to ask, and so it’s really odd that you’re being asked it by multiple different interviewers. And it’s not like you’re going to tell them anything useful, like “Oh yeah, Company X said that I showed up drunk, and Company Y thought my degree was BS.”

In any case, I wouldn’t let it worry you too much. Just smile and say something like, “I think it’s just a tough job market right now and there are lots of good candidates.” Frankly, you could also add, “But if you have any feedback, I’d love it!” Because if they’re asking such an odd question, you’re entitled to ask them that back.

2. Employer isn’t being clear about paid holidays

Upon receiving an offer letter, I noticed nothing was noted about paid holidays. This is a full time salaried position directly under the HR supervisor. I emailed the HR supervisor asking her about this, and she quickly sent back an email quoting the company’s vacation day policy. I wrote back explaining that I was actually asking if there were any paid holidays, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. that the office would be closed for. Four hours later, no response, so I called and she told me that she was asking the owner to answer my question. I told her I understood but asked if it would be safe to assume something like Christmas day. She told me she wouldn’t comment.

I feel like this is a huge red flag, not only because of the possible lack of holiday pay with only five vacation days per year, but because I would be working in the HR department and the HR director doesn’t seem to have a concrete answer to what I think is a pretty basic question.

The office is small, but the company is not. It’s a restaurant group that owns two large bars and one restaurant. This position is being created to help the woman running HR with her overflowing work load. She’s been there for a few years, so I thought she would at least tell me if they were closed for Christmas. I don’t know if that means they weren’t planning on paying me for holidays, or what. I still haven’t heard back.

The uncertainty might be because bars and restaurants are often open on holidays, so it’s possible that this company is too, even though you’d be working in their administrative office. But honestly, the whole exchange feels a bit adversarial to me (on both sides — you calling her after only four hours of not hearing back, her refusing “to comment,” etc.), and that’s the bigger red flag to me than whatever their holiday policy is.

3. Employer was interested in me for a job but I didn’t pass their electronic “values” screening

I was recommended for a role by a freelancer who works with me and for the company which was creating the role. The manager was given my CV and was really impressed and forwarded it on to their recruitment person, who called me. We had a good talk and she said my experience and qualifications were a perfect fit for the role and that at the end of our conversation she felt I was what they were looking for. However, they had to advertise the role to satisfy their HR policy and so she asked me to officially apply online, which would go to their outsourced recruitment provider and she’d look out for my name when the candidate list came through.

So I filled out the 8-page application form (lots of competanc- based questions needing lots of examples), which I submitted, and this then led me to a values questionnaire. Of the 20 questions, I struggled with at least 5 because I felt they were hard to answer without knowing the company’s policy on certain areas (refunds, etc.) where you may want to take bold actions but until you know if you have the support of your employer in those decisions, you wouldn’t.

I have since received a computer-generated email saying I have been rejected because I don’t share enough of their values. Should I call the recruitment person and talk to her again? I’m disappointed that because of 20 questions, a computer has decided I don’t even get an interview despite already being told I have the qualities they’re looking for. Or should I just accept the rejection and move on?

Sure, you can contact her and see if she’d be willing to interview you anyway. It’ll depend on how rigid they are about their computer screening (which I agree sounds dumb).

4. Listing volunteer work that includes multiple roles

If you’ve volunteered for a while with the same organization but in different positions, how would you recommend putting the experience on your resume without taking up too much space by listing each role? In my case, I’ve been volunteering for an organization that provides adult English as a Second Language classes, and I’ve done individual tutoring, teaching a small class (once a week), and soon I’m planning to be a substitute teacher, as other responsibilities have become more demanding.

I’d list it all as one volunteer role, explaining briefly (in a single line) what the specifics are. For instance:

Volunteer Teacher, XYZ Organization: teach weekly ESL class, provide one-on-one tutoring to three students, fill in as substitute teacher for advanced classes

5. What to ask when considering working internationally

I’ve applied for a job that is right in line with my experience and qualifications. The interesting thing is that it is an international position, where I would work about half-time from home and about half-time at international client sites. The position would be quite interesting, but it is the international travel that I’m wondering about. I’m excited about the potential opportunity, but I’m not even sure what I should be asking when considering a position in which I would be working in other countries significantly, as I’ve only had brief work-related experiences before. Any advice you (or your esteemed readers) might have would be much appreciated.

Readers, what advice do you have?

6. Pursuing more education to change careers

Nearly 5 years ago, I graduated with a Master’s in English. I pursued a Master’s in part because so many of my undergrad mentors/advisors/professors said that many more job opportunities would be open to me. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, and I’ve been stuck as an adjunct since I graduated. It’s become clear that I will probably never get a full-time teaching job. And the MA seems to make me appear overqualified for most other jobs (and lack of experience outside of academia makes me under-qualified).

I’ve toyed with the idea of returning to school for an AA or AS, perhaps in something like HR, just so I can get my foot in the door in another profession. But I know BA to MA to AA would look strange. Ultimately, I don’t know what to do: take on a little more debt in order to hopefully find a full-time job or take on no more debt (I still owe for my BA and MA) but perhaps work part-time forever.

Ugh, I’m sorry — this sucks. And yeah, BA to MA to AA is going to look strange, and there’s no point in taking on more debt. I wonder if a better path is to network your ass off and convince someone that you’re passionate about HR (or whatever you settle on) and to take a chance on you. Consider interning or volunteering in whatever field you want to move into too — that will help you get experience and also make contacts who you can then lobby to let you try your hand at more. (Also, the people who told you a MA in English would make you more marketable need their licenses to advise revoked.)

7. Making a presentation in a job interview

I’m applying for a marketing manager position. I passed the first round and now have the personal meeting with my potential director. Do you think it would be fine to make a short presentation (4 or 5 slides of powerpoint) of how my skills and experience can attend his/company’s needs? Although it hasn’t been required, the development of presentations is part of the job description.

If you mean something like your resume in presentation form, no. That’s going to be overkill and annoying. But if you mean a presentation about ideas you have for excelling in the role you’re interviewing for, then potentially yes … but the only way this works is if it’s incredibly compelling. If it’s not, it can actually hurt you. So the answer depends on what the content is and how truly awesome it’s going to be.

It’s short answer Sunday — six short answers to six short questions. Here we go…

1. Should I intervene when one assistant is rude to another?

I have a question about tolerating rudeness. I am on a team of about 14 people, three of whom are assistants. I am a supervisor and have one associate director and two directors who I report to. My issue is that one of my assistants is being very mean to another (she is very nice to the third assistant, as well as everyone else), and I am not sure how (or if) I should handle it. The mean assistant will giggle and roll her eyes in a meeting after her counterpart says something (sometimes silly questions but she is clearly junior and still learning), will ask her personal questions in a disdainful tone, and is just generally not inclusive or nice to her. The non-mean assistant is generally a good worker and good at her job, very eager and well liked by members of other teams. She has not said anything to me about her mean counterpart and it seems to kind of roll off her back. As supervisor though, I hate to condone such outright mean-ness because it is done in front of me.

What are your thoughts? Should I make sure it’s mentioned in her review? (Someone else is reviewing her, but my manager is reviewing that review, so I can talk to her.) I feel like it shouldn’t be tolerated but am conflicted because it is affecting no one’s work.

Yes, you should absolutely say something to her, and don’t wait for her review. You should be giving her feedback all along, and this is absolutely an appropriate topic for you to talk to her about. Tell her that she needs to be pleasant and professional to everyone she works with, that it’s not acceptable to roll her eyes at coworkers or otherwise be rude to them, and that you expect her to immediately begin treating the other assistant pleasantly. And if you notice any more of it continuing after that, have a more serious conversation with her, as you would for any performance issue that wasn’t getting resolved.

It’s not just about whether something is affecting the work; it’s that she needs to act in accordance with the culture and values that you want reflected on your team, and that includes not making it an unpleasant environment for someone else.

2. No room at the office lunch table

I am a grad student who is interning full-time at a small company as part of my program. From noon until 1, the office closes for lunch. My supervisor is always trying to get me to come to the workplace lunchroom for lunch. However, every time I go, there is no room for me. I have been able to get a seat there three times in the last seven weeks. The room is very small (it is actually a meeting room) and there no available chairs to borrow so that I can join everyone. I have tried showing up 10 minutes early or 30 minute late to no avail.

I end up eating at my desk or going to the large conference room where there is room for everyone to sit. However, I am always alone in that big room! The office had a lunch meeting in there last week, and several people mentioned that they should move lunch to the big room. However, nothing changed. I do not want to miss out on opportunities for socializing and networking, so I attend all work events and going away parties, etc., but my supervisor is convinced that sitting in the lunch room is a good way to network at this company. What should I do?

Since your supervisor is always trying to get you to join them for lunch, next time she mentions it, tell her why you can’t! “I’d love to, but when I’ve tried, there aren’t any chairs! What’s the secret to getting one?” You can also ask other coworkers the same thing — especially the next time you walk in to find the room full. I bet someone will make room for you.

3. Should I get an MBA?

For the last year or so, I have been struggling to identify what I want to do with my career. I finished my Ph.D. last May while working in a very high-profile job in the government. I loved my job, but a new director who did not have the same vision for my work left me feeling anxious and depressed. I ended up leaving that job for a position doing the same type of work at a small nonprofit. I still enjoy what I do and make a bit more money, but I’m finding that I thrive with a faster pace and higher visibility. I’ve been reading Lean In on my commutes lately and am realizing my goal is to get into more senior leadership at bigger organizations or government and have a more powerful and visible role. My Ph.D. gives me expertise in an albeit narrow field but I’m wondering if I should go pursue an MBA at night to help me achieve my goal. What else can I do to help get myself on that path? If it helps, I am 28 and about to get married with no kids.

Personally, a PhD and an MBA seems like overkill to me, but maybe there’s some justification for it. But I’d want to really know what that justification is — is an MBA truly necessary for what you want to do? I can’t tell from what’s here, but that’s the question to ask yourself. If it’s not required, then you’re better off getting the right work experience instead.

4. Going from a research specialist to a research generalist

My job is going to be eliminated in about a year and a half, and I am starting to look for a new position. I work in politics as a research analyst, but for the past 5 years I’ve focused on very specific issue areas that aren’t very marketable. I probably won’t be able to find a position doing the same issues I do now. That’s fine — in fact, I have become an expert on these issues mostly because my bosses needed someone to do them. They weren’t things I had prior knowledge or experience doing. My question is how to approach job opportunities that are in different issues, or how to market myself as someone who isn’t pigeonholed into a couple very obscure areas. I’m still looking to do policy analysis, but most of the jobs I’m seeing are either a lot more general than what I’m working on now, or are for different issues. I’m qualified for the analysis part, but I’m concerned with how to appeal to managers when I won’t necessarily have the particular issue expertise other candidates will probably have. I know for a lot of jobs this will be a sticking point and there’s not much I can do, but I’d love your advice on the best way to market myself for different areas.

You’re thinking this is more of a problem than it actually is. Unless you’re looking at job postings that specifically require experience in Issue X, generally policy research in one area makes you a fine candidate for policy research in another area. You know how to find information, judge what is and isn’t important, present it concisely, and become an expert in issues you previously knew nothing about. That’s the part you focus on when applying.

5. Asking for a title bump

I landed a fantastic short-term paid internship earlier this year. Thanks to your blog and commenters (I don’t comment, just read what others say), I’ve really been excelling at my position — so much so that my manager wants to keep me on after the internship ends! Long story short, the plan is to hire me on contract.

Currently, my title is intern. Would it be bad form to ask for a title bump — say, to assistant, so an entry-level title and nothing crazy? I’d really like to show some progression on my resume and somehow indicate that it wasn’t just a long internship. I’m not getting a raise (fine by me as it’s a nonprofit and I’m lucky for the contract when there are layoffs happening), so I’m not sure when or how I could ask as there aren’t going to be negotiations.

That’s completely reasonable to ask for. They may be planning something like that since you won’t be an intern anymore, but it’s totally fine to ask about now.

6. My manager and I are applying for the same jobs

One of my immediate supervisors and I are applying for many of the same jobs (and just, f.y.i., I’m really not applying for jobs that are over my head; it’s in academia where academic background is really important and I have a good work background, too). He is one of my references and an extremely strong one. There is at least one other person who I’m pretty sure would be willing to serve as a reference but it would be less strong because of knowing that person for a much shorter length of time and not having as close a relationship.

Basically, I’m wondering just how important references are. I think if my current reference and I apply to the same jobs, I’m not going to get a chance to interview because it would put the interviewer in an awkward position. But at the same time, I don’t want to use a weaker reference if that’s not the case. The supervisor and I have been discussing job searching, but I’m not about to ask him to tell me which jobs he’s applying for so that I know not to use him as a reference for those! It’s awkward either way, but I’m probably over-thinking this.

Don’t even worry about this. You don’t need to preemptively save hiring managers from the awkwardness of asking one candidate for a reference for the other; if you and your manager are both finalists for the same position, they’ll just ask you for other references if they want them. So it will be good to be prepared to supply others if asked, but I wouldn’t worry about it proactively.

It’s short answer Saturday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. Applying for jobs that require advanced degrees when I don’t have one

I did not go to grad school for the kinds of reasons you cite in your writing. Is it appropriate to apply for a job that lists an advanced degree as a requirement if I think my job experience qualifies me for the position? If so, is that something I should address directly in a cover letter?

Sure, you can absolutely do that, as long as it’s not a job that absolutely requires a graduate degree (as some do, like some teaching jobs, for instance, or practicing law). Some employers will consider you and some won’t, but there’s nothing wrong with trying, particularly if you’re highly qualified aside from the degree.

2. Should I stay or should I go?

I’ve been working in a large nonprofit university for the past two years. I came on as an assistant and have been working here, heart and soul. I’m going to be finishing my Master’s degree this May and have a lot of technical experience as well. My problem is, I want to stay at my organization and can’t seem to find growth opportunities. Because of recent restructuring, I now have three supervisors in this department and this means three times the responsibility. They don’t need to manage me because I work independently and they know Ill get the job done.

I’ve been looking for other jobs at the company (the benefits are amazing, its prestigious, and other locations have excellent cohesive departments-so it seems) but can’t seem to find any. Should I start looking elsewhere? The growth I was promised when I started isn’t coming and it’s kind of a “boys club” department so I doubt they’ll try hard to make it happen, no matter how much they compliment my work (reluctantly I might add). I worry I may have to start over again and I don’t want to do that. I want to grow in college administration but I fear I’ll be stuck here as an admin forever. I’ve followed your amazing blog, presented really thought out projects with business proposals, attend networking events, etc. Should I stay or should I go?

I’d work from the assumption that nothing there is going to change since so far all signals point that way, and decide what you want to do with that knowledge. Are you willing to stay there for the next few years, without any promotion? If not, then yes, start looking around at other places.

3. Asking about what a post-service-year job offer might look like, without committing to taking it

The job I have now is not actually a job, but a “service year”, which means that I have a specific period of time that I am working with my organization (very tiny nonprofit). When my term of service ends in August my position is turning into a full-time staff position, and I have all but been offered the job. My supervisor has said “I hope you’re considering staying on” directly to me. So, it seems like they will offer me the position, but there has been no “official” offer.

I’m not actually sure that I want to take the job. Maybe I just have “grass is greener” syndrome, but I’ve been thinking of looking for other jobs when my service ends. I work with a bunch of really nice people, but I am the youngest person by 30 years. I also sometimes feel that this position isn’t really right for me. I’m in a very direct service role but what I’m really interested in is more indirect service. It’s not like I struggle to do the work, I just feel like I could really shine in a different role.

I’d like to have a frank discussion with my supervisor about pay, benefits, vacation time, etc. before it’s too late for me to start searching for other jobs. Ideally, if I’m going to leave at the end of my service year, I’d like to have another job lined up. I’m not worried about looking like a job-hopper, because people in the nonprofit industry would understand by looking at my full job title why I only stayed for a year. So, do you have any suggestions about how to approach my supervisor about this? She is a pretty understanding person, so I’m not afraid of her flying off the handle or of being prematurely terminated. I’m more concerned about coming across like I’m only interested in what they can offer me, or that I don’t like the job and won’t be as committed if I stay on for another year.

Say something like this: “I really appreciate your mention that I might be able to continue in a full-time position after August. I know there are no guarantees of that at this point, but since I’m starting to think about making plans for that time, I wonder if you can talk to me about what the offer would look like if you did make one, as far as what the job would look like, the likely salary range, etc.” And you can either ask her about benefits or ask any coworker, since benefits are usually the same across the board, at least for junior level jobs.

If during the course of this conversation, she basically makes you an offer, it’s fine to just thank her, explain that you’ve only just started to think about what you’d like to do in August, and ask if you can have some time to think about your options.

4. Answering questions about when I could start a new job

I am currently job searching while still working a job. As I fill out applications, I get the standard “When can you start?” question. My honest answer is “After I give my current job my two weeks notice.” I make it clear that I would leave my current job if offered a new job, so it seems “after two weeks notice” would be the obvious answer. But is that too vague an answer to put down on an application or is that acceptable?

That’s totally fine and normal.

5. Why was this interview so unthorough?

I’ve come to expect a kind of grilling at interviews, but recently I’ve gone to interviews where I was asked almost no questions. At a recent interview, most of the time was spent with the interviewer talking about the position and then me taking him through my resume. He asked questions about particular parts of my resume (but they were fact-based questions about what I did and not behavioral). It was almost too casual for a formal interview.

I’m applying to entry-level positions, so part of me thinks they might just be trying to figure out if they like me personally, since my experience is pretty limited. What do you think of this interview style? Is it related to the fact that I’m interviewing for entry level positions? Am I right in thinking it was more about fit and personality than relevant experience? I’ve had these types of interviews when I knew the interviewer previously, but I had never met this man before.

He’s probably just an unskilled interviewer. They are legion.

6. Part 2 of question #5

I have a different question relating to the same interview above. The interviewer spent a large part of the beginning talking about the position and company, and I asked questions throughout this time. Then we did the whole resume walk through and question period, and then at the end of the interview he asked if I had any questions. I said I had none because they were already addressed at the beginning. He gave me a bit of a weird look, so I’m wondering if I should have asked additional questions, but really, we spent such a large time talking about the position and company at the beginning that I was all out (although I probably could have made up a few about culture and whatnot).

If it was truly a conversational back-and-forth, then I can understand feeling like everything you were prepared to ask had already been answered … but I always wonder how it can really be when someone says they were left with no questions. This is, after all, a job that you’d be spending 40+ hours a week at for potentially years. When you think about the enormity of what you’re potentially signing up for, do you really have no other questions that you’re wondering about the work, the culture, the expectations, the management?

7. Should I contact this employer again?

I applied to a job almost three and a half weeks ago. The day after I applied, they called me after 5:30 pm and left a voice mail. I called back the following day (after 5:00 pm because it’d be difficult to call earlier and I thought it’d be okay since they called me late) and left them a message. I called again (earlier) the next day after that, and they answered, but had to go to a meeting and said they’d call me back. They didn’t call me back. I then had a medical emergency that I didn’t recover from for three weeks, so I wasn’t able to call back again myself. Should I call them and explain I’m still interested but couldn’t call sooner because of a medical emergency? Should I just apply again if I see them posting a similar position? Am I too much of a nuisance at this point for them to want to deal with me?

There’s no reason you need to explain not calling them back; you made the last contact, so the ball was in their court. You can certainly follow up again, but it sounds like at this point they’ve probably moved on with other candidates (which isn’t your fault for not calling them back, because you did). You can definitely apply again in the future though.