Ask a Manager

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

1. Mentioning a large raise in your cover letter

I’m working on some draft cover letters for my job search and I was wondering if it’s ever advisable to mention getting a significant raise (~8+%) after less than a year of employment, ideally to show how my work was valued at my company. In that same vein, do people who have worked in the legal professions ever mention how many hours they billed? I got a raise, a bonus, and billed over my target after a year of hard work as a paralegal, but I’m not sure if it’s okay to mention any of that. My gut feeling is no, but I’m eager to demonstrate my worth to a new employer and I thought I’d head to AAM to see what you say! Any advice you could give would be much appreciated.

Yes, you can absolutely include that stuff. Include context so that it’s clear why it’s impressive. For instance, “awarded significant merit raise after X months” or “was billing at X% over target after one year,” etc. (Disclaimer: Maybe this shouldn’t actually be done in the legal industry — readers?– but it’s the kind of thing that would certainly work outside of it.)

2. Coworker won’t stop wearing heavy perfume, even after HR talked with her

There is a coworker in my office who repeatedly wears so much perfume that the odor stays in the areas where she works and walks through. It is extremely strong and bothers several other employees. Our former HR director, who has now left, spoke with her about this issue, but she only started wearing her scent more heavily. We do have an HR coordinator still. Should this now be addressed a second time through these channels? I read in one of your articles about saying to the offender “Jane, I love your perfume, but I have allergies to scents and it sometimes bothers me, could you wear a little less when you are at the office?” But since there were several employees, none of whom wanted to approach this person, it was addressed by HR. But, as you can see from my statement above, she just started wearing it stronger. Any suggestions?

Her manager or HR should talk to her and tell her — not ask her, tell her — not to wear perfume that others can smell. If the problem continues after that, they need to tell her in sterner terms that she’s creating an uncomfortable environment for her coworkers and that the directive to stop wearing it is as much as a part of her job requirements as anything else — i.e., not optional.

3. Mentioning religious motivation for applying for a job

I’m a recent grad looking for a part-time position (I already have a great part-time gig, and am looking to supplement my hours a bit). I’m looking specifically in the nonprofit realm, because my religious beliefs motivate me to do social good not only in my private life, but my professional life as well. (I’m a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a.k.a. Quakers. A religious affiliation chosen in adult life, not one I was raised with.) However, I am afraid I am overqualified for many positions I’ve found, as I have a Bachelor’s degree (in a hard science).

My question is this: should I mention my religious affiliation as a motivator for seeking socially-laudable-but-low-paying work in my cover letters, or should I just skip it, so as not to overshare with potential employers?

Don’t mention your religion to employers. It’s too much a violation of workplace norms and will make employers uncomfortable (since it’s illegal for them to take your religion into account when making hiring decisions). However, you can certainly explain that your personal ethics and worldview emphasize charitable work, and that you’re strongly committed to working for social good.

4. Relocating when you can’t explain why you’re relocating

I am an assistant pastry chef currently living in the midwest. In about two years, I would like to be able to relocate to either coast in a similar position. I plan to spend the next two years attending a few short courses on pastry, building an online portfolio, and of course continuing my current job at a boutique hotel.

Much of the advice I see online presumes that I am moving to a specific place for a specific reason, and the sample resumes and cover letters reflect this. Do you have any advice on long-distant job searches when I’m not relocating for any reason other than that I would like to relocate?

Yes: Come up with a reason. Employers considering long-distance candidates tend to want to be reassured that the candidate is committed to moving to — and staying — in their area. Someone who just wants to relocate anywhere and doesn’t really care where is likely to be looked upon with skepticism. So when you’re applying for a job in San Diego, come up with reasons why you’re excited to move to San Diego, specifically. When you’re applying for a job in Boston, come up with reasons why you’re excited to move to Boston, specifically. And so forth. (And if you can’t come up with any such reasons for a particular city, reconsider whether you really should be applying to jobs in that city.)

5. Collecting on a finder’s fee

I am wondering about finders/referral fees. I mainly do political and online consultant work, and I was asked for advice on an advertising project. I knew someone that specialized in this field, so I asked him if it would be alright if I recommend him. He said yes, so I then asked for a finders/referral fee to be involved, which he agreed to (all over chat/email). Although I did not get the exact amount/fee in writing beforehand, I have a good working relationship with the party involved and we both understand that 5-10% is the industry standard.

Now the project is wrapped up, so I am wondering how to properly follow up with collecting the finders/referral fees? We have a good relationship, but I want to make sure the wording is diplomatic and commanding at the same time. If you could recommend how to respond in regards to collecting finders/referral fees, I will greatly appreciate it. Also, if you have any recommendations on how to properly set and document finders/referral fees in the future, that would be quite helpful.

I have zero experience with finders fees, so maybe someone who does can chime in here. What I can tell you, though, is that you need to get this stuff in writing at the start. That gives you a natural way to collect, and it also prevents the surprises that are inevitable when you haven’t even nailed down the amount of the fee. After all, you may be thinking 5-10%, but he may be thinking 100 bucks. And trying to collect “in a commanding way” on an agreement that was never fleshed out with real numbers is a good way to sour a relationship.

If this is a normal thing in your field, get a standard agreement, and shoot it over to people ahead of time as a matter of course.

6. Needing the work vs. being passionate about it

Would you rather (all else being equal) hire someone who NEEDS the job or someone who doesn’t need any job, but is passionate enough about the job to want to do it anyway?

To clarify (if necessary), say you have narrowed a selection down to two candidates. One doesn’t need to work but loves the industry, the work, etc. The other person need to work and is just as qualified, but maybe not as passionate. Or does this matter at all?

Granted, I don’t know how exactly this would be discovered in an interview, but would love to know your thoughts on it.

If everything else is truly equal — skills, experience, accomplishments, intelligence, people skills, and culture fit — then I’ll go for the candidate who’s more passionate about the work. That person is more likely to be engaged in the work, to go all out to get more done, and to think creatively about the work than someone who just needs a job. Plus, the person who’s less passionate about the work is more likely to leave when something that interests the more comes along. These are obviously wild generalizations, but hey, I’m responding to a hypothetical about two totally equal candidates, which rarely happens in practice.

Side note: It’s worth mentioning that passion on its own isn’t a qualification and should never be viewed as a substitute for talent; it’s only valuable when it’s attached to the skills to do the job well.

7. Asking for feedback on interview skills after being rejected

I’m currently applying for jobs and I went to an interview recently that I felt went quite well. While I did not receive a call back from the employer, I was wondering if it was polite to ask for a critique of my interviewing skills or whether to bite my tongue?

Don’t ask for a critique of your interviewing skills; that’s not an employer’s job. They’re not job coaches, after all. However, you can certainly ask for feedback on your candidacy overall — that’s different.

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

1. Boss wants me to take a pay cut

I work for a company with less than 10 employees and no HR department. My boss is talking about me taking a pay cut as one of the top earners, but not everyone on staff, just me. At what point does the pay cut become so much that the job is no longer viable and unemployment benefits would be better? My boss wants me to resign so that I will not be able to collect benefits because she doesn’t want her unemployment taxes go up. It’s all very questionable and I want to protect myself and protect any future unemployment benefits.

I’d start by looking into unemployment laws in your state. You might find that by cutting your pay significantly, your employer is creating what’s called a “constructive discharge,” a term that means that any reasonable person would quit under these circumstances, and if that’s the case you might be eligible for unemployment after all. You want to know whether that’s true in your state and if so, what level of pay cut would qualify. Call up your local unemployment agency and ask.

Meanwhile, though, start an active job search. If your boss is trying to push you out, you’re going to need one at some point anyway, and it’s easier to find a job when you already have one.

2. Can I reschedule an interview that I earlier canceled?

On December 10, I received an email invitation to interview for a job, and made an appointment for the following week. Unfortunately, while the job was a perfect “next step” for me, the commute would be heinous (this is the D.C. metro Area) and the pay would is not quite enough to justify a move. I had contemplated the commute before applying, but it turned out to be a lot more involved than I originally anticipated. After much thought and consideration concerning how much I would have to go through in a day to get to this job and back (11 hour days using public transit), I cancelled the interview. I had also gotten a couple of other interview offers during the same time period, which helped to make the decision a little easier at the time.

I am now regretting this decision. Is there any point in contacting the company to see if they are still interested? I now feel that I might be able to make the commute a little more bearable somehow. Perhaps a vanpool or something to that effect.

You can certainly try, but be prepared for them to have already filled the job or moved forward with other candidates, or to be highly skeptical of your level of commitment. Employers are already often wary of hiring people with lengthy commutes, because they worry that the person will eventually tire of the commute and start looking for something closer. In your case, they already know that it’s a serious concern for you. However, you have nothing to lose by checking back with them and seeing if anything comes of it; if you’re truly interested in the job, you might as well try.

3. I made a typo in my post-interview thank-you note

I had a successful interview for a marketing manager position last week at a very small start-up. Because I’m also working full-time, I was swamped and quickly shot off a thank-you email including links to my work samples (my apps indicate that they have already reviewed my samples and email).

To my horror, I realized today that there’s a major typo in the subject line: “Thank You for the Inverview.” I have had maybe only two typos in my life and I’m panicking. Should I send them the thanks letter again to acknowledge my error “oops, sorry for the typo, I was really busy, I hope you don’t hold it against me, etc.” or should I avoid contacting them? (They aren’t writers…maybe they didn’t notice?)

I probably would — because it’s better to be the person who makes typos but notices them than the person who makes typos and doesn’t notice or care. But it should be shorter than your proposed language here — just “Please excuse the typo in the subject line; how mortifying!” or something like that.

(Also, only two typos in your life? That’s basically superhuman.)

4. Health insurance premiums at my new job are crazy high

I have a question about benefits. I started a new job last year, and beyond asking whether the company provided health insurance, didn’t ask any more details during the offer negotiation. After I started the job and saw a few of my paychecks, I was very startled to see how much the health insurance premium was — six times what the premium was at my last job. I’ve only ever worked at big companies before and am now at a small company, so I understand that makes a big difference. But it’s also very frustrating to see 10 percent of my take-home pay going towards health insurance. I have two questions for you — for the future, is it acceptable to ask what the dental/health premiums are before accepting a job and negotiating salary based on how much it might be? Is there anything I can do now to ask my company if there are cheaper options? In any case, I’m thankful to be healthy, have a job, and have health insurance!

Yes, you can absolutely ask about premiums before accepting a new job — it’s something that can potentially have a big impact on your take-home pay, as you’re seeing.

As for what to do now, you can indeed say that you were surprised at the cost of the premium (useful feedback for them to know) and ask if cheaper options are available.

5. Manager wants to be notified whenever I use the bathroom

I feel silly asking this but I am also feeling a bit humiliated. I work in a very large office (and I mean very large). I have a manager who micromanages everything. She insists that every time we leave the area even to go to the bathroom we must inform her and we must inform her why. To me this is humiliating. I’m 55-years-old and I don’t need to ask permission to go to the john. I refuse to do this. How do I tell her in a professional but forceful way that I am not going to tell her when I need to leave my desk to go to the bathroom? I am a very good employee and one of area’s top producers as indicated by my reviews and my annual bonus. I have no disiplinary actions in my file..no warnings..nothing.

You can certainly say, “Jane, I’m an adult and an excellent performer, and I find it humiliating to inform you every time I need to use the bathroom. If there is a problem with my productivity, please tell me, but I intend to keep my bathroom habits private.” You can also talk to your HR department if you have one; they may not know your manager is doing this and might intervene if you tell them.

However, ultimately, if your manager wants to require bathroom notifications and HR doesn’t stop her, it’s her prerogative to do so. Her ridiculous, poorly thought-out prerogative, but her prerogative nonetheless. At that point, you’d need to decide how much of a stand you’re willing to take over it.

6. Can employers ask if you’re currently employed?

Can an employer can ask if an applicant is currently employed? Several jobs that I have come across for which I would like to apply have asked this question and I was not certain if this was legal or appropriate. So much of the job search is weighted against the applicant and this seems to put an applicant at a further disadvantage. And why is it easier to get a job if you already have a job? I don’t understand the logic.

Yes, employers can ask if you’re currently employed, just like they can ask about any other element of your job history.

As for why it’s easier to get a job when you already have one … There are a few reasons for this, some ridiculous and others less so. Some employers believe that if you were let go from a previous job, there must have a been a reason. Sometimes this is true, such as in the case of firings, and sometimes it’s not, such as in the case of layoffs where entire departments were cut — but employers often worry that they’re not getting the real story. And many employers believe that great people tend to be snatched up quickly, so if you’re still looking, they may assume you’re not a strong candidate — especially if you’ve been unemployed for a long time. What’s frustrating is that these things are all true of some unemployed candidates … but they’re not true of all unemployed candidates, and it’s short-sighted to paint everyone with the same brush.

One more thing: Employed candidates often come across as significantly more confident. They’re in a position to interview the company right back and it’s often clear they’re not going to jump at the first thing that comes along. That alone can make someone a more attractive candidate.

7. Love my recruiter, hate the job opening

I have a question about how to appropriately deal with a recruiter that I am working with. I recently went on an interview for a position she submitted my resume for and at the interview, I got the very strong sense that I would be extended an offer. However, after going on the interview, I truly had a bad feeling about the work environment of the company and the amount of uncompensated overtime they expected. While I am eager to get a job, I don’t want to accept one that I truly feel will make me unhappy. If an offer is extended, I am prepared to decline, but I LOVE the recruiter I am working with and do not want to damage the relationship if I turn down the position. I know recruiters work on commission, so any job offer I turn down is essentially money out of her pocket. Do you have any tips for dealing with this particular situation?

Talk to her candidly about your concerns — now. Don’t wait to see if an offer is made and surprise her with it then; tell her now what’s on your mind. That way, you’re not leaving her in the dark, and you’re also giving her useful feedback about what you’re looking for and what vibe this company is giving off. No good recruiter will fault you for turning down a job that you don’t feel is the right fit — but do fill her in about why.

It’s short answer Sunday — seven short answers to seven short questions! Here we go…

1. Convincing my sister her job search plan is doomed

My sister recently completed a master’s degree in London and went over to the UK with the intention of remaining there permanently on a work visa after graduating. Things have not panned out quite as she hoped, however, and now she is jobless (aside from some babysitting work) and her visa is due to expire at the end of January. She is now planning on leaving the country and returning to the UK on a tourist visa to look for work.

I know you do not work in immigration, but how can my family convince my sister that she will have much better chances of getting a job in the U.S. as she will not need a visa? We are afraid she is going to return to the UK and either be deported or wind up completely broke. She refuses to listen to any sound advice and has convinced herself that with enough determination on her part, she can get a job and a work permit. I should also add that she has hardly any work experience but claims her resume and work history is immaculate, despite only scoring 2 interviews after the past year and a half of looking for both part and full-time work. She is also $100K in student loan debt, and Sallie Mae calls our home almost daily looking for her. Please let me know if you have any advice to give to a stubborn job seeker with completely unrealistic expectations!

Well, you may not be able to convince her. If you’ve explained your concerns and pointed out how bad the job market is (something she should know, given her two interviews in a year and a half of looking for work) and she’s not swayed, there might not be anything you can do. Sometimes you have to let people make mistakes and learn lessons on their own, as frustrating and even painful as it can be to watch.

That said, how is she supporting herself? If she’s not working, how is she paying for all this travel, let alone living expenses? If your family is helping to support her, there’s no reason they need to agree to fund this particular endeavor.

2. Grad school vs. experience

My fellowship is for a year, of which we’re at the 7-month point. The company has started asking me about my future plans. They’ve given me more responsibility than they had anticipated, and would like to significantly increase them further (relatively changing my designation and salary). I’m going to turn 25 in a month and my family is worried about it already being too late for me to go back to school for my masters. The plan was to do this fellowship for a year and go back to school for the next two. However, I’ve really enjoyed this position and the company has really let me get my hands deep learning so much more than I would have anywhere else. My manager (also a mentor) spoke to me saying I don’t need the masters and I’ve already gone beyond what someone with those qualifications would be doing. But I think that degrees do have face value and a couple of years down the line my personal market value would decrease for its absence.

I’m tempted to add a year onto this fellowship, gain more experience, and then go on to grad school. Is there a too-late period for grad school to employers? Can you really go on in the corporate world without a specific masters or an MBA (how much do employers care)? I do wish to be successful and would not like to disappoint myself a few years from now because of whatever decision I take now.

Only some fields require masters degrees — many don’t. In fact, more fields don’t require or even care about them than do require or care about them. The question for you is whether you’re in or want to be in a field that does require them. If you’re not, you’ll generally find that most good hiring managers value experience far, far more than they value degrees (again, assuming your field doesn’t happen to require one). Of those of us in that category, we seriously don’t care a rat’s ass about a masters degree — we care about a track record of excelling at the type of work we need done.

Don’t let your family pressure you into getting a masters that you may not need; talk to people in your field — especially people who have the types of jobs you’d like — and find out what they think. [And keep in mind that the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed are littered with people who got graduate degrees and regret it, partly because in many cases it can actually make your job search more difficult, not less (read the comments on this post).] This is really a decision you want to make because it’s necessary for your career, not because of a vague feeling that you need it to advance in corporate America, because you don’t.

3. Should I be compensated for being a key-holder?

Should I be compensated for holding keys and occasionally locking up/opening the building I work in? This also entails having a security code for the alarm system. It is a warehouse; I am not in any position of authority, and my position is forklift operator. When my company gives someone a key, they never really officially ask you or offer any compensation, they just kind of give it to you. Sometimes 1 or 2 people have to stay for overtime, so they want only certain people they think they can trust to have a key/code. The people without this do not always have to work overtime (overtime being a negative mostly). I actually had a manager insult my intelligence several years ago by saying my compensation was the overtime. Why do I keep the key then? Simply, I feel that any company is capable of unfair reprisals even to a long-time employee like myself. If I’ve had a key for many years, how can I now tactfully tell them I don’t want it, especially when I’m not being compensated?

Because you’re non-exempt, you should be compensated for the time you spend using the key (locking up and opening up), including overtime if that puts you over 40 hours in any given week. However, if you’re asking if you should earn more simply because you’re a keyholder, aside from pay for the extra time that entails, I don’t really see a tremendously strong argument for that. However, if you no longer want to work the overtime, then tell them that you’re no longer able to work overtime due to family commitments (or whatever); that may get you out of it. (Or it may not, but it’s certainly worth a try.)

4. Asking for a full-time schedule as a freelancer

I am a freelancer currently working for a major online retailer as a stylist assistant. After years in sales, I finally found a job I love and that fits me. I had to start at the bottom but I don’t mind working hard (i.e. skipping lunch, staying late, working through a snow storm). I report to a producer, who schedules all the freelancers for the studios. I had been working full-time every week until mid-November when my scheduling changed. I would be off a week, then scheduled a couple of days the next, then off another week. I have emailed the producer with my availability, letting her know that I really enjoy my job and to schedule me full-time if possible. I also emailed to ask if there had been any issues that I should know about and she replied that “she hasn’t been informed of anything but she will definitely keep me informed if something does occur.”

How do I handle this situation professionally without emotion? Because the producer shares an office with 4 other people, it’s hard to grab a couple of minutes with her to talk about my schedule. I want to convey to her that I need to work every week, full-time. I’m watching people hired after me being scheduled for the week while I’m at home having a panic attack wondering what I’ve done to not get scheduled.

Stop emailing her and talk to her. Ask if there’s a place you could speak privately, and tell her that you’re concerned that your hours have dropped from full-time to part-time, and ask what the likelihood is of your resuming full-time hours in the near future. If she’s non-commital, then take that as a sign that you can no longer count on full-time hours from this employer. From there, you’ll need to decide whether you’re willing to continue there part-time or whether you want to look for a different full-time job. But you can’t make her give you the schedule you want; all you can do is state clearly what you’d like and ask for a realistic assessment of whether that’s likely.

5. How to decide which jobs to apply to

I have a question about how to choose which jobs to apply to. I know that you encourage readers to only apply for jobs that they really want, but what about in difficult situations? I have been unemployed for over a year now and I am having a hard time finding a position within my chosen field of work. I know it sounds bad, but because I have bills to pay, I am applying for any and everything that I think I meet the qualifications for. I have taken your advice somewhat and have stopped my resume bombing because it was tiring and I couldn’t remember who I actually had applied to. What are your thoughts? Can there be a happy medium?

There’s nothing wrong with applying to jobs that aren’t your first (or even second) choice, but you do need to be able to present a compelling case for why you’d be good at them. If you can’t do that, then you’re pretty much wasting time, because employers are going to have several hundred applicants, some of whom will have made that case for themselves. That means that resume-bombing doesn’t work; you need to write a tailored cover letter for each position you’re applying to. (And yes, that absolutely will take more time, but who cares how much time you save by sending the same generic cover letter to every job if you’re not getting interviews?)

6. Listing the same job at three companies

I am having a problem with my resume. I have been in my current position for more than four years. My problem is that I am now on the third company: same desk, same manager, same customer, but for three different companies. The first change was due to my company being purchased, but the second change was caused by employer B losing our contract due to a boneheaded contracts department. The customer wanted to keep several workers and myself, so another company hired us as a group. How should this be addressed on my resume? I don’t want to look like a job hopper. The first move is not a problem, as I know I can just say I worked for company B the whole time since they “inherited” all of company A’s employment records. But how do I handle being picked up by company C? Or do I just have to take the lumps?

How about listing it like this:

Chocolate Teapot Maker – Teapots R Us (previously Teapots Ltd and Teapots America)

7. Interview shoes when you have bad feet

I have bad feet. Specifically I have a condition that causes one leg and foot to swell. Even on good days when I’ve managed the swelling, I can’t wear dress shoes. They no longer fit right. Either they are too tight on that foot or they’ve stretched out and are now too loose. My feet unswollen are a women’s 11W to start with and going up a size does not work as they do not fit length wise. Basically I need something that can tie or velcro on to adjust to swelling throughout the day. Orthopedic dress shoes don’t work for me either, I’ve tried! I have a doctor’s note to wear athletic shoes at work, which they’ve accepted and everything is fine.

Problem is, I’m going back to school and will be graduating later this summer. In a few months I’m going to start looking for a new job again. So, what do I do? I can’t wear regular sneakers in to an interview, even if they were nicely kept black ones, they would likely look out of place, right? So, how do I handle this? Or am I imagining this to be a larger issue than it is. I’ve never been a shoe horse, so I don’t even notice what people are wearing, but I think most other people (especially women) do.

If at all possible, I’d avoid wearing sneakers to an interview, even black ones. If there are absolutely no other options and you must wear them, then you’ve got to accompany it with a quick explanation that you’re dealing with a foot condition (no details beyond that), but it would be ideal if there were other options that worked for you. Maybe some readers who have dealt with something similar can chime in with suggestions?

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

1. Should I put off a job search until my GPA is higher?

I am a biochemistry student in college. My cumulative GPA is a teeny bit lower than a 3.0. This is a sensitive issue for me, because while I did somewhat poorly in the beginning of college, I really worked hard to bring it up. I know by the time I graduate, my goal is to graduate with a higher than 3.0 GPA. But how and when do you address that kind of issue to an employer? A previous professor told me that if I spin it off as a good thing to show my progress, then it would be possible to put that behind me. Because of this I am inclined to put off my job search until I am sure my GPA is high enough. That would mean I have to wait til I graduate to really go out there and find a job/experience. My major questions here are, do I bring this up first or explain if they ask me, and should I wait til after I graduate to look/apply for jobs for the upcoming term?

Don’t put off your job search. First, job searches often take a really long time — months or even a year or more, especially for many new grads. Second, lots of employers aren’t going to ask about your GPA at all, so you’d be putting off your search because of something that isn’t even going to play a role. Start applying for jobs now.

2. When do I mention my perfume allergy?

I have read your post on perfume allergies. I am one of those people who has it severely. I just lost my work-at-home job and now have to look for another. This is severe enough that I stop breathing and paramedics need to be called. This is not limited to perfume but also cleaning products and cigarette smoke. Do I tell the interviewer that I have this problem? Do I wait until I am hired or what is the best avenue?

Wait until you have a job offer, just like you would if you needed any other kind of accommodation. At that point, once they’ve decided that they want to hire you, you’ll be in the strongest position to try to work out an accommodation. Be prepared to make specific suggestions about what would work, since you have more experience with this than they do. Working from home may not be an option, so you’ll want to be ready with other suggestions too.

3. Explaining my most recent job, which I’m not pursuing further

I am about to start a job search, but I am not sure how to address my current position. I have been working at my current company for 3 years, and about a year ago was given a new position as bookkeeper. I am not trained to do anything related to the job and have been struggling for the last year to make it work. I will not be looking for a position as a bookkeeper obviously, but what do I tell interviewers about why I am not pursuing that? They will be able to tell I did not go to school for that (I majored in a social science) and I’m sure will have questions about the job change.

Thank you for any insight you can provide. I will have a good job reference and I am getting the job done, but it has been mostly self-taught and I really think it only works because of the company structure.

I’d list your title for your time at the company this way:
Chocolate Teapot Maker and Bookkeeper — 2010-present

… so that your previous title is included more prominently. From there, if you’re asked about it, you can explain that you took on bookkeeping duties in the last year, but that you’re seeking work in your previous field because that’s where your strengths are.

4. What did this email from an interviewer mean?

I recently got a very odd response when following up with an interviewer. In early November, I got a call for a job in that I applied to back in October. The process moved very fast from there. Initial phone interview that week, conference phone interview the next week (company is based in another state, but I’d be working in my home state), then in-person meeting/presentation with someone else working in my area the week after that. The in-person meeting, which was the day before Thanksgiving, went very well. I followed up about a week later, just asking about the timeline. The hiring manager said no decision had been made, but one would be made “soon.” I know that “soon” is a very relative term and that my definition may be different than his, but everything up to that point seemed like they wanted a decision by the end of the year.

Well, 2 more weeks went by, so I followed up again, asking about their timeline. This is where the odd answer came in. His paraphrased response was, “We’ll be making a decision shortly. Regardless of the outcome, we really liked you and your background and would like to build a relationship with you because we think you’d be a great addition to the company. Aside from the position you applied for there are other opportunities (not full-time) that you could consider as well.” I just responded thanking him for the update and telling him I looked forward to hearing about the position I applied for and the other opportunities.

I honestly have no idea how to take it. My initial thought was I wasn’t going to get the job I wanted with them. I mean, why bring up other opportunities if I am still in the running for the original position. Other friends think the opposite and since they said they really liked me, that it was just a weird way to respond. So I’m curious as to your thoughts on this. Also, should I follow up again after the new year (this last response came around December 10) or just wait to hear something?

You should take it at face value: They like you, and if they end up not hiring you for this job, they’d be interested in talking with you about jobs in the future. That doesn’t mean that you’re not getting this job — you might, you might not. This message doesn’t indicate one way or the other. It means no more and no less than what it said — take it literally.

And since it’s been almost a month, yes, it’s fine to check in again and ask when he’s likely to be making a decision.

5. Why do these applications want my age and photo?

I’ve been out of the workforce for going on three years. I moved due to family circumstances, and now I’m back in my hometown looking for work in a very small pool. As time goes by, I am finding ways to expand my search and came upon two things that alarmed me.

First, for tutoring: I have a masters degree in a related field for a posting I saw on indeed.com, which redirected to care.com. This seems to be a website mostly directed towards parents seeking tutors, and it wants to be a Facebook-LinkedIn hybrid. They ask for your photo, your birth date, your availability. It seems like rather a lot of personal information to be asking for and quite a lot to be giving. It all feels very raw and exposed.

Second, I’m applying for jobs in the health field. They will all require criminal background checks. So why are they asking for my age in the data entry field, and why is it required in order to move forward with my application? If it is an application and I haven’t yet made it to the offer stage, why would they need to know that kind of personal information? I thought that was illegal?

The tutoring jobs are probably asking for that information up-front because they do background checks, since you’d be working with kids.

On the health field jobs, I have no idea why they’re asking about age, unless they’re simply collecting all the info they’d need for a background check now. It’s not illegal to ask your age — it’s only illegal to deny you a job on the basis of your age (if you’re 40 or older). Of course, it’s stupid to ask because it sets off alarm bells for most candidates, like it’s done for you. But lots of applications collect information that would be illegal to consider in hiring (such as race for EEOC reporting), and companies have systems that store that information separately from what’s passed on to the hiring decision-makers.

6. Is travel money separate from salary?

When negotiating an athlete’s contract, is a salary considered different money than a travel budget? If the contract states $X for travel for a year (can only be used for travel), and then an agent gets a percentage of the athlete’s “salary,” but it doesn’t state travel budget, I’m wondering then, is the travel money different income than salary money?

I have no idea how athletes’ contracts are structured, but in general, the salary money and the travel money should be considered separate, and the agent should only get a percentage of the salary portion. But who knows what odd conventions the sports industry may have; they have mystified me for years with their running around and getting all sweaty.

7. Company is paying people slightly less than they’re supposed to

I recently found out that my company isn’t paying people the amount stated in their offer letter due to some weird payroll calculation. Basically, the salary is calculated using 2088 hours, but they’re only paid for 2080 hours. This doesn’t seem to be an issue with hourly employees, but it seems unethical to not pay a salaried employee those extra 8 hours so their pay is what they were told they would be getting. Is this illegal?

Probably. The company can certainly decide to lower people’s pay going forward if they want to, but they’re legally bound to pay the agreed upon salary. Has anyone pointed this out to someone at the company in a position to do something about it? It might be a mistake rather than deliberate malfeasance, and you might be able to get it retroactively corrected.