A reader writes: I just saw the below post on LinkedIn, and I thought I’d send it along and get your thoughts on this strategy. After years of reading your blog, it makes me cringe so much. (Why would you write someone a reference if you weren’t their manager? Why would you pester every person […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: As part of my job, I’m responsible for hiring processes for director level positions. We first conduct a phone screening, then a Zoom interview, and then pay for finalist candidates to visit our city for the the final round of interviews. Recently, following the phone screenings, I scheduled Zoom interviews with our […]
Read the full article →I wrote a piece for Slate today about gimmicks in job searching — the reasons some candidates feel compelled to use them, some of the weirdest stunts people have tried, and why they really, really, really don’t work. (And yes, I mentioned last week’s lottery ticket sender.) You can read it here.
Read the full article →There’s a whole field of career advice that’s based on the idea that you need to show “gumption” to get a job: “Walk into their office with your resume and ask to speak to the person in charge!” “Call every day until they agree to give you an interview!” “Send your resume on special paper through […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: My question relates to gimmicks. I recently decided that I wanted to create an interview question video to answer some general questions. My reasoning was to (1) show that I can create modern content, (2) give employers a face to the name, (3) answer questions that they might have before they have […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: I have applied for a job I would love to have. In attempts to stand out to the hiring manager, I sent my resume in with two bars of chocolate, a dark chocolate and a milk chocolate. I had read a Forbes article on creative ways to get a job interview, and […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: We’re hiring for a social media person at work, and had an applicant show up out of the blue today with a bamboo plant in a vase and candy and a card and try to give it to the hiring manager. The hiring manager flat-out told her it wasn’t really appropriate and […]
Read the full article →Your resume should not be presented as an infographic. This is a terrible, terrible idea. First, it means that your design goals end up trumping quantity and quality of information. In the examples I’ve seen, there’s far less information than on a traditional resume, because it needs to be fit into the constraints of the […]
Read the full article →Aggggh! A commenter on the recent post about not sending fruit baskets to your interviewer tops that with her own account involving A FRAMED PHOTO. She writes: I returned to my office one afternoon to find a beautiful gift bag on my desk. I thought that maybe it was from a secret admirer or an […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: I just did a phone interview with a job candidate, and he sent me a fruit/wine basket. What am I supposed to do with it? Do I send it back? We are not going to go further in the process with him, as he was not qualified for the role, but what […]
Read the full article →