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By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: You're trying to get an audience with a certain hiring manager to discuss a job, but you have no contacts who know her. You wish you had access to some of the huge...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I will graduate from college next June. For the past year I've had an internship at a company where I must stay until I graduate, but I have identified some companies I'd like...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: My interview was two weeks ago, and I still haven't heard back. (I sent a thank-you e-mail after the interview, of course.) I would really like to work there! I want to show...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Your interview went well, but weeks later, you've heard nothing back and the firm is not returning your calls. Do employers owe you feedback after an interview?(trends) Q: Your last three job interviews seemed...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I messed up last month and canceled an interview for a job because I didn't like the commute. (Traffic is the pits.) Now I've done some homework about the firm. I've learned that...
Knowing how you might come across to a prospective employer could mean the difference between advancing to the next round or losing out to someone who's better prepared.
If it has been several years since you’ve ventured into the job market, you should make some key changes to your game plan.
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I'm starting my senior year of college. I plan to work in the Internet industry, and I want to prepare now. The major Internet companies have recruitment fairs, but very few of them...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Your final interview went very well. You look the manager in the eye, shake hands firmly and ... what should do to optimize your chance of getting a job offer?(answers) Q: Your final job...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Is it a real trend or just a gimmick? Some recruiting firms are offering to pay people to interview for jobs. Who do you think would use such a service?(opinion) Q: It's not clear...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I live out in the country and don't have social or business connections with folks in city companies for which I should be working. I have no lack of work, but it's all...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist You've submitted your resume for a job at a small local company. A few weeks have passed with no response. Is there another way to get an interview?(polls) Q: You've studied a small local...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: How do I tell an employer that its offer does not meet my expectations? Even my most diplomatic language sounds like a used-car salesman haggling over price. Any suggestions? NICK'S REPLY: Some folks...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: You suggest that the best way to approach a company about a job is to talk directly with the hiring manager. I am confused as to how to approach a hiring manager on...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: My sister interviewed for a good job and was told she was perfect for it. Then they asked her to sign a form granting permission to run a credit check. Her credit report...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist The interview didn't work out. The manager told you she's not interested in hiring you. Bummer. What should you do?(opinion) Q: The interview didn't work out. The manager told you she's not interested in...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Is it OK for an African-American student to include in her resume the fact that she is an active member of certain African-American groups at college?(trends)ww.polldaddy.com">poll) Q: An African-American friend is about to send...
For any skeptics wondering whether online networking sites can actually lead to a job, meet Mark Donnigan. This week, the sales executive starts a new job in Seattle “that was initiated 100 percent from LinkedIn,” he says.
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: Every article and book about resumes preaches the importance of creating a scannable resume. You must have the right key words and the right font to be "found" by the scanning machine. It...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist With the competition so stiff, what can college students to do to get internships that will help them land good jobs after they graduate?(poll) Q: New college graduates are hitting the streets looking for...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Take Our Poll(surveys) Q: Employers often ask you to take a technical test prior to a job interview. Sometimes the tests are easy, and sometimes they are tricky. You are concerned that in the...
Job hunts are stretching even longer for the growing number of unemployed. Try not to be ashamed of losing a position, urges Jamaica Eilbes, a recruiter for staffing company Manpower Inc. “Everybody knows somebody who’s been let go,” she said....
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: An interviewer asked if I did any programming work, when my resume clearly states that I did. Sometimes I'm asked if I know this software tool or that one. If I did, I...
By Etan Horowitz The Orlando Sentinel ORLANDO, Fla. — Just minutes after she was laid off from her job in early April, Brittany Ward pulled out her cellphone and typed a short message. "Needs a job." Ward, a 23-year-old...
polls - Take Our Poll Q: You're getting a lot of unwanted calls from headhunters. How should you deal with them? Nick's reply: What you're experiencing is partly the result of low hiring levels and partly due to the...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I've learned that your advice isn't easy to implement, but it works: "Good jobs come from good personal contacts." A job hunter should take the lead and let others play their parts. Based...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I am in my 40s, and I have 10-plus years of employment with the federal government and a family. Because of this, I need to stay with the federal government. I want to...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I work in a field where it's no problem to ask my boss for a recommendation letter. She asked me to write one myself, which she will sign. Can you suggest a book...
surveys - Take Our Poll Q: Many job candidates send a letter to an employer after they are interviewed. It reconfirms their interest in the job and, if written well, helps keep them toward the top of the list....
Candice Choi The Associated Press Social-networking sites | Personal information, photos can turn into accidental résumé if seen by recruiters, employers NEW YORK — Someone is trying to sabotage your career. It's your online persona. With smaller budgets and...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I'm a hiring manager and I like to ask candidates to: -- Review our Web site and provide ideas for improvement prior to the interview. -- Meet with a sales manager who can...
By Lily Garcia Special to The Washington Post Q: Is there a general preference for what women should wear to job interviews; i.e., pantsuits or a skirt? I've heard that some employers prefer women to wear skirts, particularly in...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: This isn't a question, but something I wanted to share. I finally ironed out the details of my new job. I was taking a shower, and I had this fleeting thought: "Wow. They...
By Diane Stafford McClatchy Newspapers Do not put your job search on hold over the holidays. Yes, the job market is stinky for some people right now, and a quick turnaround isn't likely. But there are two reasons job...
By Barbara Rose Chicago Tribune Quick: Tell me who you are and what you do in less than a minute. What experiences do you bring to your work and how do you do your job better or differently than...
polls - Take Our Poll Q: You found the job of your dreams. Trouble is, the company has three final candidates and is about to make a hiring decision. This late in the game, your odds of getting an...
Pharmacists remain in short supply across the country. Competition among retail outlets and health care facilities is fierce, and the pay is high, but demand still outstrips new recruits to the field, as an aging population in need of their services increases.
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I am confused. I was contacted by a headhunter who was very upbeat after meeting me in person. He said to get ready for an interview because his client was very interested in...
surveys - Take Our Poll Q: A female engineer says she dresses for work in slacks with no makeup. When she goes on interviews, she dresses up in a suit, and wears her contacts and light makeup "to look...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I'm in a real quandary. I started a new job two weeks ago, and I just got a call from another company to which I had sent my résumé about a job I...
Nowadays, all kinds of workers get recruited on the phone. It can help to have a personal policy about how to handle recruiters. What's your policy? ( surveys) Q: Only executives and specialized workers used to get calls from...
By Etan Horowitz The Orlando Sentinel DANIEL ACKER / BLOOMBERG NEWS As more people get laid off, switch careers or worry about losing their jobs, networking sites have become vital tools in a job search. ORLANDO, Fla. — When...
With job cuts expected to continue, more workers are ramping up their networking efforts. Experts say if you think you don't have time to build relationships in these bleak times, think again.
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: Four years ago, three co-workers and I bought the software development firm we worked for, but business has slowed down and the company is failing. I am seeking another job using the 10...
A company has recruited you. You show up for the interview, only to find that the personnel department wants you to fill out several forms and to take an employ ( surveys) Q: A company has recruited you. You...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: How can I circumvent the human resource (HR) departments of cities, counties, states or the federal government? I have degrees in political science and public administration. During an internship with the HR department...
You've got an offer, but do you want the job? ( surveys) Q: You finally got the offer. It's a good one, and you're happy with the terms. The problem is, you're suddenly wondering, do I really want to...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I'm looking at a great job with a great company. However, I'm in the early stages of pregnancy, and I'm concerned about how to handle it. I know it's illegal to discriminate against...
surveys - Take Our Poll Q: I'm a headhunter who tells people that the best resume is NO resume. Yet companies demand resumes all the time. So what's your guess about how I am able to present candidates to...
polls - Take Our Poll Q: You want to take a step up into management. Your real strength is not your past experience, but your ability to learn quickly and get things done. What's the best way to stand...
More applicants are popping off quick and casual text-message thank-you notes - which can lead to instant rejection.
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: I am speaking both as a frustrated hiring manager and as a job hunter. I've always said to the potential employer, "I want this job. It sounds interesting and challenging." The key phrase...
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: Shouldn't a job hunter do whatever is necessary to win an offer? In an earlier column, you advised against divulging past salary in an interview because it might prejudice an employer's offer. I...
How do I get the hiring manager's attention? I know that a local company has new positions in the works, but I can't get anyone to talk to me. Is my only alternative to send a resume and hope it is seen by the district manager?
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: How can I negotiate vacation time when I get a job offer? One thing that has kept me from seeking other employment is that I don't want to lose the four weeks of...
You're a manager and you've identified 10 possible candidates for a position in your department. It's time to interview them. What should you do next?
By Nick Corcodilos Syndicated columnist Q: How do I find good small companies to work for? Much of my career has been spent in Fortune 500 companies in several big cities. Now it's time to make a change, but...
Your current boss and buddies at work might be your best references, but if you let them know you're interviewing elsewhere, that could jeopardize your current job.
Q: I'm a dedicated, loyal employee, and I would do anything for my employer. Why, then, do I lose my job every few years and have a hard time landing a new one? Nick's reply: Your question is impossible...
Q: I realize that headhunters work for the employer, but my past experience has been that a good one will pick up an individual with good...
Q: I have 10 years of experience, but I'm confused about what it takes to get a good job nowadays. Companies seem to be incredibly picky...
At first glance, Dr. Renee Gilbert doesn't seem like the sort of person who should teach a seminar called "The Art of Schmoozing." She speaks in a quiet voice, and stray sentences trail off to a shy whisper.
In fact, the 48-year-old Seattle psychologist concedes that she was "the kind of person who sat by herself at parties." But in front of this class she manages to exude wit and charm as she jokes, smiles and coaxes students to respond to her questions. Not a born schmoozer herself, she said she relies instead on willpower and practice. Gilbert, therefore, turns out to be the perfect role model for the 18 men and women who took her class to polish their schmoozing skills.
Think the glad-handing Old Boys hold a monopoly on networking? Think again. Today's networking landscape is dotted with mixers aimed at career women looking to swap tips, leads, war stories and everything in between.
The Seattle-area economy might be running strong, but nervous faces weren't hard to find in a crowd of well-dressed job seekers in Bellevue. They were waiting for the doors to open at a recent job fair at Meydenbauer Center.
A few years ago, Kathy met Henry in a social setting. At the time, Henry had a small business that sounded relatively intriguing to Kathy. Out of habit, Kathy made a point of getting Henry's contact information at the end of the evening even though she was content in her job.
You've heard of those brain teaser questions that may well come between you and a job someday. No matter how much you may prepare yourself for a job interview, you may never be completely ready when that interviewer asks you why manhole covers are round.
Despite the etiquette, formality, and inevitable fear factor, job interviews can actually be enjoyable as well as extremely informative. In an interview, where you and the prospective employer begin a mutual relationship based on observation and communication, you have just as much power as the interviewer.
Jack Goldberg knows the job market from the inside out. His Kirkland-based firm, Personnel Management Systems, not only helps other companies recruit, screen and hire employees, but he has had to do that himself recently. His company now has 20 employees.
When an employer calls to say, "We'd like discuss your qualifications a bit," what they are really saying is, "we want to know more about your skills and verify your resume before we offer you an interview." Human Resources refer to this interview as the Screening Interview.
There's no instant replay when you go through an interview. One secret I've learned is that your verbal messages are enhanced by body language, facial expressions, voice intonations and props. So make your words, physical presence and voice work aid you in landing the job.
It's a forgotten art: handwritten thank-you notes. Not an e-mail, nor a typed letter, but an actual note card with sincere thoughts scribed on a page. Colleen Kill, a regional sales manager for Amgen, who's hired hundreds of people during her career, offers some key advice.
News flash: 63% of people hired in the last year found their job through contacts. In a CEO survey we conducted in 2002, 90% of top executives said networking was important to their career rise and 68% listed networking as very important. No one said it didn't matter.
Answering an interviewer's questions can be trickier than you may think. To see how you'd perform, select the correct answer, then review the explanation and tips that follow to better prepare yourself for your next interview.
"Nothing is worse than having someone show up for an interview and not know a single thing about our company or how they'd perform the job-that's a fatal mistake too many people make," noted Executive VP Sue Carroll of Westar Insurance Managers.
At some point in every interview the employer will ask, "Do you have any questions?" A top manager shared this insight: "I judge candidates by the questions they ask. That's what's most revealing to me.
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