|
 |
Ask the Career Coach
CareerBoard’s Career Coach, Janice Worthington, answers your job search questions.
Ask the Career Coach today!
I have a question!
Q: How many times should you follow up with the hiring manager after an interview when the hiring manager states he or she will let you know "either way" and you never hear back?
A: Once! If you have held a strong interview and send a compelling thank you note the employer will remember you. You never know what has happened to interrupt the hiring process. This time of year many people are on vacation and decisions are postponed. If an employer wants to hire you he/she will. If you're not the chosen, no amount of follow-up will change this. You don't want to be seen as a stalker.. Keep your business cool and move on!
Q: If a company asks me to send a resume and salary history, what should I do? I am afraid of possibly being rejected because they think I may expect too much, or the recruiter may offer me less than I deserve.
A: I would indicate that, for information privacy reasons, you prefer to provide your salary history on site during an interview rather than online in an application. Indicate that you are flexible and more than willing to accept the market rate for which a person with your expertise is paid.
Q: Is it okay to have an objective/ summary on my resume? Some people are saying that recruiters think they are unnecessary and they all sound the same.
A: Objectives are critical. If I am an employer, there's no point to your resume if I don't know for which job you applying. I may be recruiting for 10 openings and I won't spend much time on your resume if I have to guess what you want. If your summary is factual and informative it helps explain who you are. If it's full of "highly motivated self-starter with great oral and written communication skills", fluff take it out!
Q: "What is the best way to answer the "psychological evaluation" questions so common in interviews today?"
A: The best way to prepare for psychological tests is not to prepare at all. Be candid and consistent, and not try to answer the questions as you think they may want you to, but as you truly feel. Don’t think you can fake it till you make it. My research uncovered a litany of information on identifying fakers and companies are merciless to a candidate who misrepresents. So stay real.
Don’t be extremely tired, and don’t be mad at the dog. The true purpose of these tests is to predict if your skills and temperament are compatible with both the job functions and the company culture. No one is meant to work everywhere and scoring incompatible is different from testing unacceptable.
Q: "The question I have is that when employers say that they are now hiring and you interview with them, proceed to take all required test and travel to different places where they want you to go, and then tell you that you are over qualified for the position. Why does this happen when you get your hopes up that you are going to have a great job and never get it."
A: When a candidate is called in, interviewed multiple times, vetted and then told "no" one of several things has occurred. Ultimately you telegraphed a red flag to the hiring antennae of a decision maker or someone merely beat you in the interviewing competition. I don't buy the "over-qualified" issue because they knew your qualifications far earlier in the game.
Did you stop interviewing with others because you thought you had this one? Don't. We teach our candidates to impress and then move on. Employers are always making love to more than one candidate so don't be fooled! And don't you be the one to fall in love with any job opportunity!
A note encouragement! A candidate who makes it to the finals has much to offer a prospective employer even if this one fell through. Forge ahead! Your job offer is just around the corner!
Q: I was employed with my last company for 6 months and then fired, for a reason that was out of my hands. This position gave me great experience, but because I was fired, I’m unsure whether or not I should include this on my resume. What is your advice?
A:If you fail to put your last six-month job on your resume you could at some point be cited for misrepresentation and fired again! Are you sure it was "fired" and not "laid-off?" The fact that you claim the circumstances were "out of your hands" is interesting. Almost everyone is terminated at least once in their career so is not so unusual. The other issue is that you will appear unemployed for 6 months... The answer? Tell the truth!
|
|
|
