Welcome to the weekly Q&A!
This is what Ask The Headhunter is all about! Real questions submitted by real job seekers (and employers) about real, daunting problems and challenges they face, answered by Ask The Headhunter host Nick Corcodilos. Don’t miss each column’s Comments section, where the entire ATH community piles on for lively debate and to share insights, stories and advice that’s often better than Nick’s! Got a Q? Submit it to Nick!
5 lies about ATSes (Applicant Tracking Systems)
Question I’ve successfully searched for work for over 20 years. I always lead with what I can do for an employer and with my ability to learn quickly, and I…
Pest or hiring manager’s dream?
Question I’ve been reading a lot of books about job searches. They all say you have to send in your resume then follow up with phone calls. In other words,…
Your job-search addiction: It’s all the same app
Question I lost my job over two years ago, and have applied for over 4,000 HR (Human Resources) opportunities, with 97 interviews, and I am still unemployed. I’ve updated my…
How do I bring closure to series of 6 interviews?
Question I have been on 6 interviews with senior management at a highly regarded company. Although the interviews were exploratory, the hiring manager looked to me to take over and…
Manager talked a blue streak in my interview
Question What do you think of managers who interview by talking a blue streak? I interviewed with the VP of Technology in a good company. I followed your advice about…
A.I. Job Interview: You need to know why it’s crap
Question I’ve been told once again that to be considered for a real job interview I have to first do a solo AI job interview via video with a robot…
Over-worked, about to crash & burn
Question I am extremely valuable to my employer, working 55-60 hours a week and too close to burn-out for comfort. I’m curious what else is out there, but don’t have…
I was not hired, and I love it
Question I want to share a wonderful story about how I didn’t get a job. I interviewed and was not hired. Although the job was through a recruiter and my…
“We can’t proceed with your job candidacy.” WTF?
Question I am a member of the long-term unemployed and need the benefit of your experience. I stopped tracking the number of jobs I’ve applied for. (It’s in the high…
I took the wrong job. What now?
Question I just started a new job that might be the wrong job. My new employer lured me away from a very good job at a very good company, and…
Fired 6 times. I need help
Question My question is about my recent inability to keep a job. I have over 20 years’ experience in corporate management. I was with a great company for 9 years…
Drop the resume script. Be the wired job candidate
Question In a comment you posted on last week’s column, you said we should not automatically give an employer our resume, even if that’s what they ask for. You said…
How do I know what jobs I want?
Question I’m enjoying reading How Can I Change Careers? and I have a question. How do I know what jobs I want? A big part of your book is finding…
Job-search success stories – How I got my new job!
Question I see you’ve been doing this — headhunting and advising people — a long time. Your methods about how to land a good job seem to make sense, but…
Beware the hot jobs of 2024
Question Normally there’s a question from a reader here, but this week’s column was stimulated by a news reporter who’s doing an article about hot jobs in 2024. She asked…
Are top execs different?
Question I’ve read your Fearless Job Hunting books and I think you make a lot of good points that I believe will help the majority of people — but I’m…
What good is a resume REALLY? 6 answers
Question Let me cut you off at the pass. I know you’re not a fan of resumes and you tell us not to rely on a resume to get a…
Stay or Pay: How employers TRAP you when you quit
When you accepted that job offer, did you agree to stay or pay? SPECIAL EDITION Can your employer trap you into paying thousands of dollars when you quit your job?…
My backstabbing co-worker
Question I’ve made lateral moves to align my interests and strengths with the emerging needs of my employer. It requires concerted effort in an environment that lacks any real professional…
6 signs it’s time to quit your job
Question I’m feeling very “bleh” about my job but I can’t put my finger on the problem. I think I want to quit and move on. But I don’t want…
Have I been blacklisted in my job search?
Question I work in legal compliance in a growing industry. My skills are in demand and up to date. But I’m struggling to get anyone’s attention and I remain unemployed…
When hiring, don’t send in the clowns
Question It happened again last week. We brought in a candidate for a senior marketing position that pays very well. The candidate showed up, met with our personnel office for…
Maybe you shouldn’t hire me?
Question So we all know the “What’s your salary expectation?” question. I was talking to a very nice recruiter who asked me that on our first call. I said $X….
Enthusiasm, Persistence & Intelligence
Question The prevalence of the “keyword approach” to selecting job candidates to interview seems to leave a gaping hole in how companies recruit — and it certainly doesn’t reveal the…