Archive for the Q&A Category

Question

Ask The Headhunter was recommended to me by one of the folks who is helping me in my job search. It’s really been beneficial and I thank you. I hope you can help me with a potentially nasty reference.

I am unemployed due to a “Reduction in Force” at the small start-up company where I was working. I was fired from my job previous to the start-up company. I had the worst boss in the world. I did a great job that everyone (including the boss at one point) acknowledged, but ultimately I was fired.

How should I handle questions in the interview process about why I left that job? I’m not certain, but if they call that employer and ask if I am eligible for re-hire, the human resources (HR) office would say no. Thanks for any help you can give.

Nick’s Reply

Thanks for your kind words about Ask The Headhunter and welcome to the Newsletter. Your question has two parts: how to handle interview questions about why you left a job, and how to deal with a potentially nasty reference. My advice about the first: How much to say about getting fired.

As to the second, your references from the start-up will count for a lot. Pay most attention to those. A Preemptive Reference from someone there could quickly solve your problem.

Companies are pretty careful about giving references nowadays because they can get sued. If you believe your termination was improper, you really should see an attorney. Even if there’s no lawsuit or cash settlement, you may be able to get the company to “clean up” your file. This could mean a lot to you in the coming years.

Is a nasty reference lurking?

While your old HR office might give out nothing more than your dates of employment, a prospective employer could poke around in other corners to find out why you left the job. You might be able to hire a reference-checking service that will report back to you after they make inquiries. In any case, assume the worst and prepare to counter any nasty reference. Your challenge is to produce a couple of references from people you worked with at that company – or people who know the company – who will say good things about you. That will put things into context.

But, you might be able to do even more to de-fuse one vindictive boss.

Get a reference about the nasty reference

I once placed a manager whose ex-boss provided this reference: “He’s a bum. Can’t be counted on, doesn’t do a good job, and I’d never recommend him to anyone.”

My guy got the job because I produced another reference who casually explained that the candidate’s boss was not credible. After providing a good reference, he volunteered, “Oh, by the way. If you talk to your candidate’s last boss, let me give you a word of advice. He’s a kook, and I wouldn’t be surprised at anything he says. He hates everybody who ever left his team.”

You might be able to do something with this, if your old boss is known to others as a backstabber.

The indirect reference

Let’s go back to what to say in the interview about that old job, if it comes up. My advice: say as little as possible. Focus instead on the job at hand, and introduce what I call “an indirect reference.”

How to Say It

“I want to work in a company where I’d be proud to be an employee. I didn’t feel that way about that old company. John Jones has told me a lot about your company, and I’ve checked you out through other contacts. What I’m told consistently is that you value and reward hard work. I’d like to show you how I believe my expertise in XYZ could be applied to make your business more successful and at the same time provide me with the kinds of opportunities that are important to me.”

Make it a matter of trust

It’s critical that you develop contacts like “John Jones” – credible mutual contacts you can cite who will stand up for you. An employer will take you seriously if a trusted mutual contact recommends you indirectly. So, before you interview with a prospective employer, do whatever it takes to make those links to establish your credibility.

That’s how you preempt any negative comments from one bad boss. Make sense? Try it.

Have you ever been nuked by an unfair nasty reference? How did you learn about it? Were you able to deflect it?

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Question

How relevant do you really think the required experience is on a job description?

I have almost three years of professional experience in addition to my degree. A company wants to interview me for a job, but it is a managerial position. I do not yet know if that means supervising other employees or not. The job description asks for at least 10 years experience.

They have my resume, which clearly describes three years experience. They called me, so they must be interested in at least talking to me. I really want this position, so I will be reading up at Ask The Headhunter. I have done the “job duties and responsibilities” before, and I feel comfortable with all of it, but I haven’t done it for 10 years.

Is there anything in particular I should stress in the interview? Something that will help them to see I am capable of handling the increased responsibilities? I know that my age is working against me on this one. Do you think I have a shot?

Nick’s Reply

Ah, a case of “reverse age discrimination!” You’re too young! I wonder how many older readers would trade places with you, swapping the kind of discrimination you face with what they’ve encountered. In a sense, it’s all the same, and it’s silly. What matters is not a number of years but the ability to do the job profitably, and that brings us to the question of experience.

Companies often bend their “experience requirements” because these are just guidelines, not written in stone. You may have other qualities that are important to the company.

Preparation is indeed key. I’d start by calling back the person who scheduled the interview. Hopefully, that’s the hiring manager. (If it’s not, you must try and identify the hiring manager so you can talk with them.)

How to Say It

“I’m looking forward to our meeting. Because I want to make our meeting as profitable as possible for both of us, it would help to know a bit more about the job. That way I can show you how I could apply my skills specifically to the tasks you need done. May I ask you a couple of brief questions?”

How to get past the required experience

You should have no more than two or three very specific questions ready, all of them pertaining to the work. For example, “Will this job involve managing people, or only my own tasks?” and “In what way do you want your new hire to improve your operations during the first six months or one year?”

Do not ask general questions like, “What’s the job?” that reveal pure ignorance. (I expect you had a pretty good idea what the job was, or you would not have applied for it.)

Think carefully about the questions you want to ask. Keep them very brief, and make sure you focus on the work and on how you will do it. Don’t try to turn your chat into an interview. Don’t get too detailed. (Unless, of course, the manager expands the discussion.) Thank the manager and reiterate that you look forward to your meeting and to “showing you what I can do for your business.”

Required experience or required preparation?

Once you know more about the position, your next chore is research. Start at the “high level” and drill down. Study:

• the industry the company is in (competition, market, etc.)
• the specific company (history, finances, products, successes, failures)
• the department (study its functions)
• the manager (can you talk to someone who might know him?)
• other employees (tap your friends – do they know anyone at the company?)

For each of these ask yourself, what problems and challenges does each “level” face? How would you tackle these? (It’s okay to speculate and have some fun with this.) What would you need to know more about? What tools would you need?

The business plan

Then, prepare a brief business plan that shows how you’d apply experience you do have to accomplish the tasks in this job. Break down the necessary tasks, and how you’d do them. After all, any job is really a small business unto itself, and it requires a plan. If you lack a skill, that’s okay, but explain how you’d get the help/tools/info you’d need to learn to do it. Try to figure out how your method for doing the work would be profitable to the company. That is, how would it increase revenue or lower costs?

(You don’t need anything as extensive as this outline for a business plan, but it will give you some ideas.)

Employers aren’t good at mapping a candidate’s skills and experience to a job. If you do it for them, the payoff to you can be tremendous because no other applicant is likely to attempt this. That’s the single best thing you can do to “help them to see I am capable of handling the increased responsibilities.”

This kind of approach has been shown to work again and again, assuming you’re talking to a manager who “gets it” and isn’t just looking for warm bodies who will just follow orders.

This article may help: The Basics: The New Interview.

It’s a lot of work, but if you really want that job, be ready to show exactly how you’re going to do it.

Yes, you have a shot. The interviewer won’t get stuck on your age — or on your insufficient experience — as long as you’re ready to control the interview by focusing on the work that needs to be done and how you’re going to do it. That’s what a good manager really wants to see.

Did you have all the required experience for the job you were hired to do? If not, how did you convince the employer to hire you? What is as — or more — important than years of experience?

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Question

You advise us not to say too much about why we’re interviewing for a new job, but I had no idea what kind of bias there is against people who’ve been laid off! Almost everybody I know has been laid off at some point, including my last boss, so I saw nothing wrong with saying I was laid off when interviewing. But I see a trend — as soon as I disclose being laid off (just being honest!), the meeting goes south. Then I read this article in SFGATE that says managers and recruiters think you’re damaged goods and “table scraps?” For real? I’ll never say I was laid off again! Please read the article. Are HR people and managers really so stupid they disparage and reject anyone who was laid off?

Nick’s Reply

When it comes to assessing job applicants, yes, most (not all) managers and personnel jockeys (especially recruiters) are pretty stupid. I think it’s because, first and foremost, they’re lazy. After indiscriminately soliciting thousands of applicants via “fire hose advertising” (a.k.a. cattle calls) they need a quick way to reject as many of those applicants as possible. If you’ve been downsized, you must be no good. On to the next applicant, because applicants cost nothing!

This is why employers complain there aren’t enough good job applicants. It’s also why I warn you not to play the cattle-call game. “And now,” says that SFGATE article, “to make matters worse, it seems that some companies view [your] unemployment status as a scarlet letter.”

Laid off? You’re somebody else’s table scraps!

The article goes on to confirm employers’ stupidity. It cites examples of managers and recruiters that:

• Equate being laid off with poor worker performance
• View laid-off workers as “damaged goods”
• Refer to their own laid-off workers as “somebody else’s table scraps”
• Characterize unemployed workers as having so much time on their hands that they “might be shopping around” and are a hiring risk because — heaven forbid! — “they might be interviewing with 20 companies”

That’s just stupid. This tells us that any company that has ever laid off any employees likely did so because it made lousy hiring decisions to begin with! (The article cites Meta’s senior HR executive as an example.)

Employer bias — or stupidity?

So, yes, I’ll say it a fourth time: Those employers and recruiters are downright and obviously stupid because they equate unemployment with being unworthy of being hired.

SFGATE cites the founder of Clutch Talent, recruiter Jovena Natal. She scolds and discounts job candidates who apply to “too many jobs” — and then complains that when she solicits thousands of applicants via job postings, 95% of them “aren’t even close to qualified.”

So who’s stupid?

The SFGATE article hints that large numbers of unworthy laid-off workers are recruiters themselves. How stupid can a recruiter be when their bias bites them in their own ass?

Laid off? What can you do about it?

So the reality is, you were laid off, and you’re being irrationally rejected for it before you even get a chance to show your stuff in an interview. What can you do about it?

Yes, you can try to avoid disclosing that you were downsized. That may help avoid rejection. But it doesn’t really help you get hired.

Stop relying on a system built on stupidity. Go around it. Ignore job postings. Don’t submit resumes. Don’t rely on LinkedIn jobs or on your LinkedIn profile. Don’t subject yourself to being judged on stupid assumptions coughed up by lazy recruiters because you’re applying for jobs impersonally.

Make your job search very personal. Being downsized is much less likely to matter to an employer if you got in the door with a strong personal recommendation that emphasizes what a great hire you’d be. A resume, an application, a profile, and your inanimate database record cannot defend you in the face of being downsized. Only a trusted personal referral can tell an employer that what you can do matters more than why you’re not currently employed.

See How to Get A Job: Get the inside track and 10 steps for personal referrals to hiring managers.

Don’t be stupid

That job you want will be hard work when you get it. So don’t join the ranks of the stupid. Do the hard work now — of getting personally and powerfully recommended for hire by someone the employer knows and trusts. It’s the only way I know to triumph over the stupidity of lazy recruiters and managers. Ironically, the normally-biased employer that hires you will probably benefit more from your efforts than you will!

Has being laid off hurt your ability to get hired? Why do you think? SFGATE refers to specific employers and recruiters with irrational biases against downsized job seekers. Where have you encountered such bias? If you’re an employer, what do you really think about downsized job seekers? Are they really not worth hiring?

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Question

While reviewing a handful of questions from readers about “when is it okay to lie a little bit” and “is it lying if I say…” and “so many people I know get away with lying about salary history,” I turned to my good buddy Matt Bud, Chairman of The Financial Executives Networking Group. His insights and advice about lying are so good that I’m making him the “guest voice” in this week’s column.

Matt’s 30,000+ members at The FENG all work in finance, but I think Matt’s comments apply equally well no matter what kind of work one does. – Nick

Matt Bud’s Reply

Despite all the financial scandals that we have seen over the years, most of us financial types by our nature have a hard time lying. For the most part, it just isn’t part of our DNA.

While we may be burdened with many secrets of the organization such as payroll, we get around the questions of others on these topics with silence or a cold glare. (They should know better than to ask us about such matters.)

When it comes to job search, we get asked a lot of questions that we would prefer not to answer. The problem is if you don’t answer you won’t be considered for a golden (or perhaps silver or brass) opportunity. Such questions such as why you left your last job and your compensation history or requirements sort of top the list.

Rather than lying, be brief

One thought to keep in mind is the stage of your discussion with the other party. While I would never recommend actually lying about any aspect of your career, the goal to keep at the top of your thinking is your purpose. And, your purpose is to get an interview.

On the topic of why you left your last job, the shorter the better is the right answer. Put a clock on it. Allot 30 seconds. The 30 second version needs to be so good that if someone ever heard the whole story there would be no contradictions. The big surprise is that no one really needs to know the whole story or actually wants to hear it.

When they ask about salary, ask about salary!

Compensation questions come up all the time. What could be a more appropriate screening device than to know that you were earning twice what the job will pay? On the other hand, the client may be willing to pay more and/or you might be willing to take less. The parties will never know if you get eliminated too early.

The truth is that many folks don’t pick up on questions that are answered with a question. For example, if you are asked for your salary history or compensation target and you don’t know what the job pays, ask. It is a fair question to ask for the salary range. If you know the salary range of the job, you are being foolish if you suggest your requirements are more than 25% more. “The salary range posted for the job is certainly something I would consider.” is an appropriate response. That doesn’t mean you will accept it, but it is truthful to say you will consider it.

The problem still remains that you have to sound convincing. If you have your heart set on an outrageous salary level, so be it, but you will get very few interviews. You have a product (you) that can’t be sold over the phone. Without a personal interview you will never have the opportunity to sell your wares.

Avoid lying — stay out of trouble

You need to practice your “gut” responses so they sound truthful. You may even have to convince yourself that they are. (Have an argument with yourself some time and see if you win.)

Us financial types are just not good at lying. Others can hear it in your voice and if you are presenting in person, they can read it on your face. Don’t let them see you sweat. Practice your responses to all difficult questions until you know the “right” answer, and be sure it is one that won’t get you into trouble later.

Hopefully it will be truthful, and yet will get you into consideration for all those great jobs about which you are getting called.

Has lying worked for you on the job hunt? Has it ever gotten you into trouble? Is there a line between lies and “white lies?” Does an employer lying to you justify lying right back?

Since 1996 Matt Bud  has served as Chairman of The Financial Executives Networking Group (TheFENG), an organization dedicated to providing senior level financial executives with a forum to share job opportunities and experiences. With a membership of over 30,000, The FENG is the world’s largest networking group of CFO’s, Controllers, and Treasurers. Matt’s reply is copyright (c) 2024 Matt Budd and used with his gracious permission.

SUMMER VACATION! The next edition of Ask The Headhunter will be September 4, right after Labor Day. I’m taking a couple of weeks off to stick my toes in the sand, to ruminate on the meaning of clouds and to count the water in the ocean. I hope you’re doing something fun for summer!

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Question

In another column about how to change careers, your advice seems to be valid for someone who is single, but not for someone who has a family to support. What about the salary?  One cannot simply go from, say, a hedge fund manager to being a tour guide in a museum. The career switch has to compensate in the similar salary range, otherwise one would have to give up what they own and lose self-respect.

Nick’s Reply

I think career change has become more common, if not necessary, than it’s ever been. Look around: our economy is still in upheaval. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that moving from one career field to another usually exacts a cost in salary, at least for a while.

Change careers and lose salary?

If you can change careers without a loss in salary, I compliment you. But the reality is, the job hunter must be able to demonstrate that level of value to an employer. When hiring a career changer, an employer takes a significant risk.

My advice is to focus on how you will address the employer’s needs in order to justify and maintain your salary. Many career changers expect employers to compensate them at their old level simply because ‘that’s what I was paid before.” I can’t think of an employer that accepts that rationale. I think it’s crucial for a job changer to understand that value is relative to the job and the employer, and deal with it. That’s where my advice in that old column comes from — and my advice has not changed.

Why are you worth the same salary level?

The reality is, high-paying jobs (like hedge fund manager), require highly specific skills. Shifting from one high-paying job to another (I don’t think museum tour guide is going to do it!) requires a shift from one highly-specialized skill set to another. If a job hunter can accomplish that from the start, the new employer may pay for it. But I don’t think an employer is going to match a salary unless the candidate can demonstrate that they are worth it from day #1.

It almost doesn’t matter what you have done before. If you’re making a real career change, your experience and credentials may not matter enough to warrant the same salary level. (They stopped working for you, remember? That’s why you’re making the change.)

What matters is the work that needs to be done next. Few people have any idea, because they don’t look. They’re too busy reflecting on themselves and their skills — and on changing careers without a cost. They let their old, job-specific skills limit their new choices and their future.

To change careers, map your skills to the new work

Here’s my suggestion, which may draw some heat from “the experts.” Forget about your skills and the history on your resume. (That’s the wall you’ve slammed into, right?) When we think about our skills, we tend to think about the specific constellation of skills we have recently used. Now be honest: Do you expect the new employer to figure out how to apply your old skills to the new career? I can almost assure you, they won’t.

A new career will require a totally reorganized version of our skills and abilities. And you won’t know what that new constellation needs to look like until you know what work needs to be done.

As you decide what your next career should be, dig deeply into industries, businesses, products, and companies that excite you. Home in. What kinds of work does each business entail? How could you contribute? What tools would you need? What further study, education or training are required? Whom do you need to talk with? (What companies are worth such an investment?)

You may need to resign yourself to treating career change as an investment that requires an up-front “salary cost.” Of course, you must map out the long-term ROI. If you want to come anywhere near to the same salary you enjoyed in your last career, you can’t wait for (or expect!) a new employer to figure out how to map your old skills to the new job. You must figure that out and explain it to them.

More resources to change careers

For more on how to do this, please see How to launch a seemingly impossible career change and listen to this brief audio advice.

And here’s stellar insight for career switchers (more audio!) from my good friend Dr. Dawn Graham, former Director of Career Management for the MBA program for executives at The Wharton School. This may be some of the very best advice about career change you ever hear.

Have you tried changing careers? Did you pull it off or did you fail? What would you say are the parameters of successful career change? What are some of the common causes of failure? How can someone change careers and maintain their salary level?

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Sometimes more really is better! Rather than focus on just one question from a reader this week, I’m publishing 5 short, in-your-face questions (and maybe contrarian answers) about job search culled from my huge collection. Hope you find one Q&A that gives you an edge in your job search!

Question 1

I’ve been a fan of your newsletter and website for years. I know that networking and making connections is the best way to find the right job. In a perfect world, I’d love to bypass the recruiting machine. Sometimes, though, I come across a job posting that I want to pursue. How do I increase my chances inside the machine?

Nick’s Reply

I love it when readers answer their own questions! Skip that job posting, and go around. Invest the time to triangulate. Find people who work at your target company or who do biz with the company. Ask their advice and insight. Keep it up until someone makes an introduction for you.

If you can pull this off, it’ll pay off because managers tend to hire through trusted referrals — not job postings. The job boards have brainwashed people to think you must fill out the form. That’s nonsense. You only have to fill out the form if you don’t want to do the extra work to stand out.

You can’t increase your chances “inside the machine.” For inspiration and tips check out this article: Ask The Headhunter Secrets in A Nutshell.

Question 2

At this point I can only choose between a contingency recruiter or direct application to the company. This company is ill-equipped to recruit talent on its own, so it has resorted to outsourcing talent acquisition. I have been always told to default to the recruiter. I know for a fact that this recruiter cannot sell me better than I can sell myself! If I apply direct, then I feel that I have a better edge in terms on salary/compensation negotiations. Am I missing something?

Nick’s Reply

You’re missing one thing: This is not about choosing between the recruiter and “applying” on your own. Both are insufficient. The best option is to talk to the hiring manager before you do anything else. First, get to the hiring manager. Then, be ready with what to say.

In my PDF books, I do a lot of “How to Say It.” So here goes:

How to Say It:
“Hi – I understand you have a position open. I don’t apply for jobs unless I know there’s a high likelihood I can bring something to the manager’s bottom line — and that’s rarely clear from a job description. Do you have a couple of minutes to talk about what you need your new hire to actually pull off in this job? If I think I can help, I’d be glad to interview. If I can’t, then we shouldn’t take this any further.”

Only a dope of a manager would dismiss that offer. Of course, if the interview is with a personnel jockey, you may be wasting your time to begin with.

Question 3

With so many different options now when filling out applications, what looks best? Applying via LinkedIn or filling out the application and attaching relevant documents? If a cover letter is optional, attaching it or not attaching it? Attaching extra portfolio pieces to an application, even if it doesn’t call for them?

Nick’s Reply

None of the above. Let’s flesh out my reply in Question 3 and understand the problems job seekers really face.

Automated applications are designed to herd cattle. It’s not only you that’s frustrated with these meat-grinder “applicant tracking systems.” . Check this video from PBS NewsHour.

My advice: Throw out your resume. Don’t use it. It’s a lousy crutch. Instead, pick your target companies and managers. Do the work to get in touch with them. Talk to people that know them. Get introduced. Yes, this is a lot of work — but so’s that great job you want. Why gamble on a database to win it?

To really understand why you face this problem to begin with, you must understand the HR problem: Systemic Recruitment Fraud: How employers fund America’s jobs crisis.

Automated hiring and job hunting are, in my opinion, the biggest fraud committed in our economy. It doesn’t work, then employers blame you for not being qualified enough to make it through the key word algorithm.

Sorry to rant, but your question (not you) reveals just how broken America’s employment system is. Please — go meet people. 40%-70% of jobs are found and filled through personal contacts. Why try an application system that turns you into a cow being herded into a pen?

Question 4

How do you handle those inane questions — “What’s your biggest weakness?”, “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”, “Why do you want to work here?” — that HR people seemingly have branded onto their brains?

Nick’s Reply

Ah, the Top 10 Stupid Interview Questions.

Try this.

How to Say It:
“I’d be happy to answer the classic interview questions, but with your permission I’d also like to actually show you how I’d do this job for you profitably. Would you please lay out a live problem or task — something you’d want me to do if you hired me — so I can show you how I’d go about it? If I can’t show you how my approach would make your department more successful/profitable, then you shouldn’t hire me.”

If the manager can’t handle that, ask yourself what you’re doing there. (Of course, if you can’t do the above demonstration, you don’t really have any business in that interview, do you?)

Don’t worry about your answers to those Top 10. Just do your best on them. Then move the manager on to what really matters.

Question 5

What advice do you have for job seekers who have “golden handcuffs”?

Nick’s Reply

Make the choice: Do you want what you have more than you want something else? Life is short. Sometimes the only way to find what you really want is to stop doing what you’re doing — and give up the bribe of a high salary that keeps you from doing what’s better for you.

Your employer has put those cuffs on you, so we know you’re already pretty unusual and you know it. No one would have invested in putting those golden handcuffs on you if you weren’t incredibly talented. I think the mistake you might be making is to believe that the one who put those cuffs on is the only one that really recognizes what you’re worth.

No one defines your value — they just buy it. Your value is in who you are and what you can do. My guess is, you can do it again elsewhere or totally on your own. Trust yourself and choose.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this 5-question summer slam as much as I have!

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Question

I was offered a position after three interviews. In the offer the title was changed from Assistant to Senior Assistant and the salary was $5k more than was originally discussed. The offer also included a 5% bonus after one year. Of course there were other benefits, major medical, etc. All this was in the written offer which I accepted. Great, right? Yes and no.

The next day I gave my letter of resignation and two weeks’ notice. In my last week of work and three days to go, my new employer advised I had passed my background check and said they just needed my latest pay stub.

I lied about my salary on the application I had completed a week earlier. (I took a salary cut to get my current job, so I gave my prior higher salary.) After they questioned me I panicked and was not honest. I then tried to make it right but they rescinded the offer just the same. I am not a youngster and so I know better. I thought if they knew my real salary they would not have offered me what I am worth, given my experience, skills, and successful career so far.

I tried to get my current employer to take me back but they would not. I was a great worker but I think they felt slighted. Now I am actively looking and I don’t know how to address the dreaded question about why I am not employed. This was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I’m devastated. Thank you for any suggestions.

Nick’s Reply

I’m very sorry to hear what happened. Your experience is a painful reminder about why I advise people to never disclose their salary history and to never lie about it.

Lying about salary is not necessary

Your salary history is confidential and private and employers have no right to it. But as you’ve found, if you disclose your salary they can hold it against you later, as they did in this case. If you keep it private, you’re safe. In fact, I wrote a short PDF book about this, but you don’t need to read the book to get the main ideas:

Keep Your Salary Under Wraps

While some companies will end the interview process if you won’t disclose salary, my readers tell me that most employers back off when the candidate politely but firmly declines — and if the employer is really interested in hiring them. Lying about salary is simply not necessary, and disclosing your salary is definitely not advisable if you want to get the best offer!

If an employer is going to make “advancing your candidacy” contingent on knowing your salary, what do you think working there would be like?

Hide your cards and negotiate

While no law I’ve ever encountered obligates you to disclose your salary, and while it may even be illegal for an employer to ask, what happened to you is probably not a matter of law. (Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.) It’s a matter of what you agreed to when you signed that offer. When you accept an offer, you accept the company’s rules, which likely require all new employees to turn over past pay stubs. You may not be legally required to hand them over, but if you accepted that offer you probably entered into an agreement to do so — and that allows the employer to fire you or to rescind their offer if you don’t.

So, how do you avoid a job offer that’s too low? You play your cards close to the chest and you negotiate a higher offer. Don’t wait until you’re in the interview process or at the point of getting an offer. Learn how to handle salary negotiations now.

Get back up on the horse

You fell off the horse. You lied about your salary. When we make mistakes, I believe there are three rules good people follow. (1) Fess up. “I blew it. I lied.” (2) Apologize. “I’m sorry.” (3) Make a commitment. “I’ll never do that again.” Of course, the fourth rule is to perform on the first three.

Then you put this behind you and move on. Your life and career aren’t over. You already know you’re good at your work. Focus on demonstrating that going forward. As for what to say about why you’re not working, it’s somewhat similar to explaining why you’re unemployed because you got fired:

What’s Better: Quit or get fired?

My advice is simple: Never disclose your salary history when applying for a job, and never lie about your salary. Don’t put yourself in a position to get busted. Then negotiate from a position of strength.

Is lying about your salary ever wise? Do you politely decline when asked for your salary history? Is there something else this reader could have done — or should do next?

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Question

I’m interviewing with a good company for a job that’s just right for me, but I’m worried about whether it might be a bad cultural fit. I don’t mean whether I’m exactly like them. Being different is, to my mind, a benefit, as monocultures are evolutionary dead ends. Nor am I worried that they are all jerks. What concerns me is the difficulty we have had communicating with each other thus far, and how that could lead to unpleasant working experiences for all of us later.

In other words, I fear that we might be oil and water. Two very good substances, capable of being useful and productive in their respective contexts, yet which do not mix well together. How should I handle this? Thanks in advance.

Nick’s Reply

I wish you had shared an example or two of the communication problems, but I think we can approach this generally and still explore some ideas that everyone might benefit from.

I compliment you for not glossing over this communication problem in the heat of wanting to get a job offer. More important, I give you extra points for realizing this isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. An emotional reaction to a problem like this can cost a candidate a great opportunity. It’s important to step back and approach this reasonably. And the only way to do that is to have a candid talk with the hiring manager before it’s too late.

Before we continue, while I think I understand what you’re referring to, it’s worth pointing out that “cultural fit” is a controversial concept. For those that want to read deeper, I like this provocative article from the BBC: What does being a ‘cultural fit’ actually mean?

A bad cultural fit?

People are quite programmed when it comes to the interview process. Maybe brainwashed is a better word. They believe certain topics are off limits. For example, they may think it’s not proper to question an employer’s culture or communication style. Candidates often will make the mistake of trying too hard to show they can fit into a culture, when the cultural fit isn’t right for them. Likewise, candidates sometimes fail to question things that don’t make sense, and they incorrectly assume they are the source of the trouble. (Employers nowadays might assess “your fit” using unvalidated — and often downright goofy — automated interview tools. This may be the actual problem!)

When your antennae pick up a problem, trust your judgment. It’s the thorny problems that should spark the most careful examination. Nothing is off limits, as long as you’re diplomatic. If it’s likely to come back and bite you after you accept a job, talk about it now.

When a meeting reveals a communication failure (or other problem of cultural fit), you should raise it as an issue with the hiring manager. The manager is likely to debrief the interview team after your meetings, and if they saw a problem, they’ll discuss it with the boss. So should you, but you will have to initiate this discussion. So call the manager. Share your concern, and emphasize that your purpose is to resolve it together.

How to Say It

“I just wanted to give you some feedback on our interview. I like your company and your products, and I believe I can contribute to your bottom line. But, I’ve got some concerns about the difficulty we seemed to have communicating with one another. Sometimes that’s just an artifact of highly-structured meetings. In this case, I’m not sure. Did you get the same impression I did — that communication between us wasn’t as clear as it might be?”

(Of course, don’t use these exact words. Tune your comments so you’re comfortable.)

Most job candidates wouldn’t bring this up with a manager because it may be awkward or seem risky. They’d rather keep mum and hope for the best. That’s plain silly. A tactful, head-on approach reveals the sort of judgment any good employer would want you to demonstrate on the job. So show it now. (If your concern surprises them, then your perception is likely correct. You’re oil and water. You won’t mix.)

Before or after a job offer?

Is this too aggressive? Nope. It’s assertive, and it’s responsible. There’s no rule that says a candidate has to wait for a company to take action after an interview. The candidate can take action first. Sometimes, the candidate should act first.

Alternately, you may feel you should wait until after they extend a job offer. You’re the best judge of that. The larger point is, do not ignore your concern because you will likely have to deal with an ill-fitting match after you start the job.

Give the manager a chance to express their perceptions and thoughts. If the two of you can come to a meeting of the minds (whether you get the job or not), you will have handled this with aplomb. You could take this one step farther by suggesting a follow-up meeting with the team, where the discussion about “fit” can continue. If there’s a thoughtful manager on the other end, this could set the stage for a healthy, long-term work relationship.

Again, I’m impressed that you’re trying to deal with this constructively. I think the best way to figure out whether there’s a cultural fit is to bring it up now. I wish you the best.

What’s all this stuff about “fit”? As long as you can do the job and the company pays you, why worry about the cultural fit? Is this issue overblown, or does it make a difference? How do you assess this component of a job match?

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