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!
Question
I enjoyed reading your book and I enjoy getting your newsletter even though I feel a little out of place because I am in Human Resources. I find your observations …
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I sought out a couple of companies that I want to work with, researched them, found actual names to contact personally, and got interviews. They are impressed with my background …
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60 years of experience have taught me that most managers are not qualified to manage. But most job applicants never check them out before accepting a job. Nor do they …
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“The best way to land a new job is to make new contacts. Hang out with people who do the work you want to do.” Nick, you often write that …
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Whatever sources of hires you use, are you more interested in passive or active candidates? By passive I mean people that aren’t actively looking.
Nick’s Reply
First, you shouldn’t worry about what …
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I’d like to bring up an old subject — a rescinded job offer. I’ve been a reader for a while and have been helping my father in an interview process. …
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I went in for my interview and, as job opportunities go, all went great. I met with the HR manager and the Division Manager. They called me back in on …
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I went to work as an engineer at a company when it was quite small. Then it got taken over by a large company that got swallowed by another company. …
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I’m one of those people who’s been waiting all year to quit my job and just did it. Your advice about negotiating salary (explain your value) worked great! But a …
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You’ve no doubt seen all the news items about how difficult it is to fill jobs these days because so many people aren’t interested in working. I’ve been trying to …
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You write in one of your articles, “If the employer could avoid hiring you or anyone else, he would. He doesn’t want to create a job. He wants to produce …
No Question
There’s no Q&A in this week’s edition. Instead, I want to tell you about what someone said to me at a presentation I gave.I had just suggested to my …
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When independent recruiters are discussing a job with me, they ask if there are any job opportunities that I’m actively exploring on my own. What should I tell them? If …
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I’m a third party recruiter and I refuse to bend over and appease any HR department that insists on a jealous stranglehold over hiring decisions. As proven by their public …
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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. My 10 years working for …
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I bookmarked an article you wrote a few years ago: B.S. on the jobs numbers euphoria. Jobs numbers are the #1 story again: 260,000 jobs added versus over a million …
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I’m curious about how companies determine severance pay packages. I assume there are state laws that dictate minimum severance amounts, or it seems there would be no severance packages at …
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I’m in the final phase of getting a job offer I really want. They already told me what the offer is, but they need to check my references before they …
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A new hire in my department resigned after two days at work. He took a counter-offer at his previous company where he had been 22 years. I know you advise against …
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I’d like to ask you about questions recruiters ask. I had a call with a recruiter for a well-known recruiting firm. It was a “get to know you so we …
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I’m a regular reader. Most of the articles are about “How do I get a job?” How about one that talks about “How do I help someone else get a …
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Last week you taught us how to negotiate. But, how do you do it for your candidates? How do you make sure they get the best offers possible? I realize …
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We’re told that whoever mentions a number first in a salary negotiation loses. When employers also demand to know our current salary, that just makes matters worse. So what are …
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I am so glad someone has finally called out the Human Resources (HR) department on its disrespect for job applicants. The sentiment seems to be that they can waste your …
For a complete list of all Q&A columns, please check the Q&A Archive.