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!
1 interview stalled, 1 moving too fast
Question I am currently involved in two interviews. One is a bit stalled and the other is moving too fast. That is, one employer is moving about a week or…
Salary Negotiation: An HR manager’s head explodes
Introduction There are lots of smart, solid HR folks who work hard to maintain high standards in recruiting and hiring. They are progressive and focused on making their companies successful….
Where’s the behavior in a behavioral interview?
Question I had a behavioral interview with a company that I was dying to work for. If you’ve never had one, they can be brutal. They ask questions like: Describe…
Manager: How can I hire someone for a job I don’t understand?
Question I need to hire someone with some specialized skills that my team does not currently possess (a cross between a business analyst and a project manager). I have interviewed…
My boss will give me really bad references
Question I have a new job lined up, so I am getting things in place to give notice at my current job. My primary concern is bad references from this…
How much quit notice should I give if my employer hasn’t paid me?
Question I am a fan and am so glad I’ve followed your advice to not do an exit interview. I started working at a medical start-up two years ago as…
How getting fired changed my life
Question I have not been back to your forum in about a year or more, since you advised me to move on after I lost my job as a manager…
Just how stupid is LinkedIn? The price of phony recruiting
Question In my LinkedIn profile, I have listed that I manage Windows servers, file servers, mail servers, database servers, and web servers, specializing in Microsoft Server software and technology. So…
The lab technician’s executive interview
Question Your advice is very, very upper management biased. Presenting a “business plan” in a job interview just isn’t possible in most non-management jobs! I’m trying to picture a waiter…
How to Say It: Asking for a personal referral
Question I am now working at a company that is loosely affiliated with a large university that happens to have a prominent think tank. I have the right education for…
Stained record, keeps getting fired
Question I have a client who has a stained record, both in regard to work experience and some run-ins with the law. She keeps getting fired when employers eventually find…
Victim of federal HR cluster-f*ck? Press RECORD
Question I’m a federal employee. The mass firings have shaken all of us up. I’m trying to keep my head down and just do my job but it’s nerve-racking. “You…
You can’t land a job because of BAD BEHAVIOR!
Question Nick, in various networking sessions we are told that maintaining a positive attitude is the most important thing that we can do when trying to land a job. This…
Pervasiveness of age discrimination
Question You have one the best websites devoted to the job search and career development. I have spent over 25 years in Human Resources working for Fortune 100 companies. One…
#1 reason we know job boards suck (including LinkedIn)
Question Are there any statistics about the success rates of the major job boards? Thanks much. Nick’s Reply I’ve written about the success rates of job boards many times over…
Underemployed, no insurance, need a job
Question I am underemployed at two days a week as a dental hygienist. I used to work part-time in two practices at one time (40-55 hours a week) with partial…
Edition #1,000: Do the job to win the job
This marks the 1,000th edition of this weekly newsletter, first published September 20, 2002. Over all these years, one idea continues to permeate all of Ask The Headhunter: To win…
999 – Employer asks applicant for a business plan
Question I had an interview over the phone since the manager was out of state. Things went okay and then he asked me to put together a 30-60 day business…
Is it unfair to hedge job offers?
Question Can I hedge job offers? Here is the deal: I got a job offer with company A. I am coming up on the end of the interview process with…
I expect a low salary offer. Should I even interview?
Question I have an interview scheduled next week with a leading bank, and I am a very good fit for the role in corporate middle management. Based on conversations I’ve…
Will social media beat a singing gorilla to help you land a job?
Question What do you think of the desperation tactics people are resorting to on LinkedIn to beg others to help them land a job? (I’ve seen offers of cash for…
Passed over for promotion: Move-over-itis
Question The Technical Director quit and my manager was promoted to that position. I was promised that there would be room for promotion when I was hired, however I was…
How do I find the hiring manager who needs me?
Question I’ve begun an intense job search, but now I’m keeping in mind your helpful hints, including from your books. I’ve found some online resources that have given me a…
LinkedIn’s new AI hiring assistant is not a smart as Mark Cuban’s dog
Question I’d love to hear your take on LinkedIn’s new AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistant for recruiting and hiring. Nick’s Reply They call it Artificial for a reason. And I’ll let…