Ask The Headhunter Q&A

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Question I am currently working in the San Francisco Bay Area but want to move to the Philadelphia area (where I was born and raised), but responding to job ads…

Question We all know the question, “What’s your salary expectation?” Recently I was talking to a very nice recruiter who asked this question on our first call. I told him…

SPECIAL EDITION: Ghosting If you’ve had to look for a job recently, you’ve likely wasted time on ghost jobs, and with employers that ghost you. Ghosting is when a company…

Question I thought the job posting was legit, so I applied online. Then I had to submit my resume and did a grueling 45 minute “robo”-interview with no real interviewer….

Question I have 15 years’ experience in my field. My company is stagnating and there’s no upward path for me. I’ve been talking to other companies, but it always seems…

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…

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…

Question I practice what you preach, that the best jobs come from a strong personal referral. When I can, I introduce job seekers to my manager friends in various companies….

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…