Trip down side track could undo your chances
Q: My company have advertised a role I feel I should get – but I actually think they’ve advertised the wrong role. In reality, they should have created two or three roles and broken up the responsibilities differently. I believe this would be more effective and efficient for the company at a time of rapid […]
Form filling endurance tests take time
Q: The closing date is tomorrow. Last night, after much procrastination, I finally opened the application form and started to fill it out. I failed. Between the requests for examples of competencies, exhaustive previous experience, exact number of months worked, and a whole host of other questions, I just couldn’t get it done. Is this […]
How remote working could be just the answer
Q: Remote working is all the rage these days. It’s everywhere in the media. I live in a remote area – is this an option for me? Or is it just poppycock? And where would I even begin to start if I wanted to get into this? (OL, email). A: This is an area in […]
How to show job change is for real
Q: In my last interview, I really struggled to persuade the panel that I want to leave my current job. Yes, it’s a good job, and pays very well, but it doesn’t fulfil me. Been there, done that. I’m prepared to take a step back moneywise to start on a new road – but the […]
Need for speed put me off track
Q: I am a HR professional and in the interview, they asked me a health and safety scenario. “What would you do if the pressure was really on to get workers on site and you had a lot of inductions in a short space of time?” I started talking about speed but they wanted to […]
Putting yourself in the frame for future opportunities
Q: I went for a job in my own company recently and, to be honest, I didn’t really expect to get it. However, I got called to the second interview and got good feedback from my immediate manager. She said I had done well. The experience has made me itchy for a change as I […]
A time to say nothing
Q: I’m taking a lot of time off work lately to attend job interviews, and I fear my boss might figure out I’m thinking of moving on. I haven’t told any brazen lies – no phantom dead grandmother stories – but I have mentioned family occasions and hospital trips to justify the days off. Should […]
Preparation will ease worries
Q: I’m really worried about an upcoming interview. I’m afraid I will get all tongue-tied. I know my job inside out but others will sell themselves much better than me. Any tips? (ED, email). A: Get some notes down on paper, but don’t learn stuff off. Write down six stories that show you doing your […]
Looking to the future after recent setback
Q: I have recently had a bad experience with an employer and felt I had no option but to resign. I felt I would not progress so I made the decision to leave. How can I explain this in an interview without looking like a quitter? (BT, email). A: Almost everybody has career reverses or […]
Shaking off interview nerves
Q: I tend to twitch a lot with my hands in an interview. Any tips for preventing this from happening? (GF, email). A: It is inevitable that you will experience nerves before and during an interview. You are stepping outside your comfort zone. Even the most skilled communicators can experience nerves – in fact, many […]