How to avoid complacency in a job interview
Q: I’m going for a job in-house and all the indications are that I am the hot favourite. I have been number two to the current incumbent for the last four years. However, there are talented people elsewhere in the company who want to climb the ladder and they will make a huge effort to […]
How a candidate put me on the spot
Q: I’m not the usual potential employee type who sends a question in to you – in fact, I am an employer. Last week when interviewing candidates for a new graduate role, three of the six we interviewed asked us about what we were doing in terms of our corporate and social responsibility, particularly in […]
Practice makes perfect in business pitch
Q: My company has announced a competition to find the most entrepreneurial staff member. There is a tidy cash prize, and it would be great for my career if I could win. I have a good business idea, which taps into a need I have spotted from my involvement in rallying, but I have no […]
How to exit your current job the right way
Q: How can I create an exit strategy to leave a job gracefully? My time here is done. I’m not sure what comes next, and that frightens me a bit I must admit, but I can’t wait here any longer or I’ll go from the wire. I don’t want to leave here on bad terms, […]
Hidden CV jewels
Q: Any unlikely piece of information I should have on my CV? (CD). A: This is an excellent question. Many people make poor use of their volunteering experience, believing that their CV should only contain professional career events. What you do in your spare time says a lot about you. I’ve heard senior HR personnel […]
Getting ready for life after college
Q: I’m in college. I’ll graduate next year and need to start thinking about life after college – what should I do immediately after graduation to advance my career? (IK). A: I will throw this question back at you: what should you do now?” As I said in a recent column, “the time to fatten […]
How to navigate tricky career change challenges
Reader AF has a number of questions he would like dealt with as he is currently in the middle of a career change. “I have been in the same job for 24 years and moving on is much more daunting than I thought,” he writes. Q1: Should I wear a suit for an interview? […]
Why a pay cut may be just the tonic
Q: I’ve been offered a better job but there is a pay cut involved. I’m tempted. People might think me crazy. Should I take it? (DF, email). A: A lot of people would struggle to see how a job with lower pay could be construed as being better, but there are times when this is […]
Go strong on what matters to them at interview
Q: How do I identify my strengths? I’ve an interview coming up and I don’t know where to start. (SD, email). A: There is a hole in your question. You need to identify the strengths that are relevant to the position you are chasing. Your strength of doing 100 press ups without taking a breath […]
Why rushing into the money question could knock you off course
Q: Can I ask about money in the first phone call/interview? (DR, email). A: Yes, you can, but I would generally advise against it. The early stages of the interviewing/application process should be about persuading the recruiter that you have what they’re looking for, and the money talk can come later. There’ll be time enough […]