Blog
Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, provides expert insight to the job search process that puts your career in gear with tips for interviewing, networking, job search strategies and how to create a winning resume and cover letter.
Interviewing for Schrödinger’s Job
I had a conversation with a client today about her job search. She has been doing several interviews, and her persona is quite polished and professional. During today’s call, she told me about an odd experience she had recently. I will paraphrase for you….
Interview Prep: Your Key to Success in the Job Search
The job interview should be a conversation between interested parties to determine whether or not working together might be mutually beneficial. Candidates often go into interviews with little preparation and just wing it. You want to be sure that you tell a compelling, coherent story about your professional history and the value that you bring to the role. Here are my top tips for preparing for your next interview....
What Salary Are You Seeking?
Although most of the questions in a job interview are designed to see if you would work well within the company culture, there are also practical questions. There has long been a pervading idea that discussing salary is somehow crass, as if the primary reason people work is something other than being able to support their families and pay their bills. In previous years, it was considered bad form for a candidate to inquire about the salary for the position. Thankfully, this has changed….
Are You Asking the Right Questions?
Much of the career advice out there focuses on interview preparation for candidates, specifically on how best to formulate answers to typical questions. But the questions you pose during the interview are just as important—maybe even more important….
How Do I Conduct a Candidate Interview?
I received this question from a client recently; it occurred to me that while I dispense ample advice to candidates on preparing and polishing themselves for interviews, I rarely discuss the process from the other side of the desk. I’m glad this client asked, not only because it inspired me to write about it but also because it’s an often-overlooked part of the recruiting process. The sad fact is that not only are most interviewers not trained in any methodology for conducting an interview, far too often, the mechanics of an interview are but a second thought. Employers and interviewers need to be at the top of their games when they meet with prospective employees, particularly in this job market….
Warning signs during interviews
Interviews are usually situations in which everyone is on their best behavior. Like a first date, each party tries to impress the other. However, as with everything in life, things often go in ways that deviate from the original plan. Much of this is due to two factors—lack of skill on the part of the interviewer[s] and lack of preparation on the part of the candidate. So, how do you identify the red flags when you’re interviewing in this inherently imperfect setup? Here are a few warning signs for which you should be alert….
When interviewers behave badly
When I first began writing my blog, there was a concern that lingered in the back of my mind that I would run out of topics to address. However, human behavior is both bizarre and fascinating, and always provides me examples to which I can speak. A few years ago, I wrote about some of the most outrageous interviewer behavior to which I had ever been privy. Guess what? It’s back….
Tales from the trenches…#StupidInterviewQuestions
We love to compare notes about the most inane and perplexing behavior out there in the workplace. After all, the workplace is a microcosm of society, with all of society’s personalities and quirks represented. This is the first installment of a new series called “Tales from the trenches,” in which I share a particularly…
10 Things to Avoid During a Phone Interview
Are phone interviews “real” interviews? This is a question I am asked frequently. The answer is a resounding “yes.” Phone interviews are just as important to the interview process as any other interview. Most companies now require a phone screening before advancing candidates to further rounds of interviews, and many others require all initial interviews,…
Sell me this pen!
Gimmicks—video resumes, sending cookies to your interviewer, etc.—will not get you hired. But what about those situations in which the candidate is subjected to gimmicks, and is asked to perform parlor tricks for the interviewer? Yet another symptom of the lack of interview training on the part of managers, these types of questions are highly…