April 2009

too young/immature for a promotion?

A reader writes: I’m young (19) and work for a video store chain. My store manager has told me she thinks I’m too young and too “emotionally immature” to become a manager. I’m not sure what to think of that. She’s said some seriously inappropriate things to me in the past, such as berating me […]

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why you didn’t get hired

You were perfect for the job and your interviewer seemed to love you – or so you thought. But you just found out that you didn’t get the job, and now you’re wondering why. Here are eight of the most common reasons you didn’t get hired. 1. You were qualified, but someone else was more […]

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can volunteering lead to a job offer?

A reader writes: I’ve just starting reading your blog (obsessively) and completely love it. I’m about to graduate, completely terrified, and the advice you provide has made me feel infinitely more confident that I might not end up living in a cardboard box clutching my Bachelor’s Degrees and sobbing into my UMass sweatshirt. My question […]

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rejecting candidates because of their neighborhood

A reader writes: During a workshop I attended, an employment counselor mentioned that some candidates can be rejected simply because of their zip code. Apparently, some hiring managers will screen out applications when residences are in zip codes implicating problems, such as being chronically late for work. Is this something you’ve been aware of? Not […]

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what makes a hiring manager fall in love?

In most economies but especially this one, hiring managers get flooded with well-qualified candidates for any job they post. When you’re up against dozens of strong candidates, it’s smaller things that will help you break through the pack and emerge as a clear top contender. These are the things that change you from one of […]

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turnover and morale during a recession

A reader writes: Like most companies today, we have recently gone through a series of layoffs, budget freezes, cost-containment measures, low morale, and just plain difficult times. We have traditionally been a company that has overflowed with abundance, and our employees are finding it extremely difficult to cope with the complete turnaround to a company […]

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don’t mention your Mensa membership

Don’t mention in your cover letter or resume that you’re a Mensa member. Just … don’t. A candidate just told me that although she’s unable to use the program that is a critical component of the job, she’s sure she could do the job well anyway, and she added in parentheses: “(I am a member of […]

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