February 2012

First, some late-breaking news: Today, I walked. Slow, lurching steps that are sort of reminiscent of Frankenstein, but since these are my first unassisted steps since breaking my foot 17 weeks ago, I will take what I can get.

And now:  It’s terse answer Tuesday!  We’ve got seven short answers to seven short questions, including a secret hiring process, the necessity of makeup when interviewing, and more. Here we go…

1. Working in a space with no natural light

My group at work is about to do an office move. In the last office move, despite having almost no seniority compared to the rest of my team, I lucked out and got a cube with a window. My new workspace will be an open space with almost no access to natural light. I definitely know, from the past, that natural light makes a huge difference in my mood and general happiness at work. Is there a way I can explain to my management that I’m worried I’ll be miserable and a huge irritable jerk in the new space they’ve assigned me? Without seniority I have no official cards to play, and I’m worried about looking like I’m blowing up over nothing.

You can certainly ask, but if it’s not seeming doable, don’t push too hard — after all, there are lots of other people who would like space with natural light too, and you don’t want to come across as if you think you have more of a claim on it than others do.

2. My new employer has a secret final hiring step that they won’t tell me about

I’ve been working in a contract-to-hire gig and am in the process of converting to a full-time employee. Both my boss and HR have said there’s an extra step after all the paperwork is signed before I’m completely converted. When I’ve asked what it is, all I was told is that it was just a small extra step but have not been told what it is. I have even asked coworkers and they get all tight lipped about it. How common is this? Have you seen what these small extra steps were at other places? What if I’m completely uncomfortable with this purportedly “small” thing? I’ve been told about a drug screen and I’ve done those before and it’s scheduled before my first day as their employee so that’s not it. I’m confused and irritated. I appreciate any help or insight you can provide.

No idea. This is weird. What are they going to do, haze you? Since it’s not a drug screen, I can’t imagine what step remains that they don’t want to tell you about, but I think it would be reasonable to say that you’re not comfortable finalizing things without knowing what this additional step is, or at least why it can’t be shared with you.

3. Employer is searching our purses when we leave work

I work for Goodwill in Florida and they have now started searching purses when we leave. Mind you, my purse has been locked up in a locker the whole time I’m there. Is this legal? They argue they do it in our stores, but I work in the main office.

Courts have decided these cases on a case-to-case basis, so this is going to be very general information, but here goes. In retail environments, employers are allowed to ask to search your belongings (and you’re allowed to refuse, but they could fire you for refusing) because courts have ruled that there’s a legitimate business interest in preventing theft. It’s murkier in an office environment, where courts are more likely to rule that searches violate your privacy if they’re done without any reasonable suspicion that you’ve violated the law or your employer’s policies. Employers can mitigate some of this risk by having a policy alerting you that they’ll be searching your belongings, but again, this can be a grey area that varies from state to state and case to case.

4. Employer won’t pay lodging expenses at an event we’re expected to attend

I’m an intern for a small nonprofit in DC. In the next few months, our nonprofit has an event in a major city about 5 hours from DC. All of the interns (there are 6 of us), were told that the nonprofit would pay for our bus ride to and from the city, but the one night of lodging and food during our stay would not be provided. While we never signed a document stating it was part of our internship to go to this event, it is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year and it is strongly recommended that the interns attend. This seems extremely unfair and unprofessional to me. What are your thoughts on this situation?

Yep, it’s unfair and bad management. If you expect people to attend an event, you pay their expenses to do so. This is true for everyone, but it’s especially egregious to do to interns, who aren’t exactly earning big bucks. I suggest that you all explain that you’d like to go but can’t afford lodging while you’re there.

5. Must women wear makeup to look professional?

I am a lady, but I don’t really wear makeup that often and don’t know much about applying it, so I often go barefaced to interviews rather than risk over doing it. Is that instinct wrong? Is it expected that women wear makeup in industry?

There are indeed some people who believe that women look more professional with makeup, and there are plenty who don’t care at all, but either way, you shouldn’t have to wear makeup if you don’t want to. That said, there are some industries where it’s more expected, and if you’re in one of those, it might be worth learning how to apply some basic makeup so that you’re not worrying about it in interviews. Not that you should have to, but sometimes people are silly. (And if you do decide to go that route, most makeup counters will teach you for free, especially if you then buy a couple of their products.)

6. Bringing a written list of questions to an interview

I always make sure to have questions to ask my interviewer about the organization, the position, etc. Sometimes I have a fair amount of them, so I write them down. Does it look bad to read off a list of written questions? I make an effort to memorize them, but I’ll look at my list to make sure I’m not missing anything. I’m not sure whether have prepared a written list of questions shows that I’m very interested and take the time to prepare or that I’m sloppy and need notes. A lot of my interviewers are reading off a list of written questions so I thought it might be fair to have a physical reminder for myself.

Nope, a written list of questions is good. You’ll look prepared. Just don’t read it like a script.

7. Asking about raises during a hiring process

How do you broach merit raises during the job interview process? I would really like to avoid working for an organzation that doesn’t give their employees raises/cost of living increases. The last two companies I’ve worked for made it known that merit raises aren’t given even if you’re among the top performers.

Wait until you have a job offer, and then ask how the company typically handles raises. This is a normal thing to discuss when you’re negotiating money, but I wouldn’t get into it until you’re at that point.

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It’s short answer Saturday once again! We’ve had a lot of these short-answer posts lately — they’re a great way for me to churn through a lot of mail — and I hope they’re not becoming overwhelming.  In any case, here we go…

1. How to tell an employee she can’t have certain shifts off

I run a small business and currently have an employee who decided she wanted to pick up 2 extra shifts every other weekend per month. The other day she came to me and told me that she wants to continue to work for me, but she also has accepted another job and it is requiring her to work the 2 shifts she had picked up for me. I cannot accommodate her wish, as we have a very small staff and there is no one else to cover the shifts she picked up. I am thinking of telling her that working for us is her main priority and that she has to decide what she wants to do, but if she choose to not work the extra shifts she currently has, then I will have to terminate her and give all her hours to a new employee. I don’t think I will be able to find a new employee who only wants to work 2 shifts in a month. How do I convey this message to her without sounding too harsh?

Just be straightforward. You can be nice while still asserting what you need. I’d say something like this: “Unfortunately, I need you to work the hours that we agreed to, because now that we’ve arranged it, I don’t have anyone else who can cover those shifts. I realize you’ve taken a second job, but I really need someone in your role who will make this work their first priority because as a small business, we just don’t have a lot of flexibility on shifts. I’ll understand if you decide that this isn’t the right fit for your needs right now, although I hope that won’t be the case.” Then let her decide if she wants to stay on those terms or not, and be nice about whichever choice she makes.

2. Mentioning a personal connection to the work in a cover letter

I’m a massage therapist applying for a job in a physical therapy clinic. While I’ve provided medical massage in other settings before, my only firsthand experience with physical therapy was as a patient when I was a teenager. It was a great thing for me (I can walk up stairs! Yay!), and I’d like to mention it in my cover letter, but a friend thought it might come across as unprofessional. Thoughts?

Absolutely you should mention it! It’s a way of demonstrating why the work is meaningful to you. (Also, I must mention here that I am loving my physical therapist, who is helping me get to the point where I can walk again. Yay, physical therapy!)

3. Combatting reference fatigue

In the midst of what feels like the eternal job search, I have been asked for my references at a number of interviews. I understand that’s standard procedure; however, the problem I have is when my references are called and I’m still not offered the position. I wish employers could see it from our perspective. Not only is it embarrassing and humiliating, it puts a strain on my professional relationship with my references. I don’t want them to feel like answering my reference calls is a part-time job. Perhaps you could provide some insight on ways to combat this.

Well, here’s the thing: Checking references isn’t just a perfunctory step that you do before offering someone a job (or at least it shouldn’t be). It’s often part of the decision process itself. For instance, if I have two or three great candidates who I’m trying to decide among, calling their references might be part of what helps me make that decision … because references aren’t just a pass/fail kind of thing, but rather something that provides more insight about your strengths and weaknesses, how you work best, what kind of management you do best with, and so forth. It’s part of further fleshing out who you are professionally. I think you might be thinking of it as more pass/fail, figuring that you fall in the “pass” category, and then wondering why they’re bothering if they’re not going to hire you.

So you do have to assume that there will probably be times when your references are contacted but it doesn’t result in a job offer. That said, if you have the sense that employers are contacting references before you’re a top finalist for the job, it’s reasonable to ask them to wait until you are. You can say something like, “Out of respect for my references’ time, I prefer they not be contacted before we’re close to the offer stage.”

4. Offer was pulled after I gave notice

I recently accepted an offer for a new job. I gave my two week notice to my current employer. Two days later, the company that made me the offer did a background check/credit check. I did not pass the credit check and they said they would not be able to hire me. How can I let my current employer know I would like to stay on with them? Can this be done? I don’t know what to do now.

Ugh, how awful. This is why I’m a proponent of not giving notice until your job offer is truly final — i.e., after any background checks are complete and the job is absolutely yours. In any case, talk to your current employer and see if you can stay. If you’re a good employee and they haven’t already hired someone else, they might be glad to hear it … but be prepared for them to be concerned about why you were job-searching in the first place and whether that’s going to continue. It’s a tough situation to navigate, but it’s absolutely worth trying. Talk to your boss first thing on Monday!

5. Selecting the start date for a new job

I am currently in my final semester of engineering and have accepted a job offer in a city about an 8-hour drive away. I haven’t selected a start date and was trying to decide when I should start. I am planning on getting married in the summer and we were thinking July 28. If we chose that date, I would probably start May 23. Is it too early to already be asking off work from a job I haven’t started yet, even though it is for my wedding? Another option would be to move it to late June and start work right after the wedding? I would prefer not to wait a month and a half to start work because I will have an apartment lease starting in may and will need the job to pay for it. What should I do? It would only be 3-5 days after 2 months of working there.

Ask the person who will be your new manager! Explain the options and ask what they would prefer. They may have a strong preference for one option over the other, or they may tell you to do whichever you prefer.

6. Cover letters when not applying for a specific opening

How do you write a cover letter that doesn’t correspond to a specific job listing? There are a few companies I am interested in and while they don’t have any specific job opportunities published, their websites say “We are always looking for the right person, so please send us your cover letter and CV.” As a bit of background, in my industry (technology R&D), most people get their jobs this way or through networking. I am trying to network my way into contact with these companies, but if I can’t I will have to send my CV into the void, and want to write the right thing.

Write the same type of cover letter you’d write if you were responding to a particular opening: Talk about the work you want to do and why you’ll be awesome at it.

7. Applying for a manager job without management experience

Our company recently posted an open position for a product manager that I am interested in applying for. I was curious about the experience requirements and how stringent they may be. The job description states: “This position requires a Business or Marketing Degree or equivalent from an accredited four year college or university with 3 years prior customer support and/or product management experience plus at least 2 years supervisory experience. Prior experience in the automotive industry is a plus.”

I have a BS in Informatics, which I feel covers the education requirement. I have also been with the company for 5 years and have steadily worked my way up from an entry level position in customer support to being a business analyst on our new product development team, working with nearly everyone in our division in various roles and capacities. However, I do not have any explicit management experience. Should I proceed and throw my hat into the ring even though I don’t have the requisite supervisory experience? Would recommendations from other managers at this level be a possible substitute? I think it may be a stretch for me to get the job, but I want to company to know that I’m interested in growing and increasing my contributions.

If they want management experience, they’re probably going to be loathe to settle for someone who doesn’t have any, but you don’t have anything to lose, so you might as well apply and see what happens. Or even better, since this is a position in your current company, why not talk to the person who’s hiring for the position and ask them if they think you’d be a viable candidate?

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It’s fast answer Friday — seven short answers to seven short questions. We’ve got a reader whose boss told her to be more confident, a boss who yelled at employees for eating breakfast, and more. Here we go…

1. Applying for the same job as a friend

An internal job posting was recently posted within my company. I hadn’t decided whether or not I was going to apply for it, but I was leaning more towards applying. Then a friend / co-worker of mine called me and told me that she was applying for the same position. I didn’t really think much about it then. The next day, four other co-workers came to my desk and asked if I was applying for it and that they thought I would be a great fit for this position. Since I was already considering applying, this gave me the extra push to submit my cover letter / resume and tell my current boss that I applied. My friend / co-worker called me later on that day (after I applied) to ask if I’d put in a good word for her for this position. I didn’t tell her that I had applied too. Now I’m torn whether or not to tell her that I applied. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You should tell her, because what are you planning to do if you get the job? Pretend to her that they offered it to you out of nowhere? The longer you wait, it weirder it will be, so tell her, and tell her that you’ll be happy for her if she ends up getting it.

2. Being told to be more confident in my work

I’ve been at my post for about 4 months. I’ve always received good feedback as I am very hardworking. The only “negative” feedback I’ve had has been that I need to come across as more confident. My manager trusts in my ability, but she said I just need to be more confident with it and believe in myself. I understand this but I don’t know how to do that. If it was something more tangible like “need to be quicker at writing up reports” or whatever, I think I would find it easier to put into practice. Can you offer any advice about this? It would really help.

Think about why your manager is telling you this. What behaviors is she reacting to? Those are the ones to work on changing, and that will give you something tangible to focus on. For instance, maybe she’s telling you this because you always ask her to review your work before you finalize it, or because you don’t start on projects without first running down your plan of action with her, or because you don’t make any decisions without getting her okay. I don’t know what the specifics are that motivated her feedback, but whatever they are, that’s what you want to change. And if you don’t know what motivated it either, go back to her and ask her to point to specific behaviors that gave her that impression.

3. Should I call this employer again?

I graduated college two years ago and am finding it very difficult to get a job. I found my dream job (for right now) posted on the job site of a local college. I applied for it immediately and the application deadline closed a week later. I waited four days for a call, then figured I would follow up and call them to see if they received my application, as well as ask for an opportunity for an interview. The person did not answer so i left a message. It’s two days later and I still have not heard back. Should I call again? I really, really, really want this job and do not want to do anything to screw it up. What should my next steps be?

You’ve applied. They know that you’re interested. At this point, the ball is in their court to decide if they’re interested. Do not harass them with phone calls.

4. Abusive boss who yells at employees

Five minutes before the start of a particular event at the office, a boss in my company found a few of his employees in the cafeteria having their breakfast. He walked in and loudly yelled at them rebuking them for eating at that time. He claimed that since breakfast is provided every day all throughout the year, it wouldn’t hurt to not eat one day. The shell-shocked employees looked clueless. Not restraining himself, he went on to ask if they would get up or whether he had to throw their plates in the dispenser. Hurt and disgusted, all the people in the cafeteria stopped eating and went to the event hall. The boss is a senior person at the organization and has repeated such behavior many times in the past with his employees.
How to handle such a boss?

I have some old advice about handling a boss who yells here.

5. Are my job prospects hurt by only having one direct report?

I’ve been head of my department for several years. Unfortunately, due to the economy / belief system that me and one other guy can get most of our work done, our department size has not improved. I don’t mean to brag, but my resume is an impressive read. I’ve had the opportunity to work and improve several institutions.

In the last few interviews I’ve had, everything went perfect – right up until they asked me about how many “direct reports” I have. I only have the one person who directly reports to me. Granted, I hire several part time contractors throughout the year, but only one full-time. As soon as I mention this, there is a noticeable turn in the conversation. Do you have any recommendations for handling this?

Do you have any other management experience besides your current job? It’s true that when hiring for management positions, employers often want people with more experience than managing just one direct report, because managing one person is very different from managing a large team (and managing lots of people also exposes you to many more types of management challenges, which is key because management expertise is so often about having learned through experience). It’s also true that lots of employers read “department of two” as not especially senior level. So it might be that you’re applying for jobs that aren’t exactly in line with your background, and that there’s going to be a step in between what you’re doing now and where you’re trying to go.

6. Should I tell employers I’m moving to be with my boyfriend?

My boyfriend and I have decided to move in together, so I’m relocating about 70 miles to his city because he has the better job (mine is a post-grad internship with no opportunity to advance). When interviewers ask “What brings you to the area?”, should I tell them the real reason? While I’m more than happy to move, I’m concerned that my reasons for moving might come across as flighty, naive, or unprofessional. I’ve considered saying “to be closer to family,” which is true in a sense, but I don’t want to answer any follow-up questions about neighborhoods, schools, etc. What should I do?

I’d say that you’re moving to be closer to your family, which is true, if you consider your boyfriend your family (which you should if you’re going to make this move). Interviewers are unlikely to ask tons of follow-up questions, because they want to steer clear of asking about areas they have no business asking about (like kids, marital status, etc.).

7. What does this job description mean?

I’m a recent grad, about to apply to an environmental nonprofit entry-level job. One of the “Desired Skills” in their job description is “Knowledge of Microsoft office suite and internet research tools.” I really am good at googling everything under the sun, always have been, but I can’t figure out if that’s what they mean, google. What else could they possibly mean?

Yep, it probably means that. Or, depending on the nature of the job, it could mean some job-specific research tool, but based on what you’ve written here, it probably doesn’t.

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