can I wear the same clothes to a second interview? by Alison Green on June 21, 2012 A reader writes: I graduated last year and thus have little work experience (and job hunting experience!). I was recently called to a group interview where all I was given was a name tag. I was then observed during a group activity to see if I performed well. I sent them a thank-you note after […] Read the full article →
how to hire entry-level employees by Alison Green on June 20, 2012 A reader writes: I hire and manage a number of entry level nonprofit employees (permanent full-time staff as well as AmeriCorps members and college interns). When I hire these folks, it’s often pretty tough to identify the best candidates — so many of them don’t really know how to give me the information I need […] Read the full article →
know how to pare down your resume to what matters by Alison Green on June 20, 2012 Five-page resumes: common among senior-level candidates. Two-page resumes: common among senior-level candidates who actually get hired. And I’m not saying there’s a cause-and-effect — it’s more that strong candidates just don’t write overly long resumes. They know how to edit and they know what matters and what doesn’t. Read the full article →
get these 10 things off your resume by Alison Green on June 20, 2012 What you don’t include on your resume can be as important as what you do include. Here are 10 things to make sure you leave off of your resume. 1. An objective. Resume objectives never help and often hurt. Not only do they feel outdated at this point, but they’re all about what youwant, rather than what […] Read the full article →
I don’t want to share my cover letter with coworkers! by Alison Green on June 19, 2012 A reader writes: I don’t want to sound like a conceited jerk here. But I put a lot of work into my cover letter and resume, and while I have shared it with a few close friends, I don’t believe it is something I want to make public (at least not to people in my […] Read the full article →
committing to a start date before you have a job offer by Alison Green on June 19, 2012 A reader writes: What do you think about the hiring practice of attempting to pin down a candidate to a start date before providing the formal job offer? I recently had a prospective employer contact me saying, “Please let me know what date you’re able to start so that I can include that information in […] Read the full article →
do employers really care where you went to school? by Alison Green on June 19, 2012 A reader writes: Do employers really care where you got your degree? I’ve been told before that graduating from a prestigious school opens all kinds of doors and that employers will be more likely to hire someone who went somewhere prestigious. Is this true? Will such a person be more likely to get interviews and […] Read the full article →
I feel unprepared to get a job in my field by Alison Green on June 18, 2012 A reader writes: I graduated recently with an entry-level Education degree, but I haven’t been able to find a teaching position in my district. Some of my classmates, however, have already found teaching positions. I’ve given my resume to plenty of schools and gotten plenty of interviews, but I haven’t gotten any call-backs. Although the […] Read the full article →
do you have an awesome cover letter? by Alison Green on June 18, 2012 Do you have the cover letter to rule all other cover letters? Rachel Kaufman, who has been nice enough to feature many of my articles at MediaBistro, wants your help. She writes: I’m putting together an ebook of cover letters written by people in media/other creative industries. I realized that very much of the content […] Read the full article →
everything you need to know about nonprofit jobs by Alison Green on June 18, 2012 As someone who has spent my whole career working for nonprofits, I can tell you that the nonprofit sector has its own quirks, plusses, and sometimes minuses. Here are eight things you need to know about how nonprofit jobs are (and aren’t) different. 1. It’s true – you’ll probably make less money. But while nonprofits generally pay less than […] Read the full article →