my interviewer sent me an email saying my scars are triggering by Alison Green on November 1, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve been casually job searching for a few months and had an interview last week. The job was for a logistics specialist at a shipping company. The woman who interviewed me, Marcia, seemed distracted the entire interview, shuffling papers and mumbling her questions. I knew pretty quickly I wouldn’t be taking the […] Read the full article →
company wants references from “coworkers you didn’t get along with” by Alison Green on October 4, 2022 I’m off today. This was originally published in 2016. A reader writes: I’m currently interviewing for a new position with a company that works remotely. Over the past two weeks, I’ve had 10+ video calls with every member of the small team, along with a bunch of unpaid work tests that have included everything from […] Read the full article →
an employer “challenged” me and other applicants to work for free for 2 weeks by Alison Green on September 15, 2022 A reader writes: I applied for a position with a company that specializes in the sustainability and environmental sector and received the below email as a response. Am I totally off-base to think that (A) this is FAR too much to do for free in lieu of a traditional interview process, and (B) they are […] Read the full article →
was my interviewer in the wrong … or was I? by Alison Green on April 28, 2022 A reader writes: I was wondering if you could help enlighten me on an extremely odd situation I had and whether I was wrong in any way. A few months ago, I applied to an entry-level assistant/reception position for a large company. A third-party recruiter posted the listing, so he contacted me for an initial […] Read the full article →
do I have any recourse when an employer ghosts me? by Alison Green on February 2, 2022 A reader writes: I know you’ve written that when job searching it’s best to assume you won’t hear back at every stage, and then to let any positive news be a pleasant surprise. I like the idea of this, but I can’t get past the fact that ghosting is still incredibly rude, especially at the […] Read the full article →
interviewer badmouthed me to my references because I didn’t want to “harness the power of QAnon” by Alison Green on July 28, 2021 A reader writes: After 15 years as a nonprofit executive director, I’ve struck out on my own as a nonprofit consultant. While much of my business is word-of-mouth and comes to me, I do sometimes throw my hat in the ring for positions I see posted online. One such position was for an organization that […] Read the full article →
am I supposed to remember the details of every job I apply to? by Alison Green on July 20, 2021 A reader writes: I lost my job recently when the small company I worked for went under. I have a little savings buffer, but needless to say, I am job hunting vigorously. I usually put in two to three applications a day and I spend hours trying to write thoughtful and personalized cover letters, so […] Read the full article →
do employers set up secret “gotcha” tests for job candidates? by Alison Green on July 13, 2021 A reader writes: A few years ago, I was applying to a position (entry level, only about a year or so out of college) and I noticed a fairly obvious spelling error in the job posting. It has been a few years so the exact error escapes me now, but it was one that was […] Read the full article →
my interviewer asked about my personal finances by Alison Green on May 27, 2021 A reader writes: Is it normal for a hiring manager to ask, somewhat insistently, how a candidate has been supporting herself financially during a period of unemployment? If it’s not normal, which is my suspicion, what could possibly be behind this? I work in a niche field and was laid off last year in a […] Read the full article →
I flew out for an interview — and they ended it after one question by Alison Green on March 15, 2021 A reader writes: I went on an interview for a position in another state that I was really excited about. I work in a niche field and jobs rarely open. I prepared well, researched the company, and prepared answers about how my experiences align with their core values. I felt great. I had to fork […] Read the full article →