Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Vet your prospective boss – dig up some dirt, pt VI

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digupdirt3875775536_dc0be3a2d6_mHave you been keeping up with horror story week at Keppie Careers? Where job seekers and hiring managers have a chance to share their tales of woe, in hopes
that we can all learn something?

This is a story originally left as a comment on a previous post. I thought it was too good not to share!

I was invited into an interview in a major city and I when I saw the agenda, I could not believe the schedule. It was an all-day interview, which lead me to believe they were just using that time to find things wrong with candidates and to be overly critical. Nonetheless, I went to the interview and was appalled to discover that another candidate for the same role had been invited there for the same time – a big red flag and inappropriate.

I went through the all-day job interview without being offered lunch and was dying to get home. The potential boss seemed amiable, but I believe he went overboard for this easy position. His name was very distinctive and he told me where he used to live. When I returned home from the job interview, I Googled this boss and this is the headline that I found of an article about him from a major newspaper: “Candidate charged with indecent exposure in ‘97”

Anyway, I never heard back from that company, and it was probably a blessing in disguise.

The writer reminded us in his comment how important it is to Google the names of our prospective employers. Doing research in advance is excellent, both for gathering information that builds rapport (Oh, you went to Florida State? So did I! Where did you live your first year?) AND to find out if there is any information that might make you think twice before working for someone.

eBossWatch is a service that allows employees to rate their bosses and review other ratings. Its site notes:

If you are a job seeker or if you are thinking about making a career change, check with eBossWatch to make sure that you won’t be stuck working for an abusive or bad boss. Search for the boss or company that you are interviewing with or considering working for and see how other employees have rated that boss.

Another site that might be helpful is GreatPlaceJobs.com, a job board that was developed to help people find jobs at the best employers, because everyone deserves a great and satisfying career.  GreatPlaceJobs is the largest site that features jobs exclusively at companies across the U.S. that have been certified as great workplaces.

While there is no guarantee that an award-winning organization would not have a dismal boss working for them, these businesses tend to have mechanisms in place that may have a tendency to prevent the very worst boss behavior. (Disclosure: I am a partner in GreatPlaceJobs and my business partner owns eBossWatch.)

A theme in these stories – (don’t miss Part I, II and III, IV and V) -  job seekers had a good sense that the opportunity might not be what they had hoped. I hope job seekers reading these stories will remember this the next time a red flag goes up at an interview!

So, what do you think? What’s YOUR story? Add it to the comments!

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.
photo by mdavidford

How to reply to illegal interview questions

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handcuffs2924859323_33eb45e640Yesterday’s post described Natalie’s tale – every job seeker’s nightmare illegal interview. She chose to simply respond to the questions. What other options do you have?

JobWeb has some great information about how to handle illegal interview questions. They point out that you have a few options if faced with a question you think is inappropriate. (Hat tip to Karen Burns at Working Girl for the link!)

  • You are free to answer the question. However, keep in mind that if you provide this information, you may jeopardize your chances of getting hired, in the event you provide the “wrong” answer. There may be a legal recourse available to you, but this is not the preferred outcome for most job applicants.
  • You can refuse to answer the question. Unfortunately, depending on how the refusal is phrased, you run the risk of appearing uncooperative or confrontational, and losing the job. Again, there may be legal recourse, but this is hardly an ideal situation.
  • You can examine the question for its intent and respond with an answer as it might apply to the job. For example, if the interviewer asks, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” or “What country are you from?,” you have been asked an improper question. You could respond, however, with “I am authorized to work in the United States.” Similarly, if the interviewer asks, “Who is going to take care of your children when you have to travel for the job?” your answer could be, “I can meet the travel and work schedule that this job requires.”

Follow this link for more information to help teach you to identify questions no one should ask you!

Don’t forget, in general, it’s a good idea to view the interview as YOUR opportunity to evaluate the employer. Watch for warning signs during your interview!

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I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by endless studio

Horror job search stories and illegal interview questions, Part III

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jackolanterns2947784390_241ca96f64_mIn honor of Halloween week, I thought it would be fun to commiserate and share some job search horror stories! The goal is to share tales from job seekers (so you know you’re not alone) AND from hiring managers, so job seekers can learn what things might NOT work and how to manage when things are going down the tubes!

Natalie shared this story, also detailed on her blog:

After waiting for awhile in a brightly orange-painted room, the interviewer calls my name and sits me down at a desk.

Normal thus far until he comments on my choice of wardrobe – a green dress. Literally he said “Natalie in the green dress in the orange room!” Then he looks at my resume – “So you’re from Utah, isn’t that where all of those Mormons live? Are you Mormon?”

I answer in the affirmative, and a little bell starts ringing – isn’t he not supposed to ask that? He starts asking me the interview questions and randomly pauses to ask me why I switched from crossing my legs to crossing my ankles and asked (maybe leered) – are you comfortable here with me? Got a little nervous that I may have gotten myself into a bad situation at that point.

I got the question that every interviewer has asked…”What brought you to San Diego?”

“My husband and I just moved here.”
Then he starts asking – “Oh you’re married, how long have you been married?”
After my reply of one month, he literally said, “Well you’re Mormon – you’re going to have children soon.”
Now – I know that’s not right – for an interviewer to ask an interviewee about children and upcoming life events that would affect employment. But we keep going.

I have to admit it was a little weird when he asked me if my husband had more than one wife…I tried to politely educate him – but seriously – no SERIOUSLY?! The interview was awkward and concluded. He then walked me outside, saying he wanted to see what car I drove. Okaaaayy…then he asked what was on my ipod.

Maybe he didn’t like that I said Fergie mixed with country because he called a few hours later to say I didn’t get the job. Needless to say, despite wanting income, I didn’t want to work with him anyway.

Ah…the true horror story, complete with the illegal and generally inappropriate/irrelevant interview questions. Clearly, the main (and key) outcome here is that Natalie would not have wanted to work for this person, regardless. That is important. It’s key for job seekers to maintain control of their own destinies by refusing to work where they know they are likely to experience inappropriate behavior. Don’t ignore interview warning signs.
So, how could Natalie have managed these questions? Did she have to answer? Follow this link for information about how to handle illegal interview questions.
Have you ever been confronted with an illegal or inappropriate interview question? Share your experiences in the comments!
Don’t miss Part I and Part II of this “Horror Story” series!

I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.
photo by trommettier

Job search horror stories

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cracklymoon1797667874_0a714115a9_mIn honor of Halloween week, I thought it would be fun to commiserate and share some job search horror stories! The goal is to share tales from job seekers (so you know you’re not alone) AND from hiring managers, so job seekers can learn what things might NOT work.

So, welcome to “Horror Story Week” on Keppie Careers! I appreciate my Twitter friends for helping to pass the word that I am looking for stories, and for passing along some ideas for my series. Thanks also to Peter Shankman for HARO – Help A Reporter Out, for help finding additional sources! (It’s not too late to share your story! Send it to me: miriam(at)keppiecareers(dot)com.)

I guess that I wasn’t too surprised to learn that some of these horror stories may have had different endings had the job seeker taken a different approach. NOT that this excused rude behavior on the part of the hiring manager, but it is important to learn something from these stories…

Todd shared this story:

So, this so-called executive recruiter sends me a questionnaire (10 pages BTW) and says complete it and schedule an “interview.” Well, in full disclosure, I only completed half, but went ahead and scheduled the meeting. After all, I was an executive and my resume was what I wanted to talk about. So, while waiting in the lobby of this firm, some guy walks out to greet me. He’s wearing some ridiculous looking suit with tennis shoes and showing off a shiny keychain that says “Hyundai” and acts like he’s doing me a favor by taking the time to meet with me.

The guy walks me to some conference room, throws the half-complete questionnaire on the table and begins to yell at me–literally. He proceeds to tell me that I’m a loser and have no future. I couldn’t believe it!

So, I stood up and said I made a mistake. Then–THEN–he calls me an “a-hole” as I walked out. All I said was, ” Back at ya!”

Following this, eh em…episode, I landed a job as an executive for an online brokerage firm in Texas. I always wanted to call the guy and rub it in, but why stoop to that level.

So, what can we learn here? Clearly, Todd wasn’t very interested in this job! The fact is, if he was not willing to fill out the application (no matter how long), he should not have bothered to apply! As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to follow directions regarding the application if you want the job!

On the other hand, if you see what seems like a ridiculous application process, consider it a red flag. Maybe this company has policies and proceedures that are not likely to mesh with your preferred way of doing things. Evaluate it and decide NOT to apply! Even if you are desperate for a job, you know, deep down, you are unlikely to be happy working for a place that sets up what you consider to be an absurd hiring process.

In this case, obviously, the hiring manager was a bit “off.” It’s never appropriate to yell and swear at an applicant, and you have to assume an employee would receive the same treatment. So, it was lucky for Todd that things worked out the way they did!

What do you think? Share your comments below!

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I can help with every part of your job hunt! Need a great resume? Tips to use social networking? Interview coaching?  If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, don’t forget those social networks! Be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community! Since we’re on the subject of doing something new…Are you on Twitter? Jump on and touch base with me @keppie_careers.

photo by peasap

Common errors on resumes

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redpen2366448173_29889b5da9_mYesterday’s post about avoiding errors on your resume and job search materials was actually inspired by THIS post by Rachel Rose, an independent multimedia communications professional based in Atlanta. (And, I’m happy to say, a Twitter friend!) Rachel wrote about 42 commonly confused English words – AKA – homophones.

Homophones are defined by dictionary.com as:

Phonetics. a word pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not, as heir and air.

While receiving documents addressed to “Dear Sir or Madman” or suggesting that the candidate has a “keen eye for derail” might provide a chuckle, as it is an obvious error, misspelling homophones does not even offer a chuckle. Assuming the reader knows the difference, I think these errors are even more serious, as they indicate that the applicant may not be smarter than a 3rd grader!

My personal pet peeves – and errors I see over and over again:

There – There is going to be a party after the play.

Their – Their children are very well behaved.

They’re – They’re having a lot of trouble on the spelling test.

Incidentally, I personally learned the difference between their and there from a beer commercial. It said something along the lines of it’s the Bud (?) and then inserted ‘ir” for it’s their Bud…Not sure why I remember that…

Your – Your dress is lovely

You’re – You’re going to be sorry if you don’t edit that resume!

Its – The doll lost its shoe.

It’s – It’s going to be a very long day.

Read Rachel’s post and learn what other homophones you should know!

No matter what, avoid these errors in your application materials!

If you need help mobilizing your networks and your job search plans, learn more about how I can help you! While you’re at it, be sure to become a fan of Keppie Careers on Facebook…I’d be thrilled to have you as part of the community!


photo by lexnger