If you’re wondering how to network with people in person, take a look at Susan RoAne’s The Secrets of Savvy Networking, Chapter 4. I haven’t read the whole book, just the chapter she posted online. I like the part about magnificent minglers.For those of us who never made it to charm school, bring your self-esteem […]
Whether you’re a hiring manager or a candidate, read Staying Networked. (Sorry, link no longer exists.) If you’re a hiring manager, you’ll want to network to find people, otherwise you’ll be overwhelmed with not-necessarily-appropriate resumes. If you’re a candidate with more than a few years of experience, networking is your best way to find a
I’m always amazed at the number of people who take a job because it’s steady employment, or don’t choose to leave a job when they’re no longer learning. Eric Sink’s Career Calculus is an excellent essay on the value and necessity of continuing to learn throughout your career. He lumps all learning together. I think
Dilbert is always good for a laugh. Make sure you have common sense when you interview. Don’t trash your previous managers or coworkers. Relate your experience to something useful for the hiring manager. Send me things you wish you’d never heard in an interview (whether it was from you or the other person) and I’ll
I’ve long been a fan of phone screens, to make sure I only invite candidates for an in-person interview who are a reasonable fit for the job. Now that online services and some recruiters make candidates list every technical tool they’ve ever seen on their resume, it’s hard to tell who’s actually qualified for the
I spoke this morning at WIND (Wednesday is Networking Day), helping candidates learn how to interview when the interviewers don’t necessarily ask great questions. At one point, one of the participants said, “Start with a zinger, then explain with data, then discuss your process.” When you answer a question such as “Tell me about a
Recently, two colleagues got stuck in their negotiations over a job offer. The candidate thought he heard “How little will it take to make you happy?” The hiring manager thought he said, “What do you need?” Argh. Both of these are bad questions. When you’re asked how little you need, you feel as if you’re
If you’re a hiring manager, you may want to know a candidate’s greatest strength and/or weakness. Unfortunately, if you ask openly like this, it becomes a not-so-hot interview question. See Practice Before Interviewing. If you were to ask me about a weakness, I could answer this way, “Well, I have a tendency to work a
I was reading Andy Tinkham’s “Disproportionate amount of introverts in software testing” (post is now missing) and saw a comment that one person tends to discriminate for introverts in testing. I agree with the intent of the comment, that the hiring manager wants people who are organized and pay attention to the work. However, I
Many interviewers ask this question: “Why did you leave your last job?” It’s reasonable for interviewers to want to know what started you looking for a new job. I expect to hear things like this: “I was looking for more challenge.” I then follow up with a open-ended question, “Oh, tell me about your job.