5 Risks That Could Help Your Career
by Margaret Steen, for Yahoo! HotJobs
Playing it safe with your career may seem smart. But to really get ahead, you may need to take some risks.
"Nothing gives your career a boost like succeeding at a risk," says Sheila Wellington, author of "Be Your Own Mentor" and a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business. "It helps you break out of the pack."
Still, before you take a risk -- whether it's quitting your job or confronting your boss -- consider whether it's smart or foolish.
Make sure you know yourself and your organization well enough to understand what happens if you take a risk and it doesn't work out. Will failure damage your career, or will coworkers admire your initiative? Will you be devastated, emotionally or financially, if you don't succeed? Or do you have a high tolerance for failure?
That's what Wellington and other experts say you should consider when evaluating career risks such as these:
* Taking on a tough project. Succeeding where others have given up is a great way to make a name for yourself.
"It's a way to get ahead, to take something that's big and dangerous," says Norm Meshriy, a career counselor and principal of Career Insights in Walnut Creek, California.
But look at what has happened to others who have tried. Have they had their reputations tarnished? Or have their efforts been rewarded?
* Changing careers. It's exciting to think about making a fresh start. But especially in today's economy, make sure you have a Plan B.
"The biggest risk in terms of a job transition is going to a different job in a different industry," says Michael Beasley, owner of Career-Crossings in Portola Valley, California, and a consultant with Right Management. You'll have a lot to learn -- right at the time when you need to be proving your worth to your new employer.
* Taking a contract job. If you have to choose between a contract job at a company where you really want to work and a permanent position at a less desirable company, taking the contract job is the bigger risk -- but could have the bigger payoff.
The key to your decision is "finding out every single thing that you can know" about the company, Beasley says. Assess your chances of being hired on permanently at the end of the contract.
* Taking time off between jobs. This risk can have big personal payoffs. It can also give you time to explore new career options. You can make it less of a career risk by keeping your network current and having a compelling story to tell about what you did with your time.
* Confronting your boss. Disagreeing with your boss in anger, without having thought through what you're going to say, is a foolish risk. But arranging a meeting with your boss outside of the office and offering a rehearsed, well-crafted explanation of how you feel can be a risk worth taking, Meshriy says.
You may not get the answer you want, but you will get better insight into your situation.
Whenever you are contemplating a risk, remember that doing nothing can also be risky.
"Your performance will suffer if you're not happy in your job, or an opportunity could slip away," Beasley said.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Gartner's Top 10 Technologies
Gartner's published their annual list of the top 10 strategic technologies, and that's always interesting. It's also interesting that five of the 10 are on the list for the first time. IT is changing:
1. Cloud computing We've been hearing about this for the past few years.
2. Advanced analytics BI (Business Intelligence) plus. Analytics keep gaining importance.
3. Client computing* Companies are providing employees with stipends to purchase their own systems and then giving them the ability to access business applications through virtualized environments.
4. Green IT Anything that reduces energy consumption and a corporate carbon footprint.
5. Reshaping the data center* A new design for data centers which uses pods and adds power, air conditioners and generators only as needed.
6. Social computing Facebook, Twitter, etc.
7. Monitoring user activity* Getting harder with cloud computing, targeted attacks, etc.
8. Flash memory* Fast, rugged, and uses less energy than hard disks. Costs more initially, but the price gap is getting smaller. Also called SSD (Solid State Disks).
9. Virtualization for availability VMware's VMotion; Microsoft's Live Migration.
10. Mobile applications* Moving applications to cell phones.
How many of these affect you? Yet, it's more important than ever to get up to speed and stay current. Things change so quickly in IT, and this includes both the technologies and the jobs. Enroll NOW in our CSTA (Computers: Systems, Terms and Acronyms) Program where we cover ALL of these up and coming technologies.
* First time on the list.
1. Cloud computing We've been hearing about this for the past few years.
2. Advanced analytics BI (Business Intelligence) plus. Analytics keep gaining importance.
3. Client computing* Companies are providing employees with stipends to purchase their own systems and then giving them the ability to access business applications through virtualized environments.
4. Green IT Anything that reduces energy consumption and a corporate carbon footprint.
5. Reshaping the data center* A new design for data centers which uses pods and adds power, air conditioners and generators only as needed.
6. Social computing Facebook, Twitter, etc.
7. Monitoring user activity* Getting harder with cloud computing, targeted attacks, etc.
8. Flash memory* Fast, rugged, and uses less energy than hard disks. Costs more initially, but the price gap is getting smaller. Also called SSD (Solid State Disks).
9. Virtualization for availability VMware's VMotion; Microsoft's Live Migration.
10. Mobile applications* Moving applications to cell phones.
How many of these affect you? Yet, it's more important than ever to get up to speed and stay current. Things change so quickly in IT, and this includes both the technologies and the jobs. Enroll NOW in our CSTA (Computers: Systems, Terms and Acronyms) Program where we cover ALL of these up and coming technologies.
* First time on the list.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
5 reasons why you're not getting interviews and HR is one of the reasons.
Here are 5 reasons you may not be getting noticed.
1) Your resume isn't very good. I see a lot of resumes and perhaps 5% stand out. First impressions matter and if your resume does not attract the reader's attention in the first 10-20 seconds then your chances of obtaining an interview fall to almost zero. What an employer really wants to know is why they should invite you for an interview. The only compelling reason is that you appear to be a good fit for the position they are trying to fill. EVERY resume that you submit must be tailored specifically to the opportunity you are applying for. Also, the most pertinent information needs to be in the top 1/3 of the resume which, is about 10-20 seconds worth of reading. If you ask 10 people to give you an opinion on resume formats, you'll get 15 different answers. So at the risk of offering contradictory advice, I'll give you what I believe works best based on my experience. A resume should begin with a professional summary listing your capabilities followed by a list of your core skills or, when appropriate, your major achievements. The combination of these should match as closely as possible the job description you're responding to. If a company is looking for a marketing manager who can work with new product development teams to identify and satisfy customer demands; doesn't it make sense to tell the employer up-front that you are an experienced marketing manager with a successful track record of working with product development teams? Doesn't it also make sense to list some of your achievements in identifying customer needs and how you satisfied them? If you were the hiring manager, wouldn't you want to read more? Next, avoid the BS, fluff and over generalizations that accompany most resumes. After every sentence ask yourself, will someone pay me for this?
2) You're not really qualified for the positions you are applying for. This occurs when you hit the send button without much regard to the qualifications the employer is looking for. If the position requires a CPA with 10+ years of experience and you once worked next to an accountant, you're not qualified. Don't waste your time applying for positions you're not at least 95% qualified for. Sending out resumes for positions you're not qualified for is simply not going to get you anywhere.
3) The job description for the opportunity you're applying for is poorly written. If job candidates can be criticized for writing poor resumes, than HR professionals and hiring managers can be criticized for writing poor job descriptions. This is one area that you, as the job seeker, can do nothing about. In many cases, the job description does not adequately detail everything that the hiring manager is looking for. Like resumes, many job descriptions are too often too vague, lack critical information, and are filled with fluff and boilerplate.
4) You lack any real job search strategy. Searching for a job is a process. It requires thought, planning and execution. Basically you need to focus you energy in two areas:
1) Breaking through the noise (the 500 other applicants) and
2) Looking for opportunity that is not posted all over the internet or given to 100 recruiters. You can accomplish the first by crafting a resume that meets the needs of the hiring manager 100% as outlined above. You can accomplish the second by targeting specific companies and reaching out to people within those organizations and presenting them with a reason to talk to you.
5) Not learning from your mistakes As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. If you're current approach is not working, ask yourself why. If you think you can improve your odds by doing something different, do it.
Let me know your thoughts!
1) Your resume isn't very good. I see a lot of resumes and perhaps 5% stand out. First impressions matter and if your resume does not attract the reader's attention in the first 10-20 seconds then your chances of obtaining an interview fall to almost zero. What an employer really wants to know is why they should invite you for an interview. The only compelling reason is that you appear to be a good fit for the position they are trying to fill. EVERY resume that you submit must be tailored specifically to the opportunity you are applying for. Also, the most pertinent information needs to be in the top 1/3 of the resume which, is about 10-20 seconds worth of reading. If you ask 10 people to give you an opinion on resume formats, you'll get 15 different answers. So at the risk of offering contradictory advice, I'll give you what I believe works best based on my experience. A resume should begin with a professional summary listing your capabilities followed by a list of your core skills or, when appropriate, your major achievements. The combination of these should match as closely as possible the job description you're responding to. If a company is looking for a marketing manager who can work with new product development teams to identify and satisfy customer demands; doesn't it make sense to tell the employer up-front that you are an experienced marketing manager with a successful track record of working with product development teams? Doesn't it also make sense to list some of your achievements in identifying customer needs and how you satisfied them? If you were the hiring manager, wouldn't you want to read more? Next, avoid the BS, fluff and over generalizations that accompany most resumes. After every sentence ask yourself, will someone pay me for this?
2) You're not really qualified for the positions you are applying for. This occurs when you hit the send button without much regard to the qualifications the employer is looking for. If the position requires a CPA with 10+ years of experience and you once worked next to an accountant, you're not qualified. Don't waste your time applying for positions you're not at least 95% qualified for. Sending out resumes for positions you're not qualified for is simply not going to get you anywhere.
3) The job description for the opportunity you're applying for is poorly written. If job candidates can be criticized for writing poor resumes, than HR professionals and hiring managers can be criticized for writing poor job descriptions. This is one area that you, as the job seeker, can do nothing about. In many cases, the job description does not adequately detail everything that the hiring manager is looking for. Like resumes, many job descriptions are too often too vague, lack critical information, and are filled with fluff and boilerplate.
4) You lack any real job search strategy. Searching for a job is a process. It requires thought, planning and execution. Basically you need to focus you energy in two areas:
1) Breaking through the noise (the 500 other applicants) and
2) Looking for opportunity that is not posted all over the internet or given to 100 recruiters. You can accomplish the first by crafting a resume that meets the needs of the hiring manager 100% as outlined above. You can accomplish the second by targeting specific companies and reaching out to people within those organizations and presenting them with a reason to talk to you.
5) Not learning from your mistakes As the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. If you're current approach is not working, ask yourself why. If you think you can improve your odds by doing something different, do it.
Let me know your thoughts!
Monday, October 26, 2009
How To Find a Good Boss
By Marilyn Haight
Whether you get hired for a new job, promoted, or reassigned to a new position, you will most likely have a new boss. Each time that happens, you must develop a new professional relationship with the person you rely on for direction, development, and future advancement. You need to quickly determine if this new boss is a good match for you and your career goals. But how can you tell? Try these five questions.
1. Does your boss showcase your work? If you're not sure, you could ask him, "What leadership opportunities will I have in my job?" If he says something like, "There's only one leader here -- me," you may have what I call a "Suppressor Boss." A boss who replies, "We're all leaders here; you'll be in charge of projects that need your expertise," will have no problem appreciating your role and contribution.
2. Does your boss solve problems? Try asking, "How should I escalate problems to you when I think you need to get involved?" If she insists you must solve your issue alone, then she could be a "Confounder Boss" who ignores problems, which makes them worse. A good boss might say, "Give me detailed examples; I'll determine the cause and work with managers at my level to correct the issues."
3. Does your boss let you complete your work? When in doubt, try asking him or her when you can start handling tasks from start to finish. If the answer is, "I'm a hands-on manager; we do everything as a team," you've got trouble. This is a "Player Boss" who does parts of your job he likes and leaves problems for you. If you hear, "Tell me when you think you're ready; I'll give you guidelines and be available only when you need me," you'll know your boss trusts your skills.
4. Does your boss listen to your suggestions? If not, tell her that when she cuts you off you wonder if she values your opinion. A reply like, "I have the final word," could mean she's a "Manipulator Boss." A good boss will say something like, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was doing that. Please bring it to my attention next time it happens." A good boss always listens attentively.
5. Does your boss treat you and your co-workers equally? If you notice preferential treatment among your co-workers, try asking your boss, "What measurements will you use to evaluate my job performance?" If he says, "Every case is different; I use my judgment," he could be a "Dumbfounder Boss" who uses the wrong measures to evaluate job performance. A better answer, like, "Your work will be evaluated according to the documented standards we've already agreed upon," will signal your boss's fairness.
Listening skills, problem-solving, a sense of fairness, and an ability to trust are just some of the hallmarks of a good boss. A good employee will learn to spot and appreciate those attributes, and then move toward building a mutually successful relationship.
Whether you get hired for a new job, promoted, or reassigned to a new position, you will most likely have a new boss. Each time that happens, you must develop a new professional relationship with the person you rely on for direction, development, and future advancement. You need to quickly determine if this new boss is a good match for you and your career goals. But how can you tell? Try these five questions.
1. Does your boss showcase your work? If you're not sure, you could ask him, "What leadership opportunities will I have in my job?" If he says something like, "There's only one leader here -- me," you may have what I call a "Suppressor Boss." A boss who replies, "We're all leaders here; you'll be in charge of projects that need your expertise," will have no problem appreciating your role and contribution.
2. Does your boss solve problems? Try asking, "How should I escalate problems to you when I think you need to get involved?" If she insists you must solve your issue alone, then she could be a "Confounder Boss" who ignores problems, which makes them worse. A good boss might say, "Give me detailed examples; I'll determine the cause and work with managers at my level to correct the issues."
3. Does your boss let you complete your work? When in doubt, try asking him or her when you can start handling tasks from start to finish. If the answer is, "I'm a hands-on manager; we do everything as a team," you've got trouble. This is a "Player Boss" who does parts of your job he likes and leaves problems for you. If you hear, "Tell me when you think you're ready; I'll give you guidelines and be available only when you need me," you'll know your boss trusts your skills.
4. Does your boss listen to your suggestions? If not, tell her that when she cuts you off you wonder if she values your opinion. A reply like, "I have the final word," could mean she's a "Manipulator Boss." A good boss will say something like, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was doing that. Please bring it to my attention next time it happens." A good boss always listens attentively.
5. Does your boss treat you and your co-workers equally? If you notice preferential treatment among your co-workers, try asking your boss, "What measurements will you use to evaluate my job performance?" If he says, "Every case is different; I use my judgment," he could be a "Dumbfounder Boss" who uses the wrong measures to evaluate job performance. A better answer, like, "Your work will be evaluated according to the documented standards we've already agreed upon," will signal your boss's fairness.
Listening skills, problem-solving, a sense of fairness, and an ability to trust are just some of the hallmarks of a good boss. A good employee will learn to spot and appreciate those attributes, and then move toward building a mutually successful relationship.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
5 Fatal Job-Search Errors
by: Liz Ryan
The other day I received a resume attached to an email message. The email message itself was lovely, but the attached document was labeled "BrittneyRoxYall.doc." Evidently young Brittney (let's hope Brittney is young) forgot what she'd titled her resume and sent it off as an attachment, without changing the document's name.
It is fantastic to see that Brittney has healthy self-esteem. That's a big plus for Brittney in her job search. However, I couldn't consider Brittney a candidate for the job I was filling, once she'd made that unfortunate clerical error. Little items like a mislabeled resume can hurt a job seeker, so take note of these five fatal job-search errors:
Mislabeling Your Resume
Brittney learned the hard way that a resume on your hard drive must be labeled BrittneyJonesResume.doc or some other simple and obvious name when it's sent to employers via email. Even better is to label each resume with your name and the name of the employer it's going to, a la BrittneyJonesResumeAbbottLabs.doc. That way, if you tweak your resume for different job openings (and I hope you do) you'll always know which version of your resume you've sent to each employer.
The Shotgun Approach
A resume that starts out "Objective: to make a contribution to my next employer in any Marketing, PR, Product Management or Operations role" is bound for the trash bin, whether the job in question is a Marketing, PR, Product Management or Operations job. These days, you don't go to the print shop and order resumes in boxes of 100 anymore. You can and must customize your resume as often as needed, and very possibly for every job you pursue. So why would a prospective employer want to know about your qualifications for jobs you're not applying for? Take out the extra roles and focus your resume on just the job you're applying for today.
Ignoring the Job-Ad Instructions
I wrote a job ad that said, "Please send me an email message that answers these three questions." Then, I listed three questions that job applicants should answer in a paragraph or two. Oh dear! Of 95 applicants, only a handful answered the questions. That's an easy way for employers to screen out candidates, so it's worth your time to read and re-read the job ad carefully, and respond to it in the way the ad specifies. No sense being dropped out of the pipeline before you've had a chance to shine!
Failing to Customize
When a job opening gives you a chance to write a cover letter, write a good one! Take 15 or 20 minutes to research the employer online (visiting the company's own website and news sites, for starters) in order to say something company-specific in your cover letter. "I am interested in the job because it sounds interesting" doesn't cut it in this job market. Try, "Given your recent acquisition of Sun Microsystems, I'm guessing that the IT Integration Specialists you're seeking now should be folks who've been through data-integration projects in the past, as I have. At IBM, I ..." and so forth.
Drowning in Boilerplate
A good 2009 resume or cover letter is strong and human-sounding, not dry and full of corporate-speak fluff. Take out the "strong team orientation," "results-oriented professional," and "bottom line focus" before you send another resume into the market. Replace that awful stuff with mini-stories that point out your best qualities, like "At ABC Graphics, our team won the President's Award for on-time delivery."
Don't let a basic job-search error slow down your job search!
The other day I received a resume attached to an email message. The email message itself was lovely, but the attached document was labeled "BrittneyRoxYall.doc." Evidently young Brittney (let's hope Brittney is young) forgot what she'd titled her resume and sent it off as an attachment, without changing the document's name.
It is fantastic to see that Brittney has healthy self-esteem. That's a big plus for Brittney in her job search. However, I couldn't consider Brittney a candidate for the job I was filling, once she'd made that unfortunate clerical error. Little items like a mislabeled resume can hurt a job seeker, so take note of these five fatal job-search errors:
Mislabeling Your Resume
Brittney learned the hard way that a resume on your hard drive must be labeled BrittneyJonesResume.doc or some other simple and obvious name when it's sent to employers via email. Even better is to label each resume with your name and the name of the employer it's going to, a la BrittneyJonesResumeAbbottLabs.doc. That way, if you tweak your resume for different job openings (and I hope you do) you'll always know which version of your resume you've sent to each employer.
The Shotgun Approach
A resume that starts out "Objective: to make a contribution to my next employer in any Marketing, PR, Product Management or Operations role" is bound for the trash bin, whether the job in question is a Marketing, PR, Product Management or Operations job. These days, you don't go to the print shop and order resumes in boxes of 100 anymore. You can and must customize your resume as often as needed, and very possibly for every job you pursue. So why would a prospective employer want to know about your qualifications for jobs you're not applying for? Take out the extra roles and focus your resume on just the job you're applying for today.
Ignoring the Job-Ad Instructions
I wrote a job ad that said, "Please send me an email message that answers these three questions." Then, I listed three questions that job applicants should answer in a paragraph or two. Oh dear! Of 95 applicants, only a handful answered the questions. That's an easy way for employers to screen out candidates, so it's worth your time to read and re-read the job ad carefully, and respond to it in the way the ad specifies. No sense being dropped out of the pipeline before you've had a chance to shine!
Failing to Customize
When a job opening gives you a chance to write a cover letter, write a good one! Take 15 or 20 minutes to research the employer online (visiting the company's own website and news sites, for starters) in order to say something company-specific in your cover letter. "I am interested in the job because it sounds interesting" doesn't cut it in this job market. Try, "Given your recent acquisition of Sun Microsystems, I'm guessing that the IT Integration Specialists you're seeking now should be folks who've been through data-integration projects in the past, as I have. At IBM, I ..." and so forth.
Drowning in Boilerplate
A good 2009 resume or cover letter is strong and human-sounding, not dry and full of corporate-speak fluff. Take out the "strong team orientation," "results-oriented professional," and "bottom line focus" before you send another resume into the market. Replace that awful stuff with mini-stories that point out your best qualities, like "At ABC Graphics, our team won the President's Award for on-time delivery."
Don't let a basic job-search error slow down your job search!
Friday, September 18, 2009
10 Questions Never to Ask in Job Interviews
by: Liz Ryan
You know enough to bring a list of questions to a job interview. When the interviewer asks you, "So, do you have any questions for me?" the last thing? You want to say is "No." But that could be the best option if you're at a loss for words, because some interview questions are better left unasked.
Here are 10 highly unsuitable interview questions that should never make an appearance, unless you don't want the job:
1. "What does your company do?"This was a reasonable interview question in 1950 or in 1980, before the Internet existed. Today, it's your job to research any company you're interviewing with before setting foot in the door. We need to show up for a job interview knowing what the employer does, who its competitors are, and which of its accomplishments (or challenges) have made the news lately.
2. "Are you going to do a background check?"It is amazing how many job candidates ask this question, which provokes alarm on the part of the interviewer, instead of the more general, "Can you please tell me a little about your selection process, from this point on?" Lots of people have credit issues that cause them worry during a job search, or aren't sure how solid their references from a previous job might be. If you're invited for a second interview, you can broach any sensitive topics from your past then. Asking "Will you do a background check?" makes you look like a person with something to hide.
3. "When will I be eligible for a raise?"Companies fear underpaying people almost as much as they fear overpaying them, because a person who's underpaid vis-a-vis his counterparts in the job market is a person with one eye on the career sites. Instead of asking about your first raise before you've got the job, you can ask (at a second interview) "Does your organization do a conventional one-year performance and salary review?"
4. "Do you have any other jobs available?"A job search requires quick thinking about straight talk, and if a job is far below your abilities, you're better off saying so than beating around the bush with this question. You don't have to take yourself out of the running; you can say, "The job sounds interesting, but frankly I was earning 30% more and supervising people in my last job. Could you help me understand the career path for this role?" That's the cue for the interviewer, if he or she is on the ball, to highlight another job opening that might exist.
5. "How soon can I transfer to another position?"You're broadcasting "I'm outta here at the first chance" when you ask this question. If you like the job, take the job. If it's not for you, wait for the right opportunity. Almost every employer will keep you in your seat for at least one year before approving an internal transfer, so a job-search bait-and-switch probably won't work out the way you'd hoped.
6. "Can you tell me about bus lines to your facility?"Get online and research this yourself. It's not your employer's problem to figure out how you get to work.
7. "Do you have smoking breaks?"If you're working in retail or in a call center, you could ask about breaks. Everyone else, keep mum; if your need to smoke intrudes so much on your work life that you feel the need to ask about it, ask your best friend or significant other for smoking-cessation help as a new-job present. Lots of companies don't permit smoking anywhere on the premises, and some don't like to hire smokers at all. Why give an employer a reason to turn you down?
8. "Is [my medical condition] covered under your insurance?"This is a bad question on two counts. You don't want to tell a perfect stranger about your medical issues, especially one who's deciding whether or not to hire you. Ask to see a copy of the company's benefits booklet when an offer has been extended. This is also a bad question from a judgment standpoint; no department managers and only a tiny percentage of HR people could be expected to know on a condition-by-condition basis what's covered under the health plan. Anyway, your pre-existing condition won't be covered under most corporate plans for at least a year.
9. "Do you do a drug test?"If you have a philosophical objection to drug tests, wait until they ask you to take a drug test and tell them about your objection. Otherwise, your question sounds like, "I'd fail a drug test," so don't ask.
10. "If you hire me, can I wait until [more than three weeks from now] to start the job?"Employers expect you to give two weeks' notice. If you're not working, they'd love to see you more quickly. If you ask for tons of time off before you start working -- unless you have a very good reason -- the employer may think, "How serious is this candidate about working?" In any case, a start-date extension is something to request after you've got the offer in hand, not before.
You know enough to bring a list of questions to a job interview. When the interviewer asks you, "So, do you have any questions for me?" the last thing? You want to say is "No." But that could be the best option if you're at a loss for words, because some interview questions are better left unasked.
Here are 10 highly unsuitable interview questions that should never make an appearance, unless you don't want the job:
1. "What does your company do?"This was a reasonable interview question in 1950 or in 1980, before the Internet existed. Today, it's your job to research any company you're interviewing with before setting foot in the door. We need to show up for a job interview knowing what the employer does, who its competitors are, and which of its accomplishments (or challenges) have made the news lately.
2. "Are you going to do a background check?"It is amazing how many job candidates ask this question, which provokes alarm on the part of the interviewer, instead of the more general, "Can you please tell me a little about your selection process, from this point on?" Lots of people have credit issues that cause them worry during a job search, or aren't sure how solid their references from a previous job might be. If you're invited for a second interview, you can broach any sensitive topics from your past then. Asking "Will you do a background check?" makes you look like a person with something to hide.
3. "When will I be eligible for a raise?"Companies fear underpaying people almost as much as they fear overpaying them, because a person who's underpaid vis-a-vis his counterparts in the job market is a person with one eye on the career sites. Instead of asking about your first raise before you've got the job, you can ask (at a second interview) "Does your organization do a conventional one-year performance and salary review?"
4. "Do you have any other jobs available?"A job search requires quick thinking about straight talk, and if a job is far below your abilities, you're better off saying so than beating around the bush with this question. You don't have to take yourself out of the running; you can say, "The job sounds interesting, but frankly I was earning 30% more and supervising people in my last job. Could you help me understand the career path for this role?" That's the cue for the interviewer, if he or she is on the ball, to highlight another job opening that might exist.
5. "How soon can I transfer to another position?"You're broadcasting "I'm outta here at the first chance" when you ask this question. If you like the job, take the job. If it's not for you, wait for the right opportunity. Almost every employer will keep you in your seat for at least one year before approving an internal transfer, so a job-search bait-and-switch probably won't work out the way you'd hoped.
6. "Can you tell me about bus lines to your facility?"Get online and research this yourself. It's not your employer's problem to figure out how you get to work.
7. "Do you have smoking breaks?"If you're working in retail or in a call center, you could ask about breaks. Everyone else, keep mum; if your need to smoke intrudes so much on your work life that you feel the need to ask about it, ask your best friend or significant other for smoking-cessation help as a new-job present. Lots of companies don't permit smoking anywhere on the premises, and some don't like to hire smokers at all. Why give an employer a reason to turn you down?
8. "Is [my medical condition] covered under your insurance?"This is a bad question on two counts. You don't want to tell a perfect stranger about your medical issues, especially one who's deciding whether or not to hire you. Ask to see a copy of the company's benefits booklet when an offer has been extended. This is also a bad question from a judgment standpoint; no department managers and only a tiny percentage of HR people could be expected to know on a condition-by-condition basis what's covered under the health plan. Anyway, your pre-existing condition won't be covered under most corporate plans for at least a year.
9. "Do you do a drug test?"If you have a philosophical objection to drug tests, wait until they ask you to take a drug test and tell them about your objection. Otherwise, your question sounds like, "I'd fail a drug test," so don't ask.
10. "If you hire me, can I wait until [more than three weeks from now] to start the job?"Employers expect you to give two weeks' notice. If you're not working, they'd love to see you more quickly. If you ask for tons of time off before you start working -- unless you have a very good reason -- the employer may think, "How serious is this candidate about working?" In any case, a start-date extension is something to request after you've got the offer in hand, not before.
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