Archive for the 'Interviewing' Category


Another Top-10 Stupid Interview Question: “Tell us all about yourself!”

Monday, May 14th, 2012

In the May 15, 2012 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a job hunter comes up with a good way to deal with one of the Top-10 Stupid Interview Questions: I’m looking at positions as an intermediate- or senior-level software developer, and I’m trying to think of new ways to tackle the famous open-ended interview question. Here’s [...]


Don’t Get Hired, Get Acquired: Audio from Cornell workshop

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

The April 3, 2012 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter is a SPECIAL AUDIO EDITION. (This is no April Fool!) On Sunday, April 1, I conducted a workshop for a group of Executive MBAs at Cornell’s Johnson School of Management. (These guys attend the EMBA program on weekends!) The topic was the differences between applying for a [...]


Are Skype interviews good for you?

Monday, February 6th, 2012

In the February 7, 2012 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a reader says Skype interviews aren’t such a good idea: Thanks so much for hosting an Open Mic session and offering your professional expertise. My career is in IT (information technology) and although I feel more like a commodity these days than the business professional that [...]


How much should I say about getting fired?

Monday, January 30th, 2012

In the January 31, 2012 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a reader asks what to say in a job interview — if he got fired previously for doing something wrong: I was fired for a minor policy violation. How much should I tell prospective employers about it? Everyone I’ve spoken to has agreed that my indiscretion did [...]


Ask The Headhunter in a nutshell

Monday, December 19th, 2011

In the December 20, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a reader asks for ATH in a nutshell: Can you please summarize the Ask The Headhunter strategy and explain the main differences between ATH and the traditional approach to job hunting? Thanks. (This Q&A was such a hit last year that I’m reprising it — hope [...]


When should you bring up money?

Monday, December 12th, 2011

In the December 13, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a long-time reader asks whether it’s okay to discuss salary range with a headhunter before taking time out of a busy work schedule to interview: I’m a long-time reader. This is my second-time question — the last one was in 2004! I’ve just been headhunted for a [...]


How Employers Can Help You Get Hired

Monday, December 5th, 2011

In the December 6, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a reader who helps seniors find jobs shares an “interview invitation” one of his clients received. It’s a landmark! Why don’t more employers do this? Join me below to discuss other ways employers can help you get hired. I’m a training and placement specialist and a [...]


Reference Abuse: Don’t do it

Monday, November 7th, 2011

In the November 8, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a seasoned professional takes employers and recruiters to task for demanding detailed references too soon: I’ve noticed a disturbing trend lately: Recruiters are asking for detailed references before I even meet them or decide I’m interested in the job. They want multiple references before they’ll even [...]


How to manage gang-up interviews

Monday, October 17th, 2011

In the October 18, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a manager indicts “panel” interviews and says he’d never consent to one — or conduct one. Are panel interviews a bad idea? I was taken aback recently when my HR department scheduled me as a part of a panel interview. When I queried our hiring team, they [...]


3 Ways to Be a Smarter Job Candidate

Monday, September 19th, 2011

In the September 20, 2011 Ask The Headhunter Newsletter, a job hunter wonders how to get smarter, negotiate better, and avoid getting taken advantage of: I had what may be a “Eureka moment.” I’ve been accused of lacking the “cojones” to handle interviewing and the job market, and I think it’s true. I started my [...]