A Career, College, and Job-Search Advice Column

Readers: Dr. Randall Hansen, a nationally recognized career expert, is the Career Doctor. Discover more about Dr. Hansen, read about the purpose of this column, and find previous issues of this column at the home of The Career Doctor.

Dr. Hansen writes this column on a biweekly basis. If you have any college, career, or job-related questions or comments that Dr. Hansen could provide valuable assistance with, please feel free to email him at: careerdr@quintcareers.com.

Note: Readers can find other columns from this year in Current Year Archives of The Career Doctor Q&A.

In This Issue (4/07/06):

• Helping college grad land the perfect job
• Recovering from being fired when job-hunting
• Following-up when you have a maze of people
• Handling a potential problem from a long time ago

Q:	Pete writes: With my college graduation staring me in the face, I am concerned about landing that perfect job. I thought by now that I would already have one or more job offers as some of my friends have had. I am facing the prospect of no job upon graduation. I sort of do have one offer, from one of my internships, but I did not really have a great experience there and kind of want and deserve something better. Should I take the job? Should I hold out? Should I move back home in defeat?
A:	The Career Doctor responds: Wow. Lots of questions here, some pretty loaded. The answer is relax and take a step back from your situation. In an ideal world, yes, you would have a couple of job offers on the table before graduation. Yes, you would have started job-hunting earlier and taken it more seriously. Yes, your network of contacts would have come through for you in a timely fashion. The reality is that a lot of college grads will not have accepted a job offer by graduation -- and unless you have to have a job, there is no defeat in moving back home for a short period while you move your job-searching into high gear. It is easy for me to say, but I strongly recommend NOT taking any job offer that is not what you want to do with your life – if you have that option. That said, many college grads switch jobs less than a year after graduation because they realize they made a mistake, so if you have to have a job upon graduation, know that you CAN escape it with time. Every graduate faces a different future. Yes, some of your classmates may already have accepted a job offer, but that does not mean they have found the ideal job, career, or company. I suggest you work as hard as you can to land job interviews and offers, but take your time and be selective -- choose the best offer on multiple criteria. Look at the salary and benefits, the job, and the company. Think about your whether you will enjoy working with your prospective co-workers and boss. Remember… you’ll spend more time at work than anywhere else. Wondering about the stories of other recent graduates? Read the latest article published on Quintessential Careers: Job-Hunting Lessons from the Street: A Roundup of Recent College Grad Experiences.
Q:	Julie writes: I was fired from a job last December (2005). My employer and I had personality conflicts and she labeled me a negative person. At the time I was not angry at her for firing me. I didn't really care. However, I have had leads for several good jobs and have filled out applications for them knowing I was qualified, have had several interviews, but am still unemployed. I have put on the application for reason for leaving 'will explain in interview.' I do not know what else to do. How do you explain a personality conflict without sounding like a whiner? How do I find out what the previous employer is telling prospective employers? How long does a past employer count?
A:	The Career Doctor responds: I'm not a big believer in putting anything on a job application that could be perceived as withholding information or as some negative aspect -- and putting 'will explain in interview' is a big turn-off for me. It’s a red-flag that would put you in the 'maybe' pile at best. That you have had some interviews is a good sign that not all employers share my perception. That said, it has now been several months since you last worked, and there are several issues that raise concern. Please do not take this advice the wrong way -- because I see it every time I talk with someone who has been fired -- you may be psychologically damaged, and that manifests itself in many different ways. Whenever job-seekers are getting interviews but not getting offers, the first thing I look at is performance in the interview. Yes, you could be getting a harmful reference from the old job, but I really doubt it; most people just do not want to take the risk of providing a negative reference. Instead, you may be giving off a verbal or nonverbal cue about the firing, just enough to sabotage the interview. My suggestion would be to contact one of the interviewers -- one you felt rapport with – and ask if s/he would mind sharing a critique of your interviewing skills. That may provide you with some needed answers. The other concern is time without a job. As the gap grows larger, you may want to pick up some consulting or temp work, do some volunteering, or something to show you are actively involved and not just sitting at home. Pick up some more tips and tools in this article published on Quintessential Careers: Getting Fired: An Opportunity for Change and Growth.
Q:	Stacey writes: I recently read your article on the internet about interview follow up do's and don'ts. I have a complex question.   I interviewed at a major pharmaceutical company where I was initially contacted by a recruiting manager requesting my availability. After my first set of interviews, the hiring manager's administrative assistant emailed me for availability to meet with 2 additional people. I went back 2 days later.  Then 2 days after that, a recruiting consultant contacted me asking for my availability for an additional round of interviews. It's been 3 days since I sent that email and have received no response; I also left him a voicemail. I want the hiring manager and recruiting manager to know that I am interested in the position. Should I follow up with the people that interviewed me as well as the recruiting manager or just wait for some type of reply from the recruiting consultant?
A:	The Career Doctor responds: I am a firm believer in follow-up. Doing so is sometimes the difference between being considered for the position and getting the interview -- or the job offer. The key is following-up in a professional manner. Yours is an interesting case because so many different people are involved. Have you written thank-you notes to all the folks you interviewed with? If not, you need to make sure you do so for all future opportunities. I see no harm in following up with all the key folks in this decision. It is certainly possible among them your response got lost. It’s also possible that the hiring decision has been put on hold. So, do not read too much into the lack of responses. Follow-up professionally -- with each of the key players -- continue to show your interest and enthusiasm for the job and the company. If you have any new information about yourself or can showcase more insight into the company, be sure to mention that in your follow-up. Be persistent in following up, at least until you know an answer one way or the other. Read more advice in this article published on Quintessential Careers: The Art of the Follow-Up After Job Interviews.
Q:	Jay writes: Dr. Hansen I love your column so please help me. I am a male in my mid 40s I have had the same blue collar job for several years now. I want a career change and am trying to go back to school for training in pursuit of my new career. The job will consist of working with either city or county government. My problem is I served in the navy 20 years ago, 5 years with honor but my last year I made a couple of big mistakes and received a bad conduct discharged. Should I leave this off my resume, or be honest up front. Does the city check on military background. Thank you for any help.
A:	The Career Doctor responds: First I want to congratulate you on having the courage after all these years to make a career change. Go to school, get the training, and if you can, get some experience in the new career field while you are getting the training. I see no reason to include your military experience on your resume for two reasons. First, a resume is not a document of your entire job history. Second, most resume experts say job-seekers should really not have more than the past 15 years of work experience on their resumes. Now, job applications are a different story. And many of those do include a military service section, and you should put your service record there. The good news is most just ask for your starting date and discharge date and do not ask about the specifics of the discharge. Government employers are sometimes more likely to conduct detailed background checks, and if they actually go back that many years, they may find the information about your discharge, but I cannot imagine any employer holding something against a job-seeker from so long ago. But just in case, I would have something prepared that shows the lessons you took away from your immaturity and how you have used those lessons to be successful.