Tough Interview Questions

Here’s a question that just makes my eyes and head pound. Anyone have any suggestions on how to answer this question? Please provide at least two examples of experience researching methods, procedures, and practices in order to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of administrative processes related to human resources, travel, correspondence, or budget.

I would assume that question is looking less for the answer for the question, and more looking at how resourceful you are in finding new information. It would take a quick and well organized response, but they want to know how quickly you can react to new problems/questions and how you can relay that information to managers/etc.

One way to answer would be to quickly create an action list/check list. "First I would research ___, then I would find reliable resources, then I would do a price and implementation comparison, etc."

Here's the situation: Boss, "Hey Little Bird, can you find out what it takes to fly our 12 employees to a conference in ___ in two months without breaking covid restrictions?"

Bad employee: "Sure....how do I do that? Do you mean style in a hotel"

Good employee: "Give me three hours...looking at our state and ___ state, our restrictions are the same. Our employee manual states ___ we are covered. Group flights cost XXX, hotels are available XXX miles from the conference center. We cover all training and travel costs"

Cover Letter Length

How important is the length of cover letters? Will recruiters turn away from longer ones and give it no chance? Also, does adding color to a black & white resume improve it or make it stand out more?

I don't see cover letters as necessary, but nothing wrong if you want to make one.

For your cover letter, the shorter the better. I mean that to the extreme. 1-3 sentences would be great. I've seen plenty that short and I'm more likely to read that than the single-spaced full page manifesto I get.

In my experience, the longer the cover letter, the weirder they get.

I like seeing a little color in resumes. I often advise people to use Maroon on the headings of their resume.

What to Use as Professional Reference on Resume

“So I just graduated college and the job that I am applying to asks for three profession reference letters... I have two from an internship I did but was wondering does a manager/owner of the restaurant I currently work at count as a “professional” reference?”

Yes, I think that will work great. While you are earlier in your career, there is nothing wrong with using a neighbor, pastor, coach, etc. as a reference. The standing of that person and what they know about you is more important than the professionalism. A manager/owner will work great.

If you are applying for a CEO position, a Restaurant Owner isn't going to be your top pick. If you are earlier in your career, it's great. Working at a restaurant is hard work (I know, I worked at one through HS, college) and I see it as great experience. Down to the nitty-gritty with customers, physical work, stress, etc. Wear your restaurant experience with pride!

How to Negotiate Severance Package?

What’s the best way to negotiate a severance package? Should I just list the items I’m looking for? Usually in a salary negotiation you tell the company why you’re valued at a higher rate. What would be my best option in terms of getting what I want in this situation?

Severance is really tricky. I'm sorry that you're in a situation that you have to deal with this.

My first question would be, is the company offering severance packages, or are you hoping to get one? I personally love negotiating, but with severance, it's not something that the employer has to do in the first place. So in my view, it's not something that you can push too hard with.

If your employer has offered you a severance package and you aren't happy with it, you can try phrasing such as "To be in line with what my research indicates is industry standard, and to arrive at a place where I believe we can both go separate ways in a healthy, mutually beneficial way, I believe that ____ and ____ best aligns with our shared interests".

I hope that helps. My experience with HR Paperwork/Severance Packages is limited. My strongpoint and focus in the corporate world has been high-growth, fast paced hiring and quickly growing companies.

“I appreciate the template format you provided, that is extremely helpful! I was offered a severance and was hoping to email back with a long list of requests. Do you think sending a list of 15-20 items is a bit much?

If you don't mind my asking, what's your pay range or seniority level? Your time at the company and position will make a difference.

From my perspective, if I saw 15-20 items I might think that someone is trying to drag things out or get as much as possible. Can you combine items/categories and get them down to 5-10?

“I am one of the senior management folks at my location. Pay range is 55k - 65k. I was at the company for 4 years.

Between you and me, I am trying to get as much as possible haha. Just revisiting my list, I can get it down to at least 8-10 items.

f you want my personal opinion, it doesn't hurt to ask, and the worst they can say is "no". Organizing your list down will help - it might reposition you from "pain in the ass" to "this guy wants to play ball and is being reasonable."

Since you are senior management, that will certainly help. I think that positioning your interactions as "you desiring to help make this smooth and easy" helps, along with being as friendly as possible.

I don't blame you for wanting to come out of this as whole and taken care of. Is there anything else I can help with? I apologize that Severance is not my expertise.

Cold Calling to Apply for Positions

“If you have to cold call apply for positions, what can you do to hedge your bets? Are unprompted emails to anyone beneficial? And if yes, to who? (For Software Engineering or Machine Learning positions in the US)”

If you do some research on a company website, you can likely find the right contact email addresses. It doesn't hurt to follow up via email after 2-3 weeks.

I've had people reach out to me via Linkedin after applying and I actually liked that. I could instantly put a face to a name and have another level of reference.

I would recommend that you NOT call anyone on the phone. It's a bit confrontational and asking for an answer to something that's hard to reply to. It's basically putting someone on the spot asking, "why haven't you contacted me yet?". Don't expect anything but a boiler-plate response to that.

If you do email someone or Linkedin message, don't just inquire on your status. Write 1-2 sentences to help sell your candidacy.

Who? You could reach out to whatever HR or Recruiter you find. If you want to take a little more of a risk and get creative, try and find out who you think runs that department/is the manager. You might naturally have more rapport with this person as they share some skillsets/interests with you. Don't put any pressure on this person, just state your skills and how you can help.

How to Format Resume

“I’ve recruited people previously and have found that I actually prefer a very short paragraph that summarises a previous job for me. This is certainly against regular advice which states to put all your experience/work history in dot point format.

What do you prefer and why?”

I like the bullet points, but agree with you that a short paragraph works as well. The nice thing about the resume is that it standardizes the layout/expectations. If everyone could format their short paragraphs the same way, it would probably work just as well.

Like you, I've received a number of emails that lay out a great job history in 1-2 paragraphs. This email is usually sent before a resume. I respect applicants that can pull this off well!

How Much Difference Will Masters Degree Make in My Job Search?

You are AWESOME for offering this - thank you!! I can think of a couple things I’d really like to know right off the bat.

Backstory: I’m 45 but look like I’m in my early 30’s (thank you, genetics!), and live in Southern California. I worked as an Operations Specialist at a small-to-medium-sized firm for approx. 6 years, where I had autonomy and was very good at my job. My manager from that position also supported me in saying that I did have a supervisory role, although it was minimal. Unfortunately, I was laid off during the last recession, and decided to go back to school since I’ve been working all my life but missing the scholastic component.

I’ve received a magna cum laude (3.98 GPA at CSUF - associates brought me down a bit) Bachelors in Business concentrated on Operations and Supply Chain Management, and wanted to continue on to a Masters in Data Analytics. About half the programs wanted a working knowledge in Python and I knew nothing about coding, so I went back and will be finishing the end of this year with an Associates in Computer Science (straight A’s). I will then be looking at Masters programs.

I want to start working while I pursue the Masters degree, but am worried with this new environment that I may not be an attractive candidate. I’d prefer either a job in operations or potentially something in the data analytics field, although I’m willing to start at a lower position and work my way up if necessary.

My questions are:

How much of a difference will a Masters make in my job search?

Will it make much difference which college I go to?

Most importantly: How can I best highlight my recent scholastic accomplishments while also showing my working abilities, as I’ve been out of the workforce for a few years?

Any need for clarification, please let me know. Thank you so much, it’s great to have someone to ask these questions!

You have awesome experience and your drive to improve should be attractive to every company you apply to.

"My questions are:" How much of a difference will a Masters make in my job search? I think it makes a difference. It's deeper knowledge and a deeper commitment to your trade. Emphasize that you pursued additional education because of your love of the industry, and because you knew it would help you contribute more to your next employer. You could say that you think your industry needs more ____ experts, and you stepped up to the plate.

Will it make much difference which college I go to? Well, the ivy leagues do carry some weight at certain companies. As long as you aren't at a school that has a reputation for being subpar or scammy, I don't read much into schools personally. Find a great school that you like and take it from there.

Most importantly: How can I best highlight my recent scholastic accomplishments while also showing my working abilities, as I've been out of the workforce for a few years? I think being out of the workforce to grow professionally will make you stand out in a good way. To use video-game terms (I'm no gamer but we'll give this a try) you took the opportunity to "level-up". The more you learn and gain, the more you have to offer and stand out from other candidates. Also, in my opinion, dedication to education shows a high level of commitment and discipline. "This candidate is all in on his _______ experience"

As far as highlighting, you can put a small note on your resume stating why you went back to school. Put it in small italics in something like that 5-10 words. Prepare for your interview and don’t forget how interview training can make or break your job search. Create talking points for your phone/in person interviews where you can drive this home and express how your deep experience will help the company.

One quick note, make sure that you don't solely rely on the education factor. When you talk about it, drive the point home. But I'd say keep that to 20-30% of your overall "brand". You want to make sure to emphasize your accomplishments in the real world. Someone that only has education is missing a lot of real world experience - so balance the two. Does that make sense?

“Thank you - these are wonderful insights, and I truly appreciate them. I will definitely be looking into the masters with a reputable school, and am glad to hear that it probably won’t hurt me too much if I don’t go to an Ivy League - the costs make it quite prohibitive!

I’m even more relieved to have your suggestions regarding the approach for both my prior experience and schooling. Hee hee, the video game reference was spot-on, and I will apply these suggestions most faithfully!

Thank you so much for making yourself available to those of us who need such help in these times! <3

The Ivy Leagues carry more weight in politics, high-end finance, industries like that.

A benefit of Ivy Leagues is networking. If you are already established in your career I don't believe it would be necessary. A lot of kids that went to the same prep schools...

If you have any other questions I'm happy to give more feedback.

How Can I Sell Myself in Interviews?

How can I sell myself in interviews? I try so hard to look and sound confident and I get really nervous. I sometimes probably say too much or not enough. I always forget the questions in research and prepare when they ask, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Thank you for an honest, open question. I'll tell you that confidence is not really something you can fake, or practice - confidence is more of an outcome than a state. So if it's an outcome, how do you begin?

I share your feeling, and I can 100% relate, especially early in my career. I'll tell you what helped me - help might no be the right word - maybe "changed".

First was just embarrassing myself. I would feel nervous, awkward, out of place and perhaps say something stupid at an interview or at work. Luckily, co-workers and managers would give me stupid looks or call me out. Just humiliating. But I didn't hate them for it, I thought about it hard and decided to improve. I have a quick wit which works to my advantage but has also been a downfall. So for me, I had to learn to hold my tongue and not say things as that came to mind.

As I learned to control that, my confidence quickly rose. I'm not perfect, but I can't tell you how much better it feels to be able to hold my tongue, stop and think instead of responding, choose my words wisely.

The next thing that helped me was pushing myself outside of work. I joined professional organizations, non-profit committees, boards - I joined these things in my early twenties where I stuck out like a sore thumb! They were glad to have a young person on board. I was nervous as hell EVERY meeting. My face went red after I spoke. I have a pretty good sense of humor, but it doesn't always stick. Another lesson I learned was to stop trying to be funny. Just be silent and smart. I'm not saying that's you, but that was me.

So push your limits and get involved with organizations with people older and more experience than you. Try and sit at some tables with people that earn much more than you. You will gain confidence from talking to them.

Now think of this - say you are on a non-profit committee and once a month you sit next to a company CEO or President. All of a sudden, you are peers for one hour a month. You can build some rapport with that person. You will learn that she is a friendly human that enjoys your company. If you want, ask questions, ask her to get coffee and learn her story. Now fast forward to your next interview - you won't be interviewing with a CEO, you will be interviewing with people much "lower" (no offense) in the organization. All of a sudden, they won't seem so intimidating. You've learned to talk/sit next to the big boss, and your perspective of these people has shifted.

In short, when you make mistakes, be a little hard on yourself - just hard enough for introspection and determination to improve. Second, gain exposure to professionals much higher on the ladder than you. When I was younger I ended up in rooms with people 20 years older than me and with high positions. When I went back to networking groups/interviews with people closer to my age, everything seemed MUCH easier.

As far as the questions - write them down before hand and bring them with you! Bringing a portfolio to your interview looks BETTER than bringing a resume and then being empty handed after giving it to the interview. In your portfolio, write down all your questions. Interview Training makes a huge difference, so be ready to cross them off if there are answered during the interview. If you have new questions during the interview, don't interrupt the flow by asking them, write them down during the interview, then ask them when you are asked if you have any questions.

Building confidence takes practice and it requires new experiences and pushing your comfort zone. You can do it, and you will be glad you did! Never stop working to improve yourself. Eventually you will find others looking up to you, and you can step up and help them as well.

“Your reply helped me so much. Honestly, I always walk into interviews empty handed... I’d like to have a portfolio with me... I just thought If I had things written down or asked questions from a piece of paper I had, I would look... Perhaps forgetful? I’ll make myself up a portfolio today. I’m hoping that will help me feel more prepared and less nervous.

I went to school for medical office administration. I graduated 10 years ago with honors and I’ve only ever been able to land one job in that field. I was an office coordinator for a home healthcare company. It was a mat leave position. Since then, I’ve only been able to work in call centers. I find the work too easy and just unable to get away. All of my experience is related to call center but because I find it so easy, I feel my experience isn’t enough in other fields.

I don’t know what it is about me. I’m overweight, so I can’t help but think that that is also a deciding factor in the hiring process. I hate to say that. I’m trying so hard to better my life but I’ve been trying to get out of the call center industry for 3 years. I get interviews sometimes, I write a cover letter and thank you letter every time. I don’t get call backs or even thanks but no thanks.

I need a ton of help, I think, lol! But I thank you so much for replying to my questions.

Be confident it what you have to offer - it's a lot!

There are portfolios on Amazon for around $10-12 that look great. Having questions written down actually makes you look better - someone who took the time to prep and give real thought into the job. Having questions makes a huge difference. I view candidates without questions as less-interested.

One thing to keep in mind - applying for jobs in a numbers game. I hear from people that have applied 3-5 times in a year and are frustrated. Apply to 20-30-40 places. Apply to jobs you don't think you're super qualified for. You never know if they have an unlisted, upcoming position that they find just right for you.

The more you can remove yourself emotionally from the application/rejection process the better. Remain neutral and determined until the day you get an offer - then go nuts!

How to Pivot Career

“I am looking to pivot my career from one field to a different, yet related field. What is the best way to do that? How are those types of applications viewed by hiring managers? Is it actually possible?”

There are a couple places to start - you could use any/all of these. If you give a specific industry/field I can hopefully give you better ideas. The important guiding factor is that experience is important, but some companies are also open to applicants that are eager to LEARN their industry, and are open to being taught. For an employer, this can be a cheaper, viable option.

1. Find a networking group or organization in this field. Join, pay your dues and attend all events. You are doing this to learn, for great networking but also to start shifting your resume to that field.

2. Volunteer in that field. This might be easy or hard to find due to the field. Say you are a graphic design who wants to shift into programming. Find a local "Teach Kids to Code" program at a school, non-profit, etc. Sign up and start helping! If you can't code, tell them you can't code but find ways to help. You could use your graphic design skills, help fund raise, sweep the floors, etc.

3. Start getting online certifications in this field. This is a no-brainer. Even if you already have the experience, get some real credentials for the area. You don't need a college degree to be a developer, but showing the level of commitment to earn certificates for learning, mastering, etc goes a long way.

4. Make it clear on your resume what your new interests are. I don't always think a resume needs a "Mission Statement" or a cover letter, but something short - 1-3 sentences, sharing your pivot, passion, steps taken, and INTEREST in their company, contributions you can make and goals will go a long way.

5 Be open to lower-paying jobs. You are, in a way, starting from scratch. Maybe your new field pays better/worse, but be willing to take a chance on a company that is taking a chance on you. New job pays $5,000 less a year but you get to work in your area? Think of it as a cheap college degree/resume builder.

Interviewed for Job When Someone Else Was Already Chosen

“Here is a question for you that have been driving me nuts. I applied for a job last year which I was really qualified for and got the interview. One of the requirements was to come in to the interview with 3 personal references. So I called one of my colleagues and asked him if I could use he. He said yes of course. He also asked me to send him the job posting which I did right away.

The next he texted me and told me that another colleague of his is also interviewing for the same position, let’s call him JC. JC was told by the hiring manager that he is going to get the job but the interview is merely to satisfy HR requirements. I thought I should cancel the interview, but I was also prepared and felt like I could be a good fit and thought maybe I could impress them or at least get offered another position if they are dead set on taking JC.

So I interviewed with an HR person and two managers. The hr person did most of the talking the two hiring managers didn’t even look at me. They asked very complicated questions about internal company policies which I have no way of answering.

In short my 1 hour interview lasted 20 minutes and then I was excused. The following week I found out that JC got the job.

The question is, if everybody knew this was the case, why couldn’t you just offer JC the job directly?? I never felt belittled in my life. Mind you the person who told me about JC didn’t even work for that company.

Also, should I have asked a question about if there are preferred candidates? Is that even allowed?”

That is really frustrating - I'm frustrated for you just reading that.

To start I'll say this - maybe you should feel THANKFUL that you aren't working with those people now that you've experienced this.

Yes, JC was a shoe-in but they had to show that they explored all options. The two managers thought the interview was wasting their time which was reflected in their attitude. I think the HR person was probably screwing with you a little bit and throwing out questions no one could answer so that you didn't "perform well".

At the end of the day I'm proud of you for still going to the interview. It will probably the most difficult interview you will face, so it's all down hill from here. Interview practice is important - that interview was GREAT practice for you.

There was no need to ask about other candidates - you wouldn't have gotten a helpful answer.

Applying for Multiple Positions - Which One?

“I am looking to get into a particular company. There are many jobs listed I am qualified. When I applied for the first, one of the questions I was asked and If I would like to be considered for other positions and I indicated yes. Should I apply for others I am qualified , or do I just wait and see if I am contacted ?”

I would wait a little longer and see if you are contacted. Before your first interview, write out a list of why you are a good candidate for the other jobs. Position yourself as "open to whichever position will help the company the most" while you discuss this.

If you don't hear back within the next couple weeks, apply for your next favorite job.