Jul 24, 2008

BUSINESS MATTERS: Make sure to follow up interviews

By Mildred Culp / Daily News Columnist

Q: I'd like to get your advice on interviewing techniques. I was recently laid off because of financial changes within the organization. I have excellent reference letters from all of my supervisors. I have applied for several positions and have been on interviews. I don't seem to have trouble getting an interview, but I seem to have trouble getting the job offer. I don't know what I am doing wrong or overlooking during the interview. Do you have any advice or tips? Can interview coaches be hired to help?

Thanking You

A: Dear Thanking,
You can't be certain that the reason you're not being hired is that you do poorly in interviews. You might just not be the right fit or someone inside might already have the job. Have you read books on interviewing that make you think you're lacking?

Are you letting employers know that you'd like the job and how you'd benefit their workplace? Or are you seeming needy? (That's difficult to avoid.) Are you writing a thank-you note and delivering it within 24 hours? Are you following up by telephone?

A good career coach might be able to help you. Ask around to find someone who's good with interviewing techniques. If you have no luck, practice with a friend.


HARD TIMES

Q: I'm a recent victim of the closing door. I'm on my third airline job in 10 years. I've been a flight attendant for over 20 years and I'll be 60 this year. I've now been told I'm not qualified, or no thanks. One person faulted me for being too short. I wasn't too short for the 20-plus years I flew. Is it possible that there's some age discrimination?

Is it better to get into a different field and give up the dream job? There are so many in the airline industry who are losing their jobs and probably will be a lot more before the fuel crisis settles down.

Grounded

A: Dear Grounded,

These are difficult times in the airline business, but it does sound as if you're being discriminated against by the people who told you that you're not qualified or you're too short. Mr. or Ms. "no thanks" might simply not be hiring for budgetary reasons but didn't have the gumption to tell you.

Before you give up, keep scouring the industry. Could you fill in while you wait for a full-time job to turn up? Meanwhile, expand your search by considering other jobs in the industry and elsewhere, such as customer service and training. You might find a new passion.


Blogtip

CRITICAL THINKING

Barry Maher, management and sales speaker/trainer (barrymaher.com), says that you need to be skeptical in the workplace. You know you're falling short if you:

- Take the business plan at face value

- Hear people repeat the phrase - "around here we work and we play hard" - which convinces you that you can control your own time schedule and drink like a lush

- Think that a lateral transfer to "East Cowflop, N.D." is a career-enhancing move

- Fall for the PR on the latest product, don't ask about potential glitches and run off to sell it.

Or could it be you? Taking responsibility for having accepted the wrong job is much more productive than becoming a skeptic for life.

If you're already a skeptic about every workplace today, you might as well recognize that you developed this attitude yourself, that no one else is responsible for it. You'll have three options - changing the conditions of your work, doing nothing for yourself or everyone else, or jumping off the nearest cliff.



E-mail your job-hunting questions to Dr. Mildred Culp at culp@workwise.net. Copyright 2008 Passage Media.