Reference Check

Question:  Our company is about to hire a new COO who will manage the whole finance department.  We want to be very sure she has strong interpersonal and technical skills.  We have spoken to all of her listed references, and, while they have been off the charts, I...

The Thoughtful Cover Letter

Question:  I am applying for C-Suite position with a company. The position description requires a “thoughtful” cover letter.  What does this mean?  How do I draft one? Answer:  As you already know, you need to respond to the skills, traits and qualities listed in the...

Bridging the Gap

Question:  I am a licensed social worker who has been putting time in at law firms and finance companies on Wall Street for the past two decades.  I have been promoted regularly and earn an executive salary.  At the same time, I have taken social services courses to...

Salary & Geography

Question:  I am a highly qualified financial manager who just moved across the country for family reasons.  The location where I am presently located has much lower salaries than the DC area from where I relocated.  I cannot move back to DC to take advantage of the...

Stepping Into the Same River Twice

Question:  I have been doing international contracts for the past decade.  Many of them have been with affiliated organizations.  Recently, I saw a great opportunity with an NGO with which I worked several years ago.  I want to apply, but I hesitate.  Is there some...

Where On the Map

Q:  I am an international development professional.  I have worked many years on economic development issues for NGOs in Eastern Europe and Africa. It’s time for me to launch myself as a leader. I just saw a Director role that has been posted for two locations, ...

Career Trade-Offs

Q: I am a CFO, and a well-respected, local nonprofit is looking for an operations person with a strong finance background. This is a really exciting opportunity as the organization is in growth mode, and I could see myself leading it one day. The crunch is about the...

Name Change: A Cultural Make-Over

Q: About 10 years, ago, I came to the United States from a country overseas.  I earned my first degree in accounting followed by a second degree in business organization from solid colleges.  I know I am highly qualified, competent and have excellent references. ...

The Killer Reference

Q:  I have a feeling one of my references is not giving me a good evaluation.  In my last set of interviews, the prospective employer seemed very enthusiastic about hiring me.  But, after conducting reference checks, he refused to return my phone calls. What can I do...

To Address Or Not

Q: I am redrafting my resume, and I want to know whether I should include my address.  What is the protocol? A: The protocol of including an address dates back to the time when prospective employers responded individually to applications with customized letters. ...

Burnt My Bridges

Q:  I left my last position in a hurry.  I was so eager to get out that I resigned without giving my supervisors much explanation or time to organize and fill my role.  I thought I was leaving to take on the “Dream Job,” but, I am two weeks into it and realize this is...

What’s Your Weakness?

Q:  I am preparing for a huge interview and want to have good answers for the tough questions.  What do you advise? A:  Candor wins over canned responses.  While this has always been at least somewhat true, honesty is highly sought particularly in an environment where...

A Bird In the Hand

Q: I work for a multinational communication firm with offices all over the world and in North America.  I have been extremely successful at publicity and media outreach in my present role, and I am a company top-earner. I would like to expand and become a more rounded...

Body Talk

I recently read the Harvard Business School article, “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are,”  (Cuddy, Amy. TED Global, October 2012 <http//:www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your-body_language>.) In summation, Cuddy, a B-School researcher and socio-psychologist,...

Salary Match-Making

Q:  My recent one-hour interview went very well. It is an exciting opportunity for the right person, and what they propose is a needed initiative in the community. They are looking for a leader with knowledge of the area and with relationship-building skills who can...

Two Ways to Work Your Network

Q: I have contacted everyone I know about leads for jobs.  A few have been helpful; most have been non-responsive. What do you suggest? A: Respectfully, stop and reassess.  When people suspect you are “using” them, they may clam up and withhold likely leads or limit...

After I Graduate, What’s Next?

Question:  I am going to graduate from a great college, and I am looking ahead sorting through options.  I did internships over the past two summers, but neither of those employers has offered me a full-time job. What do I need to create the “dream job” for myself?...
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