Live Q&As

I can understand your boyfriend's frustration with this situation. He is fortunate that you are concerned for him and seeking some counsel. It is not clear how long he has worked in this job. I would not worry about how his resume looks if he has worked there for a year or so (or even 6 months). It only seems confusing to recruiters if he has worked there less than 6 months - then they might ask questions about why he left, etc.  

I do recommend staying in a job while looking for another since it makes a person more marketable to the public, however, I also tell people that they need to look at their financial situation and how much stress they are under. Sometimes, it is best for them to leave a very stressful job in order to look for another one. If he can financially afford to do this (not be working for several months or longer) then, maybe that is the best thing for his overall health. It really depends on the field his is in and how marketable that field is. I also think he needs to be actively job hunting (meeting with contacts, networking, etc) - if he is just sending resumes out or answering adds, that is a very slow way of job hunting. Can he attend some professional associations? Can he take part-time employment someplace (more interesting) while he is looking for more fulltime work? I wish you both the best!

Sure. Your best bet is to actually pick the areas you might like to live in and then visit those areas. It is often tough to look for jobs without actually being there. It can be done, but if you can physically go out there, and set up some informational interviews in advance it will help. Also, check with your professional associations (depending on your work area) to see about listings in those geographic areas. Good luck!

Of course, you can list your total compensation when asked about this in online applications. The downside to listing anything is that sometimes it is used to screen you out of a job (you list too much) when you might have really wanted that job opportunity (maybe you are switching career fields). It can also be used to try to offer you a lower salary (if you did not make much in a previous job), when you would like to receive a higher salary. This is why I recommend trying to wait to answer the question until AFTER you have a job offer and are in the stages of job negotiations.

I don't think you have to follow a 10 year rule for resumes. You raise a good question that employers would have if they looked at your resume and wondered about gaps in what you record. I think the length really depends on your particular situation. I think what is most important is to list professional work (responsibilities, roles, accomplishments, awards), education, etc. In your case, with more years of experience, I would make sure to start your resume with a short summary with several points about your key attributes or qualifications. I would definitely list that demanding career that you had in the past. You need to make sure you are doing everything you can on your resume to sell yourself!

What about the possbility of continuing to look for other jobs? It is always worth leaving a job you hate since it burns you out and takes an emotional toil on you (stress, fatigue, etc). But, you need to ask yourself why you feel indifferent towards the new opportunity. Is it the work itself? the people? If it is the work, then maybe it is time to rethink or make some changes (even slight ones) in what you are doing.Is there anyway to make the new job more interesting for yourself in terms of the work or the people you would be working with (on teams), etc? Sounds like you might want to continue to look a little more for other opportunities or do more soul searching about what you now what to do - if you are going to get yourself into a new job. Good luck.

I can sense your frustration with this grueling schedule. Interesting that many employers feel that working more and more hours are the way to get to enhanced productivity, yet this is not the case. People are not as productive if they are exhausted (physically and mentally). A great book for some at your organization to read is The Power of Full Engagement (by Loehr and Schwartz) or The Way we're working isnt' working (by Schwartz). Maybe you can get a copy, read it and share  it with others in your firm. It offers some great ideas that management should take to heart.

I also think this view that some employers have "you're lucky to have a job" will come back to haunt them as the economy improves. People will be looking to leave firms, and this is an important time for employers to do what they can to retain talented people.

For your situation, I think you need to collect the data - keep records of hours worked on various projects as well as what number of people are working those hours. Then, if you can have a group of you go talk to the most sympathetic person in management, it might help your case to lower hours. Definitely get the books and share them with management! Best of luck!

Thanks for taking the time to offer your perspective. It is always valuable to hear different views. When it comes to salary my primary advice is for the applicant to defer answering questions about salary (previous salary, current salary, desired salary) until AFTER they have received a job offer from the firm.  I encourage applicants to defer these questions until after they have received an offer so that they know the firm really wants them. 

While it may be in the best interest of the employer to learn an applicant's salary history in the early stages of an interview, it is generally not in the best interest of the applicant to divulge their personal information this early in the process. I do agree with your point that if an applicant finds out what the typical salary for  the position is (since the employer shares this information), then the applicant can decide to proceed further or not depending on whether he/she is still interested. So, if the employer is offering something less than what the applicant is currently making or previously made, the applicant can decide whether it is worth continuing on with the process.

Thus, it would be great if the employers were willing to share salary information early in the process, rather than put the burden on applicants to have to divulge all of their salary history.

I also agree with your point that both parties need to be honest when sharing any information. I do not advocate lying or "fudging" any information, and I make this very clear to people.

So, once again, my view is more about WHEN to share the information, and that I don't think it is in the applicant's best interest to share salary information early in the process.

Again, thanks for offering your perspective on all this!

Having a 1.5 year training program, might just be a rotational program, which is very common and popular today. If it is a probationary period, I agree that 1.5 years is rather long. Usually 6 months seems more typical for a probationary period.

Do they avoid finishing ALL tasks or only certain ones? It would be important to know. Do they eventually finish the tasks, but not as timely as you would do them? People vary in their "need for closure" on things - some people are "closers" and like to check things off,  while others like starting projects and have great creative ideas but don't like "closing" on things. The Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment is a great tool for helping to identify these differences and in helping people learn to work more effectively with each other since all types bring strengths (albeit different ones) to the workplace.

Or, maybe the issue is something different. Have you talked with your associate to better understand his/her view on this? Might be a good first step to better understand differences in your perspectives.

Good luck! 

Do they avoid finishing ALL tasks or only certain ones? It would be important to know. Do they eventually finish the tasks, but not as timely as you would do them? People vary in their "need for closure" on things - some people are "closers" and like to check things off,  while others like starting projects and have great creative ideas but don't like "closing" on things. The Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment is a great tool for helping to identify these differences and in helping people learn to work more effectively with each other since all types bring strengths (albeit different ones) to the workplace.

Or, maybe the issue is something different. Have you talked with your associate to better understand his/her view on this? Might be a good first step to better understand differences in your perspectives.

Good luck! 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Not sure it is really like this everywhere in the workplace. I think you have to find the job that best suits you and your expectations for work. Perhaps this person just has not found the best type of work or the best employer. There are some great companies out there where employees love working and love their leaders. If you don't have that, then you  need to look around to try to get it. It does exist.

Not really sure about this. Readers - any word on this?

I do know that employers look at facebook information when considering applicants for jobs. Just like reviewing resumes, linked-in profiles, etc, if they can find information out there about an applicant, they do use it when making decisions about them. People who use these types of accounts need to be aware that employers are looking at them when reviewing your application.

Unfortunately this is all too common. I am assuming you have talked to your boss about this. What does he/she say about why you were not given the raise and promotion you were promised? For them to say "they don't want to put you in a position where you could fail" - what does that mean? I think you need to get more clarity on that and to have a frank discussion with your boss about what your expectations were and why they made the decisions they did. You don't want to be confrontational about this - that will not help your case. But, you do need to ask questions so you can better understand if this is a "done deal" or if that promotion and extra increase will be coming anytime soon. Then, you can figure out what to do next. Your next move depends on what they tell you - whether the promotion and raise are right around the corner (get a commitment as to time) or not at all. In addition, you also need to ask more questions to find out why they think you would fail in the new position. What would you need to do to be successful in the position? Do you need additional training, etc? Ask questions to learn their perspective on all this before you make a decision as to what to do next.

Good question. It might help if you look for precedents - are there any examples of other employees, (women or men) who are perceived in a positive light, yet seem to work more manageable hours? If so, spend some time talking to them to see how they set this up or how they are coping.

Also, can you set up some opportunities for telecommuting or for part-time work or even flex schedules? Once again, see if anyone has done this before in your firm, and what specifically they have done to be successful.

I would outline what you want your job hours and commitment to be now that you have a child, and what ideas you might have for still being productive. Then, have a frank discussion with your boss about how you can make this work for both of you. Sometimes, bosses are willing to be flexible to keep a valued employee if the person just speaks up and shares their views and ideas. What is important is that you think about your contribution to the firm from your perspective AND ALSO from the employer's perspective. What can you do to help the firm or your boss be successful as well as for yourself?

Best of luck!

Thanks for your input. Not sure you need to apply for 2-3 jobs a day, but I do agree that in today's world, it is important for employees to know their own marketability, and keeping current with the job market is one way to do that.

Thanks for offering your view on this. 

I think you already know the answer to this one. A company's ethics are critical to its future and the future of its employees. In fact, having ethical leaders is considered the #1 most important attribute that people want in their leaders today. 

Companies should adhere to ethical and legal codes so it sounds like this firm fails on both accounts.

Good question. There is a lot of research on telecommuting that indicates that it is highly valued by employees and valuable for enhancing productivity. I also love the new section of  The Washington Post, Capital Business called Life at Work (by Abha Bhattarai) which highlights benefits that firms are offering their employees.

You need to collect some facts about what your firm has really done in terms of allowing telecommuting. Find out who has been allowed to do this, how many days, where they live. Sometimes we think we know what's going on, but once we collect the facts, we learn some new information. Also, think about your reason for telecommuting? Prepare a case for how you wil continue to be productive while working at home. You don't just want to ask for something without thinking about how it can be a "win-win" (a win for you AND a win for the firm).

Good luck!

First, what are your doubts and questions that you have? If it is about how you will be viewed by future employers, then be prepared that you would need to address this issue. It is manageable though since you can talk about how you changed fields.

Also, why are you assuming you will automatically get a 30k drop in salary? I understand the govt system but you can always see what room you have to get them to move on this. Can you be placed at a higher pay grade or at the top of the pay grade for that job? Can they give you an earlier review to reevaluate. While the fed govt is tougher to get movement on salaries, it never hurts to ask and see what can be done.

Good luck in your new endeavor!

Feedback from a reader.

First, think about attracted you to the teaching profession in the first place, and see if you can find a job where you will be able to use those same talents. Perhaps you wanted to make a difference in the lives of others or wanted to share your expertise or mentor others, etc. Think about this. In the training or consulting field, many of those same skills are used. You  might join professional associations such as www.astd.org or www.shrm.org which are training and HR organizations. Your oral presentation, writing and organization skills would be highly valued in the training field. 

Also, think about what you now dislike about the teaching profession (e.g., administration, grading, pay) and make sure to avoid those same problems in the next job. I have known people who have transitioned from teaching to consulting or other "helping" professions and been very successful. You might need to consider what additional job knowledge you would need to make this happen - such as an MBA (if you went into consulting) or other degree. Good luck and thanks for all of your hard work teaching high school. It is appreciated!

It is great that you are concerned about these issues. You are already ahead of the game just by this fact alone. What you might want to do is talk to your staff to get their views on what else can be done. Often, we think money is the only solution, when other forms of recognition are often critical, especially if you don't have money to give them. There are two great books you might want to read to give you more tips. Look at The Carrot Principle and The Orange Revolution by Gostick and Elton. Both offer great ideas for other things you can do to recognize the efforts of your staff and keep them engaged. Good luck!

It really depends on what he wants to do and also how much you need him to take a job for financial reasons. Obviously, if he needs to take a job soon for financial reasons, then he will have to do this while looking. It would be better if he could take a part-time job in a related field since this would offer him more networking opportunities, but I understand if this might be tough. 

You mentioned that his resume has been rewritten several times. Does he have a summary statement at the topic which highlights his qualifications or contributions? Somehow his resume must not be selling him enough. Or, he needs to spend more time networking with people and professional associations to make contacts. What about hobbies - sometimes spending some time with hobbies (golf, etc) are good ways to interact with others and spread the word that he is looking. The goal of networking is to build contacts, not necessarily to automatically find a job. So, maybe he needs a plan with a list of the possible employers he is interested in working out along with anyone you know at those firms. He could ask to meet them for lunch or coffee to get their advice on career fields (rather than directly asking for jobs).

Does he belong to any professional associations? This is another way he can build contacts. Is he a member on Linked-in and other social media sites? 

I know it is a lot to do - making those personal connections is the most valuable thing he can do when switching careers or looking for a job today.