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Yes, I think it still would be worth applying for the position since you really are interested in that firm. You may even let them know that you are very interested in THEIR firm. Sometimes, recruiters really can't get a sense for how strongly you feel about their particular firm. Persistence is definitely the key in today's marketplace.

I would still follow your procedure of sending thank you notes. If possible, get a phone number or email from those you interview with so you can follow up with them directly. Stay persistent with them.

You didn't say exactly what you are looking for. Is it more pay, greater responsibilities, a better title? Whatever it is specifically, you  might meet with your boss to talk about how you can acquire that (more responsibilities, pay, etc). Perhaps you can take on additional work and alter your title and pay. Are there any precedents for that in your firm? What about in other firms? If you talk with other paralegals in other firms, you might hear about other creative options in what you can do. It definitely is worth asking about. It may not be as simple as paralegal or lawyer in the firm. Maybe there are other options or opportunities for you to take on new tasks, get additional schooling, etc that you can use for the future.

Good luck!

I don't think she should just plan on leaving at this point. You didn't say if they have a performance appraisal plan. If so, then they should have documented her better performance this year. If not, she should write down what she has done for the firm this year, and then plan to meet with her boss to see how he/she perceived her performance. Maybe her boss does not see her performance in the same light. It would be good to know. But, I would not go to see the boss until she has spent some time writing down for herself what she has accomplished this year. That way, she will go in to ask how the boss perceived her performance (listen to his/her view), and then can offer her own views. 

If the firm collects feedback from peers and colleagues to evaluate employees' performance, then it sounds like the boss would have collected some good data about her. If the firm does not do this, she can suggest it.

The way she goes in to talk to the boss is pretty important. She should remember to first ask his/her opinions, and try to understand the boss's views. Then, share her own.

Best of luck!

Yes, this is not that unusual. You are right - they are typically trying to verify your employment and salary.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing this (and many people do feel uncomfortable), then you could nicely ask them "if you want that information to verify my employment, I am happy to share some other documentation with you about my having worked at the firm".  Then, pause.

Often, if you say this, you will really find out if they are just verifying employment or if they are trying to see your salary. They can not require that you turn this in, but many applicants feel pressure and stressed and do turn it in. It is up to you how you want to nicely play it. If they keep pressing you, you might give them the information (up to you), and if you are worried that they will use this in determining a salary for you, then it would be very important for you to have done some research to then document what type of salary you should make (based on the external market, not your previous salary).

Good luck!

Sad to say, but this seems to be a problem for more and more people. The last few articles I wrote for the Capital Business section of the Washington Post (May 28, June 18) both dealt with this topic - dealing with bullies in the workplace and incivility in the workplace. They are very real issues. You might check those out since I provided some tips. In the meantime, I would say - is there anyone you can talk with about this person? Someone who might be able to address it with the person? If you are experiencing these issues, chances are that someone else is as well. I am assuming you have already talked to the person yourself and that didn't work? If not, you could try to meet with them to learn more about them. Sometimes befriending a person helps to stop this type of behavior (but I know that may be the last thing you want to do). But, it often works. 

If this person has power in the firm and is protected, you need to be able to find another powerful person you might be able to talk with about the person's behaviors. You need someone in your corner. Good luck with this.

Sorry about your frustration over the job search process, and yes it can be tough. Hang in there! Online applications do work, and in many cases, you have to apply online. But, in this market, knowing people in a firm you are interested in working in is even more important. Can you try to indicate the key firms (and locations) that you are most excited about working at, and then look to see if you have any contacts at those particular firms? Having a specific plan is much better than a generic (apply anywhere) type plan.

Sometimes it is also helpful to take a break from the job search. If you have a current job, you can just give yourself some time away from looking  - maybe a month. Then, when you come back to it, have a specific plan. You will feel more energized at that point.  Good luck.

First, I am sorry to hear about all the health issues you have had to deal with. This had to be frustrating and painful for you. I am  glad that you are finally able to learn what the real issues are. I am assuming you are now able to get them taken care of?

What are you most concerned about in the interview - is it people asking what you were doing for the past 9 years and why you don't have a more "normal" work record? If that is your concern (and I totally understand that), then you will need a response for how you will address these questions. In the U.S., employers should not be asking about your health at all. They should only ask whether or not there are any reasons why you would not be able to work all the hours. Also, as an applicant, you do not have to volunteer any information about your health at all.

If, however, you figured they might want to know why your work history is spotty (I am assuming that is a concern for you), then you can preempt that question by letting them know you had some health issues that were misdiagnosed, but are now under control and will not be an issue for you. While you do NOT have to volunteer this information, it might be good since it will "take care of the issue in the room". You need to let them know that working is not an issue for you, and you are now ready and excited to be taking on new responsibilities.

Of course, this will be difficult from their perspective to take a chance on, so maybe personal contacts can really help you break through to employers you are really interested in working with. Good luck and I hope your health continues to improve!

True, so ask them in a nice way, "are you seeking to verify employment, and if so, I can show you some other documentation about that." Then, see what they say.

This of course varies, and truthfully, often it doesn't happen that companies even follow up. While many firms have employees sign noncompetes, they often do not follow up with checking them out. It's often too time consuming. Of course, that doesn't mean they all don't. It really might depend on how large the firm is and how much someone who violated the noncompete hurt them (by taking business away, etc). You could check the www.shrm.org website to see if you can get more stats on this issue.

Age could have been a factor (which would be unfortunate and illegal), but it might have also been that people were wondering what your career goals and objectives are at this point in time. You might make sure that someone carefully reviews your resume to make sure you are selling yourself and really showing what you have done and hope to do. Your resume needs to tell a story about your past and future, and should let people know that you have specific ideas about what you want to do next. This is also true for your cover letter. They need to understand what you are hoping to accomplish. Saying you want to work in a job that requires creative problem solving does not tell them what exactly you are really good at and want to do. Given your background, it sounds like you have some good interpersonal skills or mediation skills. Did you ever consider working in that field? Of course, it depends also on your educational background. What about taking more business courses? There are lots of online programs as well as courses at schools. 

Work with someone to try to define your objectives at this point, so this is what comes across clearly to recruiters. Good luck!

You need to keep the resume as you mentioned - with current jobs listed first. But, on a cover letter or summary at the top you can list your strengths or interests to highlight those areas relevant to the new job.

You can either just start looking and/or you can also speak with your boss to better understand what they are hoping you accomplish in your new job. You can also share your concerns for being underutilized with him/her and see what suggestions he/she has for this. I think it is important that they know how you feel about this in case they can do something about it. But, you should also start looking in case there is not much that can be done.

Good idea. You could black out everything you did not want them to see.

Lots of jobs in this field. You did not say what you do in IT so you might need to clarify this. You should also join some networking groups, and you can joined social media sites like Linked In and share your interests in getting back to IT with your former colleagues and other professionals in the area. There are numerous listings in the Post regarding IT organizations that you can try to affiliate with. Networking will be key for you to break back into the IT field. Good luck!

Great question. I think you really have to ask a lot of questions (and repeat some of them to different people). I think you also have to ask about a "day in the life of" to learn what do they really do at the firm. Interviews are not one of the better ways of learning about a firm, but everyone uses them. Often people will tell you all the positive things and not give you a realistic preview of the firm. so, in addition to going to interviews, you could try to attend lunches, dinners or other social events (maybe they have happy hours) where you can see people in a more natural setting to learn more about how they work, get along, etc.

Good question and a very common one that I hear. If you can not leave it blank or type in negotiable, then what about typing in XX or 00 to see if it will let you move on? I have had some people do this successfully. I know that some recruiters do not like this and will tell me that, but from the applicant's side, I agree with you that it is much better NOT to give them salary information at this point in time. Better to wait til you get a written offer to talk about salary. 

If you still have to put something in, then make sure you have really done good research on salaries for the field, and try to type in a RANGE (not a fixed number). This shows you have flexibility and does not pin you down as much. Good luck!

Generally, it is best to have contacts there and set up interviews onsite. It is often hard to get jobs in another state unless you actually go to the state and meet with people. It can be done, but it is harder. You might plan some trips there and set up some interviews in advance. This is also where you will need to use any contacts you have from that state to help you set up interviews. 

Great that you are asking yourself these questions. Keep in mind that you have plenty of time before you really have to make a "for real" decision. Generally, there are plenty of required core classes you need to take to graduate (regardless of major) that you can spend the first few years doing. Then, you can go after your major.

What I would encourage you to do is to meet with lawyers, artists, and any others you think might be in possible careers for you. You can meet face to face, over email, phone, etc and ask them questions about what they do in their jobs, what they like, dislike, how they got into the job, what would they do differently, etc. This is really important because it will give you a sense of what is involved in those jobs. I would make sure to ask several people in each field, don't just rely on what one lawyer or one artist tells you.

You could also have a career counselor give you some assessments such as Strong Interest Inventory, Career Leader, MBTI, to see what fields best suit you. This will give you some better ideas for other career fields to think about.

Good luck with this. Remember too, that you may end up having multiple careers in your lifetime so whatever you do initially will not be the only thing you will ever do. Don't be too hard on yourself to "have to pick the exact right thing right away".

Sounds like you have plenty of energy to keep learning, growing and working so I would look at new options. There are plenty of people working later and later today in the U.S. - either for economic reasons or just because they enjoy working.

Going back to school is so much easier today since there are online options as well as so many more schools and programs of study. Why not take some assessments like Career Leader, MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory - to see about your interests in the oceans or other fields? What about working parttime in your computer field while learning a new discipline? Sometimes it is easier to do it that way, rather than leaving something "cold turkey" and switching to something totally different.  Good luck! 

This is very common that someone might follow a person to another firm. You might first want to see if there is anyone else that you could still have as a mentor. You should also talk with your mentor to get his perspective on this - what does he think you should do? Does he have ideas for who else could mentor you? Does he even think you would get a job at the new firm? I would definitely hold a candid conversation with him before just leaving. He will probably have some good ideas for you. Good luck!

Feedback from a reader.

Sure. You did not say when you were expecting your baby. Congratulations by the way!

But, there is nothing to stop you from doing this, and if you have childcare plans set up, the employer should not be that concerned either. Even though you don't need to tell them your childcare plans, if you are obviously pregnant then you might volunteer this information (up to you) so that they are comforted knowing that you will be working there and have a plan for coming back. Best of luck!

Yes, I would recommend this. I would also suggest reading What Color is your parachute as well as some of the Knock Em Dead books - both give lots of great ideas for career switchers.