CAREERS NOW 10-11-09

Surviving Job Interview Hot Spots

DEAR JOYCE: The sticky point in job interviews for me, a facilities manager, is when the interviewer asks company-related questions. Yes, I know about the R-word and will do some research about the company beforehand but what are the best strategies? - J.D.

Confirm your understanding of the position and how it fits into the company's profitability structure, and speak about what you can do for the company.

In downturns, hiring authorities become even more selective, less willing to take financial risks on untested employees. More than ever, you need a polished, if not perfect, pitch. Most people are too busy or unsophisticated to become accomplished job hunters who treat search like a job.

By contrast, you're wise to anticipate potential hiring-killer moments, lining up your self-marketing ammo and getting your answers ready to fire.

Reflecting another current development - when budgets are down, employees are sometimes asked to take on the core responsibilities of two or three jobs - another reader worries about an interviewer's unspoken concerns about parental absenteeism when interviewing women of child-bearing age.

In this case, the strategy I advise is to ease those hidden concerns by bringing up a legally risky topic: "In your place, I'd probably be wondering how --." Then explain, choosing from these options: why your kids are way in the future, why your child-care arrangements are super-reliable, or why you must be a two-income family or perish.

Grab an abundance of suggestions about how to handle make-or-break interviewing hot spots on a free site, Dummies.com; click on business and careers and scout around. Or search directly on the site for any of the following "How to Answer Company-Related Questions at Job Interviews"; "Addressing Concerns During a Job Interview"; or "Answering Job Interview Questions about Family Matters."

DEAR JOYCE: I got into trouble at work for tweeting my boyfriend. I was multitasking and did not do a bad job. Do you think that's fair? - R.M.

You don't work for me. What matters is what your boss thinks. A new survey suggests that bosses don't want you to unrestrictedly share your latest thoughts with Twitter followers on the company dime. Ditto for interacting with Facebook friends.

More than half (54 percent) of 1,400 chief information officers recently interviewed across the country by an independent research firm said their companies do not allow employees to visit social networking sites for any reason while at work.

The survey, developed by staffing firm Robert Half Technology (rhi.com), also reports that another 19 percent of companies permit tweeting for business purposes only, while 16 percent allow it for limited personal use.

In summary, as the Robert Half folks say, "Whistle - but don't tweet - while you work."

DEAR JOYCE: Most of the jobs I want ask for a college degree, which I don't have. How should I handle this problem on my resume? - U.T.

Here's an approach suggested by resume ace and author Louise Kursmark (yourbestimpression.com):

"Eliminate the education section altogether. Head up the section with 'Professional Development' or another title that doesn't call attention to an education credential."

When you have some college credits, Kursmark offers these variations:

"University of California, Santa Barbara - Studies in Business and Economics (full-time 3 years)."

"Colorado College of Mines - Completed 50% of requirements toward Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering."

"Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Conn.; Quinnipiac College, Hamden, Conn. - Coursework in Business, Marketing and Economics, 2005-2008."

The only danger in calling attention to credits without a degree is the hiring authority may wonder if you're the type of person who doesn't finish what he or she started. You can do damage control to that potential criticism by adding the statement "Plan to continue my education part-time as career responsibilities and finances permit."

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