Dear Liz,
I’m dreading going home for the holidays. My friends and family keep announcing their big new job titles on Facebook and LinkedIn while I’m still in the same job I’ve been in the past couple of years. I hate being asked “What’s new at work?” and “What’s next?” when I don’t have anything impressive to say.
How do I respond to these questions when I don’t have good answers? Do I just suffer through it and make next year the year I up my career game?
Sincerely,
Embarrassed To Be Asked
I’d go so far as to call it a trick question.
Because the reasons you're most likely thinking of sharing in the interview are almost never the ones you should.
Most people treat this question like an encounter with a hornet's nest: they freak out and then do whatever they can to get to the other side as unscathed as possible.
But not preparing your answer in advance -- or giving a response like, "I'm a perfectionist," or, "I can't really think of any weaknesses right now..." can cost you the job offer.
So today I'm releasing a brief video that takes all the guesswork out of this question..
In the spirit of #MentalHealthAwarenessDay I’m sharing publicly for the first time my experience with panic attacks + my personal takeaways on anxiety and career success. To note, I am a career coach, not a mental health professional. If you are job searching and affected by anxiety, depression, or other mental wellness challenges (like 1/3 of the individuals in our country), I hope you will find support in a certified mental health professional in addition to a career coach -- two very different and very worthy resources!
When considering the financial implications of a new job or career path, most professionals immediately focus on salary.
Yet while salary is important, it’s not the whole picture.
Your next career move presents a much greater opportunity: to get your financial house in order and to make that sure your new job aligns with your financial - and life - goals.
This week, I sat down with my good friend, Emily Zeigler, CFP and Co-Founder of How Green Is Your Money. I love her simple, actionable financial advice and wanted to share some top takeaways for career shifters here.
Dear Liz,
I’m considering going back to school for my Master’s Degree (possibly an MBA). I don’t know exactly what I want to do, but I think graduate school will open a lot of doors and help me figure out which one I want to walk through. I know I’ll learn a lot, have fun being a student again, and build my network too, which can only mean good things, right?
I’m wondering, is graduate school worth it? Should I just take the leap, or how do I decide?
Sincerely,
Mulling-a-Masters
Dear Liz,
I have an interview coming up, and my friend who works at the company keeps offering to help me practice. I know it’s really nice of him to offer, but my gut is telling me not to do it. Practicing makes me uncomfortable, and I feel like I’ll be more relaxed and authentic if I go in fresh.
Should I trust my gut, or take my friend up on his offer?
Sincerely,
Wanting-to-Wing-it
***
Dear Wanting-to-Wing-it,
I want to commend you for asking this question. Every day I speak with clients who tell me they prefer not to prepare for interviews.
Just like you, practicing makes them uncomfortable. They get this gut feeling that tells them…
Dear Liz,
I’ve been trying to contact recruiters in my job search, but I’m not getting anywhere. I had assumed their role was all about helping people like me, but it seems like agencies just put you on their books and never offer you anything - you are just a number.
Am I going about this all wrong? How can I get recruiters to actually pay attention to me and help me find a job?
Sincerely,
Recruiter-Hungry
This is the latest edition of Job Seeker Love Letters where I respond to job seekers' questions with what I like to call "tough-love and love-love."
Dear Liz,
I’ll start with the good news: I think I have a job offer coming in this week! My interviews have all gone well, and the hiring manager told me herself that she wanted to cancel the interviews with other candidates because she thinks I’m the perfect person for the job. This is my dream company and I’m jumping out of my seat I’m so excited!!!
I’ve thought about negotiating, but since this is my dream company, what’s most important to me is not blowing the offer. Should I just take what they offer, or should I try to negotiate? I’m feeling totally lost in this and would appreciate your guidance.
Sincerely,
Scared-To-Negotiate
Dear Liz,
I’ve been job hunting for four months. Which kills me, because three months ago, I was told I had a job offer on the way. After a promising conversation with a VP at [a telecommunications company], I was told I was a perfect fit for a new role being created. I spent three months interviewing and waiting on budget approval. The day before I was supposed to receive my official offer, the company instituted a hiring freeze and my role came off the table.
Now here I am, four months unemployed, and completely down on my prospects. I didn’t apply for any other jobs while I was interviewing because I had been practically promised this role would come through, so I have zero other interviews lined up, and the gap on my resume now feels too big to overcome. Why did this go so wrong? And where do I go from here?
Sincerely,
Back To Square One
Dear Back To Square One:
Every day I hear similar stories -- of job seekers waiting weeks and even months to hear back from prospective employers.
And I know how it can feel to look at your calendar and think you should be further along; that sense of frustration and even panic that comes from having ‘nothing’ to show for your months of job hunting.
To help you get through this (and yes, you will get through this), or any job search problem for that matter, I always have two responses.
