9 things not to ask in a job interview

1. How much will I make?

While certainly you should discuss salary before taking the job, asking too early can turnoff potential employers. An employer wants to feel like you're interviewing for the job because you're interested in the company and the position, not just the money.

Wait until you've been invited back to bring up salary, and even then, tiptoe around the issue. Try to word the question better, such as, "what's the salary range for this role?"

2. Who do I speak with about vacation time?

You haven't even gotten the job and already you're asking for time off. This is a huge red flag for employers, especially in the interview process. If and when you get to the offer stage and you think there will be a scheduling conflict, you may bring up any already planned events, but only at the appropriate time in the hiring process.

3. Where is my parking space?

This is just an example of one of an infinite number of superficial questions that have no place in a job interview. Rest assured: this company has hired before, and if the employers select you as the best candidate for the job, they'll fill you in on everything you need to know--from where to park to when to take your lunch break.

4. What does the company do?

Ask this if you want a quick escort out the door. It is your responsibility to study up on any company that's interviewing you. You should be able to walk in and tell them what they do, about their products, their competitors, and even the most recent company news.

You can, however, ask intelligent questions about the company, such as:

--What are the biggest challenges someone in this position will face?

--How would you describe the company culture here? How do you measure someone's success who works here?

--How has Company X's strategy changed in light of [insert intelligent comment here from all the research you've done]?

5. When do I start?

Confidence is an important trait to show while you're interviewing, but cockiness will send you to the door. You shouldn't presume you have the job in your initial job interview. You're likely one of several candidates being considered, and even if you're the most qualified, attitude trumps experience in many cases. A better way to work around this blatant question is to ask when the hiring manager expects to make a hiring decision and have the new person start.

6. How flexible is the company?

If you're already looking to bend or break the rules when it comes to showing up to work late, leaving early, taking long lunches or other situations, chances are the human resources manager is going to move on to the next candidate. Before asking the hiring manager to accommodate your personal circumstances, make it clear through the interview process that you're the ideal candidate for the job.

7. Can I telecommute?

If telecommuting wasn't described in the job description, then most likely the company is looking for somebody on-site. At many companies, telecommuting is an earned privilege and not one offered right out of the gate. Asking indirect questions may give you some insight into how flexible the company is with telecommuting, but if it seems like it's on a case-by-case basis, you'd be better off to leave it until you've been working in the company for a while.

8. Any personal question.

It's perfectly fine to start with small talk to warm up the interview, but don't cross the line with the personal questions. If you see a photo on her desk, it's natural to ask if it's her family, which could lead to a generic conversation about her kids, but don't ask her if she plans to have more children, if she's married, or how old she is. None of it pertains to the subject at hand: how you qualify as a job candidate.

9. Too many questions.

 

If you're nervous you might ask lots of questions to keep the other person talking. Try to be aware of how many you're asking and not to come across as if you're interrogating the interviewer. You want to get the questions answered you feel like you need to know to move forward in the interview process, but leave some for your follow-up or next interview.

Author, Lindsay Olson is a founding partner and public relations recruiter with Paradigm Staffing and Hoojobs.com, a niche job board for public relations, communications, and social media jobs. She blogs at LindsayOlson.com, where she discusses recruiting and job search issues.

5 lies women tell men

The most common lies women tell

We’ve heard the lies that men tell women and now we think it’s about time the ladies came clean too; trust us, they don’t exactly come out smelling of roses. From lying about how many sexual partners they’ve had, to pretending they’re a dress size smaller than they actually are, the females have their fair share of fibs. Here’s the lowdown:

Lies women tell men 1: “I don’t know where it is! I haven’t touched it!”

Whether you’re a man or a woman reading this, you’re probably familiar with the scenario where she tidies up and suddenly his possessions go AWOL. On most of these occasions, the missing item mysteriously appears somewhere obscure, such as in her handbag (what could she possibly want with a beard trimming kit?). When questioned again as to how the missing item got there, she suddenly remembers that she put it there because it was making a mess around the house so she wanted to shove it somewhere out of sight. Men can’t seem to leave anything anywhere without it being swept up and taken elsewhere. If you’re going to move something ladies, at least remember where you moved it to and don’t tell the “I haven’t touched it!” lie to your man. Men know that they need a little help keeping the place clean every now and then, but what’s wrong with putting his things where he can see them? We rest our case. Oh wait, where did that case go? Anyone seen a case?

Lies women tell men 2: “No way! I love that too!”

Women have hobbies – granted. Why is it though, that whatever their love interest enjoys doing in his spare time, this is suddenly their favourite hobby too? A man could tell a woman something random like “I enjoy rock climbing with a purple crayon in my rucksack” and she’d say “no way! I love that too!” Ladies like their love interests to think there’s some sort of profound, deep-rooted connection that makes you love all the things they love and vice versa; this is more weird than impressive when they take it to the extreme though. Gents, next time a lady blatantly pretends to like something just so she can connect with you on guy level, take her to a boring match and snigger quietly into your chips as she struggles to hold her passionate smile in place for a moment longer.

Lies women tell men 3: “I wouldn’t change a thing about you”

When a woman says this, her pants are on fire. A woman might think that there’s nothing she would change about her man, but that’s until she realises his annoying habits and then compiles a dossier of her perfect man in her mind. If they wouldn’t change a thing about men then why do they nag their other half to clean up after themselves, have a shave, and stop leaving the toilet seat up? A woman may say that she loves these mannerisms because “that’s what makes you, you” (alongside all the other men in the world who share the same habits), but when they’re red in the face from yelling at their partner you realise they were just saying that they wouldn’t change anything about them out of politeness. Bless women for being so sensitive towards your feelings.

Lies women tell men 4: “I’ve not had many sexual partners”

When it comes to sexual partners, women are notorious for being economical with the truth. In fact, a recent survey published in the Journal of Sex Research states that a massive 68 per cent of women take a few notches off the bed post when asked about their past sexual encounters. Why? Because no matter how much we try to gloss over it, there is still a large amount of social stigma attached to women who have had their fair share of sexual partners and, with the derogatory labels used to define them, it’s no surprise that women would rather keep the truth to themselves. There’s a general rule of thumb that suggests that when a man says how many women he’s slept with, you should take three off to get an accurate number. For women, you add three on. In a society that has advanced as far as it has today, women should perhaps be treated equally to men, yet unfortunately they still feel pressured to tell porkies when this subject arises.

Lies women tell men 5: “I won’t get mad if you say I don’t look good in this dress”

Ahh this is an old classic. Women want the truth so that they know whether they can wear that dress or not, but when they’re told they look great, they never believe the poor worried man who just dished out this compliment. The reply is often something along the lines of “Great? I look great? Can you not see my muffin top?” When a man says “maybe you should change into something else”, suddenly he becomes the insulting bad guy who hates his other half’s body. This is the ultimate trap that most guys fall into at some point during their life. As soon as a man sees his partner changing into a new dress, he should run for the hills. Either that, or women should just say something along the lines of “tell me the truth or tell me a lie, either way I’ll be mad at you”, to give their partner a chance to hide.

5 Things You Could Be Doing to Hurt Your Career

1.    You're rude. While it's easy for most to be gracious when our careers sail along smoothly, rough waters can sink a generous attitude quickly. This is not, however, a good enough excuse for insolence. Whether disappointed by an unresponsive recruiter, angry that your last interview fell short of an offer, or upset you were passed over for a promotion, rein in your ire. Resist venting through rude emails, voice mails, or other irreversible actions. Also, be cognizant of how passive-aggressive action--not showing up for appointments or conveniently forgetting to perform a promised follow-up--can radiate as rude. Step up during bad times by being gracious for what is going well in your life and paving a new path toward happiness. Weed out the naysayers and Negative Nellies and surround yourself with encouraging, positive people. Take the reins of your life or fake it until you feel it and soon you will cultivate a genuinely renewed sense of optimism.

1. 2. You pawn off the hard work. Whether aspiring to the next level at your current job, or seeking that next big gig at another company, the onus ultimately is on YOU to make it happen. No one else: not your boss, not your co-worker, not the resume writer or career coach you hired and certainly not your husband/wife/best friend can perform your heavy lifting. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't seek help (you should--none of us lives in a vacuum); what it does mean is that you can't outsource the hard stuff, especially the thinking, planning, and execution. You may hire someone to perform parts and bits of your career transition strategy, but ultimately you must expect to sweat intellectually to build the career muscle you desire.

1. 3. You don't track your achievements. If you're gainfully employed, you're accomplishing something; otherwise, your company could not justify your salary. When tracking accomplishments, answer the question, "What do you do that affects sales or profits?" Even if you're a chief bottle washer, you are cleaning a certain number of bottles in a way that efficiently prepares them for the next customer, and without customers, your company wouldn't generate revenue, which means your company can't pay you, and you wouldn't have a job. You get the drift. If you don't track your contributions, then you can't build a good resume that will sell you to a new employer (proving that you EARN your salary). While this example may seem simplistic, the message here is you must make the effort to know how what you do affects the bigger picture. Insisting that you don't have any real accomplishments is an attitude that will leave your career languishing.

1. 4. Your social media persona is a sad country song. Every tweet is a complaint. Every Facebook post is a tirade or a tear-stained commentary regarding your last breakup. Every LinkedIn update is a solicitation for a job. You don't interact with others. You neglect commenting on others' posts or cheering someone else on. You're not only negative, but you're all about you. If this describes you, then consider revamping your social networking strategy. Social media is just that: social. You must interact, you must be relatively positive and you must add value. Period.

1. 5 You don't say, "thank you." Whether following up on an interview or showing appreciation for the free advice that a friend, family member, mentor, recruiter, career consultant, etc., gave you, always, ALWAYS say, "thank you." Here's a little secret, the more appreciative you are, the more likely those helpful people will recall your name when your perfect career match crosses their path. EVERYONE has a Rolodex, but few are willing to crack them open for ungrateful people. If you are currently stuck in an entitlement mentality that prevents you from displaying gratitude, you may want to reconsider your approach. As a result, you may be pleasantly surprised at the uplifting impact on your career. While there are no magic bullets to career success, one thing is certain, consistently behaving badly is a magic bullet that will disable your career. The likelihood of sailing into your next career port improves greatly by avoiding these five behaviors and turning negativity into positive and forward momentum.