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 Seldomly Asked Questions
Wherein Working Girl (that’s her on the right) undertakes to answer all
your questions about work, life, and the universe.
Q - I thought this was a site to sell greeting cards.
A - It is. But the folks at Another Working Girl had an extra button on
their nav bar. They didn’t know what to do with it so they leased it out
to Working Girl.
Q - How much do you pay for this lease?
A – See here, Miss Nosey Parker, didn’t your mother teach you not to
ask impertinent questions about money? Let’s hear some questions about
work and life, and make it snappy.
Q – Hmmm. Well, okay, what’s the best way to get a job?
A – I thought you’d never ask. The best way to get a job is to know
someone.
Q – Really? You mean, that cliché “It’s not what you know, it’s who you
know” is true?
A – Most clichés are true.
Q – But isn’t this sort of cynical? What about education, training,
working hard, all that?
A – “All that” is very important. You asked me for the best way to get
a job. Here’s other stuff you need to do:
- Know what job you want. You’d be surprised how many people don’t
know what they’re looking for.
- Figure out what education and experience you need for the job,
and get it.
- Get out there and look. Be persistent. Tell everyone you know
that you are looking. Go to networking meetings, job fairs,
conferences—places where you will meet new people.
Q – Don’t I need a resume?
A – Of course you need a resume. But a resume will not get you a job.
It’s only a brochure. It’s a good thing to give potential employers
after an interview, to remind them of who you are.
Q – This is a little depressing. Don’t you have any other tips?
A – Think about interning. It’s a great way to get a foot in the
door.
Q – Aren’t you going to talk about interviewing?
A – Only if you want to. Yeah, sure, interviewing is something you
need to get good at it. Most important thing is to relax. Employers can
smell fear and they don’t like it.
Q – It’s hard to know what employers like.
A - What employers like are open, direct, honest, pleasant people who
strike them as someone they could stomach spending 8 hours a day with.
So just relax and be likeable.
Q – I hate it when people say “just relax.” Relaxing is a heck of a lot
easier said than done.
A – So true. Here’s what will help: Know a lot about the employer so
you can sound intelligent. Be clear on your goals and abilities.
Research how people dress at this particular company and dress like
that. Anticipate what questions the interviewer might ask and rehearse
your answers. Smile. Look the person in the eye. Don’t fidget.
Q – Anything else?
A – Don’t forget to write a thank you note.
Q – You make it all sound so simple.
A - Well, it isn’t! (You thought I was going to say it was, didn’t
you?) Simple stuff is always the hardest.
to be continued. . . . . . . . .
(If you have questions for Working Girl, feel free to write and
ask. Who knows, you might get an answer.)
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