Tread Carefully! Dangerous Questions to Ask in a Job Interview

iStockphoto.com | diane39

A job interview is like a blind date. You and the employer have the basic facts about each other but don't know if there's any real potential until both parties meet face-to-face with one another and ask/answer probing questions. If you've ever been on a blind date, you know it can be a special kind of disaster. Human beings are capable of extraordinary moments of unexplainable stupidity, and few things prove it with the clarity experienced on a bad blind date – or a job interview.

During your typical job interview, the interviewer will ask the candidate if they have any questions. This question is a test. You should never say "no." It would be best if you had well-researched and thought-out questions ready. Your questions will demonstrate a genuine interest in working for the company and that you took the time to prepare for the interview. However, during an interview, sometimes we don't think and ask questions on the fly.  

At some point, everyone has put their foot in their mouth during a job interview. Sometimes both feet. Here is a list of tried-and-true questions you should never ask at a job interview. Since the questions are all equally bad, they are not ranked.

• How much money do you make? A job interview is not the time or place to discuss its salary range, so it logically follows that it's also not the time and place to intrude into the interviewer's private financial life. Personal money questions would be awkward anywhere, but it's the kiss of death in a job interview.

• Are you single? The game is not always on. The game needs to be off during job interviews and, subsequently, work hours in general. Making suggestive comments to your interviewer is not professional or appropriate, and you will most likely fail in getting a second job interview (or a date).

• What are you doing this weekend? Even if this is an innocent question, it's not professional or appropriate to ask your interviewer questions about their private life.

• How long will it take before I have your job? Some people think this is funny. It's not. Even if said as a joke, threatening the livelihood of your interviewer will not help you win friends and influence people. 

• Do I have to answer calls after work? And will you pay for my cell phone? Even if your job requires heavy cell phone use and the company does pay for it, this type of discussion should take place after you receive an offer and are negotiating your compensation. Boundaries are important but wait until the right time to discuss them.

• Can I work remotely (if the job posting doesn’t say that you can)? In-office vs. remote is a hot button issue right now. Businesses don't know what the post-pandemic office looks like, and there isn't likely to be a universal solution. Be cautious about asking questions about remote work unless the job description clearly states that the position is remote or partially remote. Otherwise, assume the job is in-office, that the employer spent a great deal of time arriving at that decision, and that it's not going to change for you.

• Can I bring my pet to work? There are no words. Even if you're interviewing for a job as a veterinarian, or you have a pet Emu that loves to snuggle, the job interview is not the time or place to ask about special accommodations for your pet. Seriously, this is a job interview. Your pet? Stop. Now. Unless you are interviewing with Chewy.com.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

The Job Market is Heating Up. Should I Jump In?

"We are back!" is the tagline of the summer.

Leading economic indicators forecast the first real step forward since the Covid-19 pandemic forced lockdowns and ravaged specific sectors of the economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate remains steady at 5.9%, but "Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, public and private education, professional and business services, retail trade, and other services." (July 2021). 

Hiring is up. Employers are complaining that they’ve got more jobs to offer than there are takers. To attract top talent, companies are increasing salaries and offering other incentives. The tectonic plates of the workplace continue to shift and create new types of roles (e.g., hybrid jobs that are half in-office, half remote). There is no question the employment pendulum is swinging back towards an "applicant's market."

When the job market is hot, should I jump in?

Whenever the job market is hot, the temptation to take advantage of that and move into another, higher-paying position is palpable. A gold rush mentality takes over, and people switch jobs with more frequency. Only you can decide what the best move is for you and your career, but it can make sense to exercise extra prudence when assessing whether or not to jump ship. You don't want to jump the shark instead.

Think of a job move as a play in the stock market – you can try to time your investment to maximize your return, but there are no guarantees it’ll pay off. The best you can do is make a well-informed, professional-level move based on the very best and most up-to-date real-time information available.

Is now the time to make a move with less risk?

The economy is unpredictable. The best move today may not be the best path tomorrow because of unexpected external circumstances beyond your control. There will always be a level of risk. Of course, nobody can predict the future. What is in your control is to make an honest assessment of your current job and your professional and personal goals.

Here are five factors to think about when considering a job move:

1.    Remember, the grass isn't always greener. Don't get caught up in the frenzy. A measured, dispassionate assessment of your current job versus any potential opportunity is a great tool to help you make such an important decision. Break down every facet of your career – salary, insurance, retirement funds, commute, schedule, etc. Write down the pros and cons. Be as detached and objective as possible. If a move is the right thing to do right now, your work will show that.

2.    Have you been at a company for a long time?  If you're settled at a company for a long time, you may be hesitant to rock the boat. Your overall responsibilities and compensation package may be tough to top; that said, competition for quality employees typically leads to overall salary increases, so there's an opportunity for entrenched employees to improve their worth. But do not assume you should get more because other people are getting more somewhere else. Do your homework. Go on to PayScale.com and see where your current salary falls. Document your accomplishments over the last year, especially if you played an integral role in helping your business survive the downturn. If you're going to ask for a salary increase, have the numbers to back up your request.

3.    Have you been at your job a year or less? If the job market is hot, it's hot. Conditions may not be so favorable to job seekers for a long time. Who knows, right? Nobody wants to be branded a "job-hopper" – someone who constantly leaps at the next, brightest opportunity – but the unique economic and business circumstances of the last year mean pursuing that new opportunity right now may be worth it. Fiscal year 2020 might be the time to play that "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

4.    Are you changing jobs – or lifestyles? Part of the abnormal post-Covid economic recovery is how people look at their work and work environment. Many professionals who consider a job change are after more than the traditional salary increases and impressive job titles. Perhaps it’s the desire to work partially or fully from home. Or perhaps you've been at home so long you don't want to stay there and can’t wait to go back to an office. Regardless of the reasons, the pandemic has led to a professional soul searching for many, so if there are more options out there right now that may align with your new perspective and needs, maybe the time is right to jump.

5.     You can invest in a job move that happens in the future. One advantage of a hot job market is that it provides a glimpse into financial sectors and careers that will remain hot. Always be training. You may decide that the timing isn't right for you now, but acquiring new skills, professional certifications, or degrees will help you jump when the timing is right.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Is The Option To Work Remotely Here To Stay?

iStockphoto.com | Olezzo

The pandemic isn't over, but a gradual transition "back to the way things were before" is underway. However, nobody knows exactly what that will ultimately mean.

What do we know so far? Some companies have announced ultimatums to their employees to return to the office by a specific date (“Businesses tell their workforce to return to offices by Labor Day or even sooner” - USA Today 06/26). Other companies have said they are in no particular hurry to disrupt whatever equilibrium they've achieved during the last year and a half. (“Return-to-Office: A New Competitive Strategy” – Bloomberg 06/21). And still, others foresee long-term dramatic changes in employment structures that will not be back to the way things were before (“These Startups are Betting on a Remote First World” – Wired News 06/23).

Since businesses are all over the map on remote employment going forward, where does that leave the employee who grew accustomed to remote work and like the twist in lifestyle? Many people forced to adapt to remote work by circumstance now prefer it over the traditional in-the-office environment by choice -- enough to contemplate leaving their current jobs for one that is remote or partially remote if forced back in the office.

If you are in a tug-of-war over your next post-pandemic professional move and remote versus office work is a primary factor, here are some factors to consider:

1.    It is too early to know whether "work-from-home" will be a regular thing. The examples above illustrate how balkanized viewpoints are on where employees should be when they do their work.

2.    Many companies must still navigate re-opening strategies that benefit their business goals, culture, and staffing needs. For example, before 2020, technology companies already had more remote workers than those in other fields, so it will likely be easier for them to plan to have more remote workers post-pandemic. However, many of the same tech companies have corporate cultures they build "campuses" and "complexes" and "compounds" to promote. What do you do? Nobody is quite sure yet.

3.    The recovery may be a block-by-block renovation, not an all-encompassing development. That means there may not be a universal consensus or move back to full in-the-office employment, and what happens next will happen on a company-by-company basis. If you plan to search for remote opportunities, do your homework in terms of searching specifically for work-from-home jobs, and asking the employer their plans on this topic going forward.

4.    Companies that want to embrace a remote work culture are still unsure of the logistics. Five days a week? Half remote, half in-the-office? Virtual conference rooms? Companies may explore, revise, scrap, and adopt different models before determining the best way forward.

5.    In this market that favors workers at the moment, companies don't quite know if they have enough power to dictate terms to their employees or if the employees have the leverage.

6.    Is remote work a good idea for you?  An honest assessment of your strategic career plan is warranted. Where are you in your career, and what you want to get out of it? If you are career-oriented or entrepreneur and have ambitious goals, remote work may not be your best move since the visibility and interpersonal interaction you receive by being in the office can pay professional dividends that remote work cannot. If you are early in your career and want to develop a professional network that will follow and help you throughout your work life, better achieved in person than on Zoom.

7.    Where you want to live? How remote is remote? If you live in Florida but do remote work for a Texas-based company, it's not easy to simply pop into the office for a meeting. Suppose you live in a metropolitan center and you do remote work for a company across town. In that case, you're able to work from home and be in the office as necessary to bolster some of your other potential professional goals.

8.    What is it that you value in your work? The work itself may give you value, and you believe that you have that experience just as much at home as in an office. You may value regular interpersonal interactions and learn more from others in person. You may be a more effective and influential worker in the office where you nail a presentation or work magic behind the scenes. Maybe it's a verifiable fact you do your best work alone. Only you can decide what the best way is.

9.    Do you live in Colorado? That seems like an odd question unless you live in Colorado. Colorado recently rolled out a new law that every job posting must include the salary range. Colorado is the only one of the fifty states that have this law. It is wildly unpopular with employers from other states who feel salaries are propriety information that gives them bargaining power. As a result, many remote or semi-remote employers are accepting applications from candidates virtually everywhere except Colorado. If you live in Colorado, the only remote opportunities on offer may be from employers inside the state.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.