Answers to reader questions on Job Hunting

951

Layoffs are spreading faster than a day care cold. Here are some questions from the trenches.

Dear Joan:
In August my contract assignment was ended due to budget constraints. Since then I have been working temporary jobs.

On my resume I have a lot of jobs listed because I have worked several contract assignments to pay bills and because that was the only thing that was available. I feel some people think that I’m a job hopper—which I’m not. What is your opinion?

Also, should I mention on my cover letter that my contract assignment was ended due to budget constraints, not my performance?

Answer:
On your cover letter say, "Due to the economic downturn, my position, along with all contract positions, was eliminated due to budget constraints." Don’t look singled out. Be sure to mention (in your cover letter and in your resume) all the excellent results you achieved prior to the lay off. In addition, if your manager liked your work, include a statement such as, "My manager frequently praised my results and has offered to be an enthusiastic reference."

Regarding your temporary jobs, consider using a functional resume. Instead of listing each job chronologically, use categories to group your experience and results and then list your employers at the end. For instance, if most of your jobs have a customer service component, group your customer service results from several jobs under that heading.

Another approach is to list your temporary agency as your employer and put all your assignments under that heading.

Finally, rather than being worried about looking like a job-hopper, be prepared to respond to the question like this, "I’m a very hard working, responsible person, so when the economy shut down employment in my field, I got resourceful and took what was available. I’m a survivor."

Dear Joan:
I was fired from my job last week. The owner gave me the news on the phone, while I had three days off. At the moment I didn’t feel that I could be objective about a response. I really enjoy my job and I want it back. I was in the office a few days later picking up my belongings and he was very friendly but made a comment that I have "too much going on now." (Single parent, young daughter, etc.)

My question is would it be wise to call him and discuss a reconciliation. If so, can you give me some tips? His main gripe is my time off. I negotiated four weeks off as part of my compensation package in lieu of salary. I have since seen that he is uncomfortable with giving me this time off (or any time off) and uses my performance as an excuse.

Answer:
Reconciliation sometimes happens with a spouse but usually not with a boss. Your time to reconcile is probably passed. Your opportunity came when you realized he wasn’t happy. If you ask him, "Is it really my performance or is it my time off?" he may not level with you. If you live in a "termination at will" state, your boss can fire you for any reason. It doesn’t appear that your situation is covered by the Family Medical Leave Act, since you simply negotiated for extra vacation and there isn’t any long-term illness in the family. Are you convinced it isn’t your performance? Have you been distracted with home issues? Have you been leaving early and coming in late? Are you willing to work with less time off? I suspect your boss was willing to let you have some flexibility but not at the expense of his business. Learn a lesson and move on.

Dear Joan:
Is it permissible for an interviewer to end an interview? I have had two first interviews recently, one lasting 1-½ hours and the other lasting 1-hour. They didn’t seem to have a logical way to end it. When they ran out of questions, I was prepared with my questions about the company and I pointed out how my experience would contribute, but eventually I ran out of questions. In both cases the interview group then began to chat about day to day work.

Answer:
Interviews often last an hour or more, so your experience isn’t out of the ordinary. It’s appropriate to ask at the end, "Where are you in the interviewing process?" and "When do you think you’ll be in a position to make a decision?" and "I’m very interested in the position and I can be contacted at…." Other than that, sit tight and let the interviewer end it.

Savvy Negotiation Strategies to Get Paid What You’re Worth on a New Job (Detailed, 8-page PDF by email – no shipping charge)
Easy, Step-by-step Guide to Using the Internet to Land a Great Job (Detailed, 10-page PDF by email  – no shipping charge)
The Resume That Opens the Door and the Interview That Gets the Job (Detailed, 37-page PDF by email – no shipping charge)