Ask The Hiring Manager

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		Ask the Hiring Manager is an online career forum designed specifically for college students and recent grads, with answers to many common job search questions provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter and Webmaster of this site. If you don't see an answer to a question you would like to see answered here in this forum, please submit your own question direct to Brian. I've turned down two job offers because it's not exactly what I want--should I keep looking or just take what's being offered? Does the college that a person attends affect the number of job opportunities that will be available when he/she graduates? How do you answer the question - "What salary are you expecting?" I received a verbal job offer from a big company, but I still haven't received a formal letter a month later. Is it normal for the process to take this long? How do you get past the "experience wall" where employers block you out unless you meet their magical criteria? Who do you address a cover letter to when no contact person is given? What do you provide employers who request a "salary history" since I am entry level and don't really have a salary history? And what about requests for salary requirements? I have an offer with a company that requires a drug test, but I'm also waiting for an offer from another company. By scheduling the drug test for the 1st offer, will I be automatically accepting the 1st offer? What types of companies (large, small, startups, etc.) are looking for recent college graduates? Of what value is advice/informational interviewing? How long should a job campaign take? (I have heard anywhere from 90 days to 9 months as estimates)... At my final interview I will be meeting several managers in informal, non-interview settings. How do I respond to their "what are you looking for..." questions? I've had the door slammed shut on me after all of my first 9 interviews. How can I find out what I'm doing wrong before my next interview? How do I find out more information about small public relations firms in my area? I want to move to The Netherlands, but I just blew the phone interview with a Dutch company. What do I do now? Why am I getting paid less than my boyfriend's sister, who has no college education and is working in a clerical position? Can I list my cumulative GPA on my resume for both schools I attended or should I just list my GPA for my current school? At age 35, I am switching to a new career at the entry level. How can I use my previous experience as a plus rather than a negative? An employer was initially interested in me, but now I cannot get them to return calls. Why is this happening? Are there any specialized job search techniques for breaking into the science field? I'm approaching my senior year and need to begin searching for a job. Where do I start? Can you recommend any resources for finding jobs in government or non-profits? I would like to move to London to work for a year, but my parents would like me to go to grad school right away. What do you think? I recently just missed out on getting a job. I'm getting frustrated and thinking of going into the Air Force. Any advice? My second choice employer will likely make an offer a week before my final interview with my first choice employer. How do I handle this? I would like to look for a job in Spain, but my parents want me to stay in the U.S. Suggestions? Should I call the employer before or after I send my resume? I want to go to grad school in a year, but I need to work for the next year to survive. Where do I go from here? How can I get a better chance at getting a job for a company when I don't know anybody there? Can I call my interviewer to ask my status? Is it ethical? If not, how would I know when I can get the answear? After teaching for two years I realize that I do not want to teach. How do I emphasize my teaching experience as a benefit to employers in other areas? What are the best sources for searching for company information non-electronically? How do you get past Human Resources to obtain information about the company you are interested in working with? Should I pursue a Masters in Child life/Rec.Therapy or pursue an avenue of experience first? I discovered a typo in my cover letter after sending it to an employer. What should I do? Should I send a thank-you note to the employer after the interview? I did a co-op in a field I'm no longer interested in. Should I try to do another co-op before I graduate? Or just look for entry level jobs? Do you have any specific advice on how to tailor my job search to a public service position? How can I list the descriptions of the jobs I have held with various companies while indicating that they were attained through a temporary agency? Do I need to be employed to apply for a green card? And also what is the best way for an international student like me to get a job here? I am targeting a specific consulting firm--should I apply for their professional, entry level, or internship positions to get in the door? What are the factors that contribute to overall job satisfaction, and how do they rank? How should I go about interviewing current employees of a prospective employer? Do you have any advice on how to calm nerves before making an important phone call to a potential employer? I'm wondering about posting my resume on my homepage--is this a good idea for job possibilities after college? I have completed three degree programs in five years. What obstacles can I expect about the amount of time I spent in university? How can I get access to the newsgroup misc.jobs.resumes? I would especialy like to work abroad prior to graduate school. How can I find out if there are jobs available abroad? I have to take a personality test. How does this test effect my chances of being hired if at all and what is the purpose in using this test? I just received an offer from a company that I really like. However, another company just called and would like to do a phone interview. Any suggestions? What is a reasonable amount of time to search for a job locally before beginning to look nationally? How does an older student leverage their past experience, when the companies coming to campus are looking to hire entry-level people? After I graduated I sent my resume to most of the big companies. So far I keep getting rejection letters. Any tips on what should do next? American Airlines had a position listed on their Web site that I really want, but I can't get a through to anyone at the company. How do I do this? I am holding a Practical Training Visa which lasts only one year and having problem getting permanent employment because of this. Do you have any suggestions? I am taking classes to get my M.S. in Human Resources, but I can't get a job. Is my degree worth it? Is it best to go on for my Master's degree full-time or should I begin working and pursue my M.S. part-time in the evenings? Which option is better? How can I target a specific department to really impress upon them that they are my first choice for an employer? I have a speech impediment--stuttering. What can/should I do to make this not a factor in the hiring/interviewing process? I have to wear baggy jeans due to a medical condition that has swollen my right leg. How do I dress for an interview given this condition? I am a new Internet user. What is ASCII format or HTML format used for resume posting? Where can I find those specifications? I am interested in out of state jobs. Is there a right way and or a wrong way to search for positions out of state? I write resumes for college students. How do I write an objective that is general enough for a variety of jobs? I am interested in fashion buying or fashion marketing. I need to find out more information about these jobs and possible internships. How early prior to gratuating is a good time to start sending out resumes. Like me for instance, I graduate in December. When should I start sending out resumes? My GPA was lower when I first started and now is much higher. How can I present this higher ending GPA to potential employers? I will be completing my undergraduate degree and leaving the military soon. Will I have to compete at the entry level with all the other college grads? What can I do to prepare? I have a question about thank you notes to send after an interview. What should they say? Could you give me an example? I blew my interview with my ideal company for a summer internship. What should I do now? I will be moving back to my home country overseas after graduation. How do I get in touch with U.S. multinational companies? I received a response letter that makes it sound as if they will be contacting me in the future. Should I wait for them to call? I have made many contacts through research and headhunters and research, yet I have not found the right opportunity. Are there other contacts or companies that I'm overlooking? I am relocating to a different city, where I don't have many contacts. What is the best way to make contacts in a city where I hardly know anyone? I'm a December grad and I haven't found a job yet because of my low GPA. Any suggestions? How do I attach my MS Word resume in ASCII format to an e-mail message. Any follow-up required? Would you have any information or tips on accessing the hidden job market? How can I best land a health-related job that would get my feet wet, given that I will have a bachelor's degree without any health/medical training? I'm only a student with limited experience, while most jobs require x years of experience. Would an internship be appropriate--paid or even unpaid? I'm having trouble finding jobs in wildlife conservation field. Any suggestions? How do you negotiate an offer that is unacceptable in its present form? I'm having trouble attaching my HTML resume to an E-mail message. What can I do to fix this? Should I be addressing my cover letters to my contact (in sales for me) or to the HR director? I found a company thru the web site that you mentioned in your book, and I was wondering if I should contact them by phone or e-mail first? What can a new hire expect when negotiating a relocation package? Just what do human resource directors screening engineering candidates want? Which job markets--geographically speaking--are hot spots? When is the right time to make a professional career move? What type of career would be appropriate for someone that enjoys taking high levels of risk? Where can I go to find out more information about specific careers? Do you have any tips on working abroad? Is it okay to contact and set up informational interviews prior to his second interview with three of the departments that would be reporting to the potential new boss? Of what value is advice/informational interviewing? What types of companies (large, small, startups, etc.) are looking for recent college graduates? How long should a job search campaign take? When career counselors and publications indicate that recent graduates should have "realistic expectations" what does that mean? What sort of salaries are reasonable? Do you have any advise for hearing impaired, college graduate job hunters? I am trying to get a job with the airlines, but having trouble getting in the door. Any suggestions? Do you have a job search question that was not answered here in this forum? Submit your question for a personal reply. All job search information at this site is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter (©Adams Media Corp.), the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission from the author.
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