Do You Have Any Questions?

Recently a woman asked me to help her respond when, during an interview, you are asked "Do you have any questions?".

An interview is like a 'first date'. You ask the other person questions and (s)he should be asking you questions. These questions are to see if 'you are a match' - if you have enough interests in common in order to pursue the relationship or end it.

An interview is not any different - both you and the employer are sizing each other up to see if 'you are a fit'. This said, if you were on a date and the other person never asked you anything about yourself, would you be inclined to go out on another date? Did the other person show any interest in what you were about?

This is how a prospective employer views the situation if you don't ask questions. HOWEVER, too many people ask the wrong questions or no questions at all.

You really need to research a company to find out about them. From your research, if you have any real interest in the company and it's future, you should have some real questions. Your questions should be about the products and/or services offered, where the company is now and where they want to be in the future, etc. Your questions should indicate you have an interest in this company, its mission and values, its customers and employees and its future. Let's face it, if you don't take an interest in the company, and its employees don't have a sincere interest, the company will not necessarily be around in the future.

Your questions SHOULD NOT BE about salary, benefits, vacation and sick time. If you ask questions such as just listed, you are only showing you are interested in yourself and quite frankly, that's not too appealing to anybody.

There are plenty of books and websites available to provide sample questions, however you should think of some of your own. Regardless of where you get 'your hit list of questions' however, you need to ask thoughtful questions during the interview process. Otherwise - you will lose the chance to work for that company.

Do you need a lawyer?

If you have questions regarding employment issues, you really should go to an attorney who specializes in employment law. In Oklahoma, you can find such an attorney by visiting http://www.oela.org/

OELA (Oklahoma Employment Lawyers Association) has a hyperlinked tab which, if 'clicked on' will provide a list of attorneys practicing employment law.

BEFORE you mail out your resume....

Before you mail, fax or email your resume,

1. did you remember to add a cover letter?
2. did you remember to obtain a copy of the full job description in order to ensure all pertinent information was included in your resume and/or cover letter?
3. did you remember to call the decision maker to find out if there were any specific skills or abilities he/she might want that were omitted from the job description?

Every Tom, Dick or Harry will see an ad and whip up a resume, but some people do not understand they MUST include a cover letter.

However, most people do not have the gumption to obtain a complete job description and/or talk to the person who will be their supervisor. Many times ads and/or job descriptions are not complete...for a number of reasons....the administrative assistant and/or HR person preparing the classified ad or the job description may not have discussed desired changes with the supervising manager. Hearing what is wanted, from "the horses mouth" will provide valuable information as to what should be included in your paperwork.

Rehab training

Someone asked me recently, "in addition to federal funding and grants found thru universities and colleges, are there any funds and training for people who have been hurt and now have limitations?".

Since I am not a financial aid guru, I would not only ask my local colleges, votechs, universities and state employment offices about approved programs and funding, but I would contact the local state department who handles rehabilitation issues. In our state, the Department of Rehabilitation Services has information about training which is approved as well as funding.

Additionally, many universities and colleges also have a department which specializes in working with people who may need specialized services and funding. You might check with the Affirmative Action/EEOC office who should be able to direct you to someone or an agency/organization, which can provide assistance.

Ordering online? Worried about theft?

A client in my class today, Robert B., suggested people buy a pre-paid credit card if they want to order online (Vistaprint.com. Angel Food Ministries, Sharecolorado.com). You preload the credit cards with a designated amount of money which you are comfortable in paying should your card number be accessed/stolen.

Pre-paid credit cards can be obtained at places such as WalMart, Walgreens, greendotonline.com and make your life much easier (they also make great gifts). Robert shared that there is no interest accrued on these cards which, if you have recently checked your other cards' interests rates, is a substantial savings.

Also, numbr.com also can provide a disposable phone number.