The Washington area is a magnet for smart, ambitious young workers.
Post columnist Mary Ellen Slayter writes a regular column for these professionals who are establishing their careers locally, and offers advice online as well.
The transcript follows below.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
________________________________________________
Mary Ellen Slayter: Good afternoon, everyone!
My next column is about balancing work demands with the desire to take off for the Sabbath, prompted by the recent Virginia revival--and death--of a law protecting workers who want to take off. Any thoughts?
_______________________
SW, DC:
Mary Ellen,
I was laid off from my last two jobs, and then made mistake of taking a job just to have one. I recently quit that job, and, though that's risky, I feel it was the right thing to do. Is it possible to convince anyone looking at the short timespans in my work history that I'm not a flight risk? (My tenures ranged from seven months to two years.)
Mary Ellen Slayter: I wouldn't worry about it too much. Shorter terms at more companies is the norm now. It's far more common than staying at the same place for decades, that's for sure.
_______________________
New York, NY:
With so many companies turning to reviewing resumes electronically, you are at a disadvantage if your interpersonal, people skills are your strengths.
What is the best way to ensure a meeting in person? Now that monster.com/hotjobs.com are available, do companies shun people who try to make the effort to see them in person?
Mary Ellen Slayter: Collecting resumes electronically is replacing the part of the job application process that used to be done mostly by mail. You ensure getting a face-to-face meeting (aka an interview) the same way you did when everything was done on paper--writing an excellent cover letter explaining who you are and why you are the best person for this job.
_______________________
Washington, D.C.:
Mary Ellen, I thought your article on women in the workplace was very interesting...seems like women need to be assertive about asking for raises. Do you or any readers have any advice on how to ask for a raise?
Mary Ellen Slayter: That was my colleague Amy Joyce's article.
Women do need to be more assertive in asking for raises. No matter what your gender, you're most likely to be successful if you do your homework. Find out what the market worth of your skills is, and base your requests on that. If what you're being paid is way off base, and your employer won't ante up, leave.
_______________________
Washington, DC:
Hi Mary Ellen!; I have a question that I desperately need help with. I've had several job interviews for teaching positions in Fairfax County. The principal at the school that I liked best is on vacation through next Monday. I also interviewed at another school last week that said they would let me know by today or tomorrow, and indicated I was at the top of their list. My question is, if the second school should call and offer me a job, can I reasonably ask for an entire week to think about it? I know I could ask for a few days, but I would really like to see where I stand with the school whose principal is away. No one else at that school would be able to give me any information about my status. I know, this is a nice problem to have (and maybe it won't matter anyway), but I'm still worried. Thank you!;
Mary Ellen Slayter: I think a week is a fine amount of time to take to think about it, especially for a school job. Presumably they'd want you to be fairly certain that you want to work there so you'd stick around for long time.
_______________________
To be or not to be:
Hi.
After finishing a double major in Economics and Political Science, I've been a proud Federal Reserve Employee. However, after working for 3 years, I have finally realized that economics is not for me. I need something more creative and adventorous. Here is the question, do I puruse one of my likes - food (i can't honestly call if a passion - but just signed up for 2 culinary classes), or do I play it safe and try to apply my skills at a more reasonable job?
Thanks!
Mary Ellen Slayter: Before you swap out economics for cooking, take a part-time job in a restaurant and see what it is really like. It is very easy to romanticize the restaurant industry, but it is a cut-throat, tiring business. One of my closest friends is a line cook at one of the upscale restaurants in D.C., and "creative" and "adventurous" are not the words I would use to describe her work.
_______________________
Washington, DC:
I'm considering leaving my current management-level job for a very entry-level position in a field that I'm more interested in. The downside of this is that I'll be taking a HUGE paycut. I know that I can't except to make what I'm making now when I move into a new industry, but I was wondering if it's ever possible to negotiate the salary of an entry-level job? I remember hearing once that entry-level salaries are usually non-negotiable.
Mary Ellen Slayter: All salaries are negotiable. Also, they might not start you off as low on the totem pole as you think. You do have management experience after all.
_______________________
Burke, VA:
I got a new job (Yayy). Like many of your sriters, I currently work 3 or 4 projects where I am the only person who knows the process. I gave notice the week of july 4th. Because that was a short week, I gave until this friday (almost 3 weeks). Now I regret it. After handing off my tasks to co-workers (they are not hiring anyone right away). I have nothing to do for the next 4 days! I am cleaning computer files, email, etc. Word to Others: You may feel like you can't be replaced, but you can. They would have been just as happy if I was not here this week.
Mary Ellen Slayter: True. But isn't it better to have time to spare at the end of your tenure than extra work?
_______________________
washington, dc:
I have an interview this Friday. Is it acceptable to wear a skirt and nice blouse? Or should I shell out money for a new suit?
Mary Ellen Slayter: Depends on the job. The more corporate, the more likely you should be in a suit.
Do you have a jacket that coordinates with the skirt? The jacket is the part of a suit that really conveys seriousness and authority.
_______________________
Georgetown, DC:
is it possible to include jobs on your resume without having a potential employer call your former boss? i worked briefly in a position that reflects specific field-related experience and in which i performed well, but my boss and i did not get along and i quit. id like to include it as proof of my skills, but i dont want a potential employer to contact my ex-boss nemesis ...
Mary Ellen Slayter: There's no way to guarantee they won't call. However, if they do call, chances are all the old company will tell them is what dates you worked there. Lawsuits have made employers more skittish about giving negative references.
_______________________
Fairfax, VA:
(I submitted a question earlier, so if this is a double, I apologize).
My wife's niece, who doesn't take input well, is losing her job. For the second time, she's asked me to help her edit her resume. The last time (she's a recent college grad), she gave me THREE single-spaced pages, which is absurdly long. I gave her a couple of different versions, and she got highly insulted. Now, a year or so later, she's back, and her resume is STILL miles long. I'm not inclined to repeat the last argument, but how do I get her to understand that nobody's going to read a resume that long?
Mary Ellen Slayter: Since she won't listen to you, perhaps you could direct her to an outside authority? Give her a good basic resume writing book as a gift, then wash your hands of the matter. Eventually, she will figure it out.
_______________________
San Francisco, CA:
An excellent book about women/negotiations is "Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide", by Linda Babcock, Sara Laschever. It's a study of the gender differences, and I found it very helpful to learning why women tend to not ask, and why that turns out to be a negative thing.
Mary Ellen Slayter: Thanks for the tip!
_______________________
Washington, DC:
I submitted this morning, but am thinking maybe it got lost in the rescheduling.
I have had several interviews after recently moving to DC, and the interviewers tend to do much more talking than asking. When I try to respond to a long monologue with information about my experience, specific examples of how my skills would fit the position, the person interviewing just starts up with another 10-minute talk and I just sit their, trying not to glaze over. I thought interviews were supposed to offer the employer and the potential employee both a chance to ask questions of each other, not just lecture. What should I do if this happens again?
Mary Ellen Slayter: What are they talking about exactly?
_______________________
re: to be or not to be:
Thanks, that's an excellent suggestion! I actually already have an internship at a restaurant, and know for sure that it's not something that I would want to do - crazy hours, hard conditions, low pay. I was thinking more in terms of becoming a culinary instructor/personal chef. But wonder if one would need restaurant experience. Also, I'm volunteering at Sur La Table culinary program.
Mary Ellen Slayter: You could probably start a personal chef business on your own, through referrals. Your best bet is to find someone who does the sort of work you're interested in doing, and see if they are willing to guide or mentor you a bit. Ask culinary instructors how they got their job and what advice they have for you. Ditto for personal chefs.
_______________________
Cleveland:
Burke VA, Be happy that you have plenty of time to clean out your desk. Last summer I changed jobs and gave 3 weeks notice. My boss piled on the work to the extent that my husband came to my work the night before my last day of work and we worked until 9:00 to get everything done. The next afternoon my boss asked what I was doing and when I told him that I was packing up my belongings, he said "Oh yeah, I forgot you'd have to do that." Then he gave me another project to work on for the afternoon.
Mary Ellen Slayter: Ouch.
_______________________
re. suit (another poster):
Long sleeve jacket or short sleeve (it's a suit, both pieces are navy)? I see it's going to be in the 90's this week, but I don't want to be extremely uncomfortable (I will be flying down for the day from Long Island).
Mary Ellen Slayter: Long sleeve, always. You'll be inside an air-conditioned office for the interview. Take it off when you're outside in the heat.
_______________________
Droning Interviewers:
The job, the company, the history, their feelings on industry trends, their hometowns.
I mean, some of it I want to know, a lot of it I found out on their company website (aren't we supposed to look up their mission, recent goings on etc. and know them before we get there?), and some of it is just way off topic. I assume they're testing my small talk and listening skills, but we get to the part where I ask questions (and I always come prepared with good questions) and I've done maybe 25% of the talking.
Mary Ellen Slayter: I am sympathetic, but look at it this way. You have two options: listen attentively or interupt them constantly. Guess which one is going to make a more favorable impression on the interviewer, which is what you need to do in order to get the job. Resist the urge to let your eyes glaze. You might learn something about the company that you won't find on the Web site.
_______________________
Soon to be back in DC:
Mary Ellen and others, any advice for my first 'profesional' interview? It is with a company that I would love to work with and I want to be sure to do well in my interview!
Mary Ellen Slayter: I'll throw this out there for you chatters.
_______________________
Re: Soon to be back in DC:
My advice for the first 'professional' interview is to NOT have it be with a company that you're dying to work for. You'll find you get better with the more interviews you do, so if you get a chance to sneak in 2 or 3 interviews before the one with your dream-firm, you'll find that you're a lot more polished and confident in your answers.
Mary Ellen Slayter: Interesting thought. This assumes the person has the luxury of multiple offers though, which is not one I think many people have these days.
_______________________
re: soon to be back in DC:
I would for starters, learn all you can about the company (company website, valut.com), be sure to ask at least 3 questions, get cards from everyone who interviews you and be sure to send thank you emails/notes no more than 3 days after the interview.
Mary Ellen Slayter: more good advice
_______________________
Recruiter:
ALWAYS wear a suit. Better to be overdressed. I see way too many young people coming in for interviews right now like they own the interview, wearing what they want, acting informally, holding the "reigns" of the interview, etc. FOr the most part we are still in a down economy and you have to prove you stand out from the crowd. The job isn't yours for the taking--you have to fight for it. Candidates who are lax fall to the bottom of the pile. So wear a suit, be confident, be respectful to everyone, including HR and admin, and write your thank you notes promptly. This way when we talk about you in our decision meetings (HR and Hiring Mgrs often decide together!) we'll be focused on your performance potential and your skills.
Mary Ellen Slayter: Very, very, very good advice. Thank you.
_______________________
Food TV doesn't tell the story:
There's no glamour in the restaurant business, that's a fact. Long hours, and schedules that change on demand - as a sous chef at a highly rated restaurant in DC, my son averages 60-70 hours a week, showing up at 9:00 am and leaving after midnight, and sometimes working 15 days at a stretch without a day off. It is his passion, but he often talks about the "career-changers" who show up for short stints after going for a culinary degree - they never last. It's the LAST career to romanticize about. Know what you're getting into.
Mary Ellen Slayter: If food were my passion, the LAST thing I would do is work in a restaurant. Restaurants aren't about passion, they are about $$$.
_______________________
firstinterview:
try mock interviews with family or friends. have them ask you questions that you might see in an interview, such as:
- tell me about yourself
- what do you know about our company
- what are your strengths/weaknesses
- why do you want to work here
gather a list of questions you want to ask them...its a two-way interview.
then relax...
good luck
Mary Ellen Slayter: Those are the basic questions nearly everyone asks, so it's good to think about your answers beforehand. Don't try to memorize things, though. It will just come off as canned and stilted.
_______________________
re: soon to be back in D.C.:
As hard as it may be during the interview, try to be yourself as much as possible. There is no need to pretend to be someone you are not. You would not want them to hire you under false pretentions. And eventually your personality would show anyway. Also, the more excited you are about the possibility of working at that particular company, the better the interview will go. It's hard to interview just for the sake of getting a job.
Dallas, TX
Mary Ellen Slayter: Another good tip.
_______________________
Mary Ellen Slayter: Thanks for all your questions and comments. Have a great afternoon!
_______________________
