Career Management, Career Tips, Interview

Interviewing When Overqualified

  • On August 23, 2019
I recently posted on ageism.  A related phenomenon is when employers reject applicants for being “overqualified.” Studies show, when presented with two good candidates, managers often prefer the one with less experience. The Wall Street Journal explains why. Hiring managers assume the candidate with the more impressive resume won’t be as committed to the company, stay […]
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Interview, Presentation

5 Ways to Combat Ageism in an Interview!

  • On August 10, 2019
Most companies want to hire attorneys in the five to ten year range because that’s the most common entry level position. But what to do if you are beyond that range and encounter ageism? I like this recent Harvard Business Review article on how to respond to this bias in an interview. My top takeaways: […]
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Interview

Surviving Ultralong Interview Processes

  • On June 9, 2019
Most companies have long, painful interview processes. A super quick search from job posting to offer still takes about four weeks, and can easily be double or triple that. I completely agree with this article on how to manage successfully a long interview process. Ask what the interview process is like. The typical process starts […]
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Interview, Process

Why Employers Go Silent in Interview Process

  • On May 17, 2019
As in dating, ghosting also occurs in the interview process. Employers who initially seem interested then disappear, often for the reasons listed below (as detailed in this excellent article): The most benign reason is the employer is still sorting through resumes, hasn’t figured out whom to hire yet, and doesn’t want to give feedback until […]
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Interview, Presentation

Your Essential Interview Checklist!

  • On May 10, 2019
Have you ever felt like you did everything you could do to prepare for an interview? If so, that means you didn’t have this checklist! Here are the ten interview commandments:   Read the company website (and SEC disclosures if the company is public). Look up the latest news facing the company and especially in your […]
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Interview

Salvaging Bad Answers to Interview Questions

  • On April 15, 2019
It’s still peak interviewing season! Hopefully you are landing interviews and acing questions, but in case you give a less than ideal answer, here are a few ways to salvage your interview (courtesy of this Forbes article): For any question (particularly weird ones you’re not sure what they’re getting at), work in why you are […]
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Interview

The Key Orientation Shift to Make Your Interviews Successful

  • On March 15, 2019
This Forbes article with the unfortunate clickbait title “The One Single Most Important Thing to Improve Your Interview Results” is surprisingly on-point! Feel free to read it, but if you prefer the high level summary, here it is: interviewers only care about what you can do for them, and not really about you, so everything […]
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Interview

Is it Creepy to Look up Bios before an Interview?

  • On March 8, 2019
No, it is not creepy to google your interviewers before you meet them. In fact, it’s expected that you look up the company and your lineup before you go in. You want to come across as prepared and to keep the interview flowing and conversational. Some dos and don’ts: You can preface a question about […]
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Interview

How to Answer “What is Your Greatest Weakness”

  • On February 22, 2019
Although interviewers rarely ask you for your greatest weakness, the question still comes up enough that you should prepare an answer. Here’s an excellent article on how to answer that awful question. The biggest take-aways: Do not literally answer with your worst flaw. This is not a deposition, and the interviewer is not expecting you […]
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Interview, Presentation

How to Tell Your Story to Land the Job or Client

  • On February 15, 2019
To differentiate yourself from a pack of other lawyers, you have to explain your skills and motivation to your audience so people can imagine you in the job and excelling at it. How do you do that? Tell a good story with examples. I have met thousands of lawyers, and I remember the ones who […]
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