The Job-Hunting Conventional Wisdom FAQ

Q-0.0 What is this draft FAQ and why is it being posted?

This FAQ is based on Usenet articles and contributions the Authors (see right) and others; compiled by Dimitri Vulis, maintained by Ron Graham. This document has been placed in the public domain by its compiler. Feel free to copy, distribute, and re-use it as you wish. This article is provided AS IS without any expressed or implied warranty.

This is an attempt to summarize the questions asked periodically (prior to a swamping of spam) on Usenet newsgroup misc.jobs.misc and other job-related forums, and the resulting answers. There's more emphasis on job search questions than on workplace questions. Not all the answers are necessarily complete or comprehensive, or even correct. When there is no general agreement, several points of view may be given in response to the same question. For simplicity, "she" and "they" refers to the prospective employer and "you" to the candidate.

Since Usenet has always been worldwide, Dimitri tried to avoid US-centricities, leaving room for corresponding answers for other countries.

The Internet has changed substantially, however, since this FAQ was written. There is little mention of "social networking" here, though one could argue that Usenet was social networking before anyone else. I will try to come up with a new section about creating a network online and... well, networking with it.

Q-0.1 How can I make additions and corrections to this FAQ?

Either contact Dimitri Vulis or Ron Graham. New questions and/or answers and corrections and additions to the existing questions and answers will be appreciated.

Q-0.2 Table of Contents

Q-0.0 What is this draft FAQ and why is it being posted?
Q-0.1 How can I make additions and corrections to this FAQ?
Q-0.2 Table of Contents

Part 1: Resumes

Q-1.1 What is the purpose of a resume?
Q-1.2 What is a 'req' and how is it advertised?
Q-1.3 How do I come up with things to put on my resume? (What's a personal inventory?)
Q-1.4 What are the common formats for resumes?
Q-1.5 What is the format of a chronological resume?
Q-1.6 What is a curriculum vitae?
Q-1.7 What is a functional resume/combination resume?
Q-1.8 What is a problem-action-solution resume?
Q-1.9 What about resumes that can be e-mailed?
Q-1.10 What about paper resumes and optical character readers?
Q-1.11 Do I mention a career objective on my resume?
Q-1.12 Do I mention a grade point average on my resume?
Q-1.13 How long should a resume be?
Q-1.14 What are some common resume tips?
Q-1.15 What are some helpful action verbs?
Q-1.16 How do I indicate on the resume that I'm a member of a group that is sometimes discriminated against?
Q-1.17 What are some common cover letter tips?
Q-1.18 What happens to my resume when I submit it to personnel or a recruiter?
Q-1.19 How can I bypass HR and get my resume directly to the hiring manager?

Part 2: Interviews

Q-2.1 What is the purpose of a job interview?
Q-2.2 How do I prepare for the interview?
Q-2.3 How do I dress for the interview?
Q-2.4 When should I arrive for the interview?
Q-2.5 What are some common job interview tips?
Q-2.6 What are some common job interview questions?
Q-2.7 What about interviews over a meal?
Q-2.8 What about being brought over to another city for an on-site interview?
Q-2.9 What are some common job fair hints?
Q-2.10 What about phone interviews?
Q-2.11 How do I handle personal questions that I find offensive and irrelevant?
Q-2.12 What questions can I ask during the interview?
Q-2.13 After the last interview, I've though of a few more questions to ask. Should I call the company and ask them?
Q-2.14 Do some people really write thank-you notes after job interviews?
Q-2.15 How soon after the interview can I call/e-mail to find out about my status in the hiring process?
Q-2.16 If I'm not hired, how do I ask why?

Part 3: Recruiters

Q-3.1 I've just received my B.A. in X. Can you recommend a good headhunter?
Q-3.2 How do I handle an unsolicited call from a headhunter?
Q-3.3 Can a third party recruiter find me a job of my dreams?
Q-3.4 What is the difference between contingency and retainer recruiters?
Q-3.5 How are recruiters paid by their clients?
Q-3.6 What about firms that charge the job seeker a fee?
Q-3.7 What about firms that charge the job seeker a fee only if s/he is placed?
Q-3.8 What about firm that say they're employer-paid, but try to get money from the candidate anyway?
Q-3.9 Should I work exclusively with one recruiter?
Q-3.10 Do I make my resume available to just any recruiter?
Q-3.11 Must the recruiter get my permission before submitting my resume?
Q-3.12 Why do some recruiters request a list of references as soon asthey receive my resume and before they identify any possible reqs for me?
Q-3.13 Why do some recruiters ask where else I have interviewed?
Q-3.14 Why do some recruiters seem to try to accumulate a lot of resumes from candidates they have no interest in placing?
Q-3.15 How do I find some third party recruiters?

Part 4: Between Interview and Job

Q-4.1 Whom should I ask to serve as my references?
Q-4.2 What questions will be posed to my references?
Q-4.3 I'm concerned that my present employer will give me bad references.
Q-4.4 I want to relocate to X, and currently live in Y. Does it hurt my chances?
Q-4.5 How do I write a resignation letter? What is an exit interview?
Q-4.6 Should I accept a counter-offer?
Q-4.7 How do I identify potential employers?
Q-4.8 How do I network?
Q-4.9 What do I do between jobs? How do I deal with financial problems?
Q-4.10 How do I look for another job while still working?
Q-4.11 How do I handle requests for the salary history?
Q-4.12 I've interviewed at several places. I haven't heard back from my first choice, so I accepted the offer from my second choice. A few weeks after I started, I got an offer from my first choice. Do I take it?
Q-4.13 What do I do when I receive a job offer?
Q-4.14 Any other common job-search tips?

Part 5: On the Job

Q-5.1 Is it acceptable to talk business with co-workers in the elevator?
Q-5.2 What is the correct way to answer a business phone?
Q-5.3 What are the IRS 20 Questions? (U.S.)
Q-5.4 Is it appropriate to visit a co-worker in the hospital?
Q-5.5 Is all discrimination in employment illegal?
Q-5.6 I just noticed that 10% of my paycheck is taken out as union dues. I don't want to be a union member. Can I have a refund?
Q-5.7 How does deferred compensation (retirement benefits, profit sharing, etc.) work?
Q-5.8 How do insurance coverage benefits work?
Q-5.9 How does paid time off work?
Q-5.10 How do stock options work?
Q-5.11 What other benefits are commonly offered to full-timers?


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References and Resources

Many of the engineering societies have job listings or job hints just for their members -- and sometimes for everybody else!

Ron's Favorite Job Sites

Authors

Kent Paul Dolan
Ron Graham
John Kennedy
Ken Lee
Robert Elton Maas
W. David Rohwer
Ilana Stern
Gregory Steshenko
Alex Thurston
Al Todak
Sergey Viznyuk
Dimitri Vulis
Steven Weigand
Monika Weikel