That’s the situation I’m in right now. After my job interview the other day I had made up my mind that this was not the place for me at this point in my career. Why? Well, I’d be taking about a 10 grand per year cut in pay to go to work for an organization that really needs some TLC. (That’s code for I’d need to put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears.) Don’t get me wrong, the opportunity sounds sexy and I’m just the kind of person they need – I’d totally nail it. It’s just that I’m not willing to invest that much of me for less money.

So, they’ve invited me back to meet with the physician leadership, and a bunch of other people. I agonized over this for a few days but in the end, I accepted the interview. Here’s why.

1. I called the HR recruiter prior to accepting to tell her that, after the interviews I’m pretty sure that I’m not willing to accept the position for less money but they still want me to come back.
2. I’ve worked in management long enough to know that if a physician leader really wants to hire a particular candidate, money won’t stop them.
3. I need the experience. This is only the second organization that I’ve interviewed with for a leadership position and quite frankly, I need the practice.
4. Even though this is probably not the right job for me, it may open doors to ones that are.
5. This one is pretty darn selfish but after hearing how these physician leaders were described (micro-managers, yelling in meetings, etc…), I’m just dying to meet them to see if they’re really that bad.

So, what do you think? Am I doing the wrong thing by going to this interview even though I’m pretty sure I’m not taking the job, if offered?

Today will be my last post here at Interview Chatter. It’s been an awesome 4 months and I have certainly learned a lot while writing here. After today, you can still find me at my personal blogs la Matriarch and My Skinny Garden or at Prevention.com.

I’m wishing you all long, happy careers in your dream jobs. Farewell, friends.

Post from: EveryJoe

Say Yes To A Second Interview When You’re Saying NO To The Job Offer?

Presidential election after presidential election we cast our vote based on where the candidates stand on the same tired old issues when in reality, none of the candidates are likely to come into office making swift changes taking away our rights.  Thankfully, we have enough checks and balances in place in this country to prevent that kind of sweeping law passing.  I’m not saying that where the candidate stands on these issues is unimportant, I’m just saying that at this time in the world we’ve got to look at bigger issues. 

I want to live in a country that I’m proud of, not one that has been labeled a big bully by most of the world.  I’m tired of all the declarations of our freedoms and our greatness while at the same time hearing about the restricting of more and more rights.  We’re not walking the walk!

All week I’ve been thinking about how all great nations eventually fall and wondering if this economic crisis we’re in is the beginning our our fall.  We’re at a very critical time in the world and this election is just one piece of the puzzle.  We’ve got economic problems, climate problems, defense problems and on and on and on. 

In Eckhart Tolle’s book A New Earth he says it’s time to “evolve, or die”.  That’s where we’re at.  Next Tuesday’s election might be the most important one we’ll ever vote in.  We need to get this one right, people! 

So, yes, President Clinton, I wholeheartedly agree with you.  It’s the most important job interview we’ll ever participate in.

Choose wisely.

Post from: EveryJoe

On The Election

Ask A Manager on “Stupid candidate behavior: Not checking email.”

Evil HR Lady gives advice to some poor dude who was fired while waiting for an offer for a new job.

Punk Rock HR answers a reader question on “Corporate Manscaping.”

Manpower Blog talks about The Death of the Performance Review. this is a great blog for free legal advice on employement law

Great Leadership by Dan offers an Eight Step Guide To Developing Your Leadership Skills.

Post from: EveryJoe

Interesting Stuff From Around The Blogosphere

1. I’m more concerned about the stability of the company. Before I assumed that most all companies were stable and successful. Boy, was I wrong.
2. I place importance on the “culture” of the organization being in line with my personal values. Working for an organization where most people are polar opposite from me on just about every religious and personal belief has really scarred me.
3. I’m concerned about making sure that my personality is a “good fit” for the company, and theirs with mine.
4. These days I’m more interested in investing more of my after 9-5 hours into the stuff that I place importance on like friends and family.
5. I’m more concerned with making sure that I’ll be working with like-minded people. Sometimes even the most simple conversations turn to social issues and feeling like the odd-man-out can really bring you down.

I can assure you, I did not have the maturity 10 years ago to think of any of these things. But, now that I’m in my 40’s and starting the second half of my professional career, I have different goals that are mostly around how I can find a job where my personal goals are in-line with my professional goals. And although I have no doubt that this is the right path for me, it sure does mean slim pickins on the job front.

Post from: EveryJoe

How Age Effects How You Job Hunt

Earlier this week I found myself sitting in the Human Resources department trying to complete an application without the data I needed at my fingertips. It made me unnecessarily anxious and I ultimately had to leave a couple of fields blank on my application – that can’t be good!

Here’s a list of things you’ll always want to bring along to the interview so that you don’t get yourself all stressed out over trying to find the phone number of a place you worked at over a decade ago – I’m just sayin!

1. 5 copies of your current resume.
2. Complete address and phone number of all previous employers.
3. Dates and physical addresses of schools you’ve attended.
4. Name, address, phone and email contact information for at least 4-5 professional references.
5. Name address, phone and email contact information for at least 3-4 personal references.
6. List of all the computer programs you know how to use and lists of any other machines or things you know how to use which are applicable to the job you are applying for.
7. Something to write with (you’d be surprised how many people forget this!)
8. Cash for parking.
9. Driver’s license.
10. Proof of any relevant certifications (nursing license, etc…)

These things may seem like no-brainers, but forget them and you’ll find yourself a nervous wreck.

Anybody have anything else to add to the list of things you should always bring to the interview?

Post from: EveryJoe

10 Things You Should Always Bring To A Job Interview

Here are 5 examples of good questions to ask on your next job interview.

1. How has the troubled economy effected your business?
2. What kind of challenges is the organization facing right now (particularly important if you are interviewing for a management position)?
3. What do you think it takes for a person to be very successful in this role?
4. Who is the longest tenured employee in the organization and how long have they been here?
5. How would you describe the culture of the organization?

Got any great question we can add to the list?

Post from: EveryJoe

5 Great Questions You Should Ask The Interviewer

Sometimes we go into interviews so eager for an offer that we don’t pay close attention to the clues that the interviewers give about the kind of job we might be getting ourselves into. 

Here are 4 statements that you never want to hear in a job interview.  Unfortunately, I heard all 4 of them today…

1. We’ve really had trouble keeping this position filled over the past 5 years.
2. This department has one of the highest turnover rates in the organization.
3. The physicians in this department are extremely involved in the day-to-day operations of the clinic.
4. To be successful in this organization, you really need to be thick-skinned.

If you market yourself as a change-agent and you are looking for your next big challange, these kinds of statments may sound very sexy.  But, if you are looking to get out of a bad situation and into a good one, it’s extremely important that you listen to the cues from the interviewers since it is the only window into this potential new job you’ll have.  In my case, today, my interviewers were so caught up warning me about the scary doctors I’d be working for that they hardly spent any time telling me about the actual functions of the job.  This left me with a feeling that the most important function of the job is managing the tyrant physicians, not the day to day operations of their busy clinic.  Through their explanations of what their struggles with keeping this position filled, I was able to glean that the physician leadership micro-manages the organization (almost always bad because physicians are good being physicians and really bad at managing) and that their frustration level at times reaches a point of actually yelling at the staff.  And although I’m sure it is possible to be successful in this role (these physicians probably just need to have their expectations managed and be able to trust that the job will get done), it will certainly require a person who is extremely patient and willing to brave the turbulence until trust is established. 

Have you had a job interview where the interviewer made some “red-flag” comments that you overlooked?  How did that translate when you took the job?  I’d love to hear about it – maybe your comment will help me reconsider their offer for a second interview.

Post from: EveryJoe

4 Statements You Never Want To Hear On A Job Interview

In almost all cases where an employee is terminated, the signs of an impending termination were there, they were just ignored. 

I ran across this awesome article, “5 Signs You’re About To Be Fired”,  that was published in U.S. News.  As a novice manager, it was nice to see that I’m taking all the steps I need to counsel and coach employees who are performing in the danger zone. 

Please take the time to read this article and if any of these 5 items sounds like you, take action now our you’re liable to find yourself in the unemployment line. 

Post from: EveryJoe

Getting Fired, Almost Never A Surprise

Now that the media has gotten their hands on Vinny and we’ve been able to take a peak at the Bulls’ practices, I understand better how he got the job.  He portrayed himself as a change agent. 

When Vinny interviewed for head coach, the Bulls was a team in turmoil.  They’d just come off a season that shocked and disappointed fans and sports analysts.  The team stopped responding to their then coach Scott Skiles then he abandoned them (or vice versa).  They needed a coach to come along and shake things up.  Vinny convinced them that he could do that by highlighting his coaching philosophies, which were not-so-mainstream and I believe that the Bulls organization decided to take a chance on him because of his different style. My point is that it’s not always best to try to “fit in”.

Vinny has decided that, after each practice, one of the coaches will take 2 of the players to lunch for some bonding time.  Playing up the theory that, if people believe you care about them, they’ll follow you into battle, he is taking every opportunity he can to bond with players.  Because, guess what?  It’s hard to be a slacker when you really love your boss and your coworkers. 

If you are interviewing for an organization that is struggling, don’t be afraid to flaunt your I-can-save-the-day-ness because it may be exactly what that organization needs.

Post from: EveryJoe

It’s Good To Be A Change Agent

The next most important thing to answering the questions you’re asked in a magnificant way is asking great questions of your interviewer.  And one very important thing you should do to prepare to ask great questions is tailoring your questions to the individuals you’ll be interviewing with so that they are relevant to that particular person in that particular role. 

Be sure to ask for your itentirary as soon as the interview is scheduled and if the titles of the interviewers are not listed, make sure to ask the HR recruiter to provide that information. 

Once you know the title of all the people you’ll be interviewing with, think of at least one good question to ask each of them.  Make sure your question is relevant to the role of the interviewer.  For example, you wouldn’t want to ask a staff nurse about the company benefits just like you wouldn’t want to ask the HR recruiter about the day-to-day operations of the department. 

If one of your interviewers is from HR, ask a question about the culture and structure of the organization as a whole as well as any questions you have about benefits.  Ask the Manager questions about the prominent leadership style in the department and ask Supervisors or future teammates questions about the what the job is like. 

Making sure that you ask thoughtful questions to each of your interviewers will make a great impression and, most importantly, you’ll be more likely to get good answers if you ask the right people.

Post from: EveryJoe

How To Tailor Your Questions For The Interviewer