being intentionally late to an interview as a strategy

A reader writes:

I'd like to share a job search tip with you (or at least receive your opinion about it).

A resume attempts to showcase past achievements but it doesn't do much to demonstrate a candidate's character.

So I deliberately call in late to the interview. About a half hour before the interview time, I will call the company and say I'm in traffic and would be it ok to arrive about 15 minutes late. They, of course, always say no problem and they will let the interviewer know.

So I arrive and sit down with the interviewer and I thank him/her for the reschedule. If that interviewer makes special effort to note that extra effort and that most people don't do that (which certainly has happened with me) I have both an indicator or the character of that interviewer and an instant segue to ask questions about the personal qualities that management values.

The point is that just because you're a candidate doesn't mean you can't create some trigger event that gives you feedback about the inside. (In the science/tech arena this is called 'blank box' testing. I'm saying it applies to human interaction and the job search market as well.)

Uh, I think this is a really bad idea.

You're deliberately arriving late for an interview? In order to see if the interviewer thanks you for calling to warn her?

First of all, as an interviewer, I often allot a specific amount of time for an interview, and I can't go over it because I have other meetings scheduled right after it. So if I've allotted an hour and you arrive 15 minutes late, you've just shortened our time to talk by a quarter. Not only is that not good for you, but it's also annoying, frankly.

Second, it doesn't reflect well on you to be 15 minutes late. You should be planning to leave yourself enough of a buffer that you don't need to worry about getting stuck in traffic, because you've planned for the possibility -- because you know that arriving on time for an interview is important. Now, if there's an incredibly unusual traffic jam, that's different -- but as someone pointed out in the comments on another post recently, many cities are small enough that your interviewer is going to know if this is the case or not.

Third, you're expecting the interviewer to note the "extra effort" that you made to call them and alert them that you'd be late? Since that's the bare minimum expected from a candidate running late, that's a little like expecting to be thanked for making the extra effort to brush your teeth that day. You should be apologizing; they shouldn't be thanking you.

And last, you're doing this to test the character of your interviewer? There are a lot better ways to do that than to intentionally disrespect someone's time when they've set aside a block of their day to meet with you.

What do others think?

4 biggest myths about job references

I get a lot of mail with misconceptions about job references—how they work, who gets called, and what the reference can say. I encounter four myths in particular, over and over. My post at U.S. News & World Report today explains these four common myths and what the facts actually are.

Please check it out and leave your own thoughts in the comments over there!

how do I ask my boss for the money they owe me?

A reader writes:

I am currently interning with a small environmental non-profit. I started the internship in February, at a time when essentially none of my target organizations were hiring, and I was looking for a position where I could gain experience in the field. Throughout the interview process, my contact and other staff members who interviewed me were very honest about the fact that although normally the internship comes with a stipend, it was going to be an unpaid position due to the organization's financial situation. I was offered $50 a month to cover some of my transportation costs getting to and from work, but that was all. I accepted because it IS a great experience with an outstanding small nonprofit, and I was really excited about the opportunity.

The first day of my internship, my contact - the only person with whom I had contact outside of my interview - left to go to the field for a month. That first month, I had trouble getting assignments from the staff, and no one brought up the transportation reimbursement. It wasn't an important issue and I figured the organization needed the money more than I did, so I didn't push the staff about getting the $50. When my contact returned, I reminded her about our agreement to cover transportation, and she agreed to speak with the EVP of our department about getting that money for me. She also helped me find assignments, and my workload has been fine ever since.

As time progressed, it became more apparent to me that because of the high volume of candidates, I was not going to get a job offer from my favorite organizations in the first 8 weeks, like I originally (and naively) believed. So I agreed to extend the length of my internship to 6 months, pending a job offer. That is, I would stay until the end of August unless I got an offer for a full-time job. Again, I spoke with my contact and she promised to speak with the boss about getting my transportation money.

Now it's nearly the end of my internship, and it turns out I need that money; I'm moving into a new apartment and need it to cover some initial expenses. I know that the situation is partially my fault, because I didn't push harder to get the reimbursement in the beginning. Things are complicated by the fact that the EVP has since become the Interim President & CEO until a new CEO is found, and I have been acting partially as his assistant so he is my direct manager. He is (understandably) maniacal about the organization's budget; in all seriousness, last week he told a staff member that she couldn't buy a microphone to talk to our field staff in Africa over Skype, even though it would save the organization thousands of dollars to avoid the telephone charges. At this point, I'm owed $250, but I'm nervous about asking him for a lump sum.

Should I go back to my original contact or should I approach my boss directly? Should I just accept the fact that I'm not going to get that reimbursement?

The contract I signed didn't contain a mention of the transportation money, but I do still have a copy of the email in which that offer was extended.

You need to take this up with them right now, today.

This is not okay. They made a financial agreement with you that they are not honoring.

Go speak with the person who originally made this agreement with you. Say something like this: "We made an agreement at the start of my internship, and I've been counting on that money. It's now at the point where I can't put it off any longer; I need this resolved right away." Insist on having a concrete plan for when that check will be issued.

If she tries to put you off, don't let her. Say something like, "I would feel much more comfortable if we could resolve this right now. We talked about this earlier and it was supposed to get resolved, but then it never did. I really need to resolve this right now."

And by the way, there's no reason it should take longer than next week. If someone brought this to my attention, I'd be mortified and have the check for them that same day. If they put you off or tell you it'll take a month, stand up to them. There's no reason why they should have trouble writing a check for such a small amount of money. Do not let them mess around with this any longer.

If they balk over paying you $250 that they agreed to pay you? In any case, but especially when you've been working for free? Run.

By the way, it's possible that your contact never got official authorization for the offer she made you, and that's why she's dragging her feet now. Doesn't matter. You accepted the offer contingent upon that, and they need to honor it.

Now, go to talk to them right now.

gift for boss after he got me a raise and promotion

A reader writes:

My boss got me a spot raise and a promotion this year. I'd like to give him a gift--is it appropriate? I was thinking either a bottle of booze or one of those inspirational prints (the former being old school and latter being wimpy/politically correct). What kind of gift do you think is appropriate? Obviously the first thing I should do is to continue deliver results for the company ;>

Hmmm, I wouldn't give him a gift. After all, you earned that raise and promotion! A gift doesn't feel right.

However, what I would love in his shoes (far more than even a bottle of booze) is a heartfelt note telling him that you appreciate that he went to bat for you, as well as noting anything else you appreciate about working with him. That would have a lot more meaning and I'd keep it for years. Being the boss can be a thankless job; when people notice the ways you've helped them, it really feels great.

how to answer "what do you look for in a manager?"

A reader writes:

I was recently asked in an interview, "What do you look for in a manager?"

My honest answer is "consistency." My last boss was fine - but she was renowned for changing her mind. I challenged her about it at times. She admitted that sometimes she changed her mind because she hadn't thought things through. Other times it was because situations changed. Other times she denied saying one thing and was now saying something else. She had many good points but was frustrating.

But this is not something to talk about in an interview. I can deal with a crabby boss, a moody boss, a lovely boss, someone who delegates and someone who micromanages. But I do like a bit of consistency.

In any event, in the interview I talked about wanting a boss who was supportive, who delegated work and who communicated. So - sorry to ramble - but what should I have answered in the interview?

Well, it depends. If you want to be sure you don't end up working for a boss like that again, then I'd be honest. Don't go overboard of course, but if you really don't want to be in that situation again, it's fine to say something like, "I've found I work well with a lot of different management styles, but one thing I've found challenging is someone who reverses their own decisions a lot. Obviously, sometimes situations change and there's nothing that can be done about that, but otherwise I like to make decisions by thinking through a situation and considering pros and cons, so that I feel confident in the decision and can stick to it, and I like to work with people who work that way too."

By being forthright about it, you'll screen out jobs where you might find yourself with exactly the sort of boss you don't want. In other words, don't focus on giving the answers that will get you a job offer, any job offer -- focus on giving the answers that will get you a job you'll like.

But, on the other hand, if the reality is that this is more of a nice-to-have than a must-have for you, and you'd want the job even if you knew your boss would be as inconsistent as your old one, then I think the way you answered was fine. It really comes down to how important this is to you.

It's here: the You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator

It's here!

The You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator ®, which will anonymously email that interviewer who never bothered to respond after your interview, has now debuted:

www.EmailYourInterviewer.com

Spread the word.

(By the way, suggestions for improvements welcome.)

Ask a Manager needs your I.T. expertise

If you're an expert in Apple Mail Scripts or otherwise a technical genius, and you want to help me create the You-Suck-As-An-Interviewer Automatic Letter Generator ®, as described below, please email me. Together, we will shake the world of rude interviewers to its very core.