Dear J.T. & Dale: I am in journalism and have been sending out my resume lately to various newspapers and magazines. Most of them require I send recent writing samples. I typically provide Internet links to these. The problem is I’m confused about where I should put the links. I normally put them on the cover letter, sometimes at the top, sometimes at the bottom. — Tiffany Read the rest of this entry »

J.T.: We sometimes get the chance to have outside experts join our discussions. Today we get to hear from Joe Navarro, author of the helpful and readable book “Louder Than Words.” Given Joe is a retired FBI agent who’s an expert on body language, we wanted his thoughts on that critical job-search moment — making a good first impression when meeting a hiring manager. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: My friend had a job as a manager at a nursing home. She told her employer she was pregnant, and the next day she received notice she had 30 days to improve her performance or would be terminated. She had no previous disciplinary actions. Thirty days later, she was terminated. She is now looking for work and needs advice. Her employer contested her unemployment claim, but she won. — Jennifer Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve been out of school about two years and have had only internships and non-career jobs. About a month ago, a recruiter left me a message on my cell phone about a job at a well-known PR firm. I returned the call and got his machine. The following week I called again but heard nothing. The following week I left a message saying to let me know if the opportunity was still available, blah, blah, blah. It’s been a month now, and I haven’t heard from him. I’m thinking about calling again one last time. What do you guys think? — Duncan Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I am trying to recover from a bad communication with a potential employer. I am an unemployed physicist trying to move out of physics and seek work as a data analyst. Upon sending a resume, I got a response that said:

“I’m glad to see you are also a Toastmaster.

When I read your resume, I can’t help but wonder two things. First, can we keep you challenged; and second, how much compensation are you looking for?”

Sadly, I replied with the following very bad e-mail:

“To alleviate your concerns, my interest in doing data analysis would keep me engrossed in this position. Concerning compensation, I would be content to receive the industry norm for this field, as posted in your posting, which is similar to what I received as a physicist.”

It’s been two days, and I haven’t heard anything, so I thought I would send her a recovery e-mail, but I don’t know what to include. — Tina Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: In a few months, I will graduate with an MBA in health care. This will be my third college degree. I’ve never been able to get a job related to my schooling that would sustain me and my family. For the past 20 years, I have been a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Any job offered to me that was related to my schooling paid far less than I could make as a CNA. Advice? — Natalie Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: There’s a job opening at a local hospital for a health information tech, which is the job I am currently studying for. Is it OK to offer my volunteer services for a job? I’d do it to get the position and get some experience in the field. However, I spoke to someone who told me that volunteering does not count as “experience.” What do you say? — Shaista Read the rest of this entry »

J.T.: Occasionally we like to invite experts into the conversation, and this time we have the chance to hear from a corporate turnaround expert, someone who is an authority on saving failing companies. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: Last year I was dismissed from a job as a supervisor on a construction project. When I started the job, my immediate supervisor told me not to do anything without his OK. As the project proceeded, I pointed out problems, but was rebuffed. One subcontractor did a great deal of damage, and although I kept my supervisor up to date, he failed to deal with it. Eventually, the errors became public. The person supervising me was in charge of hiring and firing, so you know what happened to me. Now there are rumors circulating about the incident, and they all have me at the center of the difficulty. How do I deal with this in interviews? — Harlan Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’d like to piggyback on a question posed by another reader. Two years ago I left a position because I had seizures. I was in and out of the hospital until I had brain surgery. Now I am seizure-free, but I have a two-year gap in my work history. I feel uncomfortable telling people about my medical issues, but I don’t want to lie. Any pointers? — Mimi Read the rest of this entry »