Episode 102: Back to Work! Job Searching in the Age of 'Rona with the Career Contessa
Boy are you in for a treat! We spoke with the incredibly wise Lauren McGoodwin, aka the Career Contessa, to talk all things job search! We got super practical. We got fantastic answers to these questions and more!
- I feel overwhelmed by the different options of going back to school to get my masters in CS, getting a certificate, going to a bootcamp, or just trying to transition internally onto a software engineering team at work. Of course time and money are things I am heavily considering, and the opportunity cost of having to cut down time at my current job to pursue a program. Do you have any advice on what is the best path?
- How do I search for a new job while furloughed and pregnant?
- Is applying to jobs online worth it when people are saying that most new hires are based on referrals? Especially for people just starting out?
- How do you explain getting fired when applying for jobs?
- I realized through COVID that despite being in my current field for 10 years, I want to change careers. I know I’m going to have to start a few rungs down the ladder than I currently am, but how do I get a hiring manager to look at my application for those more junior positions without looking overqualified and out of left field.
- Is “loyalty” a thing anymore? If someone has a few jobs in a row of 12-18 months, does that start to raise red flags about loyalty or jumping ship? How long do I need to stay?
- How do you go about asking for the salary range of a position if it’s not stated in the listing? Is that seen as too bold to ask directly during an initial interview?
- Marijuana is legal in my state, but it seems like there’s still a lot of confusion around this. How could someone address this for a new job with a drug screen if I’m using it legally, either recreationally or medicinally?
- What’s the best way to address career gaps? I took some time off when having children, but when I start to apply to go back, I’ll have a 6 year gap in my resume. How do I make sure I’m considered as a candidate with no recent experience?
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