DEAR JOYCE: I was intrigued by your reader’s question about how to survive a toxic boss when you can’t quit your job.
At 72, I’m still working full-time and have never had a bad boss.
The boss is the boss; as an employee, I made the adjustment. As an example, my first job was with a small firm that had a stand-alone office building. My hours were 9-5. The first day, when I got there at 8:30, the lights were on, machines ready and coffee made. The only person on site was the boss/owner. The second day, when I went in at 8:00, the lights were on, machines ready and coffee made.
The third day, when I arrived at 7:30, the building was locked and dark. At 7:45, the boss came down the sidewalk, looked at me and said, “I will get you a key.” A few months later, a rush job came in on the Friday of Labor Day weekend. The boss asked for volunteers to work the weekend; none of the senior people offered, so I did.
At the end of the year, the boss created a new position of vice president and gave it to me. Moral: In many cases, the problem is the employee. — Dr. Douglas Lonnstrom, Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y.
Well said. Thanks for illustrating the eternal value of showing initiative and commitment.
DEAR JOYCE: So far, so good, as for retaining my job. I’m 37, have a good professional record and am relatively happy but would very much like to boost my income. Out of the blue, a recruiter called me and said he’d like to “market” me to clients. I will, of course, look into the recruiter’s reputation more closely, but in general, is he really doing me a favor?” — P.P.
It sounds like you’re dealing with a contingency recruiter, a professional whose fee is paid by the client when a sale is made. If so, you should not be charged a fee, sale or no sale. Here are several factors to consider.
— Is staying under the radar important to you? If so, it’s never a sure thing that your willingness to say goodbye won’t leak to your boss and spark disastrous results. Especially in this economy.
Ask for details about the recruiter’s marketing plan. Will he (a) cold-call employers without revealing your identity until an interview is set, (b) present you to his entire existing client base, and/or (c) add your name to a fee-splitting recruiter network where hundreds of other recruiters will have access to your resume? Remember, the more people who know of your availability, the harder it is to keep a lid on your risk.
— It’s flattering to realize that your recruiter hopes to use you as a sample of his high-quality inventory of talent. He’s building his brand as go-to recruiter for rising stars. But be wary of letting ego cloud your judgment.
If the recruiter’s marketing plan meets your requirements for a stealth search, if you get promising interviews, and if you can avoid signing a contract for exclusive representation, yes, your recruiter is doing you a favor. Having another voice sing your praises is smoother than tooting your own horn.
— Even so, realize that the recruiter is doing himself an even bigger favor. If he finds the appropriate job orders, certainly he will book interviews for you — why not? But when the hiring manager says that although you sound like a winner, policy requires that at least three to six qualified candidates be presented, your recruiter will move mountains to furnish them. That’s how he earns his living.
DEAR JOYCE: My question is whether it’s true that one should always arrive early for a job interview? — I.F.
Here’s what attorney Jeffrey G. Allen (placementlaw.com), author of an excellent new book, “Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life” (Wiley), has to say about your question: “Forget what your motivational guru told you about arriving early.
It pressures already-crazed interviewers. It makes you look like your time isn’t valuable. And if you think it makes you look interested, you never spent any time on the other side of the desk looking at desperation personified. Arriving late is even worse.” So should you arrive on the dot? “Yes,” Allen advises, “even if you have to wait outside, hidden from view, for a few minutes.”
