Need someone to do your filing, sort your mail, fetch your coffee and other grunt work? An unpaid intern is not the answer. Many may remember summer intern experiences where they had hoped to learn about business and a particular industry but instead spent their time being the office errand boy or girl. Woe to the company that tries that now. New federal guidelines for internships were released in 2010 in response to the uptick in the number of unpaid internships over the last few years. The concern was that some employers were bringing in unpaid labor to help them through tough economic …

It never fails. The hot weather rolls in, I take a look at what some people are wearing to the office and ask myself, “Does the dress code state clothing optional?” While many offices have relaxed their dress requirements, it is important to remember it is still a place of business. Where to start? First, if your company has a handbook, (if they don’t please have someone call me for a consultation), look up the dress code policy. Hopefully, it clearly states what is and is not acceptable work attire. Some companies are quite strict and explicitly spell things out such as skirt length. But, …

Here is one of the reasons I like what I do for a living: Last week I received an email from a young man who attended one of my resume and cover letter writing classes. He wrote to tell me he had revised his resume, as per my suggestions, and converted it to a functional resume. He shared that he sent out the new version and within a day received two interviews whereas with his original version he was not getting any replies. Why is this? The information was the same, education experience, etc. It is the presentation. Functional resumes work well for those who have been out of work recently …

Face it, your employer or potential employer may want to check out your Facebook page. This past week I heard on the news that some employers are not only looking at what they are able to see on a person’s Facebook page, but are outright asking individuals to logon to their Facebook account so they can look at it. Whoa, can they do that? The fact is, right now, they can. Is it violating federal law? TechCrunch reported that this past Wednesday the House of Representatives voted down a proposed amendment to FCC legislation that would have prevented current or potential employers from seeking …

I once worked with the vice president of my company, who happened to be an attorney. He was also an HR nightmare. While he was very much aware of what he should not ask during an interview, he took great pleasure in purposely throwing in inappropriate questions. This vice president would say things like, “Lisa is going to flip when I ask you this—how old are you?” Did I mention I was sitting with him interviewing the candidate when he did this? My blood pressure just went up recalling the incident. Thankfully, for the company, that interviewee, and others he peppered with improper questions, …

I received a call last week that went like this: Caller: “Hi, are you the person I would speak to about internships?”Me: “Yes.” Caller: “Great, my son is senior at xxx high school and he is looking for an internship at your company.”  Me: “I am going to share with you two things that I hope you will find helpful.  First, unfortunately I do not have any internships available. Second, your son should be making these calls.”  She was offended. Oh well. As a mom, I certainly understand the impulse to intervene and ask your child’s employer questions that he or she may not know to ask or feel …

“Never burn a bridge.”  How often have you been told that? A cliché, yes, but nonetheless true and important to remember when it comes to leaving your place of employment. Employees resign for both good and bad reasons. If you are leaving because you cannot stand your boss, the job, the people, the customers, or all of it, you may be tempted to crank up Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It” on your work computer and dance around your desk, but that is not the way to go.     First, give proper notice. If your company has a written policy, adhere to that. If not, the acceptable amount …

Job seekers usually dedicate a lot of time to writing their resume, cover letter and practicing answers to interview questions.  This, of course, is time well spent. However, it is important to treat the entire interview process professionally. Just because you did not get a particular job does not necessarily mean there will not be a position for you at the company in the future. Don’t blow it. Recently, I spoke with a candidate who I had interviewed and told him he did not get the job. He immediately told me I was making a mistake. He insisted that he was perfect for the job. I thanked him …

With the employee cutbacks of the last few years, many employees are required to do more work in the same amount of time. In response, some workers work through their meal break in order to meet deadlines. Is working non-stop for eight or more hours effective? Kelly Switzer, Payroll Manager for KVL Audio Visual Services in Ardsley, NY says she makes an effort to take a lunch break during her work day.  “I go to my car, break out my Nook and read” says Switzer. She added, “I need to walk away from my computer and telephone and just decompress.” When she returns to the office she feels she is …

I am sure many of you have been hearing the same refrains I have these past few weeks, “Can you believe another year has flown?”  “Feels like we just rang in 2011 and now it’s almost 2012.”  “I am happy/sad to see 2011 go.”  However you feel about it, 2012 is on its way.  Many are hopeful that business will improve. I spoke with a few small business owners in the area to find out what they have planned for the New Year. Over in Rockland County, Third Eye Technologies (http://thirdeyetech.com) is growing.  CEO, Stephen Alexander was happy to report that the company recently moved to a larger …

“I am too busy to even think about looking for a job right now” is the lament I have heard from many of those seeking employment. Some automatically assume employers put their recruitment efforts on ice in December but that is not necessarily the case. There are still opportunities out there. December may actually be a great time to increase your efforts.    Laura Loughlin, President of Loughlin Personnel (loughlinpersonnel.com) advises, “Never put your job search on hold.” She asks, “Why delay?” If you are currently employed and are looking for a different job you may have some remaining …

Let me begin by apologizing because I know someone is going to be offended by this article.  Now that I have that out of the way, when did we become anti “other people’s” holidays?  It seems to me that instead of embracing our differences and celebrating we are taking everything away or turning it into something ridiculous in the name of trying to be all inclusive.  For example, when did a Christmas tree become a Holiday tree?  Trying not to offend people has become a huge issue in public schools, towns and workplaces.  Are we getting carried away here?  Jeff Goodwin, co-owner of catering …

Some topics just scream controversy. Tattoos in the workplace appear to be one of them. Love them? Hate them? Have one (or more)? There are plenty of “yes” answers to each one of these questions.  While researching for this article I heard time and time again that having a tattoo, more specifically having one or more that you cannot easily cover up, depends on what you do or what you intend to do for a living. "Industries that prize individual expression/creativity…are likely much more accepting of body art vs. 'suit and tie' industries," said Samuella Becker, CEO & Founder of Tigress PR, NYC…

I recently met a fellow HR professional at a seminar. “M” and I struck up a friendly work related conversation and by lunch we were trading interview war stories. She shared this one first: One time a woman came in for an interview wearing 6-inch pointy boots, Tammy Faye blue eye shadow and 3-inch fake, press-on fingernails.  Shortly after she began speaking with the woman, the fingernails began to pop off. Halfway through the interview, half of the nails were on the floor. When they were finished the woman stood up and immediately fell. Apparently her boots were so tight they cut off the …