Your Most Popular Career Questions Answered

There are many questions that come up while conducting a job search or when advancing one’s career.  Let Vault.com be your guide.  Ask us the questions that have been nagging at you and allow us to increase your career intelligence and take you on the next step in your journey to the job you want.  Here are several questions Vault has received in recent weeks:

Q:  Is it acceptable to apply for two job openings in the same organization? If yes, can I send one cover letter indicating my interest in either position or individual cover letters with each focused on a single position?

A: Feel free to apply to both positions.  If you feel your experiences would work well for both openings, then certainly create a new cover letter for each position.  The specifications for each position will likely be different and you should highlight different experiences based on the specifications of the position.

Q: The company I work for wants me to relocate to another country. Due to some personal reasons, I am unable to relocate, but if I don’t, my company doesn’t plan to keep me with them.  As a result, I have started looking for a new job. However, I haven't disclosed to my supervisor/boss about my decision.  Can you suggest how and when I should notify them of my search?

A: You want to part on good terms with your employer.  Are there other opportunities to explore with your current employer outside of this relocation opportunity?  If not, your boss might surprise you, by being up front and honest.  Let him or her know how much you wish to relocate, but that you can’t for current personal reasons.  If you have a good relationship with your boss, they might even open their own rolodex to help you along. You might be able to work on a departure package that would help you along until you find that next opportunity.  If you feel that your boss is not an understanding individual, then you have the right to be guarded.  Either way, be professional throughout the process and your boss will value that.

Q:  I recently graduated with my MBA and I am starting my next career move.  In two initial interview rounds with recruiters of different companies I was asked if I was interviewing with anyone else.  How should one tackle this question?  I have been honest with my answer.  However, does it look better to be "in demand"?  I just wanted to know the general idea behind asking this question?

A: You nailed it. Your stock instantly rises if you are an “in demand” candidate.  There is no need to go into a great deal of detail on this matter.  However, recruiters want a window into their competitors and your thought process on preferred companies.  You will appear strong if you dismiss the idea that you are just browsing.  Show them that you put careful thought into your choices.

Q:  I have recently attended my first job interview in over 10 years. Using the advice available online, I think I did a good job. One question that caught me off-guard was "why have you stayed at the same company so long?”   I answered this question by explaining the strengths and skills I have gained during my experience. However, the interviewer didn't seem to be satisfied with the answer and brought it up in the closing section of the interview.  How should one approach such question?

A: It’s a bit strange to see that the recruiter asked that question since most of the companies we deal with carefully hire talent who have the potential to grow and lead at that company. The best-in-class companies are examining ways in which they can select for ability, invest in high performers and improve retention.  So, tell the person who asks that you were given incredible opportunities to learn new skills, stretch assignments that allowed you to grow in ways you never envisioned, solve problems that have major impact, lead projects that increased revenue, etc.  Your answer may have been “flat.”  Next time add passion or examples to support your claims. 

Any questions?  Send them to JMinners@vault.com with the subject line – Career Counselor – and look for your answers in a future edition of VaultCareers Blog.