Doctors get a lot of questions from friends and neighbors about medications and illnesses.  As a Human Resources professional in this tough labor market, I’ve been getting a lot of employment and job search questions from friends and acquaintances.

In the last week I was approached with two job-related situations. Here’s to dispelling job search urban legends and fears!

Situation # 1

A college friend of my daughter is getting ready to graduate.  She is applying to companies and putting together a few versions of her resume.

This friend had an internship last year.  Her supervisors thought highly of her and gave her additional work because they knew she could handle it.  Late in the semester she had some personal family issues arise.  As a result, she needed to end the internship because she needed to use her time to help out her family.  She feels her supervisors were disappointed.  Now she is a bit skittish about putting the internship on her resume.

The friend’s questions to me were, “Do I list this internship on my resume? What do I say if I’m asked why I left? and If I think they were disappointed that I left; should I use them as a reference?”  Great questions.

First I told her that she should absolutely list the internship on her resume.  It was an experience that gave her insight into the working world.  She learned a lot from it and helped the organization.

Next, I said that when she interviews she should be ready to talk about why the internship ended.  The truth is that she really enjoyed her role, what she learned and contributed, and the people there.  I said she needs to say she left because of an urgent family matter that needed her immediate attention.  She should mention she was excited about the experience she gained while there.  If asked, she will have the chance to elaborate on her role and her accomplishments during the internship.

Now the tricky part – using the internship as a reference.  I told the friend that she should find someone she worked with there who would be willing to talk to a future employer about her.  Since she did a great job, there should be someone who can help her out.  Alternatively, her college counselor could probably speak on her behalf about the internship.

The takeaways:  1) List your relevant experience.  2) Be prepared to explain why you left a position, even if the reason is a family emergency.  I would make sure you add what you contributed and what you gained from the experience as well. Never speak negatively about a past employer.  3)  Have references available to talk about you to prospective employers.

Situation #2

My neighbor is doing well at his job, but he heard about an opening with another company.  The new job would pay more and have more advancement opportunities.  He has heard stories of his current employer seeing some of its employees’ resumes on Internet resume databases and firing them. He also knows his current employer is struggling in this economy, so he would like to move on.  He is worried that A) If he puts his resume on one of the job boards his company will see it and fire him and B) If he gets an interview with the company with the opening, the new company will call his current company to verify employment or find out about his work habits and ethics.

My advice back to him:

A)  He can put his resume on the job boards, leave out his last name, and have the name of the current company “Confidential.”  He needs the resume to have an e-mail address and phone number so that recruiters and employers have a way to contact him.  Author’s note: It is disheartening that a company would fire someone because he or she put his or her resume on a job board.  I do have a friend who saw his current job posted on one and confronted his boss.  That is how he found out the company was letting him go.

B)  In general, a prospective company will ask candidates on an application if they can contact the current employer.  It is completely acceptable to say “no” or to say “after an offer is made.” Many companies do employment verifications but only after an offer has been made.

The takeaway:  If you are worried your company will find you on a resume board, keep your last name off your resume and your employer confidential but make sure your email address is listed.  Don’t worry that prospective companies will call your current employer during the interview process.  It really doesn’t work that way.  Companies may do employment verifications after they have made you an offer.

Many of you have completed pre-interview questionnaires. What are they? They are questions a hiring company may have you complete after sending in your resume and before landing a phone or live interview. I know they can seem hard. I know it reminds you of writing papers for school. But just like writing those papers, once you sit down and do it, it isn’t as bad as it seems.

Pre-interview questionnaires are one of many resources or tools that companies use to screen candidates. They can be an effective way to determine a person’s skills and experience. They can also be very telling about a person’s written communication skills and style.

From a candidate’s perspective, pre-interview questionnaires are an additional way to highlight achievements. Your resume lists your accomplishments, competencies, and experience. The questionnaire allows you to elaborate and explain your actual job-oriented accomplishments. Use the pre-interview questionnaire to demonstrate your successes. This can help you stand out in today’s sea of job applicants.

Here are a few tips for completing the pre-interview questionnaire:

• Be thorough but not too lengthy
• Be straightforward and give specific examples
• Take this part of the process seriously – it could land you the interview
• Spell check your responses before turning the questionnaire into the company
• Have another set of eyes (perhaps a career coach) look at your responses

You may find that many of these pre-employment questionnaires ask similar questions. Over time you can build from previous answers when completing new questionnaires. Remember, just as this is a tool that employers use to screen, it is also a tool for you to showcase yourself.