Q At my performance review, my boss said I deserved a raise, but he said the only way I could get one is if he fired someone else in the division because there wasn’t enough money to go around. He said I was valuable to the company and he would let someone go if I said it was OK for him to do so. Of course, I said no. Is there any way you know of that I can get a raise without stabbing someone else in the back?

A. I am an easy-going, extremely laid-back person – OK, maybe not so easy-going – but when I read your correspondence, I really saw red: Any boss who would pull this trick is sick. This is even worse than the boss “explaining” if he gave you a raise he’d have to take the money from a colleague’s salary increase.

And he probably just said that to make you feel guilty about expecting a raise. This should be a warning. Forget the raise for now. And don’t trust him: YOUR back may be next.

Q. About 12 years ago, I made a career change from distribution management to software consulting and project management. In my current job search, I’ve applied for positions that match my skills perfectly – but I haven’t gotten any responses whatsoever. I wonder if my mentioning my work in distribution is holding me back. Is it okay to eliminate that portion from my resume?

A. Your problem may not be your resume: The job market for software professionals is very, very slow today, so it’s going to take a while before you get a job. However, it’s wise to tailor a version of your resume to each job you apply for and only list recent experience that is pertinent .

Q. I recently applied for a job at a company that was having a “job fair.” The line was so long the wait was around two hours, so I decided to leave and return just before it closed. This time, it took only 20 minutes to get an interview. They had listed a number of jobs they had open, and the interviewer asked why I hadn’t applied for a specific position. I said it was because I was qualified to do any of the jobs. I bluntly asked what the highest-paying job was – and was hired for it! Was this the right way to go about getting a job or could this cause a problem for me on the job in the future?

A. I can’t imagine why you are asking for advice when it is clear that one day we all will be working for you. You used your brains and followed your instincts. And the proof of the fact you must know what you are doing is that you got the job. And good for you for cutting through the red tape. Sorry about that 20-minute wait, however!

Carol Kleiman writes for the Chicago Tribune.

sume? I don’t know where to begin it – or my job search. Can someone else conduct it for me?

A. It’s not a bad idea to get professional help whenever you need it, and there are many good professional resume writers listed in the Yellow Pages. But I have to warn you that depending on someone else to do your homework for a job search is a cop-out and could be a costly one: Many career marketers charge thousands of dollars up front but do not get you a job.

Start out by at least trying to write your resume yourself. It’s a way to make you fully aware of your experience, skills, where you’ve been and where you want to go. After you have a rough copy, it’s certainly OK to get a professional’s advice on it. And that also may be the time to go to a qualified career counselor for insights on how to proceed.

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(Carol Kleiman is the author of “Winning the Job Game: The New Rules for Finding and Keeping the Job You Want” (Wiley, $16.95). Send e-mail to ckleimantribune.com.)

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(c) 2003, Chicago Tribune.

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AP-NY-04-22-03 0615EDT

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