React Single Or Double Quotes

Did you ever tell your previous employer any of your thoughts on ways they could improve?” If he says “Yes, but they never listened to anyone,” or “Yeah, but they just said ‘Mind your own business,’” this may tell more about the style of his approach than about managers at his last job. Most employers react well to suggestions that are offered in a constructive way, regardless of whether or not they follow them. Another unfavorable response is, “What’s the use of making suggestions? Nothing ever changes anyway.” Some applicants will accuse former employers of stealing their ideas. Others will tell war stories about efforts to get a former employer to follow suggestions. If so, ask if this was a one-man undertaking or in concert with his coworkers. Sometimes an applicant will say his co-workers “didn’t have the guts to confront management like I did.” “What are some of the things your last employer could have done to keep you?” Some applicants will give a reasonable answer (slightly more pay, better schedule, etc.), but others will provide a list of demands that demonstrate unreasonable expectations (e.g., “They could have doubled my salary, promoted me to vice president, and given me Fridays off”). “How do you go about solving problems at work?” Good answers are that he consults with others, weighs all points of view, discusses them with involved parties, etc. Unfavorable answers contain a theme of confrontation (e.g., “I tell the source of the problem he’d better straighten up,” or “I go right to the man in charge and lay it on the line”). Another bad answer is that he does nothing to resolve problems, saying, “Nothing ever changes anyway.” “Describe a problem you had in your life where someone else’s help was very important to you.” Is he able to recall such a situation? If so, does he give credit or express appreciation about the help? “Who is your best friend and how would you describe your friendship?” Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who cannot come up with a single name in response to this question. If they give a name that was not listed as a reference, ask why. Then ask if you can call that friend as a reference.

April 2012 Mixed feelings rose when I read Aria’s email. On one hand, I was relieved to know Andy was well and alive, but on the other I was afraid. I had not connected with my ex-lover, and the prospect of reconnecting with him was closing in by the minute. I wouldn’t know how to react if and when he wrote. It had been extremely painful for us after our separation. I had plunged into the deep end trying to find the love we shared. For more than a year and half, I lived a double life through a series of licentious sexual encounters, often visiting underground sex clubs; it brought nothing but further depression. I was desperately trying to find the kind of unconditional stability, mentorship, and companionship my ‘big brother’ had so lovingly provided. I, being stubborn, faced a myriad of difficulties without my soulmate’s guiding presence. Not admitting defeat, I told myself that if I could survive alone in a major metropolis, I could survive anywhere in the world. As much as I hated this hellacious experience, it also strengthened my courage in the face of adversity. My single-mindedness to succeed in my chosen career saved me from sinking into progressive deterioration. Now, a possible reconnection with Andy would open years of concealed wounds that I might not be able to reconcile. The best solution I knew was to sleep on my fears and meditate on the problem until an answer arrived without active participation on my part.