SKILLS

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I read with interest the letter from "Murky," who had several issues to address with you. The one that caught my attention was about employment groups.

WRONG VIBES

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, My husband and I are unemployed. We frequently use Craigslist for employment searches. We’re frustrated that employers require a photo along with your resume for positions in the administrative/clerical field. In addition, my husband was asked his age during a telephone interview. Are these legitimate questions? Hoping to find a job soon, we remain, Very Truly Yours

TRANSFER

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I am 45, have been in commercial real estate over 20 years, and because of the devastated industry lost two executive positions in the past two years. I've been out of work since September. The stress on my family and me is enormous. Real estate is the only industry I've ever known.

UNTANGLING

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I got downsized in February, 2004, but my last contract was February, 2007. I’m told my "career is over." Recruiters tell me that if you’re out of work for six to 12 months in IT, your skills are considered "too outdated." Also, I’m hard-pressed to find anything that won't cause me to take more than a 50 percent hit in unemployment income.

FOCUS RE-DIRECT

Q: Dr. Culp, I’ve been on several interviews in which the managers asked these questions: “How much do you need to run your household?” and “What is the minimum you’re willing to accept?”

SERVING

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, Your article on career-changing caught my eye. How can I learn what careers would accept my engineering skills from the defense industry? Reader

WISHFUL THINKING?

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I interviewed twice with a Fortune 500 company in October and was told that I’d be brought in the next month. After my second interview I was told that a third interview would be scheduled to make the offer. An employment service said I was THE candidate and called every week to reiterate. In December, the company had a hiring freeze. I continued to receive calls from the agency that I’d replace an individual in the position. Last week I was told that the position was on indefinite hold.

TARGET

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I have been a project/product manager for over 12 years and have worked in three different industries. “Product management” means developing or launching new products, and educating and training salespeople. Essentially it requires a jack-of-all-trades. In today's market, the most common employer request is for the interviewee to have extensive experience in one area. How do I address this? Don’t Know

MARKET INFORMATION Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I am 55 years old and recently graduated with distinction from an accredited paralegal program. My background is trademark licensing and I’m particularly interested in intellectual property. I've sent out well over 150 resumes, but clearly something isn't working.

INTERRUPTIONS

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I’ve enjoyed my career as a medical office manger for the past 25 years. I’m now unemployed, because the physician I’ve worked with for the past two years is closing his private practice of primary care medicine. Please give me your opinion about a problem that’s come up.

ECONOMY

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, I'm in the early-to-middle part of my career with about eight years of non-managerial experience. I get good results but have limited experience managing and strategizing, which are key to moving up the ladder. Most job postings I find are mid-level; so I talk up past project work and examples, although I fail to close the deal. I find myself having more luck talking down my work history and interviewing for lower-level positions, which sounds counter-intuitive. Would I really be going backward or is it just a matter of getting in the door in this economy? Uncertain

OUT OF BUSINESS

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, My search has stalled. Two companies I worked for went out of business; so I worked there a short period of time. I feel like that’s being held against me.

EXPERIENCE

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, Why do job postings state a minimum requirement, then give a range of 2 to 5 years? My experience says that this isn’t a minimum, but a maximum, because they’re looking for someone young and want to appear not to be discriminating. Analytical

OPENNESS

Q: Dear Dr. Culp, If I'm collecting unemployment and unable to find a position in my industry that fits my skill set, at what point should I start looking for a “getting-by” job (like working retail)? How do I respond in interviews when they ask why I'm looking for something completely unrelated to my career path, and why they should trust that I won't jump ship the first opportunity I get (which I will)? Anon