Q: I made a huge mistake at my job. Amazingly, I think I can correct it without my boss ever knowing. Should I speak up?
While “Nope, you don’t have to say a word” is the easy answer, speaking up is the right answer. By correcting the error (with the knowledge of your boss), you show you are a problem-solver, even if you are the one who caused the problem in the first place.
So come clean. First, be direct in your admission and take full responsibility. Arm yourself with analysis of any damage you caused and an action plan to make it right. You still might be held accountable: you could suffer a pay cut, demotion or reassignment of an interesting project to someone else. Take your lumps like a professional and help get everyone past this.
And who knows? Your mistake could lead to an opportunity for your organization to make a new policy or find a new way to accomplish a task.
Q: I have been job hunting and am extremely frustrated by recruiters who just don’t get back to me. Even after I interview and follow up, I’m “ghosted.” I’m beginning to think something is wrong with me. What can I do?
It’s hard not to take ghosting personally, especially after an interview. Yet it’s possible that it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with other organizational factors: a change in hiring manager, company reorganization, budget cuts, selection of an internal candidate, hiring freeze, just to name a few. Ghosting applicants might even be standard operating procedure for an employer, which means it isn’t a swipe at your qualifications.
Sadly, there isn’t anything you can do. It may not be easy, but your best strategy for achieving a sense of closure is simply to move on. If employers want to continue your candidacy, you will hear from them – maybe sooner, maybe later. No news might be bad news, or it might simply be … no news. Either way, take the lack of response as a sign to keep on searching.
Sherri Sacks is a Career Coach for the JCS Career Center. The JCS Career Center offers comprehensive employment services to help job seekers of all abilities and skill levels find and maintain employment or change their career. Services include career coaching, career assessments, resumes, interview preparation, and connections to employers who are hiring. For more information, call 410-466-9200 or visit jcsbaltimore.org.
Top photo by Jesús Corrius, Flickr
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