What not to ask in a job interview

• Job hunting? What kind of pay hike to expect

  Starting pay has yet to bounce back from the recession.

  FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I read your column about finding a job in a different industry, but I'm looking for a new position in the same business I'm in now, and I have two main concerns. First, you mentioned that candidates should be prepared with intelligent questions. I wish I had asked more probing questions before I took my current job MORE

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Jan 18, 2013 10:41 AM ET
  Posted in: Job hunting, Job interviews, job search, interview questions, careers, pay increases

• Can you find a new job in a different industry?

  Most managers have more transferable skills than they may realize, but overcoming a lack of industry experience can be tough. Here's how you can do it.

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Dec 20, 2012 12:39 PM ET
  Posted in: career change, careers, changing industries, Employment, Job hunting, Job interviews, job search

• The dumbest interview questions of 2012

  If some of the things you've been asked in job interviews lately have struck you as kind of peculiar, cheer up. It's not you, it's them.

  FORTUNE -- "Are you a nerd?" "Can you dance?" "If you were a doughnut, what kind would you be?" When talent management consultants Development Dimensions International quizzed more than 2,000 newly hired employees about strange questions they had fielded in job interviews, the researchers got MORE

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Dec 19, 2012 11:44 AM ET
  Posted in: careers, interview questions, Job hunting, Job interviews

• Should you wish a job interviewer a happy birthday?

  Some kinds of personal chitchat are just fine in a job interview, while other topics are best avoided. Here's how to tell the difference.

  Dear Annie: I am applying for my dream job with a software company. So far, I've made it past the phone interview and a technical competency screening, and the next step is an in-person interview. I looked up this hiring manager on LinkedIn and noticed that we MORE

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Nov 1, 2012 11:20 AM ET
  Posted in: careers, hiring managers, Job hunting, Job interviews, LinkedIn

• The tech job market keeps heating up, but not for everybody

  While demand for some IT skills is soaring, finding a tech job isn't always easy. A Silicon Valley recruiter explains what employers want now.

  FORTUNE -- At first glance, you might think that anyone with up-to-date IT skills and a few years of work experience has it made in the shade. Unemployment among this group has dropped from 4.2% in the third quarter of last year to 3.3% now, according to MORE

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Oct 25, 2012 9:03 AM ET
  Posted in: careers, IT job market, IT salaries, Job hunting, Job interviews, LinkedIn profiles, recruiters, Tech jobs

• 5 questions to ask your next boss

  The chemistry, or lack of it, between you and your immediate boss could make or break you in a new job. Here's how to tell if the fit is right.

  FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: At the end of your recent column about cultural "fit," the expert you quoted said that most job candidates don't ask enough questions. But what should interviewees ask, especially when talking with a prospective boss? I'm now in MORE

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Sep 21, 2012 11:01 AM ET
  Posted in: careers, cultural "fit", interview questions, Job hunting, Job interviews, prospective bosses

• Job hunting? How to spot the right (or wrong) cultural 'fit'

  It's not always easy to get a clear picture of a company's culture in a job interview, but thoughtful preparation can help you ask the right questions. By Anne Fisher

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Aug 31, 2012 10:27 AM ET
  Posted in: careers, corporate culture, cultural "fit", Five O'Clock Club, Job hunting, Job interviews

• 25 toughest companies for job interviewees

  If you're applying for a job at any of these outfits, bring your "A" game. Sounds daunting but, say most candidates and employees in a new survey, tough is good.

  FORTUNE -- Brain-teaser questions, timed written tests that rival the GMAT, successive rounds of rapid-fire interview sessions with intensely focused hiring managers -- are you ready for all these, plus the occasional odd moment of catch-you-off-your-guard eccentricity?

  Career site Glassdoor.com sifted through MORE

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Aug 15, 2012 12:19 PM ET
  Posted in: careers, employee satisfaction, Glassdoor, interview questions, Job interviews, toughest interviews

• Can you get useful information from job references?

  Most companies' policies discourage references from revealing anything but job titles and dates of employment. Here's how to learn more. By Anne Fisher

  Anne Fisher, contributor - Jul 5, 2012 2:03 PM ET
  Posted in: careers, Job interviews, reference checking, References