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Let me introduce you to Ash. Ash recently interviewed for a Visitor Experience Team Leader role at the Art Gallery of WA. It’s a Level 4 role — about $90K — and a step up in leadership. She prepped like a champ and handled the interview well. Until this question came up “How do you maintain a budget?” Fair question. It’s part of the Position Description. Ash explained that Finance gives her the budget, and from there, she tracks, manages, and reports against it. Sensible. Accurate. Exactly what happens in 90% of team leader roles. Then came the follow-up: “So… you don’t develop the budget yourself?” Ash replied honestly: “No, that’s right. Finance send it to me.” And that was it. No, “How would you go about developing one if you had to?” No curiosity. No digging. Just… silence. Followed by rejection. The post-interview feedback? She didn’t have experience developing a budget. SERIOUSLY!!!! **insert massive eyeroll** Let’s break this down. Ash wasn’t applying to be the Chief Financial Officer. She was going for a Team Leader role!!! The kind where someone else decides the big figure, and you make it work based on operational needs. Ash knows exactly what goes into a functional team budget. It’s part of her current job. She just hasn’t had to pluck one out of thin air — because that’s not part of her role. But here’s the kicker: even if it was her job to develop one? She could do it. She knows the structure. The inputs. The costs. She could reverse-engineer a budget with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back. But no one asked. And that’s what’s wrong with hiring processes today. They don’t always test capability. They test whether you’ve ticked that exact box in a past role. Even if you’re perfectly capable of doing it in this one. #Hiringfail. Art Gallery: 0. Ash: still brilliant. ~Lisa Your Q&AWhen Climbing the Ladder Still Feels Like a Dumpster Fire Hi Lisa, I’m actively interviewing while also continuing to thrive in my current company. In fact, I’ve just been promoted. However, I’m not completely happy with the culture. I’m getting mixed messages, acceptance of very disrespectful behaviour among senior leaders, nepotism, and potential for PE sale within the next 18 months. So, how do I leverage this promotion? It just happened last week, with a change in title and pay, but the basic responsibilities remain similar. Do I tell the potential company now, or do I wait to use it at offer time if that happens? it’s $70K more in salary plus bonus. Thanks Mitch Hi Mitch, Congrats on the promotion—and the existential crisis that came gift-wrapped with it. Here’s the deal. If your resume doesn’t already list your promotion (because it literally just happened), you’ve got two options: 1. Bring it up in the interview. When they ask, “Why are you looking to leave?”, drop this: “I was recently promoted, which I genuinely appreciate—it shows they value my contribution. But the truth is, I’m struggling with the culture. I want to work somewhere where the values and leadership are more aligned with mine long-term.” Short. Honest. Professional. Just don’t go full scorched-earth on the current leadership or you’ll sound like you’re still emotionally trapped there—like a bad episode of Succession. 2. Save it for the offer stage. Or you can save it for when you to the money talk. That’s when you can say: “Since we last spoke, I’ve received a promotion with a significant increase. I’m now sitting at $X base, plus bonus. I’m really focused on finding the right fit, but I do want the compensation to reflect that step forward.” Follow it up with: “I’m choosing to leave while progressing—which means for me to move, it has to be worth it across the board.” It tells them: I’m not leaving because I have to. I’m leaving because I have standards. (And a $70K raise I’m not just going to walk away from without a good reason.) Oh, and from now on? That promotion goes on your resume, front and centre. You earned it—use it. Thanks for Reading. ~Lisa |
