eating at work by Alison Green on October 16, 2008 A reader writes: My question is an odd one. It is about a habit of hard-working and busy people: eating at work. I have a sensitivity to low level irregular noise, especially people chewing, crunching, and rattling cellophane bags. (In fact, I am wearing ear plugs right now to drown out the sound of a […] Read the full article →
mistakes new grads make at work by Alison Green on October 14, 2008 I like working with recent grads. There’s something really fulfilling about watching people as they learn their way around the working world for the first time and start getting the experience that will let them advance professionally. But I’ve also seen quite a few stumble in similar ways. Some of these are fatal, some just […] Read the full article →
what to wear to a nonprofit interview by Alison Green on October 12, 2008 My new pet peeve is becoming people who think that because they’re interviewing at a nonprofit, they can dress down for the interview. I’ve seen too many candidates lately in business casual, which I’m pretty sure they’d never wear for an interview at, say, a bank. Why are people doing this? Do they think other […] Read the full article →
an ode to the bad managers of my past by Alison Green on October 7, 2008 I never had a mentor. Once a boss promised to teach me how to manage people, but then she promptly disappeared to “work from home” for weeks on end and was never seen again. What I had instead were anti-mentors: bosses who were so bad that they unwittingly formed the start of my thinking on […] Read the full article →
5 signs you’re about to be fired by Alison Green on October 6, 2008 t’s always baffling to me how many people don’t realize when they’re in danger of being fired, even when they signs are all there. When it finally happens, they’re stunned and seem to have never seen it coming. So here are five signs that your job might be in danger: 1. Your boss tells you. […] Read the full article →
how does blogging affect job-hunting? by Alison Green on October 4, 2008 A reader writes: What is your take on having a blog and how that might affect your career, especially if you are job-hunting? I blog as a hobby for about five years now. I have a political blog where I often deal with controversial topics and issues and which I sometimes take staunch positions. It […] Read the full article →
should I stay or should I go? by Alison Green on October 3, 2008 A reader writes: I have been with my company for over four years and was doing well until I went on maternity leave for a year. When I returned, I had a new boss (making me start the cycle of having to prove again my skills and worth) and a new role, which is more […] Read the full article →
should you tell your boss you’re job-hunting? by Alison Green on September 30, 2008 A reader writes: I have a good relationship with my boss and enjoy my current job and employer, but I’m about to interview for another job that is both a career “step up” and a shorter commute. The organization requires an “assessment” on a Wednesday followed by initial interviews that Friday, which means I would […] Read the full article →
how to deal with a micromanager by Alison Green on September 29, 2008 One of the most common complaints that people have about their boss is that they’re being micromanaged — their work is being overly scrutinized, the boss is checking up on things they don’t need to check up on, and they generally feel they’re not trusted. First, let’s define micromanagement. There’s a difference between hands-on management […] Read the full article →
stuck in my backlog by Alison Green on September 29, 2008 I am now officially so far behind on answering questions that I have given up all hope of ever catching up. I have added a disclaimer to the sidebar warning that this may happen, yet I still feel strangely like a slacker. Read the full article →