boss is angry that I missed a meeting for a medical emergency by Alison Green on June 29, 2011 A reader writes: I have worked for my present company for 6 years and my current boss, who is the current Chief Executive Officer, for the last 5. A month ago, I had to have emergency dental surgery. My office generally has a very liberal leave policy for salaried employees and this normally would not […] Read the full article →
employee made a homophobic remark during job interview by Alison Green on June 28, 2011 A reader writes: I went to an interview today at a very small insurance company. Everything was going great until I spent some time with one of the account managers I was going to be working with. She made a comment about her daughter playing softball and went on to say “but she’s not a […] Read the full article →
what are the boundaries when your spouse applies for a job with your company? by Alison Green on June 28, 2011 A reader writes: My husband recently graduated from a technical college, and is now on the job search. Yesterday, he interviewed (which went VERY well!) for a position at the company where I work. I’ve been there for nearly four years and am in very good standing, as I’ve proven myself a reliable and professional […] Read the full article →
asking about salary freeze at an all-employee meeting by Alison Green on June 27, 2011 I’m really testing you guys today on how many posts you can tolerate from me in a single day, but the answer to this one is short. A reader writes: The company I work for has about 200 employees and is part of a larger corporation. Merit raises for everyone have been on hold since […] Read the full article →
it’s time for a job-seekers’ bill of rights by Alison Green on June 27, 2011 As the job market continues to favor employers, job-seekers are increasingly reporting poor treatment from employers – from employers who never show up for scheduled interviews to inappropriate demands for private information in online job applications. Employers may feel that they don’t have to pay much attention to the candidate experience in such a flooded […] Read the full article →
what to do when you’re overworked by Alison Green on June 27, 2011 I’m quoted in this article on what to do when you’re overworked, making the obnoxious but true point that sometimes the problem is you. Stop playing on Facebook! Once I got that out of the way, though, I offered up some tips on what to do if the problem is really the workload. Read the full article →
hiring-related emails that are sent at night or over the weekend by Alison Green on June 27, 2011 I like to over-think things, so help me over-think this one: I often enjoy working over the weekend, or late at night. I’m a night owl, for one thing, and also I like getting work out of the way so that it’s not hanging over me. However, I don’t expect anyone who works for or with […] Read the full article →
short answer Sunday: 6 short answers to 6 short questions by Alison Green on June 26, 2011 It’s once again short answer Sunday, with another six short answers to six short questions. Thank-you gifts when an internship ends My summer internship is ending in a month, and I am having trouble thinking of appropriate thank you gifts. The team I work with has six individuals who have all taught me a lot, […] Read the full article →
what’s the deal with informational interviews? by Alison Green on June 25, 2011 A reader writes: Would it be OK for me to contact a college alum who is in a senior-level position at a company I’m interested in working for AFTER I apply for a job at the company (e.g. to ask if s/he could personally consider my resume and/or if s/he knows of a job that […] Read the full article →
4 words to remove from your resume by Alison Green on June 23, 2011 “References available upon request.” Do you have this line on the bottom of your resume? If you do, go delete it. Believe me, no one is concerned that you might refuse to provide references upon request. It’s assumed that you will. It’s like saying “phone calls returned upon request.” You have that line there because […] Read the full article →