international readers: tell us your workplace customs by Alison Green on September 18, 2012 An international reader recently mentioned in the comment section that in her country it would be bizarre to bring food from home into the office to share with coworkers; she found the U.S. custom of office potlucks very strange. And we often hear about how in some countries, job applicants are expected to submit a […] Read the full article →
should I bind all my internship work into a book for my manager? by Alison Green on September 17, 2012 A reader writes: I am currently doing an internship at a finance company. It is more of a learning experience than anything else, since I am new to everything under finance. I am learning a lot and am so grateful for the experience. Since I am new to finance, I am mainly asked to do […] Read the full article →
don’t make these 10 mistakes in your next phone interview by Alison Green on September 17, 2012 If you have a phone interview coming up and are wondering how to excel in it so that you get offered an in-person interview, here are 10 common mistakes to avoid. 1. Thinking it’s not a real interview. Some job seekers treat phone interviews as if they’re a casual get-to-know-you chat. They rarely are. Phone interviews […] Read the full article →
how to adjust to a new boss by Alison Green on September 17, 2012 It’s nerve-wracking to get a new boss. You may have signed up for your job assuming you’d be working for the previous manager … but at some point she may leave and a new boss will come in. How do you adjust to a new manager with a different style? These five tips will help. […] Read the full article →
people who over-share in out-of-office messages by Alison Green on September 17, 2012 Posts this week will include some reprints of older posts that I still love. This post was originally published on September 28, 2010. A reader writes: I work in R&D for the computer industry, where technical staff have few meetings with customers and generally are given a fairly flexible schedule. It’s not uncommon for people […] Read the full article →
“do what you love” is not great advice by Alison Green on September 16, 2012 A reader writes: A lot of people talk about doing what they’re passionate about, loving their jobs, doing what they love and getting paid for it … and it kind of confuses me sometimes. How do you figure out what you love to do? Now, I like certain things but I have absolutely zero interest […] Read the full article →
I’m insulted that an employer rejected me and suggested I intern by Alison Green on September 15, 2012 A reader writes: I am trying to enter the professional sports industry, which is a very competitive field. For the last few years, I’ve been trying to meet people, going to career fairs and applying for jobs online in the hope that one day, I will achieve my goal. I do have a full-time job […] Read the full article →
Friday night question queue by Alison Green on September 14, 2012 It’s the Friday night question queue! Here we go… 1. Interviewers who tell you how well everyone there gets along I’ve been in the following situation a few times and don’t really know what to make of it: Someone interviewing me will discuss how close their office/department/team is, or how well everyone gets along, or […] Read the full article →
when you’re asked to critique an employer in an interview by Alison Green on September 14, 2012 A reader writes: I had an interview a couple of months ago, for which I wasn’t hired, and there is one part of the interview that I have been going over in my mind ever since. It was for an entry-level type job at the local library and I was asked about how I would […] Read the full article →
when a positive reference suddenly turns negative by Alison Green on September 14, 2012 A reader writes: My sister was recently chosen for a permanent position that had come available within a large organization where she had previously worked as a temp. They performed over three weeks of scrupulous recruitment procedures, wherein she passed a background check with flying colors. She was asked for a list of her references, […] Read the full article →