2012

how to talk about weaknesses in an interview

A reader writes: I have a question for you about how to approach tricky interview questions. I’m thinking about responding to the “tell me about your greatest strength/weakness…” question (and it’s various forms) right now because I’m in the midst of interviewing applicants for a position on my team; it’s not me who’s in the […]

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do sales jobs follow different hiring rules from other jobs?

This question came up in the comments on a recent post: Is sales really an exception to the “don’t call to follow up” rule? I’ve written numerous times about how — in most industries — you shouldn’t call to follow up on your job application, because it’s annoying and won’t help your chances … and that […]

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my new store manager is mismanaging our schedule

A reader writes: I work in fast food, and I’ve worked at this branch for nearly a year and a half, totalling five years. We have a new manager who’s been here since September/October and she’s in charge of the schedule for the week which has to be done on a weekly basis. Recently (within […]

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terse answer Thursday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions

It’s terse answer Thursday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. Follow-up from the reader wondering about legal action if his transfer is denied A few weeks ago, I posted a question about an internal transfer and if I had a legal basis to some degree demand my move. It […]

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can you refuse to work with an unpleasant coworker?

A reader writes: My department just underwent a massive restructuring and my boss is trying to sell me on a new position that would be doing more of what he knows I want to do. However, the new role would mean working more closely with a manager I absolutely cannot stand.  He is rude and dismissive […]

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update from the reader working for a boy band fan site

Remember the reader who was working for a boy band fan site and was wondering whether to include it on her resume, or whether it was too embarrassing? Here’s her update: I actually have really exciting news to update everyone on after writing in about whether or not I should include my work for an […]

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when your older male coworkers are condescending

This is from a friend of mine, who agreed to let me use it as a question here. She writes: I work in a male-dominated field, and don’t have the same technical background that many of them do. I was hired for my communications, organizing, and project management skills, but have noticed it takes some […]

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5 interview mistakes you can easily avoid

If you’re interviewing for jobs, you know the feeling of kicking yourself for hours after an interview because you flubbed an answer or got the interviewer’s name wrong. But no one is perfect, and most interviewers don’t expect candidates to give perfect interviews. However, there are some interviewing mistakes that are easily avoidable, and which […]

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