January 2013

when a coworker won’t say no

A reader writes: My manager quit earlier this year, leaving me to run the marketing department with a woman we’d just hired. I wasn’t in favor of the hire because I was concerned that she lacks professional maturity, but now she’s my co-director and we’re making do.  They’re not replacing my manager, and there’s been no conversation about how our roles […]

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wee answer Wednesday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions

It’s wee answer Wednesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker’s husband is doing our schedule My boss gave a coworker the task of scheduling my coworkers because he felt she was more qualified for the task. I just found out that she has her husband doing the scheduling. […]

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what should I say to my boss when coworkers tattle on me?

A reader writes: My supervisor has been calling me into her office and telling me about mistakes I’ve made that she found out about from my peers who work with me. They are minor mistakes and I take full responsibility for them, but what should I say to my supervisor about being “tattled” on? “Thanks […]

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how to handle an out-of-town interview

If you’re invited to interview with an out-of-town company, you’ll need to do more interview preparation than if you were interviewing locally. Here are seven things to think about as you prepare for an out-of-town interview. 1. Ask ahead of time what the company will and won’t pay for, and how expenses will be covered. For […]

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tiny answer Tuesday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions

It’s tiny answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. Fired and asked to train my replacement I am in a situation at my current job where the owner has already hired my replacement. I’ve been there four months, but she brought me into her office the day after […]

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where are they now: 3 more reader updates

Here are three more updates from readers who had their questions answered here in 2012. I think these are our final updates, unless any more trickle in. 1. The reader whose boss’s wife wanted to oversee her work My situation had a happy ending, for me at least. Shortly after I wrote you, a position […]

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employers that ask for references but never call them

A reader writes: I have a question that’s more of a curiosity than a pressing concern, since I’m currently happily employed. When I was searching for a job, I had two in-person interviews (each preceded by a phone interview) that seemed to go really well. Both teams of interviewers asked me for references, which I […]

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