January 2013

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. How to get managers to share what’s happening in their departments  I have recently been hired to increase communication within the company. I have thought about getting managers to write a few sentences every once and a while about […]

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8 ways to help a job-searching friend or relative

If you have a friend or family member who’s unemployed and looking for a job, there are lots of things you can do help – but it’s also important to avoid saying or doing the wrong things. Here are eight things to keep in mind when someone close to you is engaged in a tough […]

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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. Mentioning a large raise in your cover letter I’m working on some draft cover letters for my job search and I was wondering if it’s ever advisable to mention getting a significant raise (~8+%) after less than a year […]

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HR director’s wellness program is invasive and sexist

A reader writes: I have some concerns about the professionalism and judgement of our HR director. There have been two incidents in particular. Senior management recently decided to give all the employees Wellness Kits. The kits contained things like a jump rope, a pedometer, a healthy cookbook and a workout DVD. Sounds great, right? Well, […]

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layoffs looming and baby on the way

A reader writes: My multi-national employer is in trouble. This is public knowledge and our GM has warned us that there will be cuts due to a projected revenue shortfall in the tens of millions of dollars. Given that my division is essentially a vendor, we’re at the mercy of clients who aren’t booking work […]

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