February 2013

how to deal with a coworker who has a crush on you

It’s Valentine’s Day, and at Ask a Manager, that means a full day of questions about workplace romance, as well as our speciality: creepy, inappropriate coworker behavior. Here’s the first one (of six!). A reader writes: How does one deal with a coworker who you suspect has a crush on you? I won’t detail all […]

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are your job references in order?

Job candidates often hand over lists of references without much thought to the people they’ve included. But references can play a big role in hiring, so it’s worth being thoughtful and strategic about who you include. Who makes the best reference? The best reference is someone who managed your work and will speak glowingly of you. […]

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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. Help! I agreed to recommend two people for the same position I work in a technical services department in a library. There are three sub-departments, each with a coordinator. The three coordinators are managed by a department head. Well, […]

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alerting your new office that you have food allergies

A reader writes: I start a new job on Monday, and part of my “orientation,” I guess you can say, will be lunches in order to get to know people better. I am having a bunch of anxiety about this. I have Celiac Disease, which means I cannot eat gluten (which is in wheat, barley, […]

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internship won’t let me use my work samples in a portfolio

A reader writes: I intern at a high-end design company where we create one-of-a-kind visual art. I am an unpaid intern. The studio manager has told me that despite me creating artwork for the company, I have no rights to use it in my portfolio ever. She also said that many of the techniques I’ve […]

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your 10 most cringe-worthy career mistakes

Whether it’s inventing a non-existent coworker, poorly timed flatulence, or accidentally asking the boss how much he makes, we’ve all made mistakes in our careers that have haunted and shamed us for years afterward. I recently asked readers to share their most cringe-worthy career mistakes, and oh did you deliver. (Those three above are among […]

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