September 2013

employer asked me to interview at 6:45 a.m. on a Saturday

A reader writes: I’ve managed to pass a skills test and move on to have a real interview at a good, career-building type of job. Yay! But the interview is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. on a Saturday. This strikes everyone I’ve talked to as really bizarre. I don’t enjoy the interview time but I’ve confirmed […]

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W.T.F.

I’m currently hyperventilating over this Wall St. Journal article: Should You Bring Mom and Dad to Your Job Interview? An excerpt:  “Some firms have begun embracing parental involvement and using it to attract and hold onto talent and boost employee morale … Some Northwestern Mutual managers call or send notes to parents when interns achieve their sales goals […]

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how to correct a colleague’s annoying writing habits

A reader writes: I am writing about a habit of my colleague that really gets on my nerves. When my colleague is speaking, he is prone to prefacing pretty standard words or phrases with expressions like “what I like to call” or “as I like to say.” Although I find this frankly silly when he […]

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where are you now?

One of my favorite things about Ask a Manager is hearing back from readers whose questions I answered about how their situations turned out. So if you’ve had your question answered here in the past, please email me an update and let us know how your situation turned out. Leave no juicy detail out! And if […]

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can I bring a baby to a networking coffee?

A reader writes: I can’t tell if the answer to this question is obviously “no” or if there is some leeway here. I am about to go out on maternity leave. I will have almost four months out of the office, and while I intend to spend time with the new baby, I’d also like […]

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