November 2013

my office wants us to chip in to send our CEO’s family on a ski trip

A reader writes: This morning, I received this email from the second-in-command of my organization. “Dear [staff], Each year we have done a holiday gift for [CEO] to recognize his leadership of [organization] during the year. Given the very busy holiday season, I’d like to start the ball rolling on the collection early this year […]

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open thread

It’s our biweekly open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet, but this is a chance to talk to other readers.

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how can I make people stop talking to me about my job search?

A reader writes: My parents and their friends are wonderful, well-intentioned people. But every time we get together, my job search is a hot topic of conversation (the last four years I have worked either seasonally or in retail while seeking work…thus I’m constantly job searching). Four years later and I officially can’t do it […]

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my boss favors one person on our team

A reader writes: My boss supervises seven subordinates, and frequently goes to lunch with one in particular. Our boss travels quite a bit, so is often out of the office. However, when he is in the office, we all notice that he goes to lunch with his “favorite.” It seems that the “favorite” may sometimes […]

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I cried at work when I was sick, alerting job candidates to errors in their applications, and more

It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go… 1. Should I tell job applicants about errors on their resumes and cover letters? As I’m reviewing resumes, I frequently see errors on resumes and cover letters (spelling mistakes, grammar errors, things like that). Should I let a candidate know, in the interest of […]

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my boss wants two years notice before I resign

A reader writes: Recently, my boss told me to let him know 2 years ahead of time when I plan to leave the company. I was startled when he told me to give him a 2-year notice, and automatically agreed. You can imagine my regret at my response. How should I approach this? I have […]

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7 questions to answer before accepting a job offer

When you receive a job offer, it’s natural to be excited and even to assume that you’ll take it, as long as the salary range is right. But before you sign on to spend 40 or more hours a week at this job, make sure that you’ve fully vetted what you’re getting into. Here are seven […]

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