addressing people by their first names, getting your job choice right the first time, and more by Alison Green on November 20, 2013 It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go… 1. As a job searching new grad, should I address people by their first names or Mr./Ms.? I’m an undergraduate student, and I’m curious when it’s appropriate to call managers by their first names via email, etc. Campus recruiters typically use their first names […] Read the full article →
I need to slow down at work so I don’t make mistakes by Alison Green on November 19, 2013 A reader writes: I’ve recently switched jobs, and I’m loving my new job so far, but there’s one thing I am struggling to adapt to in my new workplace: the speed at which I work. My previous 3 years were spent in a job where the workload was impossibly high and I would be interrupted […] Read the full article →
I have to take calls from my kids at work, and my manager doesn’t like it by Alison Green on November 19, 2013 A reader writes: First, the positives. I work for a small firm in a small town. One owner, one office manager, me, and 5 professionals. The professionals work directly under the owner, while I alone work under the office manager. I love the work, I love the people. The owner and office manager are good […] Read the full article →
how to manage a burnt-out employee by Alison Green on November 19, 2013 A reader writes: I think my marketing assistant might be burnt-out. She gets her work done but just barely — it’s like she’s doing the bare minimum required, rather than bringing any excitement or sense of possibility to the work. She also doesn’t seem fully present in meetings and never really comes to me with […] Read the full article →
company only approves new hires once a year, “use it or lose it” vacation policies, and more by Alison Green on November 19, 2013 It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go… 1. How can I convince my boss to end our “use it or lose it” vacation policy? In March of this year I started working for a small startup in California. We get eight holidays (including one “floating” holiday), plus 10 days of vacation […] Read the full article →
are emoticons unprofessional? by Alison Green on November 18, 2013 A reader writes: What is your feeling on using emoticons (smiley faces, etc.) in professional emails? My first reaction is “no, they are too childish and unprofessional,” but then I find myself sometimes wanting to use them to add some levity to an email, or soften some language, or convey a “friendly” message. Since emails […] Read the full article →
8 tips for starting your own business and not failing horribly by Alison Green on November 18, 2013 If you’re thinking/fantasizing/wondering about ditching your job and going to work for yourself, here are eight tips to make it go as smoothly as possible. 1. Try it on the side first. Rather than ditching your job and then setting up shop for yourself and just hoping that the clients come, try out your business idea […] Read the full article →
should I tell my boss about our new coworker’s low work quality? by Alison Green on November 18, 2013 A reader writes: I work as a web developer on a small team of four people, and we often collaborate on projects. It was just three of us for a while, and we recently hired the fourth person. He was hired primarily as a back-end developer, but also to do front-end work (mainly HTML and […] Read the full article →
being ordered to work during a dangerous tornado, 360 reviews, and more by Alison Green on November 18, 2013 It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go… 1. Being ordered to come into work during a dangerous tornado Today we had severe storms spawning tornadoes all around us. My wife called her work at Kmart to ask her manager if she was to still come in. Her manager said yes and […] Read the full article →
interviewing for your own job, attending a memorial service for an employee you didn’t know, and more by Alison Green on November 17, 2013 It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go… 1. Should I ask my boss if it’s appropriate to go to a memorial service for an employee I didn’t know? I’ve been at my new job for 2 weeks. Next Friday, there is going to be a memorial service for an employee that […] Read the full article →