I want quiet but I want to be likable, retro pay for a late performance review, and more by Alison Green on March 25, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Reconciling my need for quiet with a desire to be likable I am seeking guidance on how to participate in social cultures in workplaces. FirstJob taught me that work is not only productivity, but also likability office-wide and mirroring what the big boss’s values are. […] Read the full article →
update: we took up a collection for a coworker to get to a funeral, but she lied about it and didn’t go by Alison Green on March 24, 2014 We heard last week from someone whose office took up a collection to help a coworker get to a funeral, but then discovered that the coworker had lied about what she used the money for and didn’t take the trip. Here’s an update. Surprising ending to this question. It has been a difficult week. The […] Read the full article →
if you’re getting interviews but no job offers, here’s what to do by Alison Green on March 24, 2014 If you’re getting plenty of job interviews without any job offers, it’s time to think about what could be going wrong. Since you’re making it past the initial screening, the problem is unlikely to be your resume or cover letter. That means that it could be your interview skills, or something about your experience that […] Read the full article →
an employer wants to take a photo of me at my interview by Alison Green on March 24, 2014 A reader writes: I have been invited to interview for a large global research company. This is the second stage interview, and as part of the email confirmation, I was told I would be doing a 2-hour interview with a task (normal enough) and that they would like to take a photo of me! (Exact […] Read the full article →
my boss is being investigated by HR, broken promises in an offer letter, and more by Alison Green on March 24, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My offer letter promised me a six-month raise, but it never happened I’m an electrical engineer with a four-year degree and 8 years experience making $40k. Horrible, I know. I took the current position because I was going to be laid off from my last […] Read the full article →
we have to write letters to our boss while she decides whether to re-hire us, fired for refusing to answer manager’s questions on the weekend, and more by Alison Green on March 22, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. We have to write letters to our boss while she decides whether to invite us back The school I work for had a leadership transition this year. It’s a mess. The mission is confused, the leadership transition was accompanied by a number of mid-year layoffs […] Read the full article →
stop telling me that you work well independently and in groups by Alison Green on March 21, 2014 This was originally published on June 4, 2012. If you’re a recent grad, there’s a 50% chance that your resume or cover letter includes a mention that you “work well both independently and in groups.” Announcing this is like announcing that you show up for work on time. It’s expected that you’ll do it; it’s […] Read the full article →
open thread by Alison Green on March 21, 2014 It’s the Friday 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. Read the full article →
my assistant keeps commenting on my appearance, I seem too shy in interviews, and more by Alison Green on March 21, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My assistant keeps commenting on my appearance How do I approach my administrative assistant about inappropriate comments she makes on my physical appearance? I am in my mid 20s, and she is in her mid 50s. She calls herself the mother of our unit and […] Read the full article →
update: my coworker sent a hostile resignation email to our team, and now wants me to attend a going-away party by Alison Green on March 20, 2014 Remember the letter-writer whose coworker sent a hostile resignation message to their team and then wanted the letter-writer to attend his going-away party? Here’s the update. Apologies for sending this late thank-you note – things have been really busy here since that incident and I wanted to wait for a while to see the outcome […] Read the full article →