why do interviewers ask about your favorite books or movies? by Alison Green on June 18, 2014 A reader writes: I have a question about an interview that I’m pretty sure I bombed recently. Things were going fairly well until my interviewer asked me for my favorite book and favorite movie. I completely blanked and took way too long to answer, and I’m not even sure what I said for them (I […] Read the full article →
stop attending so many meetings by Alison Green on June 18, 2014 If you’re like many people, you sometimes feel like you spend more time sitting in meetings than you spend doing actual work. If meetings are swallowing up all your time and leaving you without much room for the job you’ve been hired to do, it’s time to take steps to take back your calendar. Here’s […] Read the full article →
parents who call in sick for their kids, interviewers who ask questions already answered on your resume, and more by Alison Green on June 18, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. What to say to parents who call in sick for their kid (or want to know why their kid was fired) I have frequently had young employee’s parents contacting me to call in sick for their child or to ask me why their child has […] Read the full article →
my employee constantly cries when things don’t go her way by Alison Green on June 17, 2014 A reader writes: I have an employee who cries very often (more than once a week). Anytime any small thing happens that she perceives as a slight or that doesn’t go her way, she starts crying and talks about how wronged she is. Even in neutral staff meetings where we are discussing seemingly inconsequential things, […] Read the full article →
signs your team isn’t communicating well by Alison Green on June 17, 2014 When teams communicate well, you usually know it: Work flows smoothly, people are in sync, everyone’s clear on priorities, and bad surprises are rare. But when a team isn’t communicating effectively, those things tend to fly out the window. Yet surprisingly, poorly communicating teams don’t always recognize that that’s the source of the problem. Here […] Read the full article →
I accepted a job without finding out the salary, my colleague works 24-7, and more by Alison Green on June 17, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I accepted a job without finding out the salary After three years of temporary and part-time jobs, I have finally been offered my first professional full-time job since graduating college. They gave me a salary range before the interview, and I said the range was […] Read the full article →
my employer wants me to repay business expenses because I’m resigning by Alison Green on June 16, 2014 I know we covered a similar topic recently, but this is a whole new and ridiculous twist on it. A reader writes: I’m leaving my company after five years. A couple years ago, management instituted a policy requiring employees pay the company back for any professional development (conferences, etc.) that occurs within six months of […] Read the full article →
how much time should you spend on your job search? by Alison Green on June 16, 2014 How much time should you spend on your job search? You’ll get a range of answers depending on who you ask, but one popular answer that you’re likely to hear repeated is that a job search should be a full-time job itself. If you’re like a lot of job-searchers, you’ve probably heard that with bewilderment and […] Read the full article →
asking for a raise when your commute changes, feeling left out of a going-away party, and more by Alison Green on June 16, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My new job is moving and my commute is changing — can I ask for a salary bump? On Monday, my first day of work, my new boss told me that the office is moving 10 miles north next month. With traffic, that will add […] Read the full article →
Sunday free-for-all – June 15, 2014 by Alison Green on June 15, 2014 It’s the Sunday free-for-all. Since we limited Friday’s open thread to work-related discussions, this comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Have at it. Read the full article →