open thread – June 6, 2014 by Alison Green on June 6, 2014 It’s the Friday open thread. Like last week, this post is for work-related discussions only. Please hold anything off topic for the free-for-all open thread that’s coming this Sunday. The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an […] Read the full article →
my former boss emails me daily, I’m being fired for writing in wet cement, and more by Alison Green on June 6, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss left the company but still emails me daily My boss left our company almost 3 weeks ago. Since then, he has been emailing me almost every day. We were on friendly terms from start to finish, though towards the end (unbeknownst to him) […] Read the full article →
do not do these things, ever (job seeker edition) by Alison Green on June 5, 2014 Job seekers, do not do these things, ever. 1. Show up without an appointment. 2. Send flowers after your job interview. 3. Send an infographic as your resume. 4. Include a line in your cover letter that says: “Please do not contact me if you are conducting 5-minute assembly line interviews. My time and gasoline expenditures are far too valuable to waste […] Read the full article →
my boss doesn’t want student workers eating lunch with other employees, because they might hear “adult subjects” by Alison Green on June 5, 2014 A reader writes: I work in higher education and my office employs college students. The two students I currently oversee (both over 21) have been eating lunch in the break room at the noon hour along with the rest of the staff members. My supervisor told me she feels uncomfortable with the students doing this […] Read the full article →
stories of the greatest bosses of all time by Alison Green on June 5, 2014 There’s no shortage of stories about bad bosses out there – get any group of workers together and you’re sure to hear some horror stories. But it’s rarer that we get to hear about the good bosses – but there are plenty of them too, and it’s time they got their turn in the spotlight. […] Read the full article →
how can I cheat my temp agency, how do I know if I did well in an interview, and more by Alison Green on June 5, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How can my temp job hire me on without my temp agency finding out and charging them? I’m currently working a temp gig and things have been going really great. I like my boss, my boss likes me (at least I hope). It’s a small, […] Read the full article →
my client is calling me 7 times a day by Alison Green on June 4, 2014 A reader writes: I work as a consultant for a few small nonprofits (that is, I’m not an employee and I work remotely). For a variety of reasons, I prefer to conduct most business via email. In the first place, for the work I do, I like having a written record of discussions, decisions, etc. […] Read the full article →
is it okay to bring your kid to work when your child care falls through? by Alison Green on June 4, 2014 Is it ever okay to bring a child to work with you when your child care arrangements fall through? If you wake up to a sick kid who can’t go to school or if your normal child care provider cancels and you don’t have a back-up, you might be wondering if you can simply bring […] Read the full article →
horrible boss’s farewell party, substitutes for cover letters, and more by Alison Green on June 4, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Asking job candidates to do a short writing prompt instead of a cover letter I’m currently writing a hiring ad for an entry level customer support position. In the past, we’ve required applicants to submit a cover letter in the body of their email, but […] Read the full article →
should I go around HR and apply with the hiring manager directly? by Alison Green on June 3, 2014 A reader writes: I’m currently interviewing and have gotten many of my interviews through reaching out directly to department heads as opposed to HR. However, sometimes after these directors/VP’s email me back saying they’ve forwarded along my resume to HR, it goes no further. I like being proactive and it seemed to make sense to […] Read the full article →