May 2015

delaying a start date, resigning at the wrong time, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Is a start date two months out unreasonable? I recently decided to start interviewing for a new position. I’m looking for something at the Director or above level, and, yay, already have a bunch of good prospects on the horizon. Given the role I’m in […]

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weekend free-for-all – May 23-24, 2015

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school. If you have a work question, you can email it to me or post it in the work-related open thread on Fridays.) Book Recommendation of the Week: The […]

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the right way to leave a toxic workplace

A reader writes: I’ve been in a fairly toxic workplace for two years, and in one week I’m finally done with my contract and am moving on to greener, and saner pastures. This is all well and good, except I’m leaving behind a small team of people who I’ve grown very close to while I’ve […]

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open thread – May 22, 2015

It’s the Friday open thread! 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 answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted […]

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which is better: a handwritten thank-you note or an emailed note?

A reader writes: Do you have any thoughts on candidates who send handwritten thank-you notes instead of emails? I’m interviewing candidates right now and I always expect to receive a thank-you email within 24 hours. One candidate never sent me one, so I had mentally declined her. (She wasn’t a superstar in person, so that […]

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how to repair a bad relationship with a staff member

When a manager’s relationship with a team member becomes rocky, it can make working together effectively feel nearly impossible. As the manager, you might stop trusting the employee, avoid giving them assignments that would put them in close contact with you, skip out on giving them feedback, and generally find it tough to have them […]

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my coworker wants us to drink at lunch every Friday

A reader writes: A few weeks ago, two coworkers and I went to lunch on a beautiful, warm, sunny Friday. We sat on a patio of a Mexican restaurant and perused the menu, when we casually mentioned our margarita craving. Well, I can’t remember who dove in first, but we ordered a round of relatively […]

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