telling my friend’s boss how overworked she is, dating the head of HR, and more by Alison Green on June 24, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I say something to my friend’s boss about how overworked she is? I’m hoping you can give me some advice on how to handle a situation. A close friend of mine is totally overworked: 70+ hours at her demanding job plus another 20+ hours […] Read the full article →
should managers ask or tell when assigning work? by Alison Green on June 23, 2015 A reader writes: When dealing with people that work directly for me, should I ask them to do things or tell them to do things? Does telling someone to do something in a work environment come off as harsh? I always ask them to do things, but I’m starting to feel like asking them kind […] Read the full article →
when remote work goes really, really wrong by Alison Green on June 23, 2015 I recently asked readers to share their stories of times when remote work went really, really wrong, and today I’ve rounded up some of the most outrageous things you shared. An important note: It’s crucial to say that none of these stories are reasons to disallow remote work. The take-away from these stories isn’t that remote work is bad — […] Read the full article →
I’m upset that my coworker played favorites with party invitations by Alison Green on June 23, 2015 A reader writes: I got to work at the beginning of this week to find a pre-printed invitation to our administrative assistant’s annual 4th of July party sitting on my desk. It was not in an envelope, which didn’t seem unusual since she ordinarily invites the entire office each year. I soon found out, however, […] Read the full article →
employee keeps bringing her son to our free lunch, I got the job my boss applied for, and more by Alison Green on June 23, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee regularly brings her son to our free lunch I work at a nonprofit organization that, among other services, provides five meals a day to various groups of homeless individuals and recovery clients. Our evening dinner is open to public and anyone in need (over […] Read the full article →
how can my resume show that I take charge and people like me? by Alison Green on June 22, 2015 A reader writes: What is the professional way of saying on a resume, “I always take charge of things and people like me”? Writing that is clearly cringy. Maybe the cover letter is a better place? At my current company, I started in more of a technical role, but I did not supervise anyone. My […] Read the full article →
are you turning off your interviewer without realizing it? by Alison Green on June 22, 2015 Smart employers don’t expect job candidates to be perfectly polished interviewees, but some turn-offs that might seem minor on your end can be deal-breakers on the employer’s end. Here are five common ways that candidates turn off their interviewers without even realizing it. 1. Not speaking in specifics. Interviewers are trying to understand exactly what you’ve […] Read the full article →
my chronically networking husband hands out business cards on date night by Alison Green on June 22, 2015 A reader writes: My husband is a successful freelancer and is always “on” his game –never knowing when a client opportunity will present itself, he likes to be ready. As a result of this success, he is a chronic networker and the frequency of networking is now invading our personal life. We go out for […] Read the full article →
I’m getting mixed messages from my boss, training resistant senior colleagues, and more by Alison Green on June 22, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss told it it was fine to attend a week-long conference — but I don’t think he means it I have a weird situation with my boss. I’m in a management training program where I work in one department, but receive leadership training from another. […] Read the full article →
weekend free-for-all – June 20-21, 2015 by Alison Green on June 20, 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: […] Read the full article →