weekend free-for-all – October 31-November 1, 2015 by Alison Green on October 31, 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 […] Read the full article →
job applicants who don’t follow instructions, the company I interned for won’t hire me, and more by Alison Green on October 31, 2015 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Do I have to send rejections to people who didn’t even follow the application instructions? I used to manage a coffee shop where I was (sadly and frustratingly) in a constant cycle of hiring low-wage, part-time workers, so am used to the ups and down […] Read the full article →
where should you look for jobs? by Alison Green on October 30, 2015 A reader writes: I’m a PhD student (worked for a couple years before returning for grad school) and am now looking for full time employment. You mentioned in a recent post that you don’t advertise on “big job banks” because of how many unqualified candidates you get. I’m trying to find fairly specific positions, and […] Read the full article →
open thread – October 30, 2015 by Alison Green on October 30, 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 […] Read the full article →
colleagues keep interrupting my conversations, the carpool nose picker, and more by Alison Green on October 30, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employees keep interrupting my conversations with customers I’m a new supervisor in a customer service environment, and my two employees have been at the company for at least five years each. One is five years older than me and the other is 15 years older than me. […] Read the full article →
how to decline to be a reference for a former coworker by Alison Green on October 29, 2015 A reader writes: An old coworker of mine recently got let go from her job. Back in the day, we used to be good friends. She is applying to my current employer and asked me to be a reference. I am hesitant to be one, as I know of some past work performance issues that […] Read the full article →
how to talk so that people listen to you by Alison Green on October 29, 2015 Ever feel like you’re not being heard in meetings, or that your boss never sees things your way? It might be the way you’re talking; the way you present your thoughts can have a huge impact on how much weight people give what you’re saying. In fact, fairly or not, the way you talk can […] Read the full article →
have you ever had a spooky experience at work? by Alison Green on October 29, 2015 Did you ever work somewhere haunted? Feel the ghost of your predecessor marooned in your office? Encounter an evil spirit lurking in the copier? We’re celebrating Halloween two days early. If you’ve had spooky moments at work — or perhaps just odd unexplained occurrences — share them in the comment section. (Simply being haunted by a previous […] Read the full article →
keeping visitors from wandering our office, flooded with employee referrals for bad candidates, and more by Alison Green on October 29, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How can we keep salespeople from wandering about our office after their appointments? I am the receptionist for a company that has about 70 employees in this facility. 99% of the people entering the office will stop and sign in. The problem I have is that […] Read the full article →
how quickly should you return calls and emails about interviewing? by Alison Green on October 28, 2015 A reader writes: I am currently looking for internships and have submitted my resume and cover letter via email. I asked my mom for advice, and she says to reply back as fast as possible when they email me back — that I should email them back within a few hours to show how eager […] Read the full article →