should I take off my engagement ring for job interviews? by Alison Green on October 28, 2015 A reader writes: My fiance and I have been engaged for a little over a year, and his mom gave us her old engagement ring as a gift. It’s beautiful, and few people even notice it unless it’s pointed out to them. However, I was wondering if it’s appropriate for job interviews. I ask because […] Read the full article →
interview with a prison librarian by Alison Green on October 28, 2015 Recently, a commenter, Oryx, mentioned that she used to work as a prison librarian, and I wanted to learn more. She graciously agreed to do an interview for us, and here’s the Q&A. How did you end up in the job? And how long were you there? I answered an ad I found through Indeed.com, but […] Read the full article →
managing a heavy breather, rejected for getting frustrated with HR, and more by Alison Green on October 28, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Let’s revisit sending chocolate to an employer I’m a recruiter in Chicago with about 10 years of experience. I started in financial and legal, and now all advertising agency searches. I had a lawyer candidate who was placed in a temp position. After the project […] Read the full article →
I’ve been a job-hopper — how can I start fixing my work history? by Alison Green on October 27, 2015 A reader writes: I’m a young professional who, for various reasons, has had a lot of jobs in my adult life. Since I graduated from college in December 2011, I have held 11 positions at eight different companies/organizations in four different cities (all internal changes were promotions). In my opinion, I’ve changed jobs for very […] Read the full article →
you need some meeting norms, so that your meetings stop sucking by Alison Green on October 27, 2015 Everyone hates meetings – there are too many of them, they go on too long, they go off track, and they often end without clear decisions. One way to combat overly lengthy and unfocused meetings is to align your team (or whole organization) around a common set of expectation about how meetings should work. By […] Read the full article →
my constantly AWOL boss holds me to a higher standard than she holds herself to by Alison Green on October 27, 2015 A reader writes: In my job, I report to the director, Jane, and am the second in line after her. I supervise about half of our small staff and she supervises the rest. Although I have several years in the profession and am very mature for my age, I am on the young side and […] Read the full article →
manager has my coworker managing me, asking for fewer emails from a funder, and more by Alison Green on October 27, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Manager is delegating management work to one of my coworkers Is it common/normal for a manager to delegate managerial duties to a person on their team? My manager used to meet with every member of her team twice a month for 30-minute one-on-one meetings. It […] Read the full article →
massive discount on the Ask a Manager “how to get a job” bible by Alison Green on October 26, 2015 Looking for a job? For the next few days only, I’m offering a discount on my e-book, How to Get a Job: Secrets of a Hiring Manager. Use this discount code today for a massive 40% discount: newjob If you’ve ever wished that you could look into the brain of a hiring manager to find out what you […] Read the full article →
is it possible to prepare too much for an interview? by Alison Green on October 26, 2015 A reader writes: Several months ago, I attended an interview and was stopped halfway by the HR person to ask how I had prepared for the interview. I was surprised, as I was in the middle of answering a question, and I responded that I had practiced a lot with friends and colleagues. (Note: I […] Read the full article →
how not to celebrate Halloween at work by Alison Green on October 26, 2015 Holidays at work can be landmines, and Halloween is no exception: Some of the normal rules don’t apply, but you’re still expected to remain professional even while doing things you’d never do on any other day, like wearing a costume or wrapping your desk in giant cobwebs. That can make the holiday tricky to navigate. […] Read the full article →