April 2017

chill out with the bone-crushing handshakes

A reader writes: I’m wondering if this is something that I am out of touch with or if this is something that is bothering others worldwide. I recently finished a few months of interviewing for various positions and attending close-out meetings for my previous job. About 99% of the time when I shook someone’s hands, […]

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my coworker won’t stop telling me that I smell

A reader writes: I enjoy wearing perfume, but tend to stick to indie oil scents, since the smell tends to stick closer to my skin (so, in theory, I don’t bother my coworkers) and also because I seem to be sensitive to the alcohol that a lot of spray perfumes use. I also tend to […]

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I have a bad feeling about the job I’m interviewing for

A reader writes: I have a question about evaluating a potential employer. I’ve been interviewing with a nonprofit, and the job would be a step up (higher pay, more responsibility), but I’ve now been through eight rounds of interviews and I feel like some alarm bells are going off. I’ve interviewed with the director three […]

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should you do free work as part of a job interview?

A reader writes: I’m a content specialist who does a lot of writing and SEO work. I currently work full-time, but am looking for a new full-time opportunity. I’m finding that as part of the hiring process, a lot of employers are asking me to complete an assignment for them. I’m not against the idea, […]

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You are sitting too much! Here’s a solution.

And now a word from a sponsor… I sit ALL THE TIME, y’all. Partly it’s because I work too much, but part of it is also that the things I enjoy doing most, like reading, are also totally sedentary. So I’ve long been intrigued by the idea of a standing desk, which is why I […]

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interviewer asked if my resume exaggerates, office is weirdly secretive about hiring, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Interviewer asked, “is there anything on your resume that’s an exaggeration?” I recently interviewed for an internal six-month “detail” in my organization, a position that wasn’t a promotion, just a lateral transfer. After an hour of good questions, I was asked, “Is there anything on […]

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