here’s a real-life example of a fantastic cover letter by Alison Green on April 9, 2019 I often get asked for examples of good cover letters, and a reader recently sent me a great one that I want to share. This is a fantastic example of how someone without a ton of work experience (she’s still a student!) can make a compelling case for why they’d be a good hire. When […] Read the full article →
asking for a phone call before I interview in-person, I hit a coworker’s car, and more by Alison Green on April 9, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask for a phone interview before investing time in an in-person interview? I work at a growing tech company. I like the work and my colleagues and I make a decent living. My skills fall neatly into searchable buckets, so recruiters often reach […] Read the full article →
I wet my pants at my new job by Alison Green on April 8, 2019 A reader writes: I am writing to you in a state of extreme mortification. I, a full-fledged adult, wet my pants at work. What makes this worse is that this is a brand new job that I absolutely love, but now I’m thinking about just quitting and never showing my face there ever again. For […] Read the full article →
the person I was hired to replace won’t leave by Alison Green on April 8, 2019 A reader writes: I was recruited by a company, in a situation where a director was looking for a new job and wanted someone in place to take over his role once he left. The big bosses were fine with this and appreciated his advance notice and planning. The director created a new assistant director […] Read the full article →
can I suggest a junior coworker tone down her sarcastic sense of humor? by Alison Green on April 8, 2019 A reader writes: I am senior to but do not manage “Patricia.” She has been with our company for less than a year. She started as an intern but was hired as a regular full-time employee at the end of her internship. Patricia is very nice and eager to learn. She’s still in school but […] Read the full article →
pushing back when an employee calls in sick, renegotiating an offer you’ve already accepted, and more by Alison Green on April 8, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I ever push back when an employee calls in sick? As someone’s supervisor, are there ever limits on someone using their sick leave if they have it to use? We’ve had employees tell us “my allergies are acting up today” or “I have to […] Read the full article →
weekend free-for-all – April 6-7, 2019 by Alison Green on April 6, 2019 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.) Book recommendation of the week: I’m on a Tom Rachman kick. Last week I recommended The Italian Teacher and this week I’m recommending The Imperfectionists, a strangely engrossing account of the staff […] Read the full article →
the Ask a Manager book is on sale right now by Alison Green on April 5, 2019 If you don’t already have a copy of the Ask a Manager book, now is a great time to buy it — because now through Sunday, the e-book version is on sale for only $1.99. Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work is all […] Read the full article →
open thread – April 5-6, 2019 by Alison Green on April 5, 2019 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 →
how can I get my staff to figure things out on their own, asking about internal candidates, and more by Alison Green on April 5, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How do I train my staff to be comfortable figuring things out on their own? I’ve been a manager for a few years now, and I’ve been working hard to build my bench. I seem to keep running into assigning an employee a new task […] Read the full article →