October 2020

as a manager, do I need to hide my stress from my team?

A reader writes: I work a fairly high-stress management position. It’s the kind of job that comes with frequent six-day weeks, not a huge paycheck, a lot of customer interface, and the responsibility of a regularly shifting staff of seasonal employees. I’m concerned about how I comport myself as a manager. I don’t have much […]

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how to say “no, I won’t clean the bathroom”

A reader writes: I work at a small nonprofit organization. My manager is always looking for ways to save money. Some make sense (think shopping around for the best price on office supplies). Others, not so much. We don’t have a janitor on staff, nor do we hire a service. We used to have someone […]

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staff doesn’t say thank you, reference checker only wanted to hear about “exceptional” candidates, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our staff doesn’t acknowledge the ways we’re trying to make them feel appreciated I am a partner at a small (15-person) organization that has transitioned to remote work relatively easily since COVID. But, like lots of companies, one of our challenges has been finding ways […]

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when is struggling financially worth it for your career?

A reader writes: Three months ago, I made the transition from my multiple low-paying jobs in the nonprofit world to a much better-paying single job in government. I love the money. I love it! I literally get overwhelmed and start grinning like an idiot when I think about how I can afford an apartment by […]

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planned maintenance later today

Just a heads-up that comments will be be closed for a few hours later today, starting around 4:30 or 5 pm ET. You’ll be able to read the whole site but not leave comments. It’s possible the site itself might have a little downtime tonight as well. It’s nothing alarming — just upgrading the server […]

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my boss never praises my work

A reader writes: I work as an assistant for the development team of a nonprofit. I’ve been in this role five years. My manager, Jane, who is far and away the most influential person in the organization, never praises me. Ever. She’s very good about addressing my mistakes (articulating what I did incorrectly, giving me […]

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new coworker is a rude know-it-all

A reader writes: I have been working on a project for over a year, and over the last six months I have taken over the lead responsibilities. For the last year, our entire team of four has been women. Several weeks ago, a new coworker, “Mark,” started. Mark has experience in our field and has […]

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should I use a two-column resume?

A reader writes: I am going to school for a master’s degree for a health adjacent profession (think psychologist, clinical social worker etc) and I have a question about the best way to format my resume. Most of the things on my resume take up maybe half of the space on a line. For example: […]

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