Ask a Manager

I recently got to know Alicia Ostarello of StudentStuff after she took issue with some advice I’d given. I had offered some advice for recent grads, and Alicia felt frustrated that new professionals are often assumed to need that basic kind of advice. Since then, Alicia and I have talked a bit more, and today […]

The winner of the worst interview contest is … Jennifer, who ended her interview covered in poop. (Please note that the last time I ran a contest, the winner worked e.coli into her answer. Are you seeing a pattern here?) Jennifer, please email me and I’ll get you hooked up with your prize. And thank you […]

Someone does not like me very much and thinks I may be “older” and bitter. Ha ha.

When I started this blog back in May 2007, I was anonymous. I stayed anonymous until May 2008, when I started writing a weekly item for U.S. News & World Report and decided, what the hell, I’ll use my name. Overall, I’m glad to be able to attach my name to this site — it’s […]

Aren’t you guys sick of me yet? It’s been almost three years of me blabbing at you. How is it that I still have readers?

As someone who has always worked for nonprofits, this is a cause near to my heart: The Taproot Foundation has a new campaign encouraging people in pretty much any line of work to contribute their professional talents to nonprofit organizations. People usually think of pro bono work as just being for lawyers, but there’s no […]

I hate talking on the phone. When I was a teenager, I lived my entire life on the phone. I even worked a part-time job just to get money to pay for my own phone line, so that I could talk on it as long as I wanted without anyone kicking me off. I was […]

A reader writes: I’ve enjoyed reading your blog the last few months. I am however left wondering – where do these people work? After reading about the interactions your readers have with their leaders, I am stunned. Am I this sheltered? Do managers this clueless and/or evil really exist? They do exist. I don’t believe […]

A reader writes: Do you think that being on a reality TV show would adversely affect my ability to get a job? I am not currently slated to be on one, but if I were to do this, I wonder what the ramifications on my future job prospects might be. I’m talking about a Survivor-type […]

If you’ve had your question answered here in the last year, please send me an update and let me know how your situation turned out. I’d like to post your updates in a “where are they now?” post. We want to know, so email me, stat. Leave no juicy detail out. And woman whose coworker […]