when your parents leave cutesy comments on your LinkedIn profile by Alison Green on July 11, 2013 A reader writes: I am a fervent reader of your blog, and I just encountered something unusual and would like to pick your brain about it. A friend of mine recently updated his LinkedIn profile with his new title. Then his mother commented on it: “Congrats my boy! Moving up fast in this world! Very […] Read the full article →
how to handle networking lunches when I no longer have an expense account by Alison Green on May 2, 2013 A reader writes: I recently moved from a lower-level job with a big corporation to a higher-level position at a smaller place. The corporate job put an emphasis on fancy lunches to connect with new people in the industry and allowed each employee a generous expense account. Due to our remote location and budget, it’s […] Read the full article →
stop annoying people on LinkedIn by Alison Green on April 24, 2013 LinkedIn can be an awesome tool for networking and even finding jobs, but if you’re not careful, you can end up using it in ways that alienate the very people you’re hoping to form connections with. Here are some of the most common annoying behaviors to avoid on the site. Sending connection requests to people who […] Read the full article →
how to send a networking email that won’t be ignored by Alison Green on April 10, 2013 If you want to ask a stranger or a distant acquaintance for networking or career help, the initial email you send can determine whether you get a response or never hear anything back. Many of the people whose help you’d most like are busy and often get more email than they can respond to. And […] Read the full article →
what are you supposed to ask new networking contacts anyway? by Alison Green on April 5, 2013 A reader writes: I’m moving to a new city in a couple of months to follow my partner to his new academic job, so I’m beginning a job search. I don’t know anyone well in this city, though I have a few distant contacts, professional and personal, with ties to the area, i.e. a man […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: what do people do at conferences? by Alison Green on April 1, 2013 A reader writes: I am now two months into my new job and I am really enjoying it. I am really excited about a huge conference that is coming up soon and my boss has registered both of us to go. Since this is my first professional job after college, I have never been to […] Read the full article →
do you have a duty to warn job-seeking acquaintances about a bad boss? by Alison Green on March 1, 2013 A reader writes: I work for a large nonprofit and am a manager in a small department. We had a vacant manager position on my level, but with different responsibilities than mine. An acquaintance from a local nonprofit (who I do not really know beyond a few phone calls over the last few years) called […] Read the full article →
10 most embarrassing networking stories by Alison Green on January 21, 2013 Some people love to network, and it comes as naturally to them as talking to a close friend would. For others, networking can be far more formidable, full of the potential for mistakes and even outright humiliation. Here are 10 of the funniest and most embarrassing networking stories readers have shared here. 1. Doused in champagne […] Read the full article →
how to crush someone’s dreams without being a jerk by Alison Green on December 11, 2012 A reader writes: I was contacted by a recent graduate of my alma mater asking for advice on getting into my industry (publishing), and we’re having coffee later this week. I get these kinds of emails every so often, and I’m sometimes torn over how to respond. Because the honest truth is that most people […] Read the full article →
I’m not getting responses to my networking emails by Alison Green on November 28, 2012 A reader writes: I have a question about the proper methods of networking at conventions. In short, I graduated in June (engineering) and have attended a few conventions in the summer and fall (some for volunteering, some for presenting on a specialized topic, and some for observing what new technologies people in industry and academia […] Read the full article →