Ask a Manager

It’s tiny answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. Interviewer asked me to send him all my contacts

I just interviewed at a start-up where 3 people liked me and the CEO said he would like to give me a shot for 90 days and see where things go. I then interviewed with a sales director, on a different day. He had a different interviewing style — grilled me and asked me to send him ALL my contacts on Monday. He wasn’t even sure why they were interviewing me! (They were not ready to open that division.) I thought this was strange and emailed a friend who has been in healthcare sales for 20+ years. She thought it was strange.

Sunday night, I sent an email stating I was very interested, but those contacts were my clients and I didn’t feel comfortable handing them over without an offer (some were big time names, of big time hospitals). 30 minutes later, I got a “thank you but we are looking for someone with a different skill set” email.

I’m not sure if it’s the contacts they were really after or if I offended them? The email was not harsh. Is it appropriate and expected to hand this over? I worked on these for years and they span 15 states (where this company would eventually expand to).

No, no employer should expect you to hand over your contacts before you’re working there. This may or may not be the reason you didn’t get the job, but I doubt they put you through all those interviews just as a ploy to access your contacts. In any case, don’t second-guess your decision — you were in the right, and the interviewer who asked was in the wrong.

2. Is it too late to negotiate salary when I’ve already accepted the offer?

I accepted an offer for an insurance position and I lowballed my salary requirement in an effort not to price myself out of the position. They of course offered me the position at my requested amount. I had a sinking feeling I could have asked for more, but accepted the position. Now that I’ve been there a week, I know I deserve more! Is it too late to negotiate salary?

Yes. The time to negotiate salary is before you accepted the offer. At this point, you’ve already agreed to their offer and are working there. Imagine, after all, if they came back to you now and said they’d decided they want to pay you less than you earlier agreed to — you’d be rightfully irked. Same thing here. You made an agreement, and you’re expected to honor it, at least until you’ve been there long enough to credibly ask for a raise (which for most people is about a year). This is the problem with lowballing yourself in order “not to price yourself out of the position.” You commit to taking the salary you’ve asked for, lowball or not.

3. My new cubicle is right by the bathroom, and I can hear everything

Our department just moved to a newly remodeled floor with the restrooms located within the area. I sit outside the handicapped restroom, and the men are using it instead of going around to their larger restroom. Unfortunately, I can hear them urinating and other bodily functions. Then they leave the door open after they use the restroom. There is no exhaust fan in the bathroom to ventilate it and/or mask the sounds. It makes me sick to listen to this everyday, all day. What do I do about this situation? The cube I am in is probably only 5 ft from the bathroom door. What should I do? Wear noise-cancelling headphone and place air fresheners on the upper edge of my cube?

Explain the problem to your manager and ask if you can move. If you can’t, then yes, noise-canceling headphones are going to be your friends. (If you’re wondering whether you can ask people not to use that bathroom, no, you probably cannot. I mean, you could — but in most offices people are going to think it’s a bit of a prima donna request, unfortunately.)

4. I cried in a job interview

I had a job interview today and one of the questions asked was “Pick a stressful time in your life and explain how you coped with it.” I was doing great in the interview, until this. It reminded me of recent issues and I began to cry. I felt so dumb! The interviewer gave me a Kleenex and apologized for bringing up memories, and after a minute of crying, I picked myself up and answered the question. After that, I was fine and answered all remaining questions with no problems. When I apologized again, the interviewer said that she knows exactly how it feels and shouldn’t be embarrassed. Even though she told me that, do you think that I am not going to get the job because of this?

There’s no way to know. She might have genuinely not cared, or she might be worried that you’re more thin-skinned than would be ideal for their office. All you can really do is be patient and wait and see what happens — and remind yourself that people don’t get job offers for all kinds of reasons, you might have not gotten it even without the crying, and some mistakes are unavoidable, and don’t beat yourself up about it too much.

5. Can I reapply if I applied too early?

I’m trying to get an internship at the company of my dreams this summer, and after reading some of your blog archives I sent them a really personalized cover letter that was much more true to my own voice and passions than what I had been sending out before that. The thing is that I got a little overzealous, and I was so eager to get on their radar that I sent them my info in early January while they were probably looking for spring semester interns. They usually take applications for summer interns in March and April, and on somewhat of a rolling basis. They’re pretty low-key on the timeframe for this kind of stuff (when they announce they’re looking for new interns, they do it via tweet!). I assume my resume is lost somewhere in their email cyberspace now because I sent it at the wrong time and it wasn’t useful to them at that point. Maybe they set it aside for summer but I doubt it.

Should I send my information again when they ask for summer intern applicants? Or will that just look like an annoying repeat if by some chance they DO still have my info from January? There’s a new addition to my resume since then that might make them see me as a stronger candidate. If I do reapply should I acknowledge that I already applied earlier so they at least know I respect their time and am not trying to spam them into hiring me?

Yes, that’s basically a whole new hiring round, like a company advertising again for a regular, non-intern position. It’s fine to reapply when they announce their summer internships — and for that matter, it’s fine to reapply when they finally announce their spring internships too. For the latter, just include a note saying that you had applied in January but later realized they weren’t hiring for spring yet at that point.

6. Can you be treated as both exempt and non-exempt?

My husband is an attorney, and he’s been working a long-term temporary job. He has never been told if he is classified as exempt or non-exempt. His contract with his employer indicates that he is to be paid on a salaried basis of $X per year. However, his manager docks his pay if he is not in the office during the times the office is open. For example, on a day that he had to leave an hour before the office closed, he came in an hour early and skipped his lunch. She still docked him an hour’s pay, even though he’d worked two hours extra. Because of the nature of his work, she has also suggested that he come in on weekends to get things done. He does this. On average, he works 10+ hours a week outside of the hours his office is actually open. But not only does he not get paid any extra, his manager docks his pay if he needs to leave the office an hour early, or if he needs to come in a little late (between treacherous winter roads, a death in the family, and a major illness, he’s needed to be out a handful of hours in the past year).

I feel that his manager is trying to have it both ways — she expects him to work extra hours to get the job done, as if he’s exempt, but she docks his pay if he isn’t in the office during certain hours, as if he’s non-exempt. He’s put his heart and soul into this job, bringing work home, going in on the weekends, waking up insanely early to make it into the office before anyone else gets there, and staying later than anyone else. I feel like, if he’s non-exempt, his manager needs to manage his workload so he doesn’t need to work more than the hours he’s paid for, and if he’s exempt, she shouldn’t dock his pay when he needs a little flexibility in his schedule. Any thoughts on how to handle this?

You’re right that she’s trying to have it both ways, and the law doesn’t allow it. By docking his pay for hours he misses, she’s treating him as non-exempt, which means that they law requires her to meet the other requirements for non-exempt workers, meaning that he must be paid overtime in weeks where he works over 40 hours, and that she probably owes him back wages for the times when she didn’t do that.

Here’s advice on how he can raise this with her … although he’ll almost certainly sour the relationship if he demands back wages, legally entitled or not, so he might want to settle on just getting it straightened out going forward.

7. Employer won’t tell me much about the job they’ve hired me for

I got hired on the spot at a childcare center as a lead teacher. I told the manager that I’ve only been a assistant teacher, and most of my experience is assisting the teacher in the room! The manager said that’s okay, but that I will be by myself with 7-10 2-year-olds and I will be their lead teacher. She didn’t tell me what my job duties are exactly just I’ll be in the room by myself with the kids. She said that if I had questions, to speak up and call her. I did call her, and when she answered, she told me not to call her because she is too busy, but that she will let me know the job duties right before I enter the room. I feel I may have to quit because I’m not sure if I can handle it. Please help!

Um, yeah, that’s ridiculous. You’re not under any obligation to accept a job you don’t want or feel prepared for, or one where the hiring manager won’t answer questions or even tell you what your responsibilities will be. You can certainly tell her that you need to know more before you can accept the job. If you have any doubts, it’s probably better to do this now rather than waiting for your first day, since being left alone in charge of children when you’re not sure you’re equipped for it isn’t a good situation for you or the kids to be in.

It’s mini answer Monday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. When should you let your employer know you’re looking for a new job?

When is the best time to tell your current employer that you are looking for/about to get a new job elsewhere? I’ve heard of various scenarios–letting them know early that you are “just looking,” in which case they might feel compelled (and have the time) to promote you or give you a raise. Or letting them know that you are actually in the midst of interviewing, which could give them more incentive to try to retain you. Or only tell them once you have a hard offer from another company so they have clear numbers to work with in case they want to counter offer.

In all scenarios, the individual is ready and willing to leave; it’s not a ploy to stay and get more money.

This depends 100% of how your employer handles the knowledge that someone is planning to leave but hasn’t given official notice yet, and how they handle generous notice periods (of longer than two weeks). If your manager has a track record of handling these things well — of being appreciative of the long notice or informal heads-up — rather than penalizing people or even pushing them out the door earlier than they wanted to go, then great — you know how they operate, and it’s reasonably safe for you to be candid. But if, on the other hand, your manager has a track record of not handling it well (firing people, pushing them out early, denying you raises, bonuses, or good projects that you’d otherwise get for the remainder of your employment), then let that be your guide — meaning give only two weeks notice (or give more, but be prepared for the consequences). In other words, there’s no blanket rule here; you need to know your employer/manager and act accordingly.

All that said, however, if your goal in telling them is because you hope they’ll give you a raise or promotion, that’s not the way to do it. If you want those things, you should make a case for them independently of mentioning your job search. If you can’t get them that way and it takes a threat of leaving to get them, you need to stick with your plan to leave. Somewhere that only acts when you have one foot out the door isn’t a great place to work. (And taking a counteroffer is usually a bad idea for all the reasons discussed here.)

2. Job ads that ask you to describe how interesting you are

I’m having trouble with job ads that ask to describe how interesting you are. I don’t find myself very interesting. This isn’t a self esteem issue. I don’t have any interesting hobbies like skydiving or founding a burlesque troop. Or even any exotic pets like a ferret or lemur. What should I do?

I’d love to know what industry you’re in that you’re encountering a lot of these requests; it’s an odd one. In any case, if you described why you’re obsessed with ___ (fill in the type of work you do), where that comes from, and how it manifests in your life, even outside of work, I’d find that pretty damn interesting if I were hiring for a job. But then that’s the kind of thing I want to know all the time anyway — not what your hobbies or pets are.

These ads are telling you something about their culture, and it might not be something you like.

3. How to back out of a job offer you’ve already accepted

My department recently restructured, and I was put into a role that was far less “important” than my previous position, though title and salary didn’t change. I went from managing a team and reporting directly in to an EVP to having one direct report and reporting to someone who has more or less the same experience as I do. Based on that, I started looking and secured an offer from another company, which I accepted (in writing).

Well, as it turns out, that was a terrible decision. The area I was put into, which I considered a demotion, is undergoing a large expansion, and the boss I am currently reporting to is leaving the company; the reporting situation was simply so I could be trained.

Hindsight is 20/20; obviously I should have communicated my concerns when the move happened. But now I’m in the awkward position of having to un-accept the offer. I haven’t received any compensation from the new company, and I only accepted earlier this week. There’s no specific language in my acceptance that reads exactly like a contract, though it clearly states I am accepting the offer. Does the other company have any recourse (other, obviously, than never hiring me again — I’m accepting that the bridge is probably a charred mess) against me? Do a lot of people accept and then rescind acceptance of offers?

No, they have no legal recourse against if you if you’re not breaking a contract (and just accepting the offer letter isn’t a contact, just like it doesn’t prevent them from pulling the offer or firing you on week two). You will burn the bridge, and you will probably harm your reputation with people who hear about it, but there aren’t any legal repercussions.

You asked if if a lot of people accept offers and then back out, and the answer is no. Most people have a story about someone who did it to their company — but it tends to be a notorious story about That Awful Bob Who Backed Out After We’d Already Turned Loose Our Other Candidates and Set Up His Computer. You will be Awful Bob at that company, so prepare yourself for that! (And talk to your employer the next time you’re unhappy about a restructure!)

4. Explaining in a cover letter that you’re switching fields

I recently decided that I need a career change in my life and was wondering if that is something worth mentioning in your cover letter. All of my experience lands in one field graphic design, but I also managed teams and provided customer service. I’m now looking into a recruitment position. Should I mention in my cover letter that I’m changing careers?

God, yes. Otherwise they’ll have no idea why you’re applying for a position that doesn’t relate to the work they see on your resume. In fact, not only do you need to mention it, you need to make the case for why you’ll be good at it and why your experience translates to the new field. Don’t expect them to make that case on their own — you’re going to need to figure it out and be compelling about it. (You should also be prepared for the fact that it’s hard to change fields in this job market, because employers generally have tons of qualified candidates who have worked in the field, and not much incentive to take a chance on someone switching careers. So you’ve really got to be compelling.)

5. Is this salary too low?

Via grapevine networking through a family member, I’ve been alerted to a job opening for a receptionist+ position at a small (less than 30 employees) company. As the “+” entails all of the marketing experience (3+ years) I bring to the table, they have added to the position responsibilities, but are still looking to pay close to what they originally conceived for the post — a full $17,000 less than what my last position paid, and still $10,000 less than the first role listed on my resume.

I know this is impossible to gauge, but just how low is too low? I live in a very expensive city, have high student loan bills, and chose my apartment based on my salary and budgeting of my last few positions’ salaries.

I don’t know. You’d need to look at what similar work pays for people with your experience in your particular geographic area. That’s what market rate is based on, not your last salary, your student loans, or your rent.

6. Dealing with a board of directors that oversteps their role

Have you or could you do a post about dealing with a dysfunctional board? My husband has been the executive director for two nonprofits, and his major issues have always been with the board. For example: board members who use their positions to promote their personal projects at official events; members who micromanage the staff when it’s the ED’s responsibility; members who backtrack on policies they’ve implemented to suit their current needs; members responding to disgruntled former chair instead of ignoring him.

You say that reputation is so important, and I worry that husband will have a reputation for not being able to work well with boards. He gets great results with his staff, receives recognition by industry experts, and is effective in his job (increased revenue, reduced expenses, removed problem employees, etc.). Instead of recognizing his efforts, his current board has started to micromanage his staff to the point that two key staff members want to quit and he is looking for another job. Any guidance that you can provide?

Boardsource.org and blueavocado.org both have good advice on dealing with boards, including on the appropriate role of the board (big-picture oversight and managing the ED) versus the appropriate role of the ED (managing the staff and the day-to-day operations of the organization). When you’ve got a board committed to doing the ED’s role rather than their own — and when they’re resistant to learning about best practices for boards and adjusting their behavior — it’s nearly always a nightmare for the ED (and often for the organization). Personally, I’d get the hell out of there and go somewhere that would let me do my job … which your husband probably needs to more carefully screen for in the future, really asking questions about how the board, ED, and staff interact, and doing some diligent research into the experiences of past EDs in the organization.

7. Managing bad apples

I manage 12 people, two of whom are bad apples. These two have a negative attitude and try to influence others to be negative. How can I stop this?

Um, manage them? Set standards for what is and isn’t appropriate behavior and consequences for not meeting that bar. Warn them that they’re in danger of losing their jobs if they don’t improve in areas A, B, and C, set a short period of time to evaluate whether they’ve moved to where you need them to be (meaning weeks, not months), and replace them if they haven’t.

It’s short answer Sunday — six short answers to six short questions. Here we go…

1. Applying for a job with a store I stole from two years ago

I stole from a store when I was 16. I took about $20 worth of items, and my sister took more than $100. It was a class B misdemeanor and I went to juvenile center. I was a minor and my case was dismissed. I’m 18 and I have an interview at that store for a job. Should I bring it up or not say anything? I didn’t put in on the application because I was a minor, I didn’t go to jail, and it was wiped clean from my record when i became an adult.

In general, because it was erased from your record, there’s no need to bring this up when you’re applying for jobs. But the same store that you stole from? I would not apply with that store. If you bring it up, they’re unlikely to hire you … and if you don’t bring it up and start working there, and someone there remembers you from two years ago, it’s going to be Uncomfortable. Why not try to get a job with other stores instead?

2. Mentioning a spouse’s job when it might be relevant to yours

My husband is applying for a position as an engineer within an event space. The job description requires interaction between his potential position and event planners that would be clients of the space. Ordinarily (obviously, perhaps?), engineers don’t have much familiarity with the events industry, but as I am an event planner myself, and even a client of this venue, he has a bit of inside knowledge of the industry and what event planners would be looking for. We both agree that this would be an asset to his candidacy and his position, if he got the job, but neither of us can figure out how to word it. Is it appropriate to include this information in a cover letter? Is there a good way to word it?

Normally I’d say that info about a spouse never belongs in a cover letter (unless it’s “I’m relocating on April 1 because my spouse has accepted a job in your city”), but I could actually see mentioning this. I’d say something like, “Because my wife is an event planner, I know a fair bit about the industry and — unlike many engineers — actually enjoy talking about ___.” (Fill that in with something event-planning-related that’s likely to be relevant to him if he were doing the job — “the relative merits of various caterers,” “floral decor,” or whatever makes sense.) It’s fine if this sounds wry or semi-funny; that’s actually a plus if he can pull that off.

3. Using a reference from a short-term job

I’m starting to look for a new job and have a question about references. The jobs I’m looking at are in the school system, so I want to use a reference from my last job in a similar position at a school in a different district. The problem is that I only worked there for a few months last year. My position wasn’t carried over into the fall school year, even though my supervisors were happy with my work. My supervisor has said she’d be happy to be a reference for me, but is a few months a year ago too short a time, too long ago to work as a good reference? If I don’t use her, I’m limited to either having all my references from my current position, or using references from unrelated jobs or an unpaid practicum that was also a year ago, but lasted for the entire school year.

Yeah, it’s not ideal. I’d want to know why your contract wasn’t renewed (and if you don’t know for sure, you should try to find out) before you decide whether or not to use it.

4. Why are my lazy coworkers still here?

I work in a somewhat small office with six employees and one manager. I have worked here for two year and have survived multiple managers (most of whom have provided special treatment and overlooked things such as other employees’ drug use). Last summer, I was extremely happy to find out that our company was hiring a new manager and after meeting with him it was clear that he does not put up with BS. However, lately he seems to be siding with the people who complain the most. Of the six employees, three continually get away with everything from not showing up for work, lying, not doing their jobs, and causing drama. While I make a point not to go and complain to my boss (for fear of being labeled as a problem child), these three constantly run down to his office and complain about everything. I have had them complain about me creating “tension” in the office and therefore they don’t get their work done. However, when I asked how I caused tension, they said I have been ignoring them and I close my door all the time. I do make a point to close my door when they are standing in the hall talking for over an hour sometimes to focus on my work. I say hello and goodbye every morning and I am polite when I am forced to work with them; yet I do make a point to stay away from them for fear of being affiliated with their lazy work ethic. I cordially explained to the three that I focus better with the door closed and that they are welcome to come in any time, but I made it clear that I was not going to start going out and BSing for over an hour with them to make them feel comfortable. I have never once been reprimanded by my boss for lack of being cordial, mostly because I deal with several supervisors and consultants who all like dealing with me and appreciate my work ethic. I have even been promoted and have joined several big corporate outings.

While I love my actual job and the experience I am getting as well as pay, I can’t stand dealing with the constant complaints and drama these three add. They are so lazy that when one fails to do a job it gets shoved onto me, or when they screw up I get nipped for it and told to watch it better next time. I am constantly having to pick up their slack and the few times I have mentioned it to my boss he defends these people. I am told to work with these people (I have no authority over them) yet when their work is lacking and mistakes happen I get nailed for it. I don’t understand why my boss has not fired them and found other employees and I am starting to doubt that he even cares whether these people do their jobs. When is it time to give up a great job due to horrible coworkers?

Now. And it’s not because of your horrible coworkers, but rather because of your inept managers who have shown they’re not going to do their job and manage these people.

5. How do I stand out when 24 candidates are being interviewed?

I have an interview coming up for a job I really, really want. Like, it’s a perfect fit. I know I am qualified for the job because I got called for an interview! Here’s my concern, they are interviewing 24 people for the position! What are some ways to stick out in the interview (and make sure the interviewing panel remembers me) without any gimmicks? I figure I have nothing to lose because it is going to be a competitive pool, but I don’t want to appear ridiculous.

You stand out by being a highly qualified candidate who has done a ton of preparation for the interview. That’s it — there’s no other way to do it.

Interviewing 24 candidates in a first round is insane, by the way.

6. New manager is asking me to bring in materials from my old job

I am just making a move to a new job with a better salary and a nice position. The thing is that my new manager asked me to bring some work-related materials such as excel sheets and various templates from my previous employer. It’s my first time to switch jobs and I don’t know if this is a normal practice. I don’t want to do this as I perceive this to be completely unethical. On the other hand, the job is well paying and definitely a strong move in my career. How can I handle this situation in a way that doesn’t affect the relationship with my new manager?

Say this: “My agreement with my previous employer prevents me from sharing those materials.” If pushed, repeat it again. If still pushed, say, “I’m uncomfortable being asked to share these materials, when I know my previous employer would have strong objections to me doing it.” And then stand firm.

This response is completely normal, and any manager who won’t accept that is seriously bad news.

It’s short answer Saturday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. When your interviewers are stiff and not conversational

I have a friend who had an interview this morning for an assistant position (she’s been out of college for a year). I had her read your blog to prepare and I helped her as well. After her interview, she called me and told me that she thought it went ok. Her biggest concern was that the two men interviewing her did not give much feedback or really attempt to make the conversation conversational, if that makes sense. My gut instinct told me it is a sign of an inexperienced interviewer because I have only had 1 interview out of dozens like that. I guess I’m wondering if it’s more a reflection on them or does the interviewee need to try harder to keep the conversation flowing? And how do you handle an interview when it feels like you’re talking to the wall?

It could be inexperienced interviewers, but it could also just be their personal style. Some people are fairly formal in interview situations, and not everyone gives feedback on the spot (or ever). If you’re a candidate in that situation, the best thing to do is not to take it personally; if you start feeling it’s a reflection on you, you can get anxious and lose focus. Just treat it like a normal interview, since for them, it may be.

2. Pre-planned vacation when interviewing with a tiny office

I have read through your archives regarding interviews and waiting until an offer has been made to mention a pre-planned vacation. I agree with this approach as it doesn’t seem appropriate to bring up days I’d want off during an interview.

I recently interviewed for a position with a large company with offices nationwide. However, I’d be working in a very small satellite office that covers a small part of the country. When I say small satellite office, I mean the smallest you can get: my potential future boss and whomever is hired to be his assistant.

I have a vacation planned in about 6.5 weeks that will require me to miss 6 days of work. I already have plane tickets and have paid deposits on rentals. This vacation cannot be rescheduled because its purpose is for me to run a marathon for which I’ve been training for months. I don’t want to shorten the vacation because of my non-refundable plane tickets and rental deposits. Should I email my potential employer and let him know of these plans, or wait until I am offered the position? Normally I would wait until an offer has been made but I feel this situation is different due to the size of the office. I’m afraid if I wait he will feel duped and I don’t want to tick off my one-and-only coworker before I even start working. My interview was Monday and he said he hopes to make a decision by the end of this week.

Nope, just like always, wait until you have an offer and then negotiate it then as part of your overall negotiation. Employers don’t want to get into the specifics of what days candidates will need off; they want to wait until they’ve determined who they’d like to hire, and deal with it then.

3. Should I leave if I get demoted?

My company is going through an organizational change which will result in the elimination of my job. The company has been very vocal about wanting to keep all employees, and has offered three alternatives: a promotion with enough positions for 10% of the people with my job title, a demotion with loss of some PTO benefits and salary, or a lateral transfer to an entirely different job type. Although there is no formal interview process, I sent a cover letter style email to my bosses regarding my interest in the promotion, and have since met with all three of them to discuss the changes in the company. Although they’ve assured me that they like my work and my attitude, they’ve also emphasized that I’m competing against 100 other people. I’ve been in this industry for 5 years, but in this particular company for less than 2. Many of my colleagues have more than 10+ years of experience and are 5+ years older than I am. I’m confident in my abilities, but not confident that I’ll be chosen.

My question is whether or not I should stay with this company if I don’t receive the promotion. I would likely be placed in the lower paying job with less PTO and incentives, and would also lose my job title and many of my responsibilities. I’m worried that I will be stuck in a position I find unfulfilling and if I do choose to leave in the future, this demotion will impact my resume. I could take a severance package, but I’m also worried that I would be placing a time limit on myself to find a new career. I’ve never been in this position before, and I would appreciate any advice you may have!

It’s easier to find a new job when you’re still employed, so if you don’t want to stay in the position you end up in, you can always stay in it while embarking on a job search and leave when you find something else. (In fact, you should probably start looking now so that you get a head start on your search. You can always curtail it if you get the promotion or otherwise decide not to leave.) If you leave quickly enough after the demotion, if indeed it happens, you can simply leave it off your resume.

4. Listing seasonal work on your resume

I saw you say that it’s bad form to leave months off resumes because it looks like you’re trying to hide rapid job-hopping. Does that apply to jobs that are very specifically seasonal? I’m in the education/youth org sphere and I have a few jobs on my resume listed as “Summer ____” because they were positions akin to a summer camp counselor that didn’t say so in the title. My thinking is that it provides a more accurate impression of my time there, it looks neater, and people in schools or other youth organizations are familiar with that type of job since many teachers and other professionals spend their summers that way. Someone who works in recruiting told me he liked that way of phrasing it, but I wanted a second opinion, or thoughts on whether it should be altered for certain jobs (maybe it’s more appropriate, for example, for my upcoming search for a summer job, since it signifies I’m experienced with the kind of position I’m applying for, than if I were to apply for an office-based position in a youth org that does similar work year-round).

Yes, “summer 2012” or whatever is totally fine and normal.

5. Negotiating with a J.D. but not much experience

I graduated in May of 2012 with a J.D., and have been searching for jobs since then. I am applying to jobs that are J.D. required/preferred, but not necessarily “traditional” law firm jobs. A lot of these jobs ask for so many years of experience (which I don’t have as a new grad) or will substitute having a J.D. for the required number of years. They list the salary as either a range or as negotiable.

I am wondering how, as a new grad, I can negotiate for a salary and come across as deserving of that salary, especially as a new graduate with minimal years of experience.

You’d negotiate the same way anyone else does, by making a case for why you deserve more than what they’re offering. That said, without much work experience, you don’t have a lot of negotiating power / standing to justify more, so you want to be aware of that so that you don’t come across as out of touch about your current market value. Good luck!

6. Getting a job with a vendor my company just rejected

I would appreciate your advice on how to get a job with a vendor my company just rejected. Currently I work in sourcing for a large manufacturing company and have responsibility for vetting potential vendors. Recently I came across a really exciting startup company who could really provide a boost to our business. I spent several months reviewing their company, analyzing their business model, and realized this was a truly remarkable company with a great management team. I also presented my recommendation to several senior leaders and received very positive feedback about this partnership. Right before closing terms on the contract, we got a huge surprise, though. My company was no longer interested in the deal due to a sudden strategy shift.

The problem is I like the vendor more than my current company. How do I approach them to let them know I would be interested in joining them even though my company turned them down? I know I have a lot to offer them from my background and experience, plus I know their business and industry very well. Should I just ask them to keep me in mind for future openings? Or offer to do some moonlighting? I am worried about a potential conflict of interest with my current employer. I only know a few people at the company, including the founder. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Tell the founder you’re interested. Say something like, “I got to know so much about your company over the last few months and am impressed. If you’re ever looking for someone to do X, I’d love to talk with you.”

7. Convincing my manager that I need to quit due to health issues

I started working at a salon as a receptionist (part-time) to have a little extra spending money. My husband makes enough to cover our living expenses, but my extra income allows us to travel occasionally and not worry about money. Overall, I’m alright with my job; it’s not the best job I’ve ever had, but it’s not the worst either. However, in the six months I’ve worked at the salon I have had severe bronchitis four times. After an extreme lifestyle search with my doctor (I’m a nonsmoker, and have never had bronchitis before six months ago), he believes working at the hair salon could be what is causing my bronchitis. He said he would be more than happy to speak with my boss about it and has strongly encouraged me to resign.

How do I quit without burning the bridge at the salon? How do you professionally explain that you have to quit because the environment is making you ill? I’ve broached the topic with the owner several times before and she laughed and thought I was joking because “that doesn’t happen to anybody.” I’ve tried being direct and she has just blown me off. This sounds horrible, but she really has been a good boss to me other than this issue. Basically, as long as I go with her flow, I am golden in her eyes. Should I just write this off as a bridge that must be burned?

You don’t need to justify quitting for health reasons, and you definitely don’t need your doctor to talk to them. Just say something like, “My doctor has believes something about the salon is causing bronchitis in me, and has strongly urged me to resign. I feel I need to take his advice, so X will be my last day.”

If your manager mocks you or tells you you’re wrong, it doesn’t matter. Just stay pleasant and say, “This is the decision I’ve made. I really appreciate the chance to work here, and I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer.”

No sane manager would consider this a bridge burned. If she does, then she’s irrational enough that something else was likely to burn it anyway. But by staying pleasant but firm, you might be able to avoid that.