April 2008

why don’t companies get back to applicants?

A reader writes: I am amazed at the number of times companies have stopped communicating during the interview process without explanation. In this era of email, I don’t understand why a brief note isn’t sent to let a candidate know they are no longer under consideration. My most recent experience was with a company that […]

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“But I’m qualified for that job – why did you reject me?”

There’s an interesting discussion going on over at Evil HR Lady about whether it’s okay to ask for feedback when you don’t get a job, with a lot of people pointing out in the comments section that when they’ve agreed to give rejected candidates feedback, it inevitably ends with the candidate trying to convince them […]

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can I vent about workload?

A reader writes: I work at a small nonprofit gallery as the office manager. With a staff of only 9 people, it’s critical that everyone is here to assist with each other’s projects (especially on board meeting days). Well, today is one of those days: we are in crisis, the board members’ books aren’t ready, […]

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how to answer “why did you leave your last job?”

A reader writes: I’ve given my notice to the company I’ve worked for for four years, without another job lined up. I know that this is against general recommendations, but it was just getting to be too much for me to handle; I don’t want to get into details too much, but my micromanaging boss […]

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irritated by interrupting coworker

A reader writes: Here’s something kind of petty, but it’s getting to me. Every time I ask my supervisor a question, one of my colleagues (who sits next to my supervisor) butts in and starts answering the question too. Suddenly what could be a quiet, 2-minute discussion is turned into a loud conversation. Grrrr. Every […]

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enthusiasm vs. desperation

A reader writes: I had an interview last week for a writing and editing job in English and Spanish with a state department. During the interview, it had been a couple months since I spoke Spanish, so out of my insecurity, I downplayed my ability. My resume should speak for itself. I have a strong […]

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citing unofficial management experience

A reader writes: I have been working for a big multinational company over the past 4 years. One of my colleagues was recently promoted to the position of department manager. She is very smart and competent, but she is only 30 yrs old and doesn’t have experience in managing people, decision making, etc. I am […]

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compensation for extra responsibilities?

A reader writes: Please tell me about options an employee has to get compensated appropriately when (temporarily) taking on the responsibilities of a coworker’s job while they are out on disability. In the past, when I took over the responsibilities of a manager at my workplace for four months, I was given a one-time bonus […]

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taking it personally

A reader writes: I would like to get your advice on an incident at work. I was wondering if this warrants talking to my supervisor and if so, what approach I should take in speaking with her. The incident has left a bad taste in my mouth and I am compelled to search for other […]

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3 tips for managing interns

Summer intern season is approaching. Here are three tips for surviving it. 1. Don’t cut the intern too much slack just because he/she is unpaid or low paid. You might not hold them to exactly the same standards you’d hold your regular staff to, but you should at least hold them to something close to […]

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