May 2009

my favorite posts of all time

Ask a Manager came into being two years ago today. I had no idea whether anyone would be interested in reading what I had to say, but that’s never stopped me from babbling before, and I’m glad it didn’t stop me this time. Thank you guys for reading and commenting and emailing and giving me […]

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teacher’s boss expanding job requirements

A reader writes: I am a teacher. I have a specific job description with specific duties outlined. Two years ago I got a new boss and she began adding duties to that list. The list includes: – Visiting students’ home prior to the start of school and the beginning of the contract. I have to […]

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boss won’t socialize with staff

A reader writes: I work in a rather small office, and occasionally we will have short in-office lunches to celebrate a special occasion (weddings, new babies, beginning of spring, etc). We usually have no more than 15-20 people at a gathering. Our new boss of one year never attends these functions. Sometimes he will buy […]

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if you wanted to telecommute, you should have said so earlier

I think I want to start a “turn-offs” series where I just complain about things that turn me off about candidates. (Or maybe, um, I already have.) Here’s the scenario for today’s: We place an ad. It clearly states that the position is based in our headquarters in Washington, D.C. The candidate, who does not […]

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get the job title right

I can’t tell you how many cover letters I receive from people who get the title of the job they’re applying for wrong. I know what job they mean, because they’ve put it in the subject line of the email. But when I open the cover letter, there it is — a totally different job, […]

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out-of-control employees and unhelpful boss

A reader writes: How do I handle a supervisor who insists on interfering in decisions I make regarding my personnel — such as leave time, work assignments, staff not coming into work and then apologizing to him with no explanation to me, etc. When I approach this supervisor regarding very specific issues that have arisen […]

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using a third-person bio instead of a resume

Occasionally someone sends me a bio instead of a resume. By that, I mean a narrative of their career, written in the third person. (Am I explaining this right? Like a magazine profile, without the colorful tidbits. Or, well, like an obituary.) Don’t do it. It’s odd. Maybe celebrities do this, but I’m unnerved to […]

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are you making these job reference mistakes?

It turns out that it’s possible for your references to diminish your chance of getting the job without even saying a word. Here’s a recent experience I had when checking the references of two candidates I had been torn between. Candidate #1 gave me the phone numbers of three former managers. I reached each of […]

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should you warn an employee before firing her?

A reader writes: I am a partner in a small, family-owned small business and financial services firm with 9 employees and 4 consultants in northern California. I’ve always handled all the back office/HR issues – hiring, firing, performance evaluations, training, disciplinary issues, etc., with no problems for the last 10 years. My situation is that […]

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