July 2013

why employers don’t want to hire overqualified candidates

When you’re applying for jobs, being told that you’re being dismissed because you’re “overqualified” for a job you know you could do well is incredibly frustrating. After all, having higher qualifications than what a job requires should be a good thing, shouldn’t it? To job seekers, being told they’re overqualified can feel like being told […]

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my internship advisor mocked me and is now freezing me out

A reader writes: I’m a summer intern in a very relaxed office at a very friendly but large company. There’s a full-time employee who informally advises the team of interns — he’ll check in on our project, offer his advice, help guide us to the information we need, etc. He’s got a very dry sense […]

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how can I become more comfortable in work social situations?

A reader writes: My manager knows that I want to become a manager myself at some point, and is working on mentoring me in the skills I’ll need. One piece of feedback he’s given me is that I need to become more comfortable in semi-social situations (networking lunches or event dinners, and the like). I’m […]

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what IS a cover letter, anyway?

A reader writes: This is a long email to ask a very short question: what is a cover letter? I know it’s really basic, but that’s why it’s throwing me so much! How would you explain what a cover letter is, to someone who had never heard of one? I just ran into this situation […]

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