November 2013

I don’t want the office candy dish on my desk

A reader writes: I’m four weeks into a new job as executive assistant to the Office of Trustees at a major university. I am enjoying everything about it except for that fact that I inherited a desk with a candy dish – something that doesn’t fit with how I view myself as an employee and […]

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what to do when you’re overworked

If it seems like you’re always stretched too thin and never have enough time to complete your work before three new projects are handed down to you – always with the instructions that they’re high-priority – you probably need to talk with your manager about your workload. But with more companies expecting people to do […]

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misleading reference requests, holiday gifts to clients, and more

It’s five short answers to five short questions. Here we go… 1. Misleading reference request form looks like it comes from me — but it doesn’t I’ve recently been asked to fill out an online/outsourced reference form for a job application and was a little bit disturbed to see that the program generated an email […]

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office holiday gift-giving stories: unburden yourself here

Well, we’re officially in the holiday season — which in workplaces is also the season of forced merriment, holiday party gaffes, pressure to donate to extravagant gifts to your boss, and other seasonal pleasures. In the spirit of the season, I want to hear about workplace gift debacles. Did a game of Secret Santa end […]

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resume paper is obsolete

A reader writes: What are your thoughts on “resume paper”? Considering how many retailers stock it (and have stocked it for decades), I imagine many people use it. Is there any value to it? What do hiring managers think of it, if they even notice? I am going to hereby free you from any reason […]

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what non-obvious things should I know about being a receptionist?

A reader writes: Hi — long time reader of your blog, and I’m very grateful for your advice, which has helped keep me afloat during a grueling job search. Happily, in a week I’ll be starting a receptionist position with an awesome small office that deals with pensions and retirement plans. The position answers phones, greets […]

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how can you convince your employer to hire additional staff?

A reader writes: What are the best tactics to take to convince The Powers That Be to hire additional staff? For context, I’m a middle manager at a family owned company. The decision maker is the owner and CEO. We would like to hire an additional entry-level associate to fill a position that became available […]

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