August 2008

how to find out if your prospective manager sucks or not

In the comment section of my recent post on managers who won’t manage, a reader asked: What can you ask in job interviews to find out if your prospective manager is someone who can’t or won’t manage? Such a good question, and possibly one of the most important things you can ask in an interview. […]

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will attitude affect references?

A reader writes: Since I graduated University six years ago, I have worked for a large health care organization in several different roles. Shortly after I started the job that I am currently in, I experienced several major upheavals in my life during a very short time frame. I am not using these events as […]

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when your manager won’t manage

A reader writes: I work in a cultural/academic/non-profit institution, and am part of a professional community small enough that I don’t wish to identify it, lest one of my colleagues identify *me*. I should say that I love what I do for a living. It’s a calling, I spent a lot of time in graduate […]

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coded HR language?

A reader writes: I have been in the search for a job for the past 9 months. I have had interviews and I have successfully been able to get my resume in front of hiring managers. As with any job search I have also received my share of rejections. I have noticed in a number […]

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chutzpah of the entitled

Liz Handlin has a great post up about the chutzpah of people who take advantage of the time and expertise of people in their network (or even people not in their network) and don’t bother to express any sort of appreciation. This resonated with me because of some irritating experiences I’ve had lately. Here’s the […]

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why “Sexy Mama” won’t get hired

When I review resumes, a surprising percentage of them go straight into the reject pile for reasons that could have been avoided. Here are the top reasons why. 1. Your cover letter is clearly a form letter that you’re mass-mailing and which doesn’t even relate to the job. The most extreme version of this is […]

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do employers look at every applicant?

A reader writes: After realizing that some employers receive hundreds of online applicants, I get the feeling that many of the employers are not even opening my e-mails.  Do employers look at every e-mail applicant?  How can I grab their attention in a subject line? It depends on the employer. I look at every resume […]

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abusive interviewer extends job offer

This letter from a reader is long but worth it: My career experience has mostly been in the military, but I have recently completed a college degree in physics with a minor in education after stopping work to stay at home with my daughter. Currently, I am working as a high school science teacher, but […]

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lying in an interview – should you be concerned?

A reader writes: I recently left my job. Management was unethical and abusive, so I decided to concentrate on my job search full time. Despite the negative environment, I left courteously, giving 2 weeks notice and helping to tie up loose ends. I am now under consideration for a great job, but I have a […]

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telling your boss about a slacker coworker

A reader writes: How do you express concerns about a slacking co-worker to your boss without coming out sounding like a jerk? There is a co-worker in our office who can work hard when they want to, but also likes to spend quite a bit of time visiting with other employees. This same person expects […]

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