March 2009

when a job offer isn’t acceptable

A reader writes: I have been working for a very small company for about 8 months. One of my co-workers is leaving and they have offered me his position. However, they are offering my a much lower salary than he currently earns for the same position. The salary they are offering me is also much […]

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should you show up without an appointment?

A reader writes: I know you cannot just send in your resume online and expect to get called. It is those applicants that are willing to try new things that might have a chance. I really want this job that was posted online. I have the experience and it would be such a good fit. […]

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beware the overly nice manager

Of all the qualities you don’t want in a manager, here’s one that you might not have thought about: overly nice. If you have a boss who is too nice, one who allows her desire to be nice or to be liked to control the way she does business, you’ll find the following: * The […]

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receiving critical feedback

A reader writes: I have a really messed up situation at work. Yesterday, I found a paper in the photocopier (which is in a public place). It was on the department director’s letterhead (I report to the associate director). It was a handwritten list of errors I have made (relatively small and inconsequential), or things […]

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when you disagree with your boss

A reader writes: I have a very aggressive boss who is confrontational. He works for the short-term. I am “relationship oriented” and work for the short-term AND the long-term. Up until now, it’s been okay (15 years). However, he is stressed out by the current financial crisis and is pushing me to call clients 2-3 […]

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don’t use a functional resume

A reader writes: In your “7 Things To Leave Off a Resume” article, you mentioned picking between chronological and functional resumes. Can you comment on why hiring managers prefer one over the other? When I apply to jobs that are outside my field, I generally submit a combination functional-chronological resume so the company can see […]

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telling someone she needs to look more professional

A friend and reader writes: My friend, who we’ll call Kate, is having a problem with one of her staffers, let’s call her Jane. Jane is a staff assistant and a hard worker who wants to stay in the office and move up the ladder. Kate likes Jane, but some people in the office don’t […]

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take that objective off your resume

Last week, when writing about things to leave off of your resume, I mentioned objective statements, which I believe don’t belong on a resume. Some commenters wanted to know why. I’ve never seen an objective that made me more interested in hiring a candidate, and I’ve seen plenty that actually hurt a candidate’s chances. At […]

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are job candidates entitled to feedback?

When a candidate asks for feedback after not getting the job, if there’s an easily articulable reason, I’ll generally share it. For instance, I’ll let a candidate who asks know that we were looking for someone with more experience in a certain area, or stronger writing skills, or that while the candidate was strong, another […]

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It’s my book!

Soon to be here: the book I co-authored with Jerry Hauser, former COO of Teach for America and current head of The Mangement Center, which provides management coaching to nonprofits and is completely awesome. The book is called Managing to Change the World. It’s being published by The Management Center this month. It’s geared toward […]

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