October 2009

job searching? check your spam folder daily

This was the subject of my very first blog post, but a friend’s recent experience has inspired me to repeat it: If you’re conducting a job search, check your spam folder every day. A surprising number of emails from employers can end up in there. You may be sitting around thinking that no one has […]

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will taking a pay cut now harm my earning potential later?

A reader writes: Going on so many interviews lately for jobs that I am well-qualified if not overqualified for, I keep getting salary responses that would pretty much allow me to break even. Whoopidy doo. If I ended up taking one of these jobs that pay way below what I was previously making and stayed […]

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did boss trick me into resigning?

A reader writes: I work at a small company for now. 3 and a half people (the half being a part time contractor). There is no HR. The boss is HR. I have had several therapy sessions trying to figure him out. My therapist thinks he is an attention-deficit narcissist. He won’t apologize, take responsibility, […]

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how to handle defensive coworkers

If you’ve ever worked with anyone chronically defensive, you know how difficult it can be to talk to them about practically anything. They argue, don’t hear what you’re saying, and sometimes even lash out at you or others. As a result, most people end up avoiding them entirely, since interactions can be so unpleasant, which […]

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should I include a job I was fired from on my resume?

A reader writes: I was just terminated from my job. I was five days before being off probation and two days away from my first big job event (I plan and run conferences). Without any prior notice, meeting, or confrontation, I was ushered into my department head’s office and told that in order to make […]

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firing an employee of 27 years

A reader writes: My husband is a wonderful dentist, but has not been exactly the best manager. He has a small office with one employee who has been there for 27 years. When she started 27 years ago he sent her a general confirmation letter that stated her salary at the time and time off. […]

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can I forward my husband’s resume to my own contacts?

A reader writes: First, I’m not one of THOSE wives, I promise. My husband was just laid off and is starting a job search. I work at a nonprofit, so I know lots of people in different industries who don’t know my husband at all. A member of a community organization that throws a benefit […]

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