March 2012

should you accept connections from strangers on LinkedIn?

A reader writes: What are your opinions on adding someone you don’t know to a LinkedIn account? I recently received a request from someone who I don’t know who attended my university. He has an unprofessional LinkedIn photo (something appropriate for Facebook, but not offensive). I have made it a rule for myself on LinkedIn to […]

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why you shouldn’t take a counteroffer

For some reason, I’ve received a bunch of letters lately asking about how to use a job offer from somewhere else as leverage in getting a raise from a current employer. This is generally — not always, but generally — a bad idea. Using another job offer as a bargaining chip may be tempting, but […]

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short answer Sunday: 7 short answers to 7 short questions

It’s short answer Sunday! Here we go… 1. How to prepare for bereavement leave I’ve recently found out that one of my parents, who has had cancer for 4 years , has suddenly reached Stage 4 after being stable for a long time. I’m relatively ok about it emotionally and it isn’t affecting my work […]

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how to get your boss to say yes to things

If you, like many people, get filled with anxiety when contemplating asking your boss for something you really want (a raise, the ability to telecommute, a better vending machine, etc.), here’s a formula for maximizing your chances of hearing “yes.” 1. Get the timing right. If your company’s just got terrible financial news, or you […]

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about that Facebook password kerfuffle…

My mail has been full this week with people asking about employers demanding job candidates’ Facebook passwords. I wrote about this a couple of months ago, and it’s here if you want to read it. But keep in mind that this really isn’t a common practice — not even close. It’s extremely rare. The media […]

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hiring people to work for a difficult boss

A reader writes: I am an office manager in a small (we are talking 5-7 employees) business, and have been for the last 4 years. When I was hired, it was with the understanding that I would be leaving and starting my “career” as soon as I graduated from my master’s degree program (totally unrelated […]

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how to tell applicants “don’t call us, we’ll call you”

A reader writes: I’m an HR Director for a manufacturing company. We see a lot of turnover, and I have an open job listing with the Employment Commission in our state. We take applications at our office, as well as a separate location in our city, but have pre-set days that prospective employees can drop […]

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7 short questions. 7 short answers.

Yes, it’s another short answer post. We’ve got seven short questions and seven short answers, including whether you can negotiate salary at a nonprofit, whether you should take a job at your mother’s office, what on earth is wrong with kids today, and more. Here we go… 1. When rejecting candidates, should I mention their […]

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what do interviewers really want to know?

When you’ve been job-hunting for a while, it’s easy to become frustrated and wonder what on earth employers are looking for. The answer is that in this economy, it’s not enough to just have the basic qualifications. Employers are flooded with resumes, so they’re narrowing the applicant pool down by looking for traits that go well […]

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