wee answer Wednesday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions by Alison Green on April 24, 2013 It’s wee answer Wednesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. My boss told my coworker and me to decide which of us will get a promotion I’ve been working at a county government job for just about 10 years, and I’m 30 years old. We maintain roads and bridges […] Read the full article →
what to do when a job candidate just reads answers from a script by Alison Green on April 23, 2013 A reader writes: I work in higher education and one aspect of my job is hiring student workers within a department on campus. Recently, I had an candidate came in with her written responses to the general questions I asked — i.e., “tell me about yourself,” “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” — those kind […] Read the full article →
how to talk to an employee about body odor by Alison Green on April 23, 2013 A reader writes: One of my direct reports is a woman who is absolutely kick-ass at what she does, but I don’t think she bathes frequently and I suspect she’s wearing dirty clothes to work sometimes. She often has a pungent aroma about her. It isn’t body odor exactly, but there is a definite funky […] Read the full article →
help! my department is ignoring our own security policies by Alison Green on April 23, 2013 A reader writes: My company has a written security policy requiring us to authenticate all requests we receive by phone or email before acting on the request or releasing any non-public information. This is a good policy, and necessary to protect both my company and our clients. All employees were required to sign an acknowledgement […] Read the full article →
tiny answer Tuesday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions by Alison Green on April 23, 2013 It’s tiny answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. My company won’t promote me until they interview other candidates I recently returned to full-time employment after taking a few years out with the children. I was lucky enough to get a position that closely matched my career prior […] Read the full article →
asking for a raise when your job changes in your first month by Alison Green on April 22, 2013 A reader writes: I wrote to you recently describing how I was turned down for a position with an organization I volunteered for and was subsequently offered another position entirely to be the Executive Administrative Assistant/Communications Assistant. Well, I accepted the offer, negotiated an extra $1.50/hour, and was thrilled! Two days before I started, I […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: what to do if you’re not good at your job by Alison Green on April 22, 2013 Throwing this one out to readers to weigh in on. A reader writes: What should I do if I’m just not good at my job? It’s an administrative assistant position that I obtained almost three months ago because I knew someone, and I already know how to do almost everything, with some exceptions and special […] Read the full article →
are you cut out to work from home? by Alison Green on April 22, 2013 Working from home sounds great to most people – you can work in your pajamas, with no commute, the cat on your lap and a load of laundry going in the background. What’s not to like But working for home isn’t for everyone. Some people do better at it than others – and some find […] Read the full article →
mini answer Monday — 6 short answers to 6 short questions by Alison Green on April 22, 2013 It’s mini answer Monday — six short answers to six short questions. Here we go… 1. Organization where I volunteer won’t bother to reject me for a job I interviewed for I was rejected, apparently, for a job for a nonprofit I’m actively volunteering for. I’m not only volunteering, I’m developing and leading a public […] Read the full article →
short answer Sunday — 6 short answers to 6 short questions by Alison Green on April 21, 2013 It’s short answer Sunday — six short answers to six short questions. Here we go… 1. Starting a new job and changing my name in a few months I’m starting a new job in May, but I’m also getting married in August. It seems like an inconvenience to my new employer to put my current […] Read the full article →