May 2013

when there’s an error on your paycheck — in your favor

A reader writes: My sister earns $400/week at an office job, but her first deposit for two weeks of work was $3,000. If she doesn’t mention it, would you expect any repercussions on her job if the over-deposit is later discovered? Would you recommend that she just bring it up to her employer ASAP? Yes, […]

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how can I coach an annoying employee?

A reader writes: How can I talk to my employee about her tendency to annoy people? She likes to work collaboratively to develop ideas, but it has begun to be burdensome for her colleagues. She seems to be high maintenance, mulling over minor little details and dragging things out unnecessarily. Is there a tactful way […]

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tiny answer Tuesday: 7 short answers to 7 short questions

It’s tiny answer Tuesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. The person who I replaced 15 months ago now wants her job back I applied for an internal lateral move 15 months ago and got the job. The vacancy was there because another worker bid on a higher job […]

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cold-calling companies and showing up in person to submit a resume

A reader writes: I have read your articles about cold-calling here and here, but I think today’s market is somewhat tougher and I would love to know your thoughts. I am currently looking for a graduate position in architecture field. It is tough without any local experience. Having tried applying advertised jobs and reaching contacts but to no avail, […]

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my boss is always making out with his girlfriend at work

While visiting my nieces (ages 9 and 12) this weekend, they asked to take a stab at answering an Ask a Manager question … and then clamored to have their answers posted. So the following question has answers from all three of us. A reader writes: We work in a fairly small division of the […]

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