September 2017

my office makes us cook and eat lunch together every day

A reader writes: I am a frequent long-term contractor at a very small company. There are two owners, two full-time employees, and a handful of freelancers and interns at any one time. The owners are wonderful people whom I enjoy spending time with, but they have a practice that some coworkers and I feel conflicted […]

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how can I get my staff to talk in meetings?

A reader writes: I’m a new manager at a small nonprofit I’ve worked at for about 2 years. My role recently expanded to include managing a small team of two full time staff and an intern, who perform duties that were unfamiliar to me before. Overall, the transition has gone well and I have good […]

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I’m a recent grad and feel like I’m working too much

A reader writes: I just graduated college in May, and landed a full-time job in my hometown in the perfect field for me, thanks to your help with resumes and cover letters! However, this job has turned out to be very different from what I expected — namely, there is no semblance of work-life balance, […]

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my interview on Marketplace about how to job search

I was on public radio’s Marketplace Weekend this weekend, talking about job searching, including: how job searching has changed in recent years computerized resume screening (it’s not what you think!) your parents’ advice to pound the pavement and show gumption if there’s anywhere where walking in to apply in person still works how to answer […]

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how hiring managers decide who to interview

Ever wonder what hiring managers are thinking as the read over your resume, and how they choose who to interview and who to reject? I’ve screened thousands of candidates for jobs, and I can tell you that this early screening is generally pretty straightforward on the employer side of the process. Here’s a look at […]

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did my intern frame my coworker for credit card theft?

A reader writes: This past summer, the section I supervise had some interns working here. All of them were offered jobs here once the internships were over. However one of them has created a situation where she lied to the police, but my boss and HR have still decided to offer her a job. A […]

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weekend free-for-all – September 16-17, 2017

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school.) Book recommendation of the week: Happenstance, by Carol Shields. My friend recommended this after I mentioned how much I’m loving novels about middle-aged married people (a self-centered interest, […]

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