open thread – March 22-23, 2019 by Alison Green on March 22, 2019 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted […] Read the full article →
should I stop wearing makeup to fit in at work, unprepared interviewers, and more by Alison Green on March 22, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I stop wearing makeup to fit into my office culture? I know you have talked about overdressing being a sign you don’t understand the work culture when starting a new position, such as wearing a suit at a tech start-up. But what is your […] Read the full article →
my boss constantly complains about how much he pays me by Alison Green on March 21, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a very small company with three full-time employees and my boss, who is the owner. My coworkers and I (who are all in our first professional jobs out of college) make reasonable salaries for the area, but receive no other benefits. One of my coworkers and I started around […] Read the full article →
what to look for when you’re interviewing students by Alison Green on March 21, 2019 A reader writes: While I’ve had plenty of practice interviewing experienced hires, I’m feeling stumped preparing to interview college students. We are coming up on campus recruiting season for interns and new hires, and I’m having trouble formulating my general interview script. Most of my go-to questions focus on past projects and experiences in different […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: when you’re the chronically sick coworker by Alison Green on March 21, 2019 Last fall, we had a letter from someone frustrated with a coworker, Jane, who was constantly out of the office and had taken far more personal and sick leave than anyone else in the office received. The letter said, “I find it incredibly unfair that Jane is given so much lenience … I’m having a […] Read the full article →
my coworker uses all-caps for everything, can I ask my office to stop swearing, and more by Alison Green on March 21, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker uses all-caps for everything My team recently hired a new employee to help pick up some of the slack when it comes to the admin tasks we deal with on a day-to-day basis. Our new employee (Sansa) is enthusiastic about the job, a […] Read the full article →
my team got matching tattoos … and other lack of boundaries at my start-up by Alison Green on March 20, 2019 A reader writes: I work at a tech startup in a place where that isn’t very common, and there’s always been a blurring of work camaraderie/ being actual friends because we’re all younger adults, but this is a new level: a majority of my team (eight out of 12 team members, including our department head) […] Read the full article →
how to say no to your boss by Alison Green on March 20, 2019 I get a ton of letters from people who are really unhappy about something their boss is asking of them, but don’t feel they can push back because they’re internalized the idea that you’re never supposed to say no to your boss — that they’d look like a prima donna or difficult, or not a team player. […] Read the full article →
is being visibly stressed at work a sign of commitment? by Alison Green on March 20, 2019 A reader writes: Can you advise on a discussion I was having with a colleague? We were chatting casually and I said that whenever she has been panicked and overwhelmed in the past — and felt sure everyone would blame her for the unfolding disaster with a client — it has always turned out well. […] Read the full article →
I replied-all with an adversarial email, my boss and I dress alike, and more by Alison Green on March 20, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I sent an adversarial email — and replied-all I’ve seen plenty of articles about how to respond to someone who is unprofessional, but what do I do if I was the one who was unprofessional? I am a supervisor who often interfaces with management and […] Read the full article →