2010 Posts Return to main archives January February March April May June July August September October November December December 2010 most popular posts of 2010 don’t send poetry as your writing sample, and other suggestions for job applicants interviewer didn’t give me any time to ask my own questions where are they now: update #20 – danger signs when interviewing where are they now: update #19 – is a contract position worth the risk? the new Ask a Manager is here! it’s on where are they now: update #18 – uncomfortable stalking employers where are they now: update #17 – my manager is complaining about me online where are they now: update #16 – manager wants to be my best friend where are they now: update #15 – call center misery where are they now: update #14 – the aspiring librarian who didn’t want to give up her dream where are they now: update #13 – the coworker who wets his pants where are they now: update #12 – lazy doctor compromising patients’ care a few housekeeping notes, and a holiday present to you where are they now: update #11 – interviewing again after an unsuccessful interview where are they now: update #10 – the unreliable employee with a conflict of interest where are they now: update #9 – the lazy boss where are they now: update #8 – coworker staring at my chest where are they now: update #7 – the highly inflammatory pantyhose question where are they now: update #6 – the embarrassing mom where are they now: update #5 – the boss with inappropriate interview questions where are they now: update #4 – the reader whose marital stress was impacting his work where are they now: update #3 – ostracized by boss after office burglary where are they now: update #2 – the coworker who sulked when our reader wouldn’t date him where are they now: update #1 – the job-seeker with a dental problem when you’re younger than everyone you’re managing where are you now? short answer Sunday – seven short answers to seven short questions using info from Facebook when hiring my former boss told a background checker that she didn’t know me things that don’t belong on your resume #174 am I being exploited as a volunteer? short answer Saturday: five short answers to five short questions 8 ways companies can throw holiday parties employees will want to attend knee-high boots and business casual attire this is how salary negotiation should work my coworker is angry that I complained about her many personal calls short answer Sunday: six short answers to short questions don’t call to “schedule an interview” my organization has a budget shortfall; should I be job-searching? what should I say/ask as I leave my internship? November 2010 my ex-boss is telling my husband I cheated on him how often to ask for updates when you’re in the running for a job should I tell my conservative coworkers that I’m gay? my coworker is physically bullying me short answer Saturday: 6 short answers to 6 short questions get your salary off your resume unreasonable job application instructions no one will hire me as their visionary what do you want to talk to me about? my boss gives in to my co-worker’s temper tantrums short answer Saturday: 7 short answers to short questions cleaning the office microwave: hidden duties when job-searching if my wife works for a competitor, is that a conflict of interest? temp worker’s new account manager is a jerk 10 things to know about applying for nonprofit jobs what qualifications can trump experience, when job-searching? why do so many college career centers suck? short answer Saturday: 7 short answers to short questions victory: askamanager.com is mine! what does this interview question mean? bad candidate behavior: “sorry about 4 years ago, but can I have a job now?” the magic interview question gets featured on ABC News how can we respond to an employee who won’t stop asking for a raise? one complaint about bosses that doesn’t hold water 5 reasons your co-worker makes more money than you do October 2010 2 reasons your cover letter sucks application deadlines are misleading you you should not do a phone interview at 55 miles an hour does a cover letter have to sound like an informercial? can I accept a job knowing I plan to leave it in a few months? should you work for free? something nice — and interview guide is getting results! my new favorite interview question don’t check references? here’s a horror story for you using confidential resume posting? read this caution when I asked for a raise, my boss responded, “who should I fire?” would Hunter S. Thompson’s cover letter get him an interview? will people think it’s irresponsible that I quit my job? is this job going to be a nightmare? ridiculously helpful resource for managers when traveling to an interview, how fast should you be expected to get there? angry and insulted by coworkers doing my job stop sending me two resumes! should you end a job interview early if you realize you’re not interested in the job? is it bad form to joke in a job interview? should I accept a job without a manager in place? manager borrowed money, refused to repay it, then fired me coworker won’t wash her hands after using the bathroom 8 ways to get what you want from your boss employer wants me to shadow an employee as part of interview process how to explain you were fired, when interviewing angry boss writing angry memos I’m on NPR’s Marketplace Money this weekend should you have to buy office supplies with your own money? September 2010 should I work for free to get experience? help, my bullying ex-boss is out of control informational interview when you’ve already applied for a job over-sharing in your out-of-office messages how to answer employer’s worry about your previous self-employment should you point out a typo when applying for a job? calling on readers again: lazy coworker in a medical setting, with tenure loads of career advice without leaving your couch guilt over leaving team behind as I leave a toxic workplace there’s a high likelihood that your job postings suck should you tape-record job interviews? what’s the goal of multiple 30-minute interviews? contacting the person who used to have the job you’re applying for how interviewers can screen out candidates who will have attendance problems my co-worker is chronically absent explaining to my boss that marital stress is impacting my work how can I build my reputation in my field? help! my department is imploding I’m afraid my old boss is going to out me as transgender you are making me very, very forlorn how to announce a demotion dealing with a micromanager calling on readers to help with these questions: giving up a career dream, and billable hours rejected for an internal promotion company won’t respond – could it be discrimination? Ask a Manager has a new domain name should an employer pay travel costs when inviting out-of-town candidates to interview? what role should gut instinct play in hiring? listen to an hour of awesomeness interviewers who suck: our next installment want me to answer your question live tonight? I’ll be on the HR Happy Hour Thursday night a tale of post-interview feedback success how strictly should managers enforce company policies? do I have to wear pantyhose to an interview? update: boss expects slippers offered to her new employee feels awkward and left out when should internships come off your resume? my manager wants to be my best friend last day to get How to Get a Job at 40% off want some free webinars? my boss acts like I’m on-call day and night I’m extending the special sales price on How to Get a Job until Friday in rejecting job candidates, should I mention we selected an internal candidate? August 2010 My How to Get a Job ebook is here! the e-book is coming …. tomorrow! when customers speak to each other in a foreign language calling a coworker at 10:30 p.m. while they’re on vacation why long-distance job searching sucks and what you can do about it should this job-seeker take out a newspaper ad to promote himself? stupid hiring practices: being a condescending jerk can you be a good manager if you’re shy? yet one more random thing four random things something is coming… more danger signs when you’re interviewing for a job how do you answer “tell me about yourself” in a job interview? Win a free copy of the upcoming Ask a Manager e-book on how to get a job must your resume say that your “references are available upon request”? is it legal for my boss to open my mail at work? update about the boss who’s angry over two weeks notice manager is angry that I’m only giving two weeks notice how much contact is too much contact when job-searching? D.C. area nonprofit manager? You want to attend this training. my coworker has a lecherous and creepy interest in our colleague how do you replace an employee who doesn’t know she’s being fired? please stop with the tiny font! The Ask a Manager Guide to Preparing for a Job Interview what does it mean that a job I interviewed for was re-listed? managing an employee who was passed over for your role one way to quit a job: curse out your customer and escape out the emergency slide biblical verse in your application 5 ways employers could improve the hiring process 49% of job-seekers say their greatest frustration is companies that never respond thank you, and a note what’s behind your nervousness in interviews? my manager refuses to give me better pay or better hours update from reader who asked about long hours and low pay to get experience gimmicks have no place in the hiring process surprise — it’s a phone interview that you didn’t know was coming! let’s ring the death knell for postal mail in the hiring process tell me what you think when I talk to HR, don’t they have to keep it confidential? July 2010 after starting job, found out pay was lower than I’d asked for why am I getting calls about jobs outside my field of interest? is it cheesy to send a thank-you on animal-themed stationary? how long should a job be advertised? my boss asks job candidates about their marital status, children, and church! interviewing again after a prior unsuccessful interview is having “company president” on my resume hurting me? how can I convince my husband I can’t accept a job offer on his behalf? congratulations, you’ve won the chance to promote online diploma mills! how do I state my desired salary range in a cover letter? is it tacky to tell an employer I’m traveling to their town and they could meet me in person? is it possible to send an interview thank-you note too quickly? how can I warn job candidates about how awful this place is? is a subpar employee better than no employee? how long should it take a new hire to get up to speed? companies that don’t announce when an employee is leaving how to announce an employee is leaving should I get a raise for taking on more work? entry-level job search with boyfriend my boss and coworkers are chronically absent is my dental problem scaring off employers? can I back out of my new job if I get a better offer? is this HR director out of control or just doing a job no one else will do? how do you manage people who speak another language? June 2010 my boss wants to know how I’m spending my vacation before he’ll approve it power will lead you to eat more cookies and chew with your mouth open can I run my business with a 4-day work week? does “we’ll keep your resume on file” really mean anything? turning down an employer’s offer a second time my coworker relies too much on my help it’s not illegal to give a bad job reference don’t stalk my voicemail employer left me a message — but wouldn’t respond when I tried to get back to them how can I get a job with a leadership role? unemployed candidates need not apply, and fired for being too hot bitchy vs. authoritative – guess which one you are, ladies? why do companies post positions when they end up hiring internally? how can I get my temp job to hire me on permanently? should I work long hours for low pay in order to get experience? how does everyone at work know about the job I applied for? in which I throw my life into unheaval rejected for a job because I used the color green in my design exam a recent grad success story deathbed advice for managers is how I financed college any of this employer’s business? how should employers respond to parents job-searching for their kids? a day of phone interviews – experience it for yourself! what kind of writing sample do employers want to see? should I call out an HR person for lying to me? my mom is embarrassing me with my boss can I ask my CEO to fund my side business? should my boss proactively email a prospective employer to recommend me? boss encouraged me to apply for promotion, then wouldn’t interview me May 2010 a reader’s happy ending three years of Ask a Manager! grad school is not your escape one of many reasons why I love the Evil HR Lady my boss is lazy and doesn’t do any work company doesn’t care about building security parents who job-search on their kids’ behalf negotiating an offer to keep existing job call center job misery job rejections should come via email, not via a phone call is it okay to resign while I’m still waiting for my new job’s formal written offer? 803 boss bans coworkers from eating lunch together can I get my new managers to listen to feedback? can I ask my employer to lay me off? coworker keeps staring at my chest coworker is wetting his pants regularly — what do I do? employee hit me, manager won’t do anything interviewer gave me a typing test for a non-clerical job — and then canceled the rest of the interview more advice on how not to be nervous in job interviews how can I network with a potential employer in front of my boss and coworkers? how to turn down a job offer and the contest winner is… how can I stop being so nervous in job interviews? is my transgender coworker using the right bathroom? what was your worst interview? coworker won’t stop sulking after I turned down a date recruiter won’t answer questions and wants to rewrite my resume seriously? how do I avoid my evil boss’s going-away party? coworkers don’t like me because I’m younger update from reader despairing over job market April 2010 should I extend my internship? in which I am accused of being a bitter old woman how to use someone else’s contact when applying for a job the problem with job-hopping update from reader whose boss wouldn’t let her go on vacation are online application processes avoidable? just tell me your real name job offers and lengthy pre-planned vacation time was this interviewer out of line? when you can’t give two weeks notice can I ask HR to better explain their application instructions? how to take vacation when there’s always work to be done a tale of bad interviewer behavior, this time with reference abuse retaliation for not accepting previous job offer? does a request for my references mean anything? how do I explain depression to prospective employers? how to list temp work on a resume HR told me they’re taking a risk in hiring me my company promised me a raise and won’t come through did I blow my chances in this phone interview? my boss is hostile and abusive and won’t train me March 2010 boss is a non-communicative micromanager addressing a disability in an interview should we reimburse employee meals for same-day travel? my company throws A List and B List parties for employees why you should take the time to debrief after a project my manager complains about me online should I color my gray hair while job-searching? can I ask why my predecessor was fired? should I address my weight gain in an interview? how to manage a problem employee how do managers feel about blogging employees? in which I work miracles online photos when you’re job-seeking requiring a handwritten cover letter bad interviewer behavior HR missed our scheduled phone interview and didn’t respond to follow-up asking for feedback when you were hired as the second choice is it better to get to a job fair early on or later in the day? company made me a tentative offer, then hired someone else hirng manager knows my current boss must I send thank-you’s to all 5 of my interviewers? on not being anonymous HR rejected me, but interviewer said I’m still in play company makes us share hotel rooms February 2010 36 phone interviews in 3 days can I ask about a different position than the one I just accepted? is this company stringing me along? should I tell my manager I have an interview? update about the coworker moonlighting as a hooker is a contract position worth the risk? aren’t you sick of me yet? new manager struggling to define role can I tell my coworker to dress more professionally? what do I owe my manager when I’m leaving my job? how should I pay an employee for a 3-day trip? my coworker is taking credit for my ideas and work should I fire the office assistant? silly hiring practices: essay questions on job applications can a spouse contact an employer? survived office burglary, then ostracized by boss when does advice become consulting? and we’re going to strip-search you before the job interview how do you survive without a job? how to prepare for a phone interview combating unhealthy power dynamics during a job search — the ones in your head angry that I didn’t get the job; can I protest this? January 2010 how do I tell disabled employees they can’t have a handicapped parking space? former coworker hates me; can I apply for a job at her company? coworker brushes hair with fork, cleans false teeth at desk old schedule won’t work for new job employer time vs. candidate time – which time zone do you live in? should you include retail work on your professional resume? you’re welcome am I annoying my recruiter with weekly follow-up? coworker wants me to keep a secret a demand not just for salary history, but benefit details too companies that use “cool” language in job postings what should I make of this very nice HR person? was boss wrong to share restructuring proposal with me? can I list work for my father on my resume? current employer won’t give me a reference questions to ask someone who has the job you just got promoted to when your manager values face time over results can “volunteering” become “consulting” on a resume? weird behavior during salary negotiations when a recruiter asks for your height, weight, age, and marital status must I shave my beard to get a job? dealing with ignorant coworkers you, doing something good how do you handle bad employer behavior while job searching? backing out of a promise to be a reference marital status in a cover letter what bad job news were you later grateful for? company halted offer due to criminal conviction – which I disclosed