can you advance professionally without giving up your evenings and weekends? by Alison Green on July 18, 2019 A reader writes: I am in my mid-20s and have always thought of myself as an ambitious person. My medium- and long-term goals are to get to positions where I can do important, interesting, and high impact work in my career, and also making enough to comfortably support a family should I choose to have […] Read the full article →
how can I help a job-searching friend who can’t catch a break? by Alison Green on July 11, 2019 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: My small, very tight-knit group of friends and I are all suddenly finding ourselves in an exciting season of job transitions and moves … except for one (let’s call him Ross). Over the last several years, Ross worked in a really challenging field/environment while finishing […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: have you seen ripple effects from minimum wage increases? by Alison Green on June 27, 2019 A reader writes: I was wondering about states and cities that have increased their minimum wage and what the effects have been (both on wages across the board and on budget cuts elsewhere). I work in a state whose minimum wage is now $8.25, but will be incrementally raised until it hits $15 by 2025. […] Read the full article →
share your salary negotiation success stories by Alison Green on June 20, 2019 In response to last week’s salary negotiation success story, people asked for more salary success stories. So: In the comments, share your stories of successfully asking for and getting more money, either as part of a job offer or when asking for a raise. Be as specific as possible — what did you say, how […] Read the full article →
what tools help you focus on work when you’re in a loud or distracting environment? by Alison Green on June 13, 2019 A reader writes: Since so many of us are stuck in cubicle farms, what would you think about having readers share things that have helped them focus and get work done? For instance, I use Bose wireless noise-cancelling headphones and I LOVE them. I play music or white noise (or combine them!) when I need […] Read the full article →
what’s the worst case of helicopter parenting you’ve seen at work? by Alison Green on June 6, 2019 In response to last week’s post about the father who got on the phone with questions during his daughter’s job offer, some readers asked to hear more about parents trying to interfere with their adult children’s careers. So, what’s the worst case of helicopter parenting you’ve seen at work? Share in the comments … Read the full article →
how do I stop speaking without thinking in professional situations? by Alison Green on May 30, 2019 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve just got back from a work event where I made a indiscreet and critical comment about one of our sponsor companies. The moment I said it, I knew I had messed up. Nobody really reacted and it’s highly probable nothing will ever come of […] Read the full article →
I’m polyamorous — should I be out at work? by Alison Green on May 23, 2019 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve been going back and forth with a pretty weird problem, and someone suggested your blog as a good place to go for advice (I’m so happy I discovered it, by the way!). Here’s what’s going on…. I am a woman in my late 20s […] Read the full article →
the stolen toilet paper, the fake committee, and other petty moments at work by Alison Green on May 16, 2019 Last week I asked you to share stories of petty moments at work — your own or other people’s. Here are some of the stand-outs. 1. “At one of my early jobs one of my coworkers was a, shall we say, interesting character. She was called out about something in a meeting and was fuming […] Read the full article →
should I give feedback to people who haven’t asked for it during a collaborative writing project? by Alison Green on May 16, 2019 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’m not fully sure that this fits within the scope of AAM — it’s not work-related, but I feel that there is a great deal of overlap. I am the head administrator in an online writing group, where members frequently come together to collaborate on […] Read the full article →