how have other people helped you in your career? by Alison Green on April 15, 2021 Let’s talk about how people have helped you in your career, especially if you grew up in a family that couldn’t provide much guidance. What specific things did others do that helped you? Hopefully this will be good fodder for all of us to think about what things we can do to help other people, […] Read the full article →
how should I deal with a pompous, sexist coworker? by Alison Green on April 8, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve recently started a new job, I love my team, the work is engaging, my manager is amazing, the company culture really suits me, and they’re super flexible around Covid. But (there’s always a but) I’ve run into an issue with a coworker that’s impacting […] Read the full article →
the plastic-wrapped office, the fake brownies, and other pranks at work by Alison Green on April 1, 2021 Let’s talk about pranks at work, given the date. I’ve learned from writing this column that pranks at work are far more controversial than I realized! Some people really hate them or think they’re inherently mean-spirited. But there are plenty of offices that enjoy a well-intentioned prank. For example, here are some that readers have […] Read the full article →
what’s the best networking experience you’ve had? by Alison Green on March 25, 2021 So many people hate networking — they worry it feels slimy, they don’t quite know how to do it, or it just makes them uncomfortable. It doesn’t help that most of us have had run-in’s with bad networkers. So let’s talk about good networking. What’s the most satisfying or useful networking experience you ever had? How […] Read the full article →
I’m always late to everything! by Alison Green on March 18, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’m a recent-ish college grad and am working my first position related to my college major (although I’ve been working since I was 17). My entire life I’ve been late to everything. I have no idea why. I’ve tried clocks and timers and tricks, talk […] Read the full article →
my career hit a dead end when we moved to a small town by Alison Green on March 11, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I feel that I have reached a dead-end professionally and could really use some advice. I used to be the breadwinner for my family. I had a compliance role in the legal department of a Fortune 500 investment company. I loved my job and was […] Read the full article →
how can companies be fair to people who can’t work from home? by Alison Green on March 4, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: Good news: After observing that productivity hasn’t been substantially affected in the Now Time as compared to the Before Time, my organization is working on a set of policies to allow for remote work long-term. Harder news: We’re a mix of people whose jobs wholly […] Read the full article →
how can I move out of working in retail? by Alison Green on February 25, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I graduated with an MFA in fine arts several years ago and worked briefly as an adjunct after finishing school. The work was low-paying for the effort I put in and so unstable that I found myself abandoning the thought of pursuing a career in […] Read the full article →
a drunken cowboy, gingerbread house chaos, and other office contests that went badly by Alison Green on February 24, 2021 Last week, I asked you to share your stories of workplace contests gone awry. Here are 10 of my favorites. 1. The chili cook-off winner Not my story but my dad’s, and it makes me laugh every time. His workplace hosts an annual chili cookoff and everyone would bring in a crockpot of their chili, […] Read the full article →
the hot sauce contest, soup-gate, and other work contests gone awry by Alison Green on February 18, 2021 “We had a hot sauce eating contest at work years ago that ended with the crowd demanding that the contestants stop before they got hurt (and passing the hat to come up with a second prize) and then one contestant threw up in the bushes on the way to his bus and the other was […] Read the full article →