I think my life coach is giving me bad advice by Alison Green on August 1, 2018 A reader writes: I graduated from college last year and quickly found a job in my field of study (journalism). It wasn’t my dream position, but I enjoyed it. I was unfortunately laid off, without very good reason. That was about two months ago and I have been job hunting since. My parents thought I […] Read the full article →
what’s the worst “you need to show gumption to get a job?” advice you’ve heard? by Alison Green on October 12, 2017 There’s a whole field of career advice that’s based on the idea that you need to show “gumption” to get a job: “Walk into their office with your resume and ask to speak to the person in charge!” “Call every day until they agree to give you an interview!” “Send your resume on special paper through […] Read the full article →
should I ask job interviewers to sign a confidentiality agreement? by Alison Green on September 4, 2017 A reader writes: I recently received a job offer for a job I was qualified for based on experience, but underqualified for on paper – I was lacking a certification. The odds were stacked against me, but your site helped me to develop an excellent cover letter and fine tune my interview skills. I credit […] Read the full article →
colleges’ “competency badges” for students are a terrible idea by Alison Green on June 29, 2017 A reader writes: I saw a segment on the news today about “digital badges,” which a few universities are trying to offer so students can show competency in specific workplace skills, and I was really curious what you would think. (Link here. The segment about the badges starts around 43:25.) My first impression was that this […] Read the full article →
8 weird workplace myths that you probably believe by Alison Green on June 5, 2017 As a workplace advice columnist, I hear people believing and repeating a lot of misinformation about jobs and work. Here are eight of the most common myths I hear about work – and the facts for each. Take a look and see if you’ve fallen victim to any of these mistaken beliefs. 1. Myth: When you’re […] Read the full article →
6 lies your career center told you by Alison Green on May 22, 2017 With a new class of graduates about to enter the full-time job market, a lot of them are seeking job search advice from their college career centers. Unfortunately, the advice that a lot of colleges are doling out is often outdated and frequently downright bad. In fact, as a workplace advice columnist, when I ask […] Read the full article →
3 pieces of job search advice that don’t work in real life by Alison Green on April 3, 2017 Some job searching advice feels like it was dreamed up in a lab by people who have never hired or even done much interviewing as a candidate, because it won’t work well in real life. Here are three pieces of popular advice about job searching that don’t typically play out the way they’re intended. 1. […] Read the full article →
a professional resume writer told me my resume is “awful” — is it? by Alison Green on October 4, 2016 A reader writes: I have been following your blog for more than a year now and I must say that it has been an invaluable source of advice and inspiration. Following your advice, I got interviews with every company I have applied to and received an offer. I am currently preparing to apply for a […] Read the full article →
my university requires students to create terrible personal websites for job-searching by Alison Green on September 12, 2016 A reader writes: I’d love to get your take on something my university is requiring all of its undergrad business students to do. As part of a senior-level course, we each have to create our own website — our “Personal Online Profile,” or POP. It must include the following: • An “attractive home page with […] Read the full article →
how to know if you’re getting good career advice by Alison Green on June 20, 2016 If you’re looking for advice on your job search and your career, you’ll find that there’s no shortage of advice out there. The problem is that some of it is pretty terrible. In fact, some career advice is so bad that it can actually harm your career! Complicating matters even more, some of this bad […] Read the full article →