I agreed to help a student with a grad school project … it’s gone badly by Alison Green on June 27, 2022 A reader writes: I have found myself in a mentor-mentee situation and wanted your advice. I am in a profession (think doctor, lawyer, scientist) and was approached by a local graduate student who wanted some help with a project for one of her classes. I reluctantly agreed despite my hectic schedule because my philosophy is […] Read the full article →
my professor wants us to walk into local businesses and ask if we can do a free project for them by Alison Green on April 21, 2022 A reader writes: In two of my classes so far in college, we have been required to divide into groups of students and find a client in the community, usually a small business, nonprofit, or the like, and do a website or other IT, design, or technical communications work for them. Yes, for free. We […] Read the full article →
student employee keeps venting on social media about a work decision by Alison Green on May 11, 2021 A reader writes: Something happened a couple of years ago that I’d like to get your take on. I work at a university in a student-run program with a few departments that state law requires us to have. The students have a great amount of autonomy in this program and interview and hire their own […] Read the full article →
should we require resumes from high school volunteers? by Alison Green on March 29, 2021 A reader writes: I work as a year-round educator. I love working with kids, and the greater flexibility during summer has let me show off my passions in ways that I don’t have time to do during the school year. At a recent meeting with my summer boss, I suggested that we have our high […] Read the full article →
how can I explain why I went to a for-profit school? by Alison Green on February 14, 2018 A reader writes: I graduated from DeVry in the late 80’s. I earned a four-year B.S. there. I was heavily recruited (high test scores) by many colleges and ultimately it came down to a UC and DeVry. DeVry was on a trimester system, so I would graduate in three years vs. four years, and I […] Read the full article →
with teen employees, where’s the line between reprimands and firing? (and a niece weighs in) by Alison Green on July 20, 2017 A reader writes: This is not a question about something I am dealing with, but there was something in the news in my community that is really generating a lot of discussion. I was wondering what you thought about it. A bunch of lifeguards (largely teens) were fired from our community pool. The director of […] Read the full article →
I’m terrified of graduating and am panicking about finding a job by Alison Green on July 5, 2017 A reader writes: I am a year out from graduating college (that is, in the summer between my junior and senior year.) I’m working at a fairly prestigious internship (in academia) but I think I’m figuring out that it’s not really what I want to do and I have no idea what I DO want […] 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 →
does your college major really matter when you’re looking for a job? by Alison Green on June 5, 2017 A reader writes: I’m a few years out of college, but I’m still looking for that full-time “career” job. One career path that I have a tiny bit of experience in, and am interested in pursuing, is working in social media. One thing I noticed when looking at the job postings is that they all […] 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 →