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 Unfortunately, the advice that a lot of colleges are doling out is often outdated and frequently downright bad.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 →
choosing between a high school job and a family vacation by Alison Green on October 10, 2016 A reader writes: In late August, I got hired part-time at a major cafe/restaurant. I’m a senior in high school so I’ve been working on weekends and one night during the business week since then. However, my parents have booked a 10-day vacation right during the Christmas holidays — which is of course a vacation […] 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 →
a student tried to pay me to do his schoolwork by Alison Green on August 19, 2016 A reader writes: I’m a UK freelancer doing a relatively specialized job (I help businesses put together formal proposals and respond to tenders) so, aside from managing clients into giving me what I need (information to do my job), I don’t often need to address professional etiquette with others. However, this week I had a […] Read the full article →
no, group work in school is not “just like in the real work world” by Alison Green on July 25, 2016 A reader writes: I’m starting a business graduate program now and all of the administrators are practically giddy proclaiming, “There’s going to be a lot of group work! Just like the real business world!” I’ve always struggled with group work because I’m a (recovering) perfectionist and was the type of kid who dominated group projects […] Read the full article →