Ask a Manager

I recently talked with a reader who used to work as a household manager for a rich family — a job I have always wanted to hear the logistics of. Here’s our conversation. How did you end up in this job? I was working as a nanny, but I was already in a place where […]

Recently we had a question from a veterinary social worker, and many readers asked to hear more about the job. Bonnie Downing has generously agreed to tell us more about how that works, and here’s our conversation. Tell us about the work you do. I work in a veterinary emergency room in a dual role […]

For Halloween, I talked with someone who worked in haunted attractions for more than a decade, both as an actor and a makeup artist. Here’s our conversation. First, tell me a bit about the work you did. I started working for a large haunted house in my early teens and continued until my late 20’s […]

I recently talked with Nell McShane Wulfhart, who has one of the most interesting jobs I’ve heard about in a long time: she’s a decision coach, someone who helps people make big decisions. It’s a job she invented, and it’s fascinating! She’s also the author of The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution […]

I was recently contacted by someone from the International Ombuds Association, suggesting that Ask a Manager readers might be interested in learning about the work that ombuds (previously called ombudsmen) do. I learned a little more, and it is fascinating! Ombuds help employees navigate workplace conflicts and organizational processes, including helping them identify their concerns […]

We sometimes talk here about EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) but have never explored how they work. A reader, Em, who works for one, left an incredibly interesting comment about her work on a post last week, and generously agreed to talk with me more about what she does. Here’s our conversation. How would you describe an […]

Symone is a regular reader here, and she works for a majority-autistic company and is autistic herself. I asked if she’d let me interview her about what working there is like, in advance of Autism Awareness Month (which starts tomorrow), and she generously agreed to talk with me. Some quick background: Her employer is auticon, a […]

I recently started talking with someone on Twitter who sent me an amusing story about her work in the adult industry, and I of course had more questions I wanted answered so she kindly agreed to let me interview her, and here’s our conversation. (She also comments here as Carrie Oakie.) Tell us a little […]

Occasionally I do interviews here with people who have had particularly interesting jobs. Recently a commenter here mentioned that she used to be a nanny for a famous psychic, and I wanted to know more. She kindly agreed to be interviewed, and here’s our conversation. Note: This interview contains references to the interviewee’s spiritual beliefs, […]