From some minor checking on a new employee, I have seen a large discrepancy in pay - which is not surprising. Can I ask for a raise? How do I ask for a raise? Will I get fired? Should I just look for new work like I'm already doing?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on May 20, 2013 -
17 answers
So I applied for an academic position in the UK and I've been invited to interview (yay!). Only just now I realized that they were advertising for two positions, one of which is fixed-term.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Apr 25, 2013 -
5 answers
Hey Mefites, here's my question:
My younger sister, mother, and I suffered years of abuse at the hands of an alcoholic stepfather - physical, verbal, etc. When we were younger, my sister and I were absolutely focused on getting the fuck out and did, getting scholarships to great schools, thankfully. My mom, not so much. She is no longer in a relationship with him, but they have been living together for economic reasons - she needs his disability paycheck to pay the bills (all of which are in her name, including the mortgage payment.)
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Apr 19, 2013 -
15 answers
I'm dropping out of a PhD program in a social science with only a masters degree. I need a real job.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Apr 17, 2013 -
15 answers
You're considering a move to Los Angeles for a job in Irvine. You and your (stay-at-home) wife are both in your early 30s, and have two young (under two years old) children. You were raised in the midwest, and prefer the suburbs. You want to live in an area that has lots of other young families and easy access to eating and shopping and preschools and other things like that. You don't want to spend more than 30 minutes or so commuting. You want to spend about $3,000 per month on rent for a 3+ bedroom single-family-home (or condo, you suppose). What areas of Los Angeles do you focus on?
posted by anonymous
on Apr 15, 2013 -
25 answers
I have an upcoming job interview for a fairly sales-oriented position in business. Putting aside that I'm not sure I want the position yet and that in my eyes it counts against the company that they put stock in this sort of thing, the company is about to send me a personality test which they use as a strong hiring indicator. I would prefer to ace the test, whatever that means, and have my actual interview and position discussion determine hiring. How should I go about answering a test that I don't believe will be reflective of my personality?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Apr 5, 2013 -
10 answers
I had a great technical phone screen, then told they were passing because I don't have experience we didn't even really touch on in the interview. Is there anything I can say/do to get them to take a second look?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 21, 2013 -
5 answers
I am planning on leaving my company in late spring to go to grad school in the fall. Am I employing the ethically right approach here?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 15, 2013 -
8 answers
What are your strategies and best practices for being a cog in an inefficient bureaucracy? How do you compartmentalize the frustration and leave it in the office?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 11, 2013 -
14 answers
I am unhappy with my professional life, but have no idea what I’d rather being doing. Does a person exist who can help me either figure out how to be happy with what I’m doing, or figure out what I really want instead? And if so, how do I find them?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 5, 2013 -
11 answers
The question: Should I provide a lukewarm reference for my recently fired ex-manager to avoid awkwardness? Or should I tell him no, and if so, what is the code language to use? I can't say "Sorry, that won't be possible" for reasons outlined herein.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 5, 2013 -
40 answers
What's the best way to say you want out of an interview process before it's reached the offer stage? Difficulty: The company is one you want to interact with positively in the future.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 4, 2013 -
8 answers
My SO has a really good job offer lined up in Muskegon, MI and we are in the process of deciding if we should move there. What is great about Muskegon?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 2, 2013 -
9 answers
Lawyer getting great experience in a shrinking subspecialty. Work environment has flaws. Have the opportunity to move. Worried about grass being greener, frying pan/fire, etc. Special details inside.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 24, 2013 -
4 answers
I have accepted a job through a contractor and start next week. I have just been sent the SF85P-S and SF85P to fill out and bring with me the first day of my job. I am freaking out. I figure if it was a super huge deal and not just a formality, they would have had me fill out this stuff a while back, right? I had no idea I would be filling this out or that the job was a federal agency, I thought it was just for the state, like civil service.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 20, 2013 -
6 answers
New boss decides, retroactively, I have been doing a bad job. I'm starting to suspect I'm being targeted for firing. Should I bail out of my current job or stick it out?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 15, 2013 -
22 answers
My small company is very likely about to be acquired by a larger corporation. I've been invited to submit any questions I might have regarding the outcome - what should I ask?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 13, 2013 -
15 answers
I'm in MA. I'm about to give my two-weeks, but I'm guessing they're going to tell me to just leave. Could I apply for unemployment to fill the gap between the job I'm leaving and my new job?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 12, 2013 -
22 answers
I interviewed for a remote programming gig recently, and they requested a trial contract before making a final offer. I'd be hired as a long-term remote contractor (year+, 100% telecommuting), not an employee. I have some questions:
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 12, 2013 -
8 answers
I recently began my first job six months ago at a creative agency. Now, I'm unsure if I should continue.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 6, 2013 -
11 answers
I work in a legal specialty where everyone knows everyone else. If I apply for a job at a competitor firm, or as in-house counsel at a client company, does the interviewer have any obligation to keep it confidential? Or can they just call up my boss and say, "Hey, guess who interviewed for a job today?"
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Feb 1, 2013 -
5 answers
I work in technology as a senior architect. I really like my firm but it is quite a bit smaller than other firms in the area and in a similar industry. I've been getting offers ~40% more from two, more established, larger firms. These are lateral moves. I'd like to stay where I'm at, but the salary increase being offered is too much to ignore. Can I bring this up with my firm, or is this a sort of take the larger offer or don't bring it up sort of situation?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 30, 2013 -
13 answers
Final job interview this weekend. How do I disclose the federal felony and prison time on my record?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 30, 2013 -
15 answers
What qualifications (certifications, skills, volunteer experiences, etc.) can I realistically pick up, for free, without actually being employed in the field which they would qualify me for?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 29, 2013 -
9 answers
I have been working as a temp in a university staff /admin support position for several months. I make $12 an hour as a temp. They're finally about to hire me, thank goodness, but I have until tomorrow to give them my "salary requirements". What the heck am I supposed to ask for?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 23, 2013 -
12 answers
I work in a very small IT company that makes custom business applications. The owner is way too involved in the day-to-day and pushes the sales guy to schedule us back to back to back for projects. We have no dedicated support staff so support for existing clients falls back to us (me and the one other developer) in addition to building new applications - and having all the meetings etc with clients. We are like half BA, half developer with no project manager anywhere in sight. I need to develop some skills that will allow me to get another job but no one here has the time or interest in creating requirements documents or making use cases. I barely have time to get my work done and am working more than 40 most weeks without overtime (I am salaried). I am getting burned out and need to leave. But the lack of actual SDLC/Agile/documentation stuff is really killing my attempts to transition to a straight BA position.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 21, 2013 -
9 answers
About five weeks ago, I applied for what seemed to be a great job at the university from which I recently graduated. (It's not a teaching/faculty position.) I applied about a week before the deadline and I think I'm a good candidate for it. The website, which is updated daily during the week, says that it has yet to be filled, that the selection is still in progress. However, I just saw a new job posting go up with the same title with a few small differences. I haven't been notified one way or the other as to the first job. How do I navigate applying for the newly-posted job? More specific information inside.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 21, 2013 -
12 answers
I'll try to make this brief. I recently turned 23, and due to a combination of drugs and depression since getting out of high school I have essentially no work experience. This makes responding to job postings very frustrating and humiliating as my resume feels like a complete joke.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 18, 2013 -
16 answers
How do I talk about being fired in future job interviews? Advice and encouragement needed.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 7, 2013 -
16 answers
Academic with non-CS background but software development experience looking to transition into the professional workforce, from an ABD Ph.D perspective. How to overcome the "lack of experience with real/big systems" question, and in general pitch myself to employers?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 6, 2013 -
8 answers
Corporate dysfunction and general structure is causing my job to be difficult, and sometimes impossible. How can I cope best?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Jan 4, 2013 -
5 answers
This fall, when I was unemployed and job hunting, I discovered I was pregnant, kind of like this person: http://ask.metafilter.com/207069/Should-I-reveal-my-pregnancy-in-job-interviews. I did not mention this during interviews, but when I got an offer, I brought it up with the hiring manager as part of my negotiation. I was very pleased that it did not seem like a liability, and he promised I'd be made eligible for their paid maternity leave even though I would have only been there about six months. He also said he'd leave it up to me to tell my boss and team with at least 4 months advance notice.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 27, 2012 -
21 answers
What makes the difference between a good academic campus interview and a great one?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 21, 2012 -
9 answers
How can I get a new job in IT with limited experience, no relevant education, and an unusual employment history?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 19, 2012 -
15 answers
How do you know if it's not big enough? (A raise, I mean?). I would like to hear about whether the recession has shaped how people think about money and career advancement.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 14, 2012 -
9 answers
I have a pretty successful career but still feel like a fraud. I would like to change that, NOW.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 11, 2012 -
11 answers
How do I ask my manager for connections for a new job in a new city without killing my chances for a promotion?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 2, 2012 -
5 answers
I have a fantastical dream career. I am something kids say they want to be when they grow up. It's amazing, and I love it. I'm one of the top twenty or so people in my area of my field in the world. On a daily basis, I pinch myself, I cannot believe my luck. Here's the thing: I hate my actual
job so much that I think I'm going to spontaneously combust. Would I be stupid to leave? Is there any way I can figure out how to stay and be happy?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 29, 2012 -
21 answers
Nearly everything I liked about my current job has evaporated, and I am left with stress and anxiety. In addition, I've always been indecisive about what my career should be. At this point should I try to build a career at my current company or leave and try something else?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 19, 2012 -
11 answers
Backed out of a job under duress. Thinking of sending a follow up letter to perhaps explain the circumstances and perhaps soften their perception of me. Good or bad idea?
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 15, 2012 -
16 answers
Got a job cleaning hotel rooms. Said I had references and experience. I have neither. Help.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 10, 2012 -
11 answers
I am unemployed. My disorganization, lack of goals and mental illness (ADD first and foremost) is taking a toll on my job hunt, and life in general. Fellow ADD'ers, what do you do to cope/deal? Details inside.
[more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 3, 2012 -
14 answers
