It seems like almost every job posting asks for someone who is "detail-oriented", but I'm coming to realize that I'm not actually detail-oriented, even though I fake it pretty well. I feel like a slacker and like no one will want to hire me, but I've been hearing that's not true. So, if that's the case then what sorts of jobs are actually out there for people who aren't detail-oriented?
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posted by inatizzy
on Mar 12, 2013 -
15 answers
Most of my income now comes from babysitting, but I'd like to look for non-childcare jobs when my current gig ends in a few months. How do I make the transition into office work?
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posted by ActionPopulated
on Mar 12, 2013 -
3 answers
I'm 31 years old and looking for a career change. I've come to love research and I've always loved reading nonfiction and true crime as well as the exposé articles often published by alternative weeklies. What are some careers that would fit these interests, and how do I work my way towards those careers?
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posted by averageamateur
on Mar 11, 2013 -
9 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?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 11, 2013 -
14 answers
I'm horribly unhappy with my job, but don't want to quit because of certain reasons. Advice solicited.
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posted by dubious_dude
on Mar 10, 2013 -
26 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?
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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.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 5, 2013 -
40 answers
When applying to a job that requires sending your application through a black-hole applicant tracking system, is it a great or terrible idea to also send a copy (cold-emailed) directly to a relevant person at the organization?
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posted by threeants
on Mar 4, 2013 -
11 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.
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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?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 2, 2013 -
9 answers
What is the best way to approach somebody in a career field about the possibility of arranging an informational interview? This is assuming you do not have a connection to a person.
posted by dfc5656
on Feb 26, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm a UI/UX designer who is flat broke and unemployed. I'm independently interviewing for 2 positions at the moment and have 3-4 other positions that I have or am about to interview for through a recruiter. Some are temporary, some are temp-to-perm, and some are permanent. Some are also more interesting to me than others, including one that I'm most interested in which I've been waiting to hear back from for the past week or so. However, the temporary positions (2-4 weeks) have more immediate needs and are more likely to lay something on the table in the next few days if they end up giving me an offer.
My question is: If I get a call that says "We'd like to offer you the position", how do I respond without an immediate yes and still be in consideration?
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posted by gregoryg
on Feb 26, 2013 -
6 answers
Before I start, I'd like to point out that I'm not spoiled or lazy. I've been dealing with the very real problems of depression and anxiety for most of my life, and for the past five years I've been working from home.
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posted by Cybria
on Feb 26, 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.
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 24, 2013 -
4 answers
Hi all, longtime reader here, new poster. While dealing with multiple personal hardships (more inside), I had a lapse in insurance coverage for 10 days. This has snowballed into a major issue for me, and I may lose my driving privileges for 3 months, which means losing my job. Any and all advice/anecdata appreciated.
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posted by cardinality
on Feb 20, 2013 -
7 answers
I had an interview today for a sales job and agreed to do a 5 hour training course today. I decided against it not long after. I left a message with the main company should I call the actual interviewer person?
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posted by mamamia88
on Feb 20, 2013 -
6 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.
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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:
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 12, 2013 -
8 answers
I need help focusing my job search, finding something decent with a degree but very little relevant work experience, and keeping from getting too discouraged in the process.
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posted by seraph9
on Feb 11, 2013 -
10 answers
I don't know how to find a job. I made good grades in college. I've done some good internships. Usually once I get to the interview process, I get offered a job. I just don't know where to start with my job search.
Looking for anecdotal advice. How did you get your first break into the career you wanted?
posted by sunrisecoffee
on Feb 10, 2013 -
15 answers
Please tell me about the habits and skills you've picked up as a result of your profession. It might be something you don't even notice because it's second nature to you, but others have pointed it out to you, or it could be something you've noticed about others.
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posted by blazingunicorn
on Feb 7, 2013 -
182 answers
I recently began my first job six months ago at a creative agency. Now, I'm unsure if I should continue.
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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?"
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 1, 2013 -
5 answers
I hope this will be my
last job-related question for quite a while. I want to give two weeks' notice today or tomorrow at
this job and I'm not sure how to go about it.
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posted by trillian
on Jan 31, 2013 -
7 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?
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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?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 30, 2013 -
15 answers
When an interviewer asks an interviewee for a programming job to design an object-orientated elevator control system, what are they looking for in a good answer?
posted by Artw
on Jan 30, 2013 -
8 answers
I'm looking for a professional careers coach in LA to give me advice about changing careers (especially ones who are good at talking with MBA grads who don't necessarily want a typical MBA-type job). The variety of coaches available out there is a bit confusing and some of them are expensive - can anyone personally recommend one? And what criteria should I be judging them on anyway?
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posted by zresearch
on Jan 30, 2013 -
2 answers
I may be able to apply for nursing school as early as this fall. Yay! Can you help me come up with some resources to help guide me through the application process and assess the merits of different programs?
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posted by ActionPopulated
on Jan 29, 2013 -
7 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?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 29, 2013 -
9 answers
Because of a story in the newspaper, I discovered that a local nonprofit will soon have a job opening that sounds like a perfect fit for me. The job is not posted on their website yet, but I was thinking of emailing someone there anyway just to let them know how interested I am in the organization, the job, and the changes they've made to make the job possible. Will this result in them looking more favorably on me when the job is posted, or in them looking at me as over-eager and unprofessional?
posted by Clustercuss
on Jan 28, 2013 -
16 answers
A new role has been created within my department for which I would like to be considered. What should I keep in mind when preparing my application for this internal role, given my familiarity with the company and with the hiring managers?
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posted by undercoverhuwaaah
on Jan 28, 2013 -
3 answers
Is it proper etiquette to turn in a resignation notice in-hand? Also, I have a great manager and have a few questions about that.
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posted by signondiego
on Jan 27, 2013 -
13 answers
I'm wondering, after breakfast, and a shower, and a commute, and coffee - what is next?
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posted by Lownotes
on Jan 24, 2013 -
23 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?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 23, 2013 -
12 answers
A job agency recruiter sent an e-mail about a possible job opportunity at a very large company. The recruiter mentioned that she got my information through my friend (who currently works at that company). Initially, I thought it was spam however my friend does work at that company based on a quick search on LinkedIn. I haven't spoke to my friend for 5-6 years since graduation. Also, the job agency recruiter appears to be real and has a legit profile on LinkedIn.
I am not looking for a new job at the moment. Should ignore or write 1-2 sentences back?
Thank you
posted by Mountain28
on Jan 21, 2013 -
21 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.
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 21, 2013 -
9 answers