I was an office manager between 2002-2008, but went back to school to become a nurse. I'm currently an RN in a large metropolitan area, but would really rather go back to a career in administration / office management. What's the best way to do this?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 21, 2013 -
11 answers
I work an overnight shift and when I don’t have actual work sitting in front of me I’m able to work on my schoolwork and research for a PhD. I’m looking for the easiest way to manage the electronic articles I find (and download) as well as manage the Word documents I’m typing for notes and papers (and the dissertation. Let’s not forget the all-important Dissertation!).
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posted by MultiFaceted
on Apr 20, 2013 -
14 answers
I'm going through a bout of depression and while it isn't affecting my work, it is affecting how I behave at work. I realised today that some of my colleagues have picked up on this change in behaviour. How can I maintain my dignity and privacy?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 19, 2013 -
7 answers
I am, at 55 years old, capable of retiring comfortably. I intend to do this as soon as possible. The question is how do I quit my job?
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posted by lordrunningclam
on Apr 18, 2013 -
24 answers
About 8 weeks ago I sliced the flexor profundus tendon that allows the tip of my right pinky to function. I had surgery and have now subsequently re-severed the healing tendon, requiring ANOTHER round of surgery to try to repair again. Should I go through with this? Issues related to post-operative depression, unemployment, and general existentialist angst inside. See
previous.
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posted by jnnla
on Apr 16, 2013 -
11 answers
I grew up in a decidedly non-professional family and didn't have much reference for what an educated professional looks and acts like, and definitely lack some of the relevant soft skills. My most recent, longest job stint was at a slightly dysfunctional workplace where employees were dressed super-casually and often there was behavior to match. I've tried to model myself on the good and reject the not-so-good, but I think I need additional help.
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posted by ziggly
on Apr 16, 2013 -
6 answers
I landed a big promotion. I don't think it's been a good fit. How do I develop an exit strategy?
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posted by bombastic
on Apr 15, 2013 -
5 answers
I'm sure you've heard this a million times but am I crazy to quit my job without another one lined up?
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posted by cm1088
on Apr 15, 2013 -
41 answers
Does the stigma against fandom also count against whatever marketable experience you gain from it?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 13, 2013 -
20 answers
I’m a man, pushing 50, and I was diagnosed back in the mid-90s with fibromyalgia syndrome/chronic fatigue syndrome. No medication I tried over the next few years helped with either aspect. After years of practice, I’m dealing okay with the fibro pain, but the chronic fatigue is hitting like the metaphorical ton of bricks.
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posted by bryon
on Apr 12, 2013 -
19 answers
My partner and I are currently at rather different points in our careers. I have struggled for years to make a living out of freelancing in one area. I'm told I'm good at it but have never made it into a company that can offer me long term work, career development or support. My partner has a stable job in a multinational company and has just been offered and started training in my area, with a probable supported move into my area in the next couple of years. I am not dealing with this very well. Have you dealt with something similar, can you offer advice?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 12, 2013 -
23 answers
Before iGoogle disappears, I need to replace my 'Days Since' counter widget. Can you help me find one?
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posted by Gordafarin
on Apr 12, 2013 -
3 answers
After three and half years as a university staff member, I'm trying to figure out my next step. Tell me about your college staff career and help me decide whether the field is right for me, longterm.
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posted by serialcomma
on Apr 11, 2013 -
10 answers
I'm pretty much useless at everything but have been gainfully employed as a coder for 15 years. Quite frankly I'd just like to do nothing. What do you suggest?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 10, 2013 -
20 answers
I have an idea for a non-fiction book that I am determined to write. How do I get financial support during the time it will take for me to research and write it?
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posted by deliciae
on Apr 10, 2013 -
5 answers
I'm a law student in Ontario, just about done 2 years out of 3. I absolutely hate the academic aspect of it, and I'm pretty miserable. I didn't particularly enjoy the practice experiences I've had either, at 3 different legal-aid type clinics working as a student in family law, criminal law, and landlord/tenant matters.
I have invested a lot of money into pursuing this law degree. Should I be giving serious thought to finding something else to do with my life as soon as I graduate, or should I stick it out and work my hardest to try to get a paying job in the legal profession, in the hopes that I will be able to pay off my student loan debt?
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posted by spicytunaroll
on Apr 9, 2013 -
14 answers
I am a US citizen living and working overseas until mid-2015. I want to figure out how to make it permanent. Difficulty: I am a federal employee in a sensitive position, and so I can't just pull chocks and do the same work for somebody else. How do I solve this in the next two years?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 9, 2013 -
12 answers
So, I've recently inherited the community and social media role for the company I work for. I'm hoping to use our social media presence to drive up engagement and get users to use our product (a niche-focused social network in the finance realm), but I want to do it
without being a douchebag.
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posted by SansPoint
on Apr 9, 2013 -
10 answers
I'm looking for a nice, inexpensive task lamp to put on my desk at work. It should have adjustable brightness (low/high is fine) so that I can have either a little or a lot of light, as required. Free-standing, not clamp-on. $30 or less would be ideal. Help?
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posted by Scientist
on Apr 9, 2013 -
8 answers
I want to withdraw from consideration for a new full-time position at the company I'm temping at. How do I initiate that conversation? If the leader at this company asks why I want to stay on as a temp instead of taking a full-time position what do I say that will not burn bridges when the actual answer is "You're a bad boss and you should feel bad"?
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posted by under_petticoat_rule
on Apr 9, 2013 -
13 answers
I hate my job. HATE my job. I've worked here for 21 years, doing soul crushing work for the state court system. I haven't had a pay raise in seven years, not even a cost of living raise, have had my benefits scaled back and am looking at an even greater workload due to potential layoffs for my fellow employees unlucky enough to have been here as long as I have. Is there any chance that I can pick up stakes, move to Los Angeles, and hope to find a job paying me something comparable to what I currently make? (I apologize for the blizzard of snow flakes within)
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posted by BrianJ
on Apr 9, 2013 -
42 answers
I injured myself last fall... by falling. On my head. I now can't do one aspect of my high-stress job (and it's questionable if I can even do my job fully), even after my employer has been more than reasonable with allowing me time to recover. We're usually pretty well-insulated from the attention of our sharp-clawed HR people and very frightening lawyers, but they're involved now. I can read the EEOC website as well as the next person with a skull fracture, but what does this stuff actually mean?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 8, 2013 -
16 answers
What are entry-level jobs in your field? What was your first job, and what steps brought you to where you are today? Help me figure out how to start my career.
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posted by Xianny
on Apr 4, 2013 -
29 answers
I have a problem with intense physical anxiety. As anyone knows who has gone through this, it takes a long time before you can see a psych and get medication that works for you. I've finally done so, but in the period before getting help I relied on opiates to cope. Now I'm addicted and want to stop being dependent, but I have a new job and can't screw it up.
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 4, 2013 -
6 answers
How to work with employees who don't like what you're doing, but won't work towards making things better? Specifically vocally negative long-term employees who think they know it all, but refuse to share their wisdom beyond flat-out complaints because it's "not their job"?
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posted by tzb
on Apr 4, 2013 -
38 answers
I have a great job... for someone. But it's not a good fit for me, and I need to change things around to make my life a little simpler. I'm looking for advice on how to do that. Details below!
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posted by Gee, June!
on Apr 2, 2013 -
7 answers
What is it actually like to work at a bed and breakfast or a small inn?
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posted by firei
on Mar 28, 2013 -
6 answers
As you can see from my past posting my husband lost his job last month. In the meantime the jobs he's qualified for are probably not in our area (CT). Chances are after talking to recruiters in his specialty, he will have to take a job in another part of the country - probably south/southwest.
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posted by lasamana
on Mar 27, 2013 -
31 answers
I'm at the final round of interviews for two very different jobs, and if I'm offered both, I'm not sure what I should do.
One's at a nonprofit, the other's at an advertising agency.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 26, 2013 -
7 answers
How frequently do you screw up at work? I'm wondering if it's "normal" to screw up at work with the frequency that I am, and I should cut myself some slack. Alternately, I'm considering the possibility that it's a big problem.
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posted by silly me
on Mar 26, 2013 -
18 answers
I have a BSc in physics and an environmental diploma, neither of which are getting me any work. I've been doing office temp work for a couple of years now - mostly admin with a bit of reception. I enjoy admin work but I'd rather get away from the customer/client-facing stuff. I have pretty strong math and computer skills (via physics), I enjoy some things people often find boring (e.g. filing, messing around with Excel), and I'm comfortable sitting in front of a computer all day. Do you think I would like bookkeeping? What's it actually like to be a bookkeeper? What do you do in the run of a day?
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posted by fullerenedream
on Mar 24, 2013 -
7 answers
Have you, or do you know anyone who has, purposefully not taken a job at the end of a contract, in order to build skills in other areas, and been ok with a gap in work history?
Snowflake details: I'm currently working on a contract for a large company, and I'm reaching the end-date for my contract. The current job itself is not my dream job, and is not very fulfilling, but it's paid the bills and the company looks good on a resume. I now have been offered another contract position, year-long, at a different large company in the area.
However, I would be doing work that would be even
less fulfilling, I'm afraid to the point of being mind-numbing. But the pay is good. Should I take the year-long contract for the money? Thinking about the job itself is enough to give me that anxious sick feeling.
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posted by lockstitch
on Mar 24, 2013 -
6 answers
I am planning on leaving my job, and indeed my current career path, in the next 3-ish months, but for various practical reasons I want to stay for those next 3-ish months. There's a conference coming up that I would absolutely be going to if I were staying in this career. Do I sign up for the conference? If I do, the conference fee will be wasted when one of my coworkers could use the money for their own professional development (and money is tight in our department) and I'm afraid this would cause bad feelings and people would take it personally.
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 22, 2013 -
18 answers
My job uses write ups for everything—for typos, for bad customer service, for being late, for heavy stuff, for silly stuff that doesn’t matter. Literally everything. How do I either learn to deal with this or figure out how to professionally approach it with the higher-ups in my company?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 20, 2013 -
11 answers
I am an hourly part time worker with no formal vacation time or sick leave, though I am theoretically entitled to unpaid leave whenever I'd ask, however due to a hiring freeze neither I nor more senior full time workers have had access to legitimate vacation time for some time. What is the classiest way to play hookey to see my partner 6+ hours away?
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posted by Mouse on Mercury
on Mar 19, 2013 -
8 answers
Please help with a complicated work situation.
Some context: Mid-twenties, female, graduated from a top-ranked university in liberal arts (I know, I know, but it worked out in the end. Sort of.) I work in sort of a niche, new media-y entertainment field, for which I am extremely grateful. I love this industry and I love the company I work for. And yet, snowflakes abound…
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posted by themaskedwonder
on Mar 19, 2013 -
10 answers
In short: I need to track a couple of hundred tasks over 10-15 projects (in any of 7 areas) on the go at any one time. In a month, when I am asked, I currently have only a vague notion which project took up the most time.
Currently using Things for Mac and iphone, but am open to moving if it is for a better solution (i integrated time tracking with no loss of functionality). Am ok with paying for it.
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posted by Brockles
on Mar 18, 2013 -
6 answers
Looking for lifehacks to help me thrive in a stressful high-pressure job working 50+ hours a week long-term. I am special, find out why..
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posted by f3l1x
on Mar 18, 2013 -
21 answers
I've had the same job for the past 6 years. In that time, my job title has changed 3 times, my department has been involved in four major reorgs and been moved all over the company, my department name has changed 5 times, and I've reported to 4 different people. Throughout all that, the actual job I've been doing has remained the same. How do I indicate that on a resume for an internal position in another department?
posted by logic vs love
on Mar 18, 2013 -
7 answers
I'm not sure what to do - leave a job I've only been in for 10 months and move after a job offer - or stay in my present job and try to see if I can make it work?
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posted by Flowerpower
on Mar 16, 2013 -
17 answers
My employer requires me to travel to a meeting 20 miles away once a week. They do not pay gas or mileage for this and as of today, are refusing to compensate for travel time as well. Is this legal?
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posted by youandiandaflame
on Mar 15, 2013 -
9 answers
I've decided to leave my job, and I want to be responsible and wait 1-2 months to give notice so that I don't leave the company stranded. I've always had friction with my manager, which is one of the main reasons I'm leaving. During my last couple of months, I want to get along well with her so that she'll remember me positively, but I find myself blurting out negative things that I'm thinking. How do I stop?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 15, 2013 -
9 answers
Recovering Spanx addict and emerging caftan woman needs to look professional at work. Snowstorm inside.
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posted by Currer Belfry
on Mar 14, 2013 -
14 answers
I caught up with a good pal and sometime boss last night and I learned something new and interesting. She said on first meeting I can come off as distant, focused on the job and not in a warm way. Looking for tips on how to change this.
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posted by mooza
on Mar 13, 2013 -
8 answers
I am taking sick leave while my kid has had some appendix issues. (He was in the ER yesterday and we have surgical consults coming up tomorrow.) I have time this afternoon to catch up with work but am feeling vaguely annoyed at being put-upon by a certain department. Office drama and snowflakes inside.
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posted by QuantumMeruit
on Mar 13, 2013 -
14 answers
My girlfriend got her B.A. in Psychology, then worked for 2 years doing ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy with autistic children. After that, she worked for 6 years in the family business: her parents are doctors, and she served as the admin, doing scheduling, billing, hiring/firing, account management/finances, building management, etc. Now, she is looking for a new job (one of the parents is retiring next month), but we are having trouble coming up with her next career step. Any ideas, MetaFilter? More details inside.
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posted by rjacobs
on Mar 12, 2013 -
6 answers
