9 to 5

Do you think this is messed up? Boss offered letter of recommendation and haven't seen it? Been a month...

imawestie — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:57:30 GMT

So its been a month since I was laid off. My boss offered to write a letter of recommendation and I said yes. I even followed up in an email two days later saying that I appreciated the offer and it would be great if she could provide it in the next couple of weeks. She wrote back asking if there was anything specific she should cover...I said no, just whatever she felt would be appropriate since she directly managed me for the last 2 yrs. Weird, but whatever. That was like 3 weeks ago--still nothing. So on Monday I sent her a note through LinkedIn asking for a recommendation--I even wrote a note saying in lieu of a formal letter, I'd appreciate her writing something for my linkedin profile. No response. WTF!? I think this is VERY inconsiderate. I know she has been at work--it's not like she is ill or traveling or something. Am I thinking into this too much? It really bugs me that she herself offered and she can't even write 5 sentences for my linkedin profile?

Trading shifts with coworkers- favors not returned

Myna — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:35:59 GMT

I work in a small place, we do 12 hr shifts. (Night shift hospital) One lady has a rep of always begging to trade shifts, promises to return the favor, but never follows through. Even has done some no shows on the shifts she had to cover for the trade.And that means the person she was covering for has to go in or face a writeup/reprimand for it!

Somehow always has gotten all the holidays off, pleads church functions, kid's party, baptism, etc etc when she wants a prized day off.

I guess after so many years folks have gotten tired of it. She was told she had to cover her assigned shifts, no one was stepping forward to trade.

She called me an hour before her shift started and wanted me to go in for her. I had to decline-it's a night shift and I'd already been up 24 hrs. I wasn't safe to go in due to lack of sleep and told her I couldn't. She still tried to guilt trip me into it...

Guess I am somewhat a bad person, I felt bad for her but not horribly bad..

How do ya'll deal with someone like this?

Should DH Re-Submit His Resume?

CalledOut — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:17:37 GMT

My H was contacted by a recruiter for a contract / temporary position with a company that he's been dying to get into. He interviewed about 3 weeks ago, but hasn't heard from them since (and no response to his thank-you email or follow-up call, so I guess it's not looking good). Since that time, the company has posted the same position, except that it's full-time / employee status on Monster.com.

I tell him that he should re-submit his resume along w/ a cover email that says "I've already interviewed for X job, but would like to be considered for this position as well." H says it's stupid to send a second resume and that if HR is interested in him for the full-time position, they'd give him a call.

WDYT?

How do you negotiate a flexible schedule?

nadiyahl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:50:47 GMT

Within the last 5 years, I've worked at 2 major corporations. The first allowed me to work from my home office for 4 years. I was laid off and moved to another company and was allowed to work from home 2-3 days a week when traveling. Due to the economic situations, my current company is being bought out. I have the opportunity to interview with the new purchaser on Monday.

I never had to negotiate working at home, it was a part of the job description. How do I go about negotiating this with my possible new position?

Any advise would be appreciated.

lost my job today

jwolfberg — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:31:37 GMT

I need some help. I just lost my job today. I have never been fired before... in 10 years of working! is there any one out there who has been fired and how did you discuss it when in interviews. It was basically a situation where the company made a knee jerk reaction to possible changes in the medicare environment and are trying to clear out staff and keep temps. I cant think of how to spin it for a new employer so that it does not sound unprofessional. any advice is welcome!

Lay offs

Starstruckchaos — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:49:19 GMT

I received a notice today by EMAIL that the main officers are closing all the labs and offices where I live, therefore implementing a lay off. Which I was included in.

Back in the job market, no idea where to start... Not to mention that could be the decision point for the husband and I. We were wanting to move back home... but now I'm worried about money!

Ugh.. no job is safe apparently.

COME ON FIVE O'CLOCK!

cricket6614@yahoo.com — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:15:49 GMT

Ready for this week to be done!!!

Math Major with Minor Questions

lwebster — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:52:07 GMT

Hi everyone, I am currently a Math major going into education however with the Education budgets everywhere going down, i am nervous I will never find a job in education....so I am considering doing a minor in Business then later going back to get my Masters then teach? Am I totally nuts for thinking I can do something with a Math major with a minor in business? Thanks for the advice

Getting published....

So Blessed — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:37:45 GMT

My best friend has her masters in special education and works as an English teacher at a local high school. For years she has been working on a book...technically a children's book...but in my opinion it's for children, teenagers, and young adults...heck, I'd enjoy it myself. Anyways, she's been sending query letters out the butt and everyone tells her that they would love to work with her but that her genre isn't selling right now. She has other books that aren't finished...romance and literary works...that are absolutely amazing! And I don't just say that b/c she's my friend. Does anyone know anything about finding a literary agent? How about for a specific genre? Any advice for her??

test

martinilove — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:23:12 GMT

Test

Nursing as a second career

zenyatta — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:45:07 GMT

Hello! Just curious if there's anyone here who has pursued Nursing as a second career? I have a bachelor's degree in another field, and now I am considering going back to get an accelerated bachelor's in Nursing. Just wondering if anyone who has followed this path (or a similar one)... how did you know Nursing was the right career choice for you, especially if your previous career was in a completely unrelated field? What do you love about Nursing? Do you feel that you made the right choice to go back to school to pursue Nursing?

Thank you!

So Frustrated!

blonden2fast4u — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:09:22 GMT

So I am just beyond frustrated at my boss! She keeps telling me that for all the trainings I set up (i'm in a 2 person HR dept) that I need to remind people 5 or so times for each training!

What really irks me is that people have told me to my face that they delete my emails and don't read them. My boss still makes me email these reminders out, full well knowing that everyone just deletes them or doesn't even read them!

It just drives me crazy that I have to continue to do this even though it has been proven pointless. I think one reminder is more than enough. But I guess that enabling our 300 employees to slack off is better than helping me reduce my workload!

Sorry for the long vent! I'm just beyond frustrated!

feeling lost and unmotivated...

Summer2122 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:04:28 GMT

Hi I am a lurker and have been for some time and I just wanted to ask everyone how they "knew" what they were supposed to be doing career wise..

I currently hate my job- I feel like I have wasted my 20s (I am almost 30) working very hard in dead end corporate jobs and wish I had a trained skill (ie: nurse, teacher, x ray tech) something tangible other than business related skills.

I keep debating going back to school to become something... (my undergrad was in Journalism) but I just have no idea what..

one month I am debating nursing... then x ray..

but then on the flip side early childhood ed..

but really I just want out of the corporate world and into something that i can feel good about, that I am making a difference and living a fullfilling and meaningful life instead of working in fashion. (I currently have a job most people would envy- Fashion producer- photo shoots, travel, styling etc... and I "thought" that was what i wanted but I hate it, I think its superficial and I just dont have the passion I once did)

How long will it take to hear about a job?!

abwkem2129 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:29:58 GMT

Hey ya'll, hope everyone's having a good evening.

Just wanted to ask a question because I am absolutely paranoid about the fiance and myself getting jobs. Fiance graduated college with his bachelors degree in May. He has applied for 10-15 jobs in the law enforcement field and taken and passed all the tests required. About 4 of these jobs have let him know they have put hiring freezes on their departments and will contact him when they are able to hire new officers. It's November and he still has not heard anything. One of the positions he has applied for, he knows the man in charge of hiring and he has told him it's going VERY slowly because they're being extra picky because of the economy. He also said that he wants to hire my fiance but cannot until the state processes his paperwork. I graduate in a few weeks with my B.A. and I am very worried about what we're going to do. I have applied for several jobs that need someone to start in the new year and not heard back from any of them. I have called to see if my application was recieved at each of these places and everytime they tell me it's "being processed". If we both don't hear something definite by December 13th, we are going to have to move in with his parents until we get jobs and can stand on our own two feet. I do NOT want to do this, (Nothing against the future in-laws, they are great! I just dont want to be a burden on them and let's face it- it's not the ideal situation).

How long will it generally take to hear back from a prospective employer? I am getting very anxious. It's definitely not the ideal time to be graduating college- hardly any jobs! :(

Please Help: Unemployment Benefits Question

Melissa66 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:39:31 GMT

I need to find out the maximum number of hours I'm permitted to work at my part-time job and still claim weekly unemployment benefits. I'm not allowed to work a full-time 40 hr/week job, correct? I live/work in NJ.

I've been trying to call my state Labor Dept but they keep cutting me off due to high call volume. I can't find this info on the Labor Dept website. This is time sensitive.

Please help!

TIA, ladies!

ONLINE real estate schools

fl4lovers — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:12:40 GMT

Any online real estate schools? I live in Fl and am wondering how to find a legit one. TIA

Help - chatty coworker

Izabella22 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:38:54 GMT

Ok so we have a small group - 6 of us total, we're pretty tight knit and know a lot about eachothers lives etc and so personal conversations are very normal. We interact while we get our work done, it works. We have a new employee of about 1 month who apparently never really got the concept of "conversation" being a dialogue between 2 or more people... not a monologue where one person talks at other people who can't get a word in edgewise or make their way thru the room without getting talked at about everything from what their kids eat, college applications, what the dog did, how their car runs, the time it took them to get to work... you name it if its on her mind its out her mouth into your ear - she does this regardless of how busy things are, whether you're running out the door to go to the restroom, or god forbid if you wear headphones (yes she'll just get closer and talk over them!!!). Its to the point where my other coworkers come into my office to just get some quiet, at which point we all vent about how frustrated we are and its disrupting the ability to get work done. I feel somewhat bad because she isn't a bad person, but its irritating when you're in the middle of a conversation (work or personal) and someone interjects about how sick the dog was last night... totally unrelated... and how do you appropriately respond? We're mostly at the point where we're ignoring her, because at some point we do actually have to get work done but I feel like I should say something to her before it blows up and someone (myself included) lets loose on her to shut her yap. But I can't possibly think of a nice way to say, hey, maybe shut up once in a while! Is there a nice way to let someone know that although we value conversation and being a close group, sometimes we really need quiet time to just get things done? I'm at a loss.

English Majors?

WillaK — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:04:58 GMT

What have you done with a BA in English?

Do you know of any good jobs for people with English degrees?

Difficult transition

amazinggrace*223 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:23:00 GMT

I work as a writer at a creative advertising agency, and we recently had a big transition in the creative department of our company. It's not going well.

Before the transition, I was the lowest-level copywriter under my boss, a senior writer, but I also managed the writing for several accounts on my own that were not supervised by him. I was basically the "garbage girl" - I did all of the assignments that the other writers didn't want to do.

They recently re-did the entire org chart for the creative department, and my boss isn't my boss anymore, and they moved me to a new team - a REAL creative team that handles all of the big-picture concepting, new business work, etc., and I absolutely love it so far.

They gave my boss several of my old accounts to take on as his own, and he's NOT happy about it - one account in particular. In fact, he told me today that his "New Year's Resolution" was to "get rid of the account," and I'm pretty sure that he's going to do that by sabotaging his own work. Throughout the week, he's been missing deadlines, writing TERRIBLE copy (which is unlike him - he's extremely smart and an excellent writer), and being a total a-hole to everyone else on the account. They asked me to step in temporarily and take care of the assignments that he failed at, and I'm working overtime at re-writing all of his awful copy (of course, we don't get overtime pay) while he goes home early. The problem is, I don't want to be on the account either. I've been writing for that account for over a year, and I've hated every minute of it, and I LOVE my new position. I'm worried that they'll get so tired of his antics that they'll switch our positions, and he'll be on the concepting team and they'll put me back onto the account. According to everyone who works on that account, it's something that they're seriously considering.

The worst part is, this jackass makes 3x what I make, and I'm cleaning up all of his work while he acts like a total baby. Any advice on how to handle this before I get completely screwed over for doing a good job?

Brown Biz Suit

kjvogelsang — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:11:49 GMT

I need a brown business suit. I looked at Ann Taylor Loft last weekend and didn't find any in brown. Where can I find a cute one?

Need advice

maddiet09 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:03:20 GMT

I found out yesterday that I will be laid off from my job. Next week will be my last week. My boss has asked me to essentially lie about the reason I am leaving. I guess he doesn't want people to know that he can no longer afford to pay me, so he wants me to say that I am 'leaving to look for another job.' I do not think it's fair to ask me to lie to our clients/contacts about why I am leaving and it makes me look like I'm just not happy in the job so I'm up and leaving without another job lined up. I do not feel like there is anything wrong with me saying, "With the economy being what it is, my boss can no longer afford to keep me on with the company." My boss it totally about appearances and I guess he wants to save face. Am I wrong in thinking that it's unfair of him to ask me to lie about why I am leaving? How you would handle this?

f/u to philosophy of education

Stuedey092907 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:47:39 GMT

How long are these typically supposed to be? I just looked over my philosophy, and it's about 1 3/4 pgs, double spaced. Is this too long? I address self-motivation, teaching to different learning styles/abilities (and that all students can learn), and reflecting on my lessons. I don't know. What are they looking for in a philosophy of education? I talked more about my teaching style than anything.

Drug & Alcohol testing?

WilyRed — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:13:46 GMT

DH just got a job offer from a new company and they said they have drug & alcohol testing. Now we've taken tons of drug tests, but what does drug & alcohol testing mean? Same thing? Obviously, we are drinkers. As long as he hasn't drank for 12 hours before the test should he be fine? Just wondering.

Teacher Poll

sctiger52408 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:03:05 GMT

This is more for curiosity- I'm wondering about rules/procedures at other schools.

What grade/subject do you teach?

What kind of required before/after school duty do you have?

How often do you have lunch duty?

Do you have meetings during planning periods?

How often do you have whole staff meetings?

What time does school begin and end (for students)?

Are you required to keep a website with plans and other handouts?

How long do your kids get for lunch?

If you teach middle or high school, are you on a block or other schedule? How many class periods a day?

Etiquette Question

Connie2631 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:04:09 GMT

I work for a small family business and I am the only non-family member here. Sometimes our office manager (the wife) goes out and gets lunch and asks if we want anything (we meaning her sons and me). If I do want something and I do get it (like I just did) am I supposed to pay her back or offer to pay for my meal? No one else does, but they are all family. Thanks!