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Archives

April 19, 2009
Q: I would like to apply for a position that states "Advanced proficiency with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator is required" but I have no experience with this software. My education and work experience meet all of the other requirements except these and I believe I can easily acquire these skills at the community college with a few evening classes. Do I address this weakness head on in my cover letter and provide a solution? Or ignore this requirement and address it if I get an interview?
Download Just Ask Jen: April 19, 2009 (180 KB)

April 12, 2009
Q: Given that being laid off is a potential reality for not just me, but for most of your readers, what are your thoughts about how to leave a job appropriately? Where my current employer is concerned, is there anything I should be prepared to do, or not do, should my personal pink slip arrive?
Download Just Ask Jen: April 12, 2009 (180 KB)

April 5, 2009
Q: Six more people in my office were let go this week and I may or may not be next. I am well-regarded in my office and frequently receive compliments on my work, but nobody’s safe these days. Like most people, I’m trying to punch up my resume in case I need it. I have a few letters of reference from previous employers and a list of references that’s still current enough. I think if I were to be laid off, I would get a great letter of reference from my boss too. I know you’re supposed to focus on results in your resume instead of just your job duties, so do letters of reference really factor in all that much anymore?
Download Just Ask Jen: April 5, 2009 (180 KB)

March 29, 2009
Q: I’m a pretty even-keel person, but find the extreme personalities in my office a little bit much to deal with. At best, they’re irritating. At worst, they complicate the simplest of projects. From victims to martyrs to arrogant jerks, how are normal people supposed to work with these nightmares?
Download Just Ask Jen: March 29, 2009 (180 KB)

March 22, 2009
Q: I have some new job interviews coming up, and with so many people out of work, I know I’m probably competing with a lot more candidates than before. How can I be sure to make a great first impression, stand out from the crowd, and increase my chances of landing the job?
Download Just Ask Jen: March 22, 2009 (180 KB)

March 15, 2009
Q: I am considering relocating back to Baltimore. I’ve been in Miami for three years and I’m over it. My job here is fine, but there’s really no growth potential. My mom is not in the best of health and I’d like to move back home to help her out, and to be closer to the friends I grew up with. My wife doesn’t love it here either but says we should stay put and not rock the boat in an economy like this one. What’s the right way to go here?
Download Just Ask Jen: March 15, 2009 (160 KB)

March 8, 2009
Q: I am totally exhausted. I have been working harder than ever lately. I guess I have layoffs and fear about the economy in the back of my mind all the time, so I feel like I need to keep pushing harder every day. I’m now tired of working into the evenings and weekends, I miss my family and for the first time in my life, I have chronic headaches. And the worst part is that I find things now take me twice as long to do. How can I get my energy back and hold onto my job with out making my self sick?
Download Just Ask Jen: March 8, 2009 (164 KB)

March 1, 2009
Q: I’m getting conflicting advice from colleagues and friends about how to position myself at work so that I don’t fall onto the layoff list. Should I emphasize how critical I am or just try to fly under the radar?
Download Just Ask Jen: March 1, 2009 (160 KB)

February 22, 2009
Q: I’ve had several jobs over the last ten years in the sales field, but none of them ever seem to stick. Sometimes I get fired and sometimes I leave, but either way these jobs never last. I’m tired of moving from one job to the next, and would like to find something I like that’s stable. I have a Masters degree in Communications by the way. Any suggestions?
Download Just Ask Jen: February 22, 2009 (160 KB)

February 15, 2009
Q: This economy is unbelievable. I can’t get over the layoffs, the bailouts, and the overall insanity that unfolds every day in the news. As hard-working, bill-paying citizens, what can we be doing to protect ourselves from losing our jobs? Our homes? Our minds?
Download Just Ask Jen: February 15, 2009 (160 KB)

February 8, 2009
Q: I think if my employers were smart, they would encourage ongoing training programs to get the staff up to speed and keep them there. Even in a tight economy, don’t they realize that expanding team knowledge helps the company? There are so many training programs out there that would help me to do my job more efficiently, but upper management is clearly clueless. How do I get the training I need to keep up with industry changes and do my job well if my bosses are too cheap to see the value?
Download Just Ask Jen: February 8, 2009 (160 KB)

February 1, 2009
Q: My boss has invited me to a Superbowl party at his house, but my annual tradition, which I love, is to watch from home. Is there any way I can politely decline, or is something like this a "must go?" If I have to go, how much will I have to change my behavior?
Download Just Ask Jen: February 1, 2009 (164 KB)

January 25, 2009
Q: I’ve been invited to a lot of good job interviews lately, but I always feel awkward when it comes to asking about work-life balance programs. In this economy, should I even ask? If yes, how do I handle it so I don’t look like a slacker? And does gender have anything to do with it…I mean, not to be sexist, but is it an odd question because I’m a man?
Download Just Ask Jen: January 25, 2009 (180 KB)

January 18, 2009
Q: My 25 year old, unemployed stepson still lives with my husband and me, and we are desperately trying to get him to move on with his life, without any success. He has a degree in Criminal Justice, but does not want to do anything in that field. He has had job success in computer support (must be all the time he has spent in his room playing computer games), so we have encouraged him to take more computer courses, get certified in more computer programs, or go back to school for Computer Science, but he says he does not have the money. We live close to a military base and with BRAC moving into the area I think he will have great high-tech job opportunities there. He is a smart kid who scored well on his SAT's and was accepted into a respected business school, but after one semester, he decided that degree was not for him. Can you give me some suggestions on how my stepson can go about taking extra courses or what kind of positions he would be qualified for?
Download Just Ask Jen: January 18, 2009 (164 KB)

January 11, 2009
Q: I'm writing on behalf of my sister who is unbelievably unhappy and stressed out. The problem is not that she hates her job but that she can't seem to find a better one. She has sent her resume to several businesses and they never call for an interview. She has been job searching for years now and I can count on one hand how many interviews she's been on. She has reworked and rewritten her resume several times, has tons of experience in just about all areas of human resources, and she has her master's degree. Ninety-nine percent of the time she applies for jobs that she is completely qualified for and then they never call for an interview. What is she doing wrong? I can't bear to go through another year looking at her disappointed face and seeing the life drain from her everyday.
Download Just Ask Jen: January 11, 2009 (156 KB)

January 4, 2009
Q: It’s that time of year again. I feel the need to commit to resolutions for the New Year, but wonder if I should bother when I look at all of the resolutions that never happened last year. What’s the key to setting resolutions that you can actually make happen?
Download Just Ask Jen: January 4, 2009 (172 KB)

December 21, 2008
Q: One of the best parts of the holiday season is remembering how much we have to be thankful for, which naturally gets us to thinking about those who don’t have as much. I’m always inspired to volunteer more, both now and in the upcoming year. But I never quite see it through. With an already hectic schedule, how can I find the time to be the volunteer I want to be?
Download Just Ask Jen: December 21, 2008 (168 KB)

December 14, 2008
Q: I find that lately I’m losing my grip on any kind of self-discipline. I’m eating more, exercising less, and fluctuating between intense spurts of hard work and periods where I just stare at my computer. It’s probably just the busy holiday season, right?
Download Just Ask Jen: December 14, 2008 (172 KB)

December 7, 2008
Q: It is only the first week of December and I am already overwhelmed with holiday to- do’s. My life is ridiculously hectic on any given Tuesday, so I’m at a loss as to how to manage my work and my life while still enjoying what is supposed to be a season of merriment. Any suggestions?
Download Just Ask Jen: December 7, 2008 (180 KB)

November 30, 2008
Q: I’m ready to move on from my current job. With the holiday season having begun though, I assume it’s probably about the worst time to look for a new job. Should I wait until everyone gets back in the game in January so that my resume doesn’t get lost in the holiday shuffle?
Download Just Ask Jen: November 30, 2008 (160 KB)

November 23, 2008
Q: I’m contemplating getting a Blackberry or other PDA but am concerned about being connected all the time. How do you balance the efficiency of a handheld device with having a life outside of it?
Download Just Ask Jen: November 23, 2008 (152 KB)

November 16, 2008
Q: I’m looking at a new job opportunity that has a pretty hefty travel commitment. I didn’t travel after I had my kids, but now that they’re both in school it should be fine. I love to travel, and I figure the family can even come along sometimes. My husband is on board with the decision, and the job is a step up, so what’s the downside?
Download Just Ask Jen: November 16, 2008 (176 KB)

November 9, 2008
Q: My company has really embraced the cost-effectiveness of telecommuting, and I love now being able to work virtually in my jeans. My problem is that I’m easily distracted by things I need to do around the house, and my husband and kids really don’t understand that even though I’m at home, I’m still working. I feel like I used to be productive both at my corporate office and at home, but now some days I feel like I can barely manage either. Wasn’t this supposed to make my life easier? How can I separate my home office from my home life?
Download Just Ask Jen: November 9, 2008 (172 KB)

November 2, 2008
Q: People are getting laid off all over the place. Everyone from my boss to my wife is watching every penny. People are scared and no one is spending. I’m so tired of this frugality mindset already. This is a temporary economic setback, for Pete’s sake. Have we all lost our minds?
Download Just Ask Jen: November 2, 2008 (168 KB)

October 26, 2008
Q: My boss drives me nuts. As soon as I pull off a great win with a client, he says a quick “good job” and then promptly points out the 3 other things I need to get on top of. I knock myself out for months and forget what my partner looks like, but the satisfaction of a job well done doesn’t even last five minutes. Is feeling appreciated at work really too much to ask?
Download Just Ask Jen: October 26, 2008 (196 KB)

October 19, 2008
Q: I have great kids and a terrific husband, but my work is not at all fulfilling to me. I know in this economy I should just be grateful to have a decent job, but I have this nagging sense that I’m supposed to be doing something else. I’m not sure if I’m just restless or if I’m really in the wrong career. How can I figure it out?
Download Just Ask Jen: October 19, 2008 (156 KB)

October 12, 2008
Q: The other night, a business coach at a networking meeting stood up and said “forget about striving for work-life balance because it doesn’t exist.” I aim for a balanced life, but most days I feel like I’m barely pulling it off. And while my office claims to have a work-life balance program, it’s basically PR fluff. So I’m wondering…is that coach right? Are so many of us looking for something that doesn’t really exist?
Download Just Ask Jen: October 12, 2008 (160 KB)

October 5, 2008
Q: Every time I turn around I’m hearing about another person who has been laid off. Let’s just say that it wouldn’t shock me, given my industry, if the same thing happened to me. I’ve flirted with starting my own business for a while and I think now may be the time to dive in. How can I best prepare myself for this transition?
Download Just Ask Jen: October 5, 2008 (192 KB)

September 28, 2008
Q: I studied long and hard and finally achieved all of the education I can stand. I have a steady job with a small business, but with my degrees I know I can make a huge salary jump. I’m ready to earn that big paycheck, but wonder if making a switch just for the money is short-sighted?
Download Just Ask Jen: September 28, 2008 (168 KB)

September 21, 2008
Q: This economy is making me nervous. I have a reasonably stable job with half-decent benefits, but it’s by no means an ideal situation. I have been considering the security of a government job or going to the other end of the spectrum and starting my own business. What’s the right move?
Download Just Ask Jen: September 21, 2008 (180 KB)

September 14, 2008
Q: I’ve grown increasingly frustrated with my current job and while I don’t hate it yet, I think it’s time to look elsewhere. But working full time and managing things at home leaves little room for a job search. What’s the best way to approach this?
Download Just Ask Jen: September 14, 2008 (168 KB)

September 7, 2008
Q: My little sister says I need to network online. My mother says I’m too busy to socialize and to take networking meetings off my list. As an executive in my late thirties with two kids and a husband I’d like to see more of, can you tell me how to balance networking with an already packed schedule…or if I should even bother?
Download Just Ask Jen: September 7, 2008 (188 KB)