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It really depends on the agency. It could take a while or be done quickly depending on their needs for a replacement. If you can avoid a downgrade it is in your best interest since your future employment will be based on your current salary and position title, etc.

Great question. I am sure you are upset about this since you took the job under one set of circumstances and now they have changed those with you. It sounds like you worked the past 6 month probationary period full time right? If so, they now probably feel like you can do this (since you already demonstrated that you could do it without telecommuting). I would definitely revisit this issue with HR.

First, you should look at your options if they don't agree with you. Think about (and have a plan) for what you will do if they don't allow you to telecommute. For example, maybe you will stay there, but also look for other employment. Remember that it is always easier to find a new job while you have a current job.

Once you have figured out your options I would set up a meeting with them to discuss this issue. Find out from their perspective why it is difficult to allow you to telecommute. Maybe ask "can you help me understand why telecommuting would be difficult to do". Listen to their views about this since it is important for you to know what they are thinking before you can get them to change their mind. Then, depending on what they tell you, you will need to be firm about reminding them about your previous agreement. Regardless of what happens in that meeting, don't make a decision at that point. See what your other options are. Best of luck!

This is really a tough situation to be in. You did not say how far along you are in the 1.5 years of the program. I think it would be great for you to stay the full time in the program - it gives you great experience and shows loyalty to a firm (for at least this long). In the meantime, I would also be looking at other possibilities since you said you don't think you want to stay in this firm. You really don't have much choice at this point about whether people refer to their particular job areas. I would NOT tell them you are planning to leave at this point, unless of course you are almost done your 1.5 year term. If you just started, then it might be okay to just let them know you are open to any possibilities. Remember, stay employed to get employed! Good luck.

With salary, the first choice is to leave blank what you currently are making since it rarely is to your advantage to answer this question. If you can't leave it blank due to the online form, then you might be able to type in zeros or XXs to just be able to get to the next part of the application. They may still ask you about this later, but at least they would not initially screen you out.

Yes, thanks for sharing. Definitely worth seeing since many can relate to it!

I understand - and there is plenty of research showing that telecommuting can be very advantageous for employers in keeping top talent, regardless of whether they have children or not. It shouldn't be related to parental status at all. In fact, legally those types of comments are very problematic.

Sometimes, sharing some of the research on the benefits of telecommuting can help move employers who are a little slower to make these changes. If you look at the SHRM or ASTD websites, you should gain some information on this. Best of luck!

This is understandable and unfortunately common for those who are self-employed. There are several things you can do. 1. make sure you have good project managment or time management skills. If not, get some training in this area. 2. Make sure you have the energy you need to fully tackle what you are doing. If you read the book "The Power of Full Engagement", you will see that it is not just about "time", but more about "energy". This means you need to be getting enough sleep, eating right, preserving your mental energy, etc. 3. I would also continue what you are doing in terms of delegation and empowering others to help you out. What about even getting someone to help with bookkeeping or filing or some of the administrative aspects of your job? Think about the parts of your job "that only YOU can do" and try to find others to do the rest. Maybe you are great at selling, but not so good at filing. Good luck!

I appreciate your comments, but it really depends on the employer. If the applicant is really strong, most HR people will not screen someone out for using XXs to indicate current salary. But, remember, the stronger the applicant, the more you can do this.

Great for you that you are going back to school to expand your skills. What you might want to first do is give some thought to where you might want to work - which companies. Then, you might look to see where many of their current employees got their degrees. There are numerous online programs and plenty of good ones. I am assuming you want an online degree since this is the easiest way for you to manage your multiple roles (working, mother, etc). Do you have any connections to colleges or universities near you? Sometimes, you can ask career counselors or faculty in those schools about their specific recommendations for good online schools. But, definitely look to see what firms you would be most interested in working for. You would hate to get this degree and then learn that the 3 firms you most wanted to work for think lowly of where you got your degree. Best of luck!

Great start. Maybe our readers can also offer some additional tips regarding how they have learned to connect with others.

In addition to using Linked in, I would also think about joining professional associations for your area of specialization. Go to conferences and meetings to learn more about the area and to meet more people. This is a great forum for making connections. You can also look at events being held in colleges and universities since often they sponsor opportunities for individuals to network, etc. Good luck!

So, it sounds like he really needs to retool himself. If the books and career advisor sent him back to the career he was in (which he did not like), there must be certain aspects of that job that do agree with him. He needs to prepare a list of what he liked and disliked about that job. Maybe he actually liked the work, but not the company or those particular people. By really examining his past experience this will help prepare him for the future. Also, have him think about what he most enjoyed doing in his life (any job, even as far back as his younger days). Get him to think about what aspects he enjoyed - was it working outside, working with people, working with money, building a team, etc. He needs to think about those issues and make sure those become a part of any new job he gets. I think reading Bolles' book " What Color is your parachute?" might also help. He also needs to repackage his resume to list the skills he has. He will not be able to find a job in a new area (as a career switcher) if he keeps writing his resume in the old way. Maybe he needs to also ask other colleagues or people he has worked with what they think about areas he might go into.

So, you see, there are a number of things he can do to learn more about himself and repackage himself. Good luck!

Great job on your part! I would do as much research as possible on the firm before actually meeting with them. One of the biggest complaints employers have is that people don't know much about them. They get irritated about this since it is not that difficult to do. You can get on their website to learn more about who the key executives are, what their strategy and vision is, what businesses they are in, how their company is doing financially, etc. If you share some of this information with them, they will know you took the time to learn more about them, and will be impressed. But, don't just be superficial about this. Make sure you examine it carefully. Also, make sure you have specific questions you can ask them about the job, colleagues, etc. A lot of times applicants never ask any questions which looks odd to employers. Ask about their vision for the future. Ask about what they really love about their jobs. Show interest in what THEY are doing on their jobs. This goes a long way. Good luck in these interviews!

Some feedback from a reader.

Good question and definitely a concern for you. I would first look at how hard your boss is working. You might start the conversation by pointing this out "looks like you are really working lots of hours, do you see this trend continuing?". Tone is really important here. You want to express concern and an attempt to really understand what is going on.

Then, you need to empathesize and indicate that these long hours are also true for you as well. You might try to learn why it is like this and if your boss sees any end in site. LISTEN to what your boss says. This will give you an idea of what is going on. Do you have any idea about how morale is at the firm? If it is not so good, you can point that out (due to the long hours) and even brainstorm with your boss about strategies for dealing with this.

Just some thoughts - but the key thing is to understand from your boss's view why things are like they are, when they might change, and if there is anything that can be done about it (e.g., getting additional help, etc). Use an understanding tone and spend a lot of time listening. What you learn can help in the next conversation you have with your boss.

Can you find out who is writing this newsletter and ask them for more details? Or, ask dept. heads about what they know. You need to make sure you have a broad enough network through various departments to learn about these openings early. Often, they are not communicated easily so it is difficult to learn of openings. I would definitely first start with the person who wrote the articles. Good luck!

Is there a written dress code that says women have to wear these outfits? If not, they really can't enforce this. In fact, if you are a good bartender (customers like you, ask for you by name when they arrive, sit near your section, etc), it won't matter what they say about your dress code since you are bringing in money. You might want to be able to point this out to them.  I would also chat with the other women bartenders and try to have a plan for all of you - if you all dress a certain way (the way YOU want to dress), then they will have less ability to press you about this. You can even try to get the male bartenders to support you on this. Usually, bartenders stick together.  As mentioned, if there is no explicit dress code, they can't enforce this and they are just trying to pressure you. Don't let them.

Great advice from this reader! Thanks. This is all part of the book "The Power of Full Engagement". I totally agree -  block out time for yourself -  especially sleep and exercise. It makes a HUGE difference!

I would try to avoid answering the question about your current salary. I know it is tough, but if you can avoid it, it helps. You can nicely let them know that it really isn't relevant since the work was different (if it was). What is most important is to look at market research for what you should be making now in the job you are looking at. There are numerous websites to help with this - check out salary.com, careerbuilder.com, glassdoor.com among others.

If you currently have a job (yet want a new job), it is often better to stay in that job while you are looking for another job. Employers find you more attractive if someone else already has you. If you quit the job and start looking, there may be a gap in your resume and employers wonder about that. Plus, your negotiating leverage is much higher if you are currently employed as long as you don't tell them you are miserable at yur current job. Hope this helps.

Sure. Check out the www.astd.org and www.shrm.org websites as well as Department of Labor websites to look for those jobs. ASTD has lots of great information about the field of training and development. Good luck!