Ask Annie

Do you have time to be a mentor?

Some managers who have squeezed mentoring into their already-packed schedules say they get as much out of it as mentees do.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I am a team leader at a company that has started encouraging everyone at my level to mentor at least one or two people below us. The point is to identify those with the potential to move up and guide them toward getting the right skills MORE

Employers offer more flexibility in overseas assignments

Thanks partly to Gen Y up-and-comers who want international experience but on their own terms, one size no longer fits all.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: A friend sent me your recent column about increases in benefits for employees who are being relocated within the U.S., so I'm wondering if companies' international policies are changing, too. Here's the situation: I've been offered a really interesting promotion, which happens to be located in MORE

Job hunting? What kind of pay hike to expect

Starting pay has yet to bounce back from the recession.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I read your column about finding a job in a different industry, but I'm looking for a new position in the same business I'm in now, and I have two main concerns. First, you mentioned that candidates should be prepared with intelligent questions. I wish I had asked more probing questions before I took my current job MORE

How do you lead when no one wants to follow?

Overcoming employee resistance to change is among the biggest challenges managers face. Don't try to do it all on your own.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: Late last year, the top management at my company unveiled a major strategy change for 2013, and put those of us in middle management in charge of making sure everyone who reports to us is on board with the new approach. Without going into too much MORE

Is it ever okay to cry at the office?

For about one in four people (both men and women), tears are an automatic biological response to highly stressful situations. So why are they still taboo?

Can you find a new job in a different industry?

Most managers have more transferable skills than they may realize, but overcoming a lack of industry experience can be tough. Here's how you can do it.

7 steps to a greener (and smarter) workplace

Helping the planet can also boost the bottom line, says an executive at super-green -- and highly profitable -- Patagonia. Here's how.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: My company is putting the finishing touches on our plans and goals for 2013, and my boss, who runs the division where I am a brand manager, has given me a big, vague assignment: Make our business run "greener" in the year ahead. This will MORE

Holiday gift-giving at work: 5 ways to get it right

A business etiquette expert tells how to take the awkwardness out of playing Santa at the office.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: This is my first holiday season with my current employer -- I'm in my first "real" job after college -- so I hope this isn't a dumb question, but what is generally expected in big companies regarding gifts to bosses and coworkers? I interned all last year at a small MORE

Super-talented employee driving you crazy? How to deal.

Most creative teams have at least one gifted, difficult loner. Luckily, says one expert, they're "highly coachable."

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I've never seen this problem addressed in your column, but I can't be the only one struggling with it. About six months ago, I got this great new job leading a team of 18 software developers and designers, and everything's going great, with one exception. One of our most talented MORE

Why the holidays are the best time to find a new job

Contrary to a persistent myth, many companies do hire in December. Here are six ways to get on their radar.

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: Can you settle a bet? A friend of mine who has been out of work for quite a while is planning to take the month of December off from job hunting because he says hiring managers are taking time off, or are distracted by their own holiday preparations, MORE