Dear Coach, My company has merged, and one of the men from the other firm announced he is my supervisor. But my present supervisor never was told about any changes, so I continue to report to her. Because I stood up to him, he now has vilified me to the entire company, calling me the “b” word and accusing me of being “whiny.”‘ What did I do wrong?
Carol Kleiman: You didn’t do anything wrong. He would never accuse a man who stood up for his rights of being whiny. And, of course, that “b” word is unacceptable. If your company doesn’t investigate him thoroughly, you might want to talk to an employment lawyer about this matter.
Dear Coach, Would you please offer some advice to a self-employed, traditional illustrator who is not a graphic designer but is looking for a job? Although I have some graphic design skills, companies are not interested in me. And at 58, I’m not ready to become a college freshman again. What do you advise?
CK: You said it yourself: The jobs are not there. It might be time to become a graphic designer. You’re never too old to learn or to prepare for a profession with a future, rather than to continue to cling to a disappearing one.
Dear Coach, When I returned from vacation recently, I was told by my boss that she had placed an ad for an opening in our department. What she didn’t tell me was that she also placed an ad for my position, which I learned by accident. I was taken aback and submitted my resignation with two days’ notice. My boss was furious that I had found out, and that I gave such short notice. She asked me to do some consulting work. Should I help out or move on?
CK: Move on. Forget that place. It’s toxic for you.
Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Tuesday and Thursday’s Business sections. Hear her on WBBM, Newsradio 780, at 6:21 p.m. and 10:22 p.m. each Monday and at 11:20 a.m. each Saturday. Watch her “Career Coach” segments on CLTV.
COACH CAROL’S 15-SECOND DRILL: Changing jobs is hard to do. Take time to research your prospective new job thoroughly before making a move. And then go ahead and jump!
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