-
2 days ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: I am expecting a baby in the fall, 2025. I work for a small company, and in our handbook, it says we can take five sick days. Seems like that is old information, or does my CEO know what is current, or not, for 2025? My sister got 10 weeks off, and she works for a five-person company. My partner’s company says he can take some time off. I was told by a friend that I am ineligible for leave because my office is small, and there is no one to cover for me. Is this true?
-
1 week ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q. I have a career which includes many temp, contract, consulting and volunteer jobs. How do I put these on my resume? Or should I at all? If I don’t include some of these roles, my resume would be almost blank for the past 20 years. A. Yes, yes, yes, and yes! Temporary, contract, consulting and volunteer roles should all be included. These roles demonstrate that you remained engaged in the workforce, but also with each role, you likely learned new skills. Additionally, flexibility is important.
-
2 weeks ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: I have a few gaps in the resume. Every company asks about them. There have been times, whether it is a family issue, or moving across country. Should I explain them even if the reasons are very personal? I do not feel like I need to share personal issues like my mother had cancer, or my aunt had a stroke, or I was in a toxic relationship. I want a recruiter to focus on my skills and strengths, not my gaps. A: Your question is a valid one.
-
3 weeks ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: I have tried college, and it is not my thing. I have already spent thousands on college, and I feel like I am lost. I graduated from high school in 2023, and I have worked in carpentry, shipping/receiving and warehouse roles. I am a new resident of Cape Cod and want to join a company where I can expand my knowledge about carpentry, landscaping, and home improvement. I want to join a reputable company. I know lots of remodeling companies are not trustworthy or respectable.
-
1 month ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Job Doc Q: I work at a tax firm in Boston. For years, especially when we were dealing with the Coronavirus, we didn’t have many visitors. Now we have more deliveries and visitors.
-
1 month ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: My daughter is graduating this spring, undergraduate, at my alma mater. She has been on the hunt for a job for months, even since the fall. She spends hours applying to jobs online through her career services office. It seems like the economy is tanking. I am worried for her (privately). I try to be encouraging and I know she will find something, but she has student loans. Do you know what has worked for other recent university graduates? A: Congratulations to your daughter.
-
1 month ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: I am unemployed and in a jam. Last October, I resigned from a secure job. I was offered the job in December, and I was supposed to start in February. I had a family issue on the west coast that I needed to tend to so I could not start a new job in January. I appreciated the flex start date because I thought it showed that they were caring. A week before my start date, I get an email.
-
1 month ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: I am an employee at a smallish start-up. On Fridays, we are allowed to quit working at 2pm. Most of us stay after 2pm to socialize, chat, and clean off our desks from the past week. There are a few people who seem to jump into happy hour mode. I like to socialize for a bit then join a yoga class in our building. I have been recently told that it would be “good for my career” to work until 5pm or later on Fridays.
-
1 month ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: Recently I resigned and left my company (February 2025). I gave two weeks’ notice. I had three weeks of vacation time. I had not taken any vacation. I was not paid for the three weeks of time, which I was relying on. Now, I am having financial problems and will be late on my rent. I want to take action against my former company. I was never told that I would only receive a day or so. On my pay stub, it says I get three weeks and on our payroll portal it says three weeks. I feel like hiring a lawyer.
-
2 months ago | 
boston.com | Pattie Hunt Sinacole
Q: I was laid off. As soon as I knew I was on my employer’s RIF list, I started applying to at least 10 jobs per day. I have only heard back from 2 or 3, and it has been a form response. “Thank you for your interest, and we will contact you if a role more aligned with your skillset…. yadda yadda yadda.” I worry that the job market will be worse in 2025. How do I find a new job? I feel like I am not doing anything right, or effective. What am I doing right and what am I doing wrong? A: I agree with you.
