As We Work

Worried that your boss – or soon-to-be boss – is checking your social media? Some employers are screening social media as part of background checks, and what you post can make a difference in whether you get a job. But that doesn’t mean you have to scrub your online history. Background check executive Dan Shoemaker tells us what companies are really looking out for when they eye your social media feeds before hiring. And social media consultant Rachel Karten offers some advice for promoting your personal brand online in a way that will get you hired.  Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: How People Can Make Smarter—and Healthier—Social-Media Choices  When Twitter’s Watching, Companies Behave Better  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer. It’s also the unofficial start of summer vacation season, when your team starts jockeying to take time off. But what happens to your big project when your manager, and co-workers, are out of the office? We hear how some companies are trying to tackle the issue by offering more flexibility. Then, productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern offers some advice on how to get your work done even when you’d rather be at the beach. Hint: it’s all about embracing your need to take a break and enjoy the sunshine. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: This Summer, the Boss Is in the Office While Employees Hit the Beach   Mind Tricks for a Lasting Summer  Americans Are Vacationing More, but Staying in Work Mode Is Hybrid Work Killing Remote Summer? Yes, but It Doesn’t Have To.  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are your co-workers' quirks driving you crazy? From the cubicle-mate who talks too loudly on the phone, to the person who always microwaves fish for lunch, to the supervisor who’s never on time for a meeting, every office has people who get on your nerves. But you don’t have to let that get in the way of doing your job. Allison Gabriel studies relationships at work and what makes us stressed, and explains why those quirky co-workers sometimes get on our nerves. And conflict resolution consultant Jeremy Pollack gives us the tips and tricks to have conversations with your colleagues so you can work better together. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: You’re Back at the Office. Your Annoying Colleagues Are, Too  Weird, Loud and Toxic: Deal With Your Co-Workers’ Annoying Quirks  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you one of the 44% of Americans who say they have a side hustle? Worried that it could get in the way of your full-time job? Don’t be. Hudson Sessions, who studies side hustles and their impact on worker happiness and success, tells us how a side hustle can actually help make you better at your main job. And Dorie Clark, who studies entrepreneurship, shares the right way to tell your boss that you want to take on some outside work. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: How a Side Hustle Can Boost Performance at Your Regular Job  More Workers Get Side Hustles to Keep Up With Rising Costs  These People Who Work From Home Have a Secret: They Have Two Jobs  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many big-name companies are cutting staff, restructuring or pausing hiring. Getting laid off, or facing the prospect of it, can be very scary. But it doesn’t have to be. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Summit, LinkedIn Career Expert Catherine Fisher, Rora CEO Brian Liou, and Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda tell you how to navigate layoffs and put yourself in the best position to get hired for that next job. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: How Big Companies Choose Who Is Laid Off  The New Rules of Layoffs  Workplace Report Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walmart is one of the world’s largest retailers. With 2.1 million workers, it’s also one of the world’s largest private employers, and it’s hiring, including for tech jobs you’d expect to see in Silicon Valley. Walmart is investing billions into major tech upgrades that could change how many of its employees work, and investing millions of dollars into training its team for what comes next. In this conversation from the WSJ Jobs Summit, Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris tells the WSJ’s Chip Cutter about the roles the company is hiring for right now, and how it’s focusing on being “tech powered” without losing sight of the people who keep its stores running. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: Walmart Amps Up Cloud Capabilities, Reducing Reliance on Tech Giants  Silicon Valley Layoffs Mean Washington, D.C., Is a Hotter Tech Hiring Market  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Worried that AI is coming for your job? From ChatGPT writing emails to Midjourney making up images, it’s easy to think that AI could replace many of us at work. But the reality is, AI’s been part of some workplaces for longer than you might realize, including in call centers. WSJ’s Lisa Bannon takes us inside one call center where the AI bot, nicknamed Charlie, is getting mixed reviews. And researcher Stephanie Bell gives us some advice on using AI as a tool to do our jobs better. Spoiler: it’s all about evolving with new technology. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: AI in the Workplace Is Already Here. The First Battleground? Call Centers   The Jobs Most Exposed to ChatGPT  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, comedian Samantha Bee, business executive Alicia Boler Davis and Grammy award-winning performer Samara Joy all have in common? They found success in fields traditionally dominated by men. In this episode from WSJ’s Women in the Workplace Forum, they share lessons about how to lead and stay focused on your goals, build a strong team and put your people first.  Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: Leadership Advice and Management Regrets From WSJ’s Women in the Workplace Forum  Women in the Workplace Forum 2023  Workplace Report Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The headlines seem to come out every day: another big tech company is laying off big chunks of its staff. But at the same time, the U.S. created more than 800,000 jobs so far this year, and some employers are desperate for workers. If you’re one of the many Americans looking for a new job, but confused about how mass layoffs and a hot labor market can both be possible, you’re not alone. We speak to WSJ reporters Sarah Chaney Cambon and Lindsay Ellis to cut through the chatter of this confusing time. They give us the real economic picture and tell us how job seekers – both new and seasoned – are finding their way through. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Register for the WSJ Jobs Summit  Further Reading Mass Layoffs or Hiring Boom? What’s Actually Happening in the Jobs Market  U.S. Economy Added 311,000 Jobs in February  Why the Recession Is Always Six Months Away  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite what you might have been told, your work doesn’t always speak for itself. That’s why it’s necessary to toot your own horn and brag about all the good things you’re doing on the job. But, how do you do that without annoying your boss or alienating your peers? Meredith Fineman, who helps people learn how to brag better, gives us a crash course in suave self-promotion. Send us your stories about work and careers! Email [email protected], or leave us a voicemail at 212-416-2394. Further Reading: Brag at Work Without Sounding Like a Jerk   The Best Way to Brag About Your Accomplishments: Don’t Take All the Credit  Workplace Report  Careers Newsletter  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices