Career questions, from the job offer to the exit interview

Career questions sound big, but they usually come down to a handful of trade-offs. More money now or better skills later. A bigger title or a better manager. Stay and negotiate, or leave and start over. Nobody can make those calls for you, and anyone who says there's one right answer probably isn't looking at your rent.

Here we break career decisions into pieces you can actually weigh: reading a job offer line by line, asking about pay without apologizing, planning a job search while you're still employed, explaining a short stint on your résumé, and knowing when a non-compete or severance agreement deserves a lawyer's eyes before you sign. We write for people early in their working lives and for people making a second or third move, including freelancers deciding whether a salaried role is worth it.

We won't promise a dream job. We'll help you ask better questions of the job in front of you. Coming up: how to get started when you don't know what you want next.