Dear Maxy,
Afriend of the family stopped me in the street and asked if I could help her 26-year-old son get a job . I asked if her son had any prior job experience , and the mother's response was that her son had never worked a day in his life .
I was a bit surprised that her son did not have any job experience . Nevertheless , I suggested that her son apply at McDonald's , UPS or FedEx to gain some job experience .
The mother wasn't particularly happy with my suggestion of employment options . Why am I feeling like the bad guy here ?
Job Adviser

Dear Job Advisor ,
This mom is the one who's feeling like the bad guy .
While many young people at least try to start working as early as age 15 , her son is a full grown adult with the handicap of ZERO-employment . I wonder if he has been a full-time student who has recieved higher-education degrees ?
Please understand that this as her family's problem . You gave good advice that you thought was sound . You were not the bad guy , and unless you are an employment specialist , you likely don't have enough knowledge to guide this man to a job .
I will add two notes that might be helpful to this mother and son ... and to anyone who is unemployed . Many times people volunteer their way into employment .
If he has interest in an organization that can use an extra hand , he should offer it . He will gain experience that he may be able to leverage into a paycheck .
He should aslo investigate online classes in areas of interest that make him more attractive to employers .

Dear Maxy ,
I'm a workaholic . I met a woman whom I really like , and she is a workaholic as well . We met last December and have gone on a few dates since then . During the spring and summer I think we saw each other about five times .
We kept the lines of communication open via text, phone calls and emails . We enjoy each other's phone conversations, and I want to see her on a regular basis , but our schedule will not allow it at this time .
How can two workaholics put down their work for a couple of hours to spend time with each other ?
Working Day and Night

Dear Working Day and Night ,
Approach your dating life as you do your work . Schedule it . Make your connections with her as important as a client meeting , and you both will discover that it's possible to find time for each other .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I bring my lunch to work everyday . It helps me to save money and it makes it easier for me to eat healthfully . The downside is that my co-workers are always looking at my lunch, asking questions about my diet and sometimes even asking to taste my food . I don't like that . I spend a lot of time making sure I have healthy meals each day ... not to share with others . How can I let them know they need to stop , checking out my lunch ?
Private Diner

Dear Private Diner ,
I have a very different suggestion . Why not inspire the rest of the staff to eat in a healthier way ? Suggest that one day you will talk to them more formally about the components of a healthy lunch and make recommendations for what they can bring from home . Some may like it . Others will probably back off .
The moochers will likely go away because you suddenly took to the next level . Those who stay make a healthy choice in the future . That's called WIN-WIN.
Maxy