Awkward requests for job help could pop up more often, as it takes people longer to find work In a softening labor market, relying on friends for an introduction is increasingly necessary. But it can ...

When a friend doesn’t refer you for a job, you might be better off taking a different job search approach anyway.

Before you start writing a letter of recommendation for a friend, clarify the purpose of the letter itself. Is it for a job, graduate school, a volunteer position, or something else? Understanding the ...

Dear Annie: I recently referred a friend to another friend for a freelance web design job for a huge company. She got the job and just finished, and although I never told her I’d appreciate a referral ...

I was unemployed for a year until six months ago. It was one of the hardest times in my life. I put in hundreds of applications, had interviews with several companies—and then nothing. I had run ...

I’m friends with my co-worker, not in the way where we naturally grew close after being forced to spend eight hours a day with each other. We were friends before we became co-workers. When I heard she ...

When a friend loses a job, it’s often difficult to know how to offer support. The initial period after job loss can be particularly challenging, leaving your friend feeling disoriented or even ...

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DEAR ANNIE: My best friend and I have been close for over 20 years. We’ve seen each other through marriages, divorces, parenting challenges, health scares -- you name it. She is the person I call when ...

A previous version of this story misspelled Michelle Reisdorf’s name. Aditi Shrikant is a personal finance reporter who writes MarketWatch’s Dollar Signs advice column. Previously, she was a lead ...