On Work

Seeing Signs that a Career Detour Was the Right Choice

An aspiring writer comes to realize that a largely unrewarding stint in retail was actually meant to be.

By GIAN SARDAR

Corner Office

Leila Janah on Knowing When to Let Go

The chief executive of a skin care line and an antipoverty effort urges entrepreneurs to stop taking things personally.

Vocations

Cracking the Language Code

A software engineer originally wanted to be a doctor, but fell in love with coding when she took a course in it at Princeton.

By PATRICIA R. OLSEN

The Workologist

When a Potential Employer Seems Unnervingly Nosy

A job applicant wonders whether to sign a document giving a company permission to to seek information on his past work habits and salary.

By ROB WALKER

Trump’s Directive Will Lift Hiring Freeze, as It Asks Agencies for Cuts

The new guidance is the next step in fulfilling President Trump’s ambition to reshape the federal bureaucracy into a lean, businesslike operation.

By ALAN RAPPEPORT

Preoccupations

I’m Not Texting. I’m Taking Notes.

Generations are different, and for digital natives, what looks like wasting time may actually be doing research or something else productive.

By JONAH STILLMAN

Vocations

Lots of Room to Write About Self-Storage

A blog editor follows trends in his industry and communicates them through things like articles, listicles, quizzes and videos.

As told to PATRICIA R. OLSEN

How They Got There

Former Interns Tell How They Landed a First Job

More companies are drawing from their intern pools, making that last internship the most important. “It’s all about trying before you buy.”

By JEFFREY J. SELINGO

Shape Opinion at The New York Times

We’re hiring a Deputy Opinion Editor.

Itineraries

The Digital Nomad Life: Combining Work and Travel

Dozens of new programs allow the experience of living and working in far-off places, weeks or months at a time.

By TANYA MOHN

Vocations

Bringing Industrial Artistry to His Work

A machinist who develops fixtures says his job involves both creativity and efficiency.

As told to PATRICIA R. OLSEN

The Workologist

Headphones Won’t Solve the Problem of a Chatty Colleague

Someone new to the work force wonders how to deal with a bawdy, oversharing, gossipy co-worker.

By ROB WALKER

Corner Office

Jessie Woolley-Wilson on Creating Benevolent Friction at Work

The chief executive of DreamBox Learning says you can be respectful of others and still subject their ideas to the toughest scrutiny.

By ADAM BRYANT

Vocations

Providing a Haven for the Homeless

A counselor in New York offers assistance to troubled L.G.B.T. youth, many of whom are estranged from their families.

As told to ANASTASIA ECONOMIDES

On Work

At a Therapeutic Ranch, No Payday Until Later

As a troubled teenager, he wondered: Why are my parents paying a big bill for me to perform hard labor?

By KENNETH R. ROSEN

Vocations

Sending Students to the Corner (of Their Screens)

At California Connections Academy, students see an instructor in real time while engaging in online learning activities.

As told to PATRICIA R. OLSEN

Retiring

When the Boss Is Half Your Age

Older workers — and their younger supervisors — say the dynamics are tricky but can work with effort on both sides.

By JOANNE KAUFMAN

Prototype

Going From Marginalized to Welcomed in the Workplace

A program in California seeks to connect transgender workers with employers happy to have them.

By CLAIRE MARTIN

The Workologist

Face to Face, and Ignored, at a Job Interview

An applicant is frustrated when an H.R. representative is more interested in his phone than the person in front of him.

By ROB WALKER

Corner Office

Mark Nathan on Bringing Your Teflon to Get Honest Feedback

The C.E.O. of Zipari says he has learned the most from managers who told him the things he didn’t want to hear.

By ADAM BRYANT