Anyway,  as I was saying, we’ve all had embarrassing moments. For some people, it unfortunately happened in the worst place possible: the interview.

If you’re sick of recounting your embarrassing interview moment in exchange for nothing more than a bunch of laughs from your friends and family, now you can tell it for a good reason: You might be able to win an 8-GB iPod Nano with built-in video camera.

BriteTab, a resume writing service, just launched InterviewFollies.com, a site that encourages users to post their embarrassing or funny job interview moment that they may have experienced, seen or heard about. Just by sharing your story, you’ll have the chance to win an iPod Nano with built-in video camera. Plus, you can promote your story however you want — through your Facebook page, Twitter account or your personal blog.

Visitors to the site will be able to vote for their favorite stories; the person behind the story that received the most votes win. There is a winner every two weeks for six weeks, which means you can submit your story up to three times for a chance to win.

From all of the things I’ve heard from hiring managers, I have about 100 stories I could enter in this contest. But, I’ll leave it you guys.

Before you share your embarrassing interview moment on InterviewFollies, share with us here. You won’t win an iPod Nano, but maybe if you’re story is funny enough, we can use it an upcoming article.

In the meantime, here is some reading on interviewing to keep you busy:

The Worst Interview Faux Pas
7 Ways to Wreck Your Interview
10 Signs Your Interview Went Well
You Said What?!

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Not surprising, right? However, just because we know what a leader should be doesn’t mean all leaders — or supposed leaders — possess these qualities. (The situation is similar to knowing what makes a good employee. We all know hard work and ambition make good employees, but not everyone acts accordingly. )

I thought it would be interesting to hear what you have to say about what makes a good leader or boss. Is leadership a necessity to be a good boss? What are the must-haves of a boss? What qualities are nice but not necessary?

I recently wrote an article discussing what makes a good boss, and here are some responses:

· “Be consistent and predictable. It is hard for subordinates to make the boss look good when the boss behaves erratically and every situation seems to result in a unique decision.” — Wayne Botha of Botha Consulting

· “They are able to get you to do something without using coercive tactics or bullying. They’re able to frame the discussion in the same way a good basketball coach tells you what the best play will be.” — Andrew Lee, co-founder and CEO of JamLegend.com

· “Promote from within. Develop your subordinates and then promote them when the opportunity arises. Subordinates will quickly understand your intentions when you always hire people from outside your organization for top positions.” — Botha

· “A good boss will defend your actions (when they are defensible) and will help you when there is a problem.” — Deborah Graham

· “A good boss understands that every task given to you cannot be your No. 1, top priority and will work with you to readjust priority lists if necessary.” — Graham

· “A good boss knows the overall value each employee brings to the organization, and keeps that in mind. So, a single transgression by an otherwise excellent employee doesn’t demand the same response as the same transgression by an employee who consistently makes mistakes.” — Bruce Campbell, vice president of marketing at Clare Computer Solutions

· “A good boss keeps you informed about what is happening at the higher management levels and what projects might be coming down the road.” — Graham

So tell us, what do you think makes a good boss?

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In a new survey by CareerBuilder, hiring managers shared the most memorable requests or recommendations they have received in the office suggestion box.

We had to censor them a little bit, but here are a few that had us in stitches:

• Request to allow people to change clothes in their cubicles.
• Request to add a tanning bed to the break room.
• Request to put beer in the vending machine.
• Request that jail time be covered under family medical leave.
• Request to institute bikini Fridays.
• Request to only be required to work during daylight hours because employee is scared of the dark.
• Request for a special smoking area for medical marijuana.
• Request that the HR person wear nicer shoes.
• Request for more time off to pursue side business as a clown.
• Request to replace his desk with a futon so employee could lay down and work.
• Request that the lactation room with gliding chair be used for naps, so everyone can use it.
• Request to install a swimming pool for employees to use.
• Request to have the team meeting to be held in Hawaii.

Have you ever made or received a strange suggestion in the inbox? Share them with us!

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As regional blog Torontoist explains, publishers at newspaper Toronto Star recently announced editing positions–possibly as many as 100–would be outsourced. This news naturally upset the editors. As a result, one editor decided to take his or her red pen to the memo announcing the outsourcing and make a point. The editor marked up the outsourcing announcement to show why editors are necessary in-house members of the paper’s team. [I should point out that the pen-wielding editor sent this memo directly to Torontoist anonymously--or at least they're not printing his or her name. So we don't know who did this.]

The bleeding memo is here.

We can all learn a few lessons here, I think. Though I’m sure you can add even more (and please feel free to do so in the comments). The lessons aren’t just about leaving a job gracefully, either–they’re about dealing with workplace conflicts and conversations with your boss.

1. Keep discussions in-house
   I’m not taking sides in this debate, but making your case to a third party and in public can backfire on you. This person’s goal might be to pressure the boss into rethinking his decision, but few people give in to public embarrassment.
2. Quantify your contributions
   Public airing of grievances aside, this editor did successfully make the case that he or she and presumably the rest of the editors know their trade. When you tell the boss you deserve a raise or a promotion, don’t just say, “I deserve it.” Have proof.
3. Keep the focus on the job, not on the boss
   If you’re frustrated with your boss because you’re not earning as much as you think you deserve, you haven’t received a promotion in a couple of years or you’re experiencing some other disagreement, don’t take it out on him or her. While this memo’s intent is about preserving editing jobs, the decision to choose the publisher’s letter to mark up makes it more about attacking his writing skills than about the outsourcing. As stated on the Torontoist, the union leader described the benefit of on-site collaboration between editors, writers and other staff members. That point gets lost in this example.
4. Don’t ruin your reputation
   Again, without taking sides, I can say that the eager proofreader was smart enough to remain anonymous (or at least remains anonymous thus far). When we feel jilted, we all say some pretty crude things. Haven’t most colleagues complained about their bosses during happy hour? But we also know that when we’re interviewing for a job, we don’t badmouth our previous employer. Had this editor proudly signed his or her work, you can assume few employers would’ve ever wanted to hire someone willing to publicly bash the company.
5. Don’t be afraid to make your case
   As explained in the above post about connecting with your boss, you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about what you want at work. If you’re confused or concerned about a decision that affects you, have a discussion with the boss. If you approach the conversation with a respectful attitude, your boss won’t view your concerns in a negative way. You might even be seen as someone who is proactive in his or her career, and that could benefit you in the long run. If you always keep your concerns to yourself, you could end up regretting your silence for the rest of your career.

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Maybe the dilemma’s not even that easy. Let’s be honest, the job situation has people worried about getting laid off or fired for missing too much work. Some companies also classify sick leave and vacation days under the same pool of accrued time, so taking a sick day today means a shorter vacation in a couple of months. Or a sick day today means having to find a sitter when your child gets sick later this season. Unfortunately, the issue isn’t as simple as don’t go to work if you don’t feel 100 percent.

This article in the Chicago Tribune discusses how employers are trying to balance business needs with sick workers reluctant to stay home.

From the article:

Some employees have to ration their sick days carefully or may not have any paid time off. Others weigh the fear of making a bad impression against the risk of prolonging an illness and feeling worse.

“It’s very hard to take off of work at my job,” said Noor Aweidah, who works for the president of a marketing firm and helps bring in new clients. “Things being the way they are today, new business is a real priority. If I’m not there, meetings are not happening, calls are not taking place.”

Even with her concerns, Aweidah recently had to take a rare day off to keep some incipient flu-like symptoms from worsening. She canceled a client meeting and made sure the interns under her supervision knew their daily tasks, then lay down on her couch to watch bad movies and drink tea.

The client was understanding about needing to reschedule, she said.

“It’s hard being in a creative environment to not be on your A game, especially when you’re interfacing with clients,” Aweidah said. “But they don’t want to meet with someone who’s coughing or sweating.”

And on last week’s Harvard Business Ideacast, experts ask Is Your Business Ready for H1N1? (Even if you’re not an employer, it’s worth checking out to hear what companies are doing for their employees and what they want to see happening in workplaces.)

When you’re deciding whether or not to come in to the office, or even if you’re not sick but are wondering what you’ll do if you do get some form of flu this season, here are some tips:

• Talk to your boss now.
  Find out what the company’s doing about the flu this year. Is it the same policy as last year or are they asking you to take different precautions?
• What are your work-from-home options?
  If you have the kind of job where working from home is possible, see what the policy is. Do you need permission before doing it or can you call in one morning and say you need to work from home? Does it count against your time off at all?
• Do you need a note if you miss a certain amount of consecutive days?
  Let’s be honest, most of us don’t know the details of every company policy. Many employers require a doctor’s note for anyone who stays home for more than a certain amount of consecutive days, so you don’t want to show up after a week out and be told to go home until return with a note.
• Do you  really need to go in today?
  If you’re in that gray zone where you  might be getting sick or you might just have a 24-hour bug, you could be wondering if you should go to work or stay home. There are pros and cons to both, and you might have your own reasons for wanting to go in. Just remember that if you are contagious and you end up getting the whole office sick, no one will be pleased with you, especially if it means half of your group is out and everyone else has to work twice as hard.
• Do you have any other perks?
  Some companies pay for their employees to get the flu vaccine (the regular one, not the H1N1 vaccine, since it’s being offered free). If you want the flu shot, see if your company covers the cost or will reimburse you for it. Also see if they’ll be providing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to people in the office.

Also check out this article from fellow blogger Rachel Zupek.

Have you dealt with any of these issues this flu season?

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So are there any bright spots?

Yes, actually. Health care added 29,000 jobs in October. Temporary employment services had steadily lost jobs in the beginning of the year, but in October they added 34,000 jobs. Companies have the need for more workers, but they’re cautious of adding new permanent employees. If the economy struggles again, they’d prefer to not renew temporary workers’ contracts rather than layoff a group of employees.

Two CareerBuilder.com experts were on TV to discuss the job numbers and the job outlook this morning.

First up, watch CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

And senior career adviser Michael Erwin was on CBS 2 in Chicago. Watch that clip here.

You can also read the detailed, full report from the BLS on its site.

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Background: Conley is the CEO and founder of Joie de Vivre, a company that operates a collection of boutique hotels in California. He started the business 22 years ago when he was just out of college. Today, it’s a $230 million company with more than 3,000 employees and 38 properties.

In a recent article on BNet.com, Conley discusses how his PR agency recently set up a Facebook page for him, along with a fan page, to promote his new book.

“I accepted pretty much anyone who “friended” me, including plenty of employees, and gradually I began posting the usual Facebook fodder — links to articles, quick takes on books, emotional missives. My profile picture — a business-casual blazer-and-collared-shirt look — was uploaded by my PR team as well,” Conley said.

While meeting with his “cultural ambassadors” — employees who represent each hotel — to create a social media policy for the company, an issue was brought to his attention: His employees were uncomfortable with some of Conley’s Facebook photos.

The controversy: You see, Conley recently attended Burning Man, a weeklong anything-goes festival. Upon his return, he posted six photos on his Facebook page, two of which show him shirtless. In one photo, Conley dons a tutu; in the other, a sarong. In addition to posting these to his page, he also changed his profile picture from a professional shot to one of said shirtless pictures. (See below).

Of choosing this picture, he says:

“I’m just not a blazer kind of guy. I consider myself a rebel. My first book —The Rebel Rules: Daring to Be Yourself in Business — preaches the value of authenticity in business, of being true to yourself. So a few pictures on my Facebook page that show me having a good time? I honestly didn’t give it a second thought.”

His employees, however, did give it a second thought. At the meeting to discuss the company’s social media policy, Conley was told that his young staff members didn’t like seeing their CEO in a tutu. He was also told that staffers were concerned about some of his Twitter updates, in which he expressed anguish over the demise of an eight-year relationship.  Essentially, employees felt that Conley was setting a double standard by creating a social media policy at the company for everyone except him.

Conley doesn’t feel he is violating any policy; he stands by the fact that he is simply being true to himself. Plus, he attests that the social media policy is mainly to protect the guests of his hotels. If a celebrity is staying at one of his hotels as a guest, for example, his staff members aren’t allowed to Tweet about it. When it comes to posting pictures or Tweeting, Conley says it’s case by case, but for the most part, as long as an employee isn’t posting pictures of himself stealing something while wearing the company uniform, it’s considered the employee’s private life.

So, what do you guys think? Should CEOs be held to a different standard than their employees? Should they have the freedom to post whatever photos they want? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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So Jenkins emphasized her strong sales experience and started targeting sales jobs in healt hcare. Immediately, her job search reaped more results. “I started sending my résumé out and I got so much interest in that area,” she said. Her background even worked in her favor, she explained. “Companies were interested in my outside sales experience.”

Three interviews and one job offer later, Jenkins is now a community ambassador for Silverado Senior Living, an Alzheimer’s community in Los Angeles. She uses her experience in sales to promote the senior living center to doctors and other health care providers. “I go out and create awareness and educate the health care community about the senior living center,” she explained.

Jenkins says she makes about 25% less a year than at her previous position but after five months on the job she is “thriving.” The best part is that she’s no longer worried about getting laid off again. To Jenkins, that’s worth more than the $20,000 paycut.

Of course, no single job can be declared 100 percent secure. Yet, looking at the statistics, Jenkins was right to see that health care was on a trajectory most other industries weren’t–especially during that shaky economic period. In her scenario, a career switch was a smart move.

Still, it makes me wonder how many people are willing to take a hit to the bank account if it means knowing you’ll have a steady paycheck? You’re not guaranteed this lower-paying job will last, but it’s a safer bet than other better-paying jobs–and probably better than having no job at all. Kind of that whole “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” business.

For those of you who find yourselves in this situation, here are some questions to ask while you deliberate taking a secure job for less pay:

• Can you survive on the lower income?
  Some money (the new job) is better than no money (unemployment), but are you taking such a steep cut that you can’t feasibly pay any bills anyway?
• If you’ll be struggling to pay bills, can you take a second job?
  Maybe the lower salary almost covers your needs, so a small supplementary income would be ideal. If the new job doesn’t monopolize all your free time, you could possibly get a part-time job to make ends meet.
• Are you positioning yourself as a qualified candidate?
  The entire question of whether or not to make this career move is moot if you don’t market yourself as someone who deserves the job. Job seekers who are switching industries must remember to tailor their cover letters and résumés to the new employers. Your old jargon and job duties might not make sense until you translate them for your new audience.
• Have you researched the career potential of your new job or industry?
  Look at the projections for industries to see if growth is in its future. Also look at what opportunities for growth are available in a specific organization. On an interview, ask about the opportunities or where the previous person in this role moved to. You want to make sure you’re not sacrificing your professional future in any way.

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Judi,

What you are going through is not uncommon. Countless people have been faced with this same dilemma.  People returning to the workforce after an absence have multiple worries: “Will I have to prove myself all over again?” “How do I explain the gap in employment?” “What if I lack the required skills or education?”

It sounds like you are driven and motivated, but right now job seekers need all the help they can get. You want make sure you are looking at all your possibilities … including some you might not have thought of. Here are several things you can do to get your foot in the door or start earning a paycheck while developing skills to add to your resume:

1. Maximize your cover letter and resume. Your cover letter highlights your key accomplishments and gives you an opportunity to answer any questions about an employment gap. Put your resume into a functional format (click for an example) that highlights your skills instead of a chronological one that lists your jobs starting with the most recent.

2. Network. Join professional networking sites like Brightfuse and LinkedIn. Look for groups to join that reflect your background or job interest. (For example, search the term “mom”.) The more you network, the more likely you are to meet people who are in a similar situation … or who have been in your situation and are now hiring.

3. Stay informed. Stay abreast of new trends, technology and developments in your industry by attending seminars and courses to prove your time off doesn’t put you at a disadvantage. Research the company, job or industry BEFORE you apply to a job and incorporate that information into each cover letter.

4. Remain open to all possibilities, even if the job title, salary and benefits may not be exactly what you were seeking. Holiday hiring season is in full swing. Try searching using the terms “seasonal” or “holiday.” Even though there are fewer openings this year and these jobs are typically temporary, there are employers who extend permanent offers to seasonal staff. Or consider direct sales like Avon, Stella and Dot or Wine Shop at Home.

5. Work with a professional. Recruiters at staffing firms like Robert Half and Kelly Services have their fingers on the pulse of the job market and work with employers to fill all types of jobs. They can also provide useful feedback on your resume and interview skills.

Click on these links for some additional articles that might be helpful to you:

It’s been 10 years since my last job search
http://www.primecb.com/its-been-10-years-since-my-last-job-searchwhat-do-i-do/?siteid=cbworkbuzz

Worried about gaps on your resume?
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1911-Cover-Letters-Resumes-Worried-About-the-Gaps-on-Your-Résumé/?siteid=cbworkbuzz

Dealing with gaps in your resume and cover letter
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1111-Cover-Letters-Resumes-Dealing-With-Gaps-in-Your-Resume-and-Cover-Letter/?siteid=cbworkbuzz

Can you relate to Judith’s story? What advice would you give her?

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