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What’s Your Most Embarrassing Interview Moment? »

We’ve all had embarrassing moments. (I’m going to keep it professional and not share mine with you here, but I assure you, it’s one for the books.)
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 [...]

How to prove you’re needed »

If you’ve read our posts before, you know we encourage workers to make tactful departures. We also encourage workers to be direct with their bosses and be confident in their abilities. Now, what happens when these two situations converge? You get a memo dripping in red ink.

Smoke breaks for non-smokers? »

Everyone likes work breaks. You like them because  they give you, well, a break from your job — they’re a chance to get coffee, update your Facebook status, pay a bill, watch the latest Funny or Die video or smoke a cigarette. Employers like them because downtime has been shown to help productivity, relieve stress and even build camaraderie among employees.
But breaks can be also [...]

When your boss forgets to be the boss »

I fully admit that I’m not the reality TV junkie that many of my friends and co-workers are. In fact, I can only think of two non-scripted shows I watch. (Well, “non-scripted” is used loosely here.) Regardless, one of those shows I’ve found myself drawn to is The Rachel Zoe Project. Go ahead, judge me. [...]

What’s in a nickname? Apparently, a lot. »

I’m not sure if you all keep up with the minutiae of politics–or, more accurately, political gossip. The stuff that doesn’t really affect your daily life. If you don’t, you’re missing out on some great lessons in life. Sure, unearthed e-mails between bickering Washington staffers isn’t on par with whether or not the stimulus plan [...]

How will you say goodbye? »

These days technology has thrown etiquette out the window when it comes to communications, and work is no exception. Instead of the “stale ‘good working with you, please reach me here’ e-mail,” fired employees are finding new and unusual ways to say “Au Revoir” to their colleagues.
Whether bittersweet or bitter, here are some ways people [...]

You have mail…and it’s not good. »

If you’re anything like me and my friends, the first half of the day was monopolized by the inauguration. (This morning’s low productivity was probably not the change President Obama is asking us to believe in.) If you watched the coverage via CNN.com, you could also see a list on the right side of your [...]

Which co-worker would you meet under the mistletoe? »

We recently wrote a post about holiday party pitfalls. Today, we revisit this timely topic.
A lot of companies are forgoeing the office party this year thanks to shrinking bottom lines, but that will never do away with our favorite part — canoodling co-workers.
C’mon, you know you relish the stories that circulate the day after. Who was [...]

National Boss Day »

In case you didn’t know, today is National Boss Day (or Bosses’ Day).
For some workers, the word “boss” sends a shiver down their spine. Others have a great working relationship with their supervisors and managers.
I’ve been pretty lucky in my last few jobs to have some really great, approachable bosses.
All of them had a very balanced [...]

Workplace etiquette: Revisiting restroom rules »

One topic that workers always seem to have very spirited opinions about is workplace etiquette. Which makes sense – it can be tricky and complicated to negotiate different types of relationships with co-workers and supervisors.
And probably no workplace etiquette subject is as controversial as restroom etiquette. Some workers can get very irritated at how those [...]