Career Advice Blog

This sad, very sad scenario is repeated all over the corporate world, and with alarming frequency. You know the drill: All of a sudden, a perfectly capable, highly motivated and well-regarded veteran middle manager finds him or herself on the company skids. A major mistake has happened, and the company is either embarrassed or lost money. Someone's got to take the blame, yet it's never, ever anyone in the higher echelons of management and/or the politically connected, who actually made the decisions that caused the screw-up. And, while the gross unfairness of it all makes you disgusted and sick to your stomach, there's usually not a damned thing you can do about it. Or is there? None of us want to be, yet we all do run the risk of becoming, the fall guy, the perfect victim. Someone who's easy to blame, whether or not they were responsible for the mistake, or error, in the first place. It's nasty, it sucks, and yet there's not a company or bureaucracy that doesn't employ this … [Read more...] about The Perfect Fall Guy

In today's fast-paced business world, managers cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Past achievements do not guarantee future success. Being an effective manager in these financially turbulent times means not only staying one step ahead of the competition, but also ensuring you have the full support of your staff. Take a look at these five top techniques for effective management that have helped those in the know stay at the top:1. Communication: It's good to talk. But it is also imperative to consider the full gamut of communication tools at the manager's disposal. Most businesses have an external communications policy in place, but some fall short of the mark when it comes to internal strategies. Online communications are an effective way for mangers to keep staff abreast of new developments and incentives. And social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are now being recognized in the workplace as fun and accessible ways for managers to communicate with staff.2. … [Read more...] about Five Tried and Tested Management Techniques

When it comes to internships, we often focus on how the work experience benefits the student. But in most situations, it works out in the employer’s favor, too. Sure, a college-age intern is likely cheaper to hire than a full-time employee. But working with interns is about more than saving money.Here are eight reasons why you should consider hiring interns in your office:1. They bring a fresh perspective. The processes we use to accomplish tasks at work are usually the methods that were utilized by our predecessors and passed on to us. That doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do something, it’s just the way we've always done it.Interns often come into jobs unafraid to question how things work or why jobs are performed a certain way, which can help bosses discover smarter ways to do those tasks. Their perspective as newbies is valuable, especially when it comes to identifying and even solving problems that go unnoticed by full-time employees.2. They’re at … [Read more...] about 8 Reasons Why You Should Hire Interns for Your Office

I live on my laptop. I wish I could say this is because I am a writer and so I work a lot on it, but this would only be half true. While I work via my computer, I also spend several hours more looking at funny websites, watching videos of cute things animals do, spamming forums and chatting with friends from around the world. I am the worse about doing things that are actually good for me, as I would rather do things that are fun for me. It was this that prompted me to start looking up the effects of too much computer time on my health, and the results of this search were frightening. Of course, not scary enough to actually get me to stop. Just enough to make me start figuring out ways to battle some of the more dangerous consequences of a life of too much Facebook and lolcats. Mini (Office) Workouts – So, you are at the office and you just finished filing the first set of budget reports. Your eyes are drooping and you are so bored you could cry. You need a burst of … [Read more...] about How to Stay Healthy When You Live on Your Computer

Tweet The most popular work lies are revealed below.  But why lie?  It might simply be time to leave your job. Click over if you're looking for the ultimate guide on how to quit a job.   … [Read more...] about Getting a Job: Most Popular Lies Revealed (Infographic)

Working in an office is not quite as glamorous as it might sound. Although compared to digging ditches, pushing paper sounds downright highfalutin. No matter what your profession is, you'll always perform your best when you're using the right tools.In my home office I have five go-to office supplies that I cannot live without.1. Personal organizer/weekly plannerLife seems to get busier and busier as each year passes. Not only are there deadlines and projects at work but if you have kids (or a social life) there are events and activities to keep track of at home as well. I like the BusyBodyBook Personal and Family Grid Organizer.Each two-page spread provides a page on the left to list projects, tasks, to-do lists, phone numbers, etc. as well as a page on the right with five side-by-side columns which allows you to track a variety of projects and schedules. The columns are useful if you are coordinating schedules between family members or co-workers as it allows you to dedicate one … [Read more...] about 5 Office Supplies I Can't Live Without