Career Advice Blog

Most of us have heard of the infamous $600 toilet seat or how the Army spent $250 on an ordinary wrench. If the government can spend $600 on a toilet seat or $700 billion on Wall Street’s debts, I can only imagine how frugal they are when it comes to decorating the oval office. Regardless, I thought it might be fun to compare what your (I use this term loosely) office has to offer versus what the White House’s Oval Office does. You know, because it will make us feel better about our workspace AND how our tax dollars are spent…. Your office: Let’s start with the basics: does your office have a door? A cubicle door does not count. Sorry. Oval Office: This office has a total of four doors: one opens to the Rose Garden, another to the secretaries, another to the West Wing, and the last one opens to a dining room and private study. Your office: How many windows can you claim? Feel free to include hand-drawn windows you constructed to spruce up the cubicle. Oval Office: The three main … [Read more...] about Your Office vs. The Oval Office

CheckPoint HR has released five steps to establish an eco-conscious business environment, starting with a movement towards a paperless HR department.The eco-conscious "green" movement encourages employers to reassess business methods to reduce office waste and decrease energy emissions. According to The State of the Paper Industry, a 2007 report by the Environmental Paper Network, if the United States cut office paper use by just 10% it would prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases -- the equivalent of taking 280,000 cars off the road. By reevaluating paper usage, an organization can simultaneously benefit from cost-savings of supplies and labor while helping the environment.1. Sign up for direct deposit and eliminate the printed pay stub and payroll reports.  With an online portal such as CheckPoint HR's human resources management system, current and past paychecks can be viewed at any time, anywhere from a Web browser. Data is never purged and delivery fees … [Read more...] about How HR Can Go Green

Although the stereotyping of individuals into particular categories can sometimes have adverse effects, it is also sometimes necessary. Humans are not great at remembering specifics, details, or raw data. However we are extremely good at generalizing, simplifying and abridging.  The problem with this process is that it is deductive and therefore not completely accurate, even though there may be some underlying truths. For example, do certain nationalities tend to do the same type of jobs? Are the majority of taxi drivers from Pakistan or India? Are a lot of cops or bar owners Irish? Do Polish people tend to work primarily in the building trade? Do a lot of people from the Philippines tend to work as nurses? Now, the problem here is that some of these points may be the general consensus even though in reality they may not be true. In this case the stereotype may be bordering on racism. If you agree with some of the points above then you are probably racist on some level. Don’t … [Read more...] about Stereotyping Jobs

Last week was a tumultuous one; a financial roller coaster ride filled with government bail-outs and promises of more of our tax money going to Corporate America. Nightmares of disappearing 401Ks, IRAs, and other investments consume many of our daily thoughts. Just when it looked like a downhill slide, the clouds parted and our prayers seem to have been answered. The Dow Jones rocketed up 400 points only after reports were leaked that the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is considering a long-term solution similar to one utilized in the late 1980’s- early 1990’s for the savings and loan crisis. This plan is potentially looking to create an independent agency (similar to the Resolution Trust Corporation) to take over the bad debt from these failing banks. Don’t get me wrong, this apparently solved the financial pitfalls in the past. I am a huge supporter of bringing back a booming economy. But does anyone else feel like this is a fancy name for “DO OVER”? WHITE-OUT? BACKSPACE? If … [Read more...] about Government to the Rescue?