Career Advice Blog

For those of you who work in an office environment, you will of course be aware of the concept of boredom. Me, myself, my imaginary friend Barry the horse, and George the office-plant are becoming more and more stir crazy by the boredom that exists in the realm of the office. If this boredom is allowed to persist, it will inevitably lead to a fully fledged psychosis, in which everything and anything becomes possible. Due to this fact we have taken it upon ourselves to stand up to this tyrannical concept, and come up with ways to overcome it. Here they are:  IKEA: Browse through the new improved IKEA website. Those Swedes have come up with some fantastic home decorative concepts that have left their furniture rivals weak at the knees with squirting orgasmic jealously, and throbbing blue veined temple region anger. Recently I bought a toaster from them. It’s lovely.   Buy a Pet: Animals are cute, and my dog always cheers me up. It doesn’t matter if its been 10 … [Read more...] about Things to Do at Work When You’re Bored

Have you ever been to a job interview and felt completely overwhelmed when you sat in the “hot” seat? Have you ever felt so nervous that you were oozing buckets of sweat even before your interviewer asked you those tricky intricate questions? Well, it may not be your fault for feeling like this. It may have something to do with the cunningness of your interviewer. It is likely that your interviewer may have arranged his office furnishings to raise his own status and power, and, in doing so, lowered yours. Just look at the chairs around your office and then look at the executive ones and you’ll see the difference. Here’s how it works... Chair Size: The height of the back of the chair raises or lowers a person’s status, and the high-backed chair is a well-known example. The higher the back of a chair, the greater the power and status of the person sitting in it. Kings, queens, dictators, popes etc… always have ridiculously pronounced chair backs to … [Read more...] about The Status of Chairs. Where Do You Sit?

Food days, potlucks, international feasts, share days…no matter what you call it, these gluttonous events remain a serious work hazard.  OSHA should have a workplace regulation that bans these (and vending machines while they’re at it).  As we spend more time sitting in our cubicles, our natural tendency is to find a way to relieve the boredom.  Why else would we look forward to the monthly food day with as much anticipation as a long weekend?  Ok maybe not quite that much enthusiasm.As summer rolls in with full force, many of us find ourselves scurrying around trying to start that 10-day diet or at best, a half-hearted attempt to stick to the one you were already on.  Then enter the food day at work, complete with macaroni and cheese, lasagna, homemade chicken strips (who can pass up homemade??), potato chips, brownies, cookies, cake…I could go on forever.  If you are one of the fortunate ones that does not know what I’m talking … [Read more...] about The Work Hazard Known As Food

Here's how the story usually goes: "I HAD to leave.  My boss was determined to make my life miserable." In my experience, both personal and secondary, I have discovered that in the majority of cases, the failure of the relationship lies on the employee, not the boss or the organization. People who tend to get 'unlucky' and experience this misfortune over and over again, usually can use a little self-reflection.  Start with these questions: - Have you had more than one 'horrific' boss who 'drove you crazy?' - Do you find yourself thinking very bad thoughts (not in a good way) about a current or former boss? - Do you feel these 'evil' bosses not only held you back but went out of their way to keep you down or make you miserable? - Were you or are you so desperate to find a new job that you're willing to work anywhere, earning just about anything? If you answer 'yes' to most of these questions for more than one job, there is a good chance that you will need to … [Read more...] about You or Boss: Who’s at Fault?

You always hear about how over 50% of marriages are doomed to fail from the start. To anyone who is happily married, the statistic sounds grossly exaggerated.  With several friends and acquaintances on the brink of the big 'D-word,' I've been thinking about the parallels and differences between the relationship we have with our significant other and the relationship we have with our jobs.  Each couple seems to head for Splitsville for different reasons, yet there is a consistent theme: they all try to force it to work for too long.We human beings seem to have a very difficult time 'quitting while we're ahead.'  Win $200 at the roulette table?  Give it all back.Talk about selling your home? While you were talking, prices have dropped.Get laid off after years of ignoring signals?  Exactly.Your relationship with your employer isn't all that different than a marriage (with less sex).  You'll have butterflies in your stomach as you court one another; times when … [Read more...] about You Are NOT Married to Your Job (you are only dating)