Career Advice Blog

 We're hours away from the official release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - and quite honestly - I could care less.  I've never read a single Harry Potter sentence, though I do believe, that should I eventually jump on the bandwagon, I'll enjoy the series. One thing I have read has to do with the immense success of J.K. Rowling.  Every career is different, and what works for one person might not work for the next.  Let's look at some of the things that sets Ms. Rowling apart.  After all, she has sold 325 million books in under 10 years!Use Delays to Your Advantage.  It was during a four-hour train delay between Manchester and London that Rowling first put pen to paper about a young boy attending a school of wizardry. This is a reminder that whether you're stuck on a train, jammed in traffic or sitting alone before a meeting - use this "idle"  time to your benefit.    Never Accept Rejection.  This is a … [Read more...] about 5 Career Reminders From J.K. Rowling

Our pals over at Freelance Switch have set up a great survey for freelancers.  Take it here.  The goal is to gather information from those in the freelance space to understand more about how the market is evolving. Since freelancers operate independently, it's not everyday you get this kind of insight.The survey takes about five minutes to take.  Aside from helping your fellow freelancers, you'll be entered into an awesome prize draw that includes a Nintendo Wii console.As a fan of the site, I commend them on putting together a great survey.  I look forward to analyzing the results. … [Read more...] about Take Freelance Survey – Win Nintendo Wii

The Gnats That Keep on GivingAfter a full seven months of writing the Jobacle blog, who would have thought that a simple post on how to kill gnats would be the biggest traffic generator.   There's clearly a demand for eliminating these pesky buggers, especially at the office, so here are 13 things you need to know about gnats.1) Simple recipe to kill 'em2) Remove fruit and plants from "infected" vicinity3)  Most gnats live up to four months4) Females may lay up to 300 eggs5) Pheromones are a non-toxic agent that lures gnats to their death.  Normally used on the sticky sticks that can be hung.  It works for months, is poison free, and sells for about a buck a stick.6) Gnats are attracted to light - so shut that desk lamp!7) Spraying hair spray at them will freeze their wings and cause them to suffocate.  Not very kind, but neither is flying up your nose. 8) While many "filth" gnats do not bite, be sure to look for any excess itching or … [Read more...] about How to Kill Gnats – 13 Facts

"Nobody should have to work with a jerk."  That's a great slogan for eBossWatch.com, a new Web site that aims for full disclosure when  it comes to supervisors.  As you already know, you could have the dream job, but if your boss is a miserable human being, odds are, your experience will be too.While the service has several flaws, I certainly have a soft spot for the site's creator Asher Adelman.  After a harrowing experience with an abusive and hostile boss (who seemed like a pussycat during the interview process) Asher knew that something had to be done.  And we salute him for taking "positive" action!The site simply has users anonymously answer six questions about their current or former manager.  No rants, no raves - just facts. Anyone can can add anyone, which is problem number one.  A boss can make themself look sweet as sugar.  Or a vengeful employee can make a mouse look like a lion.The second problem I have with the … [Read more...] about Rate Your Boss – Payback's a Cinch

You're cheap. Especially at work.  I guarantee it.  I'm not talking about financially, but rather, with words of praise.Why do so many of us hold back kind words and encouragement when it comes to co-workers?Given that we all need strokes (the fundamental unit of a social transaction according to Transactional Analysis) we sure are stingy when it comes to spreading the love.Instead of viewing Friday the 13th as a day of bad luck, why not use it as a turning point for some on-the-job GOOD luck?  Here are some surefire ways to to show your co-workers that you care about them - not only as associates - but as human beings.-Show genuine interest.  When a colleague talks, be a a good listener. The first step is to tune out everything else around you and shut down your inner chatter.  If you're thinking about whether or not you remembered to record Top Chef tonight, you are not being a good listener.  Be sure to follow up with thoughtful, detailed … [Read more...] about A Guide to Encourage Your Colleagues

The world eagerly awaits (not!) Amy Polumbo's fate as a panel of pageant officials sweat over the difficult decision of whether or not to strip her of her crown.  The issue at hand?  "Revealing" photos that Miss New Jersey was forced to reveal after being blackmailed.  After all they were "private." The schmuck only had them on Facebook.  Look, she's a kid.  And the now infamous Miss New Jersey photos aren't even that bad.  They are a pretty girl in her early 20's having a good time. In fact, I think she represents the Garden State perfectly.  I mean we're talking about a place where smoke stacks are a-plenty and Bon Jovi could sell out 365 nights a year at Giants Stadium.  They certainly can handle a girl holding up pumpkins as fake boobs.Do people really expect these pageant girls to be robots?Let's take this a step further.  How would you feel if you lost your job over similar photos?  As we've discussed many … [Read more...] about We Are ALL Miss New Jersey

Good Afternoon, thank you for calling Westbury Target, Andrew G.R speaking, how may I direct your call today?I DON'T work at Target.  But that didn't stop my  boss from recently calling me out for the way I pick up my phone.  We don't have Caller ID but there's a different ring depending whether the call is internal or external.This was my standard greeting:Internal: Department NameExternal: Company name, Department NameApparently, not good enough for the Boss Man.  He thinks every phone greeting should be uniform, regardless of where the call is coming from.I don't know how things roll at your office (though I'd love to hear in the comments below) but this pissed me off.1) I don't work at a call center or in customer service2) My company is not that large.  If someone calls my department, they KNOW who they're calling.3) Long greetings are irritating.  They are bad for first time callers and a hundred times worse for people who call you multiple times a … [Read more...] about Office Phone Greetings From Hell

Do you live on the edge?  We're not talking about trekking off on a bungee jumping expedition in Costa Rica. We're talking about the seven out of 10 office workers who use office equipment for personal reasons, blatantly ignoring their employer's warnings not to do so.  Yes, we're talking to YOU.Lawyers.com had Harris Interactive conduct a survey that yielded the following results:55% send/receive personal e-mail on their work accounts69% use the Internet for non-work purposes45% of respondents said they ignore their company's warningsAnd it gets even worse (or better!) for younger employees.  Folks between 18 and 24 are taking even greater risks:72%  of workers send/receive personal e-mail on their work accounts.77% use the Internet for non-work purposes71% of workers maintain a personal Web site13% visit dating Web sitesIf you are unsure of your company's electronic policy you have the right to ask for it.  Depending on what you signed when you were hired, … [Read more...] about 70% of Workers Abuse Technology at Work

If you're one of the 217 million people who play games online, you'll definitely want to waste some company time playing Office Ninja.Your mission is to navigate your way through each floor of the office building using your stealth and stapler to distract your enemy co-workers.  Be sure to gather new weapons and look out for open elevator shafts. The game, part of a viral campaign from Overland Storage, requires Flash 9.  Maybe I'm just in a gaming mood given my impulse purchase of the Nintendo Wii over the weekend.  Any good game recommendations?! … [Read more...] about Play Office Ninja