Archives for February 2011

Well, for starters, you should probably stop reading blogs while on the clock, but hey, who I am I to judge?  Theoretically, this is a career advice blog, so, under the ruse that this little jewel will make you look better in the eyes of your boss, let’s just say you can keep reading.  After all, if you follow my lead, you should have him thoroughly convinced that you are, right now, in deep, deep thought about the analytical data behind a marketing scheme that’s destined to make his name known ‘round the globe in the next 8 months.  You’re such a star employee! 1)  Write “stuff” down. So, here’s the first thing you need to look busy: you need to get yourself a sharp looking notepad.  I don’t really care about the color nor whether or not it’s 25% recycled, just get a classy lookin’ notepad and a pen.  And write stuff down all the time.  Whenever it occurs to you.  Whether you’re actually making an ongoing grocery list or a new song comes through on Pandora that you want to take note … [Read more...] about 10 Ways to Look Busy at Work

At the risk of sounding like an old f—t or Andy Rooney (My apologies, Mr. Rooney, I didn’t mean to imply anything), what is wrong with people these days? Is observing a few rules of society at work such a difficult thing?This AMEX Open Forum article, "Ten Etiquette Blunders," made me a little nutty. How can people really not know how to act at work? I work from home now, so I don’t deal with this stuff. But I’ve worked in more offices than I care to count. Here’s my own list of work etiquette no-nos.1.   Get out of my space, man. Editor Andrew addressed this very well in his post, "Violated at Work: The Death of Personal Space." With respect to people of other cultures who have different norms about this issue, in the U.S., most people don’t like “close talkers.” Please observe my boundaries. Don’t sneak up on me in my cube from behind or even think of touching me to get my attention.2.  TMI. Do we really need to … [Read more...] about Top 7 Workplace Etiquette No-Nos

What is the first comment from coworkers at the water cooler? "Man, I'm tired. I couldn't sleep." And most everyone else nods in agreement. Yes, we're all tired. Sleep deprivation is as rampant as fat rolls in our United States, yet we assume it's a price we pay to get ahead. Sure, I'm tired, but I'm getting 6 hours of sleep. That's enough, right? While a very small percentage of the population thrives on 6 hours of sleep, if you're constantly tired, you aren't in that elite group. You may feel like sleep is a waste of time, or just something old people do, but the fact is getting even an hour less of sleep per night has drastic, long-lasting effects. Sleeping 6 when you need 7 (or probably closer to 8) hours means you're losing out on an entire night of rest every week. Just what will this "cost" you in the long run?   1. Blood Pressure MedicineA recent study found that people who get less than adequate sleep are significantly more likely to increase their blood pressure over … [Read more...] about 6 Ways to Lose Money from Lack of Sleep

It's even better than a key to the executive wash room. It's your own shiny American Express Gold Corporate Card. While membership has it's privileges, it also comes with a whole new set of responsibilities to side-step. As a former employee corporate cardholder and a current personal finance writer, I thought I'd share some tips on how to make the most of your corporate charge card -- and not get fired. 1. The size of the client dictates the quality and (quantity) of the meal and drinks.Looking to land a Fortune 500 big spender? Go ahead: Order the lobster, filet mignon and several bottles of Cristal. If it's a big enough client, you can pick up the bar tab for the whole place. When your boss gets the bill, just go on and on about how those boys at [giant mega-corporation] really drink like fish and they would have already signed the contract... if they hadn't passed out on it. 2. Let your colleague pick up the tab. The editorial department at the publishing company where I worked had … [Read more...] about How to Use Your Corporate Charge Card Wisely