Career Advice

Many employers are willing to pay to advance your education. Taking classes while working full time can be a tall order, but the best companies want their workers to thrive, grow, and feel challenged.Just because your company handbook makes no mention of tuition reimbursement doesn’t mean your boss won’t pay to send you back to school.Increase the odds of attending a (virtual) graduation ceremony on the company’s dime by being able to answer these seven questions:What’s in it for your employer? You already know what you’ll gain by advancing your education, but your strongest case is showing the employer what’s in it for them—specifically, what’s in it for your direct supervisor. Since this person will need to seek approval, you’ll need to get him on board by outlining what he’ll gain from helping your continue your education.What concerns will your boss have? Most companies will be concerned that you’ll use them to pay … [Read more...] about How to Convince Your Employer to Pay for School

My officemate is a slightly demented 3-year-old. Actually, he’s 15½ and a cat. When he wants something, like dinner, I get an earful of his yowling Siamese heritage. "I want it NOW!" A few minutes later he is likely to forget we’ve been there, done that. But I wouldn’t trade him for even your BFF human co-worker.Having your pet at work is one the best perks of working at home. But even in traditional workplaces, I’m noticing that an animal at work is becoming more acceptable. At the dentist awhile back, I could feel someone sniffing my foot. Since the hygienist was cleaning my teeth and I assumed the dentist wasn’t admiring my footwear, I wondered what was up. It was the resident Golden Retriever. He was a honey and I imagine having him there is very calming for patients.Why Not?I’ve heard all the arguments against having your pets at work; people are allergic, they’re distracting and some people are afraid of dogs/cats. Obviously, some … [Read more...] about Animals in the Workplace – No, Not Your Boss!

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

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

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

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