Career Advice

Faded black socks; the story of my life. Since I am a corporate monkey who is required to wear a suit on a daily basis, I am forced into wearing black dress socks. The problem is, after several washings, no matter what method or detergent is used, the socks fade. And gray socks with a black suit can just kill the entire look.I often think too much is made about "dress for success" - but who am I to argue with the man who has revolutionized the fashion industry - and cured one of my greatest pet peeves. Meet the Blacksocks.com SOCKSCRIPTION: a fresh shipment of black socks shipped directly to your door several times a year.Samy Liechti, Blacksocks’ founder, shares career fashion tips to keep you looking smart from head to toe.1. Choose a conservative suit in black, navy or gray in solid or a small pinstripe. Remember—the quality of the fabric speaks as loud as the color. If the fabric could also be used on your grandmother’s sofa, chances are it’s not appropriate … [Read more...] about A Cure for Faded Black Dress Socks…and other work fashion tips

Don't hate me for saying this but being the boss isn't easy. As if playing corporate politics and making difficult decisions without a safety net weren't enough, the boss also has to take the brunt of your work frustrations. While most of this activity occurs behind his or her back, it can't be easy knowing that there are people who live to criticize you. All bosses, even the evil ones, have redeeming qualities. Some are fathers. Others are law-abiding, church-going citizens. A few of them might even be damn cool, albeit away from the fluorescent lights of work. Part of the problem is that we only get a fraction of the picture, and that slice is the one that tells us what to do and when to do it. We're trained to despise authority, so the boss rarely gets the benefit of the doubt. But what if your boss died? Suddenly. At his or her desk. I know it's a morbid thought, but this exercise has the potential to open your eyes to new possibilities, and maybe, just maybe, get you on … [Read more...] about Why You Should Write Your Boss’ Eulogy

I phoned in this morning's blog post - literally. This audio blog is for you - yes you - the coworkers who keep Googling me! I know who you are, and I really wish you'd find something else to do with your time. All kidding aside, it is a fact that Googling everyone and everything is a 21st century way of life. But that doesn't make it any less irritating when people are barely know are uncovering every last detail about you.   … [Read more...] about Dear Coworkers, Stop Googling Me!

We all work with someone who annoys us. It's a fact of life. And despite the fact that we'd like nothing more than to sic a horde of vampire bats on those annoying coworkers, we're pretty much helpless to act. However, because we all deal with some type of similar behavior, we can come together and laugh about the habits that drive us nuts. A little while back, I posed this question on Twitter: “What are some coworker habits that drive you absolutely crazy?” The responses came pretty quickly after the initial question, and they ranged from silly to disrespectful to gross. @RaiscaraAvalon said that "overpowering, gag a maggot perfume" was her pet peeve (and the guys sometimes aren’t any better with their cologne) @AliciaSanera carried the body odor conversation even further by asking, "What is harder to address: termination of employment or B.O.?" It’s very interesting what we learn from each other, and I bet you have something you’d like to add. The … [Read more...] about Coworker Pet Peeves

I always had a sweet spot in my heart for pitchman Billy Mays. Not just because I think my impression (BILLY MAYS HERE!) is pretty solid, but because Billy was a true American success story. Whether you loved or hated his style, there is no denying that he built himself up into an iconic figure. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone not familiar with his trademark delivery and appearance. (Black hair dye, some hair gel and a blue shirt.)Here are several career lessons to be learned from the college dropout.- Have your own style. Loud. Obnoxious. You might call it yelling, Billy called it projecting. Whatever you label it, it was undoubtedly effective. Standing out from the pack and becoming associated with success (OxiClean, Awesome Auger, etc.) can only help your career. Attach yourself to winners and future victories have a better chance to follow. It might appear that Billy accepted every product that came his way, but there were hundreds - if not thousands that he rejected.- Sell … [Read more...] about Billy Mays: American Success Story

I tend to know what I want out of life. And if I make a mistake, I correct it as quickly as possible. More often than not, thanks in part to a perfect mix of in-tune instincts and obsessive research, I make the right choices.Marrying the perfect woman. Check.Buying a great house. Check.Landing my dream gig...No check. Why is it that in a world where I am confident about the decisions I make, I am still unsure about my career choices and where I am heading next?I like what I do. It pays the bills, it's challenging (at times), and I generally like the people I work with. Yet at this job, and everyone that has preceded it, I find myself asking the same question over and over again...IS THIS IT?It was this reoccurring question that led me to start Jobacle.com back in 2005. I'd like to hope I'm closer to the answer than ever before, but I'm simply not sure.  It's a moving target.My first mistake might have been expecting this feeling to fade; the answer to rear its glorious head. But … [Read more...] about My Career: More Questions Than Answers

Our pals at CareerCast have released the following...What do firefighters, surgeons and senior corporate executives have in common? More than you may think. They are among the nation’s most demanding jobs, according to a new CareerCast.com study.While firefighter reigns supreme as the most all-around demanding job, surgeon and senior corporate executive rank second and third, followed by police officer. Considering that firefighters regularly work long hours in hazardous, life-threatening situations and have the most physical demands of any of our top jobs, their landslide first place finish is no surprise, but police officers often endure the same sort of demands yet they ranked fourth. What gives? While police officers ranked higher for the physical demands of their job, their average work week and stress scores were considerably lower than that of a surgeon or a senior corporate executive.Also on the list of the most demanding, high-risk blue-collar occupations are roustabouts … [Read more...] about America's 8 "Most-Demanding Jobs"

I recently blogged about things that I like more in my 30s than I did in my 20s.Looking back on my "younger years," I can also see many differences in my attitude towards work. One of the big shifts is how much time I spend thinking about work when I'm not at work.Over the years I have been able to re-train myself to eliminate work thoughts when I'm off the clock. I have found that this has improved my home life, reduced the feeling of dreading Mondays, and led to a better career experience overall.I'd love to outline a laundry list of how-to tips, but, quite frankly, it comes down to a simple action: STOP.When you find your thoughts gravitating toward work, or you catch yourself blathering on about last week's office events--tell yourself to cut it out. Even if you enjoy what you do and see great benefit in thinking or talking about it on "your" time, there is something to be said for compartmentalizing your work/home endeavors. Read more of Andrew G.R.'s post at US News and World … [Read more...] about Why Your Weekends Aren't For Work

You’re probably not. An expert, I mean. Many of us think that we’re experts at so many things, but in reality, we’re just small fish in a big pond. There’s a theory out there that says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at something. A few weekends of tinkering or even a few years of casual practice won’t work. Reading a book on a topic won’t even cut it. 10,000 hours of dedication to a single subject is a hefty investment. Let’s calculate how much time it would take to become a real expert on something that isn’t related to your job (according to this ubiquitous and completely random 10,000 figure). · If you only practice on the weekends for maybe 10 hours total, then that makes 1,000 weeks (just over 19 years). That’s a long time to practice on something that may not even interest you that far down the road. · If you double it to 20 per week by studying 2 hours extra per weekday in addition to … [Read more...] about So You Think You’re An Expert, Eh?

Your cube is gross. There, I said it. You really need to clean it up. Toss out the old candy wrappers. Shred those old files (and any incriminating holiday party photos). But that’s just the surface of the whole cubicle mess. We want you to get energized and see things in a whole new light! Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we? Physical When it was time to leave my old job, I had accumulated loads of junk on and around my desk. Now, part of the problem was that I was pretty organized for the first year and a half, because I had two cubicle spots to spread out my work (i.e. “junk”), and when someone was placed in the second slot, everything had to be crammed back into my side. Another part of the problem is that I was always too busy with work to actually stop and pick up the papers, handbooks, and countless other piles of stuff. However, I was putting myself through a hassle for no reason at all. Taking the time out of your day, week, or month to clean up your … [Read more...] about Clean Your Cubicle