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The economy is all jacked up. The country seems like it's on an out of control freight train heading towards a 10% unemployment rate.I can't get a raise. You can't get a new job.But some companies out there have $3 million to spend on 30 seconds. The Super Bowl might be over, and by this time next year no one will remember who won. But will you remember any of the ads...even tomorrow?! The fatwalleted companies who broke the bank certainly hope you do.Here are our thoughts on the work-related job and career stuff. As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments section below.  Check out an audio recap below and don't forget to use those Sick Days! Direct DownloadCareerBuilder.comThese guys need to throw in the towel already, as their Super Bowl commercials get less funny each year.The concept is things to look for to figure out if you need a new job. From a woman screaming in her car in the work parking lot, to a toe-picking, Speedo-wearing co-worker, the ad illustrates … [Read more...] about Super Bowl Ad Roundup 2009: Jobs & Careers

Frozen ice, sleet and snow has descended on New York, producing one of the coldest and dreariest winters in recent memory.Weather is a big part of our lives. From filling small-talk voids to taking up half a the local newscast with idiotic technology, the psychology of outside conditions goes way beyond 'will I freeze my fingers off today.'I pose the following question, dear readers:What weather do you prefer to work in?We're assuming you work in an office like us, which means in reality, exterior temperatures, humidity and precipitation are, for the most part, irrelevant.Personally, I like waking up to blue skies and sunshine for the drive to work. Then at about 10am it becomes cloudy and overcast. The sun plays peek-a-boo, eventually reappearing at about 3pm for the duration of the day.I know it's greedy but I don't like when it's too nice outside and I'm stuck indoors under the fluorescent lights. At the same time, I don't want weather to be too severe, creating commuting chaos and … [Read more...] about Sun, Rain or Snow at Work?

If your office supplies could talk, what would they say about you? I know it sounds like a weird question, but ever since I received an Open Letter From My Keyboard, I try to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of my office supplies. We spend so much time together at my desk, it just makes sense to make sure we have a cordial working relationship. Plus, when I'm in a pinch, I want to know I can depend on the tools that make work possible. After some thought, I figured what better day than today to check in to see how they're all doing. ANDREW G.R.: Hey Stapler, how's it going? STAPLER: Jam-free for over a year, and you acknowledge me now? AGR: I'm sorry, Stapler. I'm just juggling so many projects - PENS: We've noticed. Any chance you can keep us out of your mouth? AGR: Sorry guys. It's a bad habit, but I like to think it's getting better. SCOTCH TAPE: Whatever! AGR: Scotchy, why the attitude? SCOTCH TAPE: You left me for a binder clip!? AGR: I'm … [Read more...] about If Office Supplies Could Talk…

Sometimes I wonder if they'll have to extend my local Barnes & Noble bookshop to accommodate the always-growing career self-help aisle. With so many books written by "experts," and thousands of blogs devoted to making work better, I sit here this morning wondering if any of it has made a difference.With more resources at our ready than ever before, are a greater number of people happier at work then lets say 10 years ago?My Jobacle ego likes to think so, but how can we quantify the results?  Unemployment numbers continue to trend towards double digits, hitting the highest rate in 16 years. Do any of these people feel better because they can commiserate with one another?Authors have always had a bonafied credential. They can point to the fact that they were able to to get through a publisher's filter. At that point, the writer has to know what they're talking about, right? My sneaking suspicion is that in the 21st century, that is less true than ever before. It seems as if … [Read more...] about Beware of Other Career Blogs

Like the warning that tells us never to go food shopping when we're hungry, the same axiom really applies when career shopping. The hungrier, or more needy we feel in terms of job fulfillment, the more likely it is that either we'll select a career path not in our interest, or - worse yet - simply settle for...whatever.Yet the new book, How'd You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Jobs-and How to Get Them, by career expert Alexandra Levit, helps in a number of pragmatic, yet creative ways to provide us with a veritable shopping list of what to look for in finding that career of our dreams. Sure, you may think that you've 'heard it all before,' but what the author does is help us gain just enough insight into ourselves so as to better refine the search process. Using a simple, but innovative self-assessment test, Ms. Levit cleverly engages the reader to participate in the career satisfaction discovery process.She's created a 'passion profile,' so that readers can learn, and better … [Read more...] about How'd You Score That Gig?

Are you always tired at work? From depression to anxiety to boredom, there are a multitude of reasons why you might feel sleep deprived.One of the best ways to keep you energy level up at work is to ear right. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fighting Fatigue offers hundreds of tips to stay alert and feel well-rested. Among them, a list of nutrients that could be helpful to ingest during the work day...ALFALFA is an exceptional source of protein and high in vitamins A, D, E, B6 and K; calcium; magnesium; chlorophyll; phosphorus; iron; potassium; trace minerals; and several digestive enzymes. Alfalfa is also a high-fiber substance with properties that bind and remove toxins from the colon.ALPHA LIPOIC ACID is a potent antioxidant that increases production of glutathione in the body helping to dissolve toxins in the liver. Alpha liopic acid has been used in the treatment of liver and heart disease, diabetes, and other inflammatory diseases.ARTICHOKE is a liver protectant and antioxidant … [Read more...] about Fight Fatigue at Work: Detoxify