Recently I started a new job, and last week I was introduced to my boss, who happens to be an old school friend. Upon seeing him I felt happy about the whole situation, but then I started to get a bad feeling about working under someone whom I know quite well. There are a number of positives and negatives outlined below. 1. It’s nice to know that I have someone who I can trust, and someone who will have my back. Then again, it’s not fair on the new members of staff who can see the obvious benefits I am receiving.2. I am basically getting a free ride because I’m getting all the easy jobs that everyone else wants. I don’t mind this too much, but I can feel a tension building in the other members of staff, especially the ones who have to do the “newbie jobs” I should be doing.3. During work hours I am around my friend/boss a lot and we tend to joke around quite often and take lunches together. I do not want the other members of staff to think I am brown nosing all of the time, but … [Read more...] about A Moral Dilemma: My Boss Is My Friend
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Employaid: Career Videos That Are Accidentally Funny
Bad acting, cheesy dialogue, unrealistic scenarios. It all reminds me of health class in middle school. Remember those videos demonstrating the dangers of drug and alcohol use and how to handle the peer pressure? I can picture them now... "Just try the pot Jimmy, come on man, you'll like it!"Jimmy looks confused. The voice over narrator asks, "What should Jimmy do?" Ahh, good times. So what reminded me of those superbly produced educational videos? A relatively new site called Employaid. The point of Employaid is to develop "an online community for corporate employees to find the resources they need for career success." What that means is that the site provides articles, podcasts, blog posts and most importantly - videos, all with the hope of improving the work experience. If you're looking for entertainment, please check out the videos. My favorite so far has been the one on office gossip, which you can watch here. Here is some dialogue from the video so you … [Read more...] about Employaid: Career Videos That Are Accidentally Funny
Razume: Free Opinions on Your Resume
The Jobacle team always has its collective ear to the pavement to bring you the latest career 2.0 Web site reviews and employment news. One of my favorite sites that we've covered over the past year is Razume. (Read our original post here.) Designed to let users upload a resume and receive critiques from a community, the online destination, to this point, has not received the attention it deserves.That may be about to change, thanks in part to an expansion of offerings. The team of Sam Blum and Kyle Stoneman have developed a three-prong system to aid job seekers:- Powerful resume authoring tools with the ability to easily share your CV. Solicit advice from other users or use an annotation tool to leave feedback.- Free one-click posting to the major job boards; 7 million job postings aggregated from around the Web.- Research perspective employees and get tips and techniques (this functionality is currently unavailable)The site is currently in beta and recently … [Read more...] about Razume: Free Opinions on Your Resume
How to Hold 2008 Office Olympics
With the start of the real Olympics hours away, some of my friends have started their own version of the Olympics at work. Maybe they got the idea from the TV show, “The Office,” or maybe all the talk about the actual competition fueled the fire. Either way these ideas should help for spicing up the work place, especially on a Friday. 1. First, you need to make it known you want to hold an Office Olympics. Round up your friends, then the people who are sleeping on their desks, and then hang up fliers (if you have permission from the big guys...or take the rogue route!).2. Set the patriotic mood. Make fake torches, get the Olympic rings going, and make sure to define your Olympics. Will it be by department (Accounting vs. Marketing), each person for their own, or some other boundary?3. Pick your events. This is where it can get phenomenal, depending on your level of boredom. Here are some ideas to get your Office Olympics started:* … [Read more...] about How to Hold 2008 Office Olympics
Returning From Vacation Sucks. 6 Ways to Ease the Pain.
You're tan and relaxed, and your mind is a million miles from work. The problem is, you ARE at work. You've just returned from an amazing vacation where you did everything except think about the office.Changing mindsets is a difficult task. This is why it is essential to give yourself every possible opportunity to ease back gracefully. Here are a few tips how...BE ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU LEAVESet your 'out of office' reminders well in advance. Forgetting to take this step could result in a larger number of e-mail/calls to respond to when you return.Empty out your inbox by archiving all older messages. This will help you feel less overwhelmed when the vacation ends and keep your mailbox from exceeding the size limit, since most companies have a low threshold.Give your desk and general office space a quick clean. There's nothing like returning to a lemony-fresh workspace.ARRIVE EARLY UPON RETURNEfficient workers know that it's easier to get things done … [Read more...] about Returning From Vacation Sucks. 6 Ways to Ease the Pain.
VHS Tape Office Prank
Finally...a use for all of those old VHS tapes. … [Read more...] about VHS Tape Office Prank
Old-Timers' Day Comes to Work
Watching the Old-Timers' Day ceremonies at Yankee Stadium this past weekend, I was filled with the usual barrage of mixed emotions. Ranging from proud glee to a distinct fear of aging, the rollercoaster ride of an event not only pays tribute to the players of yesterday, but helps fans understand how an empire was built.While the corporate environment does not usually have the star power or 'excitement' of professional sports, there might be something to be said for understanding how your company got where it is today.So I pose the question:Is it time for your company to hold an old-timers' day?(Though I'm sure HR will make us come up with a more politically correct name. Perhaps 'Come Back to Work Day' or 'Unretirement Day.' )For an exercise like this to be successful, current employees would have to show interest - and patience.Who sat in your chair before you? How did they get things done before the computer age?Even an alumni day would be interesting; at the very least, you could … [Read more...] about Old-Timers' Day Comes to Work
The Modern Man Revealed; What a Wuss
It is official. The days of the testosterone fueled, beer guzzling, sexually promiscuous, cold-as-ice-male is now over. Did you know that the “modern male” sometimes even sheds a tear or two? What wimps we have turned into! I have the good mind to exterminate the whole male race (well everyone except me of course, I’ll be kept as a sex slave by the fairer half). Anyway, the results of one of the biggest online surveys run by Askmen.com have recently been released, with some surprising and humorous findings. The Great Male Survey 2008 is broken down into four categories: lifestyle, sexuality, dating, and money & power. Below is a brief summary, but afterwards, you should click on the link at the end of the page to have a look for yourselves. Lifestyle: The majority of “modern men” admit that they are more concerned about how kempt they look, and admit to using some sort of moisturizer to tackle those nasty skin blemishes and problematic dry areas. They … [Read more...] about The Modern Man Revealed; What a Wuss
Don't Let the Glassdoor Hit You On the Way In
Starting a new job is always a little overwhelming. You don't know anyone, you are unsure of the lingo used and there's always stuff going on around you that you don't quite understand. You don't know if your boss is a complete jerk and you're always watching what you say, trying to avoid sounding like an idiot. Wouldn't it be nice to have some more information about your working environment before beginning the job to help with the transition? A new site called Glassdoor.com may be able to help. More than that, the site will be able to help you decide what companies to apply to in the first place. The site claims to have the opinion of over 40,000 employees from over 11,000 companies around the world (although mostly in the United States). Employees anonymously write reviews of their company focusing on important qualities such as compensation, work/life balance, CEO rating, and leadership. The site is free, but in order to fully access all the reviews, you yourself have … [Read more...] about Don't Let the Glassdoor Hit You On the Way In
Why Is Boring Career Advice So Popular?
The article "How to dress for success at work" is the second most popular item on CNN.com right now. Are you kidding me?Here are some nuggets • Stock your closet -- Start with the versatile basics, such as a pair of black pants, a dark pant suit, some button-down collared shirts and a classic pair of dark shoes. Once you have the staples, you can continue to build your wardrobe to give you plenty of professional options.• Keep it neat and clean -- Make sure your pants, shirts and other clothes are ironed, stain-free and in good condition. When your clothes look sloppy, so do you.• Steer clear of bar attire -- Don't mistake the office for your local watering hole. Leave the slinky shirts, tight pants and cut off t-shirts at home.• Look the part -- Have a client presentation or a meeting with the CEO? Dress for the part, making sure you choose appropriate articles of clothing for your role.Doesn't anyone ever get tired of the same crap recycled over and over again? While … [Read more...] about Why Is Boring Career Advice So Popular?