| Employment Related Articles |
 Green Pride
The Phelps Group marketing agency, Santa Monica, Calif., recently “greened up” its building by crowning the roof with the largest commercial solar-panel system in the city. The company al...
|
 Snap To!
Percent of U.S. managers who think casual dress hurts productivity Source: Online poll of 9,105 employees across all industries in July 2008 by FPC, an executive search firm based in N.Y....
|
Pay Now… and Pay Later
Charging money for information that is readily available at no cost is an enduring scam. Gullible job seekers who hunger for a regular paycheck too easily fall prey to these bogus offers. I once saw a...
|
 ¡Hola!
Percent of the U.S. population that speaks a language other than English at home, up from 13.8 percent in 1990. Source: Census Bureau's 2007 American Community Survey...
|
 Fireproof Your Job
In hindsight, Joan Friedlander recognizes that she could have done more to prevent getting a pink slip when her former employer restructured. She'd just started to battle an autoimmune disease and ha...
|
 Networking Primer
Networking is one of the best ways to find a job, but it can be tricky. Here are some tips to help you get started and avoid the pitfalls. Sharpen your focus A major cause of networking failure is la...
|
Co-author of The Good Girl's Guide to Negotiating
SLIGHTS DON'T ADD UP Dear Leslie, You are right about the shortage of African-American accountants. I happen to be one. But you did not touch on the discrimination we face even after being hired. I ha...
|
Who Moved My Spot?
Dear Leslie, When I found out that you read “Who Moved My Cheese?,” in your column was about your father (bless his heart), I felt compelled to relate this story. I worked in a business th...
|
 On Second Thought...
As the old saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for!" Not every promotion or new job leads to happiness. In some cases a job seeker may discover that a seemingly promising promotion ends up being a ...
|
All Crime and No Pay
Dear Leslie, When I was younger, I foolishly walked out on a bar tab with some friends and was charged with theft. As many people do when they are young, I made a mistake. I never expected this incide...
|
 Buddy, Can You Spare a Mil?
Average pay of a manager of a top 50 hedge and private equity fund manager in 2007, some 19,000 times more than a typical U.S. worker. Source: "Executive Excess 2008," 15th annual CEO compensation sur...
|
 Top Jobs: Dental Hygienist
9 to 5: It's more than cleaning teeth. Dental hygienists help prevent and treat oral disease to protect teeth and gums. "We know that prevention saves money, leads to better oral health and to better ...
|
 How to Survive the Serial Interview
For most jobseekers - early in the hunt, anyway - a callback after an interview is a time for rejoicing. The first interview went well! The second callback may be more perplexing. Didn't you talk to e...
|
 The Net Worth of a Network
Whether you utilize them or not, one thing's for sure: you've got people. A network, when cultivated and taken advantage of (in a good way) can further your career, teach you all kinds of new things a...
|
Volunteer, Help Yourself
Dear Readers, Eleven-year-old Rachel Cole of Oak Park, Ill., had a great time playing with Princess, a beautiful black Labrador retriever, when her Girl Scout troop volunteered at the local animal she...
|
 Data Leak
Number of laptops lost in the 36 biggest U.S. airports each week. Nearly 70 percent of them are never reclaimed. Source: 2008 survey of 106 major airports conducted for Dell by the Ponemon Institute, ...
|
WORKING CLASS
ALL CRIME AND NO PAYDear LESLIE, When I was younger, I foolishly walked out on a bar tab with some friends and was charged with theft. As many people do when they are young, I made a mistake.I never e...
|
 Show Me the Money
The percentage raise working women voted as the change they most desired in their work lives. A raise was followed by high-quality heath care and childcare. Working America, Washington, D.C., sixth a...
|
 McCain! Obama!
You've heard it said often: Avoid discussion of sex, money, religion and politics. So, why do so many people love to broach these controversial topics in the office? "Politics, in particular, is hard...
|
 Thank Your Lucky Stars
Doing business in the 21st century means riding the cutting edge of technology, seeking out innovation and embracing the new. There are some free thinkers who believe that the ancient study of astrol...
|
 Don't Lose It!
Why do clashes between co-workers occasionally erupt into screaming and scuffling? Many times, news coverage of workplace aggression reports that the answer is obvious: it's the economy, stupid. "Stre...
|
Readers Defend Palin Resume
Dear Readers, In a recent column, I compared Sarah Palin’s candidacy for the vice presidency of the U.S. to an applicant for a more ordinary job. Several readers took issue with my critique and ...
|
 Be Your Own Boss! Earn $$$$!
Three things in life are certain: Death. Taxes. And employment scams. In my years as a job counselor, I saw too-good-to-be-true self-employment job offers dupe innocent job seekers time after time. "I...
|
 Lights, Camera, Action
Proportion of large companies that accept video résumés from job candidates Source: 2008 survey of 150 U.S. senior executives by Robert Half International, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based staffin...
|
 Workplace Fatalities
Number of workers who died from injuries on the job last year. Fishing was the most dangerous occupation, followed by logging, aircraft pilots and flight engineers and structural iron and steel worker...
|
 Take Two!
Robert Chambers went from being a car salesman to starting a nonprofit that provides low-interest loans and fuel-efficient cars to the rural poor living in New Hampshire. He's one of a growing number ...
|
Time To Speak Up
Dear Readers, Does your firm have a suggestion box? Whether your answer is Yes or No, unless it means employees' ideas are regularly solicited, it's time to think outside that particular box and insta...
|
 Question Authority
Well-prepared job applicants have answers to every conceivable question an interviewer might ask. Too often, though, they fail to pose incisive questions of their own. An interview is not a one-way st...
|
 Glass Half Empty
Percent of U.S. workers who are confident in their ability to find a new job. Seventy-six percent believe they are unlikely to lose their job in the next year. Source: June 2008 Harris Interactive pol...
|
 Higher Degree of Difficulty
Traditionally, a college degree opens the door to respect, a new chapter in life and the first "real" job in a much-dreamed-of career. However, with today's difficult economy and rising unemployment r...
|
Talkers Takeover
Dear Leslie, I am the office secretary (and then some) in a 50-person office and I work with a great group of people. Several co-workers, including men, will talk to me for a half hour at a time, walk...
|
 Pop Quiz
"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept," said Ansel Adams, the photographer known for his majestic images of the American West. It is not likely Adams was talking about failed e...
|
 Wage Whopper
Average weekly wage in Santa Clara County, Calif., highest among the nation's 328 largest counties Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, third quarter of 2007...
|
 Disaster Planning
In tough times, companies focus on the bottom line. That's the right strategy for employees, too, says Caroline Ceniza-Levine, a career coach based in Manhattan. She's not just referring to contributi...
|
 No-Frills Networking
All job seekers should network. Most of them know full well they should. It's taking the first step - picking up the phone - that frequently trips them up. By some estimates, each of us knows about 50...
|
GLASS CEILING OR GLASS SLIPPER?
Dear Readers, Pundits and politicians have hailed Sarah Palin's surprising selection as John McCain's running mate as a sign that the end of discrimination against women in the workplace is here. Even...
|
 Hell-o-o!
They’re crunching numbers to Mariah Carey. Creating a powerpoint to Vampire Weekend. Or polishing off a competitive analysis to The Clash. A generation of workers accustomed to carrying the sou...
|
Baseball Breakthroughs
Dear Readers, What’s more important, how you start or how you finish? That’s a key question in any career in which you measure results, whether by the season or the quarter. Professional b...
|
 49
Percent of hiring managers who say they’ve caught a candidate lying on a résumé Source: 2008 Careerbuilder.com survey of 3,000 hiring managers...
|
 Laid Off: What Next?
Drew Stevens, 46, can empathize with the thousands of employees who will be laid off from Starbucks as the coffee chain shutters 600 stores in a rolling series of closures through early 2009. While i...
|
Summer Job Hunt
Dear Readers, It may be September, but summer is still on our minds. You can probably call up the most memorable moments fairly easily, whether wonderful or traumatic. For young people who were unempl...
|
 The Lowdown on Start-ups
“I think I’m going into business for myself. Doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll just take out a home-equity loan – maybe buy a franchise,” a dislocated worker told me...
|
 28
Percent of U.S. employees who say they feel obligated to check work e-mail while on vacation Source: AOL Mail’s 2008 E-mail Addiction Survey of 4,000 of its members...
|
 A Major Question
As an executive search consultant, Sally Stetson, a principal with the Salveson Stetson Group in Radnor, Pa., helps match people to jobs. She’s also a mom who hears people repeatedly ask her da...
|
 …It’s Home to Work We Go
With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon, who wouldn’t want to join the growing number of U.S. employees whose route to work is just a few short strides from the bedroom to a home-based offi...
|
 No Holidays Here!
The Labor Day holiday is here. For anyone out of work and looking for a job, it’s time to kick the job search into high gear. You wouldn’t be wasting an ounce of energy if you began your ...
|
Leave Grievance
Dear Leslie, I worked in a local church office for 10 years. I got sick and had to take a leave of absence. During my leave, the church hired another person permanently. I was told when I returned I c...
|
 28
Percentage of workers 16 and older who work more than 40 hours a week. Eight percent work 60 or more hours a week. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009...
|
 16.7 million
Number of commuters who leave for work between midnight and 5:59 a.m., some 13 percent of all workers Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2006 American Community Survey...
|
 Tattoo Taboo?
Self-expression is human nature. Some people express themselves through painting, writing or dancing. Some people play music. And some people express their individuality via body art – tattoos ...
|
 The Direct Path to Success
Aaron Ludin’s summer earning improved dramatically from one year to the next. He went from earning $6.20-an-hour retail gig to netting $31,000 selling knives for the summer. That salary grew to...
|
The Literacy-Labor Connection
Dear Readers, Labor Day is one of transition, a time to switch gears from the lazy days of summer to the fertile fresh start of fall. Established as a legal holiday by Congress in 1894, Labor Day also...
|
 WHO MOVED MY PULPIT?
Dear Readers, When my father retired in 1982 at age 56, he was the senior minister of First Church of Christ, Congregational, in New Britain, Conn. The church building, built in the 1960s, still seem...
|
 71
Percent of U.S. employers offering incentives to lure employees to sign up for company health and wellness programs in 2008. Gift cards were No. 1. Source: 2008 survey of 225 major employers by the N...
|
 Keep the Dream Alive
Sometimes, dream jobs appear to be just around the corner. College grads with newly minted diplomas or workforce veterans with glowing recommendations eagerly pursue the glittering prize they’v...
|
 Braving the Fear of Networking
“This summer we had our family reunion. I saw my 80-year-old Uncle Fred there,” said Jason, a jobseeker. “He is the retired manager of Lunches from a Vending Machine. So I go up to ...
|
 Back in the Game
No sooner had Lynne Klippel discovered that her company would eliminate her position as it downsized that she learned her husband’s company had also cut his job. “I was shocked at how int...
|
 World Wide Network
We’re doing lots of activities online that we once did in person. Shopping? Sure. Paying bills? Of course. But professional networking? You bet – and with some great advantages. Finding a...
|
Swift and Self-Taught
Dear Leslie, I am a college student entering my junior year. When I applied for internships in the spring, I interviewed with a marketing company and was not offered the job because another candidate ...
|
 44
Percent of employees who say work/life balance is a very important aspect of job satisfaction, down from 62 percent in 2002 Source: The Society for Human Resource Management 2008 Job Satisfaction Sur...
|
 14
Percent of executives who deem cover letters sent with résumés as “not valuable at all” Source: Survey of 150 executives at large corporations by OfficeTeam, a staffing firm in ...
|
 Uncle Sam Wants You
Uncle Sam is looking for more than a few good men and women, and not just to serve in the armed forces. From cemetery workers to nuclear physicists, the federal government has tens of thousands of jo...
|
Dishonest Boss?
Dear Leslie, I have an ethical dilemma at the doctor’s office where I am the receptionist. After working here for three months, I was instructed to start taking payments from patients. While lea...
|
 Résumé Rx
Any sensible job seeker knows that employers receive countless applicants for any given job opening. Each of these applicants has a résumé, of course, which means that if you want yours to ...
|
Accountants, Please Apply
Dear Readers, Accounting ranks among the country’s most segregated professions. Only 1 percent to 3 percent of all Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are African-American, depending on what sou...
|
 17.1
Percent of undergraduates who name Google as their ideal future employer. Runnersup: Walt Disney (13 percent) and Apple Computer (10 percent.) Source: 2007 survey of 43,313 students by Universum USA,...
|
 Canoodling Co-Workers
You eat breakfast together. You share financial responsibilities. You offer each other advice and support. Why not work together, too? Your life and your partner’s are inextricably intertwined....
|
 Oh, The Places You’ll Go… Maybe
Aspiring globetrotters who dream of working and living overseas might regard Debi Yohn as a role model. A psychologist who hails from Miami, Yohn has held jobs in Saudi Arabia, France, China and Mexi...
|
Travel Trevail
Dear Leslie, I recently participated in an interview with an airline for a flight attendant position. I agreed to participate at my own expense, since the company did not provide transportation or cov...
|
 Sleep-working
Nearly a third of Americans seem to be ignoring some important signs – or perhaps slept through them. According to the 2008 “Sleep in America” poll, 29 percent of respondents said t...
|
 $96,438
Average amount students in 2008 expect to earn five years after graduation Source: Survey of 43,313 undergraduates by Universum USA, a Philadelphia-based research and consulting service...
|
 Takeover Etiquette
Your company has just been bought out and rumors are flying. The top brass says there’ll be no immediate changes. Colleagues tell you not to worry because highly paid upper management positions...
|
 Who’s the Boss?
“I’m aimless no more!” declared Susie. “I am going to open a convenience store of my own! I made hoagies faster than anyone else at the church fundraiser. If the Sheetz can do...
|
 6
Percentage of men who wear ties every day to work in 2007, down from 10 percent in 2002 Source: Gallup Poll...
|
 Two Steps Forward, One Back
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, newly graduated college students step off the stage, diploma in hand, ready to take on the world. With years of hard work preparing for this moment behind them, they dre...
|
The Science of Persuasion
Dear readers, I’ve recommended many books but this one is among the best I’ve found, “Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive” (Free Press, 2008). Just published, t...
|
 Deadbeat Employer?
Dear Leslie, I left my previous employer in April, 2007. I have a Simple Retirement Account. My employer put in my employee contributions but it never deposited the employer match for 2007 ($200.00)....
|
 More than 3/4
By 2016, more than three-quarters of US workers will be in service, rather than goods-producing, jobs Source: 2008-2009 Occupational Outlook Handbook...
|
 Fair Game
Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich., hosts a statewide job fair twice a year for Michigan colleges and employers that attracts 166 employers and 1,000 candidates. Organizer Lavonda Robine...
|
 4.3
Percentage decline in U.S. footwear prices in the last 10 years Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics...
|
 Common Interview Goofs
I had studied all the standard questions likely to be asked in job interviews. To be sure, interviewers selected by Pennsylvania Labor and Industry tended to use the same questions, so I practiced my...
|
 Ethics by the Book
Dear Readers, “To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.” -- Confucius When the weather gets warm, I cannot resist suggesting a summer reading list. With one of the h...
|
 An Offer They Can Rescind
Grandmothers have always advised not to count your chickens until they hatch. In today’s economy, the wise among us have a new pearl of wisdom: don’t assume that you have a job just becau...
|
 Finding Friday
Schoolteachers know the syndrome well. Friday rolls around and the kids stop hitting the books and start hitting the road – mentally, anyway. The same is often true of the workplace. When many ...
|
 Cut Down on the Homework
Carol Gerrish looks around her third-floor office and is instantly inspired to work. “This is a professional office, a serious space,” says the life coach in Troy, N.J. It’s a space...
|
 Mum Messages
Dear Readers, When I lived in Philadelphia after college, I had a good friend who lived nearby who said she was thinking of moving back in with her boyfriend. Then she bought a piano. That seemed to ...
|
 67
Percentage of men who say they never wear a tie to work. Source: American Magazine/Gallup Organization survey...
|
 The Boomerang Employee
Remember the expression about the grass being greener? When it comes to jobs, it may not always be true. Perhaps it may be more common than many would like to admit, but more employees are returning ...
|
Write Your Script
Dear Leslie, I recently submitted my resume and a cover letter for a job I would love to have. I believe I’m qualified, but I haven’t worked in my field for about 13 years. Instead I&rsquo...
|
 30
Percentage of organizations that have an official definition of workplace diversity. Source: Society for Human Resource Management/American Institute for Managing Diversity Inc....
|
 Choose, Don’t Beg
Job searches can be reminiscent of our first days of school—scary. Will they like me? How can I get them to like me? Any job search can tap into our fears of rejection, but in a job market that...
|
Vertical Reviews
Dear readers, In the political world, lots of jobs are lost and careers ruined because people say or do something that angers the public and embarrasses their superiors. If they could turn back the cl...
|
 71
Percentage of women business owners who are trying to make their businesses greener Source: 1,200 respondents of a member survey conducted by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)...
|
 Tuning In To Tune Out
Data-entry to Destiny’s Child? Spreadsheets to Santana? Windows to Wyclef’s latest? According to a Spherion Workplace Snapshot survey conducted by Harris Interactive, almost 32 percent of...
|
 Go Ahead, Ask Me
Ideally, a job interview should feel like a conversation, not an interrogation. But when you and a prospective employer hit it off, there’s a risk you’ll both become too chummy — th...
|
 Riding the Recession Wave
Let’s face it - the news is full of talk about the tough economy and home foreclosures. While official, national unemployment has not increased much in recent months, employee wages and hours a...
|
 34
Age country singer, Gretchen Wilson graduated from high school. Wilson dropped out of school in the ninth grade Source: Associated Press and CBS News...
|
 Join the Service
Andrea Kay signed on as a non-paid board member of a non-profit downtown improvement group because she truly wanted to help revitalize the heart of Cincinnati. Little did she know that her stint as a...
|
Legal Aide
Dear Leslie, I was recently terminated. I feel strongly that my termination was unjust and due to discrimination. I sought an attorney's advice and was told that I have a very strong discrimination la...
|
 Take Off on Time Off
Are you hoarding your vacation time? Not if you work for Chrysler. In March, the company told its nearly 71,600 workers that most of them would be taking vacations during the weeks of July 7 and 14 w...
|
Travel Trauma
Dear Leslie, I have worked for a major insurance company for 11 years. Although I am not a manager, I have made a name for myself in the company, and I am very happy with my job. Now, due to downsizin...
|
 $4 billion
Expected growth of ice cream and frozen desserts market by 2012 Source: Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md., “U.S. Market for Ice Cream and Related Frozen Desserts” report...
|
 Summer Hires
Baseball season is now in full swing. Fishing too. But I am going to talk about another important season: the summer job-hunting season for teenagers and college students. Many first time job hunters...
|
 Great Jobs, Aisle Seven
Looking for bok choy, organic barley, or Alaskan crab? You’ll probably find these or other specialty ingredients at one of the increasingly popular niche supermarkets springing up across the co...
|
Stressed Out Loud
Dear Readers, Of the respondents to a 2000 Gallup poll, 25 percent said they felt like screaming at work. The reason? Stress. Another survey found that 42 percent of workers reported that yelling and ...
|
 $46 billion
Expected global spending for operations support systems in 2008 Source: Insight Research Corp., Boonton, N.J....
|
 Expensive Employees
Acing a job interview involves more than simply demonstrating your skills and making a good first impression these days. Employers are paying more than ever in health and liability insurance and lost...
|
 Working Al Fresco
The warm weather finally is arriving and you’re itching to get outside. Wouldn’t it be great if you could pack your lunch and head outside to work every day? Outdoor jobs are among the fa...
|
Who Knows You?
Dear Readers, Networking is the most efficient way to find job openings, whether you are a new college graduate or an aging baby boomer, especially in a tight labor market. To hone your understanding ...
|
 $14 billion
Expected growth of the gift card market in the next five years Source: Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md., “U.S. Market for Prepaid Cards with a Focus on Gift Cards” report...
|
 Prescription For Job Loss Anxiety
Losing one’s job is a major life crisis. As a counselor I have seen some people bounce back from a job loss in several weeks, others are still not themselves after several months and some never...
|
Handling Harassment
Dear Leslie, What direction should one take when an employer does not resolve an issue regarding sexual harassment by someone in upper management? I know of several women who have taken the proper ste...
|
 $308 million
Expected size of U.S. market for personal safes by 2011 Source: SBI Reports, Rockville, Md....
|
 From a Dream to a Nightmare
That job you’ve been dreaming about is finally within reach. The hiring manager you interviewed with has made an appealing offer, but there’s a catch: This gig is not “gung ho&rdquo...
|
 Go Ahead, Pile On
Even 10 years ago, says Minneapolis resume writer Vicki Bacal, one resume was all that most professionals needed to land a great job. Not so today. “You need to customize each and every resume ...
|
 88
Percentage of contract or temporary employees who say they would refer a relative or friend to the job. Source: American Staffing Association, Alexandria, Va....
|
 All It Needs Is Love
When it comes to striking career gold, the “Hitch” of the job world is Shawn Graham. Like Will Smith’s character, in the romantic comedy, “Hitch,” who helps seemingly ho...
|
 Tips for Finding the Elusive First Job
“I’ve never had a job before; I never even looked before. Someone told me just go to the job center. So what do I do?” asked a scared young man. Jason had just graduated from high s...
|
 Million Cups of Coffee
Artist Lara Lepionka sees beauty in the everyday tasks we may take for granted: the waitress pouring a cup of coffee, an attendant answering phones at the YWCA, a librarian shelving books at a local ...
|
 76
Percentage of women who believe brunet is the best hair color for making an impression during a job interview. FYI: Blond came in at 12 percent and red at 3 percent. Source: P&G Beauty...
|
 Green Around the Collar
At a time when the job and economic picture looks bleak and company and personal budgets are in the red, there’s one plus: green-collar jobs are in more demand than ever. Jobs in the green indu...
|
Entrepreneurs’ Top Traps
Dear Readers, Last week we celebrated National Small Business Week by interviewing marketing communications expert Karin Abarbanel, co-author of “Birthing the Elephant: The woman’s go-for-...
|
 Seeking Clarity
“It must have been a miscommunication.” How many times have you heard that phrase in a meeting, on a conference call or in the boardroom? Chances are, too many to count. Peggy Klaus, a co...
|
 Young Americans
When can a teenager first have a job? How many hours can my daughter work? Are the hours different when she is in school, or on weekends or during vacation times? How late can they make my son work o...
|
Employee or Employer?
Dear Readers, Small businesses play a big role in this economy. The 25 million small businesses in the U.S. employ half the private workforce in the U.S. and create three out of every four new jobs. N...
|
 55
Percentage of employees who say they come to work sick because they don’t want to use vacation time Source: CCH, Chicago, 2007 Unscheduled Absence Survey...
|
 Awkwardly Mobile
It’s the career dilemma that’s as ubiquitous as mocha or latte for your mid-morning coffee break. Should you relocate for a career opportunity? Two career experts, Beverly Daniel, preside...
|
 3,673,000
Number of a people employed as IT professionals in 2007, an all-time record. Source: National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses, Alexandria, Va....
|
 The 24-hour Workday
You wake up to check your blackberry in the middle of the night, e-mail under the table at dinner parties, and haven’t taken a vacation in three years. Then again, you are just like everyone el...
|
 Advanced Degree
Randi Bussin didn’t give it a second thought. When she decided to abandon a 20-year career in high-tech sales and marketing and start a new life as a counselor, she had no intention of going ba...
|
Inga’s First Impression
Hello Everyone, I would like to take a moment to introduce myself as the new Graduate Studies Program Assistant, replacing Shawn. My desk is in CRT 433 (back in the corner), so please stop by and intr...
|
 Athletic Appointments
When Lenli Corbett isn’t playing kickball, intramural flag football or training for a half-marathon, she’s probably at her desk. But her desk job also is all about sports. Corbett is dire...
|
 36
Percentage of U.S. workers that said winning money was their primary reason for participating in an office pool. FYI: 45 percent cited camaraderie as their main reason. Source: Spherion, Fort Lauderd...
|
 Superior Relations
Any way you slice it, the employee-employer relationship has potential for volatility. One person is in charge, one person isn’t. When egos collide and misunderstandings occur, friction is immi...
|
More of the Best Bosses
Dear Readers, Here are two inspiring stories about employee-employer relationships from fellow readers: I met the World’s Best Boss on an assignment as a temp when he was a busy university vice ...
|
 The Right Time for Part Time
In his final year at Rowan University, Jeff Murza decided it was time to get a part-time job. After taking an internship position at South Jersey Magazine, the communications studies major now spends...
|
Repetitive Motion
Dear Leslie, I have a question on behalf of a young friend. She has been employed for four years by a small company in a job that requires lots of physical work. She got along great with the owner, wh...
|
 33
Percentage of young women ages 25 to 29 who held a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2007. FYI: 26 percent of males in that age group had the same education. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Wa...
|
Search at Someone Else’s Expense
“Keep a detailed log of your job-search activities,” I often told job seekers during my 37 years as an employment counselor. Job hunting can be expensive in addition to the burden of being...
|
Dynamic Duo
Dear Leslie, I saw that you are having a contest for The Best Boss Award and immediately thought of my two bosses. Here are the benefits of working for Connie and Michelle: 1. Even though they employ ...
|
 $80 billion
Amount teenagers age 12 to 17 earned in 2007. Source: Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md....
|
 In ’n‘ Out
The new job isn’t working out and you’re not sure whether to stay or bolt. If you choose to leave, you’re not alone. A survey from Boston-based consulting firm Novations Group in 20...
|
 A New Career in a New Town
“Networking” often conjures the image of someone sleazy making everyone feel manipulated or used. It’s no wonder the word has a serious ick factor. But networking guru Ann Baber, co...
|
WHO’S THE BOSS?
Dear Leslie, Since when were Bill and Hillary Clinton ever co-workers? Did they ever work for the same law firm? Did they ever have a formal reporting or job duty relationship in their governmental du...
|
 69 million
People expected to own satellite or HD radios by 2012, up from approximately 25 million in 2007 Source: Parks Associates, Dallas...
|
Credit Where Credit’s Due
A disgruntled job seeker came to the job center with a complaint: “My welfare worker told me something about some welfare tax credit, but I don’t remember getting anything out of it.&rdquo...
|
 Tell me you didn’t just send that …
If it hasn’t happened to you, thank your lucky stars. For countless others, the dread that comes from sending the wrong e-mail to the wrong person is a feeling they know all too well. But while ...
|
 Don’t be a baby
Big employees don’t cry, at least if they want to get ahead on the job. When Sen. Hillary Clinton got teary-eyed on the campaign trail, political pundits went crazy with in-depth analyses of the...
|
WORKING CLASS
Over the past few weeks your entrees for the “Best Boss Award” have lent credence to something CEO of SRC Holdings Jack Stack said in a 1989 interview with Inc. magazine: “I’ve...
|
 $5 million
The amount of money it takes to be considered “rich,” according to a study of affluent households with assets of at least $500,000. FYI: 25 percent defined rich as $25 million, while 8 per...
|
 Servicing the Future Work Force
Though many Americans currently are fretting about the “R” word, it appears that college students are sitting pretty. With many baby boomers – who comprise an estimated 30 to 50 perc...
|
Works Well With Others
Dear Readers, As we watch the presidential race unfold, not only do we wonder who will be the nominee for each party, but who the nominees will choose for their running mates. Which team will morph in...
|
 Reviewing for Your Review
The year Caitlin Friedman got the big promotion of her career she did what most people who get promoted do: She performed extremely well, but then she did something else. She figured out how to make ...
|
 47
Percentage of senior executives who believe baby-boomer retirements will have the greatest impact on the work force over the next decade Source: Robert Half International, Menlo Park, Calif., survey ...
|
 Practice Makes Perfect
“What do you do here anyway?” What do you think of that as a question for a job seeker to ask an employer in a job interview? One employer told me, “When an applicant shows me they ...
|
 37
Percentage of shoppers who walked out of retail stores this holiday season either because it was difficult to find assistance or the lines were too long Source: Motorola, Inc., Shaumburg, Ill., 2007 ...
|
 Pet Projects
Fish or fowl, ferret or gerbil, dog or cat - whatever the species, a pet is part of the family. And everyone knows that sometimes family makes demands on your time at the office. When a pet gets sick...
|
Green Keeps Going
Dear Readers, Did you know: Ben & Jerry’s, the Vermont-based premium ice-cream maker, appoints environmental coordinators who compile monthly reports covering progress toward environmental perfo...
|
 Crossing a Bridge without Burning It
Saying goodbye isn’t always easy. But when it comes to resigning from a job, think twice about how you part with your employer. “It’s critical that employees resign gracefully,&rdqu...
|
 $29.2 million
Amount of online spending during the 2007 holiday shopping season, a 19-percent increase over 2006 Source: comScore, Inc., Reston, Va....
|
 Finding Strength in Numbers
Losing one’s job is one of the most stressful things that can happen to a person. Only death of a spouse, going to jail, serious illness or divorce are worse. The stress of dislocation can immob...
|
Seeking better career
Dear Readers, Go for the goodnight kiss. Is that wise job-hunting advice? If you are of dating age and are having trouble scoring a job, it just may be. Of course, Shawn Graham, the dispenser of this ...
|
 Ready & Able
Mark Nagler has studied issues related to disabilities in the work force for more than three decades, and he’s still torn about a pivotal issue: Should people with a disability openly discuss th...
|
A New Look
Dear Readers, As you may have noticed, this space has a new look. From this week forward, the column has a new picture and a new name: “Working Class.” Why the makeover? With dawn of 2008,...
|
 46
Percentage of executives who turn to spouses or significant others first when seeking advice about a potential job change Source: Accountemps, Menlo Park, Calif., survey of 150 senior executives from...
|
 Cupid in the Cubicles
While this might sound totally outlandish – what with Valentine’s Day right around the corner – but it’s time to cancel your online-dating subscriptions. Why? Because chances ...
|
 What’s Great in ’08
Some jobs are hot and some just are not. Technology and the aging of the population have changed the job market, creating big openings in some industries but raising red flags in others. Being a trav...
|
 The Right Recipe for the Job
There are times to be flexible with recipes and other times to follow the instructions exact. Yesterday, I made pot roast. I included onion soup from one recipe, parsnips from another, and made gravy...
|
 The Slash Life
After Sept. 11, Angela Williams held an ecumenical service for her law firm. But wait, a lawyer holding a service? That sounds down right strange. Williams, a lawyer for the general counsel of the YM...
|
 50
Percentage of advertising and marketing executives who said they search online for information about prospective hires at least some of the time. FYI: Among those, 14 percent have decided not to hire...
|
The Power of Words
Dear Good Girls, Associating the term “stigma” publicly with anything is base prejudice. I’m referring to a letter from a reader in response to your column about hiring people who ha...
|
 42
Percentage gap in the work force between working people with and without disabilities. Source: Cornell University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability...
|
What Kind of Worker Am I?
“I have just been offered a job, but the employer tells me I would be an independent contractor not an employee. What does that mean? Is the employer right?” I received many calls about th...
|
 Snob Appeal
Dear Good Girls, I enjoyed the lengthy but accurate letter describing the lowly life of support staff at Harvard. All too true! If you hung in there, as I did, the pension and health benefits for lon...
|
The Art of Socializing
Let’s face it, work is a social event. If you’re employed full time, you spend at least 40 hours a week thrown together with a group of people – not of your choosing but with a commo...
|
 From the Bottom to the Top
Have you ever felt like you were you own worst and most insurmountable obstacle? The voices in your head telling you to not get ahead of yourself, don't ask for that raise, or to pipe down because no...
|
And the Worst Boss Is...
Dear Readers, We have two winners in the "Worst Boss" contest - one for the most disturbing story, the second for the funniest. Both winners will receive a signed copy of my book, "The Good Girl's Gui...
|
 40 million
Estimated amount of renewable-energy and energy-efficiency jobs that will be created by 2030 Source: American Solar Energy Society, Washington, D.C....
|
 Expense Report
Financial woes following a job loss are common: “All this talk of saving up three to six months’ income as a safety net – I did that in reverse.” said Mary, a recently disloca...
|
 Résumés the Wrong Way
What potential employers don’t know about your past experience can’t hurt them, but what they can discover about it has the potential to destroy any chance you had at landing that new job...
|
 The New Guy Stands Alone
Being the “new guy” ain’t easy. Everyone else on the job knows what you don’t know – and everyone knows it. Lacking the confidence that you thought you had, feeling nerv...
|
Grassy and Grave
As a teenager, my neighbor worked one summer for a landscaping firm run by a guy so mean his fellow employees called him “Mussolini.” The boss “would drive around in his Cadillac whi...
|
80
Percentage of American companies that offer tax-exempt payroll deduction programs to help employees save on things like commuting, medical and child-care expenses. Source: 2007 "Getting Paid In Americ...
|
 Encore! Encore!
Marilyn Greist knew she needed to slow down as she approached retirement age. Although she wanted to spend more time with her 80-year-old husband, who is 18 years her senior, she hoped not to have to...
|
The Art of Work
Dear Readers, Have you ever been moved by the way light strikes your computer keyboard? Or the artful stacks of papers, file folders, and books that litter your office floor? Some day you may be, if a...
|
 $107
The amount of money that shoppers are expected to spend on themselves this holiday season. FYI: The average consumer plans to spend an average of $817 on holiday-related shopping – before the p...
|
 Finance Facts for the Newly Unemployed
“The most difficult financial decision I had to make when the mine shut down was to let my wife go to work,” said Ralph, a career coal miner. This memorable conversation with Ralph occurr...
|
|
|  |
DMC Dynamic Rotating Banner - Requires JavaScript and Flash 8+
|
