Monthly Archive for August, 2009

  • Would Dating a Colleague Have a Negative Impact on my Career?

  • Generally, in smaller firms, office romances are tolerated. It is due to the more casual environment of such firms. But larger companies covertly (or very overtly) discourage romance between employees—in particular, those between managers and their staff. If your company has a clear "no fraternizing" policy, then you and the other employee risk immediate dismissal [...]

  • What Kind of Handshake Makes the Best Impression?

  • In the United States, the handshake is the meeting/greeting ritual. And many managers place a lot of emphasis on it. We allow impressions based on the handshake and the rituals that surround it to determine future business relationship. Don’t extend your hand to another unless you gauge by eye contact the individual’s willingness to shake [...]

  • How Can I Start Working from Home?

  • Anyone who is considering working at home has to recognize a reality: In the office, the whole workplace conspires to help you do your work. When you’re at home, it is just the opposite. Everything conspires against you. All of a sudden everyone wants a bit of your time, taking you away from your tasks. [...]

  • How Can I Make Traveling Less Stressful?

  • Don’t underestimate your travel time so you are always in a rush to get to your location. By then, you will be stressed out, unfit to carry out your responsibilities at your destination. You also don’t want to be stressed out upon your return, so allow some extra time at your destination to catch your [...]

  • What Should I do to Improve my Relationships with my Superiors?

  • A supervisor is a supervisor—neither a buddy nor a close confidant. You may work closely together, but that doesn’t guarantee you will become friends. With some managers, the best you can hope for is treatment with professional respect. It doesn’t hurt, however, if you don’t give your manager reason to dislike you. If you are [...]

  • What Can I do if I Expect Termination?

  • If you are unsure about your position with your company, it’s time to update your resume. Rewrite it to play up your accomplishments. If you need two pages, use them—recruiters no longer believe that everything should be communicated in a single page. List yourself with Web career sites as well as search firms. Since companies [...]