The job market is finally showing signs of life--and that means more workers will likely have the opportunity to change jobs in the coming months. It's clear that many will welcome this: A recent survey by the Corporate Executive Board, a research and advisory services company, found that 25 percent of workers whom employers had labeled as having high potential were ...

Years later, I still remember that sinking feeling, just after I'd hit the Send button after writing an email complaining about an editor. My worst virtual fear was quickly confirmed: Yes, I had sent my bit of snark to the editor instead of my friend--and no, the editor wasn't amused. Although he initially refused to work with me again, he eventually ...

If You're New to IT... The business world may be looking for technology pros, but you're not a pro (yet) if you have a new certification and no experience. How do you gain that experience? One way is to take temporary assignments. Working as a temp may not be your ultimate goal, but when you're launching a career, you want to ...

Recession-Proof Industries The rate of job openings and new hires has steadily decreased since 2007, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And unemployment rates are holding fast at 10 percent, which also doesn't bode well. According to the December employment report, 6.1 million people face long-term unemployment. Even though experts are hollering about the impending end ...

Thinking of heading into IT consulting? Then you don’t want to miss the insight and advice from Doug Berg who started two companies, techies.com, an online job board and training center for tech professionals, and also HotGigs , a company that brings consultants together with the staffing firms that recruit them and the companies that hire them. He’s worked with job ...

Ever feel deflated after going through a critique with your boss? Do you feel personally assaulted when someone criticizes your work? Dealing with criticism can be difficult, but learning how to deal with it may be one of the most important skills you ever need. Being open to feedback improves communication in relationships and in the workplace. In her book How ...

The adage says, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," and its wisdom is applicable to job seekers. It is usually far easier to find another job if you're already employed. But how can you ensure that the worst never happens to you -- that you're never left without a job and possibilities for your next opportunity? ...

Employees have been criticizing their bosses since the beginning of time. Until the birth of social media, these conversations generally played out in lunchrooms or restrooms, around the water cooler, over a few cocktails at the local pub after working hours, and in the smoker’s circle outside the office building. Regardless if the criticisms were true or not, the context remained ...

Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. George Bush and Condoleezza Rice. Stacy and Clinton. Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy. Whether in real life or reel life, work spouses are out there. You've seen them, right? Or maybe you're in such a relationship: Two people who spend most of their working hours together, behaving like a married couple. But despite subtle overtones of ...

Nobody loves going to work all the time--but there's a difference between routine workplace hassles and a working environment that stresses you out to the point of illness, according to Linnda Durre, the author of "Surviving the Toxic Workplace." Durre suggests that hostile working environments typically have one or more types of dysfunction--how many symptoms does yours have? Unfairness You do ...

For almost everyone, having a job means working on teams. But not all team leaders know how to create successful teams--by building consensus, setting agendas, meeting deadlines, encouraging good ideas, and so on. In fact, many team leaders are thrown into the role without training in any of these areas. If your leader seems to be less than fully competent, there ...

Since the recession began in December 2007, more than half of all American workers have become unemployed, taken a pay cut, suffered a reduction in hours, or had to take a temporary job because they couldn't find a full-time position, according to the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends Project. You probably don't need a study to tell you the ...

Almost all mature companies have shed employees at some point--and in most cases the pink slips don't come as a surprise. "Very often senior management will delay a decision to cut headcount, so unless there is a quick catastrophic event, layoffs have been a long time coming," explains Scott Steinberg, CEO of TechSavvy Global. How can you know if your job ...

Technology pretty much runs our lives these days. From our work life to our home life, we have computers, phones, and gadgets helping us with our daily routine. But is technology taking over and shifting our societal norms? Is too much technology a bad thing? Sometimes we are so used to relying on technology to help us out, we forget how ...

From time to time, you may undermine yourself on the job with your behavior. This form of self-sabotage not only prevents you from performing at your full potential, but also gives colleagues and customers an opportunity to think less of you as an individual and professional. With self-awareness, determination and practice, you can minimize these negative behaviors. Try this three-step process. ...

Stress is inevitable. But the debilitating strain of chronic work stress is not, even if you're in an inherently stressful profession. In fact, learning to manage your stress is likely to improve your career, according to career coach Julie Jansen, the author of "You Want Me to Work With Who? Eleven Keys to a Stress-Free, Satisfying, and Successful Work Life--No Matter ...

You're at your weekly staff meeting, and you've just presented your brilliant idea on how to boost productivity and save money. But then your boss shoots down your idea with a vague reason or two. You know you're right and your boss is wrong. So should you remain quiet or stand up for your idea? Joseph Grenny, a coauthor of "Crucial ...

You're probably aware that hiring managers cannot ask discriminatory questions during interviews. But this legal protection isn't too useful in preventing discrimination before the interview. If your resume contains personal information unrelated to your job target -- your race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. -- you might fall victim to discrimination, even if you're qualified for the position. Your resume ...

Hiring managers and recruiters can receive hundreds--or even thousands--of applications for each open job. Typically, they can spend only a few seconds scanning a candidate's cover letter before moving on to somebody else's. So if you're looking for a job, your cover letter has to capture a reader's attention right away. Career coach Evelyn Salvador, the author of the recently released ...

Whether you're looking for a job or trying to advance your career, networking is very important (in a recent HotJobs poll, 57 percent of respondents said that networking was a factor in landing their most recent job). And networking shouldn't end when you log off of LinkedIn or head home from a conference. Valuable contacts are on the perimeter of your ...