Archive: February 2010
Your daily to-do list revisited
In yesterday's post, I talked about ways to wrangle your to-do list in today's overworked office environment. A couple more tips I couldn't resist mentioning: Set strict boundaries around social media time. We're always hearing inbox experts expound on how...
Blow up your to-do list
In my last post, I mentioned working smarter in today's "do more with less" business climate. Employees, managers, entrepreneurs, and workplace experts I've spoken to this month have confirmed what I've long suspected: letting go of the notion that you'll...
Local retailer bucks trend by adding jobs
After a week that saw more bad news on the economic front, with higher-than-expected jobless claims, I feel it's important to point out some positive news this weekend about a retailer that is actually hiring and growing, not just for...
The digital brown noser in the office
Every office has one: the person who tries to appear more productive than they are in order to stay in the boss' good graces. Thanks to e-mail and smartphones, it's easy to pretend you're working around the clock, even after...
Mediabistro offers new job-matching service
One of the many professional hats I wear in the new part-time economy is that of a freelance writer. Finding new writing and editing gigs is never an easy task, but in recent years the pool of available jobs has...
Underdogs more motivated? Not necessarily
My dog has this somewhat defeatist habit of giving up chase on a tennis ball when it's clear that a faster dog at the park is about to beat him to the punch. I used to think this was such...
Should job candidates be disqualified for medical marijuana use?
Last week, KUOW's Heidi Lang did a fascinating piece on how a woman who uses medical marijuana to alleviate migraines lost her job. A quick recap of the details: "Jane Roe" -- an alias for the employee in question --...
Five events to boost your social networking skills
February is the shortest month of the year, but it's no less packed with networking events. I hope everyone enjoyed their vitamin D boost from this surprisingly sunny weekend. Now let's get back to work on that job search with...
Where to find green summer jobs, internships for teens
Most of the focus at Hire Ground is on getting jobs for adults in the Puget Sound region. But for those job seekers who are parents of teenagers, sometimes just getting the kids out of the house and into gainful...
Census jobs will start adding up this spring
In the next two and a half weeks, expect to see a notice in the mail about the United States Census, the decennial project that takes stock of every man, woman and child in the country. This Constitutionally mandated head...
From co-workers to spouses to business partners
This weekend, an article I wrote about two Seattle-area couples who met at work and wound up tying the knot appeared in the Seattle Times. One of the couples, Kris Hoots and Steve Thomas, talked about how they initially...
Two days of advice and networking for job seekers
With the President's Day holiday, the job-seeker networking event schedule has been somewhat shortened this week. But the next 48 hours will still offer a host of great opportunities to mingle with potential job contacts and get advice on how...
How managers can encourage employee flexibility
You'd think employees wouldn't need any nudging to take advantage of telecommuting or flextime programs, or even paid days off. But during the past year, I've heard multiple tales of employees not wanting to work from home, come in late, leave...
You may want a new job, but are you ready?
Sometimes in life, just wanting something more than anyone else may be the secret to success. But when looking for a job, just wanting it may not be enough--you have to come better prepared than the competition. Perhaps you've been...
Scared employee vs. daring entrepreneur: The two faces of older workers
Gene's story is by now a familiar one. A reader of this blog in his late fifties, Gene was laid off from his creative agency job last spring. After looking for work for a year, Gene came to the disheartening...
ProLango offers three new free job seminars for 2010
For much of the last year, I've been in touch with Paul Anderson, founder of career development firm ProLango Consulting, about the various job-seeker workshops and seminars he runs in the area. His energy is infectious, and his focus on...
Do abusive bosses who are high performers get a pass?
A new study says yes. According to researchers at the University of Iowa, "supervisors who are productive have a long leash when it comes to bad behavior." In other words, they can beat their chests and berate staff all they...
Four signs our recovery may not be entirely 'jobless'
It's been a long road to stability during this alleged "jobless recovery." The path over the last two years has been filled with small signs of hope for an increase in hiring, usually followed by an depressing report about more...
Five reasons to stick with a job you hate -- for now
Everyone's talking about job satisfaction and employee morale these days. Those miserable in their current position will likely find the unemployment numbers alone reason enough to hunker down and stay put. But for those not entirely convinced toughing it out...
How new FMLA regulations affect military families
Most of us know the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as the law that protects an employee's job if they need time off to care for a new child or an ailing spouse or parent. But the FMLA also...
Can you turn your tweets into a real career?
A few weeks ago, I received a notice from Indeed.com about the the Top Job Trends of 2009, which listed the 10 fastest-growing employment sectors in the country. Normally, lists like this are predictable, and this was no different, with...
Karen Burns is the author of The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl, a career guide based on her 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities.
Lisa Quast is a certified career coach, mentor, business consultant, former corporate executive and author based in the Seattle area.
Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.
Former contributors
Matt Youngquist is the president of Career Horizons, a career counseling firm.
Natalie Singer is a Seattle writer, editor and small-business owner.
Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide."
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