Posted in:
July 4, 2008 7:52 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Unless you live in one of the country's major cities, odds are you're making roughly $32,000 a year, the average American's income, according to the Census Bureau. Only 5% or so of the nation pulls in over $100,000 a year. Clearly earning a six-figure salary is tough. We asked Sanjay Sathe, chief executive of RiseSmart, the Texas-based executive job placement firm, how to make the leap to a six-figure salary. Here are his suggestions.
Find out How to Score a Job That Pays Over $100K here.
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July 3, 2008 10:22 AM by Eileen Conlan | COMMENTS
The other day, I was at a meeting for which I had originally prepared a lot of ideas. I felt the need to narrow my list down to the three I was most excited about. But my ideas didn't garner the response I had hoped for. Near the end of the meeting, someone else presented the exact same idea I had cut from my earlier list. I kicked myself for not putting it out there in the first place!
I'm not sure why I had that moment of hesitation, but last week, when I met with MarieClaire.com's resident psychic, Susan King, she told me I am sometimes overly self-conscious at work-about what people think of me, about how they'll react to my ideas. I have to agree with her. She mentioned that while I'm a hard worker who often can't stop thinking about work even after I get home (guilty!), I need to open up and put my ideas forward more often.
What do you think: do you ever second-guess yourself at work?
PS: If you have a question for Susan King, go to www.marieclaire.com/psychic-reading, and upload a video of yourself asking about money, career or your love life. Then stay tuned for King's answer!
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July 2, 2008 4:29 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
Let's face it. Thanks to sky-high gas prices and costly groceries, everyone's a little more strapped for cash. The other weekend, my boyfriend and I were buying groceries for a barbeque and on our way out, he dropped a dollar in to the tip bin for the guy that bags his groceries. Shocked, I asked him how often he does that, and he said, whenever he has it on him. It occurred to me that since I almost always debit my purchases, I never have change-though I can't say I'd be more inclined to drop in the tip jar if I did. (Note: I realize this may make me a bad person.) Well, it seems I'm not the only one. Workers whose livelihoods are heavily financed by tippers are starting to see a downturn in generosity. And the Delaware Senate has even gone as far as to increase the minimum wage for service-industry workers.
In an ailing economy, we are all looking for ways to cut back but, is it fair to tip less when the level of service is arguably the same?
Posted in:
July 2, 2008 3:52 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
You'll likely spend more time scavenging your desk for paperwork than on vacation this year. In fact, the average executive pilfers six weeks a year searching for important documents buried in clutter, according to the Wall Street Journal. Simple tidying could avoid that kind of egregious waste of time and productivity. One useful tip: color-code hanging files to distinguish between different types of files-such as project or client folders--just by glancing it them, advises Donna Smallin, author of The One Minute Organizer Plain and Simple. Quit frittering away your valuable time with Smallin's top five tips for de-cluttering your desk.
Find out the 5 Easy Steps to De-Clutter Your Desk here
Posted in:
June 30, 2008 7:44 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Pop in one of these cinematic classics starring kick-ass career gals who broke the rules and succeeded. READ MORE 
Posted in:
June 28, 2008 3:44 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
The most obvious way to blow your credit score is to make a late payment. Even if your credit score is solid, a single missed payment could cost you as much as 100 points, say many financial advisors. But even if you pay your bills on time religiously, your credit score may be endangered. Here are five charge card sins that could cost you some precious credit score points.
Find out the 5 Sneaky Ways You're Wrecking Your Credit Score here.
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June 27, 2008 4:14 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Q: My supervisor shares inappropriate stuff with me, like who's about to be demoted, and her fondness for the Rabbit Pearl. Is this a good thing, or is it dynamite in my hands? Should I try to shut it down, or share the juicy dish with my peers?
A: If your boss is hopelessly loose-lipped, chances are she'll one day let slip something valuable, like an upcoming opening, a merger, or a little career-advancing assignment that has your name all over it. Sure, you could affect a prissy, "Oh, I really shouldn't be hearing this" tone, but, hey, if she's dumb enough to share, you should be smart enough to take it in. But keep it in the vault. Like that spare pair of tights in your bottom desk drawer, you never know when it might come in handy.
Posted in:
June 27, 2008 3:22 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Many workers are so focused on managing their relationships with their bosses that they overlook or underestimate the importance of collegial relationships. Office alliances are vital in a team-oriented environment and reveal much about your work style. Are you overly critical? Spend too much time dishing at the water cooler? Disconnected from your officemates altogether? But these very factors can determine whether, say, your officemates will back up your big ideas or undermine your leadership on a key project. If managed carefully, your work buddies can help propel your career, say Janice Reals Ellig and William J. Morin, authors of Driving the Career Highway. They offer some important tips for, yes, exploiting those relationships for your long-term success.
Read the their 6 tips for success here
Posted in:
June 26, 2008 4:13 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Q: I took a job that has turned out to be wrong, wrong, wrong for me. It was supposed to involve supervising people, but instead I'm stuck with menial crap. Should I stick it out because it will look bad on my résumé if I quit after only three months?
A: How about confronting the bosses about the change in game plan? Perhaps they don't think you're up to the challenges after observing your initial three months, and you should give them a chance to tell you that—and yourself a chance to prove them wrong. Work your tail off on those "menial" duties—don't just go through the motions. And if after six months nothing changes, move on. As to your permanent record: A résumé should tell a story. It's a narrative, not a mere accretion of dates, names, and action verbs. One three-month blip is not a catastrophe. Four of them in a row and you have some 'splaining to do, Lucy.
Posted in:
June 25, 2008 11:51 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
So I’ve been operating under the assumption that because I’m debt-free and pay off my credit card on time (and in full) every month, that my credit score would put me in first place if I ever wanted more credit. Not anymore, I’ve learned. In this ailing economy, lenders aren’t just relying on your credit score anymore to determine your credit-worthiness. Creditors are also on the prowl for any personal information that classifies you as a “high risk” borrower, like whether you live in an area hit unusually hard by the mortgage crisis or if you hold a job in finance. It’s no surprise that banks are getting stricter about their lending practices, but these tactics don’t just affecting those who frequently “forget” to pay—it’s hurting people like me with squeaky-clean records. That hardly seems fair.
Trying to open a new credit card? Are you finding it harder than before? Was your credit limit slashed in half? Share your story. We feel your pain.
READ MORE
Posted in:
June 25, 2008 12:24 AM by Eileen Conlan | COMMENTS
At one of my first internships during college, another girl I worked
with, also an intern, was extremely friendly. In the beginning, I tried
not to get too close—it was a very competitive internship and I didn’t
want anything getting in the way. But as the semester went on, and she
became more persistent, it was difficult to resist becoming friends.
Plus, we were still in college—socializing wasn’t optional back then!
She worked in the cubicle across from me—she got my jokes about the
last meeting we went to, unlike my friends outside of work who couldn’t
keep track of the characters in my stories. And she never complained if
I stood her up for happy hour because she knew—firsthand—whether my
boss had been on a rampage that week.
READ MORE
Posted in:
June 24, 2008 4:05 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Q: I think my boss is taking advantage of me. He recently asked me to babysit his children. How do I assert myself?
A: Try holding them for ransom. Just don't expect a particularly good review this year. Seriously, if you and the boss want to work out an arrangement where he pays you market rate for weekend/evening brat duty while he and the missus have a date night, that's up to you. But CC thinks this goes beyond standard dues-paying scut. The next three times he asks, say you've got plans; if he's not a monster, he should take the hint.
Posted in:
June 24, 2008 2:27 PM by Stephanie Wu | COMMENTS
School’s out, which means tens of thousands of students across the
country are angling for summer jobs and internships. But given the
woeful state of the economy, only a third of them will likely find
work, according to a recent report by the Center of Labor Market
Studies at Northeastern University, which predicts that employment will
reach historical lows this summer. For a select group of overachievers
who have snagged the most competitive internships, this summer won’t be
nearly as bleak. Herewith, the nation’s most coveted internships, and
the perks lavished upon their lucky recipients.
GOOGLE (Mountain View, Calif.)
Interns here don't just make copies and fetch coffee. They attend
weekly meetings led by founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They also
enjoy the same perks showered on Google employees--free gourmet meals,
spa treatments and laundry services. Interns bond at Google-sponsored
scavenger hunts, baseball games and evening cruises. Tempted? Good
luck. Google fielded over 5,000 resumes for fewer than 1,000 slots.
THE WHITE HOUSE (Washington, DC)
Arguably the most selective internship around, the White House received
roughly 2,800 applications for the 100 positions available in three
internship cycles, according to the Princeton Review. The job is mostly
clerical work, but occasionally involves actual planning of events
scheduled at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Plus, the program is capped by a
sendoff by the President himself. The best part? Rubbing shoulders in
the White House hallways with power players like Condi and Dick!
NORTHWEST AIRLINES (St. Paul, Minn.)
Ever dreamed of flying a plane? Northwest Airlines offers an unpaid
internship program in Flight Operations, where students majoring in
aviation or aeronautical science get hands-on experience handling a
full flight simulator. Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, also offers
internships in their Flight Operations division, in addition to Ground
Operations Training, Finance and Graphic Design. Intern benefits
include career development classes, holiday celebrations, and--wait for
it--unlimited travel on Southwest Airlines for the duration of your
program.
VIRGIN RECORDS (Los Angeles and New York City)
The music giant accepts up to 60 interns from a pool of 500 applicants
from the US and London. It's an unpaid internship with pricey perks,
including free CDs, concert tickets and entrance into listening parties
and promotional events. Virgin Records also hires College Reps to pass
out posters and CDs to campus radio stations. Reps are paid $200 a
month and reimbursed for incidentals like gas and phone charges. They
may also join a visiting band's entourage on public appearances.
READ MORE
Posted in:
June 23, 2008 4:20 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Q: I never take all of my vacation days. I want to be indispensable to the company, and the higher-ups know this and have come to expect it from me. But I'm exhausted. How do I cut out without seeming less committed?
A: All but the most enlightened boss will try to squeeze every last drop of juice from a workaholic like you. But you should use your vacation time—to recharge the batteries, explore new worlds. Show your zeal by working your butt off the weeks prior to and following vacation. Then, while you're sipping mojitos at the Shore Club, put the away message on your BlackBerry, noting that your company plan doesn't provide coverage outside the Lower 48 (and check once a day if it makes you less antsy, but don't respond). They'll respect you more for having a life and for being a happier, healthier neurotic upon your return.
Posted in:
June 22, 2008 4:02 PM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Q: At a party last week, a woman for whom I do consulting work got drunk and asked me to go home with her and her boyfriend. I laughed it off, but now I have to go to her office for a meeting. How should I deal with the awkwardness?
A: How come at the parties CC goes to, talk revolves around the best route to beat traffic and the flakiness of the spinach puffs? Chances are your porn poseur is feeling mighty contrite at the moment. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt and assume the meeting will go off as planned, and that she'll keep a straight face when she discusses upping your rate for "special services."
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