Young and Employed

A recent post yielded a comment asking about career changes with some specific questions on this topic. I responded that I would write a post about this topic but other issues came up that spurred posts on different aspects of careers. Then, on Friday I received an email about a friend who was thinking of changing careers and wanted some advice. With so many people unemployed or underemployed (now I sound like a RETS commercial) this is the perfect time to discuss how to go about changing careers and what this means for your career (re: earning) potential.

I’ve never been in the military, but if there is one thing I admire of it, is the chain of command.   There is a C.O. (commander officer) for everyone, and even in the lower ranks there are Sergeants to run the smaller tasks; that’s how business should be run.  I will give my life for [...]

You have to make a 5-year plan.  We have all heard this advice; either form your parents, your school counselor, or your older sibling; we’ve all heard it before, and there is a reason for it.  Not knowing where you want to be in LIFE helps you to NOT GET ANYWHERE; and this is also [...]

Over the weekend I was talking to a good friend of mine about subtle sexual harassment in the workplace. Like most men I talk to, he did not feel it is as prevalent as I do. Perhaps I am oversensitive to the issue, but as a woman I know that I am treated differently because of my gender – I see it all the time. Women with children are treated differently than men with children. They are “mommy tracked”. The question isn’t “does it happen?” the question is what to do about it.

“I need more money.  Should I go to grad school?”  That’s a question that I face quite often.  Maybe because I went for a master’s degree and make a decent living, people seem to think I have the answer to this dilemma; but I don’t.
I went to grad school, and about 90% of my friends [...]

Have you ever heard of a fat day, or a bad hair day?  Women have these days when either they feel bloated or their hair won’t do what they want it to. These days can be really frustrating and for some women they can ruin the entire day. My big problem is low confidence days. [...]

My grandmother, and for that matter all the adults in my life as I grew up, told me it is easier to be nice to everyone than it is to be rude or mean. This is true in the workplace as well. While we all know we should be nice to our co-workers, bosses, customers and for that matter everyone we encounter at work, there are four groups of people you especially don’t want to annoy. What is amazing is that these very same groups of people are the same people I have witnessed professionals being rude to time and again. Below is my list of the four groups of people you should never be rude to, why you shouldn’t and guesses on why some professionals think it is ok to treat these people poorly.

A few days ago I watched a great movie: Revolutionary Road. The point of the movie is about finding happiness in your life – especially when you thought you were destined for greatness and your life is pretty normal. The leading male character (Leonardo DiCaprio) hates his job at the beginning of the movie, but [...]

Since I’m now writing about my experiences and opinions of being young and employed, I figured that it would make sense to share some knowledge on how to work with your PAYCHECK!
No one makes enough, that is a human fact, but what you do with your money is even more important than what you make.  [...]

A few days ago a colleague of mine came to me with a rather interesting question. He wanted to know if complimenting a female co-worker on her cloths was sexual harassment. This colleague is not one of those men who consistently objectify women or judge them solely on their appearance. He just liked a co-worker’s dress and wanted to know if it was ok to say so.