6. Low-balling the salary Back when I’d just gotten out of grad school, I saw an ad calling for a legal writer. At the time I was working as a legal proofreader at a corporate law firm and I was desperate to get out of it. The advertised salary seemed reasonable— $45,000 which was enough [... read more]

7. The job title switch-a-roo Some years ago, I was called in to interview for the position of web writer with the publications department at Columbia University. It sounded like a great job because it allowed me to write and edit content for print and online environments. Since I am an alumnus of the school, [... read more]

  8. Rejecting and Still Leading on the Job Applicant I interviewed for an editor’s job with a consumer-facing publication that specializes in technology products— a second rate version of PC Magazine if you will.  As usual, I researched and rehearsed.  I knew that my writing and editing, combined with my social media brand allowed [... read more]

There are tons of rules in society, some written and some implicit— a red light means stop and most people obey. In the workplace there are established rules of respect as well.  For example, if you physically assault someone, steal, or don’t show up for work, it’s likely you will be fired. For the most [... read more]

You’ve read all the reasons to pursue love on the job but now it’s time to seriously think about the repercussions that this can have on your future with the company. While there’s no denying the joy of being in a romantic relationship with a colleague, there are some very obvious perils of mixing business [... read more]

If you despise the company you work for, believe that your salary is a fraction of what you’re worth, or that you know better than your coworkers, boss and even the CEO, you might be considered a difficult employee. While these traits describe many workers today, a little confidence and a bit of self-esteem when [... read more]

Admit it. You’ve got one in your office. Perhaps you’ve been accused of being one. The back stabber is someone no one wants to know and unless you’re educated in the ways of tackling one of these energy-suckers, you’re in for a long and painful battle in the tough world of office politics. According to [... read more]

There are many things that are wrong in the workplace— backstabbing employees, gender bias, young bosses and bad bosses— but let’s take a moment to celebrate some of the good things in the America, in spite of the backstabbers. This past Thursday marked the 45th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of [... read more]