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10 Signs That You're A 'Problem' Employee

Wed, 15 May 2013 02:11:00 CDT

Self-awareness is a skill that eludes many. You probably know people who view themselves as rock stars, when the rest of the world knows they're better suited to being part of the fan club. Professionally, it's not unusual for people to have a disconnected sense of their own worth. It's the person who thinks she was indispensible, but was, in fact, first to be let go during a layoff. Problem employees, by definition, often don't realize they are, in fact, the problem.

How can you tell if you're wearing a target on your back? Take stock of this list. If many of these items ring true, it's likely you need to adjust your approach to succeed in your workplace.

8 Great Jobs For Outdoors' Lovers

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:31:00 CDT

By Larry Buhl

Spring has arrived, and with it comes longing glances from office windows as employees dream of a chance to work away from fluorescent lights and cubicle warrens. If you're considering a career change and want it to involve fresh air, here are eight occupations that can be done, at least partly, in the great outdoors.

Survey: One In Five Workers Has A Bad Boss

Tue, 07 May 2013 03:05:00 CDT

A bad boss can derail careers, lower morale and hurt company's productivity. But how many workers actually are in this predicament? Quite a lot, if you believe the results of a new survey from Glassdoor, the employment-information company. The survey of 2,054 workers -- which was conducted by Harris Interactive -- found that one in five gave a negative grade to their boss.

These 1.4 Million People Are Secretly Unemployed

Fri, 03 May 2013 01:48:00 CDT

When the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its tabulation of the monthly unemployment rate, it overlooks one major group of people: Those forced into retirement. While older Americans were less likely to lose their jobs in the recession, it's well known that they were far less likely to find a new one if they did, in part, because of age discrimination. So some gave up and tapped their Social Security benefits -- becoming retirees.

Early Retirees Were Kicked Out Of The Workforce

How many Americans are forced into retirement because they couldn't find work? At the request of AOL Jobs, Matthew Rutledge, an economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, calculated that this group that remains invisible to the BLS. What he found: At the height of the recession, as many as 53,000 extra Americans were retiring early each month. In total, the recession has driven around 1.4 million additional Americans to collect Social Security early.

Putting our Feelings into Words

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:12 CDT

Listen to a BBC Radio profile of James Pennebaker (University of Texas) about his influential work on the power of expressive writing. The program explores the large body of research on the manifold benefits of putting our feelings into words, from reducing visits to the doctor to helping people find employment to improving cognitive abilities. Included in the radio program are perspectives from Annette Stanton, Laura King, Kent Harber, Sam Gosling, Adriel Boals, Matthias Mehl, and John Weinman -- all interviewed at the recent SPSP annual meeting in New Orleans, where Pennebaker received the Distinguished Scholar and Media Book Prize awards.

The Reality Of Working In The Fast Food Industry

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:42:00 CDT

What's it like to be a fast-food worker in America? The working conditions in the fast food industry has recently been under harsh criticism, thanks to workers' walk outs and protests in New York and Chicago. Workers are demanding a raise to $15 per hour, a significant increase given that the average pay is about half that. Even though food preparation is the third most common job in the country, the average salary for the gig is just $18,720 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The workers also are demanding full-time schedules so that they can receive benefits. Is this fair? What are conditions like inside America's fast-food chains?

4 Unforgivable Mistakes In Networking

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:30:00 CDT

Marian Schembari

By Marian Schembari

Hopefully you know by now that networking is the only real way to land your dream job.

But are you doing it right?

Last week, I experienced the ultimate networking experience. Let's say hello to Ginny.

Ginny emailed me a week ago. Her subject line was, "I think I love cupcakes more than you." She got five points in my book right off the bat. See, on my blog's "About" page, I talk about my cupcake addiction. So, Ginny clearly knew who I was and had read my blog, wrote a personal email to me (she didn't copy and paste) with a fun touch instead of trying too hard to be overly professional.

What Does An 'Administrative Professional' Really Do?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:06:00 CDT

By Susan Ricker

Administrative Professionals' Day is Wednesday, April 24, and recognizes the significant support and expertise administrative professionals provide in the workplace. While this holiday originated as "National Secretaries Day" in 1952, it has now grown to encompass the many diverse roles administrative professionals have taken on. So what does today's administrative professional do? Depending on what industry or organization you're in, the answer may vary. Here's a look at the many different roles and responsibilities of being an administrative professional.