You’d think it would be easy. At lunchtime you get hungry, so you grab some food and go on with your workday. However, lunch at work is rarely that simple. What you eat, where you eat and whom you eat with are all things your coworkers are paying attention to. This doesn’t mean every lunch has to be a pressure-packed situation, ...

John Rossheim, Monster When it comes to connecting with the right job opportunity, timing isn't everything, but it's certainly something. Tuning into industries' and employers' annual recruitment cycles just might give you a decisive edge. That's the consensus of recruiters and employers with fingers on the pulse of seasonal variations in hiring. Here's a quarter-by-quarter summary of how these hiring dynamics ...

OFFICE PARTIES: Conquering the holiday office party doesn't just mean keeping track of how much you drink. Seasonal social events can be the best opportunity to network within your company, so you may want to consider veering away from the buffet line. "Whether you're the life of the party or full of social anxiety when it comes to holiday events, it's ...

By Matt Villano | Monster Contributing Writer  Out of gainful employment, out of job offers and running out of savings, Scott Stevens of Portland, Oregon, has turned to a familiar strategy to gain experience and keep his skills fresh: The internship. In spring 2009, Stevens, 35, took an internship on a sustainable tourism project for Travel Portland, a nonprofit destination ...

Are you looking for a job, but think you can't find one because there just aren't any opportunities out there? Think again. There are a few companies that are still growing and thriving despite, or maybe because of, the economic downturn. Excelle did the research for you and compiled a list of 15 workplaces that aren't laying people off, and that ...

Hardship Posts These days few workers feel confident enough to make demands of their employers. With the global economy enduring the worst downturn in decades, lots of workers in the U.S. and other countries are happy to have a job, any job. There are places, though, where it's so tough to live that employees can still get companies to pay them ...

In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. That's when the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don't cost you a shot at the job. h4. *1. Using a ...

Sometimes, a person will lose their job through no fault of their own. The whims of a psychotic boss, an economy in shambles, or a simple misunderstanding can have an otherwise satisfactory employee packing up his or her cubicle. Other times, a person will lose their job because they have done something so incredibly foolish, you wonder how they ever ...

As the recession results in business closures, bankruptcies and thousands of layoffs, a growing number of jobless Maine residents are left with questions about their rights and their former employers' responsibilities. Maine's February unemployment rate reached 8 percent as the state lost another 2,600 jobs. For the year ending in February, the state lost 15,500 jobs across all economic sectors. Back ...

In celebration of April Fool’s Day last week, I was asked by a few fellow bloggers to address foolish job search tactics. However, it’s hard to write something funny when what you’re seeing is no joke. We’ve got 15 million job seekers right now. I’d argue more than 70% of them are conducting a weak job search. I guess the good ...

There's a lot of talk about the pipeline -- that magical conveyer belt that calls a select few up toward the top of organizations. The pipeline is critically important for women, who in most organizations are notably absent from it. This underrepresentation of eligible females is often cited as the excuse for everything from pay inequity and the shortage of women ...

When it comes to your career, do you lie to yourself? The answer is most likely ‘yes.’ In an article I read by Sam Sommers, a professor of psychology at Tufts University, he explains how and why we like to kid ourselves. He explains: “People do this all the time. We bend the facts to fit our self-image, perpetuating a ...

Do you have the drive to succeed? Want to move up in your organization, but not sure how to get promoted? Getting a promotion can be a tricky business. You can work hard and do everything your boss asks, but if you’re not in the right place at the right time you might get passed over. Office politics can be difficult ...

The Situation: You just nabbed a huge interview with an ad house you thought you’d never be able to set foot in, let alone work for. You’re nervous. You’re excited. You know the company’s goals and objectives inside and out and you’ve assembled and reassembled your book about a zillion different times and ways. Now what? Experts are quick to recommend ...

Presidents were once lowly employees too... Think Presidents have it easy with all of their Cabinet and appointed staff to do things for them? Well, life wasn’t always so sweet. They had to work their way up the career ladder to the White House too! Here are some examples of jobs they had before the Oval Office and tips that ...

We don't walk around wearing signs displaying the names of everyone we know. It would probably shock you to learn about some of the influential people your best friend knows but hasn't told you about. You can't assume that your friend, acquaintance or referral partner doesn't have powerful contacts that can help you-or your business-in important ways. Never underestimate the depth ...

With corporate downsizing at an all-time high and entrepreneurs and small businesses on the rise, many of us are finding we have to “do-it-yourself” in some areas where we might once have had help. Specifically, we have to actively manage our own careers including keeping an eye on our own training and development. Whether you were one of the “lucky” ones ...

Overall, working from home can be a positive and rewarding experience for you, your family, and your employer, if you follow a few simple tips: 1. Understand your employer’s expectations. Will your job requirements and duties be the same at home as in an office environment? How much support will you receive as a home office worker. Some companies have very ...

It’s always exhilarating to quit a job you hate. You think of all the perfect ways to tell your boss to shove it — but have you thought about the consequences? Do you know what you’re going to do after the big event? Are you prepared to just leave your job? Pause before you take any action. Go ahead and ...

Many graphic designers and ad copywriters have great expectations for their creative careers: To produce award-winning creative for their in-house advertising department or for their agency's most prestigious clients. But other creatives have another ambition: To rise into advertising management. They may be driven by intellectual curiosity, a desire to lead, or just the potential to earn a higher salary. Whatever ...