Nobody loves going to work all the time--but there's a difference between routine workplace hassles and a working environment that stresses you out to the point of illness, according to Linnda Durre, the author of "Surviving the Toxic Workplace." Durre suggests that hostile working environments typically have one or more types of dysfunction--how many symptoms does yours have? Unfairness You do ...

Most discussions about downsizing focus on the legal, economic, or psychological issues raised by this practice. These are essential concerns, but we rarely consider how or why downsizing is also an ethical issue. The next two columns are an attempt to redress that problem. Here, we'll consider your ethical responsibilities if you are the one charged with giving the bad news. ...

Finding a romantic partner on the job represents the ultimate blending of your work and personal life. And some people are more successful at navigating this junction than others, as evidenced from the 60-plus Monster members who told us about their brushes with office romance. Many found spouses, while others came away with heartache, and the need to change jobs. These ...

1. What you don't track once you could pay for twice. For example, having to compensate departing employees for unrecorded-but used-vacation time. Develop a system for tracking time off and be sure to use it. 2. When you don't "keep up with the Jones's" in terms of pay and benefits, you could lose your best employees or prospective hires. Know ...

"So, when do I start?" A question like that is about as aggressive as you can get at the close of the interview. It may knock the interviewer for a loop and appear to be overly aggressive, but some people think of it as closing the sale. For some people it has worked. For others this approach may not feel comfortable, ...

You put together the perfect resume and emailed copies to five or ten of your target companies. That was several weeks ago and you haven’t heard a thing. Why haven’t any of your potential employers called? Of course, there could be any number of reasons, especially in a highly-competitive job market. However, if you are feeling stalled in your job search, ...

We’ve all been in interviews when it seems like all the interviewer wants to do is trip you up. It’s like everything you say is somehow misinterpreted to mean something completely different. How can you diffuse such an uncomfortable situation? First, understand that the interviewer’s hostility is probably not about you. Most likely, the interviewer started his day off by arguing ...

Organized labor contributed nearly $450 million (Greenhouse, 2008) toward the election of Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress, so we can expect labor will have a good run, resulting in much more favorable laws, regulations and administrative outcomes than we have seen in several administrations. Conversely, while there is plenty of business lobbying, there will be far fewer voices within the ...

Hiring managers are busy people. A single job posting might attract thousands of resumes. To get noticed, create a career summary (AKA career objective) statement. The goal of this section is to develop a hard-hitting introductory declaration packed with your most sought-after skills, abilities, accomplishments and attributes. On your Monster resume, use the Objective section to present your summary. Take these ...

Many Americans are still undecided about for whom they will cast their vote. While many elections in recent memory have been close, none seems to be quite so momentous. Not only because of the historic implications of electing either the nation's first black President or its first female Vice-President, but because never before has a Presidential election coincided with such economic ...

A reader writes: Our office is rife with gossip regarding a married man in our office and young single co-worker. The man has a brand new baby at home and knowing that he is having an affair behind his wife's back is rather upsetting to some of us on moral and character grounds, but also it is making us uncomfortable (wife ...

More often than not, people are describing what they do as “just a job.” As someone who has always loved her job, I’ve found this sentiment surprising and decided to do a some research. What makes someone love their job, instead of hating it? More importantly, is there anything you can do to turn a job you hate into your dream ...

If you've worked with the same company for several years, you've probably built many friendships. Some of your coworkers might be close friends, while others are individuals with whom you might share a weekend story on Monday morning. A friendship at work can become a powerful networking tool or a toxic relationship. What works best when you are in a leadership ...

Your job is making you miserable. You dread getting up in the morning, you have nightmares about your boss and the thought of looking at that spreadsheet one more time literally makes you sick to your stomach. But no matter who you turn to, you get the same tired advice: now is not the time to quit. Six hundred thousand people ...

Ever wonder if your boss knows you've been reading job postings, or if there's an IT worker who read that mushy e-mail you sent to your latest love interest? Such seeming paranoia may not be as unrealistic as we'd like to believe. "You are being watched at work whether you know it or not," says Lewis Maltby, president of the National ...

"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is not only the name of a popular song from the 1960s, it also describes the feelings of most employers who, because of competition, business costs or our current bad economy must reduce the size of their employment budget. By the time an employer has to "downsize," the economic factors driving that decision have already ...

With resume gaps now the norm, workers should pay attention to how they use spent time between jobs. The reason is simple: Employers want to know how job candidates spent their time when they were out of work. Learning? Traveling? Moping? Unless you project the image of a can-do job seeker, you're likely to have a tough time bouncing back from ...

Whether you are currently working and are looking to make a change, or you’ve lost your job and are eager to get back into the workforce, this is a challenging economic climate. You can find a job, but you need to do things that your peers are not. Let me share with you four things that will help you stand out: ...

The internet has made stalkers out of all of us. You know exactly what I'm talking about. But instead of stalking your ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend, consider using your newfound detective skills for more productive (i.e. less emotionally jarring) purposes, like snagging the job of your dreams. Interested in a company and need to find a person to contact? Google away. Trying ...

Like the old saying, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life," it's never a bad time to start moving your career in a better direction. Here are 10 New Year's resolutions to help. Pay Attention in Class Treat every workday like a school day. Be sure you learn something and use it to make yourself more productive. ...