Dear Annette,I've been working two years at a startup that is about to go public. I enjoy working hard, but am starting to worry that I take it all too seriously. We are going through a very awkward stage of growth and there is much confusion about roles and responsibilities. Politics is rampant in what used to be a very team-oriented team. I find myself very angry and unmotivated. I want to make this work - any suggestions? Thanks,KimberlyDear Kimberly,Congratulations for making it this far. It takes brains, guts, and a cornucopia of snack foods to take a business from wish to winner. It's a ... view article details

Dear Annette,I have lunch about once a week with colleagues. It's fun and I like them, but they order higher-priced food than I do and then assume we're splitting the bill. I end up paying for more than I eat. How can I keep going to lunch but get them to pay their fair share? Miss Otis regretsDear Miss Otis,Good food, pleasant company, and the knowledge that you'd otherwise be missing important office gossip are all excellent reasons to dine with colleagues. Whether you have a working meal or a social one, breaking bread together has the potential to nourish a common bond and solidify relatio... view article details

When I talk with chief-chiefs of major-major corporations about joining my extremely expensive Partners in Fabulousness program, I know they will have just one question: How could we live without you?It would take more than generally accepted accounting principles to detract from my flair for making each individual corporate officer believe that of all the stars in my firmament, he or she shines the brightest. I just wear my Cazal sunglasses to the meeting so my prospective clients can admire themselves in the reflection, and before long even the most curmudgeonly executive is signing the cont... view article details

There are many reasons for wanting to quit a job. In Salary.com’s 2007/08 Job Satisfaction Survey released earlier this year, respondents who were unhappy in their current job felt they were underpaid, not given opportunities to advance, not adequately recognized, bored, and not given access to learning opportunities leading to career advancement. Given individual circumstances, these may be legitimate excuses. But when do you know you’ve really reached the breaking point? How do you know that the time is right to say good bye? Here are six possible scenarios:You really are underpaid! ... view article details

If you are like most people in the midst of a job search, you probably haven’t given your references much thought. You’ve likely spent more time on your resume, cover letter and networking activities. But references can have a significant impact on the final hiring decision. You need to be ready at a moment’s notice to provide potential employers with at least three solid references.Human resource managers almost always ask for references when they are seriously considering someone for a position. You want to make sure that you provide a list of individuals that will speak about you in a posit... view article details

Job descriptionLaw enforcement officers, including both state officers, federal agents and detectives, protect our lives and personal property from harm. There are many different areas of law enforcement, and duties performed by officers and detectives will depend upon their area of focus and the size and type of organization for which they work.The majority of law enforcement officials, about 65 percent according to the bureau of labor statistics, are uniformed personnel. These officers work for police departments in towns and cities across the country or for the State as State troopers and h... view article details

The Severance PackageIf your company goes out of business, don't be surprised if there is no severance pay. Going out of business and running out of cash are practically synonymous. Once in a while a failing business closes down with some money left in the bank - but those funds are usually returned to the investors who provided them.Severance pay, after all, is as much a signal to the employees who remain behind as it is a gesture of goodwill to those being let go. If the company disappears, it doesn't need to preserve goodwill with its former staff. Yet established companies that intend to r... view article details

Sustainable energy and green technologies have been placed at the forefront of America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the business world has taken notice.  To better facilitate modern professionals' connection with these emerging eco-friendly industries, MBA programs around the world have begun adopting curricula with a sharper focus on going green. The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education is reporting that the number of colleges requiring MBA students to take courses in ecological business and society issues has more than doubled in the past eight years, from 34 percent in 2001 ... view article details

Dear Annette,Please tell me what to do about coworkers' kids in the office. I could understand if people brought their children in when there was an emergency, but everywhere I look there seems to be some toddler. The noise and distraction are affecting my work. I can't get away from it because we are all in cubes, but I need some way to tell my coworkers that the office is not a daycare center!RattledDear Rattled,It's not surprising that today's office has become so alluring to the young, with its bright colors, foosball table, and all the soda you can drink.I myself have only recently recove... view article details

Job descriptionProject management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, and guiding the process of creating a solution or system. Project managers are responsible for providing a plan and the means on which to base management decisions throughout the life of a project. There are many scheduling software tools available to help project managers perform their job, including PERT, Microsoft Project, Scitor Project Scheduler, and many others. While such applications are usually designed for certain industries or projects, they all use Critical Path Methodology, or CPM. CPM plays a larg... view article details