Dear Annette,I work in a small office. One of my coworkers doesn't shower very regularly, and we are unsure how to talk to him about it without hurting his feelings. He is a very funny, nice and bright person, but this is a problem.OdorlessDear Odorless,Every morning I review my Philosophy of Fragrance: that my personal scent is an opportunity to tell others who I am and what they can do for me. 'I am an unwashed person. Write for help' is probably not what your colleague had in mind. That's a pity, because aromas contribute so much to the formation of a personal brand. The beautiful memories ... view article details

Q:  Sometimes, as I arrive at a prospective employer's office for a first interview, the receptionist hands me an application that must be filled out before the HR manager interviews me. This protocol seems to take the focus of the interview away from my candidacy. I prefer not to disclose personal information such as salary history, age, Social Security Number, etc.before we've discussed my skills, my experience, and the benefits I can bring to the organization. How can I handle this situation tactfully without giving offense?A:  Organizations sometimes expect applicants to complete an applic... view article details

May was something of a stagnant month for the country's slow jobs recovery, according to numbers released last week by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.The national unemployment rate in May was 8.2 percent, essentially unchanged from the prior month. The long-term unemployed made up more than half of this number, with 4.6 percent of the workforce reporting that they have been jobless for more than 15 weeks. With an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent, men were more likely to be out of work than women, who had a jobless rate of 7.9 percent last month.However, the unemployment numbers go up s... view article details

The Midwest continued to be the best place for job-seekers last month, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The states in the center of the country had an average unemployment rate of 7.2 percent in April, better than any other region and significantly lower than the national rate of 8.1 percent.  Driving the Midwest's low jobless numbers was North Dakota's unemployment rate of 3 percent. The western part of North Dakota is experiencing an oil boom that has produced thousands of jobs in the construction, trade and transportation, and professional services... view article details

A federal program designed to help jobless veterans find work is proving very popular with its target audience, according to numbers released this week by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.The VOW to Hire Heroes Act, signed into law in November 2011, calls for the creation of a program that pays for unemployed veterans to receive training in fields where skilled workers are in high demand, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor. The resulting Veteran Retraining Assistance Program, or VRAP, began accepting applications on May 15.In the six weeks since VRAP launched, the program has... view article details

Dear Annette,My boss talks to other employees about employees. Is this an accepted practice? He claims to be quite educated in new management styles. However, I do not feel as though I should know that he is thinking about firing his secretary, also known as my coworker. Sincerely, Rather Not KnowDear Rather Not Know,Perhaps like me you recall the era when information was the currency of fabulousness. How much energy and time used to go into hiding and discovering secrets? How many Saturday and Sunday mornings has my dog Dickie spent sniffing around the back doors of my little Beverly Hills ne... view article details

The proportion of older workers participating in the labor force is at an all-time high.The problem is, when this group of workers gets down-sized out of a job, they spend much longer looking for new employment than their younger colleagues. This article offers job search tips to help level the playing field and get older people re-employed as soon as possible.Tip 1: Cut years off your resume No matter what your age is, include only relevant experiences on your resume. Hiring managers don't want to wade through unrelated skills or positions to find why you're valuable to them.This als... view article details

Dear Jack,I asked for a raise six months ago and was given a 10% bump, but wasn’t happy with it. My boss asked me what I would be happy with, but said it wouldn’t meet my goal of $50,000 a year. So I took a couple of minutes and said $45,000. I was hoping he would see that I am worth more than that and give me more money in the future, but it hasn’t happened. I am very unhappy in my job because of this and would like to ask for more, but not sure if I should because of our previous conversation six months ago.Thank you,K Hello K, If you are a good and valued worker, your boss has not forgotten... view article details

What do employees REALLY want most?It's a question Dr. Jack Wiley, executive director of the Kenexa High Performance Institute, has spent more than 25 years researching. And on today's episode of Salary Talk, Aaron and Wendy talk to Jack about his new book 'RESPECT: Delivering Results By Giving Employees What They Really Want,' which is being released October 11. Jack has spent more than two decades studying employee engagement surveys from more than 200,000 workers, with input from companies in more than two dozen countries. Whether it's an issue of fair pay, giving employees the recognition ... view article details

The work being accomplished at a meeting usually implies who should be on the guest list. But sometimes a little subtlety is called for.Often it is easy to figure out who should be on the guest list for a meeting. For example, a regular department meeting would typically include everyone in the department; a regular project team meeting would typically include everyone on the project team, or the subgroup responsible for the work being discussed.Some meetings are intended to result in decisions, while others are intended to generate ideas. Employees who are more junior often contribute strong ... view article details