If you've been fired, laid off, demoted, or passed over for a promotion, join the club. Even the most talented, hardworking, and well-meaning people hit a career snag now and again.The difference between people who are successful and those who aren't isn't the roadblocks they face, it's how they navigate those roadblocks.This article explores seven common career obstacles, and how to overcome them.Career obstacle 1: Downsized You've lost your job, either because of company downsizing, or because you've been fired. The sudden loss of a job can make you feel depressed, regretf... view article details

Avoid Them at All Costs You’re presented with a choice by your employer. You can work at home, where you may be distracted by children, laundry, dogs barking or the neighbor cutting his grass. Or you can work at the corporate office in that most glorious of settings - the cubicle.Invented in the 1960s by Robert Propst, the idea was to give individual workers an autonomous workspace. The reality? Well, that’s something very different.There are few things that evoke fear in the hearts and minds of workers like those geometrically-connected, modular desk units that are the model of offic... view article details

There's a Right and Wrong Way to Quit a Job So you're quitting? Congratulations on getting a new gig or just getting out of your old job that wasn't working. But no matter why you're leaving, make sure you do it the right way.Your parents probably told you to be the bigger person, right? Well now it's time to put that to the test. And that test can be pretty difficult if you really hated your job. There's no question that, for some people, it feels really good to quit with a bang and stick it to everyone who wronged you in the past. But even though that'll give you instant gratificati... view article details

Workers Are Not Happy At first glance, things seem to be getting better these days. We’re told the U.S. is in a period of gradual economic recovery, more companies are now hiring again, and unemployment continues to inch downward.But as we head into the last few months of the year, it appears many American workers haven’t gotten the memo about the good news, and are preparing for a winter of discontent.While unemployment is on the decline, underemployment is still a problem as the number of people who have given up looking for work and those who work part-time but seek full-time jobs,... view article details

Negotiate Wisely We know, you don’t like negotiating. But here’s a hint – very few people do. So despite it being about as enjoyable as nails on a chalkboard, it’s also necessary. And it’s too important to screw up.A misstep during the salary negotiation portion of your job interview – or worse, your failure to negotiate at all – could end up costing you thousands. Unfortunately, there are a variety of pitfalls along the way and traps you can inadvertently fall into that could derail your chances of success. That’s why we’ve identified the nine biggest mistakes most people make when n... view article details

In looking to negotiate the highest salary, the logic might look like this: In order to be in a position to negotiate, you need to have an offer. To receive an offer, you need to get the interview. The best way to secure an interview is through networking. And with more than 300 million members worldwide, LinkedIn.com is the top source for job seekers to build out their professional network online.Whether you’re in job search mode or not, with more than 2 new members joining LinkedIn every second, it’s likely that a new request to connect is hitting your inbox on a regular basis.How do you dea... view article details

Over its history, the temporary employment industry has evolved from using gopher-type seat-warmers to fill-in for vacationing administrative assistants, to placing highly skilled, valued, and courted contractors into managerial positions. Although job descriptions and qualifications have changed, temps are still considered part of the fringe labor market, since the temporary work force is just that: Temporary.Since 1990, the temporary work industry has grown five times more than national employment. In 2004 alone, the country has seen an increase of 230,000 jobs since this time last year, acc... view article details

Did you know employers sometimes pay a premium for the right education and experience? Or that you might be able to earn more by doing the same job in a larger company? In fact, these could be some of your strongest negotiating points in your next performance review, job interview, or request for a promotion.Employers typically adjust their market data when determining how much to pay a specific employee to do the job. In other words, they price the 'space' - the position in the organization - before they price the 'face,' or the person doing that job. After they determine the value of the pos... view article details

When Your Work Is Done, Get Out of There Pamela Selle wants you to go the heck (we softened up her original language) home. Seriously. If it is 6 p.m. or if you are done with your projects for the day or your brain is just burned out from the last eight hours of staring at a monitor, Selle says, just get out of the office. It's tough to be the first one to leave the office for fear it makes you look bad, but going home when your work is done does have benefits. It's better for your productivity, it's better for your employer, and it is most assuredly better for you. In February, Phila... view article details

From a young age, many horse-enthusiasts dream of incorporating their love of horses into a viable career. Elizabeth Oellers Latham is turning the phrase 'do what you love and love what you do' into reality.Latham runs her own farm in central New Hampshire called Cadbury Woods, where she teaches riding lessons and trains horses in the tradition of dressage. Dressage aims to use the horse's natural abilities and athletic development to become more light, supple and attentive to the rider in all gaits and movements, working from the most subtle cues from the rider. The word dressage derives from... view article details