You Do Have to Be a Rocket Scientist Listening to a rocket scientist talk about work is impressive, but tough for the scientifically challenged. It's not unlike having a conversation in a foreign language you barely know. Talk of black holes and exploding suns switches to gyroscopes and accelerometers before you've processed what you think you heard, let alone understood. But then, as the cliché suggests, it is rocket science. Keoki Jackson and Bob Polutchko knew they'd become rocket scientists from early on. "I was born on July 22nd, 1969," said Jackson. "Mom used to talk about watching the ... view article details

An Inside Look at Why the Rich Get Richer & the Poor Stay Put Why the Rich Get Richer & the Poor Struggle Numbers released by the U.S. Census Bureau earlier this month confirm what many have known for a long time: The gap between the rich and the poor in this country is growing ever wider. And while we examined the numbers behind the income gap last week, we heard your requests for an actual explanation of why it exists loud and clear. So while the numbers don't tell us why income inequality continues to climb, the experts will. Technology -- The Double-Edged Sword Just as technology has ... view article details

Job descriptionComputer Programmers are responsible for creating code that essentially tells a computer how to operate. They write, test, and maintain these coded instructions, also referred to as programs. The work of programmers has been expanded in today's world, due to the innovative and advanced technologies that now exist. Programmers are now heavily involved in all aspects of technical problem solving for companies. Common computer languages that programmers use include COBOL, C++, BASIC, Java, and HTML. Most programmers know several computer languages because they tend to be similar, m... view article details

Is Love in the Office Air? Whether it's Jim and Pam on The Office or a real life saga such as former President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky, America has a certain fondness (or at least a mild obsession with) the notion of an office romance. And seeing how Cupid is reaching into his quiver as Valentine's Day quickly approaches, we thought it'd be a good idea to ask you -- our readers -- about workplace flings.More than 2,600 of you responded to our survey and opened up your hearts to share your views regarding office dalliances that can't be contained by cubicle ... view article details

Professionals with Tattoos in the Workplace Maybe it’s a tribal armband, orchids on the lower back playing peek-a-boo with coworkers, or—gulp!—they’re wearing it on their face a la Mike Tyson. But even if it’s that cute little leprechaun on their ankle, our latest survey results show visible tattoos in the workplace could have a negative effect on your employees' pot of gold. A recent study from the Pew Research Center found nearly 40% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo, and body piercings are also a growing means of self-expression among people in this age ... view article details

Don't Sink Your Own Ship It’s a small world, right? Getting a job is hard enough, so doing something to damage your reputation, or your karma, is probably not a good idea when you desperately want or need a new one. If you think the careless way you have managed your communications with a would-be employer or recruiter hasn’t hurt you, you are very wrong.Ask any recruiting professional or hiring manager whether they remember the candidates who have accepted, then declined, an offer over email or text. Or what about those “failure to show” people who blow off their first day at a new j... view article details

Are Young Workers "Lost?" A recent piece in the New York Times by Todd G. Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz calls 20-somethings the 'go-nowhere generation' based on their statistical reluctance to relocate for work. They note, 'The likelihood of 20-somethings moving to another state has dropped well over 40 percent since the 1980s, according to calculations based on Census Bureau data…According to the Pew Research Center, the proportion of young adults living at home nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008, before the Great Recession hit.'Whether or not you believe Millennials are sedentary... 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

In part one of the Successful Job Transitions series, we discussed the job search and managing the stress that goes with it.In part two, I Quit! Now What? we covered your graceful exit.In the last of our series we focus on starting that new job on the right foot and making the transition smoothly and completely.Wind down, psych up Not many can afford the luxury of taking time off, but if you can manage at least a week to decompress between the old and the new job, do it. Not only will the rest help you get physically and mentally prepared, you can also use the... view article details

The entire job interview process is a bit of a crapshoot. There. I said it.From the endless networking and formal application process to interviewing with multiple people and negotiating your salary, there are a lot of things we’re told we “should do.” The problem is, if you don’t end up getting the job, you usually have no idea why.Did I lack the proper experience?Was my outfit too formal or too casual?Did I confuse the third interviewer with my Google Android analogy?Did I have a rogue piece of salad stuck in my teeth from lunch?Did I just get beat out by a better candidate?It’s an environme... view article details