They Didn't All Win Oscars, But These Work-Related Movies Hold a Special Place in Our Hearts And the Oscar Goes to... The nominees for this year's Academy Awards feature whimsy and fantasy, wartime adventures and family dramas. These movies may be praiseworthy, but they largely lack any perspective on the things that occupy most viewers' daily lives: impersonal cubicles, tedious commutes, the chances of promotion. We, therefore, have assembled an alternate list of deserving films that offers a peek into what it is to be a worker, striving for career advancement and negotiating all the hurdl... view article details

While our economy appears to be making gains in other areas, unemployment in this country is still hovering around 9.6%, according to the most recent statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor. If you are currently searching for a job, consider taking paths less traveled -- and therefore less crowded. This article explores 14 less conventional ways to land a good job.1. Tailor your message to potential employers Forget generic resumes and cover letters -- they won’t cut it in today’s competitive environment. Make sure your objective statement is specific to t... view article details

Don't Check Out During the Holidays When you look at your career calendar, it’s easy to see December as a forgotten month. You stumble into the first week fresh off a Thanksgiving food and shopping hangover, and once the 20th hits, you’re days away from Christmas, which rolls directly into New Years. The “out of office for the rest of the year” and “let’s touch base in January” replies fly fast and furiously.But before you put on your Santa hat, take a moment to cross off a few things on your wish list and propel your career forward.7. Summarize Your Accomplishments I consist... view article details

How does a night owl who cannot shift her hours to “normal” navigate the work world? In the first story in this series, Peter Mansbach, Ph.D., president of the Circadian Sleep Disorders Network, shared the basics about a type of circadian rhythm disorder called delayed sleep phase syndrome (also DSPS, or delayed sleep), which half a million Americans suffer.Unlike most night owls, who prefer to go to bed late, delayed sleep sufferers are hard-wired to do so—in fact, they’re responding to a physiological need. Unless they meet that need, they feel exhausted all the time, and conforming to “regu... 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

These days, when organizations are downsizing in an effort to 'right size,' it's more important than ever not to melt into the crowd at work.Whether your goal is to keep the paychecks coming at a steady rate or to advance your career, you'll have a better chance of being successful if you're viewed as indispensable.This article explores 14 ways to ensure your organization can't live without you.1. Be noticeable Introduce yourself to others, say hello and ask how co-workers are doing, and never pass up the opportunity to get to know someone on a deeper level. You're d... view article details

Learning how to 'manage up' is a critical skill that contributes toward the success of your boss, the success of your organization, and ultimately toward your success.This article outlines 12 steps designed to build a strong, trusting relationship between you and your boss. You'll learn how to give your boss what he or she needs, so you can get what you want!Step 1: Stop blaming your boss. It’s easy to blame work-related issues on your supervisor. “The project wasn’t completed on time because of poor communication.” “I’m bored at work because the boss doesn’t recognize my skil... view article details

Under Pressure Pressure. It can take many forms.Imagine you’re just 21 years old and a senior in college. You’ve got a massive final exam that accounts for the majority of your grade, and it’s the final class in your major. While you’ve invested considerable time and effort studying, you know it all comes down to this.Now imagine that you also play on your college’s basketball team, and you’re playing for the national championship. You’re down by 1 with a few seconds left, the crowd is going insane, and they swing the ball over to you. As you launch your jump shot in front of millions... view article details

There are seven common reasons why networking fails in the professional arena.The most common among them is the fact that 1) people are unsure of how to start a conversation, let alone what to say or the appropriate questions to ask. This can often be unnerving, making people 2) uncomfortable, particularly with people they have just met. Naturally, there is a 3) fear of rejection that accompanies networking, but networking can also be difficult due to 4) people's busy schedules, which causes them not to respond, understand the request or care enough to engage in a networking conversation. This... view article details

From CNN Money and the compensation experts at Salary.com6. Market research analyst Why it's great If you want to know what the next big thing is, this is your field. Before launching a product or service, companies turn to market research analysts who collect and evaluate data about consumer wants, needs and buying habits. You get to work on a huge variety of projects: In a single day you might run a taste test on a new vodka flavor, evaluate a re-branding campaign for a hot dog and analyze political polling data. What's cool Testing products before they hit the market. You talk to lots of pe... view article details