Newly Corporate

How to Confront your Boss About A Vacation

Yana – Thanks for the questions. I do think using sick days or anything other than being sick is quite risky and is probably unethical.

Fortunately my company does not give you a prescribed number of sick days. I think that is a good idea because no one abuses it (correction, I don’t, i don’t know what others do but it appears to work sufficiently) and you don’t come into work sick because you don’t want to use your sick days up. Is the issue that you don’t have enough vacation time or you feel bad letting sick days expire?

Workplace Relationships: How do you choose your friends at work?

I’m sorry you were offended. There is nothing inherently negative about the term “settling” but you seem to view it as negative. Why? Would you have felt better if I said young male?

Also, I am merely trying to convey the type of person that is very family oriented. Someone who isn’t that interested in making friends in the office and is content with their current friends and family. Maybe there is another term I could have used other than “settler.” I suppose it was first to come to mind.

I also state later in the post that no one is the exact to the examples I gave, but a combo of several characteristics.

One can argue to an extent getting married right out of college is settling down. It doesn’t mean you can’t also be a hard worker?

The Key to a Healthier, Wealthier Life (and a better Golf Score!)

@ Brian – All the time I quit a goal because I sucked at it! I think the best way to insure that you do something all the way through 1) Track it or, 2) Tell everyone about it. if other people know about it, they can support you and even motivate you to complete, besides that, who wants to tell their friends they failed? or 3) do it with a friend. Make common goal with a bud and work towards it together.

Interview Tip: Leave the salary out of it.

@ Jaime – I would love to answer your question but I think Cheryl did it for me!

@ Glenn – your right, researching does deserve its own post, and it will get it!

@ Cheryl – some great points on negotiations. I would definitely counter in questions about salary with a range. I would not want my employer knowing what I was getting somewhere else. If it is to high, they may loose interest in thinking your to expensive and if it is too low you may loose out on some money!

A new way to squeeze cash from your home

Scot – I think you have some valid points with the information we had about this new process. What do you feel now that Jeff posted additional information?

Jeff – Thanks for your input. It sounds like its alot more of a risky investment for a bank then what you would normally think a bank would participate in. But I suppose that it is that you are an “Investor” and not a “lender” as you said on your comment. Thanks again for your readership and comment.

Daily Business Zen: Is there such thing as too much social media?

Thanks for the discussion Greg and Norcross. I agree that using it properly is key. But I think the point is that most people, most people college years and younger are not using it wisely. We’ve never seen anything of this mass that attracts this many young people. I think I can see where the social media can be a determent to a childs learning and development.

5 Unusual Things To Do Your First Week On The Job

nice points. I do many of these throughout the day. Befriending the little people is so important. In alot of offices processors and secretaries can be great allies in helping you get stuff done. can’t hurt to have them on your side!

Also google alerts are very important if your a heavily client/service oriented firm. I set them up for major clients to have stuff to talk about to the client or managers. Also can alert you to service needs they may need and you can anticipate issues.

Only disagreement is the busy sign. I prefer open doors (if my cube had one) If I need to really concentrate our office provides focus rooms where you can close the door and work uninterrupted (which I never use). I think it is more important to be open, especially in the beginning of your career. If someone does interrupt some important work, i politely tell them, I’ll come to their desk in x hours, I have to finish something.

Good post.

Daily Business Zen: Tax Advice

yana, chances are you need to file in both states… however, some states allow reciprocity. that is, if you are a resident of IL but work in WI, WI will not tax your income and IL will. But chances are you need to file a non-resident form in your non resident state and a resident form in your resident state. you should be able to either remove the income from the non-resident on your resident state form or at least deduct the taxes you paid. really depends… Good luck!

Creativity: What to do When You're Not Inspired.

@ Jaclyn – facebook is alright for inspiriation. generally that just distracts me and I end up looking up hold friends for hours. I like your google doc idea. I do the same sorta by copying a link in several places or bookmarking it in a temp file until i can read it and fully digest it. Thanks!

@GL Hoffman – I like the your idea. I hope to get to it by April 1! Thanks!

Poll: What do you use for contact management?

where is lotus notes?

Making Yourself Indispensable: Bottom Line Minded

ARRiiVE – Thanks for the comment. However, I still believe profit makes the world go round. Being worth something and sustainable growth are two separate things.

Most companies can run for a period of time without profit thanks to investors and loans. Working capital comes from investors that believe there is a potential for profit, otherwise they wouldn’t invest. Youtube will do fine for a while because google believes the short-term losses will lead to gains in the long run. Fortunately, because google makes enough profit through their search engine and other programs, they can support this risky adventure; i.e. infusing youtube with working capital. If 10 years down the road youtube is still unprofitable, you will see fewer upgrades, and maybe even a sale; it wont be growing anymore.

Helicopter Parents: Taking Care of Business

On a second note:

Ryan – good suggestion on the read. I perused Arnett’s site and he has some interesting theories. I liked his main reason for why adulthood has been pushed up and it relates well. Quote From Jeff Arnett’s Emerging Adulthood Chapter 1:

“The most important reason of all for the rise in the
typical ages of entering marriage and parenthood is less tangible than changes in sexual behavior or more years spent in college and graduate school. There has been a profound change in how young people view the meaning and value of becoming an adult and entering the adult roles of spouse and parent.”

I can see this. In the 50′s and 60′s for the most part children aspired to be like their parents. Like the Beaver’s. Now in the 90′s and 00′s we want to be like “Friends” for the rest of our life – That is good looking and carefree! There is definitely a change in what young people value out of life, and currently its Youth and Joy, not Stability and Comfort like the old days!

related – I am curious on Arnett’s opinion related to the perceived early entrance to adult hood. By that I mean the 13 year old girl that wants to act like a 20 year old at the mall? My perception is that this is a fairly new phenom (I’m young and I don’t know about teenagers in the 70′s and 80′s). Will this push the emerging adulthood stage even longer…. say from 15 – 25 years of age? Or are they just defining a new characteristic of the teenager stage?

Daily Business Zen: Mom can I borrow $1,000,000?

Jacob – That is a good strategy to only borrow if you can repay them immediately. Often however, that is small money we are talking about. Fortunately for me, my family would not be able to loan me any significant amount of money!

Kate – I know how you feel. I had to borrow a few months of money from my Mother between the time I finished school and started work. My campus job ended, and I ended up living in IL and working with my father in a factory just to pay the rent on my apartment in Milwaukee until my “grown up” job began. It helped offset any expenses my Mom and Dad were helping to pay in that time off. Thanks for the comment!