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Category: Career

A little chutzpah never hurts

When faced with a chance to meet someone who could change your future, don’t be afraid to show some chutzpah. That’s what Alison Pincus, founder of the online business One Kings Lane, did when she saw Martha Stewart at an antiques show.

Do you have an instant ethical compass?

What sort of motto or guideline helps you work ethically every day? Admins work in a reactive frame of mind most of the day, says Nan DeMars, author of You Want Me to Do What? “Basically, we have to react accord­ing to our instincts and trust our internal gyroscope.” DeMars recommends using this fast compass:

Back to school: Is it worth it?

The current job climate is driving many people to go back to school, with the number of 50- to 64-year-old students climbing fast. Even people with jobs are taking classes. Should you? Some great advice from SmartMoney magazine:

Caring for your network in 5 steps

True or false: Networking is a task, like building your house. Accumulate the materials, do the necessary hammering, and bingo, you’ve got your house. “False,” say authors Bob Allard and Richard Banfield, who assert that networking greatness comes from giving, not accumulating.

Put more meaning into workplace awards

Imagine you’re up for an award at work … for Best New Mistake. That might not sound too appealing, but at SurePayroll, the award is coveted. Why do they do it? To encourage employees to try new things—even if it means sometimes failing or making a mistake.

1-Minute Strategies: Sept. ’11

Set aside a few minutes each week to answer questions in the Q&A section of LinkedIn … Tack on your own comment at the top of any forwarded email messages to help the recipient understand why it’s landing in her inbox … Keep things from falling through the cracks with Boomerang for Gmail …

Do what is right

“One of the dumbest excuses for screwing up is ‘everyone else does it, it is industry standard,'” says Robert Sutton in his book Good Boss, Bad Boss. “Don’t mindlessly compare yourself to others … the people you imitate might be complete dolts,” he says.

Craft a better résumé for 2011

Lose your job, and it will take about nine months to get another one, reports The New York Times. You might just shave some time from the process by updating your résumé now. A few tips: Embrace technology; avoid overused words that make you blend in; differentiate yourself by replacing the summary.

Think twice about quitting in a huff

In the world of baseball recently, the manager of the Washington Nationals suddenly resigned. The Nationals had just beaten the Seat­tle Mariners when Jim Riggleman quit. If you’re considering quitting your job, Riggleman’s case of­­fers at least three things to consider: