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LinkedIn: 35 connections and counting

With its workaday reputation, LinkedIn is still the go-to social-media site for anyone trying to ramp up a career. Krista Canfield, a LinkedIn spokeswoman, says that to reap the social-networking benefits of the site, you need at least 35 connections. Here’s how to best use the web site:

Who has those private offices?

Just 32% of employees have private offices, down from 36% in 1997, according to the 2010 survey of 414 office-space managers by the International Facil­­ity Management Asso­­ci­­a­­tion.

They can hear you ‘surf’

Just as smile on your face affects your tone of voice when talking on the phone, so does your inattention. Watch out for “surfer’s voice”: If you check e-mail or scan web pages, the person talking to you may sense your inattentiveness even if he or she doesn’t hear keys tapping.

The Outlook® Haystack: Finding the needle

I have the opportunity in my teaching travels to witness many people hunting for the proverbial needle in the haystack, a.k.a. their Outlook® inbox. Like many of you who are technically inclined, I have to resist the urge to grab their mouse and keyboard and “show ‘em how it’s done.” Most of us don’t find that helpful at all, just intrusive. Instead, I thought I’d cover it here on my blog. There are 3 easy ways to quickly find what you’re looking for.

Is management right for you?

Question: ‘In my company, the only way to get a decent raise is to be promoted, so I decided to apply for a management job. I expected to receive the same salary as my friend, who has a similar position with another team.  When I got the promotion, my new boss didn’t say how much my raise would be. However, he asked me to commit to staying in his department.  I told him I would stay as long as the money was right. It turns out that I not only make less than my friend, but I also work about 50% more hours. This promotion has been bad for my health, my family, and the quality of my work.  At this point, even a huge raise would not make me happy. I want to transfer to a different department, but I am not sure how to go about it.” — Underpaid & Overworked