ArcaMax

You're very smart. You're extremely loyal. You even work hard at your job (on occasion).

Yet, your career is going nowhere. You're not advancing in your company. You're not getting job offers from outside your company. On LinkedIn, you're Linked Out.

Do you know what's missing?

Charm! You don't got no charm.

Charm is a squishy attribute, I...Read more

I know it seems impossible, but there's a chance that somewhere out there an employer wants to offer you an amazing job.

I didn't say there was a big chance, but when you're stuck in the mud, career-wise, it's good to entertain the thought that there is a teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy possibility the phone will ring and you will be offered a ...Read more

For a working person, there's nothing better than time off.

Right?

Wrong!

In 2018, 55% of Americans collectively left 768 million days of vacation time unused.

I learned this shocking factoid from "5 Secrets To Using Time Off Without Feeling Guilty," a recent Leigh Goessl post in The Washington Post.

As someone who has never met a day off...Read more

A young person first entering the job market faces many challenges. Until you learn certain very important rules for job hunting, your search is likely to be frustrating and even disheartening, which could lead to disappointment and depression. This is something I care about deeply.

No, I don't.

Not this week, anyway.

This week I am ...Read more

Is that your phone? Don't pick it up.

Is your computer receiving an email? Don't turn it on.

Sure, you could miss an important message full of wonderful news, but when was the last time that happened? The message you are much more likely to receive (by phone, email, text or carrier pigeon) is bad news -- very, very bad news.

You're fired.

...Read more

Congratulations!

Your big new promotion is wonderful news. You definitely deserve your new, supersized salary and juicy executive perks.

Say what?

You didn't get a big new promotion?

Well, there's no reason for that. Or maybe there is.

Meet Gina Belli.

Belli is the author of "10 Reasons You're Not Getting Promoted," a recent post on ...Read more

You are going to be replaced by a robot.

You know it's going to happen -- someday.

The question for today is: Are you going to be hired by a robot?

It's not as far-fetched as you may think.

According to "What is an ATS? How to Write a Resume to Beat the Bots," an article by Amanda Augustine at TopResume, "approximately 95 percent of ...Read more

Need more paranoia in your life?

Happy to oblige.

Do you think that your co-workers like you? Or are they just pretending to like you when they're really hating on you behind your back?

If you have doubts, you're probably not as well-liked as you think you are. That's sad, but you're not alone.

According to "Do People Like You at Work?" an...Read more

"Make as many mistakes as you can as quickly as you can."

That's a mantra in the high-tech biz. The idea is that making -- and fixing -- mistakes early on lets you move on.

But what about mistakes that you can't fix? Mistakes that get you fired, or ruin your career or ruin your life. Even worse, what about mistakes you make that you don't ...Read more

Believe it or not, there are people who love their jobs. Not only do they enjoy every hour of every day they are privileged to come to work, but they also see a broad, bright future ahead on a career superhighway to power, pay and perks.

They're delusional, of course, but they do exist.

For normal people, like thee and me, that career ...Read more

Ask the typical employee what they most want from their jobs ...

Go ahead; do it. I'll wait right here.

Chances are, the most frequent answer you received was something along the lines of "the sense of satisfaction that comes with working hard to help people solve problems that make their lives better."

In other words, they want "money. ...Read more

Does your mind wander? Do your managers stop you in the middle of presentations to ask, "What are you thinking?" Do you constantly lose your car keys, not remembering you don't own a car?

These are classic symptoms of people who have trouble with focus.

I'm not a neurologist, or a psychiatrist, or even a veterinarian, but I do believe that ...Read more

I congratulate you!

You've become an expert at how to avoid work at work. No matter how many assignments you have or how tight the deadlines are, you still manage to fritter away most of the workday.

Yes, you're a good little fritterer, but you're not perfect. Why? You fight the system between nine and five, goofing off when you should be ...Read more