Career & Money Coach Blog

First, the blaring sound of the alarm clock. It's 6 a.m. Monday morning. And you've got a full five days of commuting, meetings, expense reports, and forced water cooler chitchat ahead of you. Half of American workers reported having sleep issues on a Sunday night in anticipation of the workweek, according to a recent Monster.com survey. What's the best way to motivate for a long workweek? Download these songs to your iPod and hit the repeat button. These five classic tunes should become as critical a Monday morning staple as your a.m. coffee and a hot shower.

Read the Best Motivational Tunes for Monday Mornings here.

How candid are you with your boss?

Though women comprise roughly half the workforce, they're still woefully underrepresented in engineering and technical trades. So what does a gal competing in a testosterone-choked office need to know to compete?

Are you ready to change careers? Here are three things you should ask yourself before you make the jump.

Call it The Letterman Effect: Monique El-Faizy explores the darker side of having an affair with the guy in the corner office.

Why you're not as safe as you think.

Considering shopping online this holiday? Read these tips first.

Are a few bucks saved really worth all that effort?

If you're routinely reaching for a sweater at work, odds are good the thermostat was set by a man.

Relocating for work? Make sure to ask your employer these six questions first.

These quintessentially American gaffes won't win you fans abroad:

· In Rome, scheduling a client lunch at the Olive Garden.

· In Jordan, suggesting a burka-free casual Friday.

· In Berlin, calling Gerta in accounting "a real Nazi about time sheets."

· In Toronto, asking a colleague if she knows your cousin Brenda, from Ottawa.

· In Tel Aviv, complaining about how your cubemate takes off for all the Jewish holidays.

Sweating a pink slip? Adopt one of these quirky-but-crucial office personas:

Cubicle Perez You've got the dirt on who's warring, macking, and fudging her expenses.

Lady PMS The gal who's always packing Kotex, Motrin, and Milk Duds.

Venti Sprinter When the boss joneses for her 3 p.m. latte.

Powerball Princess They give you a dollar - and their hopes for an early retirement.

No Raise - How About a New Computer?

TRAVEL SMARTS

Your new excuse for a sabbatical in Paris? It'll make you a superstar employee. When researchers presented scenarios that required out-of-the-box problem solving, a majority of those who zeroed in on the best answers had spent some years living in another country. What's more, a recent study found that former expats were more likely to be promoted. Explains Adam Galinsky, professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, "When abroad, you're forced to adapt to a local culture" and fit in—you're exercising your brain by thinking about cultural norms and how to adapt to them. What better excuse for having that after-dinner fromage?

Nearly half of all U.S. workers leave their PCs on overnight. Here, three urgent reasons to turn off before you head out:

1. Hackers spend their waking hours prowling for vulnerable computers. Don't assume your firm has up-to-date security—a third of small businesses don't.

2. Your computer is a carbon-spewing beast. Computers left on standby will emit 20 million tons of carbon dioxide this year—roughly the same amount as 4 million cars.

3. Powering down may save your job. U.S. companies waste $2.8 billion annually keeping computers on after hours—in tough times, that's a heck of a lot of salaries.

Rex Lee
The aggrieved assistant Lloyd on HBO's Entourage dishes on dressing for success:

"Before Entourage, I worked at a casting agency. One day I showed up to the office in a bright-orange shirt and red board shorts. I mean, I was just an assistant-who cares, right? My boss took one look at me and, in front of everyone, ordered me to go home and change. From then on, I came to work looking like the perfect Brooks Brother."

Head Count: That's the question we asked readers on MarieClaire.com. Of the 391 responses, 28% said they'd give up their offices; 27% said they'd work fewer hours; 18% said they'd give up vacation days; 17% said they would relocate. Only 11% said they'd take a pay cut.

The typical desk—home to the rarely cleaned keyboard, mouse, and phone—carries 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat, says University of Arizona microbiologist Charles Gerba, Ph.D. And since women tote more stuff to work (makeup, a change of shoes, Junior's macaroni art), their offices are usually twice as germy as their male colleagues'. One especially cringe-worthy hot spot: your handbag. "Women's purses tend to be really dirty, because they put their bags on the floor everywhere-even in the bathroom," says Gerba.

THE GERMIEST LOCALES IN YOUR OFFICE:

Keyboard: 719 germs per square inch
Mouse: 846
Handbag: 882
Desktop: 1270
Phone: 2180
Chair: 67,700

If you're out of a job, dole out proper business cards at your next meet-and-greet. The major office-supply chains offer fast turnover on cheap custom printing, typically starting at $10 for a box of 100. Here, no-fail tips for ensuring sharp cards that scream "hire me."

· Use your last job title.
Cutesy titles (e.g., Chief Idea Officer) are a no-no with would-be employers.

· List no more than one phone number.
Include your name, title, address, e-mail, one contact number, and a website if relevant--that's all.

· Don't get too fancy.
Unless you're in a creative industry, stick with simple cards, jazzed up only with a logo, rounded edges, or glossy finish. Skip free services like VistaPrint.com, which puts its logo on the back of cards. Tacky.

If you're one of the nation's 3 million extreme commuters (you log more than 90 minutes a day to get to work), consider these sanity-saving gadgets.

In this economy many folks (both in a job and out) are attending network events. If you're out of a job we suggest investing in personal business cards so you don't show up empty handed.

Still got a job? Personal cards could still be useful - why not create your own "flirt cards" that list your name and phone number. It's an easy (and safe) way to hand over only the necessary information to potential suitors.

Get 50% off your business card order at Zazzle.com, good on all three sizes: Skinny, Business, and Chubby.

To save 50%, go to Zazzle.com/businesscards and enter promo code: ZMARIECLAIRE at checkout.