Posted in:
May 15, 2008 12:00 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Dear CC: I'm not a morning person - I show up at work later than anyone but stay a few hours after everyone's gone home. It seems more than fair to me. What do you think?
It's not what CC thinks; it's what your boss and your
colleagues think. In some offices, people work completely independently, and as
long as your work gets done, great. But in most, people rely on each other-to
pass work to, to bounce ideas off of, to spoil the ending of last night's
Heroes that you TiVo-ed. You don't want them getting frustrated when they can't
find you. Here's some advice: Show up on time and stay late. Red Bull and
espresso drinks are close at hand.
Posted in:
May 14, 2008 12:00 AM by Eileen Conlan | COMMENTS
One of my responsibilities at Marie Claire is assisting our managing
editor, Leslie, who controls the budgets and the nitty-gritty workings
of the magazine. She makes sure we’re on track for deadlines, hiring,
and of course, approves everyone’s favorite: vacation days.
Our vacation cards are electric blue, but the days themselves, precious
and few as they are, might as well be gold. Everyone carefully adds
their days to the sheet, and sends to their manager, and finally, to
Leslie, to sign and approve the days off. Around this time of year,
when the weather starts getting nicer, the florescent vacation cards
come out, piling up on Leslie’s desk. But instead of reveling in the
vacation days, more often than not, everyone seems scared and a little
guilty, as they hesitantly place it on her desk and wait nervously to
find out if their wishes to be out of the office for a few days have
been granted. I can’t help but be super-jealous of the standard French
6-week vacation. To relax and not feel guilty for 6 whole weeks would
be heaven. Why all the guilt in America? Don’t we earn a few days off
once in a while?
READ MORE 
Posted in:
May 13, 2008 12:00 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Dear CC: During last year's company outing at the beach, my
bikini top slipped, and I briefly flashed some colleagues. I was mortified.
This year's event is coming up. Can I show my face (and, God willing, nothing
else)?
Exactly how memorable was last year's unveiling? Sure, you
have to go. But to avoid any easy memory association, stay away from the water.
This time, stick to macaroni salad and Wiffle ball. Maybe next year you'll be
back in the swim in a well-fitting one-piece and a wrap.
Posted in:
May 12, 2008 12:00 AM by Sarah Z. Wexler | COMMENTS
Last week was one of those kinds of weeks: grueling ten-hour days when
it’s too hectic to pee, trying to stuff down a sandwich while hovering
over the keyboard. Weeks like this make me wish for a get-up-and-go
trip to Miami, a weekend spent lounging on the beach or sipping wine in
Napa, far away from all the work I have to do.
If only. But on an assistant’s salary in one of the most expensive
cities in the country, it ain’t gonna happen. That’s why I decided to
have a vacation night right at home. My plan: to make the evening feel
like I was in a totally different place. Instead of my usual dinner,
ordering in with friends or stopping by a cheapie-good chain (hello,
Chipotle), I decided to try a new restaurant.
My friend and I went to a tiny empanada place, where we ate
combinations I’d never considered before, like the peanut butter and
banana “Elvis.” We poured spoonfuls of various red and green sauces on
our cheese empanadas, some delicious and some way too spicy.
READ MORE
Posted in:
May 12, 2008 12:00 AM by Dorothy Allred Solomon | COMMENTS
Media outlets want stories about teens who have left the FLDS or other
polygamous communities. I can imagine what reporters and producers are
thinking based on questions they ask me about my own polygamous
background: Did they try to make you marry an old man? How did you
escape? How old were you? The scenarios drawn by some people who
leave polygamy paint a grim view of teen life.
In fact, teens in polygamous communities receive protection that teens
in mainstream communities do not: protection from suicide web sites and
heavy metal suggestions about self-mutilation, protection from drug
abuse and various enticements to sell out one’s virtue. Most
polygamous communities insist on their teens growing up before
marriage. The median age for marriage in the group where I grew up was
twenty-one. Salacious stories are hard to come by in such a setting.
No thirteen year olds getting pregnant there unless they’re sneaking
out the bedroom window to meet their boyfriends.
READ MORE
Posted in:
May 11, 2008 12:00 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Dear CC: We're expecting layoffs at my company. Anything I
can do to increase my odds of survival?
Do you know how to bake? Brownies are a nice way to avoid
the ax . . . Always do your best to make sure that your job isn't redundant
with many others; that you're garnering allies outside your own immediate
sphere; that you're developing skills geared toward the growth of the company;
that you have some sense of your tangible value (e.g., that idea of yours
brought in nine new clients). And that you have some heavy bond paper handy on
which to print your up-to-date résumé.
Posted in:
May 8, 2008 12:00 AM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
As promised, I’m checking in to tell you all how I did with my money
diet over the last week. Honestly, the first few days were a little
rough. As it turns out, the cafeteria at my office was featuring my
favorite dish: stir-fry. Hearst rotates the entrée offerings every
week. I’ve been anxiously awaiting stir-fry week since I started
working here. (What can I say? I’m a woman of simple pleasures.) So the
only right thing to do was treat myself. But, it sure did cost me. Take
a look at how I did:
Wednesday: Stir-fry. $9.65.
Thursday: Didn’t pack a lunch because I was planning to meet a
colleague. She bailed, so I headed to the cafeteria. (No stir-fry, too
pricey.) $4.88.
Friday: Woke up late. No time to fix a sandwich. $7.04.
Monday: Packed a sandwich and two string cheeses for snack! $0.
Tuesday: Packed a lunch again! $0.
Wednesday: Getting a free lunch at a media event today. $0.
TOTAL: $21.57
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 30, 2008 1:13 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
I’m putting myself on a strict spending diet in May. For the last two months, I’ve been scrutinizing exactly where I shell out my precious dollars. At times, it’s made me more than a little neurotic about my moolah, but it’s no doubt been the best lesson. Just like with dieting, I have to assess what I’m eating if I’m going to actually change my food habits. Speaking of food…turns out, that’s exactly where most of my money has been going.
Last night, I took a long hard look at my bank statement to see what I spent last week and since I debit almost all of purchases this is a fairly accurate snapshot of my spending. The outcome: A whopping $136.32 went towards food—this includes: groceries, dinner out with friends, pizza delivery and getting breakfast and lunch at the cafeteria at my job. To some that might not seem like an absurd amount but as an editorial assistant trying to make it in one of the most expensive cities in the world, I’m always looking for ways to save here, so I can spend there. At this pace, I’ll be spending roughly $600/month on food alone. This kills me—especially since I could easily save a bundle on lots of these food-related expenses. Example: Did I really need to order that $15 Papa John’s cheese pizza if I had perfectly good food in my fridge? Do I have to eat breakfast and lunch at work everyday? (For the record, Hearst’s cafeteria is ridiculously good. But it’s not free.) If I add an extra 30 minutes to my morning routine, I could eat breakfast and pack a lunch at home. Given my current cash flow, this is the most reasonable option. And honestly, if I’m going to spend, I’d rather put more towards shopping for new spring duds and less on dining out during the weekday. It sounds simple, but let’s see how I do next week.
I’m curious, what do you spent the most money on during the week? What’s your money goal for May?
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 30, 2008 11:54 AM by Eileen Conlan | COMMENTS
My desk has been a mess lately. I blame it on looming deadlines—with so much to get done, I rationalize that I don’t have the time to stop and clean it up, much less spend time recycling. (I know, I know!) But I wanted to change that. So today, I met with Danny Seo, host of “Simply Green with Danny Seo” on HGTV, who showed me some ways to make my cluttered cubicle greener. As a sidenote, his own green resume is impressive—and started early. His birthday is Earth Day, and he’s been finding ways to live an environmentally conscious life from the age of 12, authoring several books on the subject and founding Organic Style magazine.
I learned so much from him. He grabbed the Wall Street Journal off my desk, put it on the ground, and said, matter –of-factly that if you step on a newspaper when you get into work (or in your home), the paper will absorb any harmful elements, like lead and dirt, so you don’t track them inside. Apparently, the paper is already equipped to handle soaking up ink.
First we started with my phone. He whipped out a cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol and got to work swiping the handset and buttons clean. He told me breakouts occur easily from office phones—they harbor so many germs. Think about it. We’re on them all day. Instead of using a harmful bleach, he recommends keeping alcohol swabs in your desk drawer and periodically swiping down the phone. Easy, fast and non-toxic.
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 29, 2008 7:07 PM by Jihan Thompson | COMMENTS
Your wallet is looking greener—and not just from the wad of bills you got in there. “Green” credit cards are becoming increasingly more popular these days. Every time you charge a purchase, be it a gallon of milk or ten gallons of gas, it could be the most eco-friendly thing you do all day. Mastercard has two cards on the market: GE Earth Rewards and GreenPay donate points towards carbon offsets. Visa has two more (Brighter Planet and Working Assets) with the same idea.
Visa’s Working Assets is my fave because 10 cents of every purchase can go to the charity of my choice from a list of organizations they support, like Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood and Doctors Without Borders. And there’s no better time to give to charity than now. Yesterday, CNN reported that charities are getting hit hard in this economic slump: fewer donations at a time more people are looking for help. According to the article and America’s Second Harvest (one of the charities on Visa’s Working Assets list), 1.3 million more people have enrolled in the federal Food Stamp Program this year, putting a serious strain on food banks across the country. So if you’re shopping for a new credit card, this is definitely the way to go.
Posted in:
April 29, 2008 12:00 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Dear Cubicle Coach: My boss CrackBerrys me at 1 a.m. I feel like a loser if I respond, a slacker if I don't. What's appropriate?
Some
boses love to e-mail at all hours to test how "committed" you are. CC
suspects they have somehow rigged their devices to send messages only
in the wee hours, or their wives have them sleeping on the sofa again
and Cinemax porn hasn't started yet.
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 28, 2008 12:00 AM by Cat Schwartz, eBay Gadget Director | COMMENTS
Here’s to the savvy working girl. You're on the fast track to
success and you've got the most important aspects of your life all
wrapped up. From one career-minded woman to another, here are some
gadgets that will help you rock it to the next level.
MacBook Pro
This computer highlights your best qualities: you're stylish, smart,
and you know what's up. With this machine you can work on anything
that's thrown at you and wrap it up in a cool, multi-media package
thanks to the iLife suite that comes with the machine. Instant access
to tools that help you create blogs, movies, photo albums, and more
will easily set you apart from the rest of the chicks in your office.
3-in-1Breakfast Maker
I
care about eating breakfast, but I care more about getting to work on
time. I need every bit of help I can get in the morning. You have to
see it to believe it, but this machine can make coffee, toast and eggs
all at once and have them ready for you in just minutes! You can get a
balanced meal and make it to work on time. Every working woman needs
one of these.
Thirsty Light
Because
I work so much my green thumb has turned brown. These little sticks
will help your plants stay alive and get your thumbs back to that
brilliant shade of Kelly green with the blink of a light. When you see
it flash, it lets you know it's time to give a little H2O love to the
plants in your place.
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 28, 2008 12:00 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Dear CC: I think I'm going to get fired in a few weeks. But I
am very close to landing a new, better job. Do I grab it or stall and
collect my severance here?
You're about to attempt a
maneuver worthy of CC's favorite Seinfeld episode, "The Switch"
(dumping one roommate, then dating the other). Tread lightly and check
your personal greed meter. Even though in our modern world being fired
isn't the worst thing, like pinkeye and divorce it's better not to have
it in your dossier. But, yes, if you are due a considerable sum upon
termination, you could risk it.
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 25, 2008 12:00 AM by Cubicle Coach | COMMENTS
Dear CC: My boss groped me at a company party. It wasn't
overt and disgusting, but nor was it appropriate. He's an OK guy and a
good manager. But do I owe it to my colleagues and myself to report him?
CC
once had a boss who, despite all the out-of-court settlements, liked to
go around pawing the interns; during the height of Monica-gate, he
paraded around the office bellowing, "What's wrong with a good blow job
in the afternoon?" A few ways for you to handle, none ideal. You could
confront him quietly, explain your discomfort, and add that you see no
reason to take your complaint higher. He should get the message (or,
more likely, move on to fresh meat). You could take it to someone else
in the company, asking to keep it off the record, and have her say
something to him. Or you could go to HR.
READ MORE
Posted in:
April 24, 2008 12:11 PM by Yael Kohen | COMMENTS
The sunlight is flooding through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the
Hearst Building. And I have to stretch my neck up over the top of my
square cubicle so I can see outside. Pity. This is the kind of day I’ll
spend fantasizing about other jobs that take me away from the computer.
The kind of day, I’ll spend fantasizing about the life of my friend,
the Voice Over Actress. She takes vacations whenever she wants, has
time for lunch, gets to hang out in different parts of the city and is
never, ever, stuck at a desk. “The best part is in between
appointments, instead of staring at my computer or im’ing with a
friend, I take myself to see a movie, go shopping or browse through
books at Barnes and Noble,” she says. And this is a busy week! Sure,
there is always the freelancer-like fear of a down period and an
unsteady paycheck. But right now, she’s doing well. And it’s 70 degrees
and I’m jealous.
My friend, the Voice Over Actress, outlined her week for me. I peek at
it every now and again when I’m in the mood for self-inflicted torture.
Total hours worked: 10 hours 15 minutes
READ MORE
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