The Career Quiz: Test Your Office Smarts

Are you an expert at navigating cubicle life, or do you need to brush up on your office politics? Take our quiz to find out whether you're on top of your game or need to put in some extra hours.

ANSWER: D. If you duck the question by saying, "What I'm looking for is..." that means you're currently underpaid. Go the "my total compensation" route, and that means you've calculated in your health insurance, 401(k) match, and the occasional stale coffee roll left in the office pantry. Remember, an experienced recruiter has seen hundreds, if not thousands, of people in your field, so he pretty much knows where you are.

Are women still getting shortchanged? A look at how women are stacking up, salary-wise.

ANSWER: False. No year of graduation on a résumé means you're over 45. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it says that you think there is.

Now make sure the rest of your résumé is up to par and make sure you're at the top of the pile on a recruiter's desk.

ANSWER: D. Your daily commute. How you get to work is 100 percent your responsibility, but you can ask your HR manager about company benefits, which may subsidize your commuting costs.

Keep reading for the other work expense you can't write off or charge to the company card ... and the five you can.

You just got a great job offer, but are two-and-a-half-months pregnant. Is it ethical not to tell them?

True or False: It's never okay to go over your boss's head.

ANSWER: True. The only time it's okay is when you no longer care about doing permanent damage to your career. An exception may be when he's committing some fireable offense — sexual harassment, drug or alcohol abuse, a snub-nosed .38 strapped to his ankle. You may want to loop in HR first so you have an ally. Or go over his head if you are so secure in your relationship with his bosses that you feel confident you can move with impunity. But that support can disappear quickly. These guys tend to stick together. And remember the old saying: When you aim for the king, you better not miss.

How to get on your boss's good side and deal with his moodiness.

Your boss just offered you a promotion, which means working with a supervisor who doesn't like or respect you. Should you mention the problems with the little boss to the big boss?

ANSWER: No. Part of moving up in the ranks is the expectation that you can work things out for yourself. It's likely the immediate supervisor signed off on the promotion, signifying her willingness to move on, so get to work mending fences. Ask her out for lunch and, if you share my facility with bullshit, even offer, "I'm looking forward to us working together, and I know your support for me was one of the main reasons I got this job." Let her think you owe her a little bit; get her invested in your success. Then start working your ass off on that new gig.

How to ask for and get a promotion.

Just finished a big project, recently closed a big account, or scored the biggest press ever for the company? You'll want to swoop in when your bosses are praising your work and thinking positively about your value to the company. And it wouldn't hurt to make sure your boss is in a good mood before traipsing in with your proposal.