Elevators are one of the most uncomfortable social environments the public has to offer. You're trapped in a tube with a bunch of strangers. You're packed incredibly closely with people of all different hygienic statuses. Worst of all, you're supposed to stay silent to avoid making people uncomfortable. Everybody's already uncomfortable in an elevator, and casual conversation is unlikely to solve this problem. If there's one thing I respect, it's the ability to clear out a crowded elevator . El…

I've never quit a job . Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I can endure a situation far longer than is healthy for me. Lord knows I've spent years in relationships that didn't serve me. I slogged through the toxicity because change is scary. I once stayed at a job for seven years even though they only gave me a single raise, and forced me to work in a non-heated, building with no electricity in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. I want to be more like the people who throw in the t…

First impressions can be a tricky thing. I have gotten poor first impressions from some of the best people in my life, and I thank heavens every day that I did not wholly dismiss them after one questionable meeting . At the same time, there have been several times when I have gotten a bad vibe from someone after first meeting them and gave them a chance, only to find out later that they were a pretty rotten person. Most of the time, first meetings won't give you the complete picture of your fut…

Getting time off from work can be incredibly difficult here in the United States. Especially if you're not working an office job. In restaurants, it was always hell trying to find someone to cover a shift even with a week's notice, and if I was planning for a vacation, my boss would try to negotiate with me. “Why don't you take the week after, it will be less busy?” It's truly astounding - and despicable - how employers think they can dictate these aspects of ones life. Now that I am in the eve…

Recruiters probably help to match a lot of skilled people with quality vacancies. But they can be incredibly annoying and sometimes even straight up careless. They cold message you on LinkedIn , promising opportunities, pretending as though they're sending a genuine message rather than just filling in the blanks of a generic template. That kind of behavior has become expected – I don't even bother opening correspondence from people with a corporate headshot. We recently covered a man whose recr…

Many working from home have clever methods to keep them from appearing 'idle'

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