Excelle

The knowledge of business etiquette applies to all, whether you’re a successful business executive or a recent college graduate just entering the business world. We can all use gentle reminders of how to behave appropriately in our day-to-day business life. There may be times when you find the adage true that “you don’t know what you don’t know”, so it behooves ...

You spend most of your day at work. Why not make some friends while you're there? You won't just have more fun — you'll be happier and work better. Gallup research shows that developing close friendships at work boosts employee satisfaction by almost 50%. And while we don't always choose our friends with career success in mind (company happy hour, ahem), ...

1. Non-words Filler words such as "um," "ah," "you know," "OK" or "like" tell the interviewer you're not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional "um," but don't let it start every sentence. ...

Now more than ever, it’s important to get the best bang for your buck. And there’s no question about it — when it comes to value, not every U.S. city is created equally. Why chase a great salary if your rent swallows most of it, unemployment is skyrocketing and you spend two hours a day just to get to and from ...

Very few people doubt the corporate deck is stacked against women to some degree. Still, you can sabotage your own career through errors made in the name of doing well or doing more. Here are nine career stoppers that can prevent you from advancing in your career. Do any of them figure into your modus operandi? 1. Flirting with Men to ...

Celebrities. We love to hate them. We also love to watch their every move, laugh at their mistakes and scrutinize their decisions. Like them or not, their celebrity status means not only have they achieved career success, they’ve also got a hell of a lot to lose. And sometimes, whatever actions have helped catapult them to fame or rendered them ...

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. That’s great advice. But, the truth is: during a job interview or networking opportunity we do often judge a book by its cover. So, while it is important to say all of the right things during your job interview and networking opportunities; your actions and body language often speak much louder. Rather than bemoaning ...

Photo courtesy of moriza via Creative Commons My desk is covered with Simpsons memorabilia, nine boxes of cereal, and photos of my family and friends. With one glance any passer-by can see I’m a fan of cartoons, eating, and my loved ones. A study at the University of Texas-Austin found that offices can reveal much about a worker's personality and ...

Time flies when you're wasting it These days, no one can afford to waste time at work. Thanks to widespread downsizing, workloads are piling up. Unfortunately, extra hours in the day are not. Maximizing your time at work can mean the difference between leaving at a reasonable hour (i.e. holding onto your sanity) and staying late unnecessarily. You’ve got a ...

Recently I read about an Australian company that put out an ad seeking new employees, but with a rather uncommon request—the applicants had to be a certain astrology sign. Anyone under the Taurus, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, or Leo signs were encouraged to submit resumes because, according to a spokesperson for the company, those signs make the best employees. I was a ...

What does disorganization cost you and/or your company? The Wall Street Journal published a study indicating that the average employee wastes nearly six weeks a year looking for information and things in their office. Multiply six weeks by the salary and then the number of employees and that is a lot of money! The cost of being disorganized is not only ...

Now that I’ve graduated from college, non-specific degree in hand (what does one do with a BA in English?), the job hunt has begun. Looking around me, I see so many people who are unhappy with their jobs. Their days resemble a real-life version of Office Space, sans Jennifer Aniston; they sit in traffic, then they sit in a cubicle, then ...

1. A Closed Body Whether sitting or standing, your body should be loose and open. Do not cross your arms. Do not cross your legs. While you may think it conveys a sense of ease, studies have shown that a people read a closed body differently: they subconsciously think you have something to hide. What's more, you're missing a golden ...

We've all heard stories about the nightmare of working for a toxic boss. Some of us have even had the unique displeasure of doing so ourselves. Red flags to such behavior often appear as early as the interview process. We've compiled 10 warning signs of a toxic boss. Watch for them in the interview and you might be able to avoid ...

Do you put off long- or short-term tasks at work? Does the last-minute dash to finish a report cause unwanted stress? Are you avoiding chores in your personal life that may be affecting your career? Whether it be laundry, grocery shopping, or even taxes, is procrastination getting in the way of what you need to get done? Relax, you’re only human! ...

Don't just sit there, basking in your continued employment... Phew. You survived the culling. Or maybe your company has managed to avoid a mass layoff. Either way, you're one of the lucky ones. Unlike so many of your friends and family, you won’t have to deal with the unemployment office or cancel your cable -- yet. But instead of sitting ...

Sometimes, a person will lose their job through no fault of their own. The whims of a psychotic boss, an economy in shambles, or a simple misunderstanding can have an otherwise satisfactory employee packing up his or her cubicle. Other times, a person will lose their job because they have done something so incredibly foolish, you wonder how they ever ...

In your business life, you will be required to attend business meetings, formal and informal events, even interviews, that involve dining. Knowing what is expected of you as the guest or the hostess is very important, and this knowledge, or lack of, can make or break your business dealings. In this article, I will explain a few basic table manners that ...

In this economic climate, everyone wants to avoid getting laid off. The number one way to do this is to have a strong relationship with your immediate manager. Here are some strategies that have worked well for me over the years: Be humble. Don’t approach your boss with a sense of entitlement, as though he is personally responsible for furthering ...

We live in a world where speed is key. Everything has to be bigger, better, faster, and so on. Time is money, so no one can afford to wait for anything. Unfortunately this development has enabled email to become ridiculously over-used and abused. We all know that e-mail forwards can get you in trouble. Everyone has heard about the person who ...