How to beat the bad boss blues

By Robert Half International

TV shows and movies are full of bad bosses. From Michael Scott in "The Office" and Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" to "The Simpsons'" Mr. Burns and even Ebenezer Scrooge, there is no shortage of examples.

But what if the horrible boss you fear isn't fictional? What if she sits in the same office as you?

Unfortunately, this situation isn't uncommon. Nearly half of employees surveyed said they have worked for an unreasonable manager. Among those who have been beleaguered by challenging supervisors, 59 percent stayed in their jobs and either tried to address the situation or resolved to live with it.

Your relationship with your manager has more bearing than any other factor on your ability to succeed in your job – and how much satisfaction you derive from it. Here are four types of bad bosses and ways to maintain a productive, harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship with each of them:

'My boss is too controlling'

The type: The controlling boss isn't comfortable unless he knows everything and has a say in all decisions, no matter how small or routine.

How to respond: The best way to make progress with this type of boss is to do it gradually. The next time you're assigned a task, break it down into steps. Select one or two that are relatively simple and that you know for certain you can handle on your own.

Go to your boss and, as tactfully as possible, ask for responsibility over those tasks. Assure your manager that you'll run everything by him and allow plenty of time for changes or feedback if necessary.

You'll gradually earn your boss's trust and broaden your sphere of responsibility. Just keep in mind that your success depends on your ability to deliver on promises. Any failure on your part could reinforce your boss's tendency to micromanage.

'My boss is too wishy-washy'

The type: This boss is reluctant or slow to make decisions. She is also unable to articulate clear objectives, set precise deadlines or give constructive feedback on your performance.

How to respond: Whenever you need your boss to make a decision, do your homework first and then offer a recommendation. For example, you might say: "I see three options: A, B or C. I believe that B is the best choice because of X, Y and Z. Do you agree?" Reassure your boss that you're confident about your recommendation.

Also be sure to communicate deadlines. That alone can sometimes prompt indecisive managers to take action. Just don't push too hard, or you risk damaging the relationship.

'My boss makes unreasonable demands'

The type: This type of manager asks you to squeeze in 12 hours' worth of work into an eight-hour day. The result: You either stay late or risk being reprimanded for your poor performance.

How to respond: Sit down with your manager and make a list of performance objectives. If you see a gap between what's being requested of you and what you believe you can accomplish, ask that expectations be altered or that you be given additional resources.

A good way to strengthen your case before such a meeting is to create a detailed report that tracks your activity over a few weeks. This document can help show that you don't have enough time to complete all the tasks you've been assigned. Your log also can highlight tasks you've been given that fall outside your job description and prevent you from completing core duties.

Above all, keep an open mind. Requests considered unreasonable at one company may be considered reasonable at another. You need to understand the norms at your company and decide whether you can live with them.

'My boss is a tyrant' 

The type: The worst type of boss. This manager is prone to angry outbursts and other forms of unacceptable or even abusive behavior.

How to respond: Unfortunately, your options are limited. Your first step may be to try to talk things out with your supervisor. If you're uncomfortable with that idea, you might bring your concerns to senior management or human resources. But these actions may not improve the situation and could even backfire.

If you've dismissed this strategy, or it hasn't been effective, ask yourself two questions:

1. What do you stand to gain by hanging in there? If it's something you can't get elsewhere – such as unique training or a fantastic paycheck – you may decide the tradeoff is worth it, at least for a while. This realization alone may help you cope more effectively with the pressures.

2. Can you adopt coping mechanisms that will help get you through the tough times? Clearly, you need a thick skin if you work for a tough boss, which means you can't allow yourself to take it personally when your manager starts to blow off steam. You also need to become more attuned to the day-to-day moods of your manager and adjust your behavior accordingly.

In the end, the question of whether you can work for a truly difficult boss comes down to your own personality and tolerance. Here's a simple test: If you get a knot in the pit of your stomach as soon you walk in the door, your job or company is probably not right for you over the long term.

5 things to leave off your resume

By Debra Auerbach

It's never easy to figure out what to put on your résumé. What will that one line be that hooks the hiring manager? Will the way it's formatted affect the decision? You may think that it's safer to err on the side of including more, but if you load your résumé with unnecessary fluff, it could guarantee your place in the reject pile.

Here are five things you should consider leaving off of your résumé:

1. Objective statement: Objective statements, which usually start with, "I'm looking for a job that..." have long been considered passé. Employers aren't reviewing your résumé to find out what you want in a job; they want the résumé to tell them why they should want you. If you're going to include a statement at the top, make it a personal summary that acts as a condensed version of your elevator pitch. It should touch on your top skills and any major achievements worth highlighting.

2. References available upon request: Including a list of references or the statement, "References available upon request," isn't necessary, because it's expected that you have references, should an employer request them. Instead of taking up valuable space, create a separate document that lists your references and their contact information, and have it ready to email or hand out as needed.

3. Outdated or irrelevant information: Résumés are about quality, not quantity. Hiring managers don't have time to read through three pages' worth of positions held, dating back to when you were a dog sitter in high school. Consider removing any experience that is more than a decade old, especially if it's not applicable to the position for which you're applying. Focus instead on experience and education that show you're relevant and up to date on the newest skills and technology.

4. Personal attributes: Unless you're applying for a modeling job or another position where looks are a factor, leave your picture off your résumé. Most employers shouldn't -- and legally can't -- care about your appearance; they just want to know why you'd be good for the job. The same goes for listing personal attributes, such as your height, weight, race or age.

5. False claims: This should go without saying, but inaccuracies or over-embellished education or experience have no place on a résumé. Besides running the risk of getting caught (were an employer to do a background check, talk to references or conduct a social-media search), why would you want a job if you're not adequately prepared for it? If you don't know what you're doing, the jig will be up quickly, and you'll just find yourself jobless again and having burned important bridges.

Get your résumé in shape

By Susan Ricker

Staying in shape is good for your body and your résumé, and in both areas you want to push yourself. Just as with fitness, not every job-search approach works for everybody. Some people do better with groups while others have personalized goals, and sometimes old routines become stale. Here's how you can achieve your résumé-fitness goals.

You're just getting started

If you haven't looked for a job in a while or are just getting started, begin with the basics. Most job searching is now done online and requires a résumé that can be uploaded. Many employers request cover letters as well. Establish a list of references you can count on for support, and check in with them. Keep your job search organized by tracking the jobs you apply to in a spreadsheet, as well as by the date you applied and the materials you sent. Also investigate social-media tools and mobile applications that can help in your search.

You need immediate results

Sometimes the most important job-search factor is how quickly you can get a paycheck. If your focus is on the money first, entry-level positions and jobs that provide on-the-job training are a good place to start. These roles are more lenient about experience requirements and often can lead to new career paths. If you do have experience and have a specialized talent, consider freelance, consultant or contract work, which give you the power to choose your clients, pay and schedule.

You're trying to bulk up your résumé

Is your résumé on the lean side? A crowded page doesn't necessarily equal a qualified job candidate, but hiring managers do look for candidates with experience and demonstrated knowledge. Include education and relevant experience, and know the importance of résumé keywords. Also, look for ways to add muscle to your résumé by finding relevant volunteer opportunities, related certifications you can complete and professional associations or groups you can join. Create a balanced, well-rounded résumé that highlights your experience and capabilities relevant to the job for which you're applying.

You're trying to slim down your résumé

If your résumé has gained excessive information over the years, it may be time to cut the fat. Remove all content that's not relevant to the job for which you're applying. If you can't make a direct connection to how a previous role prepared you for the prospective job, it shouldn't take up valuable room on your résumé. Also cut out dated résumé categories such as your "objective" or the inclusion of references -- even the line, "References available upon request." Your goal should be to keep your résumé to one page, as hiring managers rarely take the time to do more than skim your information and may not look at a second page.

You need outside support to see progress

Having the discipline to dedicate time and effort to job searching can be tough, and making the right contacts to find a job can be equally challenging. Sometimes outside help is the answer. Consider finding a job-search mentor or working with a recruiter. These options can provide the same discipline and encouragement as working with a personal trainer and offer equally impressive results. Also consider networking, volunteer opportunities or group workshops to make potentially beneficial connections and learn new skills.

Your old routine isn't working and you want something new

Sometimes a dramatic change is just the answer for a stale routine. If you're feeling burned out by your current job or field, consider a career change. Identify your strengths and interests, and think about how your skills might apply to a different field. Try volunteering or shadowing people with interesting jobs to find out what you do and don't like before you commit to switching careers.

Just as with any fitness routine, a commitment to progress and hard work will be the quickest way to see success.

How to get a job by using your smartphone

By Debra Auerbach

If you're like most people, your phone has almost become an extra limb. It's always with you and without it you'd feel incomplete. It's your communicator, your scheduler, your alarm clock, your meal planner, your TV remote control and everything in between. For a growing number of people, it's also becoming an increasingly big part of their job searches: Over the last 10 months, mobile job searching has grown 108 percent*.Yet there are still job seekers who are skeptical about what really can be accomplished on a smartphone. Never fear, cynical cellphone users -- below you'll find three effective ways to use your phone to help you get a job.

For researchDuring a job search, a large amount of time is spent on research -- researching fields of interest, researching job opportunities, researching a company before an interview. Busy schedules make it tough to devote time to sitting in front of a computer for said research. So when you're on the go, you should take advantage of your phone's search functions. Most browsers on your phone should let you bookmark pages just as you would on a computer, so you can save relevant websites or interesting job postings to specifically marked folders, and then go back and review at a later date.
To apply for jobs
Sure, doing some research on your phone seems simple enough, but when it comes to applying for jobs, you're probably thinking it's not worth the trouble. You may have tried to apply for a job via your phone but gave up once you realized the application was nine pages long. You're not alone -- according to CareerBuilder research, 40 percent of mobile job seekers abandon an application when the mobile-apply process is too lengthy or there isn't one at all.
To network
Attending networking events can be very beneficial to your job search -- that is, if you actually make connections and follow up with them afterward. But with a bunch of business cards stuffed into your pocket or purse, you're almost guaranteed to lose a few before you even get home. Avoid missing out on a potential job lead by using a phone app that lets you capture someone's information easily. Apps such as Business Card Reader and CardMunch take a snapshot of a business card, transcribe the information and add it to your address book. The Bump app lets you bump phones with someone else and share contact information between phones. Now you really don't have an excuse to not set up a coffee meeting with that recruiter you just met.

Additionally, a lot of job sites offer mobile applications, which makes it that much easier to browse jobs on your phone. For example, the Jobs by CareerBuilder app allows you to search its jobs database by keyword, location, company and employment type, among other options. You can use your phone's GPS to identify jobs near you, apply for jobs and receive personalized job recommendations.

"Knowing the frustrations mobile job seekers often face, CareerBuilder recently enhanced its mobile-apply process, so the vast majority of its jobs are now mobile optimized," says Hope Gurion, chief development officer at CareerBuilder. "We realized we needed to be mobile friendly, because job seekers expect to be able to apply via apps and browsers on their phones, and they want to have an easy way to attach their résumés. In today's busy world, they deserve that convenience."

For the networking you do online, your phone allows you to make updates and connections in real time. Just met someone at a party who works at a company you'd like to join? Find out if she has a professional profile on a social network. Just got a promotion? Update your social profiles on the train ride home from work. Reading an article about a new technology being embraced by those in your field? Post commentary about it to that Facebook group you joined, to show that you're well-versed on industry trends.

These are just a few examples of how your phone can be an asset in your job search. While it won't be the only tool you use -- computers are still necessary and in-person interactions are still crucial -- it can make your search more efficient, thorough and convenient.

15 bachelor's degree majors with starting pay of $50,000-plus

By Susan Ricker

Four-year college graduates will earn $1 million more in their lifetime than those with a high-school diploma*, but some college graduates will get a head start on reaching that six-figure advantage. The National Association of Colleges and Employers released the starting salaries by academic major for bachelor's degree graduates.

The list below includes the 15 top-paying majors with average starting pay of more than $50,000 a year. The list also notes the change in pay from 2011 to 2012. All starting pay levels listed increased by at least 2 percent, an encouraging sign that the job market is improving for college grads.

1. Computer engineering**
Average starting pay in 2012: $70,400
Average starting pay in 2011: $67,800
Percent change: 3.8

2. Chemical engineering
Average starting pay in 2012: $66,400
Average starting pay in 2011: $64,100
Percent change: 3.6

3. Computer science
Average starting pay in 2012: $64,400
Average starting pay in 2011: $62,100
Percent change: 3.7

4. Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering
Average starting pay in 2012: $64,000
Average starting pay in 2011: $59,100
Percent change: 3.6

5. Mechanical engineering
Average starting pay in 2012: $62,900
Average starting pay in 2011: $60,500
Percent change: 4.0

6. Electrical/electronics and communications engineering
Average starting pay in 2012: $62,300
Average starting pay in 2011: $60,000
Percent change: 3.8

7. Civil engineering
Average starting pay in 2012: $57,700
Average starting pay in 2011: $56,200
Percent change: 2.5

8. Finance
Average starting pay in 2012: $57,300
Average starting pay in 2011: $54,800
Percent change: 4.6

9. Construction science/management
Average starting pay in 2012: $56,600
Average starting pay in 2011: $55,000
Percent change: 2.9

10. Information sciences and systems
Average starting pay in 2012: $56,100
Average starting pay in 2011: $54,000
Percent change: 3.9

11. Economics (business/managerial)
Average starting pay in 2012: $55,800
Average starting pay in 2011: $53,500
Percent change: 4.3

12. Business administration/management
Average starting pay in 2012: $55,200
Average starting pay in 2011: $53,000
Percent change: 4.2

13. Accounting
Average starting pay in 2012: $52,900
Average starting pay in 2011: $50,800
Percent change: 4.1

14. Nursing
Average starting pay in 2012: $52,200
Average starting pay in 2011: $50,300
Percent change: 3.8

15. Marketing/marketing management (including marketing research)
Average starting pay in 2012: $51,000
Average starting pay in 2011: $48,700
Percent change: 4.7

6 ways to minimize conflict with co-workers

Robert Half International 

"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people." -- Theodore Roosevelt

Looking for ways to win over the boss? Here's an easy one: Play well with others. In a recent survey by Robert Half International, managers said they waste, on average, 18 percent of their time trying to resolve staff personality conflicts. That's more than seven hours a week, or nine weeks per year.

So, it's safe to say the boss wouldn't mind dealing with less discord. Beyond making your manager's life a little easier, honing your collaboration skills -- and deftly dealing with conflict when it does arise -- will aid you throughout your career.

Consider these tips:

1. Don't assume the worst

Did a co-worker fail to get you a file on time with the specific intention of ruining your day? It's possible but not probable. It's much more likely poor planning, miscommunication or an overloaded schedule caused the person to miss the deadline.

Start with the assumption that it's not personal. Giving the other person the benefit of the doubt will help you address the matter in neutral and objective terms, rather than letting emotions dictate how the discussion goes.

2. Put yourself in the other person's shoes

Paying attention to your colleagues' work styles can help you collaborate with them more effectively. But in addition to learning about their communication preferences and pet peeves, try to get a sense of the competing priorities and pressures they face. Just as others would probably cut you some slack if they knew the full range of responsibilities on your plate, you'll likely be more empathetic and tolerant when you better understand their roles.

3. Start (and stay) on the same page

Simple misunderstandings are often the source of significant tension. There are few statements more maddening to hear toward the end of a project than, "Wait, I thought you were doing that."

Arrange a meeting at the outset of a group assignment to clarify who is responsible for what. Immediately afterward, follow up with an email recapping what was discussed. Continuing to check in periodically will also help you avoid last-minute scrambling and finger-pointing.

4. Accept people for who they are

Focusing on people's perceived shortcomings is a recipe for frustration and friction. If you're a perfectionist, you can easily find yourself annoyed by a less detail-oriented co-worker. He may not cross every "t," but keep in mind that he brings other valuable skills to the table. For instance, he might be adept at generating big-picture ideas and selling them to management. When you work together, strive to make the collaboration more about complementing your respective strengths and less about your differences.

5. Criticize with care

There's nothing wrong with respectful disagreements. In fact, going along with a bad idea just to keep the peace is in itself a bad idea. But always make sure your criticism is constructive.

Watch both what you say and how you say it. A perfectly logical opposing viewpoint will lose its impact and fuel resentment if it's delivered in the wrong way. Tactfully saying, "We might want to consider another approach for the following reasons ..." will be met with less resistance than a brusque barb about how "that plan will never work."

6. Nip problems in the bud

When you lock horns with someone, take steps to resolve the situation quickly. Molehills can grow into mountains if you falsely assume things will blow over or wait for the other person to make the first move.

Once you've cooled down, request a brief meeting to clear the air. Keep your comments professional and solution-oriented. If being forgiving or apologetic will repair the rift, take the high road and move on. You don't have to be best friends; you just need to be able to work together in the future.

Finally, it would be naïve to think you'll interact smoothly with every fellow employee. Difficult, rude and uncompromising people exist in every workplace. And despite your best efforts to work together harmoniously, problems may persist with a particular colleague. In these situations, you may have no choice but to reach out to your supervisor for advice or assistance.

That being said, there are many co-worker quarrels that can be avoided or easily deflated without managerial intervention. Don't underestimate the power of flexibility, diplomacy and empathy.

Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, visit www.roberthalf.com. For additional career advice, view our career bloopers video series atwww.roberthalf.com/dont-let-this-happen-to-you or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/roberthalf. 

When to Disobey the Boss

By Eve Tahmincioglu

Recently, the manager of an Abercrombie & Fitch store in Virginia Beach decided to keep, what some deemed, risqué photos of models hung up on his store walls even though local police told him to take the pictures down.

Why didn’t he listen to the cops? Because the manager’s corporate bosses asked him to display the photos.

The manager ended up with a citation by the local authorities and faced possible jail time and a fine.

While the charges were eventually dropped, this event serves as a great lesson for all employees out there. You don’t have to do everything your boss tells you to, especially if it runs afoul of the law.

Clearly, breaking the law can get you in real trouble, but blindly following orders and engaging in illegal or unethical activities on the job can wreak havoc on your career and possibly hurt other people.

Take Barbara, a Denver-based senior underwriter for a major mortgage company.

Over a two year period, she was asked by her manager to sign off on home loans for individuals that she knew were not worthy of loans because of their questionable credit and employment backgrounds.

“I determined that the information these people provided wasn’t accurate, or questionable but my manager would say, ‘let it go,’” says Barbara, who declined to use her full name.

After months of doing what she felt in her gut wasn’t right, she became depressed as she began to hear about people who were losing their homes because of loan defaults.

So, this past fall, she decided to take a stand and wrote a letter to the company’s human resource department even though she thought she was jeopardizing her job. "I couldn't take it anymore," she explained, still a hint of agony in her voice.

The real estate industry, says Ralph R. Roberts, author of “Protect Yourself from Real Estate and Mortgage Fraud,” is rife with these types of scenarios that began with the housing boom and have only gotten worse as management at many of these firms become desperate to get business in a housing slump.

But it’s not just real estate.

Workers in a host of sectors are feeling pressure to compromise their ethics standards, or break the law, according to Patricia Harned, president of the Ethics Resource Center, an independent research organization. Among the top industries where this is seen are entertainment, hotel and food services, transportation, retail, and healthcare, just to name a few.

“There is no question that supervisors and management have a tremendous amount of influence on employees’ decisions on how they handle tough situations,” Harned says.

Overall, about 10 percent of employees report they feel pressured to compromise their standards in order to do their jobs, and of those 69 percent say the pressure is coming for their immediate supervisor, Harned notes.

“We have certainly seen this situation getting worse as far as the number of instances where employees are seeing misconduct happening around them and feeling pressure to compromise standards themselves. It is on the rise and very worrisome,” she explains.

Difficult economic times, she adds, are contributing to the increase. “There is a lot of pressure to increase profits, keep the company going. Workers want to bring value to the company and do well in their jobs.”

Typically, in a large organization, when serious wrongdoing occurs, at least ten to 15 people are probably involved or know what’s going on, says Richard Cellini of Integrity Interactive, a company that provides businesses with ethics policy tools.

“Someone sets it in motion, usually someone with authority, but they don’t do the work themselves. They pass it on. The people who do it are usually the staff. They do what they’re told,” he explains.

In most cases, he adds, workers are doing bad things for what they deem are good reasons – to help the company, help the team, etc. “And in the overwhelming majority of cases, they are either responding directly to a request from a boss, or what they think their boss wants them to do,” he says.

But workers who engage in illegal activity are going to have a weak leg to stand on when law enforcement comes a knocking. “My boss made me do it,” is a defense that doesn’t tend to hold up in court, legal experts say.

“It’s like the Nuremberg defense,” says Nancy Cornish, an employment lawyer with Denver-based Kissinger & Fellman, referring to the “only following orders” legal defense used by some of the Nazi officers who were tried by the Allies in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II.

The question is, she explains, if you’re acting within the scope of your job duties but you do something illegal, who is liable, you or your employer? Unfortunately, in many cases, the employee can be liable, she says.

“When a bouncer assaults a patron on instructions from the club owner the prosecutor is going to tell the bouncer, ‘I don’t care,’’ she points out. “If a pizza delivery guy goes down a residential street at 80 miles an hour should he get a ticket,” she asks, even though his boss tells him to speed in order to expedite deliveries? “Yes,” she notes.

In one case, Cornish’s client, a trucking company, sent a delivery man to a neighborhood early in the morning to make a drop off, but the community restricted morning deliveries. The truck driver ended up with a ticket.

While the trucking firm took care of the situation for its employee, she says, the driver in this case would have ended up holding the bag if his employer hadn’t stepped in.

If you refuse to do something illegal, and you’re fired or demoted because you report it to HR or law enforcement, you’ll likely be protected under whistle blower laws. But claiming after the fact, when the authorities start rounding up the parties involved, that you were told to do it but didn’t want to probably won’t hold up in court.

“An employee can’t disagree in silence with the practice,” says Jon Meer, chair of the Employment and Labor Group for DLA Piper US in Los Angeles.

Bottom line, says Barbara Repa, author of “Your Rights in the Workplace”, “no one gets to break the law, and you don’t get to hide behind the skirts of employers.”

When you’re being asked to do something that just doesn’t feel right, Repa suggests you talk to your supervisor about it. If, however, you believe your job could be at risk by talking to your boss, go above his or her head and find someone you trust who has integrity, or go to your human resources department.

You can also go to local authorities, and under whistleblower laws have your identity remain anonymous.

Depending on what the illegal activity is, there are a variety of government agencies you can go to, Repa says. If it involves a work safety issue you should contact OSHA. If it’s an issue of discrimination you can contact the EEOC. If it’s something that could put someone in harm’s way, or involves fraud, local police, or the FBI or the SEC might be the best avenue.

Barbara, the underwriter from Colorado, went to her HR department and the company launched an investigation. The manager that asked her to sign off on bad loans was subsequently fired, and new policies were implemented to prevent similar situations.

Looking back, she says, she would have reported the problem earlier.

“We are so overwhelmed trying to meet our own financial requirements for our kids and our families, that we tend to go along with employers,” she says. “You have a right to say ‘no’. I should have pushed back right away.”

5 lessons from your first job to apply to your entire career

By Susan Ricker

Your first full-time job may have been ages ago, but it taught you more lessons than you may realize. From spending habits to co-workers to promotions, your entry to the workforce was a never-ending learning experience. Reflect on your first job, and apply those lessons to your current role.

1. Getting along with your co-workers is just as important as doing your job
When you arrived on your first day, you may remember being both excited and nervous. Who would your new co-workers be? What would they be like? For 40-plus hours a week with your new "family," making a good impression and forming relationships made work easier and more fun.

This remains true throughout your career, no matter how many times you change companies or jobs. You still have a "work family" that you spend much of your time with, and it's still important to keep that family strong. When you're close with your co-workers and have established a trusting relationship, everybody works harder and more efficiently.

2. Paychecks are for both fun and for saving
There's no thrill quite like receiving your first paycheck. It's a step into adulthood as well as a step toward the finer things in life. Suddenly, a nicer wardrobe and a new ride were deemed just as important as paying your bills, and saving money may have been a struggle.

Getting smarter with money doesn't come naturally with age -- it's a discipline that takes practice and effort. Bills and practical purchases should take priority, and so does saving for the future. However, remember the excitement of your first paycheck and the validation it gave you for taking the job, and celebrate your hard work with occasional fun purchases.

3. Listen to and learn from your peers
When you started your first job, you had to adjust to your new co-workers, and you also had to rely on them to show you the ropes, answer your questions and support your efforts.

Maybe you're no longer the "newbie," but you should listen to and learn from your peers just as much today as you did on your first day. Everybody you work with was hired for a reason, and everybody is an expert in some area. Not only can you take advantage of these areas of expertise when you have questions, but you should also return the favor and be just as helpful to them as they were to you. Make an effort to keep close working relationships with your co-workers, and create a strong, capable team that's ready to help the next new guy.

4. Always be prepared for meetings
The first several meetings you were invited to probably felt more exciting and special than the ones you attend now, though that's not a good enough reason to show up unprepared. It's easy to fall into the habit of "winging it" at meetings, arriving without ideas to contribute or reviewing any materials. Not only is this disrespectful to the person who called the meeting, but it slows down the productivity of the meeting as well.

When you first began working, you likely felt an urge to prove your worth, so you went over the materials, came prepared with thoughts or ideas and contributed to the meeting in any way you could. Such a helpful attitude only makes you look better as time goes on. Don't fall for the misconception that experience means you don't have to try as hard.

5. Your job isn't a sure thing
The first week on your new job was filled with hesitant moves: "Am I allowed to do this?" "Is this OK?" "Will I get fired for this?" As you settled in, you realized how silly some of those thoughts were, and it was unlikely you'd get fired for that extra five minutes you took for lunch.

Fast forward to now, and you're confident that you have earned enough freedom to do what you like, as long as your projects are finished. That mindset may lead to trouble, though. No matter how long you've worked somewhere, your job isn't 100 percent secure. You're working for others, and you need to meet their expectations first.

Help: My boss and I don't get along

By Susan Ricker

Every worker has disagreed with his boss at some point, no matter how big or small the issue may have been. If you're lucky, the disagreement is behind you. However, what can you do if you and your boss simply don't get along? Lynne Sarikas, director of Northeastern University's MBA Career Center, may have the answer.

"The hiring manager wades through piles of résumés and conducts multiple interviews to find the best candidate for the job," Sarikas says. "The candidate researches the company, asks insightful questions during the interviews and even talks with networking contacts. In spite of best efforts on both sides of the hiring equation, sometimes things don't work out as planned. What is the employee to do if he just doesn't get along with the boss?" Check out Sarikas' steps for improving communication and the relationship with your boss, and what to do if the case looks hopeless.

Self-reflection

• If you sense that things just don't feel right, pay attention to your instincts.
• Pay attention to when things don't feel right and keep a list; review and identify patterns and issues.
• Consider what you think the issue is and what you might do to remedy the situation.
• Honestly assess your fit for the position as well as your strengths and weaknesses.
• If you need to better understand how your role fits in the larger mission of the company, ask.
• The more specific you can be in what's missing, the better able you will be to address it.

Meet with your manager

• Request a meeting with your manager.
• Do not be confrontational but state that you are seeking feedback -- you want to understand what you are doing well and what you could be doing better.
• Ask about your fit with the team.
• Ask for specific recommendations on how to make things better.
• If it is clear that there is a personal issue, seek further feedback; maybe you have different work styles that are in conflict.
• If you are able to identify the problem and brainstorm ways to make things better, give it an honest try, and agree to meet again later.

Remain professional

• Do not bad mouth your boss to everyone else on the team and anyone who will listen.
• Do not let a bad attitude or frustrations hurt your work performance.
• Be sure to keep notes of discussion and observations.

Escalate the situation

If you have tried talking to your manager and things aren't getting any better, consider escalating the issue to the human-resources department. Meet with your HR contact, share your feedback and what you have done to address the issue, and brainstorm next steps.

Be willing to walk away

• If there is an irreconcilable difference between you and the boss, be prepared to look for another position, either within or outside of the company.
• Even if the problem is the boss, it often takes time to address those issues through proper channels, and it may not be worth it for your mental health to hang in there.
• Think about how to explain your change when looking for a new job without speaking ill of the company or the manager.
• Identify references at the company other than your direct manager before you leave so you are prepared in your job search.

Manage your stress

• Dealing with a difficult boss can be extremely stressful.
• Exercise, get your sleep and do whatever you can to manage your stress level.
• Try to focus on what you are accomplishing or learning at work without thinking about the negative impact of your manager.