If you work in any sort of office environment, it’s something you can’t avoid: having to make small talk with coworkers you probably would never chat with outside of work.

Whether it’s a random break room run-in, waiting in line for the copier or the dreaded holiday party, there’s no getting away from the fact that you can’t just show up, do your work and leave. Part of being an employee means having to socialize with the people around you. And how you do it can make it either incredibly awkward or moderately enjoyable. (I won’t pretend that it’s fascinating and exciting, because really, it’s still small talk with people you have little in common with.)

Here are some basic tips to make even the most shy, antisocial person capable of pulling off basic office chitchat, whether your coworkers are 25 or 65:

Office small talk dos

Ask questions. It’s often said that the key to being a good conversationalist is being a good listener. People love talking about themselves—so get them talking. Ask them about their family, their hobbies, their pets… then be (or at least act) genuinely interested in their answers. Ask them follow up questions. (“So, how do you manage to write a novel in your spare time?” or “Mary’s a senior? How’s her college hunt going?”)

When people can walk away from a conversation feeling they were incredibly interesting, they’ll think you were the best conversationalist ever.

Collect tidbits about your coworkers. If the receptionist has pictures of her cat all over her desk, there’s a conversation topic made to order. If the guy the next cube over is always talking about the movie he saw that weekend, ask him his thoughts on current releases.

Every person you work with has two or three go-to subjects they’re always happy to talk about, so make mental notes as you interact with them. If you can find a go-to subject you both enjoy, you get double points for the bonding potential.

Compliments are always welcome. If someone’s wearing an interesting necklace, ask them where they got it (and hope it leads to an interesting story!). If you love someone’s hair, ask them where they get it done. You brighten their day, plus get them talking about themselves as recommended in tip number one. Double win. (Even a triple win from a networking standpoint.)

Current events. (With the exception of religion and politics. See below.) You don’t need to read the newspaper from cover to cover. Just watch 20 minutes of Good Morning, America as you eat your breakfast or check out the MSN home page before you sign into your Hotmail account, and you’ll have a handful of topics to discuss with people.

TV, movies, books. Chatting about pop culture can be one of the easiest ways to click with someone if you can find something you both enjoy. Just make sure to steer clear of controversial books like Fifty Shades of Grey or the show Sister Wives.

Local topics. Is an art festival or concert coming up? Are you looking for recommendations for a new restaurant to try out? Talking about things going on in the community around you is another easy way to find common discussion ground.

Sports, sports, sports. If you follow a sport, any sport, and can find someone who does the same, you are set for conversational topics for the rest of your time at your company. I have gleaned this from listening to my sportaholic husband dissect the nuances of fantasy football trades (and fantasy baseball trades, and real-life football drafts) with his friends until my eyes glaze over.

Office Small talk do-not-evers

Religion or politics. Think it goes without saying? It doesn’t. There’s always someone who goes there. Don’t let it be you. Please, for the love of whatever it is you personally believe in, just don’t.

Bonding over bitching. While you can create some camaraderie empathizing over how awful that big deadline was, stay away from too much complaining, gossiping,or otherwise dwelling in the unpleasantries of your workplace. It can be tempting, because everyone loves a good bitch-a-thon about the boss that they hate. But bonding over negativity only makes you go back to work more P.O.’ed than ever.

Try to keep it cheerful. Letting work make you angry when you’re not actually working is an awful habit.

Relationship therapy sessions. If you’ve just had a fight with your boyfriend, if your teen has been getting into trouble with the law, or if you’re cradling any other form of dirty laundry, this is neither the time nor the place to air it. Personal life TMI only makes your coworkers incredibly uncomfortable. (Plus, do you really want your casual coworkers to know about Jimmy’s new rap sheet?)

Health issues. I don’t care how harrowing your trip to the gastroenterologist was; we really (really) don’t want to hear about it. A quick update on how you’re doing if someone asks? That’s perfectly fine. But a blow by blow of all your aches and pains and medical procedures? No. Just no.

Money talk. Whether it’s salaries, bonuses or simply how much you paid for that pair of shoes your coworker complimented, keep it to yourself. It’s impossible to talk money without at least one member of the conversation walking away feeling envious or guilty.

Kids, kids, kids! You’re more than welcome to share Billy’s latest softball triumph or the fact that Katie made honor roll. But if your conversation is all kids, all the time, you’ll find your audience rapidly diminishing. Branch out into other areas of your life—or, better yet, turn the conversation to your partner now and then and ask them some things about their life.

Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook and hire her services as a blogger extraordinaire here.

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As more 20-somethings recognize the power and appeal of entrepreneurship, many are asking themselves: should I go back to school for my MBA?

But another two or three years is a long time to study, and MBA degrees aren’t cheap. Plus, for many programs, you need several years of work experience just to get in.

What if there was another option?

There is: it’s called Master in Management (MiM). This new trend of accelerated, specialized business graduate degrees is sweeping the country at top universities.

Master in Management (MiM) degrees are shortened master’s programs that teach recent graduates business fundamentals, but cost much less, don’t require several years of work experience for admission, and propel students into the workforce faster than MBA programs. Already popular in Europe, a recent survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reports a recent 69 percent increase in applications for these programs.

MiM degrees are specifically designed for undergraduates from non-business backgrounds and budding entrepreneurs. The goal is to equip college grads under age 24 with a basic business foundation. Teaching real-world skills that can immediately translate in a professional work environment helps them break through in this competitive job market.

The latest MiM program to launch is ours at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business (www.wpcarey.asu.edu), one of the top-ranked and largest business schools in the United States. The new MiM program begins in fall 2012.

If you’re a recent college graduate from a non-business background, here are three reasons why you might want to consider a MiM degree rather than an MBA degree:

1. MiM degrees don’t require work experience

The goal of a MiM degree is to provide students with marketable skills for entry-level positions, which means no work experience is needed.

Most MBA programs require students to be active in the workforce for a handful of years before applying. An MBA is designed for those who wish to pursue an eventual C-level position in their career. But is that really want you need right now?

2. MiM degrees take far shorter to complete than an MBA

The ASU MiM degree, for example, is just nine months long. Other MiM degrees range from nine to 16 months.

An MBA degree, however, is usually two years long. If you’re not sure whether you want to study for another two years, a one-year investment can help jump-start your desired career and a lifetime of business knowledge.

3. MiM degrees are half the cost of an MBA

A MiM degree is less expensive than many other graduate degrees. At ASU, the MiM degree costs about $22,000 for in-state residents and $36,000 for out-of-state residents (and many students secure financial aid).

Compare that to a typical MBA’s range of $47,000 to $100,000. In other words, tuition for a MiM degree can cost less than half the price of an MBA.

MBAs are still pertinent for already-working professionals who want to pursue an eventual C-level position, but for recent grads looking for entry-level jobs, a MiM could be a smarter option.

Have you considered a MiM or an MBA? Do you have any other questions about the differences between the two degrees?

Amy Hillman serves as executive dean at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. A nationally renowned professor of management, Hillman helped develop and launch the school’s new Master in Management program, with the first classes beginning in fall 2012.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

At some point, you likely plunked down your laptop at your kitchen table and got down to job searching, business starting, and butt-kicking. You probably spent hours researching your market or industry and becoming familiar with the key players. You took stock of your income needs and current resources.

Me? I found a comfy spot in the living room and started freelance blogging. Lucky me, I love what I do! But until I started writing for a home office design firm, I never gave a second thought to the neck aches and burning eyes that came after a few hours at the computer.

I was in denial. So are all of the rest of you who work under poor lighting, in non-ergonomic chairs and desks, on laptops and in awkward spaces.

Not only are you hurting from your work habits, but your productivity probably is too. Just think of how much you could get done if you didn’t get tired as fast and you were free of distracting aches and pains.

The good news is, you can protect yourself against the following big three office killers, and you don’t need one of those fashionable orange helmets to do it.

1. Sharp edges

Resting your wrists against the sharp corner of your laptop, table or IKEA desk as you type compresses the delicate tissue of your forearms, which will lead to pain over time. The tissue bounces back easily when you’re young, but over time, you’ll have to stop work for a few weeks or months to heal the damaged area.

Solution: To avoid being taken out of the game, look for a desk and keyboard with rounded edges. If you have to use a laptop, get an ergonomic keyboard to plug into it.

2. Poor fit

Reaching up for the keyboard, looking down at your lap to read or text, craning your neck to hold the phone as you type, and other awkward movements can all rack up serious body damage over time. You’ve heard of carpal tunnel. That’s just the beginning. Chronic back, arm, and neck pain can results after a couple of decades of computer work in poorly designed offices. Gulp.

Solution: Go ergonomic! In other words, position the things you use at a height and angle that is comfortable for you. Ideally, get a desktop computer with adjustable monitor, then adjust it so that your neck is tilted slightly forward. You should also invest in a desk that wraps around you so that everything you need is within arms’ reach. Other features to look for are a height-adjustable keyboard tray and even adjustable legs if you’re taller or shorter than the average person.

3. Improper lighting

Your mom always told you that reading under a dim light was bad for your eyes. Well, she was right, and just because you’re reading on a screen doesn’t change the rules a bit. Working in a room that’s too dim will cause eye strain and fatigue. So will glare from bright windows and reflective surfaces like glass.

Solution: Brighten up your workspace with ambient lights to prevent the burning sensation that comes after several hours of computing. Use warm, focused lights (high-lumen LEDs are great) to illuminate work surfaces. Be sure windows are behind your monitor where they can’t cause a glare.

The bottom line is, if you’re serious about your career or business venture, you need to get serious about your work space.

What are your big office killers? What’s keeping you from conquering them? 

Tuula Rebhahn is a young entrepreneur and a writer for Workspaces, Inc., a custom office furnishings and design firm based in Newcastle, Washington. Now that she took her own advice and ergonomic-ized her office, she is an unstoppable blogging machine.

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Steve Cahillane, president and CEO of Coca-Cola, writes:

Over the next five years, approximately 100,000 veterans are expected to transition to civilian life. As we commemorate Memorial Day by honoring the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, I am calling on the U.S. business community to commit to hiring each of these veterans who is able and willing to work.

According to Cahillane, not only do we owe it to our vets to help them find rewarding jobs, but it is a good move for employers:

Our military personnel have voluntarily endured hardships to serve and protect our country. When they return home, they deserve support and recognition from our great American companies.

It also makes perfect business sense. Military veterans bring the leadership, discipline and commitment to excellence that winning companies look for in their associates. They demonstrate tremendous accountability, and they’re hardworking and loyal. They’re problem solvers and understand that obstacles to an objective only make that objective more valuable. They’re passionate about winning and understand the value of teamwork in getting there. In short, these vets provide as much value for business as business does for them.

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As someone who started out in corporate America, got an MBA and is now an entrepreneur, here are a few things to consider before heading back to campus.

What’s right for you?

Though many job seekers hope for a position within a large company, few opportunities in this market environment offer the financial prospects, satisfaction and exhilaration that working at a startup can provide. So how do you weigh the entrepreneurial route against the others options available?

Let’s use investing as an analogy for risk-taking: Taking a corporate job is like investing in fixed-income securities (e.g. bonds) that offer a steady and predictable return, while starting your own business is like investing in stocks — there is unlimited potential, but also a higher risk profile. Miss the mark and you’re left with nothing. With this perspective, having an MBA in your back pocket doesn’t sound so bad after all, right? Not so fast…

Opportunity cost, and the cost of opportunity.

I’ll be the first to honestly say it: having an MBA can put you at a significant disadvantage in becoming an entrepreneur. Why? Not because it doesn’t help you achieve your goals efficiently, but because of what getting into an MBA program represents:

1. You are giving up a lot of your time. Every minute you spend working on your personal venture is a minute of salary you’re foregoing. Your opportunity cost increases once you have an MBA because you can command a higher salary in the marketplace,  so it’s more expensive to take an entrepreneurial risk and start a business of your own afterwards.
2. There’s pressure. MBAs are notorious for groupthink mentality, and after graduating from the program, it’s very hard to stay true to your own path while your friends are skyrocketing through their corporate careers, living comfortable lifestyles and enjoying the status that comes with a prestigious firm. In the meantime, you are CEO of a two-person company and eating Ramen noodles. Peer pressure doesn’t only happen in high school.
3. Lastly, MBAs are taught to be fed, not to hunt. Yes, you’ll graduate with a repertoire of great tools, fancy communication skills, and a heck of a network. However, there aren’t any classes that specialize in cold calling customers, persuading skeptical investors, resourcefulness or bootstrapping — the skills startup founders need to thrive.

Consider a “Master’s in Business Entrepreneurship” instead.

Despite all that I’ve just said, getting an MBA can work to your advantage because it’s a fantastic time to actually start your own business – if done correctly. You’ll find yourself pursuing what I call a “Master’s in Business Entrepreneurship:”

1. You likely won’t be surrounded again by the resources you’ll have while in school. Programs like Wharton, Harvard and Stanford offer terrific resources for aspiring entrepreneurs including cash, work space, exposure and mentoring. You’ll also find a huge base of expertise and know-how in your classmates, who will have experience ranging from finance to engineering.
2. Most MBA programs offer two risk-free years. When launching a business during your school years, the worst possible outcome is that you graduate and end up getting a great job. But if you succeed, you can hit the ground running once you turn your tassel.
3. MBAs offer a fantastic incubation environment: it is a microcosm of the market. You’ll quickly find classmates willing to test your product and zealously support your company as it tries to scale.

In summary, an MBA can be incredibly powerful when leveraged properly. The degree is a solid hedge against the risky proposition of starting your own business, and will provide you with the network, confidence, and environment to succeed.

But be warned: the siren calls of MBA groupthink are powerful — you’ll need incredible focus and determination to turn that MBA into a “Master’s in Business Entrepreneurship.”

Tony Navarro is Founder and CEO of Streamcal, the “twitter for calendars and upcoming events”. He is originally from Colombia and strongly believes in the power of entrepreneurship to generate economic growth. He holds an MBA from Wharton and an MPA from Harvard, and currently lives in Boston with his wife.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC recently published #FixYoungAmerica: How to Rebuild Our Economy and Put Young Americans Back to Work (for Good), a book of 30+ proven solutions to help end youth unemployment.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Not according to a recent segment on WNYC’s On The Media, which suggested that often-quoted 85 percent is not a reliable statistic.

The show featured an interview with Politifact’s Louis Jacobson, who dug deep to source the statistic and verify its accuracy. His findings are described in this post.

The 85 percent statistic, which has been cited by CNN, Time and other reputable outlets, was originally provided by the company Twentysomething (its website was taken down, but an archived version is available here). Jacobson says:

Journalists were content to copy a number from other news reports without verifying it — or even asking when the survey was conducted.

If the reporters had looked deeper, they would have found some oddities about the firm that claimed to have conducted the survey, a Philadelphia-area company called Twentysomething. The company’s website had an impressive list of staffers, but when we checked on them, we found several who either didn’t work for the company or appeared to be fictional.

Politifact spoke with Twentysomething President David A. Morrison in the Bahamas. “He said the company went out of business a few years ago and that the survey is now out of date. He answered some of our questions but then ended the call, asking us not to contact him again,” Jacobson notes.

As for the number of students who actually move home, it’s probably way lower than 85 percent, Jacobson says:

Based on our research, we can’t confirm the validity of the survey because we haven’t see any details about it and Morrison declined to provide them. We rated the claim False because Morrison said the number was based on a survey done “many years ago” and that economists have said Obama has had limited impact on the economy so can’t reasonably be blamed for boomerang kids. Also, a study released by the Pew Research Center before the Crossroads ad appeared found rates no higher than about 40 percent, and possibly lower, depending on what age range is included in the data.

Listen to the On The Media segment here:

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Believe me, I’ve tried, and it’s not a pretty picture. And as much as I’d love to be bright eyed and bushy tailed at the crack of dawn (I could get so much done! I could go to the gym!), it turns out I won’t be changing my natural inclination to sleep late any time soon.

That’s because a strong preference towards working early or working late is genetically predetermined characteristic, like being tall. As Frederick Brown, a professor of psychology at Penn State, puts it: “If you’re a morning-type person, you can’t become an evening type, and vice versa.”

(As it happens, I might not want to be a morning person anyway. Some studies suggest that night owls—people who have their best work time in the evenings—are both smarter and more productive than early risers.)

Whether you’re an early riser or a late-night worker, what are you supposed to do when your most productive hours hit outside the 9-to-5 routine?

One option is to explore career choices that fall outside the scheduling norm.

For example, disaster-response career fields—like healthcare and security—need around-the-clock workers. You can’t schedule an emergency, right?

Similarly, breaking news happens on its own time. Media workers such as camera operators, journalists and photographers often toil late into the night, or start their job in the wee hours of the morning.

The world of travel is another 24/7 industry. Taking on a transportation job like air traffic controller, flight attendant or pilot often guarantees outside-the-box scheduling. And of course, working as a freelancer or consultant provides the flexibility to structure your own workday.

So, all you early birds and night owls: Have you chosen a career that fits your daily rhythm? If not, what tactics do you use to cope with the 9-to-5 schedule?

Annie Favreau works for Inside Jobs, a site that helps people discover careers they’ll love and build strong, successful futures. Join the conversation on Twitter at @InsideJobs!

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

If you’ve been in the workforce for any length of time, chances are you’ve run into one of them—the coworkers who make everyone else’s days miserable. You wish they would just get fired, and maybe someday they will; karma’s gotta come around eventually, right?.

But until then, here are some tips for dealing some of the most common incarnations of The Coworker from Hell – without getting fired yourself.

The Grump

It was cute when Eeyore did it, but not so cute when the middle-aged woman the next cube over sighs, “Well, that figures…” every time the printer jams. You dread asking her anything because you know it will be met with a belabored sigh and the inference that you’re part of the universe’s grand scheme to keep her down.

The best way to deal with The Grump is to kill her with kindness (and then promptly ignore her). Be polite, be upbeat and let every frown and under-the-breath mutter roll right off you.

You will probably never be able to de-grumpifya Grump, but you don’t have to let her bad attitude ruin your day. (Plus, nothing bothers a Grump more than someone who refuses to sympathize with their woes. Not that you’d be so devious as to use cheerfulness as a weapon, but I’m just sayin’…)

The Bully

If you think you’ve outgrown playground politics, think again. Grownups still find plenty of ways to intimidate and exert power over others because they feel insecure about themselves. Taking note of every time you run five minutes past your lunch? Or cc’ing the boss on an e-mail complaining to you about a personal conflict? Office bullies want nothing more than to bring other people down to make themselves look better.

The one and only way to handle an office Bully is to ignore them and take the high road. Don’t respond unless it’s absolutely necessary (as in saving your reputation from that libelous cc).

If you do need to respond, be polite, be respectful and say as little as possible. Bring any potentially work-threatening conflicts to your supervisor’s attention rather than trying to hash them out with the Bully.

Be the grownup—don’t engage, don’t fuel the fire and soon enough the Bully will either get frustrated and bother someone else or cross the line so far that management takes notice.

The Clinger

You took the new girl out for lunch to make her feel welcome, and now she’s waiting for you every day at noon asking, “So, where are we going today?”

You have to be kind with a Clinger. It can be tough making friends at work, and you’ve obviously helped this person feel like they belong. Don’t cut them off altogether; instead, try to gradually extricate yourself from being their 24/7 pal.

Claim other obligations you have to fulfill now and then. Help introduce them to other people in the office. Make it clear that you’re available, but not constantly available. Gently prying yourself from a Clinger’s grip is much more effective than suddenly ignoring them altogether, which can result in an unfortunate “Why do you hate me what did I do how can I make it up to you?!” reaction.

The Chatty Cathy (or Charles)

Your best defense against a chatty coworker is your environment: you’re at work. Just tell them you have work to do.

There are plenty of ways to do this tactfully: “I’m so sorry to have to run, but the boss is expecting that report from me,” or “I hate to cut you off, but I have a deadline.” Preface your exit with a statement that expresses your regret, then get the heck out of there.

Don’t feel bad if you need to interrupt a Chatterbox mid-sentence; some of them don’t leave room to get a word in edgewise. Some won’t even care that you’ve left and will latch on to the next available person without skipping a beat.

Which brings up the dilemma of the Ultimate Chatterbox, the sort that doesn’t get the hint even after you’ve gone back to your desk, sat down and started typing while they continue to regale you. In those cases, the other person has basically decreed that politeness has gone out the window. Continue to type away, refuse to lend even an “Mm-hmm,” even pick up the phone and start making a call if you want to. When the Chatterbox realizes she’s not getting any kind of reaction, she’ll get bored and move on.

The Gossip

The thing to remember with an office Gossip is however much secret enjoyment you get from hearing the latest dish on your boss, you are palling up to the office Gossip. Just because you’ve shared some juicy exchanges doesn’t make you immune to becoming one of their hot topics down the road. (Or from being labeled a gossip yourself if people find out you’ve been swapping stories.)

Be extremely careful what you say around a Gossip. Practice phrases like, “That’s really none of my business” and “I’m sorry; I’ve got work to do right now.” The further away you keep from a Gossip, the better you are. Nothing good ever comes from talking behind people’s backs.

When all else fails

If a coworker is really preventing you from getting your work done, or if they’re acting unethically or harassing you, it’s not tattling to take it to your superiors. Some people are just difficult to work with, but when it crosses the line and reaches any of these extents, you have the right to stand up for yourself. Don’t forget that!

Kelly Gurnett, a.k.a. “Cordelia,” runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do.  You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Let’s take a trip back to 2004, way before Facebook swelled to 900 million members worldwide and generated its colossal IPO. It was then that Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard dorm room and gradually let his target audience take the site for a test drive.

That’s right. Us. College students in the mid-2000s.

Way before your grandmother ever learned how to tag herself at a family reunion, Facebook was ours. The social network spread like wildfire across college campuses, and we provided Zuckerberg with crucial feedback to keep the site rolling in its most formative stages.

Colleges and universities were the perfect laboratories for product testing. Insular communities overflowing with chatterboxes that needed a place to share anything and everything. Facebook transformed college life way before it changed the world.

Now, people are salivating over Facebook finally going public. Early investors could become overnight billionaires and even California – which will receive $2 billion in state taxes in just the next year – stands to win big.

Everyone is cashing in on the Facebook IPO except, of course, those who made it all possible: young professionals like you and me. Zuckerberg had the sheer brilliance to bring Facebook into the world, but we had the collective enthusiasm to make it a reality.

Problem is, most of us are struggling to pay our water and electric bills and can hardly spare $38 a share (the initial price on Wall Street). We should reap the benefits from Facebook as much as anyone, but our generation is saddled with an interminable enemy: student loan debt.

An actual student loan horror story:

Original Balance: $199,256.90

Current Balance: $253,015.63

Paid so far: $29,242.15 (I’ve never missed a payment)

Interest rates: up to 10.7% (Citibank)

So here’s an idea: what better way for Zuckerberg to thank the people who made him the 35^th richest person in the world than helping alleviate our financial burden? 

Perhaps Zuckerberg can start a new movement with his old pals from 2004. He should use his vast resources and influence to design an online program that helps us pay down our student debt in constructive ways. Maybe we could “earn” the aid by volunteering in our communities. Facebook could strike partnerships with banks and loan organizations to tackle this crisis head on.

A comprehensive student loan strategy from Facebook would be more than a thank-you to its earliest adopters; solving this problem is essential for the long-term growth of our economy and the future of the middle class.

It’s an idea that makes people sense as much as business sense.

I think Zuckerberg knows a little something about that.

Danny Rubin is a national news consultant for media research firm Frank N Magid Associates. He is a former television news reporter, lives in Washington, D.C. and tweets as @dannyhrubin.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

She’s owning the room. Gliding from one person to the next with a wide smile and a look that says, “I’m open for business.”

She must have been born that way, right?

Probably not. A lot of us have to learn to be confident in business… yes, learn.

Whether you want to start your own business or simply need more confidence to land that promotion, you will need to make great connections with people. So here are some ways to gain confidence when it comes to networking.

1. Never forget: You’re the best!

Ever wonder why top athletes accomplish amazing results? Because they program their mind to focus on achieving their goals. They have a talent, and they truly believe they can succeed.

You, too, have amazing talents; you just have to believe in them. This belief will instil a type of confidence that you have never before experienced.

So consider your skills and talents. Think about how you know you are the most organized, the most knowledgeable on a certain topic, great with your budgets, excellent on deadlines… There’s no doubt you’re good at something.

Keep these in the forefront of your mind at all times, and believe in your abilities. This will help you connect more confidently when networking, no matter your situation.

2. Open your eyes and observe

Focus on observing and mimicking confident people. Watch those around you and take note on how they behave. Don’t stalk them or freak them out by staring, but notice their behaviour and attributes.

You’ll likely see that confident people walk tall, offer a welcoming look and smile a lot. These are simple attributes that you can mimic.

I’m not saying copy the most flamboyant peer in the office to a tee. That would be career suicide! But take note on how they use their confidence to project the extrovert in them.

3. Be comfortable in your own skin

No matter who you are, learn to feel comfortable with yourself.

In every situation, whether at the office, at speed or other networking events or even at the bar for after-work drinks, you stand tall, sister.

What you wear can have a big impact on how you feel. So don’t wear a low-cut top and over-the-knee boots to a business conference; leave that for the pub. If the dress code for your event is smart casual, don’t wear jeans; go for your professional look.

Dressing the part will help you stand out, but for the right reasons.

4. Look people in the eye

This is an important point often overlooked by introverts. I’ve been at meetings where experienced managers look at the floor. I understand it’s hard to be something you’re not, but start with small exercises, whether networking or in meetings.

Look people in the eye and give a welcoming smile when you walk into the room. When starting a conversation in a networking situation, put out your hand confidently, introduce yourself with your name and workplace, and do your best to make eye contact.

5. Communicate with clarity and warmth

So you’re really enthusiastic about making a connection with a particular person? If that’s the case, help them feel that enthusiasm.

The more you communicate with clarity and have warmth in your tone, the more your genuine interest will come across. You want them as a contact, right? They’re not psychic. Let them know and make an impact during your first meeting, because you might not get another chance.

These behaviours may not come naturally, I know. So practice. Practice your tone out loud in front of the mirror or with a good friend. Practice looking people in the eye, even when you’re buying your morning coffee. Practice your firm handshake, your smile, walking tall and standing tall on the underground or on the bus. Keep at it and you’re sure to see results.

Elaine Knowles writes at Working Sirens, a career advice blog for ambitious 18-to-34-year-olds.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

But it shouldn’t.

In many cases, companies give tests to help them identify candidates that best fit their culture. Testing is just another way to make sure they’re making the right decision. Of course some tests examine basic math and English skills, but assuming you’re applying for jobs that require a college degree and you were born in the US or another English-speaking country, you probably don’t need to worry about those!

Other tests focus more on your personality type to see if you have the strengths that certain employers are looking for. For instance, people who are natural born sellers will have test results that fit a certain profile. The same applies for those in operations, customer service and several other positions companies look to hire.

The key is to remember that these tests aren’t meant to knock you down – in fact, there’s a lot you can learn about yourself and your job hunt when examining your score.

Here are some of the more common tests you may encounter on your job hunt:

Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test

You might have heard about the Wonderlic test – especially if you follow NFL scouting. But even before this test made headlines, it has been helping companies  test the aptitude of potential job candidates.

 To this day many companies still use the 50-question test to asses a candidate’s basic math and English skills. Scoring is based upon how many questions a candidate answers correctly in 12 minutes. This score then tells your potential employer what kind of job you’d be suited for.

For example, it is commonly accepted that someone with a college education should easily score in the 20s. Average scores also vary among professions, so for example a geologist is expected to score somewhere around 36 while a salesman only needs a 24 to prove their capability

Caliper Profile

The Caliper Profile is a personality assessment test that measures an individual’s characteristics, motivation and potential. Companies have been using this test for over four decades. The Caliper is said to be one of the most accurate instruments available for determining whether a job candidate’s characteristics are best for the job.

The test itself is over an hour long and candidates are expected to respond to certain scenarios that would occur in the workplace. For instance, you may get asked how you would handle a confrontation with a co-worker, a manager or a client. You may also get asked questions about how to handle problems in the work place, how you handle stress and your ability to take risks. There may also be some basic skills testing, like math and English, but the test is mostly used to analyze personality.

Culture Index

The Culture Index Test (which sometimes goes by other names) is a quick test that presents a job candidate with a list of adjectives. The objective is to place an “X” or check mark next to all the adjectives that you think apply to yourself.

The key to this test is to look for patterns among the words, such as words that have a similar meaning, but once again the “right” answers depend on the job.

Have you taken any of these tests — or another one — during the interview process?

Amanda Abella is a personnel administrator for a Miami-based employment agency and a freelance writer. She also runs Grad Meets World, a popular Gen Y blog where she discusses health, career, personal finance, entrepreneurship, and more.

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It’s that time of year again! If you’re just about to graduate from college, this post is for you.

Step one: Don’t panic.

Step two: Read these seven stages of college graduation. Remember, for each of these stages, diagnosis is the first step to a cure.

1. Shock and denial

You’ll fall into one of two camps just before graduation: pure excitement about being your own person and jetting off into the real world, or pure and unfiltered terror that consumes you soul.

That pure excitement you feel? It’s actually denial. You’ll hit that terror stage soon, don’t you worry. That stage involves months of sitting on your ass, half-heartedly looking for a job and partying it up with your friends to avoid making any sort of real life decisions.

2. Pain and guilt

This is when you’ll discover the ease of life before and during college does not translate over to life after college. Remember how easy those steps were from birth to 22? Home with mom and dad, then school, then college and internships?

Well, those steps suddenly disappear beneath you after the safety net of university. And that slow discovery is painful and surprising, like you’ve fallen on your ass and the wind has been knocked out of you.

3. Anger and bargaining

This stage could involve anything from accepting a job at McDonald’s to taking drastic measures to get your dream job, i.e. advertisements, fancy resume or harassing your parent’s friends.

Don’t be surprised if you feel angry even if you’re not an angry person. It will pass, I promise. But it has to get worse before it gets better.

4. Depression, reflection, loneliness

Skyping your old college roommate at 2 in the morning? Check. Looking at Facebook photos from the good ole days? Double check. Yup, you’re in the depression stage.

Instead of revealing in the freedom of no longer having to write that thesis, you’re wistfully remembering the good old days. Don’t worry, it gets better after this step.

5. The upward turn

Yes! The positive uptick you’ve been waiting for. You’ll eventually get sick of looking back at said good ole days. You’ll decide enough is enough and you’ll start fantasizing about a better job, a better apartment, a better city. A better life, really. The one you thought you’d have by now.

And guess what? Eventually you’ll hopefully realize you can’t achieve those dreams unless you actually take some action.

6. Reconstruction and working through

Think of this as the break-up stage. You know when you split up with a boyfriend or girlfriend and then do something drastic like cutting all your hair off and dying it pink, or quitting your job to travel across the world? No? Just me?

The reconstruction stage is when we realize we need to actually start doing something to take control of our new lives. This involves anything from seeing a life coach to joining the Peace Corps to going back to school to finally getting a job – the right job. It typically happens around the 1-2 year mark post-graduation. Yeah, it takes that long.

7. Acceptance and hope

You rarely hear someone say that their early 20s were the easiest time of their lives. The months – or in most of our cases, years – after graduation are some of the hardest, frustrating and confusing years.

But those years make way for some of the most adventurous and heartwarming ones, which, yes, make it all worth it. So chin up folks, you can do it.

And P.S. Congraduations!

Marian Schembari is a blogger, traveler and all-around social media thug. She’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, hails from Connecticut and blogs at marianlibrarian.com.

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Can you believe it is almost Memorial Day? This year is just flying by! But there’s always time to take big steps forward and we’ve got some good reads to help you do just that. Here is this week’s #BrazenStuff:

1. What to do when your coworkers become meeting killers

2. Americans say work-life balance is improving

3. Why projects are the new job interviews

4. Are you too busy for your own good?

5. Why I quit my job without a new one lined up

6. What reason did you give for leaving your job? Some of the weirdest reasons people resign

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Tim, a Brazen Life contributor and the founder of ApplyMate.com, decided to take a break from writing about job search recently and instead put himself in his reader’s shoes and applied for a job. The catch: he went for a job even though he thought he wasn’t qualified for it. He got the job and wrote a series of posts about how he did it on his blog.

Take a look here where Tim discusses the dreaded “experience gap” and explains how he used the experience he has to sell himself:

I have a blog, so I started there. I also write for Brazen Careerist (here’s my latest post), so I used that too. The site where I was applying is one that reviews high-end men’s gear so writing about careers isn’t a natural fit. But it is something, and it shows I can and do write for a large audience.

The next post in the series describes exactly how he revamped his resume for the specific job requirements. Biggest take away from this post: Tim didn’t just edit his resume, he completely rewrote it to seem like all he ever did was what this job required. And he didn’t do it by lying, but by only talking about his most relevant experience. “That’s all employers care about anyway, why talk about anything else?”

The final post, titled “Packaging and Spin,” talks about the importance of offering employers something different. Tim writes:

Why would I pitch myself to a company by saying, “Hey, I’m really excited about giving you more of what you already do really well!”? Employers are looking for something NEW. Fresh perspective, different ideas, alternative skill sets, new solutions. We can’t pitch ourselves as more of the same!

So I took a hard look at their site and noticed a type of outdoor gear that was somewhat under-represented. For example – they cover high-end, luxury travel gear extremely well, but there was room to beef up the equally high-end hunting and fishing gear. I pitched myself as just the person to help them capitalize on this opportunity.

What do you think of Tim’s strategies? 

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This week’s pick:

Social Media Manager for Creative Media Marketing

This week’s job is perfect for social media moguls with experience in the beauty social media world. Creative Media Marketing is on the hunt for a social media manager with at least 3 years experience, who possesses a range of skills.

To be right for this job, you’ll need knowledge of community management on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, along with the ability to create engaging content on health and beauty topics for blogs, YouTube and Facebook.

Aside from social media responsibilities, the social media manager also must be able to juggle multiple clients and projects at once and measure the percentage growth of each media channel.

If you’re a rockstar in the health and beauty world, and you know Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media platforms inside and out, be sure to apply!

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No one’s prohibiting you from snarling the rhetorical question, “Did I ask your opinion?” After all, it’s your life, money and energy. But if you have the grace and patience, turn the question around and ask: Is college a good idea for my career?

Well, is college a good idea for my career?

The short answer is yes, particularly for entrepreneurs. Millennials, or those born in the 1980s and ’90s, are said to be trained from birth by history and economic circumstances to eschew certain aspects of the fabled American Dream, particularly when it comes to employment by large corporations. Millennials dream up companies like Facebook and start business ventures with little more than a smartphone, a laptop and a vision.

But despite all this creative energy and acumen, higher education remains important whether you’re pursuing an online bachelor degree or a Saturday-afternoon MBA program.

Why do I need to pay for a piece of paper to prove I can do what I’m already doing?

You might have a point if we consider this question only in the most shallow of terms. But then again, learning to delve into a subject more deeply is one of the prime examples of a skill you’re presumed to have with that college diploma in-hand. And even if you’ve labored to begin this new business and it is, in fact, still alive and breathing, that’s no guarantee that you’re prepared to handle challenging situations as they arise. And they will.

The fact that you’re successfully running a small start-up doesn’t mean it won’t tank next year. It’s happened to bigger and better companies before your little Acme was conceived. You may someday need that degree to qualify for a job with a company you work for, not your own.

The perks of being a boss while still in school

The benefits of simultaneously managing two roles – entrepreneur and student – are many, once you’ve acquired time management skills and given up any delusion that you’re going to have a lot of free time while juggling these pursuits.

One major aspect of this dual life will be your ability to avoid the ramen-noodle poverty required of most college undergraduates unsupported by parental wealth. In a time when half your fellow students are graduating and moving directly into joblessness, your employment is already assured. You can instead focus on establishing a professional status and experience. Another added bonus: real-life business conundrums are fabulous fodder for required class projects, giving you college credit for solving a real dilemma.

How do I do this again?

First, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you’ve already been doing it – because it’s likely you already fall in that camp. If you’re considering it, remember that plenty of students accomplish this every year.

Second, adopt a mantra of efficiency. With the right technology, you can listen to required class texts during commutes. Take as many classes as you can online, allowing you more control over your schedule. Recognize that most of the lessons you learn during this time will probably transfer over when you’re attempting to juggle a relationship, work and a family.

Finally, the efforts required to earn your degree will come to a close. You’ll eventually acquire the required credits and graduate. In other words, this is only a temporary period of difficulty that you must get through to reap the benefits of your efforts.

Dawn Altnam lives and works in the Indianapolis area, and she enjoys following the tech and business worlds. After furthering her education, she now spends time researching her interests and blogging about her discoveries.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

As a career services professional at one of the largest universities in the country, I teach a workshop to our graduating seniors, one that serves as a gentle kick into the real world, whether that means a good old corporate job or trekking through Africa for a year.

As a final project, we encourage students to participate in a mock-interview, where we ask behavioral based questions and provide immediate coaching and feedback.

After interviewing nearly three dozen students in two days, I noticed a few trends in their successes and weaknesses. So here are some nuggets of wisdom that I hope will help you land your dream job when you get that gentle kick.

1. Refer to your resume

It’s surprising how few students refer back to their resume when giving examples of their experience. If your resume is your key marketing document, don’t you want us to admire it during your interview?

Keep in mind that if you’re in a panel interview, the person sitting across from you may have just seen your resume for the first time, two minutes before you walked in the door. Help them get to know you by referencing experiences that you thought were awesome enough to win valuable space on your resume.

2. Don’t play into stereotypes

Most of the students we interviewed were Millenials. Maybe this group of students isn’t aware of how other (older, grumpier, baby boomer) people sometimes talk about them behind their backs, but there are some real hesitations about hiring twenty-somethings: fear they won’t be able to take criticism, deal with a failed venture or project, be able to detach from their parents, etc.

Whatever you do, don’t give the person interviewing you reason to believe that you are one of those Millennials (which I know you’re not). Make them believe that while all your friends might be a typical GenY, you’re different. Assuage their fears, don’t feed into them.

3. Know how to close

When asked a question like, “So, tell me about yourself,” our students started out strong and then, as they continued to talk, their voices gradually got softer and quieter until they kind of just did the slow fade, or ended their statement with, “so, you know, um.”

You do realize that people remember what you said last better than what you said first, right? So start strong and end strong.

A piece of advice: memorize the first thing you want to say and the last thing you want to say, and you can fill in the middle with whatever you want. (This especially works well for the dreaded Tell Me About Yourself question).

4. Understand the question behind the question

When we ask you things like “tell me a time when….” or “tell me about a situation where…”, try to hear the question behind the question. These behavioral interview questions aren’t tricks; they are ways to understand things like character, integrity, ambition and motivation.

So try to get what the interviewer is really asking you, because if you don’t, it’s likely they’re going to keep questioning you until you give up the goods they want.

5. Avoid potential landmines

A few of our students used examples that included references to things such as religion, the anti-vaccine debate, and the presidential campaign.

Just don’t. Even if you don’t tell us which side you’re on, we probably have a strong opinion about the topic and are going to spend the rest of the interview trying to figure out which side you’re on. Come up with other examples, or swap out something less controversial to take the place of your more controversial subject.

6. It’s okay to pull from personal experience

Several standard behavioral questions we asked stumped many of our students, especially the ones asking for the biggest obstacle they’d faced. Understand that what we’re looking for here is how you bounce back from hardships, so if you tell us that the biggest obstacle you’ve faced is graduating from college, unless you explain that it was because you were also working 60 hours a week at Subway while taking care of your sick mother/sister/goldfish, we’re probably going to question whether or not you can handle adversity and disappointment in the real world.

We don’t really want to be your first trip to the old life of hard knocks block. So don’t be afraid to tell us that you were hit by a car and broke your back sophomore year of college, or that you got mono your senior year and were sidetracked for a bit, or that your father’s death threw you completely off track for a while. And then tell us how you recovered. We’ll admire you for your honesty and perseverance.

7. When asked about your biggest weakness, please don’t provide a list

More than a few of our students started LISTING weaknesses (or said things like “my strongest weakness is…”). One I even had to cut off so we could move on to the next question.

To answer this question, give us one weakness (ONE!), and then show us how you are working to overcome it. Don’t tell us you’re a perfectionist, or that you work too hard, because that shows us that you’re an inexperienced interviewer and you’re telling us something you think will make you look good (it won’t).

This question is really about being able to self-reflect (the question behind the question!). Do you know yourself well enough to know your own weaknesses? And are you doing things to compensate for them?

8. Put yourself in their shoes

One of my favorite students from last semester was a bubbly, bright, chatty non-traditional student. In her interview, she did a great job of showing us her enthusiasm and excitement, but her answers lacked focus and kind of went on… and on… and on.

A bright, bubbly, chatty hiring manager would find her energy infectious. But a type-A personality sitting across from her would probably recoil in horror, afraid that this energetic person would never stop talking to co-workers about her passions long enough to get anything done.

So understand that while you should certainly be yourself in an interview, always remember the person sitting across from you might not appreciate the things that you view as your core strengths. If you have a bold personality, try to balance it out by toning it down a bit, or if you’re more of an introvert, focus on speaking a little more openly and passionately about whatever you’re discussing. Don’t give your interviewer a reason to think you would be anything less than a magnificent addition to their team.

Claire Sullivan is based out of Tempe, Arizona and provides career services and employer relations for Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability. As a former recruiter and recovering English major, she loves to write and read just about anything, but has a soft spot for books and articles related to career development, sustainability, college students, and higher education.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

When I first starting dreaming about working from home full time, visions of a clean house, on-demand gourmet lunches, and selling my car clouded most of my reasoning. So, my first draft of my request looked something like this:

Me want home work. Now me want work in no pants. Yes.

I ran this request by a few friends and fortunately they got me back on track. Because while the benefits of going virtual are obvious, how to get your boss to see those benefits can often be less-obvious.

But the truth is, this move does have to benefit your company or boss in some way for them to agree to let you work remotely. So before you ask for a meeting with your superior, sit down and compose a request by answering the following questions:

1. First and most importantly, will working from home actually help you do your job?

Unless you’ve done something to personally insult yours, bosses make decisions based on job performance and productivity.

If your job description involves the physical supervision of employees in their cubes or work spaces, you probably need to consider a career change rather than going virtual. If, however, your position requires a high level of creativity and focus and you spend most of your day alone, bring that up.

Working in a loud, booming office environment can make it hard to concentrate, and sometimes even to get things done. Emphasize that working virtually will allow you more control over your environment and allow you to focus on providing high quality work. What’s not to like about that?

2. Does your company’s communication structure support going virtual?

Our company happens to already include several virtual folks. Our meetings are held on Skype or on GoTo Meeting conference calls, and most of us spend the day with our eyes glued on the Microsoft Outlook home screen. (P.S. Microsoft, if you’re reading, maybe give me some more color options? Kthx.)

This is an ideal situation for going virtual, but perhaps it is not your situation. If you can be patient, take the long-term guerilla approach by slowly suggesting best practices and different technologies that can build toward a more virtual business structure six to 12 months down the line.

3. Do you have comfortable and relaxed communication habits with your supervisors and teammates?

Maybe you use Skype and are well-liked on your team… but could you shoot a text to the girl who does graphics or pick up the phone and call your editor without extreme awkwardness?

The state of your current team interaction can either be a hindrance (Uhh…why are you calling me?) or a blessing (Hey girl, what up?). Strong relationships that will encourage cooperation and teamwork regardless of where you work is what makes a team shine, virtual or not.

If this does not describe your current situation, put your time and effort into building those kinds of relationships rather than crafting the perfect thesis on working virtually. Because without this vital piece, your transition probably won’t be smooth anyhow.

4. Have you proven yourself to be a resourceful, passionate and dedicated employee?

Here’s a wake up call: if you’re new to the company (six months or less), you’re wasting your breath with this request and possibly harming your reputation.

Working virtually is about trust. If your boss, HR or the CEO doesn’t trust you without hesitation to work the hours you say you have worked (and even sometimes, honestly, if your boss/HR/CEO doesn’t like you), virtual will never happen for you.

Work on being likeable and give it time.

5. Do you have a dedicated professional working space at home?

Make sure you let your boss know how you’re going to do your work. Speak up about your reliable internet, scanner, printer and dedicated phone line. If you have a full-on home office, all the better.

The goal here is to give your employer the picture of an idyllic, calm and controlled workspace that just happens to be in your house instead of in a cube.

6. Finally, don’t make demands.

You’re asking a big, fat favor. You’re asking for a gift, for trust and for someone to help you make your life easier. The last thing your proposal needs is a tone of entitlement.

Give your boss every reason to say yes by suggesting it as a suggestion. Offer your reasoning, ask for permission, and ask for it to happen on a trial basis.

Try a closing line like this on your written request:

If I could garner permission to try this schedule on a trial basis with room for feedback and flexibility to attend important meetings and events at the office, I feel that this opportunity would allow me to reach my best potential at this company.

A little groveling with a lot of logic and reasoning will pass on the perfect tone.

Good luck!

Sarah Greesonbach is a Content Management Specialist with a lot on the backburner (if you count lolcats and Words with Friends). She manages and writes for the lifestyle and personal finance blog Life [Comma] Etc and is studying to be an Accredited Personal Financial Counselor.

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If you’re social-media-savvy, you’re staring in the face of opportunity; so many brands, both big and small, need help growing their online community.

But even if you know you want to use your social media skills to make money, it’s not always clear where to start.

Since launching my ebook How to Build a Part-Time Social Media Business, I’ve talked with lots of young professionals who want to make this move, whether to earn money on the side of their day job or as a stepping stone to working for themselves full time. Those who are held up often feel stymied by the same issues.

So let’s talk about those popular obstacles and how to overcome them:

Obstacle #1: Deciding which services to provide

Social media consultants run the gamut, from coaching clients to creating strategies to actually implementing those strategies. Others run classes or webinars, and others sell products that help clients help themselves. Which type of services do you want to provide? Where on this spectrum do you fit in?

A big part of this is deciding who to target. Saying you’ll “work with anyone who needs it” may keep you from closing any doors, but also deprives you of finding a niche — and that’s usually where the money’s at.

If you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll appeal to no one. Target clients by topic — travel, for example, or finance — based off your skills and interests. Or target by type of client, looking to work with non-profits, for example, or individual writers.

Once you’ve got this down, create a page on your blog about your services (here’s an example). Even if you don’t include prices on your site, being clear about what you offer will go a long way.

Obstacle #2: Figuring out what to charge

This is another piece that varies drastically, which is why it can be difficult to pinpoint how to approach it. How much you charge depends on your experience, what you’re offering and what the client can afford. Recent college graduates charge anywhere from $20-$100/hour.

For your first paying client or two, try to find a happy medium between how much you think they can afford and how much you’d like to make. Lean toward affordability at first if landing that client is essential to getting your business off the ground; you can always ask for more with your next client. In fact, transitioning to higher paid clients over time should be one of your long-term goals.

Also consider how many hours you’ll work for the client. If you’re working on an hourly basis, you can charge a fairly high rate for those few hours. If the client is retaining you month after month to implement their social media strategy, your hourly rate can be lower because you’re guaranteed a good number of hours. This second type of client — the recurring monthly client — is the best kind in my mind, because you know you’ll have that paycheck month after month.

Obstacle #3: Getting clients

Landing your first client could be the most difficult part of starting your own business — or, if serendipity is on your side, it could be the easiest.

The key here is to always be on the lookout for opportunities. Who within your network, or perhaps within one or two degrees of separation, could benefit from your skills? Which organizations that you’re involved with have a not-so-impressive online presence? Which businesses would reach their target demographic by making better use of online tools?

Pitch one of those brands, letting them know how you can help them reach their goals. But don’t expect to fill your pockets with cash from your first client. Instead, consider working for that client for free to gain experience, a recommendation and possibly referrals that will help you down the line. Once you’ve done a fabulous job for that client, it will be easier to land more.

If you’re past the point of working for free — and you should only work for free if it’s benefiting you significantly by, for example, helping you build your resume — the client search can be more challenging. In addition to going after possible clients, focus on helping them find you. Use your own online presence to market yourself, showcasing your value in this field so opportunities come to you. One of the best ways to do this is through a blog.

This is what I like to call “making your own luck.” The more value you provide online, the more people you connect with, the more you build your online community — the more likely that community will think of you when an opportunity arises that fits your skill set. If you continue to build that network and make it easy to find you, you’ll rarely be in the position where you have to look for clients.

What other challenges are keeping your from launching a social media business?

Alexis Grant, managing editor of Brazen Life and author of ebook How to Build a Part-Time Social Media Business, is offering a free Brazen webinar on making money off your social media skills. Sign up to join us!

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

It’s graduation season, when colleges nationwide deliver one final flying roundhouse kick to the face of heavily indebted students by making them shell out $80 for one-time-use robes and hats.

Downer? Yes. Now let me add to it: for nearly everyone I know, leaving college was uncomfortable, often profoundly so. This is a time of change, after all, and change is tough.

And while today’s underemployed graduates may hear a lot of spiels about Spreading Wings and Traveling, there is always room for more practical advice.

So here are a few other thoughts on how to navigate an economic mess of a post-college working world:

1. Being nice to (or just ignoring) the 1 percent will keep you sane

No, not the 1 percent of people who earn like 542 percent of the nation’s earnings, as we keep hearing on the news. I’m talking about the slim minority of grads who immediately move into solid, fulfilling careers.

These rare specimens don’t just land on their feet after college. They dismount with a double-twisting handspring and quadruple somersault, then stick that landing and throw up their hands and throw back their heads while the crowd waves mini American flags.

Good for them.

You’re leaving this relatively egalitarian college world, where everyone lives in the same dorms and dining halls and classrooms, being graded on the same curves. But in the real world, some of these people will immediately be successful and Good at Life. Others will not.

I beg you, put on your blinders. If you are still one of those competitive people who compare themselves to everyone, stop.

Because when you see on Facebook that that pretentious guy with the dreads and hot pink Crocs who was in your anthro seminar has released a book of poetry at 22, it will make you crazy.

And that’s not the worst of it; seeing your best friends immediately settle in at their dream jobs while you desperately search could make you even crazier. So before your competitive self lets bitterness gnaw all of her friendships to death, take a deep breath and give your BFFs a hug, because they are lovely people. Then get back to your own life.

2. Money CAN buy happiness

My first big post-college choice was to either tutor underprivileged high schoolers with a service corps or to take the only other job I could find, as a “legal assistant” (read: deceased-debt collector), where I would call people and say something like:

“I am sorry for your loss. I am also sorry that Aunt Geraldine died with $8,600 on her Home Depot Mastercard. So how’s her estate looking?”

The choice really was (a) food stamps, a perpetual scramble for babysitting gigs and still not making rent, or (b) hating work but getting by, with enough to spare for the occasional 24-rack of Diet Coke.

I chose (b).

For some people, (a) would have been fine. But as miserable as I was being a “legal assistant,” I would have also felt miserable, PLUS helpless and alone, living on dry ramen shards and begging my parents for cash.

The point: doing meaningful work may be good for your soul, but you can only do so much meaningful work (something like 20 minutes’ worth, I’m guessing) if you aren’t eating. You’re not selling out by looking for a first job that actually pays, rather than working for pocket change or even for free. And if you simply insist on feeling like you’re selling out anyway, volunteer in your free time.

2.5. Independence is an accomplishment

This is a corollary to No. 2. Let’s say you aren’t rocking the world’s socks off yet, but you are pulling through as a cashier/dogwalker/debt collector.

Go celebrate.

Did you just pay the deposit on your first lease? Did you make your first student loan payment? Yes? Go buy yourself a beer. You are becoming independent. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t particularly enjoy earning that money.

Maybe the broader point here – and really, tattoo this on your forehead so you can see it every time you look in the mirror for forever – is this: You are not your job.

Repeat after me: You are not your job.

Good. Never forget it.

3. Careers are not Katherine Heigl movies

If they were, we would all be losing money.

No, seriously. People often talk about careers the way romantic comedies talk about love: like someone sees a calculator across a crowded room and out of the blue is filled with a sense of beauty and wonderment and the knowledge that she is destined to be a CPA.

Some people feel “called” to careers. For the rest of us, it’s a work in progress, consisting of some variation on the following steps:

1) Doing Job X for a while.

2) Leaving Job X for whatever reason.

3) Seeing Job Y and saying, “Ooh! I can do that.”

4) Doing Job Y for a while.

…and repeating the process as often as necessary.

Now go get started on that.

And though you may not believe me, let me assure you: it will all be fine. And when that fine-ness happens, do a handspring and wave a mini American flag for yourself.

Danielle Kurtzleben (@titonka) lives in Washington, D.C., where she works as a journalist. She has nothing against Katherine Heigl.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

During my teenage years, I was painfully shy, and I thought networking was a practice used only by the elite and powerful, a group I definitely did not feel part of.

What I learned was the opposite. Networking is for anyone and everyone. If you’re generous, reliable and willing to put in the effort needed to build relationships, you can be great at networking. This is true no matter where you’re from and no matter what your personality is.

Here are the 5 biggest myths about networking:

Myth #1: Networking is annoying to other people

How would you feel if someone sent you an email, told you she admired you, and asked for some of your advice on how she could be like you in the future? Would you get angry? Would you be annoyed?

Of course not. Here’s the truth: when done correctly and genuinely, networking is actually flattering to other people. This does not mean that everyone will welcome your requests to connect, but most people (especially successful people) love to share their success secrets and connect with other like-minded people.

Do your homework before meeting with anyone so that you can ask specific questions about their work, their goals, or their dreams for the future. You’ll immediately stand out from the “annoying” networker who just wants to talk about himself.

Myth #2: Networking is cheating

By networking with people in the sports marketing industry as a student in college, I landed a private interview with the Team President for the NBA’s Washington Wizards right before graduation. The team hired me for a full-time position one week later.

Yet when I interviewed for a full-time job with the franchise, they didn’t say, “Hmmm…You were recommended to us by one of our former senior executives? Well, in that case, there is no need to interview you. You’re hired!”

Instead, their thought process was, “You know one of our former senior executives, huh? In that case, we’ll take a look at your resume and give you a chance to come in for an interview to prove why we should hire you.”

Networking is not nepotism. You need to add value to other people and organizations or networking will get you nowhere. There is nothing unethical about engaging in networking to advance your career.

Myth #3: Networking is all about who you know

It drives me absolutely crazy when people say this because it cheapens the importance of presenting yourself the right way and building genuine relationships.

Here’s the truth: Networking is all about who likes you and who respects you. There is a HUGE difference between knowing someone (or having someone “know” you) and having someone like you and respect you.

Before working with you or referring you to someone else, a successful person is consciously or subconsciously asking himself, “Do I like and respect this person enough to put my reputation on the line by working with her or by introducing her to someone I trust?

If the answer is “no,” networking will get you nowhere. However, if the answer is “yes,” a young professional can usually get almost anyone to open his rolodex.

Myth #4: You should attend as many networking events as possible

All networking events are not created equal. Just like quantity of contacts is not as important as quality of contacts, quantity of networking events is not as important as quality of events.

In other words, going to one highly targeted networking event makes a lot more sense than going to 10 generic networking events. There is always value in meeting new people, but many networking events are actually a waste of time.

The best networking events are usually not called “networking events.” “Networking events” are usually just full of salespeople and desperate job-seekers. Instead, the best “networking events” are industry conferences or other events that successful, like-minded people in a specific niche or field will be attending for their own professional development.

Myth #5: Networking is only for extroverts

Your success with networking depends on your strategy, not your personality. In fact, being shy can actually be a networking advantage.

As someone who’s slightly introverted, I always go out of my way in networking situations to get other people to talk about themselves. Initially, I did this because I was uncomfortable being the center of attention.

However, I noticed something interesting. By focusing more on other people (instead of talking mainly about yourself), people end up liking you more and being more receptive to future collaborations.

Pete Leibman is the Founder of Dream Job Academy and the Author of I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College. His work has been featured on Fox, CBS, and CNN.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

It’s Friday (as if anyone needed a reminder about that…) and that means it’s time for #BrazenStuff, our awesome roundup of links and more from across the web! Check these out:

1. Advocacy groups compete to lead the young and jobless

2. Wall Street Journal columnist to class of 2012: tone down your egos, shape up your minds (h/t Brazen reader Adam Tannenbaum)

3. Aspiring PhD? Some advice for you from two unusual graduating PhDs

4. The 6 types of motivation

5. How to achieve full-time success with part-time hours (we know this is a challenge for many of you!)

6. Why you need to embrace your inner crazy

7. Seth Godin’s 21 tips for making money online

8. Check out these nifty hacks from our friends at Lifehacker:

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). Founded by Scott Gerber, the YEC is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

W3Schools Work Well!

“I think W3Schools is a great place to start because they have free, easy-to-follow tutorials that are quite comprehensive. I often used these tutorials in my Computer Science course in University because they were easier to follow than the textbook. They also offer $95 certificate programs in the most popular web topics.”

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

This week’s pick:

Events Manager for Solar Non-Profit

GRID Alternatives is an entrepreneurial, high-growth non-profit organization that provides renewable energy and energy efficiency services to low-income families. They’re looking for an Events Manager to help with their growing Solarthon events. 

Solarthons are unique solar block parties and fundraisers where GRID Alternatives installs several solar electric systems in one day with teams of corporate sponsors, individual fundraisers, local job trainees, and the homeowners themselves. The right Events Manager candidate will be high energy, highly organized and have some fundraising and nonprofit experience.

As GRID Alternative continues to grow, the Events Manager will have the opportunity to develop other fundraising events. Three to four years of nonprofit event planning is preferred, as well as strong communication skills. If you’re interested in this full time position based in Oakland, CA, apply here!

Does your company or organization have an awesome job opening you want the Brazen community to know about? Email a link and description to alexis[at]brazencareerist.com.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Some say the resume is dying.

I say it’s not. For most jobs, you still have to present an impressive resume and cover letter to land an interview.

But the resume – and other details of the job hunt – certainly are changing. Resumes are morphing into a combination of digital identity and the traditional summary of work experience and skills. And perhaps what has changed the most is how your work history affects your job hunt.

No more climbing the corporate ladder

Traditionally, the quality career path has been defined by a history of increasingly important jobs that have led to a management role, in or around one industry.

Yet the job market that has spun off from the new economy has changed the definition of a successful career. It’s now common for young professionals to change jobs frequently, and not always because the new job offers a clear advance in the ranks. Millennials change jobs because they are recruited by a fascinating startup or have sought out a new company that has perceived potential.

The transition might even include a drop in salary, which traditionally has been treated as a black mark on your resume. No longer! Now hiring managers know that reduced salary is likely a calculated bet on the new employer or the experience and learning opportunities that the company is expected to provide.

Career track rerouted

Years ago, a work history with one employer was the gold standard for a potential new hire. Today, a work history that lays out what in your eyes was progress is a substitute for the one-stop career.

That means if you have moved from working as an affiliate rep, through two or three companies to become a marketing manager, that history can easily be defined as professional growth. And if your last employer folded, that’s not necessarily a black mark either given the history of startups over the last twenty years.

It’s all about energy

If you can sketch a work history that illustrates proactive, energetic, aggressive steps, then you’ve reached what for many employers is the tipping point. Any HR professional will tell you that they’re looking for an innovative, dynamic person to fill the empty slot, that a mere functionary won’t do.

Whether those credentials will bear up once you’re installed in your shiny new job is another matter, but the point is that you got there by showing a pattern of personal initiative, seeking opportunities with multiple firms. That oh-so-important selling point, however, requires a resume and cover letter to accompany your LinkedIn profile.

Revisiting the one-page resume rule

Defining a series of jobs and explaining the purpose for moving on takes more than a few disconnected phrases, which is about all you can fit on a one-page resume. Let’s assume for a minute that the one-page rule is applied to an online resume; that page is going to be as long as you want it to be, correct? Then it’s just a matter of writing concise sentences that provide a thorough explanation of your travelogue.

There’s no reason you can’t treat a paper resume the same way. Your goal is to get in the door for an interview, and an additional page isn’t going to cost you that opportunity. Instead, it could help you provide a more well-defined perspective on your professional history.

Bob Hartzell writes about education, business and budgets, as well as changes in collegiate goals, with focus on the new bachelors and online masters degrees. He lives in Maine, a beautiful part of New England – but you’d best bring your job with you.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Over at The Next Web, Nancy Messieh describes Jeanne’s campaign:

Each pin introduces a point about Jeanne, detailing her skills, education, experience, achievements, and even her Klout score. Pinterest isn’t the only online tool she’s used to put together her ‘social media’ resume. Items which require more explanation lead to a post on her Tumblr blog.

No word from Pinterest so far, but Jeanne’s campaign has already caught the eye of Francisco Guerrero, founder of the Pinterest analytics site Pintics. “Based on this she totally should at least get a call from Pinterest,” he says, adding that he’d bring her on as Vice President of Marketing at Pintics if things with Pinterest don’t work out.

Yet more proof that social campaigns aimed at attracting attention from employers do work. Guess we’ll have to add this to the list of ways you can use Pinterest to wow your dream employer!

In true social style, Jeanne is sharing the results of her campaign on Tumblr if you want to follow along.

What do you think of Jeanne’s campaign?

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

So you’ve got a seriously handy career skill if you love the limelight or the rush of making speeches in front of hundreds or even thousands of people.

Ready to put your public speaking prowess to work? Check out these crowd-pleasing careers.

1. Spokesperson 

You’ll get plenty of time in front of cameras and crowds as a spokesperson or press secretary. Whether you’re working for a politician, an organization or a celebrity, you make sure public announcements are delivered in the most appropriate fashion possible.

Your goal? Maximize positive coverage.

Average salary: $31,000 – $95,000

2. Professor

Enjoy the privilege of public speaking on a daily basis as a college professor.

However, beware that this might be one of the tougher gigs on the list. Not only do you write and produce most of your own material, you work for a tricky audience: your words must engage even the sleepiest college freshman.

Average salary: $30,000 – $129,000

3. Speech Writer

True, as a speech writer you don’t actually give the speeches yourself. But you must know the subtle science of how to rouse an audience, build a speech that can motivate hundreds, and tack on that perfect finishing line.

Without ever getting near a podium, you’re still the expert on the ultimate version of crowd control.

Average salary: $31,000 – $95,000

4. News Anchor

You deliver the news to hundreds, thousands or even millions of viewers. In this center-stage job, you’re responsible for accurate, appropriate and concise delivery on every broadcast.

Plus, you’re expected to keep your cool—and sometimes even improvise—when reporting on breaking news. No pressure, right?

Average salary: $28,000 – $146,000

5. Politician

From your first campaign speech to your last address on legislation, your job as a politician is full of connecting with crowds. In fact, public speaking is an essential skill in this role: a good speech can make or break a political career.

What’s more, your turns of persuasive phrase can be vital for bringing about the change you want to see in the world.

Average salary: Highly varied

6. Religious Leader

As a pastor, priest, minister or any other religious leader, a major part of your work is to inspire those around you through spoken words. During a service, you give rousing speeches, offer inspirational ideas, and read out religious texts for all to hear.

This means you’ve got a lot of responsibility: People come from miles around to hear you speak and grow their spiritual understanding, so you’ve got to be on your game 24/7.

Average salary: $24,000 – $77,000

7. Motivational Speaker

Motivational speaker takes the cake as the ultimate crowd-pleasing career. Using your voice, energy and charisma, you get up on stage to inspire people to change their lives—whether by finding love, finishing their novel or simply transforming their outlook.

In this role, you are the master of working a group so that each and every person feels like you’re speaking directly to them.

Average salary: $23,000 – $86,000 

All salary data comes from the US Department of Labor.

Are you a crowd pleaser? What public speaking roles would you add to the list?

Annie Favreau works for Inside Jobs, a career exploration site that helps people discover a career they’ll love and build strong, successful futures. Join the conversation @InsideJobs!

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

When you graduate college, you’re inundated with cookie-cutter advice like, “Follow your DREAMS!” and “Believe in yourself!!!!”

Let’s get real, guys: this advice means nothing once you step out into the real world. 

So let’s dig into some advice that’s actually useful. Today I present to you: The top three things that I wish someone had told me when I graduated college.

(You’re welcome!)

1. It’s OK not to know what’s next

When I graduated college in 2006, I had no clue what I wanted to do next.

The result? Constant anxiety.

I wish someone had told me that it’s OK — in fact, it’s more than OK — not to know the answers.

I wish someone had told me that I wasn’t gonna die if I didn’t have it all figured out, that it often takes time and experience to live your way into the answers, and that despite feeling the world is gonna end, it won’t. Confusion or no confusion, you will continue breathing and you’re gonna be just fine.

What’s more, I wish someone had told me that not knowing in no way dooms you to failure. In fact, some of the most happy, successful people I know started out without knowing where they’d end up.

If you feel like you have to have your whole career planned out, think again. Not only is this expectation unrealistic for most of us, but it’s often ineffective as well. Consider your current confusion a prerequisite to a clarity that can only come with trust and with time.

It’s OK not to know. Embrace it.

2. You have the rest of your life to be serious

If you want to jump straight into a serious career, then by all means go for it.

But if travel or adventure or soul searching are whispering in your ear, don’t feel pressured to jump into “real life” right away. You’re still young. You’re still free. You’ve got THE REST OF YOUR LIFE to go to work. You’ve got THE REST OF YOUR LIFE to be serious.

If you want to take a chance, take it now. Lose everything before you feel like you have everything to lose. Do it before it’s too late, before you’re old and wrinkly and looking back on your life with regrets.

The year after I graduated college, I took off to Australia for three months and allowed myself to wander and to explore and to experience life. When I came back home, I secured a desk job in corporate accounting, and I was able to do this without feeling a sense of regret about the risks I’d failed to take.

Your degree isn’t going anywhere. Work isn’t going anywhere. You have years and years and YEARS ahead of you. Don’t feel pressured to rush into a “real person job” — instead, try considering that living may be your real job. And living doesn’t have to be so serious.

Which leads me into my third point…

3. There are no “shoulds”

The horrible affliction of shoulditis is running rampant in today’s society.

“I should have it all figured out,” we tell ourselves over and over again in our heads.

“I should get a good job and do what’s expected of me.”

“Should should should, blah blah blah.”

THIS IS BS!

Allow me to let you in on a little secret of life: You WILL NOT DIE if you drop the “shoulds.”

I repeat: YOU WILL NOT DIE IF YOU DROP THE “SHOULDS!”

At the age of 28, I just quit my corporate job to travel around the country, to live my passions and live more simply, and to slow down. And LOOK, I’m still alive! What’s more, I’m happier than ever.

There are no “shoulds,” guys. Listen to your heart and don’t ever let other peoples’ expectations dictate how you should or shouldn’t live your life.

If you want to go travel the world, do it.

If you want to teach English in Thailand, do it!

If you want to go bartend on a tropical island for awhile, who am I to stop you?

If you want to go straight into real life and get a “real job,” that’s fine too — just make sure you’re doing it because it’s what you want, not because it’s what you think other people expect of you.

In the end, you’re the only one who has to live your life. Others may have their thoughts or expectations, and that’s fine — they get to live their life how they want to do it, but only you can know what’s right for you.

Therese Schwenkler is passionate about bringing more and better direction to today’s generation. Feeling lost & confused after graduation? Stuck in the “shoulds?” Visit Therese’s blog, The Unlost, for the cure.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Tax time may be over for 2011, but if you’re a brand new freelancer starting out, your tax time begins now.  So here are some basics you should know when it comes to your new relationship with Uncle Sam. Bear in mind these are general tips meant to educate freelancers just starting out; whether you’ve gone full-time with employees or your freelancing is just a side hustle for now, you should consult a CPA for professional advice and guidance in all cases.

Freelance Taxes 101

Get yourself a good CPA. I never thought I’d be fancy enough to warrant needing an accountant. And I know it seems like a big expense when you’re just starting out. But I’m so grateful a self-employed friend convinced me to visit her CPA.  I had no idea what I was in store for, and knowing I now have someone knowledgeable looking out for my interests is a huge relief for me in this new territory.

Oh, and did I mention that any accountant’s fees you incur in connection with your freelancing can be deductible as “professional expenses?” So there’s really no reason not to get a CPA.

If you make $600+ from any one client, you need to report it. Each client this applies to should provide you with a 1099-MISC form at the end of the year listing how much they’ve paid you, which you then include with your tax return.

If you net $400+ for the year, you have to pay self-employment tax in addition to income tax. This was a particularly nasty surprise for me. If you work for yourself or as a 1099 contractor, you are essentially double-taxed as both an employer and an employee. (I know; way to encourage entrepreneurship, USA!) In my case, that means a solid one-third of every dollar you bring in will go right back to the government.

So, in the wise words of my CPA, “Don’t take that big project you just got paid for and go on vacation with it.” Start setting aside your tax percentage now—ideally in a separate savings account you won’t be tempted to touch—or else you may be unpleasantly surprised when tax time comes.

You now have to pay quarterly. The good news is that if this is your first year of freelancing, and last year you had no freelance income to report, you don’t need to worry about quarterly payments just yet. (Remember, you only have to report if you’ve made more than $600 for any client. So if you started freelancing mid-2011 and only managed to earn $300 for the year, that doesn’t count as reportable income. Your first freelancing year technically starts now in 2012.)

If this is your first year, you can wait till the end of the tax year to file, at which point you can also get a better idea of what your estimated quarterly payments will be next year. After year one, if you expect to owe the government $1,000+ (after deductions), you will be required to make estimated quarterly tax payments.

These will be due on January 15^th, April 15^th, June 15^th, and September 15^th. You don’t have to worry too much about the precision of your estimate; if you estimate too high or too low for any quarter, you can fill out a form to recalculate what you’ll owe the next quarter.

Track your business expenses. The major rules for writing off “home office” and other business expenses (although you’ll want to clear specifics with your CPA) include:

• For a room to be considered a home office, it must be used it solely for business-related activities. (In other words, if you what you have is a home office/kids’ playroom/den, get rid of those slashes.)

• You can deduct things like computers, ink and other office supplies, phone plans, mileage spent driving to a client’s office—anything you need to pay for in order to keep your business running. (Within reason, of course. Getting too deduction-happy can raise red flags you don’t want raised. As always, defer to your CPA’s advice.)

• If you have a dedicated home office, you can also deduct a portion of household expenses like mortgage interest, rent, utilities, and insurance based on what percentage of the square footage of your home is made up by your office.

Solid recordkeeping is so worth your time. Keep a separate insert in your filing cabinet for any potentially deductible expenses so you’re not scrambling at the end of each quarter to track down receipts.

For household expenses like utilities for which you’ll be deducting only a percentage, it’s a good idea to start a running spreadsheet to keep track of what you’re spending over the course of the year. Each month when you pay your heat, electricity and other bills, enter the amounts on the spreadsheet so that come tax time, everything is all there for you to calculate your percentages. It’s a few extra minutes each payday to save you a ton of hassle later on.

Are you just starting out as a freelancer? Tell us about it!

Kelly Gurnett, a.k.a. “Cordelia,” runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits, where she documents her attempts to rid her life of the things that don’t matter and focus more on the things that do.  You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

We all have bad days at work, a boss who just doesn’t get it or the general dread that comes when you feel disconnected from your job’s menial tasks. When you’ve reached your breaking point, the typical reaction is to polish your resume and start your job search without considering whether you’ve truly done all you can do to enjoy your current job.

You’ve already put in significant time and effort with this company – so have you already taken advantage of all their benefits and training opportunities, one that will propel you ahead of your competition when it’s time to leave?

And not to harp on your resume, but are you prepared to defend to a hiring manager why you only stayed with this company for a year? Or what about the great story you could create for yourself about how you tackled the difficult situation you’re in now and made it work?

Don’t fall into the-grass-is-greener trap. Be sure to exhaust every opportunity to balance your frustrations at your current role before looking for a new one.

Need to get pumped up? Here are four ways to learn to like your current job again:

1. Take stock

Inventory all the skills you have the potential to learn in this position and how you could apply them to future jobs. Having broad knowledge of a skill is helpful when breaking in to a new role, but being considered a subject matter expert with an expanded skill set will set you apart in the candidate pool.

Set a goal for each skill on your inventory list and commit to reaching those goals before moving on. When you focus on growing your expertise in specific areas, you’ll be able to seek out more relevant experience and obtain applicable skills more quickly, which mean you’ll head on to your next opportunity that much sooner.

2. Downshift

Being an overachiever sometimes works to your advantage, but being an overachiever all of the time can lead to burnout. Instead, adjust your engagement levels to better match those around you and your current workload. It’s easy to get caught up in the stress by working late and constantly checking your email, but you can continue to be a successful employee without doing these things 100 percent of the time.

Think of driving a manual transmission car and downshifting from fifth to third gear. The car continues to drive at a high level of performance, just not as fast. Apply this same principle to your approach to your day – don’t answer every email the moment it comes in; turn your email notification light off when you leave work for the day; leave on-time; and stop scrambling altogether.

Try it for a week and see what happens. You’ll likely experience some anxiety about not working as hard, but most people will not even notice a difference as long as you continue to get your work done, and you’ll have less to regret at the end of the day.

3. Set break reminders

Taking breaks is easily forgotten when you’re focused and busy at work, so schedule them!

Set a pop-up calendar reminder every few hours to take a 15-minute break – get up from your cube, walk around or surf the web. This study shows that when employees take breaks, they’re not only more productive overall, but also happier.

In addition to taking mini-breaks, leave your desk for lunch and, if possible, go outside. Giving yourself extended time outside of your cube environment in the middle of the day will break up the monotony of the 9-to-5 and help you feel refreshed and more energized.

4. Find value and meaning

Connect with what you’re already doing. You are adding value and meaning through your work, to someone each and every day.

If this isn’t readily apparent, dig deeper. How are your actions helping a coworker or impacting a customer? Don’t think big; instead, think small. You have a thousand opportunities each and every day to pitch in and help others at work. So remember how your actions are already creating positive results and seek out new ways to find meaning in what you do.

Reconnecting with your current role will help you gain even more experience without having to jump into a new situation. And getting pumped about your job will not only make your workday not suck, it will also help you feel good about other aspects of your life, too.

Melissa Anzman is a career coach, blogger and former Human Resources insider who helps people fall in love with their jobs again. Melissa’s based in Atlanta and blogs at Loosen Your White Collar.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Have you ever looked back on your degree and thought, “What the hell did I learn that’s actually helped me in the real world?”

With graduation day approaching, it’s time to share an important lesson: though most of us loved college, almost everything that’s truly useful we’ve had to learn the “hard way” — through experience, rather than in the classroom.

I wish I had someone holding my hand the first time I rented an apartment. And I still want someone to sit down and explain how the eff investments work and whether I’m old enough to start thinking about them.

Is this our school’s responsibility? Should those degrees we spend tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars on should maybe focus less on forcing freshman to take sex ed and Bio 101 and instead provide us with courses on how to do our taxes?

Here’s a sample course catalogue that would make our first few years in the real world less about trial and error. Man, how I wish this school existed:

1. Flatting 101: Roommates, Renters and Reason

This course examines the cultural contexts that shape the development of roommate relationships. Emphasis is placed on the steps involved in signing a lease, paying bonds, taking care of rental property, property insurance and tenancy agreements.

After successfully completely this course, you should be able to (1) find the perfect roommate through Craigslist based on your personality and previous flatting situations, (2) set up a house bank account and easily share expenses, (3) pay and receive your bond back in a timely manner and (4) not get screwed over in a rental agreement by a landlord.

The purpose of this course is to help you understand the key elements expected of every housemate. No previous knowledge or skill is required other than an interest (born out of need or desire) in living with other people.

2. Introduction to Credit

Explore the evolution of credit cards, credit score and loans as both theory and practice. The purpose is to provide context for all students in critically thinking about when it’s appropriate to borrow. Students will leave with a strong foundation in understanding the basic credit card structure in simple terms.

Students will be tested on the best way to research their annual percentage rate, the pros and cons of minimum monthly payments and understanding credit line. If time allows, students will also be introduced to credit scores – understanding yours and how to improve it.

3. Investing in the 21st Century

This course covers popular investment schemes including 401k, stock options and basic savings accounts.

Students will learn how to choose the best bank and how to determine what percentage of salary goes into savings. You’ll take away an understanding of basic investment terms such as equity, mutual funds and interest.

By the end of this course, all students will be prepared for the road to financial security and smart investments – so they don’t look like idiots when in normal conversation with adults about such topics.

4. Taxes in Today’s Society: An Interdisciplinary Approach

This hands-on course concentrates on the basics of doing your taxes, mistakes to avoid and stress-relief tactics to implement during tax season.

The objective of this course is to give students enough knowledge to do their own taxes – from filling out forms, organizing receipts, filing deductibles and the ins and outs of hiring an accountant.

Students will be able to (1) fill out a W-2 in ten minutes or less, (2) take advantage of tax credits, (3) increase your deductions and (4) avoid committing suicide during the month of April.

5. The Gen Y Career Revolution: Alternatives to the 9-to-5 Post-Graduation

This course aims to introduce students to the options available to them post-graduation that don’t involve traditional corporate employment. This course will provide you with an understanding of options such as volunteering, travel, freelancing and entrepreneurship, with clear explanations of how these options are just as important and relevant to world economy and society as a traditional job.

After finishing this course, students will have developed a broad knowledge of the various professions and disciplines, as well as tools to help them research, plan and develop for their path post-graduation.

Have a course you would have loved to take to prep you for the real world? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments!

Marian Schembari is a blogger, traveler and all-around social media thug. She’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, hails from Connecticut and blogs at marianlibrarian.com.

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I am sorry.  Let me do that again.

People often make a mistake in thinking that writing long-winded sentences with big words makes them appear smart.

Actually, let me try this one more time.

You don’t need to write a lot or use big words to sound smart.

Now, that’s better.

Too often, people write sentences like the one at the top when they should choose version #3.  The main culprit, in my view, is the loathsome college essay.  Only in college are we forced to write a paper a certain length.  We develop strategies that balloon our paragraphs so we can fill out eight, 10 or 12 pages and pick up our gold stars on the way out.

In the real world, most people don’t enjoy reading cover letters, resumes and presentations.  It’s extra work and burdensome.  Worst of all, trying to write beyond our skill level screams ‘I’m in over my head.’

When you write with brevity, you make your points quickly and shrewdly.  You don’t waste words and, in doing so, you don’t waste a person’s time.  An employer or hiring manager, for instance, then sees you as sharp and courteous.

The secret to brevity (and, in turn, clarity) is something we are rarely taught growing up and may appear anathema to a professor of English lit:

Write like you are talking to a friend.

I don’t mean write in Internet jargon or shorthand.  Whenever I am stuck on a sentence, I step back from the computer screen and ask myself, ‘OK, what am I trying to say here?’  Rather than come up with the most eloquent way to make my point, I write it out in plain English as if talking to a buddy.  And once I have my conversational sentence, then I go and attack it with a red pen.

Let’s use the examples from the top.

The before:

There is a common misconception when it comes to writing that is professional in nature that a person must write in a verbose manner to come across as intelligent.

The after:

You don’t need to write a lot or use big words to sound smart.

First things first, I switched the voice from passive to active (from ‘there is’ to ‘you’).  Always locate your subject and lead with it.  Active voice feels confident; passive does not.

To write the shorter sentence (version 3), I literally sat up from my computer and asked, ‘What am I trying to say?’  I stopped trying to be clever with it, and the words found their way onto the page.

I also have a habit of being very critical with the number of words I use in each sentence.  Once I write something, I go back and decide if each and every word I just wrote deserves to be there.  Say to yourself: if I remove this word, would the sentence still make sense?  If I removed this sentence, would the paragraph make sense?  And the ultimate: do I really need this paragraph?

Speed is key.  When people read your cover letters and resume, you need to be very respectful of their time.  Don’t write five huge paragraphs that go on and on.  Be tough on yourself and really give them just what they need to know. You are better off making one or two main points (or telling one great story) rather than trying to jam your entire life into an employer’s brain.

And when you finish editing your work, go back and edit again.  After that, go back and edit some more.  A boss may never tell you he/she loved your cover letter or resume, but ones that are tightly written and well-composed will leave an impression.

Most of all, you will stand out.  College did not prepare us very well for the process of job applications.  But those who take it upon themselves to learn to harness the power of brevity will have an edge every time.

Danny Rubin is a national news consultant for media research firm Frank N Magid Associates. He is a former television news reporter, lives in Washington, D.C. and tweets as @dannyhrubin.

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This week’s pick:

Gallery Manager for Franklin Street Works

This week’s job is perfect for the energetic and organized type with an interest or background in art. The Franklin Street Works in Stamford, Conn., is looking for a gallery manager who can handle everything from helping install gallery exhibits to managing a social media presence. 

This full time job’s salary range is $25,000-$35,000 with medical benefits included. The right candidate will possess a range of skills, including writing, problem solving and creative thinking. Familiarity with Word, Excel, Photoshop, iMovie and Adobe Illustrator are a plus.

If you’re interested in today’s art trends and you’re organized and motivated, make sure you apply!

Does your company or organization have an awesome job opening you want the Brazen community to know about? Email a link and description to alexis[at]brazencareerist.com

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Not only do parents often provide new graduates with financial help, they often lend a (heavy) hand with their child’s job search, too, according to the Adecco Group’s 2012 Graduation Survey. Their telephone calls to more than 500 recent college graduates aged 22-26 found that more than half rely on their parents to pay at least some of their living expenses. The most popular covered expenses include cell phone bill payments (32 percent), food (21 percent), internet (20 percent) and health insurance (20 percent).

When it comes to the job search, nearly a third of those graduates reported their parents are somehow involved in their search, even if they’re not depending on the ‘rents for financial support. One in 10 said they’re tapping their parents’ personal networks to help them find job opportunities.

And get this: males are more inclined to get the extra help. Fourteen percent of young men reported their parents help them find job listings, compared to 9 percent of women. More guys also received help from mom and dad as far as resume and cover letter preparation: 11 percent versus 4 percent of young women.

What do you think? When you’re a new grad, what’s a healthy level of dependence on the ‘rents?

Ana Gonzalez Ribeiro, MBA is a writer based in NYC. She’s published her articles in various publications and writes about personal finance, education and work.

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Contrary to popular belief, the world’s tallest man does not greet you at the door when you arrive at Guinness World Records’ offices. And, no, the world’s oldest person doesn’t work the copy machine dispensing nuggets of age-old wisdom, nor does the woman with the world’s longest fingernails hang out in the break room offering back scratches.

But working for GWR – while it might not include the daily circus-like atmosphere most imagine – is certainly unique, and it definitely takes a special type to make it in this line of work.

One of the most common questions I get as Head of U.S. Records Management Team is, “How did you start working for Guinness World Records?”

Well, once you break 10 records of your own, they hire you to start working on the inside.

That, of course, is completely untrue.

I, for one, would never have guessed I’d be in my current position coming out of college. Graduating from Syracuse in 2007, I took my broadcast journalism degree and headed south to embark on a two-year journey in minor league baseball and college sports broadcasting, with some dabbling in freelance newspaper reporting on the side.

But turns out that all the experiences I had calling play-by-play of a 16-inning baseball game or interviewing student athletes live on the air after a tough loss prepared me exceptionally – if unexpectedly – for a job overseeing our U.S. team of record verifiers.

(And when your organization deals with everyone from a bachelor in Thailand who wants to run the fastest 100m in flippers to a family in Topeka that can’t believe their dog doesn’t have the longest tongue in the world, you draw on a lot of different professional experience.)

Thanks to my education and background in TV and video, I have no problem getting on camera and in front of large crowds. This helps when I have to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to judge a record for “most balloons burst simultaneously by arrows;” or when I have to give a speech in front of a festival crowd of a few thousand who have come for their free sample from the “largest serving of roast pork” (6,821.54 lbs., by the way).

My history in newspaper reporting and editing blessed me with a clinically worrisome attention to detail, which comes in handy when you judge an attempt like the “fastest text message” being completed suspiciously quickly – to find out upon further examination that two words were omitted from the required text.

And people always wonder how we could possibly have the heart to break the news to someone that their record needs to be rejected. Well, after spending enough time talking to the point guard who missed the game-winning shot or the shortstop whose error cost his team a spot in the playoffs, you get seasoned enough to know how best to break it to someone that their “tallest stack of shoes in one minute” has to be discounted on a technicality.

Some career paths come pretty well-defined. Doctors, lawyers, accountants – they all basically come with a checklist of how to get from step 1 to your goal, like a reality version of the board game “Life.”

Other careers, like mine at Guinness World Records… not so much.

What I’ve learned is that personality has a lot to do with it. Everyone has their own marketable skills coming out of college or their first couple jobs. The important thing is having the wherewithal to adapt what you’re good at to an environment where you can flourish.

Just like Batman uses the same utility belt to fight all his different crimes, any person’s core skill set can translate to any industry, provided they’re adaptable, amenable, and open-minded.

So while I couldn’t have known it at the time, all those school lectures in Communications 101 and all those long hours prepping for radio broadcasts turned out to prepare me pretty well for what I do now.

Except for meeting Snooki during a record attempt on New Year’s Eve. Nothing can prepare you for that.

As Head of U.S. Records Management for Guinness World Records, Mike Janela has traveled to 10 countries and 19 states to adjudicate more than 60 record attempts. Show him your talent at www.guinnessworldrecords.com, www.facebook.com/guinnessworldrecords, or on Twitter @GWRnews.

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But it’s never too early to start learning about money — and the earlier you start, the longer you’ll benefit.

Tax time may have just passed, but that means you have plenty of time to get on the bandwagon before next year’s deadline. So follow these four tax tips to help your money grow, and years down the road, you’ll be glad you did.

1. Don’t let the IRS become your forced savings plan; get your withholding right from the start.

There’s nothing redeeming about a huge tax refund because it means you’ve lost the opportunity to let that money earn interest. Better you target your withholding to a reasonable number that leaves a bit of wiggle room, take the extra money and save it somewhere else.

The more allowances you claim on Form W-4, the less your employer will withhold. Having kids, or owning a home and having itemized deductions from mortgage interest and property tax, can lead to more allowances (less tax withheld). Being married with two incomes, or also doing freelance work alongside your regular job, often means fewer allowances (more tax withheld).

If you’re able to free up some cash every month by adjusting your withholding, consider automatically depositing that directly from your checking account into an investment account with a mutual fund company or brokerage firm.

2. Maxing out your 401(k) is easy, but may not be best.

Consider that future gains on all those 401(k) deposits will be fully taxable when you retire. They’ll be taxed at “ordinary income” tax rates when you cash out, as opposed to the capital gains rates that apply to gains on investments sold in a taxable account.

The difference between those two rates, under some scenarios, can be big enough to eat away at the 401(k)’s tax advantage. It’s especially possible if you use tax-efficient investments like stock index funds and ETFs — and 2012′s low rates on capital gains and dividends get extended through your investing years.

Put away as much as you can to get your employer match but consider alternatives, like the one below, with the excess.

3. Prepay your taxes—kind of—with a Roth IRA.

Yup, managing your 401k contribution and setting up a Roth IRA means you’ll pay more taxes now. But realistically, you’ll probably be in a lower tax bracket now than when you’re in your 60s and 70s, right? If so, a Roth might be a smart choice.

4. Get a tax break for investment in equipment that is required for you to do your job.

Probably no other generation of workers is as focused on work-life balance, and that invariably leads to more telecommuting. If you’re self-employed, file your receipts and keep tax break in mind when selecting equipment. It might be more advantageous to buy that better laptop or desktop with the knowledge that some of that money will come off your tax return.

Tax planning can be a bit counter-intuitive, but sometimes the way to get more money in the bank is to pay more now, rather than later.

What tax planning questions can we help you with?

Bob is the Founder and President of Barry Capital Management, a fee-only Wealth Management firm located in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

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Let me guess, you think headphones help you focus on your work and make you less likely to get distracted, right?

Listening to tunes at work might be a good way to zero in on the task at hand, but it removes you from “informal office life,” harms your ability to learn on the job and reduces the opportunity to make important connections, according to the writer Anne Kreamer, who was the worldwide creative director for Nickelodean in the ’90s.

She points to the account of one young professional who said when co-workers want to talk, they’ll send a deliberate signal. “I’ve never missed something urgent, usually just part of a conversation that was going on in the office,” the young worker said.

And that’s where Kreamer has a problem. In a Harvard Business Review blog post, she writes:

Precisely. It’s just that kind of loss of daily osmotic information exchange and collaborative bonding that ought to concern 21st century employees and employers. It’s about information exchange, resource exchange, idea generation and on and on. If an employee is glued to her desk with headphones on, immersed in music and G-chatting with her best buddy, she is missing the opportunity to create relationships with people on the job who might be launching a project for which she’d be perfect, or who’s kicking around the idea to launch a new firm that needs precisely her talents. It’s a huge and real loss in terms of career development.

Organizations also lose out on the opportunity to tap into fresh ideas, she writes:

Because actionable cultural knowledge is now so diffuse, to remain competitive companies need all employees to bring fresh thinking into the workplace. Imagine an employee who happened, say, to be the roommate of someone launching a startup in 2010, and missed out on overhearing a colleague ask if “anyone knows anything about this new app that colorizes photographs so they look old-fashioned” — extreme, yes, but even short of missing out on an early partnership with Instagram, every company must be configured to into tap a workforce’s collective informal knowledge base as much as possible.

So what’s a modern employee to do — especially if you’re in an open plan office and your neighbor is munching on chips while you’re crashing on a report for your boss?

Kreamer says “employees and organizations should be helped to understand what’s being lost in the process of mindless, unplanned mass capitulation to the machines.” That means creating company cultures that “encourage physical interaction” through intimate lunches or group activities like an Oscar pool. And yep, it probably means taking off your headphones — at least some of the time.

Do you agree? Are you missing out by listening to your headphones?

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Well hold your horses there, boss, because picking out a credit card for your business is a little trickier than ordering a new case of ink for the office printer. While there are plenty of credit cards on the market designed to help startups grow and prosper, there are just as many business credit cards dedicated to squeezing unwitting entrepreneurs for every dime they’ve got.

As a finance journalist, I’ve spent years pointing out how hidden fees and misleading contract stipulations attached to these insidious pieces of plastic can turn a profitable company into a poisonous one in a matter of months. But as a professional freelancer, I also know how important it is to find financing to cover your overhead when you’re trying to get your business off the ground.

So if you’re about to apply for your first business line of credit, you should make sure to get one that will nurse your fledgling business rather than kill, cook and devour it.

To help speed up your search, here are five business credit cards that are just perfect for newly minted entrepreneurs:

1. The Chase Ink Cash

With no annual fee and a $250 signing bonus, the Ink Cash by Chase would be an awesome credit card for anyone. But when you factor in the 5 percent cash-back rate on office supplies and telecom/cable services and the 2 percent cash-back rate on gas and lodging, you’ve got a very useful financial tool on your hands.

Even if you don’t really need a business credit card, those rewards rates are worth it – especially when you consider that the card doesn’t cost anything to own.

2. The SimplyCash Business from American Express

The SimplyCash by American Express is another great no-fee credit card for small businesses. Like the Ink, it offers cash back on the purchases you’ll most often make as a business owner: 5 percent cash back on wireless services and office supplies, 3 percent back on gas and 1 percent on everything else.

Additionally, you get a 3-10 percent discount on purchases you make with affiliates of AmEx’s OPEN Program, which includes Hertz, FedEx and OfficeMax.

3. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Though the Chase Sapphire Preferred isn’t explicitly a business credit card, it offers travel benefits that dedicated business cards just can’t compete with. You get 50,000 bonus miles – or two free flights – when you spend $3,000 during your first three months of ownership. Then you’ll get 10 points per mile for purchases you make through Chase’s online mall and one point per mile for everything else.

While the card charges a $95 annual fee, the fact that you’ll be able to use your bonus miles to fly on any airline makes the investment more than worthwhile.

4. Capital One Spark Cash for Business

If you’re going to be doling out multiple cards to your employees, then you really need to check out Capitol One’s business cards. For instance, the Capital One Spark Cash for Business lets you earn $100 in bonus cash and gives you 2 percent on all purchases made with the card.

Most importantly, it gives you an additional $50 bonus for every supplemental employee account you open. It even waives the $60 annual fee for the first year that you keep an account open.

5. True Earnings Business Card from Costco and American Express

The only thing better than a business credit card is a business credit card that also counts as a membership pass to Costco.

In addition to the dual functionality, the True Earnings Business Card also gives you 4 percent cash back on gasoline, 2 percent back on restaurants and travel, and 1 percent back on everything else. Those are some serious savings for such a little piece of plastic.

Not every business card is created equally, but you’ll be putting your company in good hands with these cards. Featuring excellent rewards programs, low fees and good APRs, they give fresh-faced entrepreneurs the leg up you need for startup success.

Ben DeMeter is a professional freelancer, a featured finance writer at Business Insider and the proud owner of a bulldog named Google. He also blogs about the best small business credit cards and where to get them at Credit Card Assist.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

You know low company morale when you see it.

Your co-workers sit by themselves in small cubicles with headsets on, only speaking up to complain about going nowhere in their jobs. The only interactions you have are during holiday parties, water-cooler soap opera updates or when workers send gossip about other employees in emails. Even if the company is doing well, no one really wants to be there, and at 5 p.m., there’s a drag race to get out of the parking lot.

You don’t need a business major or hold an MBA in project management to recognize when there’s a lack in focus or motivation. From top to bottom, employee morale is dictated by interest – or lack of it – by managers in the efforts of their charges. Many workers will confess that they feel unappreciated, underutilized and, worst of all, unheard. And worker who believes others at the company block all their efforts to be creative or productive is just a symptom of an endemic problem at the workplace.

So here are three solid, positive ways to remedy morale issues:

1. Change the culture

When you change the culture of the company into one that fosters as much praise and support as it does suggestions for improvement, morale takes a turn for the better.

Lea Hartog of HR World recommends starting an employee recognition program. That means setting goals and benchmarks that help employees track progress, look forward to completing projects, and feel appreciated when they get a hearty thanks from their manager. Adding a wall plaque with the names of monthly employees who hit or exceed their goals lets workers know they’re a recognized and a valued member of the team.

2. Manage with ethics and compassion

Holding employees to company standards is one thing. Offering employee training, in-house support and actually listening to your staff breaks the invisible wall between leadership and workers.

Encourage team play where colleagues collaborate on meeting goals, each bringing their own talents to the table. Never criticize a worker’s performance in front of their colleagues. And wherever possible, create a clearly articulated path to success for each worker.

3. Make clear communication priority one

Check in with each employee regularly. A worker sitting alone angrily in a cube, loathing the email they just received from another staffer, is brutal on morale. Getting the two in the same physical location to work on their real or imagined differences can get things moving.

According to SparkMinute.com, direct, respectful communication can do more for morale than a quarterly bonus.

Establish and keep the lines of communication between you and your employees open. Routine team meetings and morale-boosting company lectures can be deadly, keeping workers from completing their daily goals. Instead, have consistent face-to-face meetings with workers where only one employee is called away from their desk and can schedule around it.

Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick Business School, told The Observer that “human happiness has large and positive causal effects on productivity.” Happy employers are tend to be more productive at work and work harder toward their goals.

When push comes to shove, employees love perks like free food and coffee, casual Fridays, chair massages, happy hours and staff picnics. But what really makes a worker loyal is the satisfaction they receive from knowing they’re appreciated, and the opportunity to express and develop their talents.

Woodrow Aames has written articles and profiles for Yahoo, Microsoft Network, Microsoft Encarta, and other websites and print magazines around the world. He holds an MFA degree, has taught English abroad, and is currently researching computer schools in Florida to further his curiosity in web design and graphics.

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No, sadly, it’s not how to fend off too many adoring fans or maintain those eight-pack abs. Instead, the question that consumes both young careerists and many actors is whether to let yourself get typecast.

Just like Efron and Diesel need to decide whether to accept the “teen idol” or “man of action” label and run with it, or insist on proving the breadth of their skills with (sometimes painful) forays into serious drama or comedy, those of us on our way up the career ladder have to decide whether it benefits us more to be known as a generalist or a niche expert.

Ezra Zuckerman, a professor at MIT Sloan, examined the career trajectories of actors (and clearly made himself a popular dinner party companion, at least temporarily), revealing that those who typecast themselves (PDF) early in their careers tended to earn more, work for longer and become more famous.

And guess what? The quicker actors specialized, the sooner and more they worked.

Non-Actors Take Heed

This isn’t just crucial info for your actor friends, according to a recent HBR blog post by entrepreneur Daniel Gulati, it’s also key information for young professionals looking for advice on how to guide their careers. Being a generalist, according to both Gulati and common sense, has advantages, including the one that keeps even marginally gifted actors trying to stretch their talents: it’s more interesting than doing the same thing over and over again. Plus, in a volatile economy, the ability to be agile and shift focus sounds appealing, while landing a niche gig looks harder than casting your job-hunting net wide.

“There is a permanent new dynamism and volatility in the job market, and the cost of experimentation has fallen dramatically,” Gulati writes. But he also believes many professionals take their aversion to specialization too far. “An oft-overlooked part of this strategy is the requirement to amplify your passions and double down when you see early signs of success,” he writes. “Instead, unfortunately, I often see the people who’ve created the most options for themselves continuing to select the one that keeps the most options open. Over the long term, that is a career strategy with diminishing returns.”

It may sound like a snore or a dead-end at the start of your career, but specialization will help you earn more and stand out from other job applicants in a truly tough job market.

Guidelines to Getting Typecast

So if specializing is as lucrative for professionals as it is for actors, when do you move to narrow your focus? “For those who are truly unsure of their career passions, it makes sense to stay general. However, this isn’t an excuse to stop hunting for a specialty,” writes Gulati. He suggests that the time to specialize is when you find something you can imagine doing with great focus for a long time. Don’t force it or you’ll regret it, but don’t give up the hunt prematurely, either.

How specialized should you go? Gulati notes that this may be more a matter of chance opportunities than something you can pilot exactly. Feel your way to the correct level of specialization, he writes: “Retaining some degree of intellectual breadth is important, as is a level of future career flexibility. In practice, though, this is more a function of opportunities that come your way, rather than a predetermined strategy. Be alert: If your role lacks challenges or if you’re disengaging with the content, you’re probably being dragged too deep.”

Have you been fighting being typecast when you should be embracing it?

London-based Jessica Stillman blogs about generational issues and trends in the workforce for Inc.com and GigaOM.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

As graduation season approaches and college seniors everywhere trade jeans and t-shirts for caps and gowns, the pressure to find a job is on. It’s not a good feeling; believe me, I’ve been there.

My senior year job search was two years ago, but I felt that same anxiety when I began training for the Broad Street Run, a 10-mile race down Philadelphia’s iconic Broad Street in January. The task felt completely daunting.

Yet when you’re training for a long-distance race – whether it’s a 10-miler or a marathon – all the time, effort, sweat and tears eventually lead to successs. And that applies to the search for your dream job, too.

After training for the past four months (and completing my own marathon job search), I came up with six lessons that apply to finding a job out of college:

1. Have a plan

Just like you wouldn’t wake up one day and decide to run 10 miles, it would be foolish to begin a job search or go on an interview without doing the proper research and prep-work. By now, you should likely have your resume in order and a portfolio of your work ready to go for your next interview opportunity – so you’re prepared when it arises.

Consider creating an Excel spreadsheet or Google Doc to keep track of the status of job applications, contacts and interviews.

2. Be flexible and adapt quickly when that plan inevitably changes

Contrary to point number one, this is life, and it doesn’t always go our way. Imagine my Type-A horror when I woke up one Sunday morning, ready for my long run of the week, only to find it pouring outside. My neat, perfect Excel sheet, mapping out the next 12 weeks of training was seemingly ruined.

But I took a deep breath, and adapted. During the job search, too, attitude is everything, and the ability to roll with the punches will serve you well.

3. Embrace the highs and lows

Understand that there will be good days and there will be (very) bad days. Despite sticking to a rigorous training schedule, not every run is perfect; in fact, some feel downright impossible.

During the job search, there will be moments when you feel like you’re on Cloud 9, and there will be moments of disappointment and loss. Embrace both those feelings; the highs will get you through the lows, and the lows will teach you more about yourself and what you want in a job to get you to that next high.

4. Find support

You know that “network” everyone is always talking about finding and nurturing? Now is the time to lean on them. In terms of the job search, your network (both in real life and online) can help you perfect your resume, introduce you to others in your field, offer advice and sometimes even help you land a job.

Your network can also give you the motivation and inspiration you need to keep moving forward – literally. My running network on the website DailyMile keeps me accountable and constantly pushes me to keep reaching my goals.

5. Celebrate mini-wins

While the feeling of achieving a goal is certainly sweet, it’s also important to recognize mini-wins along the way. Throughout my training, every new personal distance record I achieved felt like a reason to celebrate; five miles, six miles, seven miles! Of course, they weren’t the full 10 miles I’m striving for, but each run was a step in the right direction.

While you’re job searching, pat yourself on the back for those mini-wins. Whether it’s hearing back from a potential employer or being invited back for a second interview, every step of the journey deserves its own recognition.

6. Relish in accomplishment – and then create an even bigger goal

Once you cross that finish line or receive that job offer, it’s rightfully your time to celebrate. After all, you did just accomplish the unthinkable!

But then it’s time to set your sights on something bigger, professionally or personally. For me, that something bigger is the Philadelphia Half Marathon in November.

What’s your “something bigger?”

Jessica Lawlor is a public relations professional and freelance writer in the Philadelphia area. Follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Happy Friday folks!! Here’s hoping you had a productive, fun week and that the weekend ahead can only be more awesome!

We’ve got lots of great reads for you this week.

Take a look:

1. Want to save the world? Get an MBA

2. MIT students create video lectures for fellow students

3. Nine ways 20-somethings screw up their lives

4. Why your career is stalled

5. The 10 most important questions to ask yourself before an interview

6. How to do a better job of achieving your goals

7. Waiting on an answer after a job interview? How to followup

8. Job hopping does NOT hurt your chances of getting hired, study says

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

This week’s pick: 

Editor for Apple

Love your Apple products and have a major knack for editing and proofreading? This job is great for professional editors who want to be a part of a team that provides editing and proofreading services for print and interactive marketing communications for Apple.

Editors collaborate with a team to ensure the clarity and accuracy of Apple communications. To be a good fit, you’ll need some solid experience under your belt: a four-year degree plus 6-7 years editorial experience, or an advanced degree and 4-5 years experience. You’ll be an even better candidate if you previously worked with a design firm, ad agency, communications department or publication.

If you’re familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style and the conventions of American English style and usage, and you have an eye for detail, be sure to apply!

Does your company or organization have an awesome job opening you want the Brazen community to know about? Email a link and description to alexis[at]brazencareerist.com

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

It’s not even big news anymore when someone does something “crazy” to get a job. Whether it’s a Google or Facebook advertisement, a shoe in a box, or a resume in Trafalgar Square, job seekers are getting more and more aggressive about standing out.

Personally – and as someone who has taken these measures – I love it. The economy blows and the “traditional” resume isn’t so much of a necessity anymore, especially for less traditional job seekers. So when I came across Loft Resumes, I was immediately smitten.

According to their website, Loft helps job seekers stand out in a sea of sameness with stylish resumes. Think unique typography, bold colors and graphics. They say, “Show [employers] that you’re the type of person willing to invest in the most important document you’ll ever create. That just as your resume isn’t status quo, neither are you. And that’s precisely why they need you.” (Someone hired a great copywriter.)

But I was also immediately skeptical. At least $99 for resume design? I thought about how my dear friend and resume writer extraordinaire, Jenny Foss, critiqued my resume last year and gave me some crucial feedback.

I had spiffed it up with some visuals, my logo, etc., and she told me point blank to tone it down. Not because it wasn’t pretty, but because many companies use applicant tracking systems, and if you use a lot of graphical elements in your resume, it might not pass through the system.

So I sent Jenny the link to Loft and asked her opinion. “These resumes would be great for someone in a creative/design-centric field who plans to send the resume directly to the inbox of a hiring manager or contact,” she replied. “Not so much a good idea for an online application, which will more than likely route the resume through an ATS.”

That’s when I emailed Loft co-founder Dodd Caldwell. He told me that about 70 percent of jobs are found through personal networking, while 30 percent are found through career boards. “We fit well with those 70 percent,” he said. “Great visual design can be a positive add-on for the right folks.”

And then, responding to my question about applicant tracking systems, he said, “Our advice for folks who are submitting to places where resume parsing software may be used is that they have a text version of their resume on hand as well and then use the Loft Resume for interviews and emails.”

The takeaway? Hiring a resume writer or paying for a gorgeous design depends on the kind of job you’re looking for. If you’re eager to work for a small, creative startup, they’re sure to respect an out-of-the-box approach. But if your dream is to work for a big corporate, you might offer a resume in a more traditional style.

Now, I’ve been in the desperately-looking-for-work boat, and each and every time I’ve gotten my foot in the door has been through growing a pair and standing out. I’ve never applied to a company who used ATS, though. I hand-delivered (hand-emailed?) all my resumes and almost every single interviewer commented on how much they liked my style.

So there is a place for gorgeously designed resumes that show you’re different, while also really awesomely displaying your credentials.

Of course, job seekers are also notoriously broke. But I’m strongly of the mindset that you have to spend money to make money. And when it comes to getting the perfect job, it’s hugely important to shell out a bit of dough for a resume that shows you in the best possible light (just like an interview outfit that makes you feel stunning).

Have you ever invested in a service or product to help your job search? Did it pay off?

Marian Schembari is a blogger, traveler and all-around social media thug. She’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, hails from Connecticut and blogs at marianlibrarian.com.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Fox Business reports that most 20-something professionals say they WOULD date a colleague, according to a study from employee benefits provider Workplace Options. Older workers, however, generally say it’s a bad idea.

Here’s an excerpt from the story:

What’s the difference between the office and a singles bar? Well, nothing for some millennials.

According to a study by employee benefits provider Workplace Options, 84% of employees aged 18 to 29 say they would date a co-worker, and 71% say they think workplace romance is a positive thing that improves performance and morale. Their older colleagues disagree, as only 29% of those aged 46 to 65 say they’d consider dating someone they worked with, and 90% say it could do more harm than good.

Interested? Check out the entire story.

What do you think about office dating? Does your company have a no-dating rule? Would you ever act on that co-worker crush?

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

But as someone in the midst of a job hunt, I’ve discovered that many of my favorite Disney classics have lessons that can be applied in the professional world, too.

Here are a few of my favorite career lessons inspired by Disney movies:

1. Speak up — from A Bug’s Life

Flik was often ignored by the rest of the ants in his community. They thought he was unfocused and disruptive, when in reality he was the most innovative.

If you have an idea that you know is gold, don’t shy away during meetings. Raise your hand, get noticed, and put your idea out there. Every community of ants needs a Flik, and every company needs a problem solver.

2. Be curious — from Alice in Wonderland

Alice might have dozed off while her sister was trying to help her study, but Wonderland was too intriguing to ignore. Don’t feel the need to stay trapped where you are, doing what you’re doing. If you’ve always wondered what it might be like to quit your job and become a freelance photographer, there’s only one way you’ll get to experience what that feels like!

3. Be true to your heart — from Mulan

Always go with your gut. While I don’t recommend cross-dressing for work like Mulan had to, if there’s a warrior inside of you, don’t be afraid to let him or her out.

All along the journey, make sure you are doing what you think is right. This has an equal meaning for workplace ethics, too. Bring honor to your family (and company) and stand up for what you believe in.

4. Train hard — from Hercules

Sure, now Hercules is a hero with more muscles than the juice-head at your local gym. But remember the beginning of the movie when he was a scrawny little boy? He had to put in a lot of time and work to get from A to B.

You might not have a satyr voiced by Danny DeVito giving you motivational quips the whole way, but practice makes perfect. (Even athletic practice can make you a more valuable employee.)

5. Know your place — from The Lion King

Running away from your troubles won’t get you anywhere. (Ok, you may make some amusing friends along the way, but that’s beside the point.)

If you have a responsibility, own up to it. If you’ve taken on a big project, make sure you come through. And the same can be said for the opposite: don’t jump at the chance to take on a huge task if you aren’t ready.

6. Don’t take credit for work you didn’t do — from Ratatouille

Sometimes it’s all too easy to accept praise, even if you aren’t deserving of it. Give credit where credit is due. If you take the spotlight for work you didn’t do, at some point the rug will be pulled out from under you, and you’ll look like the rat. Alfredo was naive to think nobody would discover that Remy was really the master chef, but you’ll be smarter than that, right?

7. Hard work pays off — from The Princess and the Frog

Tiana is synonymous with dedication. She was a “slasher” before the word even existed, working two jobs to save up for her dream of opening her own restaurant. Despite the prejudice and stress in her life, she always kept her eyes on the prize. And I don’t want to spoil the movie, but Tiana’s Place is open for business!

Take a cue from her; stay focused on what you want to achieve, and make sure you’re taking steps towards accomplishing whatever that is. Set goals for yourself, like earning a promotion in 2012, and do what you can to make it a reality.

Got any Disney lessons to add?

Adam Britten is a Master of Digital Marketing Student at Hult International Business School in London. Read more about him at AdamBritten.com or chat with him on Twitter @AdamBritten.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

Yet the truth is this: Regardless of your idea, owning your own business takes hard work, determination, sacrifice and a very clear understanding of not just your business, but also of your personality as well.

Here are a few points to consider before deciding to become an entrepreneur:

1. Don’t quit your day job… yet

Whether you’re currently a student, work part-time or are gainfully employed, the next great idea usually doesn’t need 40+ hours per week to get off the ground. Create a strict schedule for how much time you really need. You may not make a dollar from your new business for a while, so keep whatever job is currently paying you.

And don’t ask your spouse or significant to quit like I did, or you will end up living in your parents’ mobile home… like we did.

2. Estimate your annual revenue and divide in half

Some businesses never get off the ground, while others grow at such an amazing pace that annual estimates become immediately obsolete. However, you must be realistic about the time it will take for your efforts to really kick in.

Calculate how much you think you can make, then divide it in half and plan your expenses around that number instead. I started a business that facilitated recreational sports leagues in a community of 600,000 after getting the idea from a sports club in Chicago, home to more than two million people. The two markets were vastly different, so my estimates on participation and growth were way off: I ordered 2,000 jerseys for our first season and only 75 people signed up! For an entire year, I didn’t know if I was running a sports business or a T-shirt business.

3. Make free your favorite word

New businesses must keep expenses as low as possible, and it doesn’t get any lower than free! Brainstorm creative ways to grow and operate your business at little to no cost. Trade services with other businesses in any industry; for example, if you know graphic design but don’t have a clue about databases, consider swapping your design skills for free database setup.

Before spending money on marketing, take advantage of free methods to spread word about your new business. I used free listing services like Craigslist to advertise leagues and events, post job openings to find umpires and referees, and trade services with local screen printers and advertisers to keep our start-up costs extremely low.

4. Know your business well, but know yourself better

You and your business will practically be one entity for a while, so realize your morals and values when making decisions and building relationships. Don’t bash competitors or make business deals you don’t feel right about. Be the boss that you always wish you had, that you foresee others working for.

You must know who you are and how you’ll react to challenges and situations; stick with your core values and ensure your business is in line with them as well. Most importantly, make sure you love what you’re doing, since you’ll probably be working twice as hard for half as much money in the beginning.

5. Take a break, take a walk, take a shower

Entrepreneurship is exciting, but don’t let it consume you. To keep moving in the right direction with fresh ideas and new approaches to challenges, take breaks often.

It may be as easy as taking a walk; I happen to get my best business ideas in the shower.  Though my wife gets nervous whenever I emerge from the shower and say “I have an idea,” I find that I think more clearly when not thinking about business. Make time for breaks away from your new business so you can come back with a fresh perspective.

If you’re finally ready to start your own business, I encourage you to create a schedule, reduce your expectations, find things for free and figure out who you really are… then, go take a shower.

Steven Staley is the owner and founder of SoCo Sports, a sport and social club located in Sarasota, Florida.  He is also the creator, founder, and owner of Playbook Community, a free mobile application that connects athletes and sports organizers across the globe.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC leads #FixYoungAmerica, a solutions-based movement that aims to end youth unemployment and put young Americans back to work.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

The 21st-century workplace is a brave new world—new technology, new ways to connect and do business, and new demands on workers. To stay competitive—and employable—you’ll need to anticipate and embrace these changes.

So here are five predictions for business and careers in 2012, and some tips for making these forecasts work for you:

1. Continuous employment: multiple jobs and employers

Forget about spending a lifetime at the same firm and retiring with a gold watch. Younger Baby Boomers, born just when single-employer careers and pensions were beginning to wane, reported holding 11 jobs on average between the ages of 18 to 44, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.

Technology’s accelerating this multiple-job trend, easing the move to virtual organizations as people can more easily work remotely or as freelancers. In the near term, until the economy improves, businesses can be expected to postpone hiring decisions in favor of retaining contractors.

The savvy response: Keep your eye on the big picture—your long-range goals for your work life and career—even as you aim to excel in your current position. The multiple-job trend means you don’t have to settle for a dead end.

Some workers are riding this trend by working several jobs at once, what Nancy Shenker, founder and CEO of the ON Switch, calls being a “patchwork professional.” This can provide you with an employment safety net, along with opportunities to expand your skills, networks and income.

Fuel your journey with a commitment to lifelong learning (see Tip No. 4). Stay flexible, and view each job as a stepping-stone on your career path. If you concentrate on doing your best, you will undoubtedly discover opportunities for learning and professional growth.

2. Tiny but mighty: small businesses and self-employment will drive job creation

During recessions, business startups boom and small businesses create the most jobs. Many workers laid off during this recession are choosing self-employment. Keep an eye on healthcare and social services (where the BLS projects 26 percent of all new jobs will be created through 2018) and information technology for employment growth and competitive salaries.

As the number of solo workers grows, so will their need for business services, such as tech support aimed at small and medium-sized business.

The savvy response: Today’s business climate may be perfect to launch your own business-to-business company. Cash in on skills you already have—marketing, IT, accounting—to serve small businesses and startups.

Not ready to go it alone just yet? Join a business-networking group to test the waters. Check out local chapters of SCORE, a group dedicated to educating and mentoring entrepreneurs and small business owners, for advice and training.

3. Women rising: how working women will impact the marketplace

Women will continue to lead in the workplace and on college campuses. Women-owned companies are growing in number at twice the rate of all U.S. firms, create or maintain 23 million jobs, and contribute nearly $3 trillion to the economy. And women are earning more higher degrees than men.

Women-owned businesses are good places to work, too, as studies show that companies with women at the helm tend to be more financially successful than comparable male-led companies.

The savvy response: Take a look at women-owned businesses for employment and expansion opportunities. Of course, many women still work the “second shift,” taking the lead in home and family responsibilities. But businesses that cater to working women or dual-career families can be growth opportunities: specialized childcare, elder care, personal shopping, or food/meal services.

4.Education matters: lifelong learning will be vital to career success

In the global, technologically connected economy, employers can find skilled workers almost anywhere. To compete and stay employable, workers must be lifelong learners who continue to develop higher-order thinking skills and demonstrate that they can adopt new technology.

The savvy response: Take charge of your career’s trajectory. Inventory your skill set regularly, and seek education and training to fill any gaps.

Take a look at how your work skills align with those that will be needed in the future. Remember, the complex problems in today’s workplace require teamwork and collaboration. The ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines, or “transdisciplinarity,” will be increasingly valuable, so cultivate your curiosity and openness to new learning opportunities.

Develop the tools you’ll need to broaden your scope for employability or for offering new products and services. And join professional or business associations to keep up-to-date in your field.

5. Showing up for work: face time will become a precious commodity

Mobile and wireless technology now allow work environments to be set up practically anywhere, and people no longer need to commute to a physical location for meetings or to do business. In fact, according to a recent poll, more than one in six people in 22 countries report they telecommute regularly.

Instead, virtual collaboration will grow and become more sophisticated. In the current fast-paced work environment, expect face-to-face meetings to be deliberately brief, tightly focused, and rare.

The savvy response: The global marketplace works both ways: savvy workers can now sell their skills and expertise worldwide and work from anywhere. Master your mobile communication technology to market yourself or your business. Develop a talent for developing trust and authority in the online environments where more meetings and projects will be based in the future.

If you can become the go-to person in your office when it comes to reaching company goals with technology, you’ll find new opportunities calling for these in-demand skills will come your way… at your current job or beyond.

Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti is Vice President and Managing Director of Apollo Research Institute and a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s Media X program. Learn more about her latest book, Society 3.0, or visit Apollo Research Institute.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

As a small business owner, I learned what mistakes to avoid through trial and error. Over time, I turned my fledgling small business into a prosperous side business idea that has helped me create some great passive income.

Avoid these common mistakes made by new entrepreneurs to ensure the success of your business:

1. Starting a business in a new field

Trying to launch a business in an industry or area where you don’t have any prior experience can quickly lead to failure. Before you make the leap into starting a business, make sure you focus on your talents, passion and experience to pinpoint the right business for you. Combine your enthusiasm, experience and knowledge with a solid, organized business plan if you really want to succeed.

In my case, I took advantage of my previous retail experience in computers and my love of small electronics to launch a re-selling business online.

2. Trying to start your business on your own

Although this concept can work well in the beginning, trying to go it alone will only hamper your efforts to grow and expand your business. Initially it makes sense to cut costs by working alone, but soon enough you’ll need to make intelligent, calculated decisions about working with like-minded individuals to help your business grow.

Trying to track financial details slowed me down, so I brought on an accountant. Next, I hired a marketing consultant, who assisted me with advertising and expanding my business. In an ideal situation, you’d find the right business partner who complements your skill set and takes on additional responsibilities.

3. Not adapting to changing business conditions

I started off with a fairly detailed business plan. But I soon realized that if I stuck to that plan completely and didn’t make adjustments as the industry and the market changed, my business would fail.

Learn to adapt as you grow your business. Don’t be afraid to change your target market or scrap unsatisfactory marketing initiatives. Recognize the fluidity of your small business, focus on what positively and negatively affects your business plan, and adjust your growth model accordingly.

One of the best ways to help yourself succeed is by focusing on positive cash flow. To consistently achieve this goal, you must adapt to new market conditions, including the presence of new competitors in your industry.

4. Being deathly afraid of making mistakes

You engage in a great deal of risk when you launch a small business, and most of it involves your personal finances. However, you can’t be afraid to make mistakes, even if they cost you money.

Instead, learn to quickly identify errors in judgment, determine why they occurred, and make immediate adjustments so they don’t happen again. Learning from your mistakes and moving forward after you make them can make you more resilient over the long-term.

Lastly, not only can it help with increasing revenues, but you can also save on expenses by being more daring. For example, some of the best cost cutting ideas for small businesses involve taking a risk or changing the status quo for how your company operates.

5. Avoiding risk

Continue to take risks as your business evolves. As one of my businesses grew, I wrote a personal finance book and self-published it for $2,000. The initial sales of the book were soft, and for many months, it appeared that I spent the money in vain.

But over time, the book became profitable and I made that money back ten times over. If you encounter an idea to expand your business that feels “risky,” research the pros and cons of the concept. If the idea still seems viable after your analysis, go for it!

6. Quitting if you run out of cash

No successful entrepreneur ever let money stand in the way of achieving business goals. If you have a great business idea, a passion for the concept, and you’re willing to work hard, you can always find ways to fund your business proposition. Cut costs in your everyday life to free up capital, apply for an SBA loan, approach angel investors, or even utilize some of the best small business credit cards.

If you can’t find funding, you don’t have to give up on the business idea altogether. Timing also plays a role in business success. It might make sense to start more slowly, and to put off aggressive expansion efforts and attempts to find additional funding until your business begins to show a steady profit.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit, harness it! Starting a business could help you generate income, and it might even lead to quitting your day job.

Someone once said, “you’ll never get rich working for someone else.” But you also won’t become successful if you don’t take some risks, ask for help, and adapt to an ever-changing business climate.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made while launching your small business?

David Bakke is a small business owner and contributor for the personal finance website, Money Crashers, where he shares tips for money management, entrepreneurship, and retirement savings.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.

But it doesn’t have to be all gloom and doom. You may feel like you’re drowning in debt, but believe it or not, you can still enjoy life as a young professional.

Here’s a simple guide to saving a few dollars, so you can make new friends without breaking the bank. Remember, those pesky student loans don’t have to be an anchor!

1. Give couponing a chance. Really. Coupons are all the rage, which means you can now participate without feeling like you’re 21 on your way to 65.

If you haven’t seen the TLC show “Extreme Couponing,” check it out for a few pointers. Scan through your local newspaper for deals, too.

While it definitely takes time and dedication, once you’ve got the hang of it you could save some significant dough each month. You might even turn couponing into a small gathering with friends to make it more enjoyable.

2. Get rid of your cable TV. The average cable bill costs between $50 and $100 each month. Even if you’re splitting the bill with a roommate or spouse, it still adds to your monthly bills – and that can be a real drain on the paycheck.

Companies like Hulu, Netflix and now YouTube make streaming TV and movies cheap and easy. After all, most of the major networks post TV shows in its entirety shortly after their broadcast.

3. Brown bag your lunch. Going out for lunch everyday can easily cost $10 to $20 – or more. If you brown bag it, you could save an average of $200 a month, and that can easily go towards your student loan payment.

Plus, making your own lunch tends to be healthier.

4. Motivate yourself with a rewards programs. Whether you frequent a coffee shop, clothing store or grocery store, ask the customer service reps about their rewards programs. Usually they are free to sign up and can offer some sweet deals even if it’s just a small discount towards your next purchase.

For example, if you like chocolate – and who doesn’t?! – sign up for the Godiva rewards program and receive a free chocolate every month!

5. Ditch the car. If it’s feasible, sell your car. It might sound outrageous and radical, but if you live in a city or close to reliable public transportation, you’ll save on high gas prices, monthly insurance and yearly maintenance costs.

This could be a dramatic change but one well worth it in the long run. And this shift, too, could help you live a healthier lifestyle.

6. Find bargains at your local library. Often times your local library will offer a variety of free programs and events that are worth checking out – you might even run into some new friends who share your interests.

Or you can find the latest best-selling novel and enjoy it for free, a perk may of us forget about once we’ve left college. You may have to wait a few weeks for the book, but that’s well worth a savings of $15 or so.

7. Volunteer. Sometimes the best ways to attend an event or festival is to volunteer – and it usually means you get in for free.

Check out local non-profits or businesses in your area to see what programs they host. This is also a good way to give back to your community and help someone in need.

8. Try upscale resale shopping. There is nothing to be embarrassed about if you shop at consignment stores. In fact, it’s become quite trendy.

Thrift stores are the cheapest places to buy clothes, but sometimes they can be limited in their selection. Try substituting just a portion of your retail shopping for thrift shopping and see how much you save. Or look for a local high-end consignment store and you might be surprised at the bargains.

9. Ask for company reimbursements. If you belong to a gym or professional career-related organization outside of your employment, check in with your human resources department to see whether they’ll reimburse for a membership fee.

And if you use a mobile phone for work, ask whether your company will pay part of your bill.

10. Grow your own food. This may not be for everyone, but if you have the space, it could be worthwhile – and even fun – to consider growing your own food. Not only will it reduce your grocery expenses, but the nutritional value and taste is better than store-bought produce.

If you enjoy being outside, gardening might also be a relaxing way to spend your weekend.

11. Take a coupon vacation. Just because your student loans are weighing you down doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and go on vacation now and again. Living Social, Groupon, Google Offers, TravelZoo and many other companies have made vacationing, taking classes and dining out into relatively affordable and fun experiences.

If you aren’t already signed up for these couponing websites, it’s free and worth a few extra emails in your inbox. Who doesn’t want to go kayaking or enjoy a delicious meal for half the price? If you don’t want to sift through those daily emails, check out Yipit , which does the dirty work for you.

Jennifer DePaul is a tax reporter for The Bond Buyer. She is based in Washington, D.C. and hails from New Hampshire.

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Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work -- this isn't your parents' career-advice blog. Be Brazen.