Career Advice

The higher stress and higher risk your profession, the more likely your marriage won’t survive. Does this sound at all like your job? Sure sounds like Jeff Bezos’ – the billionaire and Amazon CEO recently twittered divorce plans after 25 years of marriage to MacKenzie Bezos. With a mantra of “Get Big Fast,” Bezos’ rule over the trillion-dollar retail empire must be a bruising pressure cooker of worry, risks and devotion.

Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, had to justify his job constantly. Could you explain yours – and the value you add – if it meant avoiding the boot? Comes a time your boss might ask why your ass shouldn’t get canned. Like after you’ve screwed up majorly. Or the company’s cleaning house: sweeping away dead wood, decluttering redundancies. Speaking of Houses, the one Sir John A. Macdonald oversaw is Parliament. First Prime Minister of Canada, he was, back in 1867. Bet your jodhpurs he had to justify his job. Most folks didn’t know a legislature from horse manure.

The stuff of SciFi no longer augmented and virtual reality may affect how your job’s done. If wearing bulky headgear to watch 3D video cranks ya, you’ll love what’s coming to workplaces. Virtual Reality (VR) makes simulations a snap. Augmented Reality (AR) puts reams of data at eye level. This type of tech is popular with gamers. Because it’s still clunky and uber pricey, it won’t migrate to workplaces overnight. When it does here’s what to expect.

If you make them just to break ‘em, give it a rest. New Year’s fresh face is peeking around the corner. Time for our fave annual self-delusion: making resolutions there’s no hope in hell of keeping. If you’re hooked on committing to professional improvement, at least ignore hokey pledges most folk break as fast as they make.

It was kind of a mixed year for job growth, with some clouds and bright spots coming up. This past year was meh for Canadian employment. Overall about 220,000 net jobs were added. That’s an increase of about 1.2% in a dozen months. Bizarrely almost half of that came in November alone. Anyway, our labour force grew by 175,000 people in that same period. So really job growth covered that and a bit more. On the plus side, almost all the added positions turned out to be full-time.

When it comes to festive gatherings, the office party is arguably the trickiest to navigate. Aside from monitoring your eggnog intake to ensure you’re charming Becky from accounting and not telling her what you really think of her new haircut, there’s the inevitable transition from nine-to-five to partywear. For men, going from the boardroom to the bar is a no-brainer. Of course, you’ll want to step up your game this time of year, considering your festive get-together is basically an invitation to sartorially outshine your office rival. For women, the changeover isn’t as straightforward. You’ll want to look polished, but not too professional. Celebratory, but not seductive. To top it off, there’s the puzzling dress code “clarification” email that circulated. “Holiday spirit,” “festive dressy,” and “smart casual” do little to illuminate the sartorial conundrum. To help you get through the season in style, we’ve rounded up the very best desk-appropriate costume changes. This year, you can leave your Santa hat at home.

Just like in work, when it comes to dressing, monotony is a dangerous thing. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine – and consequently, lost in a sea of suits. Don’t let your old habits hold you back. This winter, break free from the corporate mould with the season’s sharpest silhouettes. Unexpected pairings, daring plaids and warm tones are the pieces that will get you noticed. Here’s our guide to standing out – and getting ahead – in style.

It may be legal to use marijuana at company festivities but do so inoffensively. ‘Tis the season to be merry-juana. So should you partake of herb at your office party? Everyone else is getting sloshed; it only seems fitting. Thing is if you’re going to get stoned there observe the etiquette. Being buzzed among coworkers and bosses poses some different perils than boozing.

It may be legal to use marijuana at company festivities but do so inoffensively. ‘Tis the season to be merry-juana. So should you partake of herb at your office party? Everyone else is getting sloshed; it only seems fitting. Thing is if you’re going to get stoned there observe the etiquette. Being buzzed among coworkers and bosses poses some different perils than boozing.