Blog Posts by The Daily Muse

Walk of ShameIt starts out innocently enough-just a beer at happy hour after work with your boss. But the next thing you know, it's way past your bedtime and you're still pounding drinks, telling her who-knows-what deep, dark secrets that were definitely better left nice and dark.

And it's Tuesday.

So, here you are, Wednesday morning, having to face not only the way-too-bright fluorescent lights of your office, but your now-too-all-knowing manager. What now?

While the post-confessional morning is never fun, how you handle the work walk of shame is incredibly important-for making you both feel a little less awkward and for putting your relationship back on a professional note. So, if last night went a little too far, here are a few smart tips for navigating the morning after.

Get Back to Work

Regardless of what you may have revealed the night before-anything from your current job-hunting endeavors to your one-night stand with Bob from accounting-what your boss really wants to know is that you Read More »from Walk of Shame: How to Handle the Morning After Happy Hour

FOMO. Even if you haven't heard of it, you've definitely experienced it. That sinking feeling in your stomach when you see that your friends are all Instagramming photos of their fun night out, while your only plans involve your couch and Ben and Jerry's? Classic FOMO. It stands for "fear of missing out," and it's almost unavoidable in today's connected, competitive, share-it-all-online society.

Unfortunately, FOMO can be even more painful when it strikes our professional lives. After all, while you can quell your fear of missing out socially by making new friends or finding new hobbies, you're more or less stuck with your co-workers. The last thing that you want to do is watch from the sidelines while they get exciting opportunities, tackle the best projects, and make new connections at work.

If you're worried that you're being passed over for projects, excluded from meetings, or just left out of office events in general, its time to take action. We've created five simple steps to

Read More »from Feeling Left Out? How to Handle FOMO in the Office

Mistakes at Work

When you're the new girl at work, you do everything in your power to stay on your best behavior. You show up to the office early, leave late, dress conservatively, and absolutely never, ever check your Facebook page from your work computer.

But, as the weeks go by, it's easy to slide into a sense of comfort and let your guard down, following in the footsteps of your co-workers (who know just how far they can bend the rules). And soon, you're missing deadlines, tweeting covertly, making excuses as to why you're not as productive as before, and in general, setting yourself up for a not-so-great performance review.

So what happened? Well, it's simple-you forgot the basics. If you're looking for a way to get back into gear, revisit the advice you got when you were first starting out in the professional world, and follow these easy (but often ignored) bits of advice.

1. Stop Using Excuses

Just like your puppy dog eyes didn't work to convince your 8th grade teacher that your

Read More »from 4 Work Mistakes You Don't Realize You're Making

Shyness at WorkShyness is nice and shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you'd like to." -The Smiths

This song (penned by a lovely Englishman named Morrissey) appeared on many a mix tape in my high school days-and no music was sweeter to my little ol' adolescent ears.

As I lay and listened (in overly-dramatic repose) and stared up at the stucco ceiling in my room, I could replay countless sweaty-palmed, heart-pounding moments of acute awkwardness (usually involving shaking hands with strangers or standing behind a podium speaking publicly). Mr. Steven Patrick Morrissey was, indeed, speaking my language.

Yes, despite my brash online braggadocio-it's true. I am shy. And, since I know firsthand what it's like to be blessed with bashfulness in an office environment-I'd like to help. Today we'll examine how shyness comes in all shapes and shades (i.e., the difference between an introverted personality type versus a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder) and explore some

Read More »from Is Shyness Holding You Back at Work?

Shouldn't Bother Applying to a Job

If you're in desperation mode-i.e., totally miserable in your current gig or job hunting for the fourth unemployed month in a row-it's temping to apply for any link your mouse lands on.

But if you're set on finding a career that you actually love (which you should be!), stop applying willy-nilly to every job listing you stumble upon, and start focusing on finding the positions that make you excited to ditch your pajamas for the power suit hiding in the back of your closet.

How do you find these gems? Well, first off, you have to learn how to filter out the job listings that just aren't worth your time. If you're not sure exactly what to avoid, here are four signs that you should close your browser window and continue your search elsewhere.

1. It Seems a Little Fishy

If you find a job listing that doesn't mention a specific company name, legitimate website, or any contact information besides an encrypted email address-well, that's a sign you're looking on

Read More »from 4 Signs You Shouldn't Bother Applying to a Job

Let's face it: Most of us are constantly on the go, without the luxury of time to change between a day at the office and an evening function or dinner out. But that doesn't mean you need to show up to dates looking like you just ran there from the office (even if you did!).

Instead, create a look that can quickly be transformed from work to play. Here are three steps to going from desk to dinner in a flash-plus some great outfits to inspire your own day-to-night look.

This article was originally published on The Daily Muse . For more workplace style, check out:

• 8 Workplace Style Bloggers We Love
• Secrets for Building a Fab Work Wardrobe from Scratch
• Conservative Work Outfits (That Are Actually Cute)

Jenny Cao-Wu is the founder of Freshionable.com and currently resides in Honolulu, Hawai'i. As a former strategy consultant, Jenny experienced the challenges women face in expressing their individual style while working in conservative Read More »from Going Out After Work? 3 Steps to Transform Your Outfit

If you're obsessed with all things style, why not work for a company that feels the same way? If you're looking for a new job (or just want to do some window shopping), take a peek inside the offices of five fashion and beauty companies that are hiring now.

Giorgio Armani Beauty

Armani

Giorgio Armani Beauty creates beautiful cosmetics and fragrances that make luxury accessible to everyone. In its gorgeous (and eco-friendly) Manhattan office space, staffers share space with other L'Oreal luxury brands, including Ralph Lauren and YSL, to get style inspiration (and a little healthy competition!).

See Giorgio Armani Beauty's Office

Sephora

In addition to being an amazing beauty retailer, Sephora is a great place to work. "It's innovative, hip... and you never know what you're going to get!" says one staffer. But a few things are for sure: fabulous co-workers, tons of growth potential, and a monthly "no work talk" brunch.

See Sephora's Office

Gucci

As one of the world'sRead More »from Love Beauty? 5 Places You Should Work

Creating the Job of Your DreamsImagine the ideal version of your current role-the same job, but tailored specifically to fit your interests and strengths. You'd keep the responsibilities you love, cut out the duties you dread, and add on a few projects that you've been dying to get your hands on. Sound too good to be true? I admit, creating this ideal job sounds like a pretty lofty goal. In fact, I'd probably scoff at the idea-if I hadn't just done it successfully myself! I started out at my company managing internal, employee-facing communications, but recently expanded my role to include collaborating with the company's PR team. While I enjoyed my initial position, I wanted the opportunity to work with media outlets and constituents outside of the company (which is common in a PR-focused role). Rather than looking for new job, I decided to present the idea of a new position to my boss, and I ended up creating my perfect gig. So, if your current role isn't everything you want it to be, remember that you don't

Read More »from How I Created the Job of My Dreams