National Edition - April 23, 2006  Cubicles: The great mistake Cubicle-dwellers have Robert Propst to thank for inventing the modern-day office space, circa 1968. Prior to his death, the industrial designer at Herman Miller looked back on the “Action Office” as his greatest mistake in contributing to the “monolithic insanity” that is corporate America. (Source: Fortune) In the workplace, profanity can show status Swearing a blue streak, like a sailor, may be acceptable when out at sea. However, in today’s more genial workplace, two schools of thought exist. Some managers tolerate strong language as proof that employees are passionate about their work. Others think a potty-mouth demonstrates a lack of vocabulary. So it’s best to know where someone stands before launching into a tirade of your favourite invectives. (Source: Pittsburg Post Gazette) Cubi-cool A new book by an interior designer features suggestions about how to beautify any drab, grey cubicle with different decors. The author envisions several options that will personalize your workspace, transforming it into a fab oasis of calm and productivity. The several motifs, like "safaricube," "discocube" and "zencube," are enough to make any corner-office suit green with envy. (Source: Girlawhirl) CEOs say how you treat a waiter can predict a lot about character "Excuse me, waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!" How you handle yourself during a business lunch reveals a lot about you to those in your party. It would be a mistake to think that such an occasion is a time to relax and let it all hang out. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, everything, from your table manners to your interactions with the wait staff, is under scrutiny. It could be a make-or-break moment for the future of your career. (Source: USA Today) You've got too much mail Rather than just filtering email communications for viruses and spam, companies are now taking greater measures to protect employees from being overwhelmed by the deluge pouring into their email accounts. There’s a mistaken, but widespread, perception that sending lots of email messages is a sign of productivity. (Source: Macleans) Do you. . . miss your double-double jolt of caffeine? To keep morale and alertness high among Canadian soldiers on their tour of duty in Afghanistan, Tim Horton’s will open an outpost at the Canadian base in Kandahar. The coffee and doughnut company is looking for 15 recruits, among their employees, who are willing to work at this far-flung location. Rather than the usual pay, employees can expect a handsome monthly salary as well as room and board. (Source: Reuters) April 23 – 29 National Volunteer Week Canada-wide April 25 - 26 RFID Solutions 2006 Montreal, Quebec April 26 British Columbia Skills Competition Abbotsford, BC April 28 – May 7 Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts Toronto, ON May 1 – 3 Ontario Skills Competition Kitchener, ON May 1 – 4 Learning to Listen- Learning to Teach Vancouver, BC May 2 – 3 Alberta Skills Competition Edmonton, AB May 3 – 5 International Development Days Winnipeg, MB May 3 – 5 Building Tomorrow Today Edmonton, AB May 10 – 13 Quebec Skills Competition Quebec City, QC May 11 Adventa Job Fair and Career Expo Toronto, ON May 15 – 18 Learning to Listen - Learning to Teach Ottawa, ON May 23 – 26 Canadian Skills Competition (CSC) Halifax, NS May 24 – 25 BIOMEDEX 2006 Montreal, QC May 28 – 30 ACCC Annual Conference: The Learning Stampede Calgary, AB May 28 – 30 CASAE Annual Conference: The City, A Festival of Knowledge Toronto, ON May 30 BIOTECanada-Biogen Idec Canada Teaching Excellence Award (application deadline) Nation-wide May 31 – June 2 16th Annual Canadian Conference on Intelligent Systems Victoria, BC June 4 - 6 The 2006 Apprenticeship Conference Montreal, QC June 5 6th Annual YES Self-employed Artists Conference Montreal, QC June 6 Top 20 Under 20 Award Celebration Event Toronto, ON June 8 – 10 Vitalize 2006 Edmonton, AB Suggest a career-related event NOTICE: Jobboom and its sponsors do not necessarily endorse the opinions conveyed in the articles selected for this e-zine and do not assume any legal liability in consequence thereof. Comments: info@jobboom.com Research and editing: Austin Macdonald #noDossier#