Should You Date Your Coworker?

Maybe he is your work husband. Maybe he just started working there. Or maybe you just looked up and noticed this attractive morsel of a man when you went into the break room during lunch. Regardless of how it began, you realize that you’re starting to catch feelings for your coworker. The walks to Starbucks, flirtatious e-mail banter, and long convos after happy hour are manifesting into something more. But should you cross the line? Should you entertain dating your coworker?

Before venturing down this road, see if he even wants a real relationship. You might just be his kick it buddy. Hanging out with you between 9 am and 5 pm might be all he wants. Or maybe he wouldn’t mind if you stopped by his apartment after work, but for nothing more than guilt-free fooling around. Don’t put all your eggs in this basket if for naught.

You should also research employee relations guidelines at your job. Some companies make both of you sign a document that takes the heat off the company let something get hairy between y’all. And if your place of work has something like this in place, sneaking around at work might jeopardize your employment. Also, high-profile companies and organizations don’t like scandals in general (who does) so even if they don’t have a policy that covers something like this, keep in mind that if this escalated badly, it could bring negative attention to your job.

Consider what is the worse case scenario in this. Are you mature enough to find out that he’s really married? What if he just stops contacting you altogether one day? If the [expletive] hits the fan, are you going to wild out or nah? Harassment on or off campus could get you fired. But also, is he mature enough to not let a potentially sour ending or bad argument ruin your business relationship? If he’s ranked higher on the corporate chain than you, you might want to make sure that he won’t make your life hell. Mixing your personal life with your professional life is not always the move.

There is a lot to chew on if you’re adamant on pursuing a fling or relationship with a coworker. Remember that your livelihood means more than a free dinner or a quickie. Pray on it first, sis.

Budget Like a Boss

If you are like me, you like to go out to eat with friends, you like to buy shoes and clothes, you like to get your nails and hair done AND you like to pay your bills. I also, prefer to not think twice about spending my money. How can I do this? The answer is simple. Budgeting!

Establishing a budget will allow you to create a spending plan for the things you need and want to spend money on each month. The thing to remember about budgeting is to treat it as a guideline for your spending rather than a restriction.

The first step in creating a budget is determining the amount of money you are bringing home each month. If you are on a salary, this should not be too difficult. If you are paid hourly, you can do this one of two ways. The first would be to look at your paystubs for the past several months and average the amounts. The second, requires a little more time and a lot more math. It involves calculating average hours, converting that to pay, and accounting for taxes. So, if you have the option, go with the first method.

Now that you have accounted for your income, you need to take a look at your expenses and differentiate your needs from your wants. Distinguish which expenses you know to expect each month, things that you decide to purchase, and other infrequent costs. You can classify your expenditures into one of four categories:

  • Fixed- set amount, due on a regular schedule (i.e. rent/mortgage, car payments, insurance)
  • Variable- due on a regular basis; amount may vary (i.e. utilities)
  • Flexible – choice expenses (i.e. entertainment, dining out, shopping)
  • Unexpected- irregular expenses (i.e. emergency repairs, travel, gifts)

You’ll want to monitor ALL of your spending for one full month and I do mean EVERYTHING. Hold onto those receipts, ladies!

Now, take all of this information and put it into a worksheet. There are tons to choose from. Most Microsoft Office products come equipped with some sort of budget template. Since, I am a full time student, I used the College Budget Template in Excel, which gives me a graphical depictions of my spending.

budget pic

Here are a few basic recommendations for putting together your budget:

  • Tithes – 10% (Malachi 3:10)
  • Housing costs – 30-33% (this includes rent, insurance, HOA dues)
  • Transportation – 15% – (car note, gas, insurance, oil changes, etc.)
  • Savings – 5-10%

What are some elements in your budget? Share comments, below.

The Top 10 Interview Questions You Must Prepare For

Class of 2015 graduates, pay attention. Homegirls feeling complacent at work, take heed. Glassdoor has compiled the 50 Most Common Interview Questions. As they put it, “one of the best ways to get ready for a job interview is to practice your responses to any and all interview questions.” Here are the top 10 questions you’ll probably come across at least during a phone interview:

  1. What are your strengths?
  2. What are your weaknesses?
  3. Why are you interested in working for [insert company name here]?
  4. Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
  5. Why do you want to leave your current company?
  6. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?
  7. What can you offer us that someone else can not?
  8. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
  9. Are you willing to relocate?
  10. Are you willing to travel?

So as you prepare to befriend Taleo and push those resumes out, start prepping yourself to answer these questions. And remember to have your own questions to ask too. You’ll be more prepared when you get that job interview. Good luck!