personal improvement

Huskies pulling a dogsled How to Stay Cool in a Crisis

In times of crisis, we can find ways to accomplish things at work that come from sources having nothing to do with work—or at least work as we know it. All types of activities from all walks of life can offer advice about how to deal with stressful situations and stay productive. Here's how to keep cool under pressure.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
Employee receiving feedback Seeking Feedback the Right Way

Receiving negative feedback can be uncomfortable. You may immediately get defensive. But to grow personally and in your career, you need to be able to receive feedback—both good and bad. Here's how to recognize the three types of feedback you will get, and know how to solicit it and respond to it in the right way.

Allison Scholz's picture
Allison Scholz
Stylish older woman with gray hair wearing a fedora Aging Gracefully in QA

Employee churn is inevitable in every industry, and positions are being filled by fresh young faces all the time. Instead of becoming worried or insecure, senior team members should embrace their new status as someone to be looked up to for experience, lessons, and mentoring abilities. Here's how to do that in QA.

Mukesh Sharma's picture
Mukesh Sharma
Cozy home office 7 Tips to Make Working from Home Work for You

At first glance, working from home might sound ideal, and it can be. But even with all the benefits, there are also numerous challenges. Deciding where, how, and when to work can take some adjustment. As more people are asked to or choose to work from home, these seven tips can help make the most out of remote work.

Owen Gotimer's picture
Owen Gotimer
Employee frustrated by her absentee leader Absentee Leadership: The Worst Kind of Manager

Absentee leaders are managers who are physically present but psychologically absent. They are incompetent and disengaged, to the extent that they don't support their teams adequately. If you have an absentee manager (and don’t have the luxury of seeking another position), here's how you can try to handle the situation.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
Question mark drawn on a chalkboard To Be a Better Tester, Ask the Right Questions

Critical thinking is a core trait a software tester needs to succeed, and asking questions is a great skill to help. Questioning brings out the required information, breaks assumptions, and enables everyone on the team to give their perspectives. But there's an art to asking the right question at the right time.

Rajini  Padmanaban's picture
Rajini Padmanaban
Text with red proofreading marks For Professional Communication, Check Your Grammar and Punctuation

If you want to be taken seriously at work, you should pay careful attention to your grammar and punctuation in proposals, formal emails, instructions, presentations, blog posts, resumes—pretty much any important written communication. If you frequently make style and usage mistakes, your credibility can take a hit.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
Sand running through an hourglass 5 Strategies for Better Time Management

When you read about time management techniques, the most common advice is often to just get work done. But for many people, it’s harder than that. If you’re getting pulled in many different directions and having to juggle lots of different tasks, these strategies can bring your time management to the next level.

Emma Lee's picture
Emma Lee