I’m almost an MBA. I don’t want to be known as just a nanny!

What does she do all day long?

Dear Office Politics,

I work in a small group of four people—one manager, two professionals, and myself. My position is a cross between professional and support duties. The manager and myself are assigned to multiple programs. The two professionals belong to one program. These programs serve a tremendous amount of external clients (over 7,000). I can never keep up with my professional duties much less providing adequate office manager functions. My manager understands. He pitches in when he can but often asks the two professionals to assist me with the professional work in the program.

Recently one professional revealed that the other professional has been making negative remarks about me, comments such as “what does she do all day long?” Normally I wouldn’t put much stock into such hearsay, except the one professional is known to be critical, brusque and controlling. (Fortunately, she also has good qualities!)

Forecast: Heavy job cuts into early 2009

Uncharacteristically heavy job cutting over the summer months could lead to the largest post-Labor Day downsizing since 2002. Furthermore, the surge in layoffs is expected to extend into the first three to four months of 2009 as retailers, airlines, consumer products manufacturers and other sectors of the economy absorb the impact of significantly lower holiday spending by consumers.

(Plus How To Rebound From A Job Loss and How To Survive Mass Layoffs)

Holiday Hiring Forecast: Weak

BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER
Bleak conditions for retailers as the holiday selling period approaches are expected to keep seasonal hiring well below last year’s level, according to the annual holiday hiring forecast by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
Retailers are facing an uphill battle this year. Consumers are tapped and credit is increasingly harder to come by. Meanwhile, retailers’ shipping costs are ballooning thanks to gas prices, and the weak dollar is raising the price of imported goods. With profits already getting squeezed, most retailers are going to be reluctant to take on the additional cost of extra staffing.
While Challenger anticipates some holiday hiring this year, it is expected to fall well short of the 727,500 seasonal job gains averaged over the previous decade. In fact, if spring hiring is any indication, this could be the weakest holiday hiring season since 2001, when retail employment grew by only 585,300 jobs, as consumer and retailer confidence plummeted in the wake of September 11th.