Mathematicians landed the top spot in a new study ranking the best and worst jobs in the U.S. A look at how other occupations fared.
![[Facebook friending Julia Angwin The Decoder]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CX270_fb_pro_A_20090105174318.jpg)
One reason why it's OK to become "friends" with people online who you don't like in real life: These acquaintances could come in very handy when looking for a job or a new career.
![[Attracting talent]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CX021_magnet_A_20090102164025.jpg)
Sick businesses often need fresh talent to recover. But attracting star players during bankruptcy can be difficult.
![[How to manage up]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CW958_lencio_A_20090102101952.jpg)
How to manage up? Start by accepting that your boss actually does want to improve his management skills, argues Patrick Lencioni in a guest column.
![[Stenograph Machine]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CW595_CJ_Pay_A_20081229172010.jpg)
If you're looking for a new career, consider becoming a court reporter. Job opportunities are plentiful but first you need to learn how to quickly take shorthand using a machine called a stenograph.
![[New High-School Elective: Put Off College]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CW593_CJ_Jun_A_20081229171737.jpg)
More high-schoolers are opting for a gap year -- taking a year off before going to college -- for an opportunity to gain life experience and focus on personal goals.
![[No-layoff policies crumble]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CW466_layoff_A_20081229093017.jpg)
The recession is prompting layoffs at long-established employers that avoided job cuts in previous downturns.
![[Banker Gins Up a Liquor]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-AN904_pjESEC_A_20081229154101.jpg)
How Anshuman Vohra, who set his sights on becoming a banker in New York City, came to launch premium gin company Bulldog Gin.
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Many American workers idled by the layoffs this year are trying to re-enter a shrinking pool of jobs. It won't be easy.
![[How to motivate employees]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CW120_motiva_A_20081223140408.jpg)
Workers are burned out and anxious after a brutal year. How can managers rally them for more tough times ahead?
![[Avoiding the Ax: Where the Jobs Are]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CV960_CJ_OUT_A_20081222170859.jpg)
While the employment landscape looks sparse right now, the outlook for 2009 isn't uniformly bleak -- and is downright bright in some recession-resistant industries.
Although I wouldn't have guessed it, losing my job has brought about positive changes.
While finding a new job in a recession is tough, midcareer job seekers have some advantages, career experts say.
![[How to spot resume fraud]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CH871_CJSear_C_20080912091511.jpg)
As more people look for jobs – and become increasingly desperate -- hiring managers need to be on guard, experts say.
Some government and business leaders might dream of playing golf or traveling abroad after retirement, but 81-year-old Sadako Ogata chose instead to manage one of the world's biggest bilateral aid agencies.
![[How I Got Here]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CO003_CJ_Hig_C_20081023094925.jpg)
As a teenager in Ecuador in the late 1950s, Napoleon Barragan dreamt of coming to America and running his own business. About a decade later he founded 1800-Mattress.
There are a number of salary calculators and online Web sites, but many offer just an aggregated or best-guess figure. A few sites, however, offer more.
Double Eagle Petroleum's new employment agreements curtail a time-honored executive perquisite: no severance in cases of "poor performance."
Top U.S. business schools canceled the admissions-test scores of 84 applicants and students.
Voluntary buyout packages seem to be commonplace in Corporate America during troubled times. Here are few things to consider as you decide to accept or reject that offer.
![[Businesses Say Theft by Their Workers Is Up]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-AT399_theft__A_20081210174030.jpg)
In the wake of the recession, more businesses are facing a growing financial threat: employee theft.
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![[Networking video]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/AK-AI233_NETWOR_A_20081215163605.jpg)
Ways to jump start a network that's out-of-date and to rebuild rapport with former friends and colleagues.
![[Tips for getting things done]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CU199_gtdpro_A_20081208164023.jpg)
To tame the overload of emails, meetings and other nagging tasks, office-workers are turning to new techniques to bolster their productivity.
![[Kashmir]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CU118_1208_b_A_20081208135402.jpg)
A mother and war correspondent has a hard time letting go even when she's half a world away.
Bush will tout the successes of his No Child Left Behind education reform and challenge Democrats not to weaken it, in one of his final speeches recapping his record.
Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon agreed to remain at the helm for at least five years, under a new contract that provides him a $75 million bonus.
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![[Making difficult decisions]](http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-CX576_toughc_A_20090107173723.jpg)
Chris McGill left a well-paying job to start a new business: Mixx.com. He tells us how he made the tough call.

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