No.
It's one of the shortest words in the English language, and yet, for so many it is incredibly hard to say in the professional world. Employees are too often afraid that by saying 'no' to anything from -a project to severance- they will somehow tarnish their reputation. Within reason, of course, this is absurd, and may just be the thing that is keeping you from reaching your true potential. That's right- instead of saying yes to everything, see what happens when you say no. 

I stumbled upon this little secret quite by accident. The first time it happened, I was a radio DJ living blissfully in Omaha, Nebraska. Say what you will about the Heartland, but that time and place were a huge highlight of my career. Most people never get to see what a gem of a city Omaha really is. I was in heaven. So when a potential new employer in a bigger city offered me more money for a more high-profile job, I said no. It may sound crazy, but I was that happy in Omaha.
 
But here's the thing. That would-be employer? He didn't take no for an answer. Instead, he came back with an offer for more money! Believe it or not, I said no a second time. I wasn't playing games. And guess what he did? Yep. He came back again, only this time he asked me to come say no in person. Now it just so happened that I had a good friend living in that particular city, and I saw it as a great way to network professionally, while catching up with my friend.  Needless to say, the weekend was a huge success, and the rest was history. My friend needed a roommate, and the employer offered me even more money. Turns out that by saying no I made the employer want me even more. 

Years later, I would use the 'no' secret again. It was at the end of a job; not the beginning, but it still had a positive outcome.

I had been working at a start-up that was clearly not working out the way I'd hoped. I could see the writing on the wall. The media department I had been hired for never got off the ground, department heads were let go, and layoffs began. I began to brace myself for being laid off, and to tell you the truth, I was fine with it, because whereas I had kept my promise to do the "temporary" research they asked of me, they never kept their promise to utilize my twenty years of media experience (in all fairness, those who had made these promises were let go, and the few remaining didn't seem interested in my television background). So in those last few weeks, I went to work knowing the hammer could fall at any time. 

When the layoffs began I wasn't surprised. Day after day someone new would be called into HR, and leave the building with a cardboard box. The day they called me in, I was mentally prepared. I went in, and listened closely to what they had to say. I said nothing beyond nodding, and telling them I understood.  I thanked the HR professional for her time. That can't be a fun job. The underboss, a young man decidedly fresh out of college, explained that I had a right to speak with the CEO, and here's where it got interesting. I said yes, I definitely wanted the outgoing interview with the Big Cheese. 

"You want the meeting?" he asked confused.
​
"Yes, I do."

"But you'll just have to come back again. He's not here."

"That's fine," I said before leaving with my cardboard box. 

People get funny when you've been laid off. As I left that day, there was a wake of condolences as good wishes from my coworkers, and whereas I appreciated that, I didn't need it. I couldn't have had a healthier mind-set. You see, in my original line of work, Radio, lay-offs are par for the course. They are so commonplace that you begin to accept them as inevitable, so when I was laid off of the start-up, it was really no biggie to me, especially since it wasn't the job they'd advertised. I don't think anyone expected to see me so upbeat on my way out. It was liberating! 

When I got outside that day, I had a great idea. I immediately called my friend, Mary Jane, an expert in HR. 

"MJ," I said. "I think I want to try a social experiment."
I explained that I had just been laid off, and that after everything, the severance packages were pretty meager. 

"Do I have to accept what they offer? Can I ask for more?"

"Sure," Mary Jane said laughing. "They don't have to give it to you, but I'll bet with your positive attitude they just might. It's worth a shot- what have you got to lose?" MJ and I shared another laugh and she wished me luck.

The very next day I dressed well for my exit interview. When I arrived, the energy in the room was strange. Some people looked at me with surprise, like  "Why is she here?" Others were already aware of what I was trying, and they were all smiles. The younger boss who had given me the news just the day before approached me sheepishly.  A newfound confidence swelled inside me as I smiled at him. 

During my meeting, I was cordial, professional, and very upbeat. I explained that I absolutely understood the reason for their changes. I consoled them for having to let so many talented people go.

"I know that can't be easy, nor fun."

Then, I simply explained that the severance package they offered wasn't fair, given the promises I'd been made, my original reason for being hired, and other jobs I had turned down to be a part of their company, and the fact that it was past Thanksgiving, and nearly impossible to find a job until the new year. Then I I politely declined the severance package as not commensurate with my experience. Just like that. 

The room was very still before the boss spoke. If anything, I think he admired my guts. Or maybe he agreed with me completely. Either that, or he just wanted to move on. Regardless, I ended up getting more money that day, and perhaps most importantly, maintaining my professional integrity. As a bonus, I was later told by a coworker that I was something of a legend in that office for having my unique exit meeting. All because of that little word... No. 

This could easily be my shortest article.
I could say "Don't do it!" And be done with it, but let's be honest, the world is more complicated than that. People do curse it the workplace, and that can make all the difference in your professional atmosphere.
Naturally, if you're a school teacher, or preacher, cursing just isn't part of your vernacular, so this article may be irrelevant to you. But what about the rest of us? Those working in more casual atmospheres, like Technology, or Sports; The Arts? Or how about dangerous jobswhere its easy to accept an F-Bomb flying out of a shocked electrician? S#!+ happens.
For the sake of this article, let's call the person who curses The Perp. Also, its fun to say 'Perp'. There have been Perps in every job I ever had in the media. They curse equipment (Oh, the equipment!) In Master Control they curse talent that has gone rogue, and off-script. Sometimes these folks get caught on tape cursing. Perps can also curse to defend a story they believe in. In radio, the cool kids used F-bombs to punctuate a sentence all the time. That is, until they cracked the mic. Then it was all Happy, Sunny, Smiley Day. Don't even get me started about Wall Street cursing.
What about when the employee isn't the Perp at all... the customer is?
According to a poll conducted by The Marchex Institute, the Number One industry to hear swear words in is Satellite Television (the full list is below). They note that 1 in every 82 phone calls by customers results in at least one of the Seven Deadly Swear Words that we in the media cannot, and will not broadcast.
And when cursing becomes hostile? Take this video of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick (said to be one of the nicer Uber execs!) His rant went viral. That's embarrassing. And if Susan J Fowlers experience at Uber is to be considered, this sort of behavior is rampant there. 
An HR issue?
It can be. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines Harassment as "unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetic information." Not swearing, although these Perps usually find a way. However, the US Labor Law says a hostile work environment "exists when one's behavior within a workplace creates an environment that is difficult or uncomfortable for another person to work in." And that most definitely can include your potty mouth. 
So can you curse at work? Legally, you probably can (unless it causes harm to your employer's brand, or a coworker, in which case you better start looking for a new job). But should you curse at work? Absolutely not. Its unprofessional and vulgar, so simply put... wait for it... Don't do it.

 NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants) 

Here's a clip from Samsung's VR (Virtual Reality) concert:

Posted by Kris Wellen

As a media coach, and former Presenter for Monster.com's Diversity Leadership Program for outgoing college students, I've been asked this question many times, and the answer is always the same: Definitely Maybe. 
Over the years I've been hit with many angry responses to my advice, ranging from 'You should never work for free!' to 'You'll only devalue yourself if you work for free' to my all-time favorite, 'But I have a college degree!' 
There are endless articles online, and in print, that will tell you that a college graduate is expected to make X-number of dollars in their first year. While that may be true for some industries, it is by no means the case across the board. For most of us, what employers really want to see, more than your fancy piece of paper (which I guarantee they don't really want to see!) is some value in you. Having studied something specific in university simply isn't enough, and that's a good thing. 
What are you made of? What are your work characteristics? Your productivity? The hidden talents that you don't even know you have? No one can know that just by one interview. They can, however, get an idea of how you tick by delving into your work history.
What's that you say? Just got out of college, and don't have a work history yet? A-ha- that's where volunteering comes in. Align yourself with a company when there is absolutely no risk to them. That's just good business. You have an opportunity to show them what you're all about, and they get to see if you're a good fit, without going through reams of employer paperwork. 
You may not be guaranteed a paying job for your final effort, but I'll bet you'll go home knowing more about your chosen industry than you did that morning. Plus, you'll be networking with others all day long in your field, and if your field is anything like mine, you will run into the same people over time.  
Here's a little secret. Start your job search before you graduate. Intern while you can under the credibility of your university. Trust me, this opportunity won't be as available to you later (which I'll go into at a later date). Attorneys do it. So do business students, and anyone else savvy enough to think about the fact that companies are inundated with resumes from recent college grads each year. And guess what? Many internships are non-paid. 
In my own industries: TV, radio, and entertainment, the competition is fierce, so any networking is a benefit. And if you're looking to break into showbiz and make a good living in the first few years? Yeah, well, good luck with that. 
So, yes, I am a big believer in volunteering your time, and effort fresh out of college. Arguably my career has been predicated on it.  Through volunteering, I've made friends, gotten well-paying jobs, and I sharpened by skills too.
All this being said, what I would caution you on is to limit your volunteer work. For every honest employer who wants to 'give back' to the next generation, there's some jerk ready to take advantage of your good nature. Never take a volunteer job without having some work strategy (like a limited time, or number of hours).
Just remember, quitting a volunteer job should be just like quitting a paid job. Unless there are dire circumstances, you should give notice, and act professionally. I've seen more than one intern out there who didn't think it mattered how they acted, since they weren't being paid, so they were reckless. They took office supplies; they came in late, they didn't give notice when they left. So how do you think we treated their resume when they tried to get a gig a few months later? 
In short, you should at least consider volunteering in some capacity that will help you, even it isn't monetarily. You never know where the road may lead. 

I can help. In this blog, I plan to give my trade secrets of being a successful television host away in hopes of getting a little good karma along the way. I'll be posting about Hosting for television, radio, online, and in commercials. Wanna be a YouTube star? I can help you with that. Got a big audition coming up> I can help there too. Or maybe you want to try out for a reality show. There are secrets to TV hosting, and I'd like to share them with you. Really. 

My very first blog began on Blogger way back in 2003. Back then, I was an entertainment reporter for a now defunct technology network, so blogging was part of my job. The problem was, no one knew what a blog was! Seriously.

There would be me on the red carpet, made to ask celebrities questions about technology. Usually, I was met with a "Huh?" from most of them after they'd been asked shot hey were wearing for 20 minutes & nerd girl here starts asking if they prefer Mac of PC. I recall being on a red carpet in Costa Rica of all places, when a sweet, but straight up D-lister came my way. My producer insisted I ask if she blogged, knowing she'd look like a fool. And sadly, she did. "A what? A What?" She must have said it 5 times. I felt like a jerk, of course, while my producer was absolutely loving every frame of it. 

Cut to the Grammys the next year, when the same D-lister came my way. She took one look at me, wagged her finger and said, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I DO blog! What else ya got, huh?" 
Right there I knew she was a great sport, and a class act, and while her star never really rose again, I will forever think highly of her. I wouldn't hesitate to make her look fantastic in any future media coverage. LESSON LEARNED: ALWAYS BE A CLASS ACT IN TV. IT'S A SMALLER BUSINESS THAN YOU KNOW. 

After that gig, I did a blog for Discovery TV during my TV show there. Thing was, they didn't have blog software, so we had to call it a blog, and then just post it as an article. Lame. 

Yeah. Times have changed, and so have I. 

In this blog, I plan to give my trade secrets of being a successful television host away in hopes of getting a little good karma along the way. I'll be posting about Hosting for television, radio, online, and in commercials. Wanna be a YouTube star? I can help you with that. Got a big audition coming up> I can help there too. Or maybe you want to try out for a reality show. There are secrets to TV hosting, and I'd like to share them with you. 

I'll be opining about current events in the media, and maybe if I'm having a really really rough day, I'll just tell you about some of my horror stories in the bis over the years- everything from my innocent, and very private conversation once with a major rock star, to the day i made a fine burgundy out of sour grapes when I was all but abandoned in Tokyo. 

Cheers!