If you're being harassed at work, it can be hard to know what to do about it. Instead of waiting until there's a pattern or things "get worse," you should start documenting the situation as soon as you feel uncomfortable. I spoke with Lynne Goldman for a new Dice.com article about the importance of contemporaneous notes and other strategies for dealing with harassment in the workplace. If you have experience fighting back, let me know what worked for you!

I've recently worked with a few clients who have been concerned about what a background check might reveal, so it was especially good timing to talk about criminal history and job searching with reporter and Monster.com contributor Daniel Bortz. What a company will check and how it will affect your chances can vary wildly from one position to another, but your strategy will probably be similar no matter what: Know what they might find and be prepared to address it in a very brief, not-defensive way.