1. You're the Your Career columnist for msnbc and you also write extensively on business issues in The New York Times . You've obviously got a good view of both sides of the jobs and employer divide. Where do you see the primary clashes between staff and employers in terms of employment conditions?

Today the biggest clash is wages and benefits. Managers are trying to keep a lid on spending and that means they are freezing salaries and cutting benefits. In a tough economy this gets worse, but overallworker's wages have been pretty stagnant while wages for top executives have skyrocketed in recent years. This is causing frustration and huge divide between the rank and file and management. Also, there is no sense of loyalty on the part of workers to the company or managers. It's been a growing problem but it seems to have intensified. You always got the 'I don't trust my boss' rank from employees, but it's reached a fever pitch. It can make for a volatile work environment for both workers and supervisors.

2. It'd be fair to say that people looking for jobs find are routinely confused and stressed by the process. How do they get a good handle on making effective, targeted, applications?

Well, I get tons of emails from workers who are dazed and confused about the job-search process but that may be a function of what I do. What I typically suggest to readers right out of the gate, is figure out what you really want. I can't tell you how many people aren't sure of their career direction, not only when they're just out of school but often in their 30s and 40s. Maybe they've been working in a profession they hate for years but don't know what else to do. Then they send me an email. I tell them to first figure out what they would like to do. Make a list, a real written out list. It's amazing what people learn about themselves then they write things down. I suggest they go back in time to what they loved to do as kids or teenagers. Maybe they lost their way after college looking to make a lot of money. Go back to your roots. Once you figure this out making effective, targeted applications is much easier. You may realize you need a bit more schooling, maybe a class or two at a local college, to go after what you want. If you're not sure what you want it's a good idea to target industries that are growing. Obviously healthcare is a good choice, but also education and government jobs are expected to rise. This is a tough job market right now, no doubt about it. So prepare for some difficult times when you're searching. Your cover letter should sum up quickly who you are and what you're looking for, and you resume should include the jobs you've had that clearly match in some way the job you're going for. Leave off jobs that are not relevant. You don't have to include every single position you've had. And beyond the resume, the key is networking. In today's tight labor market, knowing someone who can get your resume into the hands of a hiring manager is critical. HR folks tell me they get hundreds of resumes and can't get through even a fraction.

3. Generation Y is getting a pretty bad press from employers as wanting it all, now, careerists who don't play by the script. They say the way they operate their jobs and careers just reflects current realities and options. How do you see Generation Y in the workplace?

I just did a post on my blog, CareerDiva.net, about Gen Y workers jumping from job to job. I have to say, I don't see a ton of differences between Gen Y and previous generations, other than the obvious...they are younger so they want to make their mark, just like the Baby Boomers did. They have technology in their blood, which is something older workers had to learn about, but that just means they have more information and more ways to connect with the world, and prospective employers. I argue that Gen Y should stop getting caught up in the hype about them and concentrate on what they really want. Experts want to put them under a microscope but they forget that within this group there are endless different personalities.

4. We (CvTips.com forum) have a lot of entry level people who are trying to make sense of the job application process. They, like many experienced people, find it slow, bureaucratic and often incomprehensible, and it's a significant stress. How do you think they should approach learning the ropes?

The one thing to keep in mind is it's not personal. Hiring managers have a job to do and often they don't do it well and may miss the perfect candidate. I did a story for MSNBC.com a while back and I interviewed a guy that was an IT expert. He sent out a bunch of fake IT resumes to companies in Silicon Valley that were looking for employees. The resumes were perfect, down to top universities and the exact experience the job called for. Only a tiny percentage of those resumes even got a call back. Do you see where I'm going? You can be perfect for the job but your resume still ends up in the trash. The majority people I know get jobs because a friend's friend knew someone at a company. Seriously, that's how it works. Get out there! Join groups and chat rooms in your profession. Meet people that can help you. Even talk to people you meet on line at a grocery store or on a plane. You never know who that person is. Also, Facebook and LinkedIn are great ways to start expanding your networking reach. And why not start a blog about your profession or expertise. It can only help you when you get to the interview process. One guy who got his dream gig in advertising believes his blog, which developed a big following, is what got him the foot in the door.

5. You did an article on telecommuting for disabled people for The New York Times recently. There's been a lot of talk about telecommuting as the next big thing in office work, saving employers overheads and staff the commuting grind. Do you think it's really the way of the future, or are there problems?

I believe telecommuting is indeed the future, it has to be. The prices of oil is only expected to climb, and the environment can only take so much more. That said, employers will not go quietly into the telecommuting night. It's just the reality of management, bosses like to have control over their workers and they lose that when workers aren't in front of them...at least they feel that. But I'm seeing a growing number of firms doing more intensive training for supervisors and workers when it comes to figuring out how it will all work. I did a big story on the future of telecommuting for MSNBC.com. Now is a great time for workers to ask their bosses for a day or two at home. I know many employees that have asked lately and the answer has been a limited yes. One day a week will help cut gas costs for workers considerably. Make a case for yourself to your boss after doing your own homework on how you can successfully continue to do your job from home.

6. Mature age workers trying to get jobs often go through hell. They have the experience and the talents, but they don't get the jobs. What's the trick to getting employers to see value in experience?

No way around it, there is age bias in the workplace, even as we hearthe retiring of Baby Boomers will leave employers scrambling to find workers. That said, I don't think older workers do themselves any favors. So many complain to me about all the young kids they're forced to work with today and how they feel they can't keep up. They believe everyone sees them as the old farts and in some ways they may. But if you act like an old fart that's how people will perceive you. That means you have to be on top of the latest and greatest technology, and also be confident in what you bring to the table, knowledge. Make it clear to co workers and bosses that you have to experience and talk yourself up. No one knows what you're doing if you don't toot your own horn. Also, it's always a good idea to spruce up your image a bit. I am not a believe in getting plastic surgery or Botox, and have written about this a lot at CareerDiva.net, but please, please, please, get rid of the 1980s wardrobe for god's sake. Older workers will be valued when they value themselves. They have more to bring to the table that the Gen Yers and Gen Xers combined. Why? They know the ropes because they've been in the trenches longer...Hello! Experience means a lot.

7. The US is in a downturn, and jobs are being shed across the spectrum. You wrote an article on your blog, Career Diva, about surviving the axe for middle managers. What are the survival strategies for staff?

Make yourself indispensable. That is key. If you're key to an organization's or division's growth, it's hard for someone to fire you. But that means letting people know what you do. Too often I hear from workers who say, 'I did this and that and no one even knew.' In many cases, the only way your manager's know what you're doing is if you tell them. They see you toiling away, but they need to be reminded of exactly what you do. I'm not saying send them an email every time you burp at work. I'm saying, when is the last time you sat down with your boss for a chat? Not about a raise, but just to check and make it clear what you've been up to and if he or she needs you to be doing anything else. Also, no one likes a whiner. You have to start acting like you don't really need your job. Take one day at a time and do your work without allowing the prospect of a pink slip to bring you down. That the best thing for your well being and your job security. I also wrote about this topic for MSNBC.com.

8. Employees often resent the modern management culture. Weeks of meetings where they can't contact managers for most of a day or longer don't add much to that impression, and put things on hold. What's the cure for Meeting Syndrome, and what can employees do about it?

Good luck brother. The corporate world is about meetings and despite all the negative talk about meetings it seems they're getting more prolific in offices everywhere. An employee can definitely suggest cutting back on meetings, or pointing out how other things don't get done because of Meeting Syndrome, but often the meetings are your manager or your manager's manager's idea. So you risk pissing a boss off. I would be diplomatic with my criticism of meetings. Ask for a meeting to talk about the meeting. Don't email your anti-meeting thoughts. Maybe a worker should be concentrating on how to make the meeting more productive. You have a room full of colleagues. You would think something good could come out of that.

9. The youth market, particularly the teen age group seems to be getting its share of abuse regarding its culture, work ethos, and general lack of interest in the values of the working world. Is this justified, or is it defensive spin on working environments which are turning off teens?

I think there is something teens today not working as hard because in reality they are not working like they used to. I mean that literally. The number of teens that hold down a part time job has been dropping for several decades. Many parents see school and extracurricular activities as more important to future success than flipping burgers. This phenomenon is true across income levels. But many of the CEOs I interviewed for my book 'From the Sandbox to the Corner Office' had jobs when they were kids. The majority did. And all of them said it was their experience with work at a young age that helped them develop a work ethic and also figure out early on what they did and didn't like to do as far as a job was concerned. Recent studies also suggest that teens who work end up being more responsible, more confident and have better time management skills than their counterparts who did not.

That said, I think teens today work very hard when it comes to work and sports teams, music, etc. But maybe a bit of time earning their own money would serve them well.

10. The New Economy seems to be taking off, and initiatives like the High Road approach to industry are apparently working, but the conventional mainstream workforce is still the norm. Is there cultural resistance to these new initiatives in the employment sector?

I think the business world has a long way to go before it embraces a High Road economy where wages are more equal, jobs focus on environmentally sound industries and workers and management are singing Kumbaya. I'm a hopeful person, but I'm also realistic. Look at the presidential battle going on now. The candidates are attacking each other on things like sounding too smart, personalities, families. Neither of them are really focusing on the working stiff and how to make the average Americans life better, or finds ways to help citizens make their own lives better. Again, I point to the growing disparity in pay among workers and the top dogs. And also the loss of job security, thanks to globalization and the growing greed factor. We need a societal change if we're going to see a New Economy. They go hand in hand. What will make society change? I'm not sure. We've had a huge infiltration of religion in politics in recent years, but the Judeo-Christian values of love towards those less fortunate don't seem to have permeated through our society, and definitely haven't trickled into most boardrooms. It's everyone for themselves when it comes to Corporate America and until that changes the High Road will always be a bit too high to reach.