And so it begins. Although I've been seeing Christmas commercials for a few weeks now (maybe even before Halloween, but I'm not sure), Thanksgiving is the official start of the holiday season. So, how do you feel about the holidays? 'Tis the season to be jolly? Or, 'tis the season to eat too much, overspend and make a fool of yourself at the office party?

Office etiquette can be tricky all year round, but during the holiday season it can be even more difficult. For example, should you get your boss a gift and if so, how much should you spend? What about gifts for your co-workers? What should you do about all the food your co-workers bring in to celebrate the holidays? How should you handle it if some of your office mates celebrate different holidays than you do? And, finally, the office party — should you look at it as an occasion to let your hair down? Answers to these questions and others can be found in Six Rules for Dealing With the Holidays at Work.

2010 is a census year in the United States. The Census Bureau will mail census forms to all households in March. Although the deadline for returning them is April 1, National Census Day, some residences won't bother to do this. Since it is so important for there to be an accurate counting of the population, the Census Bureau will try its best to gather this information. That's where census takers come in. Between April and July, census takers will begin to visit residences that don't return the forms.

Who are these census takers? They are you and your neighbors ... or anyone who wants a part-time, temporary job. If you are unemployed or underemployed, interesting in supplementing your full-time income, retired or in need of work experience, you should consider applying for one of these positions. According to the 2010 Census Jobs Web Site,"hundreds of thousands of census takers are needed nationwide to help locate households and conduct brief personal interviews with residents." Census pay rates vary by location. See How to Apply for more information.

Should I send a thank you note after a job interview and should I send it by snail mail or email? How often should I call to check on my status after the interview? Is there anything I shouldn't say to a future employer? What characteristics or behaviors will make me stand out during the job interview process? These are some of the questions you may have about job interviews. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) asked human resources managers to answer them in a poll the professional organization conducted. Some answers came as a bit of a surprise to me. For example, 43% of respondents said job candidates should call once a week to check on the status of a job opening. I would have thought calling one time, in total, would be enough. Other answers were less surprising — 56% said that "Skills Directly Related to the Job" made a candidate stand out the most. See all the questions and answers: Interviewing Do's and Don'ts for Job Seekers SHRM Poll.

Over the years I've warned readers about the consequences of lying on their resumes. Those who lie on their resumes usually do so to make it seems as if they have experience or education they don't really have. Even though lying on your resume is a terrible idea, it isn't too hard to see why someone may be tempted to do it. I had never thought about the reverse of lying to make oneself look more experienced or educated in order to get a better job. Then a reader sent me the following question:

"I was reading about lying on a resume and all the articles talked about adding to the resume. I want to remove experience and maybe education from mine! I've been looking for a job for quite a while and in the last few interviews the person that was going to be my boss came from the same school and had less experience and education than I do and I believe that's what caused me to not get the jobs. It appears that where I'm looking they need either new graduates with no experience or experts with over 10-15 years experience; I don't fit into either of those groups. So should I make up a less experienced and less educated resume and then after I land a job start moving up from the inside?"

I can see why this reader is thinking about omitting information from his resume, but I don't think it's any better an idea than padding your resume with false information. It is still dishonest, and if the employer finds out, he or she will still resent being lied to. I think it is a better idea to use your cover letter to explain why you are applying for the job and how your qualifications make you the best candidate for it.