Of course we know that many of you are glad to say so long to 2009.  Oh so glad.

But before you close the door on the year, take some time to think back.  What was good.  What was not-so-good.  What could you, in the future, do more, or less, of.   

Even if this was an awful year for you, part of it can be salvaged if you’re able to point to some concrete “lessons learned.”  Here’s a simple three-step system for doing just that, from today’s regular Wednesday post over at U.S. News.

And then, take a break!  Have a wonderful, safe, cozy, relaxing, and fun New Year’s celebration.  And see you in 2010.

Working Girl was reorganizing her bookcase the other day (doesn’t happen often) and ran across a small, thin, blue hardback that had been a gift from a friend years ago.  The title is ”The School of Manners.”  Originally published in 1701, it’s a handbook advising children how to behave and was apparently widely distributed at the time.

It covers behavior at church, home, school, at the table, and “in discourse.”  There’s also a neat little chapter called “Rules for Behavior in Company.”  Read it and you may be amazed at how little our idea of polite behavior has changed in the last 308 years.  That and the reverse–what strikes us as rude in 2009 we also found rude in 1701.  It’s quite comforting, really.

Anyway, since this is a season of heightened socializing for many of us, WG decided to copy it here, as a sort of public service.  It all pretty much applies to office Christmas parties, except maybe the bits about bowing.  And spitting.

1.  Enter not into the Company of Superiors without command or calling, nor without a bow.

2.  Sit not down in presence of Superiors without bidding. 

3.  Put not thy hand in the presence of others to any part of thy body not ordinarily discovered.

4.  Sing not nor hum in thy mouth while thou art in company.

5.  Play not wantonly like a Mimick with thy Fingers or Feet.

6.  Stand not wriggling with thy body hither and thither, but steady and upright.

7.  In coughing or sneezing make as little noise as possible.

8.  If thou cannot avoid yawning, shut thy Mouth with thine Hand or Handkerchief before it, turning thy Face aside.

9.  When thou blowest thy Nose, let thy Handkerchief be used, and make not a noise in so doing.

10. Gnaw not thy Nails, pick them not, nor bite them with thy Teeth.

11. Spit not in the Room, but in a corner, and rub it out with thy Foot, or rather go out and do it abroad.

12. Lean not upon the Chair of a Superior, standing behind him.

13. Spit not upon the fire, nor sit too wide with thy Knees at it.

14. Sit not with thy legs crossed, but keep them firm and settled, and thy Feet even.

15. Turn not thy back to any, but place thy self conveniently, that none be behind thee.

16. Read not Letters, Books, nor other Writings in Company, unless there be necessity, and thou ask leave.

17. Touch not nor look upon the Books or Writing of any one, unless the Owner invite or desire thee.

18. Come not near when another Reads a Letter or Paper.

19. Let thy Countenance be moderately cheerful, neither laughing nor frowning.

20. Laugh not aloud, but silently Smile upon occasion.

21. Walking with thy Superior in the house or Garden, give him the upper or right hand, and walk not just even with him cheek by jowl, but a little behind him, yet not so distant as that it shall be troublesome to him to speak to thee, or hard for thee to hear.

22. Look not boldly or wishfully in the Face of thy Superior.

23. To look upon one in company and immediately whisper to another is unmannerly.

24. Stand not before Superiors with thine hands in thy pockets, scratch not thy Head, wink not with thine Eyes, but thine Eyes modestly looking straight before thee, and thine Hands behind thee.

25. Be not among Equals froward and fretful, but gentle and affable.

26. Whisper not in company.

May you have a gentle and affable holiday season, and may you even silently smile upon occasion.  And if you ever master #21, let WG know.

Today, a special treat!  Melissa over at The Job Quest talks about how higher education can help your job search.  Some good stuff here, learned from real life experience.  Thanks, Melissa.

For some, the thought of going back to school is daunting.  I know, I know.  You thought that you had put in your time and had secured your dream job.  School wouldn’t really be necessary anymore.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always work that way.  With the economic situation in 2008 and 2009, many people who thought they were all set found themselves out of work.

I know.  It happened earlier this year to my husband, Rodney.  After 20 years in his industry, with seven years at the same company and four years in his role as a production supervisor, Rodney was told he was being let go.

So how can going back to school benefit your job search?  Here are four ways it can help:

1.  Keep your skills current.

The world is changing all the time.  When you are employed, you learn about changes in work processes or new technology that impact your field.  It just all becomes so integrated that it doesn’t feel like learning in the traditional sense.

But when you are between jobs, it’s like you are in a time warp — your skills stay the same, but progress in the industry keeps moving forward.  Even if it’s only been six months from the end of one position to the start of another, it can result in getting behind with all that’s new (this is especially true for high-tech fields).

Picking up a class about an upcoming workplace trend at your local college can help erase the impact of an employment gap.

2.  Learn something new.

“A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions.” Anonymous

Even if you are not looking to change fields, taking a course in an area of interest can “strengthen the brain by building new pathways and increasing connections.”  It really can help you think smarter in other areas of life, which is always necessary when you are working to come up with sizzling answers to the questions that interviewers pose.

So go learn a new language or take a weekend seminar in yoga.  Your brain will thank you!

3.  Increase your networking circle.

You meet all sorts of people when you take a class.  The connections you make there can help you find your new job.  Think about it…

Maybe your instructor is an adjunct professor who works for a company you’ve been researching.  If you really impress her with your leadership skills in the classroom, she might be willing to pass your name on to a hiring manager who is looking for someone with your skills set!

Or, there is a semester-long team project that you work on with individuals from various fields.  Even though they may not have any information that can produce a job lead, they could become connections on LinkedIn and possibly even write recommendations that speak to your work ethic and leadership during that project.  How impressed would a prospective employer be to see something like that?

4.  Make yourself more attractive by completing your degree.

During Rodney’s job search earlier this year, he felt fairly sure about his experiences.  In addition to his experience, he had an impressive list of accomplishments.  Companies would surely want to take a look at what he had to offer.

One thing that continually dogged him, however, was his lack of a bachelor’s degree.  He holds an associate’s degree, so he thought that his current level of schooling combined with his experience would help him get his foot in the door.

Rodney did get interviews, but the reality is that if another candidate had similar work credentials and a higher degree, that person would be the one to get the job.  I have a sneaking suspicion that happened more than once.  He’d go through the interview process and then receive the call, “You were a strong candidate, but…”

While my husband did get called back by his company as a supervisor in September, he had already reached the conclusion that he would need to continue his schooling.

In January, Rodney will be starting an undergraduate program that fits with his industry.  Not only will this help him stay competitive in his current position, but it will make him an attractive candidate should an opportunity arise to advance within his company.

You know networking is the key to getting a job, not to mention succeeding in your career, right?  But maybe you are bit shy, a bit introverted.  Maybe networking is hard for you.  (If it is, here are some tips from yesterday’s U.S. News & World Report post.)

Working Girl understands.  She’s a shy type herself.  Getting started is the hardest.  So here’s a list of possible first lines:

1.  This is  my first time here.  Who do you think I need to meet?

2.  I just got here.  Did I miss anything?

3.  What do you do?

4.  How did you get into (whatever their career is)?

5.  Do you like it?

6. What’s new?

7.  Where did you get that (fabulous purse?  snazzy tie?  cool laptop?)?

8.  The freeway was like a parking lot this morning.  Did you have trouble getting here too?

9.  That was a great speaker.  What do you think?

10.  How are you?

11.  What brings you to this event today?

12.  What’s new with your business these days?

13.  Can you believe this rain/snow/heat/cold/lovely weather?

Do these sound stupid?  Guess what?  It doesn’t matter.  The most important thing to remember is that it’s not so much what you say, it’s that you say something.

Where has WG been? 

Here, there, everywhere.  Certainly not blogging, obviously.  But she hasn’t been 100% absent from the blogosphere/Internet.  Managed to eke out two articles for good old U.S. News & World Report:

First, how not to shoot yourself in the foot, or elsewhere, at your workplace holiday party.  It’s really easy, once you know the “trick.”  Click on over here to read all about that trick, plus 20 simple do’s and don’ts for making a fab impression while socializing at any work event, even non-holiday ones.  (Plus, Yahoo saw fit to rerun this piece here, which is always appreciated here at Working Girl Central.)

Second, if the holidays are still on your mind–and you’re unemployed–you may find inspiration and/or solace in today’s U.S. News piece, here.  Remember:  Don’t let holiday “expectations” get you down.

And then just today, the (snail) mail arrived, bearing the latest issue of “ASU Magazine: The official publication of Arizona State University,” including this nice little item about the book.  Thanks, ASU!