Advancing within your company and career overall requires more than years of experience and a list of achievements. You have to earn the respect not only of your superiors, but of your colleagues as well.

Once upon a time (okay, 12 years ago to be exact), in a land far away (Manhattan), I was given the opportunity to work for a company I just knew would be the perfect stepping stone to achieving my goals. I mean, I prayed for this job.

It can and does happen all of the time. There you are in a happy mood, enjoying your day despite the chaos at work and the coffee stain you got on your mask on the way there, when into your inbox pops an email seemingly created just to irritate you.