Work-related freedom over our time looks very different for each of us: Your child has a fever. (You stay home.) You need to study for an exam. (You go to the library instead of the office.) The surf’s up. (You head for the beach and work in the evening.)

Don’t most of us want a fulfilling career which would also enable us to flex our time, as needed, to attend to family, social, or other life priorities? Of course we do. Well, we think we do.

Full freedom to direct time, as needed, to balance the spheres of one’s life seems as though it should be positive for all. There are caveats, two specifically.

I love the concept of gardening -- connecting with the earth, the beauty of flowers and plants, the feeling of accomplishment.

Sigh. If my garden had eyes, they would be rolling. If it had a mouth, it would be laughing -- or, more likely, complaining. As far as I know, there is not a Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Plants; if there was, I am certain I would be some list. My Mom, Dad, husband George, and some local kids who are saving money to by iPods have (thankfully) come to the rescue of my thirsty, rocky, and weedy garden. It looks great, no thanks to me.

There are many myths about career-related issues that tend to manifest as misplaced concerns when folks are on the job market. On the Newark-to-Houston leg of a recent flight to Brazil, I was sitting next to someone who was flying to Texas to interview for a marketing job with a small firm. He was hoping to land the role but was worried about working for a small company.

We chatted. His underlying concern was how this small company will "look" on his résumé. This concern is a common one based on a myth that is fully perpetuated by those who are applying old rules to a new employment reality. The root of my Newark-to-Houston armrest-mate’s concern is that one’s past employers’ big names are clear indicators of professional worth.

I appreciate the many career-related questions that are sent to me via email at paula@paulacaligiuri.com. I cannot answer all of them, but I will do my best to write blog posts to address the themes.

One question that I routinely do not answer (OK, dodge) is the “overqualified” question.

I am of the mindset that worrying about being overqualified in this current job market is a bit like worrying that you are too wealthy to retire. In this employment reality, marketable, world-class skills rule. A real issue is whether "overqualified" is a code word for either "too expensive" or some form of age discrimination. Those are real.

Each case is different, very different. Let's consider the question from Jenny:

Dear Paula,

On Friday at 8:30 AM, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the U.S. jobs report for the month of May. Unemployment is high (9.7%) and private sector job growth is weak. On the same day, stocks fell to their 4-month low, with concerns that high unemployment forecasts lower consumer spending. From Wall Street’s perspective, this makes sense. Main Street, however, might have a different interpretation.

The good news (and there is good news) is the positive direction of the trend line. The trajectory of jobs (lost or created) since January 2009 is heading in the right direction.

Looking deeper than the top-level trend line, however, my optimism is tempered with realism. Consider these:

(If you would like background music for this graduation-themed blog post, please click this link.)

As a professor at Rutgers University, I have the annual springtime privilege of participating in the graduation ceremony with my faculty colleagues and our graduating students. The cap defies every hairstyle, the gown is heavy (and is particularly warm in an over-crowded gym), and the hood chokes, regardless of how carefully I anchor it in the front. The ceremony is long. Parking is maddening.

Despite the practical challenges of this annual ritual, Pomp and Circumstance is still inexplicably exhilarating for me and I can count on the fact that each graduation will deliver at least one incredibly powerful moment (strong enough to fully erase any memory of mild annoyances for another year).

There are 3 people in the USA with my husband’s name. If you roll the three versions of George together you have the image of a philanthropic café owning chiropractor who is a bass player in a sludge-metal-punk rock band. Interesting image - but only partially accurate.

In a world where Google is a verb and 45% of firms admit to using social media sites to screen prospective employees, you need to know how your professional brand is shaped by those who share your name. Your unexpected namesakes may be giving you an alter ego in cyberspace, one that might be damaging your professional reputation.

Do you know how many people share your name? Click the HowManyofMe website to learn how many Americans share your name.

About 20 years ago I was given a piece of well-intentioned but rather bad advice. I was advised to tone down my positive affect in the workplace – specifically, to stop smiling so much. If you are reading this and know me personally you are probably smiling at the thought of me, in my 20’s, in front of a mirror working on not smiling. If you don’t know me personally, I’ll share data point: at the photo shoot for this website, the photographer noted that I had only one “look” that worked – smiling. The others, he correctly noted, looked unnatural (scary, if you ask me).

You are welcome to join me for a complimentary 60-minute webcast hosted by Safari Books Online on Wednesday, April 28th at 1:00 PM EDT (10:00 AM PDT). In the webcast I will be discussing my new book "Get a Life, Not a Job". While the session is free, you'll need to register here to receive the log-on instructions.

This 60-minute webcast is ideal for anyone who is unemployed, underemployed, graduating, changing careers, or not satisfied with his or her current work situation.

In this webcast, I'll cover how to:

• Start spending more time in a career you enjoy and less on work you dislike
• Identify career choices you’ll love and build your skills to match them
• Transform and “layoff-proof” your current job
• Define a mix of wealth-building activities that stimulate and liberate you

The first week of April is the week when many of those who have applied to college will receive their admission letters. How exciting! Do you remember receiving those letters in the mail?

The application part of the college experience hasn’t changed: getting good high school grades and SAT scores, acquiring letters of recommendation, preparing applications and essays, applying to safe schools, stretch schools, and the like. With the exception of the use of technology, this is identical to the experience generations before have had. In fact, the college experience, for the most part, hasn’t changed much (again, with the exception of new technology) – registration, course requirements, exams, parties, Spring Break, professors, and tuition bills.