Dear Steve:
I hate one of my office mates. He thinks he knows it all and can do everything perfectly. In other words, he's the most egotistical person I've ever met. What infuriates me the most is that others are charmed by him! Still, I overheard two colleagues refer to this guy as a "hot shot." In my off hours, I obsess on how despicable this guy is. I know this isn't healthy, and it's making my work life miserable. Do you think I should confront him?
Hot Under the Collar in Illinois

What should you do about this irrational hatred of yours? Nothing. You have nothing to gain, and much to lose, by venting. When appropriate, it's fine to ask someone to change a particular behavior that's interfering with your work. But it's not okay to ask a person, "Please stop being so annoyingly full of yourself!" Also, do not tell anyone else at work how you feel. Any obsession like this reflects badly, even if the other worker partly agrees with you. In fact, it could scare someone. Plus, if this architect is getting across well to others, it's dumb to criticize him publicly. Working often means dealing with people you find distasteful. There's no other option but to be professional.

Everyone remembers regrettable behavior, and it can really sabotage your business reputation if you air your venomous feelings. Down the road, this architect you despise might be an excellent contact. By then you might have found he's not as bad as you think he is. Since you recognize this reaction is mostly irrational, I'd strongly suggest you get some therapy and deal with the root causes.

Dear Steve:
As a designer at a large firm in the Northwest, I am feeling the economic slowdown. Our project load has declined so sharply in the last seven months that layoffs seem inevitable. Personally, I feel that job insecurity is also stirring up a longstanding itch of mine to try something new. With my skills, what other track am I qualified for? Is this a good time to change careers?
Itching for Change

My instinctive advice is to stick out the slowdown where you are because the downturn makes now probably the worst time in a decade to make any career-track moves. It's very risky and hard to change careers at any time, but current conditions make a difficult move even more grueling.

It's not impossible, but the odds are stacked against one at this point. Anyone considering a leap into another profession, for example, would be well advised to think it through very carefully, and maybe put the plan on hold until an economic recovery starts to take shape. (Though I hate to tell everyone this, I think things are likely to get even worse before they improve.)

However, if you are pushed out, or it becomes unbearable to stay at your firm due to a lack of interesting work, designers generally have myriad alternate routes to pursue. You could try manufacturer sales, which would capitalize on your experience with vendors. In fact, the sales field is generally a natural place for a designer to look, in other industries as well. Also, you could opt to work for a dealer. Facilities management is another choice—but be aware that jobs are also limited in that area at this point. The upside for an interior designer is that your skills are so marketable. Designers' tactile, visual and aesthetic abilities help them segue into other creative areas, such as fashion, Web design, art and video production.

My advice, to anyone, is to follow your heart. If you have a passion to pursue another career path, then go for it. Of course it's extremely helpful to have some financial buffer because the search is likely to be protracted, and when you start fresh in a different field you nearly always have to start near the bottom.

In particular, you didn't express any driving need to pursue a particular dream, so it's probably wisest to hang tight and see what happens. During this tough period, it's important to try to shrewdly position yourself within your firm so that you're participating in critical projects. Also, it's always helpful to be a popular presence in your office environment. When layoffs hit, the first ones to get axed often are annoying high-maintenance employees.