career advice

Before searching for a new job, it might be wise to take a long look at your current job. Wise Bread has drafted a list of 10 signs that might make you want to stay where you are.

So you don't have your dream job, and you're pretty sure you never will in your current corporation, but you're also not sure where else to go? You'd love to work at home but you're not sure where to start or if it's something you'd enjoy more than your current job? Love your boss and your coworkers but not sure you want to stay? Here are 10 signs that your current job might be worth staying at, at least until you have your dream job in the bag.

1. Your boss wants to use you to your fullest potential.

If it matters to your boss when you are under-utilized, that indicates that he values you as a person and not just as an employee. Which, in turn, means that he cares about your overall well-being at work, and not just your performance. Bosses like this are often more open to things like letting you telecommute or minimize your hours or tweak your job and procedures in it so your work conditions are as good as possible.

RELATED: How to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview Questions

2. Your boss listens to your suggestions.

A boss who truly listens is a boss you can communicate honestly with. If you're looking at starting to work at home, this sort of boss would be more likely to let you try it. Also, having a real "say" in what happens at work will give you a lift — it might not be what you truly care about, but at least you are a person whose opinion matters.

Read on for more signs to stay at your job.

You rocked the résumé, nailed the interview, and landed the job. Congratulations! Now it's time to get to work. Your first day on the job can feel both exciting and nerve-wracking, so here's how to handle the first-day jitters like a pro and leave a lasting impression on your new coworkers.

• Show up on time: Today is not the day to try a new coffee shop or take a shortcut to work. Being on time is always important, but today especially. Before your first day, ask your manager what time you should arrive, and show up at precisely that time — not too early and certainly not late. Also, try mapping out or even traveling your route beforehand, that way you will know exactly where to go and how long it will take.

Yes, there is more!

You've most likely bought a LivingSocial coupon, but did you ever wonder who the person behind the online coupon company was and what it took to make the company a success? Tim O’Shaughnessy, 29, is the young cofounder of Groupon's largest competitor who always knew he wanted to work for himself and to build something for consumers. Tim shares some career advice with the Wall Street Journal:

While I’m grossly underqualified to be giving out advice, here it goes: Don’t figure out where you want to work, or even what industry you’d like to work at. Figure out what makes you tick. What gives you a really big rush? Answer why you like things, not what you like doing . . . and then apply it to your work life. Also, just because you’re graduating, don’t stop learning. Read more books than you did in college. Most people don’t actively try to make themselves smarter once they’re done with school. If you do, and they’re not, you’re really well-positioned to succeed in whatever you do.

This CNN anchor's career hasn't been a piece of cake — Anderson Cooper had to work hard to achieve what he has today. Here is the advice he recently shared with Richmond students:

“Never underestimate the value of just out-hustling everyone else. Just outwork everyone else around you — coming in before everyone does and leaving late. I feel like I only got a job at CNN because I kept volunteering for the shifts no one really wanted . . . If no one would give me an opportunity, I had to make one.”

Mad Men may not be back for a few (agonizing) months, but the silver tongue of the faltering ad agency's first namesake lives on. The fictional life of Roger Sterling is coming to the real world in his much-talked about memoirs, Sterling's Gold: Wit and Wisdom of an Ad Man. Available for presale on Amazon ($10), the book doesn't promise much at this point, other than the most classic Roger lines from seasons past.

The fake memoir will be divided into chapters, such as Roger's ever-favorite category, "Women" (hopefully this includes that all-Joan section!), "Clients," and "Drinking." It will compile his best zingers and career advice, like "The day you sign a client is the day you start losing him" and "Being with a client is like being in a marriage. Sometimes you get into it for the wrong reasons, and eventually they hit you in the face." What do you think of Roger Sterling's 1960s wisdom? Do you think he's ever had any good career advice for modern times?

Photo courtesy of AMC

We're always trying to understand how the best and brightest got where they are — what wheels put in motion eventually add up to the big success stories. Well, for even the biggest ideas, like Twitter for instance, creators start simply. The simple beginning for Twitter co-founder, Jack Dorsey, was literally mapping out his idea. Using maps as a visual representation of what he wanted to do, Dorsey began to map out cities, realizing eventually that what was missing were his friends — the "citizens." Next he asked himself, "What would that look like?" Thus, began a visual, moving diagram of an idea in motion.

The drawing, he cites as the most important part of the idea process, that, and sharing it with others. The idea is to let your thought process come to life, outside of your head. Visually, you need to see what's happening and bring the idea to life. While it's always best to write all of your good ideas down, drawing takes the process one step further, and while it's not a guarantee for the next big idea, it's definitely a surefire way to get the juices flowing. Be sure to check out Jack Dorsey speaking at the 99% Conference and tell me, when it comes to brainstorming and generating ideas, what methods work best for you?

Though it's not common practice here at Sugar HQ to assign a career mentor, I know many friends in other fields who have been designated a mentor in the office. One of my closest friends was matched with a colleague shortly after she was hired and has found the relationship a huge help in understanding her role at the company and how she can grow in her position. Her mentor isn't too superior that she feels intimidated, and, in fact, she found the conversations became more social and relaxed, which helped her to get better acquainted with the office when she first signed on.

On the other hand, I've heard horror stories from employees who see little value in their company's mentoring programs. Their criticism stems from bad experiences where mentors contributed little advice, backed out of meetings for lack of time, or were perhaps so superior that they couldn't relate to the co-worker they were mentoring. It seems there's a certain art to getting the mentoring program right, especially if it's being offered or assigned by company policy. There needs to be a certain rapport and comfort level established before you can delve into problems or concerns you may have at the office. So tell me, do you have a career mentor? If so, do you find it a valuable experience?