Shutterstock Dear Liz, I had my performance review last week. My boss “Sam” and I walked through my projects for 2016. I was proud of myself because I did a ton of work good this year. That’s not me bragging, it’s just that I wasn’t expecting any problems at my annual review. I was kind of looking forward to the meeting because I don’t get a lot of one-on-one time with Sam.

Shutterstock Dear Liz, I got laid off in August with two weeks of severance pay. I am in a dispute with my ex-employer over my last bonus payout and it could be months before that check comes in. I moved out of my condo in October and I’m sharing an apartment with my friend now but it’s still not cheap, and I am running out of cash. Job-hunting is so much harder when you’re broke.

Photo: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images On a cold January day in 1961, Fred Schultz, a diaper delivery serviceman, fell on a sheet of ice and broke his hip and his ankle. Fred’s son, Howard, was seven years old and vividly remembers the accident. “That image of my father, slumped on the family couch, his leg in a cast unable to work or earn money, and ground down by the world is still burned into my mind,” the Starbucks CEO once said.

Credit: Shutterstock Let’s just call it evolution. Take a quick trip to the other side of town, the other side of the country, or even the other side of the world, and it quickly becomes evident that our lives have drastically evolved due to technology. Gone are the days of walking into any old restaurant and hoping for the best meal. Today we ask our smart devices where we can find the best burritos. Need a good Pilates class? We quickly check Yelp reviews.

(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock) You’ve rehearsed every interview question in the book. Your suit is dry-cleaned. Your bag is stocked with extra pens, just in case. You seem to have all the pieces in place. Now the anxiety starts to build. How do you knock an employer’s socks off once you enter the gauntlet? In today’s competitive market, it’s not enough to have a killer cover letter and pristine resume.

Shutterstock Dear Liz, I am so deflated! I had three interviews for a Marketing Manager position at a specialty foods company. I met the CEO “Ron” at an event a year ago and he said “Let’s keep in touch.” I followed up with him several times and then I got invited to the firstof my three interviews. The pay for the job is not the greatest but I was ready to take the job anyway. I expected a job offer all week.

Dear Liz, I need your advice in letting a new hire know that it’s not working out and we have to part ways. “Noah” is a great guy but it’s just not working. He’s trying, but he’s coming up the curve too slowly. I don’t want to be a jerk, but I have to let him know that there’s no point in continuing our relationship. I want to do it soon because the closer we get to the holidays and the end of the year, the worse I will feel about letting Noah go.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or even Chrismukkah, you may find something to your liking in this list of top five holiday must-haves that were pitched on ABC’s hit business reality show Shark Tank. Tipsy Elves You have been invited to an ugly Christmas sweater party, and the host is giving a $50 Amazon (AMZN) gift card for the best one. But you don’t have time, nor creativity, to make your own with appliques from Michaels.

Shutterstock Dear Liz, I just got a job offer and I’m excited about it but there is a catch. The hiring manager “Blake” extended the job offer over the phone. He said a packet of materials is in the mail on its way to me. In the packet is my offer letter, a brochure about the company benefits, and a second agreement that I’m supposed to sign and return along with my signed offer letter and some insurance forms.

Shutterstock Congratulations! You’ve made it past the first interview round and the hiring manager wants to bring you in again to speak with more people. It’s all happening now, right? Sorta. Yes, you’re moving on and that’s great. But the truth is that a second round isn’t a guarantee that you’re getting the job or even a top contender.