If you’re fresh off your frat party days and the only wine you’ve ever had is three-buck chuck, it’s intimidating when someone passes you the wine list at your first big work dinner. Here are some tips (from an expert faker) to help you look like a pro.

Do you know any consultant that isn’t glued to their cell phone? I don’t. It’s almost like a nervous twitch that all become afflicted with as soon as they join a firm. You may think your constant emailing and conversation makes you seem indispensable and highly responsive. In reality, however, it could be suggesting more about how you view those around you. While it’s great to be connected and in the know, there are some places that are not appropriate for conversations or emailing.

Everyone has had those moments: You accidentally send an email to the wrong “Jane,” dial into a client meeting an hour late because you forgot you were in a different time zone, or call your partner by the wrong name. If you’ve been fortunate enough to avoid these little hiccups, don’t laugh just yet. Your time will come. But when it does, don’t panic. You absolutely CAN recover from these embarrassing moments even if they are a little painful. Here’s how to do it.

On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I was catching up on email in the hotel lobby. While happily typing away with the low hum of conversations around me, I suddenly was jarred by an incredibly loud talker in my ear. I quickly looked up, annoyed that someone would so rudely use their outside voice. Then I noticed there was no one around me. After scanning the crowd, I confirmed it was two men across the room. Learn how this sparked a few rules for office conversation, and if you’re a “lady”, dating too.

Have you had the pleasure (or pain) of planning an event for clients or your team? You can almost guarantee if it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will eventually. The day will come, as you approach a major project milestone or when the holidays draw near, when your senior exec hands you the responsibility of planning this great event. If the party planning skill just isn’t in your wheelhouse, here are 11 fun and different ideas to consider if you want to hit a homerun.

The first couple of days at a new client can be hectic and unsettling. You’re getting up to speed with your project, meeting a lot of new people, trying to stick to your personal routines and in the midst of all of it trying to get some work done. Inevitably, there will be something you’ll need in a jam, so why not be prepared? Here’s a list of 10 places that are worth taking a little time to nail down during your first couple of days – for the sake of your productivity AND your sanity!

Can you imagine being yelled at, cursed at and even kicked out of the room by a client in the middle of a meeting? What about being intimidated and raked over the coals every week in your one-on-one status meetings? Seem crazy? Well, luckily, many may never experience this, however, given the high stakes, scrutiny and visibility of many consulting projects, sometimes, the pressure can cause people to act out. Do you know how you would react if faced with a situation like that – especially if it was your client?

Lately I seem to find myself being inundated with emails. As a society, we’ve become completely and utterly over dependent on it for everything we do in our work lives! Now, I’m not claiming perfection – I certainly have my moments too. But, every once in a while I think it’s a good reminder to look at how we use email and what things we might be doing that leave us wondering why no one takes action or pays attention to it. So here are 4 mistakes worth avoiding.

Consultants often have a very full social calendar during the work week. Team dinners are a frequent occurrence and a great way to build camaraderie when you spend Monday to Thursday away from home. It is also a common way to encourage relationship building with clients and celebrate big milestones. These functions can also impact your professional image and your career for the good, or the bad. Here are 5 tips to survive a team dinner.