Every year, some Industrial Market Trends coverage rises to the top. Here are your five favorite IMT articles so far this year, plus five 2008 posts we think are worth checking out. Whether you’re seeing these articles for the first time or re-reading a few of your favorites, be sure to tell us what you think. Leave us a comment on the blog.

READER FAVORITES

5 Ways to Manage Your Boss
Successfully managing a boss is challenging but possible. In hands-down the most read article of the year, we offer some practical things you can do to manage your boss without sabotaging your job.

Survival Guide: Recession-Resistant Jobs
No job is recession-proof, yet some sectors and professions – even in today’s extremely uncertain environment – are expected to remain strong. Plus, there are things you can do to keep your job as safe as possible.

Global Oil Outlook: A Crude Reality
Oil and gas prices might have decreased in the past month, but consumers and businesses alike continue to suffer from higher energy costs. How did we get here? A number of reasons.

Ridiculous Government Purchases
Gambling, iPods, lingerie, Internet dating sites – if you’ve ever filled out an expense report, you know these just won’t fly as “business transactions.” Shouldn’t the government be held to the same standards?

8 Mistakes Start-ups Make
As the global economy expands, there is reason to believe that small businesses may have some competitive advantage. That is, if entrepreneurs don’t fall prey to these common start-up pitfalls.

Recommended Reading
The Trillion Dollar Meltdown was one of our recent Recommended Reading picks, but it was also more popular than some of this year’s articles. The recently published book explains how we got to the point of living in one of the most reckless financial environments in recent history.

Staff Picks

Has Engineering Education Failed?
Here we look at the concerns regarding the number and quality of engineering students heading into the workforce, from the perspective of the student, the professor and the IMT reader.

How Professional Groups Can Boost Your Career
Trade associations and professional networking groups can expand your influence and gain you invaluable resources for advancing your career.

Tracking Down Obsolete Parts
The challenge of parts obsolescence has tested purchasers and engineers for years. And the dilemma won’t end anytime soon. Here we address how to find the right parts that may seem impossible to track down.

How Healthy is Your Shop?
Is your plant below average, above or stuck in the same boat as your competition? Gauge how “healthy” your machine shop is based on these six wellness indicators.

Inside Plans for the Space Station Dubbed ‘Death Star’
For our April Fools’ Day issue, we tried something a little different: satire. If you missed it, check out the controversial but unprecedented feat of aerospace engineering – a kind of new hope.

It means a great deal to all of us here at IMT that our loyal readers continue to come back to us for industrial news, business trends and career tips. We hope to continue putting out content that is valuable to your professional working life, is entertaining and, above all, provokes the exceptional discussion among industrial peers IMT and its readers have become so used to. As always, we encourage you to have your say and share your knowledge, experience and insights.

Cheers.