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Most of us wane as the day goes by

Do you get to work brimming with energy, or find that you're more productive later in the day?

Most of us wane as the day winds down, according to a survey from staffing firm Accountemps that polled senior executives on employee productivity. A third of the 150 executives said 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. is the least productive time of the work day, with the post-lunch period, noon to 2 p.m., cited by 29 percent.

So, how best to cope? Max Messmer, author of "Managing Your Career for Dummies" and CEO of Accountemps, offers a few tips:

» Get fresh air. Eat lunch outside, or take a short walk. A few minutes away from your desk can make a large difference.

» Eat. Skipping a meal is a sure way to feel sluggish and sap your energy.

» Plan. Don't defer difficult tasks until the end of the day, when you're tired and rushed to leave.

» Take a mental break. Don't spend every second of the day contemplating work. To rest, take your mind elsewhere for a few minutes.

Women execs have desirable traits

They still hold a minority role in the ranks of top corporate leadership, but a new study suggests women executives come to the job with traits male executives would be wise to gain.

Caliper, a management consulting firm based in Princeton, N.J., combined personality assessments, a demographic analysis and in-depth interviews with 59 women leaders from large companies in the United States and the United Kingdom. The report was conducted with London-based Aurora, an umbrella organization for a 20,000-member businesswomen's network.

Among the findings:

» Women leaders are more persuasive than male counterparts.

» Women learn from adversity and persist with an "I'll show you" attitude.

» Women develop an inclusive, team-building leadership style to solve problems and make decisions.

» Women are more likely to ignore rules and take risks.

"These qualities combine to create a leadership style that is inclusive, open, consensus-building, collaborative and collegial," said Herb Greenberg, president and CEO of Caliper. "We should emphasize that the male leaders in this study were also exceptional in these areas. But the women leaders set a new standard."

Consider accounting for a career

For parents with kids approaching college -- or undergrad offspring doing a remarkable imitation of aimless -- one career field is suddenly sizzling with potential: accounting.

The company audit has become a crucial task for corporate America, yet Neil Lebovits, president of Ajilon Finance, warns that we're seeing a shortage of certified public accountants. In 1991, 60,000 students graduated with accounting degrees. Twelve years later, that number had dropped to less than 50,000.

What's more, audits now take far longer to complete because of regulations mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.