KHNL News 8 Honolulu is reporting that that Hawaii’s construction industry is likely to generate more jobs than expected this year, defying predictions of a slowdown.

The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization says construction activity on the Islands will be boosted by an unexpected spurt in demand for workers to build hotels, time-share buildings, warehouse and retail stores.

So you’ve made the big move to Big Law, LLP. You’re a mid-level associate and you’re ready to get started. You arrive at the building and the H.R. person shows you to your office…and introduces you to your officemate. Officemate? Aren’t we a little old to be sharing a dorm room? Unfortunately, lots of firms out there do this. Maybe it’s because they think it will be easier for you to assimilate to your new environment. Maybe it’s because partners just want bigger offices. In any event, here’s a little etiquette that you may want to observe if you’re faced with this situation:

• Steer clear of the speaker phone. You officemate already has to listen to your end of the conversation – there’s no need for him to hear the rest of it. If you can, try to take long scheduled calls in a conference room (or at least let your officemate know that you tried to, if one wasn’t available).
• Keep the stinky food in the kitchen. If you’re really craving a giant egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast or a big plate of Indian food for lunch, there’s no need to stink up the whole office with it; especially if the windows in your office don’t open.
• Respect your officemate’s space for his files, books, coat, etc…and if you borrow his stapler, give it back.
• If there is a conflict, address it sooner rather than later and be sure to do so in a professional manner. If your officemate is simply the worst and is truly interfering with your work, bring it up formally to your H.R. person. Hopefully they will be able to do something. And if not, you can always invest in a good set of earplugs…

At the end of the day, having an officemate is like revisiting nursery school and following the Golden Rule. You never know when you’ll meet up with your officemate again, so do unto your officemate as you would have him do unto you. Yup…it’s that pesky Networking bug, hiding at every turn….