I love this idea of a series of posts called things I learned the hard way. I have a long list, some of which I had to learn twice--and once-three times, to not repeat the same mistakes. Derek's post from today, Don't work for assholes, has particular resonance, since this can be a tough one to learn--till your decision to work for the the asshole bites you in the butt.

A short quote: "Nine times out of ten, the first impression someone gives you is exactly who they are. We choose not to see it because we need the money, or we want the situation to be different. But if someone rubs you the wrong way at the first meeting, chances are, it's only going to get worse."

and: "Nowadays, the only asshole I work for is me."