Bad days. We all have them, and oh, how we loathe them.

Remember when merit raises averaged between 5 percent and 10 percent? In today's economy, employees will be lucky to get a raise of 4 percent, according to the preliminary findings of the "1995/1996 Compensation Planning Survey" conducted by William M. Mercer Inc., a human-resources consulting firm. But career experts caution against total despair. In some companies, raises for star performers will exceed the survey's projected 4.2 percent - a figure unchanged from last year's study.

Kelly, a graphic designer at an advertising agency, didn't feel elated when she was offered a promotion. Instead, she felt apprehensive about becoming director of the graphic design department. Kelly, in her early 30s, fears the promotion would take her away from her true love, designing.

Megan and Camille are working together to bring a new product to market for a consumer goods company. Although they work in different departments and report to different managers, they must exchange information to get their jobs done. Megan was stunned to learn from her boss that Camille had accused her of withholding vital data and missing deadlines. She couldn't recall an occasion when she did either, and she couldn't imagine why Camille would take a problem to her boss instead of coming to her. Megan doesn't know how her boss perceives the situation. And she's unsure of how to manage the fallout or prevent it from happening again.

You're determined to change both your job and your location. A local job search is tough enough, but factor in geographic distance and the absence of a strong network and you're looking at a process that can be maddening to navigate. "For a long-distance job search, you do everything that you'd do for a local search, plus a lot more research," says Marilyn Moats Kennedy, a career strategist in Wilmette, Ill.

For years, women have been encouraged to sing their own praises, lest their accomplishments go unnoticed in the competitive workplace. But new research is stirring controversy because it suggests that less may be more when it comes to self-promotion. In a laboratory study at the University of Minnesota, researcher Laurie A. Rudman found that men and women were more apt to hire a "modest woman" over a more overtly "self-promotional woman." Participants conducted mock interviews with an actress who responded either modestly or assertively about her skills and abilities to a series of scripted questions.

What do you do when you get angry at work? Do you seethe in silence over an appraisal that was less than glowing? Do you lash out when peers don't respond quickly to your written requests for information? Or do you simply deny your anger and pretend everything is OK? Experts say it's time to look at anger in a different light. Instead of suppressing it or blowing up, experts encourage use of anger as a strategic tool to solve problems or as a catalyst for making an important change in your professional life.

What's the shortest route to success? A good relationship with your boss, experts say. But turning your boss into your ally isn't about flattery.

In June, family outscored hockey: Darryl Sutter resigned as coach of the Chicago Blackhawks to spend more time with his family - specifically his 2-year-old son, Christopher, who has Down's syndrome. It was an extraordinary sight. He gave up a position that offered enormous satisfaction and financial reward, not to mention a chance to win a Stanley Cup.

The new commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles Krulak, says women are important to the success of his force but have no place in ground combat. "Why? Because I don't think they can do it," the four-star general said in an interview Friday. Krulak, who took over as the Marine Corps' top officer on July 1, said he does not doubt women have the intelligence and courage it takes to fight on the battlefield.

Armed with a chilling set of statistics on the increase in violent crime against women, President Clinton on Tuesday named the first director of a new Justice Department office to combat these crimes. He also announced an initial $26 million in grants to states for programs to protect women. Bonnie Campbell, former Iowa attorney general and losing Democratic candidate for governor there in November, was named to head the Violence Against Women office, which was authorized under the 1994 crime bill.