Creatures of the Deep Two hundred miles out to sea, Tonie Chute checks that she is tethered securely to her research vessel and then goes to the deck's edge to help guide an 800-pound sampling net into the water. The net's fine mesh traps the tiny plankton, samples of which Chute and other marine biologists will analyze in the National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory back on shore as they investigate the effects of global warming on fish populations. . . "I chose this work because I wanted to be outside and get really dirty, something I try to remember when I'm cold and frightened," said C... view article details

You Do Have to Be a Rocket Scientist Listening to a rocket scientist talk about work is impressive, but tough for the scientifically challenged. It's not unlike having a conversation in a foreign language you barely know. Talk of black holes and exploding suns switches to gyroscopes and accelerometers before you've processed what you think you heard, let alone understood. But then, as the cliché suggests, it is rocket science. Keoki Jackson and Bob Polutchko knew they'd become rocket scientists from early on. "I was born on July 22nd, 1969," said Jackson. "Mom used to talk about watching the ... view article details

Thrill Builder! Slowly the car inches up the improbable incline, defying gravity, and propelled by unseen forces. As the roller coaster car gets to the crest of the hill and peers over the top at the twisted tracks and loop-the-loops that lie just ahead, you try to convince yourself that the person who designed this cruel contraption knows what he is doing. Relax. He does. Kent Seko originally wanted to be an architect. He rode roller coasters as a kid, but never thought about designing them until years later, when a friend who worked at Arrow Dynamics, Inc., a roller coaster design firm, talk... view article details

It is perhaps the most popular New Year's resolution, right up there with losing weight, quitting smoking and going back to school. And right now your current employees are attempting to upgrade to greener pasture. As the calendar turns to a new year, many people set their sights on job-hunting. But why? We've compiled a list of reasons for leaving a job below. A recent Salary.com survey, taken by more than 2,400 people, sheds some light on why employees leave and who will be job searching this January and why. See what you're up against as an employer and use this information to understand ... view article details

Whether you're already an executive or just an aspiring big cheese, it's never too early to begin studying the sophisticated art of negotiating executive compensation. Only executives are eligible for many types of perks and benefits - if you disagree, try asking for your own jet. And executives often have access to data sources that are harder for other employees to use, or less relevant. But you may be surprised to learn that some of the methods for negotiating executive pay can work just as well for you as they do for the senior VP whose salary continues to rise while everyone else worries ... view article details

Figuring Out What You Want to Do Figuring out what you want to do and what you are good at is something we’re asked to do from the time we are little, and people start asking: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Most of us may have answered that question with a job or a title. And we never stop wondering if we got it right. Careers As Incremental Goals? The other day, I had a great conversation with someone who is building an app that helps you manage your career. I asked him to tell me about it. His story is worth understanding. “Careers,” he said, “are a combination of short term, ... view article details

Career Coach & Author Jack Chapman Tackles All of Your Salary and Negotiation Questions "I love this job, but..." We've all been there. You find a great job opportunity, the interview goes well, it's work you'd love to be doing and they make you a pretty nice offer. The only problem is this job is nowhere near where you live and you'd have to move across the country if you want it. There are a lot of factors to consider before uprooting your entire life to pursue a new career opportunity. Will you like it there, what's the weather like, how's the cost of living, do you have a family to consid... view article details

Few things are as challenging as looking for work. Making smart decisions involves a host of variables that may be quite contradictory. Figuring out where you want to work next involves balancing location (where you work), occupation (what you do), compensation (what you make), and availability (what jobs are open). The earliest stages of the job hunt are a lot like a game of MadLibs™. For starters, fill in the following blanks in this simple CareerMadLib: I want to be a(n)  (name of occupation)   working in  (name of location)   making   (annual salary) . Think About What Means the Most to ... view article details

Protect Yourself from Possible Coronavirus on Fomites in the Office Researchers have discovered that the coronavirus can be transmitted between people through indirect contact. Recently, a coronavirus patient was diagnosed where he had no direct contact with any confirmed patient. However, the patient's downstairs neighbor was a confirmed patient, and epidemiological investigation found infection was likely to have taken place due to use of the same stairwell. Viruses commonly die soon after leaving the living body, but is the coronavirus like this? How long can the... view article details

They Didn't All Win Oscars, But These Work-Related Movies Hold a Special Place in Our Hearts And the Oscar Goes to... The nominees for this year's Academy Awards feature whimsy and fantasy, wartime adventures and family dramas. These movies may be praiseworthy, but they largely lack any perspective on the things that occupy most viewers' daily lives: impersonal cubicles, tedious commutes, the chances of promotion. We, therefore, have assembled an alternate list of deserving films that offers a peek into what it is to be a worker, striving for career advancement and negotiating all the hurdl... view article details