Talking about salary is always tricky. Bring it up too soon and you might screen yourself out of an interview. Put it off too late and you could be at a disadvantage towards the end of the process. And sometimes---as is the case with this week's guest---your hand is forced because your salary is a matter of public record. So what do you do if you're going for your dream job but your current job has paid you peanuts? Are you at a disadvantage because they don't take you as seriously? If so, how can you make sure you don't get lowballed? As always, our expert Jack Chapman has your answers!QUESTI... view article details

Tips for Living within Your Means'It's not like I'm disorganized,' said Michelle E., a 28-year-old paralegal from Aurora, Colorado. 'My friends even joke about my CD collection being alphabetized. Yet my savings account is always empty and I never manage to pay down my credit cards,' she said.Cathy W. is 36, single, and facing a similar dilemma. 'I'm a freelancer in computer graphics based out of San Francisco. I think I make decent money, but there's never any left over. I don't see how I could ever afford my own home - certainly not in this town. I have no investments, never mind retirement ... view article details

Dear Heather,I hope this mail finds you well. This is Aya from Cairo, Egypt. I need your advice according a great confusion that I'm facing those days.I quit my job. It's really interesting, however, I couldn't stand the management team and the pressure that they're putting on me just to get some results without considering my rights and they were dealing with my rights as exceptions.I feel lost, I don't know what should I do, I don't know which career I should choose, which life I should join and decide it to be my lifestyle.I know that I need to work on myself and that makes me confused beca... view article details

After establishing contact with the party you're trying to reach, you should be ready to use the time as effectively as if you were in a face-to-face meeting.The speakerphone – friend or foe?Speakerphones are a great tool for communication via the telephone, but they must be used wisely. Some people prefer to use a speakerphone even when no one else is listening in so that they can take notes during the conversation without having to juggle a phone receiver. If you're one of those people, make sure you inform the people on the line with you that you are using a speakerphone, and if they seem a... view article details

With economic uncertainty around us, now more than ever, we need to find little ways to escape from the stress and reward ourselves for hanging in there. We all need balance in our lives and deserve to treat ourselves every once in a while. Here we suggest some affordable ways to pamper ourselves at a time when many of us do not have extra cash to spend.A little chocolate never hurt anyone Who doesn’t love chocolate? And there is no harm in treating yourself to a little chocolate every once in a while. Better yet, treat yourself to a box of your favorite higher end cho... view article details

Can You Learn from Your Cell? Back in the dark ages when cells were molecular and phones were for spoken communication, it may not have been simple but it was predictably segmented. Tasks were sequential, not simultaneous. People could disappear for minutes at a time and emails could languish undetected for whole afternoons when a recipient was off grid. Smartphone technology created expectations for increased and untethered productivity, because they allow us to engage in extreme multi-tasking. But, how well do you do it? Is your smartphone-ish office efficiency truly effective?Find ... view article details

Don't Let These Common Mistakes Cost You When Negotiating a Job Offer Salary Negotiation is About Facts, Not Myths A rough translation of a myth could be "a legendary story, usually concerning a hero or event, especially one that is concerned with deities or some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature." Many people play up salary negotiation as some kind of mythical exploit, as if a Cyclops from human resources was guarding a 10 percent salary increase. Perhaps only few select heroes can effectively navigate this rite of passage and pierce the heavily guarded castle. In reality, as author... view article details

Have you ever felt a little bit out of your element? Of course you have. Maybe it was traveling to a foreign country, eating an exotic meal that you’ve never experienced, or pursuing a new hobby outside your comfort zone. There are two other areas where people often find themselves out of their element: Negotiating their salary and starting their first business. And yet, they have a lot in common. And so it was that I found myself a bit out of my element on a bustling night in New York. I spent the afternoon at a co-working space called Impact Hub, and on my way out they were setting up for ... view article details

Show Your Value to Keep Your Job Layoffs. Downsizing. Reorganization. These common workplace buzzwords are a sign of the times. Today, more than ever, holding on to your job can feel like survival of the fittest, with seriously high stakes if you lose.One of the best ways to keep your job is to show your organization that it simply wouldn’t be the same without you. In a world where some people will do anything to keep their jobs or earn that coveted promotion, this article will explore eight ways to communicate your value to your employer, without compromising your own values.8. KISS ... view article details

Negotiate Wisely We know, you don’t like negotiating. But here’s a hint – very few people do. So despite it being about as enjoyable as nails on a chalkboard, it’s also necessary. And it’s too important to screw up.A misstep during the salary negotiation portion of your job interview – or worse, your failure to negotiate at all – could end up costing you thousands. Unfortunately, there are a variety of pitfalls along the way and traps you can inadvertently fall into that could derail your chances of success. That’s why we’ve identified the nine biggest mistakes most people make when n... view article details