What do you want to be when you grow up?'Children are asked this question even before the start of kindergarten. They speak longingly and sincerely of becoming doctors, teachers, astronauts, ballerinas, rock stars, professional athletes and jet pilots. But when wide-eyed children face the harsh reality of ballooning education costs combined with adult life in the workforce, do any of them stick with their dreams? Or is the whole idea of a 'dream job' simply a fluid, ever-changing concept?Kenexa, the parent company of Salary.com, is hosting its annual Kenexa World Conference from October 11-12.... view article details
When Your Work Is Done, Get Out of There Pamela Selle wants you to go the heck (we softened up her original language) home. Seriously. If it is 6 p.m. or if you are done with your projects for the day or your brain is just burned out from the last eight hours of staring at a monitor, Selle says, just get out of the office. It's tough to be the first one to leave the office for fear it makes you look bad, but going home when your work is done does have benefits. It's better for your productivity, it's better for your employer, and it is most assuredly better for you. In February, Phila... view article details
Athletes Can Show Us More Than Their Moves Americans love their professional sports. According to recent survey done by ESPN, 74% of Americans watch four or more hours of professional sports on television per week!As we root for our favorite teams and players, it’s hard to remember that professional athletes are just that: professional. Yes, as tough as it is to believe sometimes, and despite the envious lifestyle of guys like LeBron James, shooting hoops is a J.O.B. Just like the rest of us, professional athletes change jobs, get promoted, get fired, have bad days at work, and make m... view article details
Hot to Nail Down Your First Job Are you planning a transition “from college to career?” You won’t want to miss out on advice from Lindsey Pollak, a recognized expert on next-generation career trends. She recently released a new edition of her terrific book, Getting from College to Career. In this second of a two-part Q & A with Lindsey (read Part I here), she outlines some best practices for networking, following up, and transitioning to your first job.Harness the Power of Twitter Q: In addition to LinkedIn, what online tools do you think are most helpful for new grads to im... view article details
"Politics" is Not a Dirty Word The politics of Obama, Romney & Co. are on everyone’s lips these days as the challengers and incumbents in the race for the highest office in the land battle it out on a global stage. Alas, the commentary’s rarely positive. These days the term politics has become a four-letter word for many, in part because it represents a fraternity that spends more time defending itself than abiding by its dictionary definition: activities which are associated with government. The word has evolved to mean: the relational dynamics associated with influencing and govern... view article details
The Red Sox. The Celtics. The Bruins. In New England, big teams dominated Boston TV sportscasts in the 1980s and Scott Fleishman followed them all.And in an unlikely way, these dynasties became destiny for the Massachusetts native. While Fleishman watched the teams, he studied the anchormen who brought their stories into his living room, setting the stage for the dream career he would pursue: New England Sports Anchor.The 33-year-old Fleishman is now living his dream as a sports anchor for WCAX in Burlington, VT, covering the teams he loves, both national and local, and presenting those storie... view article details
Survey Analyzes a Year's Worth of Tweets & Finds the 10 Most Hated Jobs Let the Hate Flow Through You If you hate your job and like to complain about it on social media, you’re probably a man living on the East Coast and working in retail. So says a recent study courtesy of Brandwatch and Monster, which analyzed more than 1 million tweets over the course of one year, from March 2014 to March 2015. Attention was paid to how many people tweeted about loving and hating their jobs, with states such as Hawaii, Oregon, and California ranking high on the “love my job” list, while workers in Florid... view article details
Careers That Pay a Whole Lot Less Than You Think That's All They Make?! All through my childhood, I thought classroom teachers must make a million dollars a year. After all, look at how much they work both inside and out of the classroom. And consider the work they do -- shaping young minds. These are people who are depended on the world over to raise future generations of educated, employable adults. Some argue it is the most important job one can have in our society. But then I grew up and found out what the overwhelming majority of us have come to know -- teachers don't make a million do... view article details
Have you noticed your international friends are always traveling and on the go, while your state-side buddies complain they’ve barely been able to make it to the beach at all this summer? The reason for this may be a lack of paid time off (PTO) for American employees. According to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), the U.S. is the only advanced economy (and member of the OECD) that doesn’t guarantee workers even a single day of PTO. The CEPR's report also confirmed 25 percent of America's workers in the private sector don’t get any time off at all. The statutory minimum paid l... view article details
A Career in High Gear Hugging the curves of a winding country road, the James Bond roadster seems to float on air. A fork ahead. Which road to take? The driver chooses the one leading further away from the office. Will the boss mind this Tuesday afternoon excursion? Not at all. The Road to BMW People are always asking Jason, "How did you get a job test-driving $128,000 cars?" Hard work, determination, and a bit of good timing is the answer. Ten years ago the automotive technology trade school Jason attended had just started a relationship with BMW. Wanting to impress, the school sent BMW the... view article details