Last year, a Boston-area high-tech company saw its stock plunge from a record high of $58.75 on January 20, to a low of $1.13 exactly 11 months later in November. One employee, who chose to remain anonymous for this article, exercised 1,000 options at $10 a share when the stock reached its peak. With April 16 nipping at her heels, she still owns the shares. Imagine her terror upon learning that the spread of $48.75 multiplied by the 1,000 shares - a total of $48,750 - is subject to a parallel tax system called the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, at a rate of up to 28 percent. Even though her ... view article details

An interview is the only time during the hiring process when you and your interviewer can form a mutual relationship based on observation and communication. You're both on the same level: the interviewer wants to do his or her best to get to know you, answer your questions, and find out if you would be a good fit for the job and the company.Despite its etiquette and formality, your interview can yield a wealth of information. The key to a successful interview is to bring some knowledge with you yet keep your eyes open for the intangibles, such as office culture and the staff's personalities. Y... view article details

Sometimes It's a Good Thing NOT to Negotiate Salary There Are Times to Play It Safe A common misconception about negotiation is that it is all about winning -- always asking for more money at every opportunity, always getting the largest possible salary, always getting the highest possible job title. While devising intricate strategies, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, and determining a plan of attack can make the process of negotiation seem very much like going to war, the reality is that it is a series of battles throughout your working life. As the general in char... view article details

Your resume gets you in the door, but your performance in the job interview ultimately gets you the position. That is, if you don't botch it. The questions you face at every job interview is different because the companies and people asking the questions vary so widely. However, there are a few questions that seem to have universal appeal to hiring managers doing the asking, and those are the questions for which you can and should prepare. They are questions meant to either throw you off your game, make you think on your feet, and/or determine how you handle yourself under pressure. Sometime... view article details

Getting Respect from Bullies to Bosses Ever feel like the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield -- that no matter what you do at work you just 'can’t get no respect?'From the bully in the cubicle next to you to a boss who seems oblivious to your accomplishments to the people reporting to you who are loathe to make any tough decisions themselves, your day at the office carries more baggage than the annual Thanksgiving dinner at the in-laws. Yet every moment of the day when we are interacting with other human beings, there is an opportunity -- if not a pressing need -- to assert our influenc... view article details

Step Outside Your Comfort Zone Are you looking for a job? Then you've probably heard a lot of the same, recycled advice.'Use your network,' 'do what you love,' and 'make sure you do your research.' Look, those aren't bad pieces of advice. They are the building blocks of a successful job search, and the kind of common sense tips on which you need to build a solid foundation when you're a job seeker. But if you've been doing all of the basics and still not getting anywhere, perhaps it's time to think outside the box.The following is a list of things to do that goes beyond the basics. Th... view article details

Earning a higher education degree is a big investment. With all that money (and time) on the line, students may want to confirm that the entry level jobs they’re setting themselves up for tend to yield a good return on investment (ROI). Using Salary.com data, we found 10 jobs that have median level I salaries over $60,000. These jobs promise even bigger pay outs as employees climb the ranks. Read on to see if one of these jobs may be right for you to pursue: 1) Electrical Engineer I What you’ll earn to start: $68,171 What you’ll do: Assist with the design, development, and testing of electric... view article details

If Your Resume Isn't Opening Doors, Get Some Professional Help Is It Worth the Money? Job searching sure is expensive. After all, it costs money to dry clean your interview suit, fill up your tank and drive to each and every job interview. And at a time when you’re counting every nickel and dime, you don’t want to spend any more cash than necessary. But if you’ve been job searching for some time without success, it may not be what you’re saying, but how you’re coming across on paper. That’s where a resume writer comes in. Resume writers are not just professional writers, but they’re experts... view article details

Reason No. 1: Your Leadership Doesn’t Care Whenever people attend a cocktail party, invariably someone in the room will have an occupation that others will solicit for some (free) advice. Medical doctors are asked “Does this mole look cancerous to you?” Car mechanics are queried whether the “chunka-chunka” sound the engine makes means a new transmission is needed. And as an industrial/organizational psychologist, I get interrogated about “Why is my company such a lousy place to work? Why do I hate working there?” There can be any number of specific reasons why one’s work experience is l... view article details

"Soft" Skills & Emotional Intelligence Will Help Get You Hired & Promoted Skills: Hard vs Soft As your career progresses one of your goals is to ensure that your "hard" skills -- tangible, teachable skills and abilities that allow you to perform your job -- are up to snuff. But in your effort to hone your hard skills, don't ignore your "soft" skills. Soft skills, sometimes called "people skills" or "emotional intelligence," are less tangible qualities that determine how you manage your own behavior, as well as interact with and get along with others. While soft skills are more difficult to ... view article details