Don't Make Virtual Meetings a Bore You have to hold a meeting, but everyone who should participate is somewhere else. What should you do?Hold the meeting virtually.More than 20 million virtual meetings are held every year. Some 85 percent of projects now include remote team members and that percentage keeps rising. If you plan it right, a virtual meeting will let you accomplish everything you could with an in-person meeting. Here's a guide for doing that.7. Set a Goal As with any other kind of meeting, be clear on what you want to accomplish. Do you want to convey information... view article details

Don't Hate, Appreciate! The first Friday of March is Employee Appreciation Day. But do you feel appreciated?This 'holiday,' established in 1995, serves as a day to honor workers across the country. After all, National Bosses Day is celebrated in October, so it’s only fair the rank and file employees have their moment in the sun as well. That’s why it doesn’t matter whether you scrub toilets or if you’re a budding advertising executive on Madison Avenue – Employee Appreciation Day is about recognizing people for a job well done. Every job and every worker.The question is how should you... view article details

If you take a job in a small, publicly held company, should you expect to earn less than at a large, public company? The surprising answer is no. Compensation survey data shows that a person working in a company with, say, $50 million in annual revenue should be making the same amount as a person doing the same job in a company with $500 million in revenues. 'The overall job market, not the size of the company, determines the value of the job,' said Erisa Ojimba, compensation consultant at Salary.com.Executives' pay may be the exception, she said, because of the mix of executives' pay in small... view article details

Dear Heather,I read one of your articles on what to do about hating your job and it moved me to write you a message myself.Like the woman in the story I too have come to absolutely loathe coming into work. I've been in my current line of work for close to five years, and to be honest I really enjoy what I do. In case you were wondering I'm an Ophthalmic Technician for an Ophthalmology office. At first my advice and actions were very respected and the rest of the office seemed to care about them. But as time slipped past the luster started to fade and the true beast began to rear its ugly head.... view article details

If we can take anything away from the world of marketing and advertising, it’s that the right spokesperson can make or break an organization. Enter Kayla Tucker Adams, a public relations executive with more than 13 years of experience. She began locally through education, expanded nationally through non-profit, and has now garnered global reach working with CNN, CBS, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Huffington Post, and Associated Press among others. She is the Director of Public Relations for T.D. Jakes Ministries, the second largest church in the country.Adams attended Prairie View A & M, a histor... view article details

Just like an interview, a job offer can tell you a great deal about a potential employer. An offer can reveal how serious the employer is about the offer, how valuable you are to the company, and most importantly, whether you should make the move. Jobs are customarily offered over the telephone or in person. The employer should offer more than just, 'Congratulations, you've got the job.' He or she should explain the offer in detail and answer your questions.It is appropriate to respond to a job offer within two to four days. Rarely would an employer expect you to accept a position on the spot.... view article details

You've decided to give temping a try and have found an agency that appears to serve your needs. You've applied for a spot on their fleet of workers and they've agreed to take you on. So now what?While the agency searches to find you that plum assignment, they might be able to offer you a 'temporary' temporary position. Most temp agencies have a surplus of drudgework so if they ask you to do some mindless number-crunching and you are looking for a more challenging assignment, feel free to say no. However, holding out indefinitely for the perfect placement isn't a good idea either, advises Jacqu... view article details

Things Are Not As They Seem You too can be a millionaire!Everyone knows all it takes is a little disciplined saving and some shrewd investment, and your retirement will take care of itself. Just skip your daily latte, invest those savings, and let the miracle of compound interest do the rest. Right?Not so fast, says journalist Helaine Olen, whose new book Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry argues that the financial services industry has long been selling what, for many, is an impossible dream. Olen took a few minutes last week to answer some questio... view article details

Like many sports fans, Shaun Wyman spends his days keeping up with news about teams, players and trades. But Wyman gets paid to be a sports fanatic.As a talent producer for the ESPN Radio Network, Wyman produces a national three-hour radio show and a weekly original podcast. He spends his days fielding emails, phone calls, and texts with sports agents, team PR people and athletes to coordinate interviews for guest appearances for the entire ESPN Radio Network. It's a fast-paced job that requires not only a love of sports, but also doing the non-stop work it takes to produce a national radio sh... view article details

There is always a temptation to over spend during the holidays. In light of the current economic situation it is more important than ever to avoid getting deeper in to debt in order to satisfy gift-giving obligations. Don't despair. Salary.com has put together a few ideas to help you shift your focus and have a happy holiday season.Develop a plan Decide ahead of time how much you can afford to spend and on whom you plan to spend it. By looking at your entire planned gift giving at once, you'll make better decisions once you get into the thick of holiday shopping. Once y... view article details