Q. I'm an HR generalist. I've been with the same firm for five years, hired as an executive assistant to the president making $32k, one year later became administrative manager, then at the end of last year was promoted to HR manager, making $50k. I was promoted with the expectation that our company would grow rapidly. That reality has not taken place and although I have plenty to do in my role, I'm getting back the office management responsibilities I previously owned. I've handled five office lease expansions, telephones, benefits, new hires, orientations, terminations, etc. I have excelle... view article details

Let’s face it. People get to a point in their careers when they want to see more dollar signs. If your chosen profession isn’t paying as handsomely as you’d like, it might be time to consider a career change. This kind of professional shift typically means going back to school, but the return on investment may be worth your time. Based on Salary.com data, we've provided 10 jobs that tend to pay out over $75,000. We’ve also included job descriptions for each one so you can start to evaluate whether a career change may be right for you. 1) Web Software Developer: $78,653 A Web Software Develop... view article details

Get Back in the Game Whether you are fresh out of college, having a midlife career change or deciding retirement isn’t for you, you first must realize job searching has changed. It's different than it was a decade ago, and it's different than it was last year. It’s difficult to keep up with all the changes, but if you want to be competitive in the job market you have to stay ahead of the technology as much as you can.So if you're starting from scratch, here is my advice to stay and get ahead of the game.It Starts with the Resume Although some people will say they are being ph... view article details

Q. I've been employed with the same company for 10 years. My official job title is financial analyst, and I report to the financial operations manager. For the last year and a half, the manager and I have been working at both locations, rotating throughout the week. The company decided it is inefficient to have us rotating plants, so I was informed that I would take over all of my manager's duties at one plant and she will handle everything at the other plant. Since these are two small plants, we handle all HR-related issues, all financial issues, benefits, general office management, etc. I no... view article details

Q: Dear Heather,I recently started a full-time job after several years at home with my children. It wasn’t my first choice, but my husband ended up having to take a lower paying job after his company downsized. I’m mostly OK with it and getting used to the schedule. My 15-year old daughter has really stepped up to help, but my 10-year old daughter isn’t adjusting well. She was very much accustomed to our afterschool rituals and complains daily that she wishes I were a 'real mom' again. My husband works late most nights, and so this is pretty much all on me. I don’t have the uninterrupted hours... view article details

Dear Heather,My husband is a firefighter. His dad and uncle are firefighters too, and it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. He was up for captain and had a good shot at it we thought, but he got passed over in favor of a guy with a little more seniority. My husband is devastated. I’ve never seen him like this. He can barely drag himself out the door to be at the station, and those guys are his buddies. He doesn’t want to do anything. Just comes home and watches TV on his off days. He said he’s not sure he’s cut out for the job anymore. What can I do??Katie Dear Katie,Watching a loved one struggle f... view article details

Good news for this year’s crop of college graduates! Job Outlook 2008, an annual survey of college recruiters, reports that employers plan to hire 16 percent more new college graduates than they did last year. Reasons for this expanded recruitment effort include an increased demand for many employers’ products and services and a high number of current employees who are retiring or near retirement age. According to the Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Salary Survey says that the overall average starting salary offer to new college graduates, despite a less-than-robust eco... view article details

Greetings Jack,I interviewed with a university office today; for a Licensing Associate position in Technology Transfer.This requires MBA, skills in business, science, and heavy communication with cold calling, together with database management, etc. I have all of these and more (PhD and MBA), and my experience in science is 10+ years and in business is 2+ years.Someone who I know and works with the director of that office, told me that the base salary was to be $55,000, but that the director was also planning to raise it to $75,000. The interview went well. They are planning to fill the positi... view article details

Did you know that you may be able to negotiate some of your benefits? Even though companies put fixed policies on most benefits, some benefits are negotiable - and sometimes, all you have to do is ask. Signing bonus. If a company wants you badly enough or can't meet your salary demands, it might sweeten the deal by offering you a signing bonus, a one-time payment that doesn't increase the base salary on which everything else is calculated. A signing bonus is a good-faith demons... view article details

Dear Annette,Please tell me what to do about coworkers' kids in the office. I could understand if people brought their children in when there was an emergency, but everywhere I look there seems to be some toddler. The noise and distraction are affecting my work. I can't get away from it because we are all in cubes, but I need some way to tell my coworkers that the office is not a daycare center!RattledDear Rattled,It's not surprising that today's office has become so alluring to the young, with its bright colors, foosball table, and all the soda you can drink.I myself have only recently recove... view article details