Your bedroom closet redo might have happened during a last-minute quest for clothing donations at tax time. But now it's easier to get dressed for work and less likely that you will grab the navy blue jacket to wear with your black pants.Hold that thought. Mull it over as you sip your coffee, chiding the driving faux pas of your fellow commuters. Could this spring cleaning moment have other applications? What if you were to clean and organize your workspace? Here are some de-clutter tips that might just get you promoted. Or at least help you find your daily planner. Do a drive by Chec... view article details

Less Salary Isn’t Always a Dealbreaker- As Long As There Are Other Advantages Should you ever take a job that pays less salary than you expected? After several rounds of job interviews, you’ve finally been offered the position for which you've been pining. Upon accepting the offer, your future boss rattles off all the benefits you’ll receive including medical, dental, vacation days, and your 401k. But then he gets around to your starting salary, and it's less than you expected. It's understandable to be downright disappointed, especially if this seemed like the perfect job and company. But if ... view article details

Women are far less likely than men to negotiate at work, which typically costs women more than half a million dollars in earnings over the course of their respective careers, according to Linda Babcock and Sara Lashever, authors of the book Women Don’t Ask.The authors conducted multiple studies that found women miss out by failing to negotiate salary, promotions and other advancement opportunities that men commonly and aggressively pursue. The reluctance of female employees to advocate for themselves is often the difference between climbing the career ladder at a healthy pace and not climbing ... view article details

Q: Are verbal agreements legally binding? I was recruited by my current employer through a management recruiting firm for a lateral position. The recruitment came with a verbal agreement that I would move into my supervisor's position in two to three years, after he moved back to the division headquarters. Now that he's moving back, the new plant manager has decided not to honor that agreement and the HR manager tells me no one is guaranteed a promotion.A: I'm not a lawyer - and I don't play one on TV - but I never take verbal agreements seriously. If your supervisor planned to move you into a... view article details

Power, influence, status, recognition, ambition and reward -- as much as we might hate to admit it, the stuff that makes a fast-track career exciting and fun can be the very things that can also do it in. Set any negative connotations aside and face it -- office politics, and playing to win, can make all the difference. In this, the first in a two-part series, we'll examine how to position yourself for the game you'll have to play at some point, like it or not!1. Play with a purpose As with all things work related, you should ... view article details

Be an Ant, Not a Grasshopper*  Most people know they should invest for the future, but at least half would like to do better. In a Salary.com poll about investments in the company retirement plan, 44 percent of respondents said they contribute, but could do better; 13 percent know they should invest, but have other priorities; and 41 percent said they contribute the maximum. Just 3 percent reported not having a retirement plan. If you're gainfully employed and reasonably satisfied with your career, there are few good excuses for not taking advantage of this benefit. If you've got access to a c... view article details

Q:   I have worked at a few short-term contract positions in the past few months after being laid off by my previous employer. How should I present this information on my resume? Is it possible to consolidate this experience into just one entry? If so, how should I list the companies, dates, and locations? I don't want to give a future employer the impression that I was job hopping, but this has happened considering the current state of the economy and the scarcity of opportunities.A:   I would call it what it is - short-term assignments. Don't try to consolidate the information. If your prosp... view article details

Choose Your Investments Wisely When a couple decides to have children, the sacrifices start early. Perhaps they look around their cramped city apartment and think about the spontaneous days when they’d hop on the back of a motorcycle and speed off to wine country for the weekend.Suddenly, the conversation turns to selling off the Honda CB77 Super Hawk for a Honda Odyssey EX-L with third row seating, and researching suburban towns where you get the most room for your money.A smart couple putting a premium on education continually weighs the cost of an investment versus the potential pa... view article details

The Negotiation Process Begins Earlier Than You Think Have you ever felt undervalued or offered a lower salary than you are worth? Were you afraid to ask for a higher salary?If so, you are not alone. Many people avoid salary negotiation out of fear. However, even among those who are willing, it is a common misconception that the process must begin with a job offer. Salary negotiation begins much earlier in the job seeking process. How much earlier? As soon as you submit your resume. While this might be a surprise to some, it’s important to be aware for those who potentially risk under... view article details

As we all know, the economic picture is and has been rather bleak the last few years. And with unemployment still far too close to 10 percent for anyone's liking, we can't tell you it's going to get better any time soon. But while you can't magically predict whether or not you'll join the ranks of the unemployed someday soon, you can be prepared for it. And we can help.These tips are good habits to get into to manage your career even in boom times. So even if you're one of the lucky ones who aren't concerned about being laid off, put the economy to work for you. Let it motivate you to g... view article details