Q: I am the IT manager at the local newspaper. I had no experience and settled for a lower wage than the position should have paid. I now have been here two years and am wondering whether I should ask for the salary your site and others say I am worth. I have a two-year degree in information management, and an A+ certification, and I'm working on my net+. I am the network administrator and implement and troubleshoot all their software systems. It's much more work than they first described. To get me to the average in our area they would need to give me a $20,000 increase.A: Even after two year... view article details

Q: I used your Salary Wizard and other sites to come up with a market value for myself. I found that I'm worth between $42,000 and $45,000 (I'm making $35,000 in base salary). When I approached my employer for a raise, he seemed extremely surprised and thought my numbers were too aggressive, and that my current salary is about right. He is going to do some research of his own and talk to me in a few days. How do I nicely get the point across that they're paying me too little? Am I wrong in my findings? What am I missing here? I'm very confused.Also, considering this, when my boss offers me a l... view article details

Q. My annual performance evaluation was conducted in February. My position was newly created, and no salary survey was conducted. I moved into this position from an unrelated one within the same company. I've surpassed all of the job duties in my job description, and have often been recognized for my excellence. I received a 10 percent bonus at my evaluation, which I expected. The median raise throughout the company was 7 percent.Since then, I've taken on more responsibilities, worked extra hours at home (without charging overtime) and discovered that a male counterpart (performing at half of ... view article details

There are many hard and fast rules that a job-seeker can learn when preparing for a salary negotiation. For example, having the right mindset, the importance of doing research, and keeping compensation numbers open-ended, speaking in terms of salary ranges vs. naming a specific number.However, one of the more difficult aspects of negotiating a job offer is adapting your approach based on the personality of the person you are dealing with.There are three phases that you must master:Develop a negotiation mindset and learn the tips and techniquesPractice and role play with someone to simulate the... view article details

Develop & Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies don’t take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses: 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees don't communicate honest information t... view article details

Delta – the second largest commercial airline in the world – is encouraging its internal pool of non-pilot workers, college students at certain universities, and even younger folks to consider taking their talents to the cockpit. By tapping into these various niches, Delta hopes to slowly erase a significant shortage of pilots over time. Baby boomers are already retiring at a staggering rate, and Delta’s 13,000+ pilots are required by federal law to lay down the keys at 65. Some pilots are leaving for other companies – another trend indicative of the war for talent. Delta expects to hire mor... view article details

The start of a new year is always a good time to set new career resolutions. No matter where you are in your career -- entry level, mid-career, or nearing retirement -- there are always new challenges to tackle and goals to meet.Make this year the year you shine at work and make some long awaited changes. Here are 15 resolution ideas to help make this the year you get ahead.Resolution 1: Conquer a fear Is there a pesky fear that's holding you back at work? Think about what that may be costing you. For example, if you're afraid of public speaking, it may be costing you opportunities to... view article details

Two of the country's premier academic institutions -- the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University -- have joined forces to launch an online education initiative that might just 'reinvent education,' according to Anant Agarwal, president of the new program.Dubbed edX, the program is based on MITx, a similar initiative launched by the science and technology school earlier this year. EdX will act as a sort of umbrella organization, allowing participating institutions to offer free, online courses from their curricula. Harvard and MIT are the initial partners in the program, b... view article details

So, you want a raise? Great! But do you deserve a raise? Have you adequately displayed your value to the company? Or do you believe you can easily receive a raise because it's been a year? Before you go in and ask for a raise, it's important to make sure you have enough going for you. Here are seven reasons to ask for a raise. 1) A Positive Attitude Don't underestimate likability. Do results matter? Absolutely. However, a positive attitude goes a heck of a long way in helping your cause. This doesn't mean you have to be best friends with your boss (in fact, that's a no-no), but a good attitu... view article details

Creatures of the Deep Two hundred miles out to sea, Tonie Chute checks that she is tethered securely to her research vessel and then goes to the deck's edge to help guide an 800-pound sampling net into the water. The net's fine mesh traps the tiny plankton, samples of which Chute and other marine biologists will analyze in the National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory back on shore as they investigate the effects of global warming on fish populations. . . "I chose this work because I wanted to be outside and get really dirty, something I try to remember when I'm cold and frightened," said C... view article details