Don't Let These Common Mistakes Cost You When Negotiating a Job Offer Salary Negotiation is About Facts, Not Myths A rough translation of a myth could be "a legendary story, usually concerning a hero or event, especially one that is concerned with deities or some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature." Many people play up salary negotiation as some kind of mythical exploit, as if a Cyclops from human resources was guarding a 10 percent salary increase. Perhaps only few select heroes can effectively navigate this rite of passage and pierce the heavily guarded castle. In reality, as author... view article details

How Older Workers Can Better Overcome Obstacles to Getting Hired Older Workers Have a Tougher Time Getting a Job While the U.S. job market continues to make slow but steady gains, finding a job in the current economy is still challenging. All job seekers today face significantly more obstacles than they did a decade ago, but those over the age of 50 have a few extra hurdles to clear. According to a recent survey done by ExecuNet, a member organization for senior-level executives, a Vice President over the age of 50 takes 20% longer to get hired than a 41- to 45-year-old at the same level. W... view article details

It's Tough to Succeed When You're Sending All the Wrong Messages Your Personal Brand is Critical for Success Donald Trump. Martha Stewart. Mark Zuckerberg. Sarah Palin. Chances are you can think of a few things to say about each of them based on the impressions you’ve gathered about their personal brands -- however unconsciously -- complete with triumphs, missteps, and various forms of public humiliation and scandal. And depending on what those critically managed (not always successfully) impressions are, and by how many they are held, the lives and affairs of the Trumps, Stewarts and Palin... view article details

Real-life Leaders, Their Shortcomings, and How They Overcame Them "A business owner has to realize that, as the saying goes, 'A skunk stinks from the head down,' and a business does too," writes Bill McBean in his book The Facts of Business Life. That’s why, McBean posits, behind every great leader is a successful business. But just because you’re sitting in the leader’s chair doesn’t mean you excel at managing and motivating a team. Plenty of highly-placed executives lack essential people skills, or worse, rule with a bully’s iron fist -- it’s their way or the highway, a la TV bosses Donald T... view article details

Summer Presents Unique Opportunities for You to Advance Your Career Summer is No Time to Slack Off at Work And suddenly, Summer. Coats go into storage, you’re buying sunscreen by the gallon, and your mind instantly shifts from spreadsheets and status meetings to suntans and sandy beaches. However, while kids might be screaming "school's out for summer" and racing for the playground, things don't quite work that way as an adult in the business world. But don't worry, the tips below won't be as painful as summer school. So here are 5 ways you can use summer to your advantage professionally. ... view article details

Learn Which Hiring Red Flags to Spot During the Job Interview Process If you're a hiring manager or a small business owner who has gone through the hiring and job interview process, you know how difficult it can be finding the right person. Mainly because you first have to sort through all the wrong people. But how can you tell right from wrong? While there's no secret code or magic bullet to figure out the good from the bad, there are some general tricks and hints to point you in the right direction. And if you're a grizzled veteran of conducting job interviews, you probably already know some... view article details

With the unemployment rate hovering at 4.5 percent, "calling in sick" or taking unplanned time off has fallen out of fashion to such an extent that experts have invented a word to describe it -- "presenteeism." The phenomenon results in employees coming to work even when they shouldn't. That's right -- there are legitimate reasons to call off work. The rules below apply whether your company has combined paid time off (PTO), or separate sick, vacation, and personal days. Valid reason 1: Contagious illness, such as the common cold or flu. There's no better reason to stay home than legitimate si... view article details

Real-Life Examples of Negotiation Done Right & Wrong What Works & What Doesn't? Ever wonder what works and what doesn't regarding salary negotiation and asking for a raise? We asked you, our readers, about your last negotiating experience and it was easy to see what worked, what didn't, and why. Here are some real-life examples of salary negotiations along with our advice about what they did right, wrong, and how they could've handled things better. Go Big or Go Home Date of last raise: 2012 Prior salary research: Yes Raise request: 35% Raise received: 22% User comments: "The main idea is... view article details

Over the last two years you've heard it: "Consider yourself lucky to have a job." Whether coming from the manager sugar-coating furloughs and four-day work weeks, or the family member who needs help with the rent -- again! -- going through the same routines, when what you really want is to move on, can be soul-destroying. But on balance, are things so bad? Does leaving really make sense? You decide… This job doesn’t challenge me anymore Stay: In today’s job market, it is unlikely your boss is concerned that you might walk, so why should you? Keep plugging away and allow yourself the time and s... view article details

Types of Bonuses There are several types of bonuses. Some plans simply give employees a certain share of the company profits, or perhaps a bonus to the entire company. Other programs give incentives to individuals or teams to perform at or above certain thresholds. And a variety of cash and noncash awards are possible for certain types of achievements in some companies. You can even earn bonuses for being hired or getting your friend a job at your company. The following article details 10 types of bonuses that are typically seen in the workplace. What is Profit Sharing? One very basic type of ... view article details