There's an App For That Smartphones can easily become a major distraction. With games, social media, and text messages just a touch away, it's easy to fall into a procrastination trap. Fortunately, there are a number of helpful smartphone apps designed to up your efficiency on a daily basis. Rather than distracting you, these clever apps will get you back on track and increase your productivity.6. Slack Messaging programs are often lacking when it comes to collaborating on projects, plus they pose the risk of distracting you with messages from friends and family. Slack, on th... view article details

Safe Travel Tips from the U.S. State Department  Relax: You're Flying   Should We Fly? Or Surf?    Relax: You're Flying  One mile high, as the stars come out, you place cucumbers over your eyelids and settle in for a good night's sleep in coach. Children may kick the seat behind you, the guy to your right may encroach, and strange human noises may blend overhead with the dry relentless forced-air ventilation system - but you're moisturized, hydrated, relaxed, and ready to do business tomorrow. At least, in your dreams.How do veteran road warriors do it, week after week, flying from city to cit... view article details

The Career Coward's Guide to Career AdvancementHello and welcome to Salary Talk, the official podcast of Salary.com.We'll be bringing you interviews with renowned authors on all things related to salary, job hunting, career coaching, negotiations, resumes and more. The podcasts---which will run between 15-25 minutes in length---are available free of charge. You can listen to them while on the site or download the interviews to your mobile device and listen later.Our inaugural interview is with Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., author of the Career Coward's book series.She has been a career counselor in ... view article details

Synchronicity! We all know the resume is your calling card, and its job is to get you noticed. Since February is associated with perfect matches, use some of that synchronicity to get you noticed despite the tight job market. Focus on improving your interactions with everyone you meet during your job search to make you irresistible to hiring managers. Concentrate your efforts on key opportunities to make the most of this short month and land that big interview, ending your affair with the job search for good!Whether you are applying by posting your resume, sending emails, or dropping ... view article details

Think back to your biggest accomplishment. The thing you're most proud of which you still brag about to this day. Maybe you lost 100 lbs, climbed Mt. Everest or successfully finished that marathon. Whatever your goal was, chances are it was difficult and you were emotionally invested, which made the success that much sweeter.Mark Murphy, author of 'Hard Goals: The Secret to Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be,' is this week's guest on Salary Talk, and tells Aaron and Wendy that many people---and companies---have it all wrong when it comes to goal-setting.While SMART (Specific, M... view article details

Is the Euro on the Brink of Extinction? Europe. Land of classic artistic masterpieces, of perfect flaky croissants, of crushing debt that threatens to destabilize the global economy.These days, conversations about Europe are at least as likely to concern failing banks and government debt as the Eiffel Tower or the hills of Tuscany. But why? They're over there and we're over here. Why are we, and our media, following the sagas of Greece and Spain and Italy so closely? Well, it turns out there is more at stake for the United States than geography would suggest.'If other countries can’t ... view article details

'Thank you for your Salary Wizard. I had no idea what people in my line of work made until I checked out Salary.com. I used the info on your site to ask for a raise and I got it. Thanks!'We get a lot of emails like that one from people who use our site to find out what their job pays. That information allows them to better negotiate a starting salary so they can earn more money. Money which then gives them the ability to do things like buy a house, get married, start a family and begin saving for retirement. And it all started with our free Salary Wizard.But don’t thank us. Thank Brian.Brian C... view article details

Even though most states found themselves creating massive cuts in the last year, the budget gap is still too much for some to handle, leading them to decrease spending further. States such as Indiana and California have already announced a dramatic decrease in education budgets for the next year. Both states, especially California, had a hard year in 2009 trying to fill the debt gap. While California inflicted dramatic tuition increases that led to student protests and media scrutiny to make up for the budget, Indiana cut programs and limited faculty travel as a way of spending less, promisin... view article details

Tattoos and Jobs: Find Out How Tattoos/Piercings Can Limit Your Career Ink Can Be a Career Stain Maybe it’s a tribal armband, the orchids on your lower back playing peek-a-boo with your coworkers, or -- gulp -- you’re wearing it on your face a la Mike Tyson. But even if it’s that cute little leprechaun on your ankle, our latest survey results show visible tattoos at work could have a negative effect on your pot of gold. A recent study from the Pew Research Center found nearly 40% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 have at least one tattoo, and body piercings are also a growing means of... view article details

Our first round-up of 13 Must-Read Business Books That Could Change Your Life sparked such an onslaught of suggestions, it was clear we only scratched the surface. So armed with a list of book titles, we decided to follow-up with a list of business books suggested by you, our readers.These books---some old, some new---run the gamut from business-building strategies to helping those who haven’t discovered their passion explore their options and goals.Check out these books that have helped change readers’ lives.Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Boxby Arbinger InstituteIf you disl... view article details