Seven Tips to a Better ReviewThe performance review induces a case of nerves in most employees, but if you prepare properly, you can make your next performance review your best.  To help, the experts at Salary.com have created a list of tips to ensure a better performance review.1. Track your contributionsKeep a journal at your desk that you can update daily or weekly with your key accomplishments, positive feedback you have received and comments about areas where you can improve.2. Compile your greatest achievementsEach month, review your journal entries and track your progress against your g... view article details

Less than a year after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University first united to launch a free online education initiative known as edX, the program has gone global.EdX announced last week that it has added six new schools to the consortium, included renowned universities in Australia, Europe, and Canada. These additions bring the program up to 12 schools offering dozens of courses.'We’ve always had a very international student body, but this brings in a diverse set of schools to serve our diverse set of students,' said edX spokesman Dan O'Connell.Joining the consortium ... view article details

May was something of a stagnant month for the country's slow jobs recovery, according to numbers released last week by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.The national unemployment rate in May was 8.2 percent, essentially unchanged from the prior month. The long-term unemployed made up more than half of this number, with 4.6 percent of the workforce reporting that they have been jobless for more than 15 weeks. With an unemployment rate of 8.4 percent, men were more likely to be out of work than women, who had a jobless rate of 7.9 percent last month.However, the unemployment numbers go up s... view article details

While Salary.com has been an expert on salary and compensation for more than a decade, there's likely no more deserving and experienced job expert out there than Mike Rowe. And as a special treat for our listeners, we've got him on Salary Talk!In case you've been living under a rock for several years, Mike is the host of the Discovery Channel's emmy-nominated show 'Dirty Jobs.' Which means he's spent the last several years traveling around the country as an apprentice for the kind of blue collar jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us, but often go under the radar. He is also... view article details

The Midwest continued to be the best place for job-seekers last month, according to data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The states in the center of the country had an average unemployment rate of 7.2 percent in April, better than any other region and significantly lower than the national rate of 8.1 percent.  Driving the Midwest's low jobless numbers was North Dakota's unemployment rate of 3 percent. The western part of North Dakota is experiencing an oil boom that has produced thousands of jobs in the construction, trade and transportation, and professional services... view article details

When it comes to unemployment, the new year is looking a whole lot like the old one.The first unemployment report of the 2013 showed the jobless rate lingering just under 8 percent for the fifth straight month, even as the country's employers add jobs. The national unemployment rate in January was 7.9 percent, representing some 12.3 million jobless, according to numbers just released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. In September, November, and December, the rate was 7.8 percent; in October it was 7.9 percent.A year ago, in January 2012, 8.3 percent of the workforce was out of  a job.... view article details

The national unemployment rate dipped down to 8.1 percent last month, slightly below July's 8.3 percent and a full point lower than the August 2011 rate of 9.1 percent, according to numbers released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Good news, right? Well…To count as 'unemployed,' a person must be looking for work. So when the unemployment number drops, that could mean people have found work or it could mean they have simply stopped trying, discouraged by the challenging job market. And it seems that last month those who gave up had at least as much impact on the overall rate as tho... view article details

North Dakota was the place to be in 2011, at least for people seeking work. The state ended last year much as it began: with the lowest unemployment rates in the country, according to numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to numbers released last week, the national, seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.3 percent. North Dakota, however, had a jobless rate of just 3.3 percent, down from 3.8 percent in December 2010, according to BLS data from December 2011 which focused on individual states. Two other states from the upper Midwest and a pair of New England states rou... view article details

Millennials: Why Are They Still Borrowing Money from Their Parents? By Tory Waldron They’re lazy, they’re entitled, they still live at home – leeching off their parents. Who are they? Millennials, of course. Well, that’s the perception anyway: a generation of “Peter Pans,” destined to never grow up, or move out. Are all millennials idle do-nothings, expecting trophies for just showing up? Or, could this simply be a matter of bad press and a lack of bigger picture thinking? Let’s explore what makes this tribe of 20 and 30-somethings tick (and perhaps put some of these stereotypes to rest). ... view article details

A pay philosophy is a company's commitment to how it values employees. A consistent pay philosophy gives the company and the employee a frame of reference when discussing salary in a negotiation.The goal of a pay philosophy is to attract, retain, and motivate employees. For companies in the private sector, this usually requires a competitive pay philosophy. For companies in the public sector, this means a well-rounded philosophy, with a focus on benefits and work life.Companies attract, motivate, and retain through total compensationThe purpose of a good compensation philosophy is to attract, ... view article details