Do You Have a Blueprint for Job Search Success? Like a brand-new day, 2015 is peeping over the horizon, promising changes to come. Now’s a great time to pause in your job search, set new goals, and find ways to keep established goals fresh as you map out where you want your career to go in the new year.Question: do you have a 2015 career blueprint? And why would you need one, anyway? Well, working without a job-search plan can set you up for a lot of frustration and can stall forward motion in your career. Instead of losing ground trying to figure things out willy-nilly, pause now and... view article details

Q: Is it legal to give hourly employees reviews more frequently than salaried personnel?I work for a nationwide industrial company that seems to have no set timeframes for performance reviews and pay increases for salaried employees. Yet the company has very strict wages and review periods for hourly employees. Salaried employees' wages and benefits vary vastly across the country; they seem to hinge on individual negotiations between local managers and personnel. I have watched hourly employees get regular reviews and wage increases while salaried personnel in the same location were completely... view article details

At the end of a business meeting, the organizer summarizes the decisions the group has made, lists the next steps, and assigns action items or tasks to participants. Typically, all action items should be carried out by people who attended the meeting, or people who report to them. It is usually less productive to assign work that results from a meeting to someone who wasn't represented.To be courteous of people's time, end the meeting when it is scheduled to end and leave the room, especially if another group is using the room directly afterward.The Meeting-After-the-MeetingPay careful attenti... view article details

Q: A prospective employer has told me that part-time employees receive a lower hourly pay than full-time employees for the same work. I have always understood that because part-timers don't receive benefits, the hourly pay was slightly higher. Which is the case?A: It depends on the level of work the part-time employee is being asked to perform. If part-time employees in the company are expected to perform at a minimal level - in other words, have minimum experience - then it is likely that the company will pay part-time employees less than full-time employees, who may be expected to be more pr... view article details

Damn, did ol’ Bagsy Boonswagler from accounting bring in that delicious Oreo pie again? Hey, you can’t blame him. It isn’t just Bagsy who’s contributing to the plethora of unhealthy, yummy – and free – snacks in the workplace. 22% of working adults consume an average of 1,277 calories per week through free food and drink on the job, according to a unique survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That accounts for 71% of all total calories consumed at work. It’s no surprise that the free goodies found in vending machines, common areas, at social events, and after meetings tend ... view article details

How to Handle Personality Clashes and Conflict in the Workplace The "big personality" at work can be extremely beneficial to business in the right circumstances, but he/she can also present challenges to an employer and to colleagues. These tips offer advice for key ways on how to handle personality clashes in the workplace due to a work personality that can't be contained by cubicle walls. 1. Let All Voices be Heard Some employees are made to feel like they aren't as valued simply because the big personality speaks up more, therefore garnering more of a response. Take the opportunity to ... view article details

 If you're serious about buying a house anytime soon, do not underestimate the importance your income and job stability will have on the whole process. For starters, you may want to rule out changing careers unless you're guaranteed to step well up the income ladder. Major career revisions are best left until after you've passed Go with a lender and settled into the new home.In some cases, a recent job change could even jettison your chances of getting approved for a loan. For example, if you rely on commissions to bolster take-home pay, you could lose much from a career change. One mortgage s... view article details

Job descriptionLaw enforcement officers, including both state officers, federal agents and detectives, protect our lives and personal property from harm. There are many different areas of law enforcement, and duties performed by officers and detectives will depend upon their area of focus and the size and type of organization for which they work.The majority of law enforcement officials, about 65 percent according to the bureau of labor statistics, are uniformed personnel. These officers work for police departments in towns and cities across the country or for the State as State troopers and h... view article details

In September and October of 2004, U.S. firms topped the 100,000 mark in announced job cuts, according to John Challenger, who heads the Chicago job placement firm Challenger & Christmas. These layoffs do not give much confidence for future business conditions, he added. However, the figures recently released by the Labor Department show positive signs, particularly in the temporary staffing category.The temporary staffing business has been one of the fastest growing industries in the economy. Since September, the number of temporary workers increased by 87,000, nearly a quarter of the jobs add... view article details

How Do You Spend Your Time? You know how some people are always late but tend up spending way more time in a meeting than you think is necessary? And how some people are always prompt? An easy way to recognize someone’s personality style is looking at how they spend their time. Review these descriptions and see if you recognize yourself and your coworkers.Direct Style Time Management People with a Direct style don’t waste time. They are almost always in a hurry, and they get impatient with you if you aren’t. They are action-oriented, making quick decisions and implementing th... view article details