The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has significantly lowered the price of a world class education.Starting in the spring of 2012, the elite school will be making some of its most popular courses available online to anyone with an Internet connection and a desire to learn. The cost? Free.'The courses are going to be rigorous, are going to be to the MIT standard,' said Nate Nickerson, the school's director of communications.The new initiative, dubbed MITx, will have no admissions requirements or application process. Participants will be able to access course materials, interact with facul... view article details

There is nothing more John Muscarello loves than bringing people together and having great conversation -- with or without food.As the founder of the website EndlessJobOffers.com, the 27-year old marketing manager from New York enjoys learning new ways to effectively create strong business relationships to enhance your career, and sharing those tips with others.But when he wrote his first post as a LinkedIn Influencer on a seemingly innocuous topic, he never imagined the way the conversation would turn.Growing up in Glen Head, NY, John’s dad was a French Pastry Chef and owner of a restaurant/b... view article details

Question:Pretty far into the process I’ve been asked my salary expectations. I said in the $160’s, and expecting $180k - $200k. Now they’ve adjusted the job title at a lower rate, “Tax Director” instead of “Director of Tax and Treasuries” likely with less responsibilities and less money. What should I do when the CFO asks my salary range?Answer:The key principle here is value first, price second. Until you’re clear about how much value you’ll be producing for the company, it’s hard to figure out compensation. If the title started as one thing one day and then changed, they may actually be limi... view article details

Q: I joined my current company (Pre-IPO) right out of school as a junior QA engineer testing our product. Over the last three years, I have moved from that position to one with key responsibilities while the company has gone from 30 people to 50. Although I have been given the responsibilities of a software project lead reporting to the CTO and supervising the work of the others, there has been no official change in my title. I have been given raises quite frequently, but am still getting paid less than those I supervise. This is mainly due to my low starting salary as I have been given approx... view article details

Your bedroom closet redo might have happened during a last-minute quest for clothing donations at tax time. But now it's easier to get dressed for work and less likely that you will grab the navy blue jacket to wear with your black pants.Hold that thought. Mull it over as you sip your coffee, chiding the driving faux pas of your fellow commuters. Could this spring cleaning moment have other applications? What if you were to clean and organize your workspace? Here are some de-clutter tips that might just get you promoted. Or at least help you find your daily planner. Do a drive by Chec... view article details

Stock Market Indexed CDs  'For those who have amassed substantial savings but don't want to risk a penny - no way, no how - there are a few securities that provide access to the market without jeopardizing the original sum invested.'     People work hard for their money, so risky investments often make them think twice. A volatile stock market means higher risks, even for people who have been investing for years. For those who have amassed substantial savings but don't want to risk a penny - no way, no how - there are a few securities that provide access to the market without jeopardizing the ... view article details

Jackie and Tom are members of a software development team. The team is focused on a new application that is to be rolled out next month. Jackie is the senior member and feels responsible for the team’s reputation. She believes the current version doesn’t have enough bells and whistles. Tom believes their reputation will be more affected by the number of bugs still in the software, and thinks they should eliminate those before adding new features.If you were Jackie, which of the following would you say to Tom?'Tom, if you brainstorm with me, we’ll be able to quickly figure out the best features... view article details

What Captured Our Attention When We Should've Been Working? We know you work hard – most of the time. But let’s face it, very few people can resist the pull of a viral YouTube video.We already came out with our “Wasting Time at Work” survey earlier this year and you can read the full results there. But as we wrap up 2013, we were curious as to exactly which pieces of content were responsible for the most egregious amounts of lost productivity at work. So we consulted some outside lists, scoured YouTube, and asked around our own office (even though dedicated Salary.com employees would ... 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

Q: I work for a large organization. Each January, there is a pay raise for all employees. This year the raise was 3 percent. I was at a compa-ratio of 118, so I was told I would receive an hourly increase of 2 percent and a lump sum of 1 percent of my annual salary. Administration would not allow anyone to go over a compa-ratio of 120 percent.When I received my confirmation document, my increase was 1.6 percent. The full 2 percent would have put me over the top of the range. I also received the 1 percent lump sum. I feel that the remainder of the 1.6 percent should have been reflected on the l... view article details