"Get a Job Kid!" Family togetherness is a wonderful thing, until your thirty-year old starts sending drink orders from the basement and commenting at breakfast that it 'sure would be nice' if you’d remember to use fabric softener on his t-shirts. Toddlers make for cute anecdotes. An unshaved genius with great potential but no real direction except for the path to your refrigerator makes for awkward moments at neighborhood parties.So, start now. Potential is but an outline for your child’s future. Fill it in with the life skills that will help him or her stretch and grow and -- get a j... view article details

First Impressions Matter You’ve made enough of an impression with your resume and job experience to get an interview, and in that first seven seconds when you walk through the door, research suggests the person on the other side of the table is going to size you up.And as we all know, first impressions matter. A lot.What you wear – and, perhaps more importantly, what you choose not to wear to that job interview – could make all the difference in whether you get your foot in the door. “The person should not notice your clothes,” Barry Drexler, an interview coach with Expertinterview.co... view article details

Q. I've been employed with the same company for 10 years. My official job title is financial analyst, and I report to the financial operations manager. For the last year and a half, the manager and I have been working at both locations, rotating throughout the week. The company decided it is inefficient to have us rotating plants, so I was informed that I would take over all of my manager's duties at one plant and she will handle everything at the other plant. Since these are two small plants, we handle all HR-related issues, all financial issues, benefits, general office management, etc. I no... view article details

Be an Ant, Not a Grasshopper  How to Invest in a 401(k) or Other Retirement Plan   How to Roll Over Your Retirement Accounts       How to Roll Over Your Retirement Accounts  What happens to your retirement accounts if you change jobs? First of all, it's your money and no one can take it from you. Initially your best option is to do nothing and leave your 401(k) or other retirement money where it is. Then, after you've made more concrete plans, you can act accordingly.If you find another job with a company 401(k), just roll the money over into the new plan. But be careful how you do this. Make ... view article details

The Best Doesn't Always Win If only competition in the workplace mirrored the simplicity of Olympic swimming. Whoever does the best job and touches the wall first, wins. It's the winner who goes on to earn bonus money via endorsements, and your smiling face lands on a box of breakfast cereal! If only it were as easy as slamming that completed report in the boss’ hand and stepping right up on a big corner office desk for a playing of the National Anthem and an instant raise and promotion.But there’s no winning buzzer in your department (just the occasional annoying ringtone), and somet... view article details

Skip the Overused Buzzwords A resume is your calling card. Your first impression. Your bait to reel in the big fish. Unfortunately, instead of live bait, far too many job seekers are fishing for new jobs with nothing more than a lifeless, rotting worm.Do you know how many resumes hiring managers read when there’s a job opening? It’s routinely in the hundreds, and sometimes can rise even higher. So when you’re sorting through that many resumes (and only spending six or seven seconds on each one, I might add), things get pretty repetitious. The same buzzwords pop up over and over and ov... view article details

Everybody with a credit card knows it's smart to pay what you owe at the end of every month - right? According to CardWeb.com, an international credit card tracker, credit card debt is approximately $9000 per household for those carrying at least one credit card. Internet shopping increases the temptation to overspend, since cash or checks are rarely an option if you're online to shop.Holiday spending is a notoreous time when consumers rack up their credit card bills. According the Cardweb.com, Americans racked up just over $115 billion in retail spending on their credit and debit cards during... view article details

Q. I've been in this job for five months. I started out as a data entry clerk and was promoted to project manager in the first six weeks. At the time, I was promised a salary increase after a trial period of two months. But it hasn't happened yet. I was also supposed to get a three-month review, should I ask for that also? I love my job and love to come to work every day.A. First of all, a project manager is a very general job title, so ask your manager to come up with a more definitive title.I would strongly urge you to send an email to your manager reminding him or her about the agreement to... view article details

Q. I've been in this job for five months. I started out as a data entry clerk and was promoted to project manager in the first six weeks. At the time, I was promised a salary increase after a trial period of two months. But it hasn't happened yet. I was also supposed to get a three-month review, should I ask for that also? I love my job and love to come to work every day.A. First of all, a project manager is a very general job title, so ask your manager to come up with a more definitive title.I would strongly urge you to send an email to your manager reminding him or her about the agreement to... view article details

Q: Are verbal agreements legally binding? I was recruited by my current employer through a management recruiting firm for a lateral position. The recruitment came with a verbal agreement that I would move into my supervisor's position in two to three years, after he moved back to the division headquarters. Now that he's moving back, the new plant manager has decided not to honor that agreement and the HR manager tells me no one is guaranteed a promotion.A: I'm not a lawyer - and I don't play one on TV - but I never take verbal agreements seriously. If your supervisor planned to move you into a... view article details