The Negotiation Process Begins Earlier Than You Think Have you ever felt undervalued or offered a lower salary than you are worth? Were you afraid to ask for a higher salary?If so, you are not alone. Many people avoid salary negotiation out of fear. However, even among those who are willing, it is a common misconception that the process must begin with a job offer. Salary negotiation begins much earlier in the job seeking process. How much earlier? As soon as you submit your resume. While this might be a surprise to some, it’s important to be aware for those who potentially risk under... view article details

The American Time Use Survey was developed by the Department of Labor and conducted by the Census Bureau. Established in 2003, this study collects information about the things Americans do each day, such as work, household activities, educational pursuits and leisure activities and how much time we spend doing them. While the study looks at American households, Salary.com decided to take a look at this data from a different perspective – men vs. women – and some of the findings are pretty interesting.At Work According to the survey, employed persons worked an... view article details

The California budget crisis has been a headline fixture for a while, but now that higher education students and faculty are beginning to feel the heat of the latest budget cuts, education has jumped to the front of the news. Because of the cuts in the higher education system, many are acting out through protests to show their anger, while others are wondering what their next option could be. The New York Times reports that in the past two years, California has made over $30 billion in budget cuts, one of the largest cuts has been higher education. The California state schools have seen $2.8 ... view article details

 Closing TimeClosing is the last step in buying a home. Unless you are paying cash for the house, you cannot buy without backing from a lender, which comes in the form of a commitment letter. The lender will require that you have a homeowner's insurance policy on the property, so you will need to arrange this before the closing.At closing you will be asked how you want to hold the title, which basically refers to ownership. If you alone will own the house, it's sole ownership; joint tenancy applies when two or more people are purchasing, but each holds the right to dispose of his or her share.... view article details

 Finding the house of your dreams is a cinch if you have the money. You can buy where you want, the size and style you want, you can even tear it all down and remodel how you want. 'I've taken out pristine, custom-built $100,000 kitchens to replace them with pristine, custom-built $150,000 kitchens that looked a little different,' said John C., a building contractor from Marina del Rey, California. 'Not that they seemed like the kind of people who spent much time in a kitchen anyway.' Staying within your means For the rest of us, buying a home is a knotty process of checks and balances. Ironic... view article details

Fewer Young People Are Buying Homes I rent a charming apartment in a seaside town in Massachusetts for a reasonable price. 'Charming,' of course, is long-cherished real estate code for 'small,' and 'reasonable,' in this market, is not a modest sum. If I bought, I could probably get more space for my money (not to mention equity), but I lack the sterling credit and sizeable down payment that are essential to getting a mortgage these days. And so I find myself the apartment-dwelling epitome of an inauspicious trend: the marked decline in homeownership among young adults. Nationally, the... view article details

If hospitality is your cup of tea—and you don’t mind serving others—a career as a hotel manager may be perfect for you.Hotel managers oversee all aspects of hotel operations including staff, maintenance, convention and conference services, reservations, office administration, sales, purchasing, housekeeping, security, recreation, and food management. Depending on how many services a hotel provides, the manager can be responsible for everything from banquets to conventions. Managers also take into account marketing and financial management. They set room rates, approve expenditures and ensure t... view article details

Recycled. Upcycled. Eco-friendly. Sustainable. Organic. Everywhere you look signs, labels, and headlines make it clear that the country is going green. But how – if at all – does that translate into jobs?An estimated 3.4 million of U.S. jobs qualified as 'green' in 2011, according to a recent report from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, up nearly 5 percent over 2010. In the private sector, environmentally friendly jobs grew at an even faster rater: more than 7 percent, from 2.3 million to 2.5 million. Employment across all industries and categories, meanwhile, grew by just slightly more... view article details

With the start of the New Year, employers will be finalizing their salary budgets for 2009. Many survey vendors collected, compiled and analyzed data regarding merit increases for 2009 and reported that merit budgets for 2009 were on track to remain consistent with previous years' averaging at around the 3.5% mark. As more economic turmoil surfaced toward year end, some organizations took a new look at merit budget plans for 2009 as we discussed in the article Pay Increases in 2009 May Disappoint Workers in our December 30th newsletter. Most employers are being cautious, pre... view article details

The Severance PackageIf your company goes out of business, don't be surprised if there is no severance pay. Going out of business and running out of cash are practically synonymous. Once in a while a failing business closes down with some money left in the bank - but those funds are usually returned to the investors who provided them.Severance pay, after all, is as much a signal to the employees who remain behind as it is a gesture of goodwill to those being let go. If the company disappears, it doesn't need to preserve goodwill with its former staff. Yet established companies that intend to r... view article details