Q. I work in a hospital in Florida as a computer operator. Before this I was a computer operator at another company for almost 20 years. I am paid a salary of $19,406, well below the Computer Operator I salary quoted in the Salary Wizard, $25,310. I really like the company, the job, and the people I work with.The hospital management does not seem to care about what they pay their staff. They are giving only 3 percent raises, and I don't think they'd try to stop you from leaving if you asked for more. I am a good worker, I work most of the overtime they ask of me, and I am not out sick very muc... view article details

Sustainable energy and green technologies have been placed at the forefront of America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the business world has taken notice.  To better facilitate modern professionals' connection with these emerging eco-friendly industries, MBA programs around the world have begun adopting curricula with a sharper focus on going green. The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education is reporting that the number of colleges requiring MBA students to take courses in ecological business and society issues has more than doubled in the past eight years, from 34 percent in 2001 ... view article details

These days when job security is not necessarily a given, many workers are taking advantage of mentoring, a valuable -- and free -- training tool. And no wonder: According to Randi Bussin, a career coach in Belmont, Mass., 'it's a no-brainer for lifetime career development.'Wherever you are in your career, a mentor can be an invaluable guide. Here are some tips for finding one and making the relationship work.1. Take the initiative It's usually easiest to find a mentor in a formal corporate program, but not all companies offer one. The same workplace stresses that make peop... view article details

Job descriptionParalegals are responsible for handling a variety of tasks and providing support for the lawyers they work for. Under the direction of an attorney, they work to resolve routine legal issues. They help lawyers to research laws, judicial decisions, articles, treaties, and other legal documents that can be applied to cases. They may also be responsible for preparing written reports to assist lawyers in handling cases. Paralegals hold an organizational role in coordinating the activities of the law office and its employees, and also in the filing of financial records and case docume... view article details

Job descriptionProject management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, and guiding the process of creating a solution or system. Project managers are responsible for providing a plan and the means on which to base management decisions throughout the life of a project. There are many scheduling software tools available to help project managers perform their job, including PERT, Microsoft Project, Scitor Project Scheduler, and many others. While such applications are usually designed for certain industries or projects, they all use Critical Path Methodology, or CPM. CPM plays a larg... view article details

Not sure how much to contribute to your retirement plan every month? That's easy: Put in as much as you possibly can without leaving yourself stuck. Investment limitsEvery year the IRS puts a limit on how much pretax income you can contribute to your retirement plan. For the year 2005 the maximum is $14,000. This is quite a nice equalizer that prevents bigwig executives from feathering their nests much more than the mail clerk. If you want to contribute more, you can, but it'll have to come from income you've already paid tax on. Though once in there, the extra money can earn tax deferred unti... view article details

Even though most states found themselves creating massive cuts in the last year, the budget gap is still too much for some to handle, leading them to decrease spending further. States such as Indiana and California have already announced a dramatic decrease in education budgets for the next year. Both states, especially California, had a hard year in 2009 trying to fill the debt gap. While California inflicted dramatic tuition increases that led to student protests and media scrutiny to make up for the budget, Indiana cut programs and limited faculty travel as a way of spending less, promisin... view article details

'Why would anyone want to put savings somewhere unsafe? But the fact remains that a large percentage of popular saving and investing vehicles provide no guarantee of earnings, nor even assurance that the original capital will be preserved.'     Saving your money in a safe place may seem like an obvious priority. Why would anyone want to put savings somewhere unsafe? But the fact remains that a large percentage of popular saving and investing vehicles provide no guarantee of earnings, nor even assurance that the original capital will be preserved. Those that do make such a guarantee are conside... view article details

Employees versus independent contractors. Sometimes it's difficult to know what camp you fall into as a worker. But when you consider health benefits, compensation and tax purposes, knowing the differences between the two is an absolute necessity. But what exactly are the differences between employee status and being an independent contractor? Our salary expert, Jack Chapman, has your answers.Question: When am I considered an employee and when am I an independent contractor?Answer: You’re an independent contractor when you have services you sell to a company. The biggest difference concerns wh... view article details

'To be fair, folks who have so much money in the market that they simply don't have enough time to stay on top of investment trends would probably be good candidates for the use of a full-service broker.'  'Full-service' brokers get their name and reputation from the dogged and devoted work they're expected to do to keep clients happy. They carry business cards from distinguished brokerage firms like Salomon Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch. In an ideal world, a broker provides sound, profitable investment ideas, and furnishes up-to-the-minute research to keep you current with market trends, sto... view article details