'Now ever since I was young it's been my dream That I might drive a Zamboni machine I'd get the ice just as slick as could be And all the kids would look up to me.'- Gear Daddies, 'The Zamboni Song,' bonus track from Billy's Live BaitThose lyrics from the Gear Daddies' ode to the ZAMBONI ice resurfacing machine are fitting for Al Sobotka, keeper of the ice at Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings. Sobotka, a lifelong hockey fan, began working at the arena when he was in high school.'It was just a job I got when I was in high school, and I kept at it, working in the maintenance departm... view article details

From CNN Money and the compensation experts at Salary.com6. Market research analyst Why it's great If you want to know what the next big thing is, this is your field. Before launching a product or service, companies turn to market research analysts who collect and evaluate data about consumer wants, needs and buying habits. You get to work on a huge variety of projects: In a single day you might run a taste test on a new vodka flavor, evaluate a re-branding campaign for a hot dog and analyze political polling data. What's cool Testing products before they hit the market. You talk to lots of pe... view article details

Careers in Demand for the Future What will help wanted ads look like in two, five, ten years from now? And why should you care? As the world evolves, so do job trends and job descriptions. It’s important to structure your career so that your job will still be in demand in several years. This article explores seven professions, both emerging and long-standing, that offer the best careers for the future. Career #1: Healthcare According to recent Labor Department data, an aging population will put healthcare workers such as doctors, nurses, physical therapists, home health aids, and pharmacists... view article details

There is no escaping the fact that college costs are rising. The College Board reports that most students and their families can expect to pay, on average, from $95 to $1,440 more than last year for this year’s tuition and fees, depending on the type of college attended. Average College Costs for 2007-2008: Private four year $23,712 (up 6.3 % from last year) Public four-year $6,185 (up 6.6 %from last year) Public two-year $2,361 (up 4.2% from last year) Financing Options Families are encouraged to seek federally backed loans first, then shop for private loans, based in part on the recommend... view article details

Q. Our company has filed under Chapter 11 with no financial backing. The company is being sold. Our accounts payable supervisor got another offer and put in her notice, but the company countered with a pay-to-stay package. She gets six months of severance pay with three months up front.I am very angry, since I was committed to working until the end after taking a 10 percent cut in pay with hopes of staying on with whoever buys us. How do I confront the CEO who offered her this package to get the same deal? Currently we have no severance package.A. Companies can offer employees incentives to st... view article details

Higher education may be getting more expensive, but a college degree is necessary to compete for jobs in many industries. College should be healthy mix of passion and pragmatism, and it’s important to pursue the things you love while recognizing the fields that give you the best chance of finding a job upon graduation. According to research by CareerCast.com, here are the majors with the best career prospects. We also provided the median salaries of various jobs in each industry based on Salary.com data. 1) Accounting They say numbers don’t lie, but did you know they can also get you a job? T... view article details

The Top 9 Hottest Jobs during the Pandemic Affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, businesses of all shapes and sizes are finding it difficult to operate smoothly. Many employees find themselves out of work due to social distancing and others have transitioned to a work-from-home model and are relying on technology and the internet to collaborate with colleagues and get things done. Not surprising, internet-related hot jobs are in suddenly in great demand during coronavirus outbreak. If you are looking for a new job and have the skills and knowledge needed, the time is right f... view article details

Don't Sink Your Own Ship It’s a small world, right? Getting a job is hard enough, so doing something to damage your reputation, or your karma, is probably not a good idea when you desperately want or need a new one. If you think the careless way you have managed your communications with a would-be employer or recruiter hasn’t hurt you, you are very wrong.Ask any recruiting professional or hiring manager whether they remember the candidates who have accepted, then declined, an offer over email or text. Or what about those “failure to show” people who blow off their first day at a new j... view article details

From CNN Money and the compensation experts at Salary.com MONEY Magazine and Salary.com have unveiled an exclusive list of the 50 Best Jobs in America. MONEY and Salary.com started by analyzing government and private data on industry growth and compensation levels. But in an improving employment market in which workers are looking for more than just a paycheck, MONEY and Salary.com dug deeper, surveying 26,000 workers about their job satisfaction and grading careers based on factors such as stress level, flexibility, creativity and ease of entry into and advancement within the field. These ca... view article details

Your company may have a number of reasons for assessing your performance. To go over your work during the period in question.To find out what kind of training you need.To help you develop as a professional.To set goals for your future performance.To determine whether and when to promote you.To compensate you based on how well you perform.To find out how your skills fit into the corporate picture.This last point is where it all starts. By measuring how effectively you and your coworkers carry out your responsibilities, your employer is also assessing how well it is meeting its overall goals. U... view article details