Pace Yourself How can an introvert get into the zone more quickly when giving a talk? First, quick is a relative term. An introvert's quick could be an extrovert's slow. Not that we're sluggards and dullards---we just need to go at our own pace.Get Some Rest While an extrovert might blast out onstage after schmoozing all day, get a further charge from all the people in her audience, and then give a speech worthy of the Academy, that combination of activities could deplete an introvert, making him feel like ducking for cover. Remember: an extrovert's fuel can be an introvert's... view article details

This summer, Americans were paying, on average, $4.09 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline to fuel the vehicles they rely on to get to and from work everyday. This represents an increase of $1.14 over the same time last year.Salary.com™ set out to calculate just how much the escalating cost of commuting to work is eating into the average worker's take home pay. To accomplish this, we established some reasonable criteria.The average worker travels, round-trip, 29 miles each day. Vehicle fuel economy varies, but we will assume an average fuel efficiency rate of 18.8 miles per gallon. We will... view article details

Most employees don't know how to negotiate. Many feel they are underpaid for the work they do, yet they wait until their yearly performance review to begin salary negotiations. Where and when do you begin? Now is the time to convince your boss.According to Lena Bottos, CCP, GRP, if you wait until it is time for your yearly performance review, you'll be too late. Bottos, who is Managing Director of Compensation at Salary.com, shared the following steps with us to help you start off on the right foot and make sure you are in position for a raise.1. Define Your Current Job The first step... view article details

Everyone has worked a summer job at some point. For some those jobs may be their true calling, but for many they are a place to gain some valuable skills and foster passion for their future careers.Read on to see the most popular summer jobs our readers held, and how the skills learned there can help in preparing for a future career. Babysitter Respondents who had this summer job 35.9% A babysitter must learn the fundamentals of relating to young children. Valuable skill for careers in: Child Care Young children get in a lot of scrapes. Successful babysitters learn to use basic fir... view article details

                        One of the biggest challenges facing employers is recruiting and retaining qualified, dedicated employees. Over the past decade, with unemployment levels low and the economy doing well, one of the ways businesses in many industries were recruiting the best possible talent and keeping those employees happy was by offering stock options. For the first time ever, the trend extended not just to top-level managers and executives, but to people throughout the organization.As a result, the ability to participate in an employee stock option plan became an integral part of many ... view article details

Annoying Coworkers Make Office Life Miserable You know who they are.Maybe it was something as huge as taking all the credit for a game-changing business idea, or something as small as chewing gum too loudly at their desks. But whatever the reason, we all have coworkers we absolutely hate. And some of us are that coworker -- whether we realize it or not.It's inevitable really. After all, you can't spend 40 hours a week with the same people day in and day out, trapped together in a confined area and forced to share space and resources, without developing a little bit of acrimony from ti... view article details

6 Signs Your Boss Hates You: How to Tell If You've Fallen Out of Favor My Boss Hates Me! Have you read the book "He's Just Not That Into You?" While the now famous book-turned-movie deals with showing women all the signs of indifference from the men they're trying to date, the same principles can be applied to platonic boss-employee relationships as well. Has your boss stopped calling? Stopped introducing you to new clients? Has it been years since the last pay raise or promotion? Falling out of favor with your boss -- especially when you think everything is fine regarding your working relat... view article details

Common Online Reputation Management Mistakes & How to Fix Them Employers Are Watching You It has become common practice for employers to scan social media sites of job applicants, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. According to survey done by Microsoft, 70% of employers have rejected applicants based on public information found on the Internet. It’s one thing for employers to screen applicants based on publicly displayed information. But now, in an economic atmosphere were many candidates are willing to do just about anything to get the job, some companies are asking candidates for th... view article details

It's All in How You Present Yourself First impressions aren't everything, but...well, sometimes they are everything.Hiring managers might not ever admit it publicly, but first impressions often help drive hiring decisions to a large degree. In a new survey from CareerBuilder, employers opened up about job interviews -- specifically how bad body language negatively influences their decision on moving forward in the interview process. According to the nationwide survey which polled more than 2,100 hiring and human resource managers, nearly half -- 49% -- of employers know within the fir... view article details

Distractions are Everywhere, So Know Your Enemy Is this a good time? We can come back later if you’re in the middle of something. We know dealing with potential distractions can really slice into your workday In a recent Salary.com survey, 64% admitted to wasting time at the office on a daily basis -- and we weren’t counting any staff meetings. It happens. The typical work setting is ripe with potential distractions. Can’t help that.But we do have a few ideas on how to manage them. Whether it’s a constantly ringing phone or incessantly chatty co-worker, there are work-arounds that act... view article details