Everyone Thinks About Changing Careers Most people have thought about changing jobs. But what if you’re someone who has been doing a job for what seems like forever? Someone with a truly unique set of skills? Someone like -- Santa Claus.Even those of us with great jobs occasionally wonder if the grass is greener. So it stands to reason the big guy in red -- who has been doing the same gig for quite a while now -- might be a little bored with dashing, dancing and prancing across the globe every Christmas Eve. But even if he could find someone else to make the toys, drive the sleigh and... view article details
Going to work can be stressful enough on its own. But throw in the stock market's rollercoaster ride of late and you have a host of people ripping their hair out and getting closer and closer to the proverbial ledge. Whether you work on Wall Street or you're agonizingly watching the value of your investments ebb and flow with each shift in the market, there is no escaping the fact that this is a period of tremendous stress and uncertainty.Even if you're not on Wall Street and you don't have a portfolio to worry about, work stress affects nearly all of us. So how do we deal with it... view article details
“The most wonderful time of the year” can seem like anything but when you're worried about family get-togethers, endless gift lists and shrinking budgets. And if you do not celebrate any holidays during this time, you can end up feeling like an outsider.To top it off, there's often no respite at the office, which can be fraught with potential faux pas and pitfalls during the holiday season. Aside from planning your annual vacation for this particular week, what's an employee to do to avoid feeling like a holiday humbug?Here's our gift to you -- a checklist for maneuvering through the murky mi... view article details
Which Terms & Tactics Work? Within the language of every culture exists a sub-language – a collection of words, phrases, acronyms, slang, and jargon unique to that area of life, which must be deciphered in order to truly gain an understanding. The language of negotiation is no different.Wikipedia has a great list of negotiation terms and tactics, so let’s highlight some of them and frame them in terms of salary negotiation.8. Auction Anyone that has used EBay or watched the reality show Storage Wars is familiar with an auction, a bidding process designed to create competition... view article details
Of Love and Money When we checked out our site statistics on Tuesday morning, we couldn't figure out why a bunch of random job searches spiked the night before. The reason? Monday night was ABC's 9th season premiere of The Bachelorette.For those unfamiliar with the show, 25 men compete for the heart of one woman -- this year it's 27-year-old Desiree Hartsock. Each week at the end of the telecast, she gives roses to the men she likes and sends the rest packing. That continues until she chooses one of the original 25 and they (theoretically) live happily ever after.So what does a realit... view article details
Paul Levy and Farzana Mohamed have written a book to help new arrivals to the job marketplace, college students and others who have been offered a position but are not quite sure how to negotiate the terms of their job with their new prospective employer. They start their book, How to Negotiate Your First Job, with this story:Karim, soon to be a college graduate, was stunned into inaction, paralyzed by an unforeseen opportunity. In the midst of a recession, with an unemployment rate topping 9 percent, he had been offered a job.The e-commerce company at which he had just spent the summer as a s... view article details
You - "Reader" - are a up-and-coming professional in a growing business. You work hard and get along well with co-workers, but find the office life to be monotonous and unexciting. Most of the other employees seem to be enthusiastic about something beyond the paycheck. Little do you know, you are about to be visited by three wise co-workers who will help you find your purpose. But first, you receive an annoying email. Prologue: The Passive-Aggressive Email Dear Reader, Hope you’re having a great day. Just to let you know, the carpool spreadsheet for the mid-level professionals’ retreat wa... view article details
Steer Clear of These Careers on the Verge of Extinction The Future Looks Grim For Some Occupations Remember those men who went door-to-door selling vacuums, encyclopedias and other wares? Today, they are thing of movies and memories. The simple fact of the matter is some careers are fleeting, and aren't good bets for the future. Whether made obsolete by innovation or invention, it's important to take what information we currently have an apply it to the future when making decisions that will have lasting impacts. With that in mind, here are six jobs and careers about to go the way of the do... view article details
7 Skills to Become a Good Executive Assistant Skills to Become a Good Executive Assistant What does an executive assistant do? As an executive assistant, your role is to help your supervisor with daily tasks, such as replying to e-mails, controlling their schedule, coordinating meetings, and so on. But remember, an executive assistant is not a servant; they play an integral role as a strategic counselor for their supervisor, not simply do menial tasks anyone can do. Executive assistant duties are more complex. This position requires specific skills to make the best ... view article details
Jobs that pay $50K or more You Can Have a Job You Love AND a Nice Paycheck How do you define success? Do you want a job that you love, or a paycheck that satisfies you? In a tough economy where jobs are scarce, many of us believe that we must, to some degree, choose between one and the other. The reality is, lack of money is one of the top causes of stress in the United States. According to the American Psychological Association’s most recent annual Stress in America survey, 75 percent of those surveyed said money was a significant source of stress in their lives, while another 70 percent cite... view article details