Did you know that you may be able to negotiate some of your benefits? Even though companies put fixed policies on most benefits, some benefits are negotiable - and sometimes, all you have to do is ask. Signing bonus. If a company wants you badly enough or can't meet your salary demands, it might sweeten the deal by offering you a signing bonus, a one-time payment that doesn't increase the base salary on which everything else is calculated. A signing bonus is a good-faith demons... view article details

In September and October of 2004, U.S. firms topped the 100,000 mark in announced job cuts, according to John Challenger, who heads the Chicago job placement firm Challenger & Christmas. These layoffs do not give much confidence for future business conditions, he added. However, the figures recently released by the Labor Department show positive signs, particularly in the temporary staffing category.The temporary staffing business has been one of the fastest growing industries in the economy. Since September, the number of temporary workers increased by 87,000, nearly a quarter of the jobs add... view article details

The Best Doesn't Always Win If only competition in the workplace mirrored the simplicity of Olympic swimming. Whoever does the best job and touches the wall first, wins. It's the winner who goes on to earn bonus money via endorsements, and your smiling face lands on a box of breakfast cereal! If only it were as easy as slamming that completed report in the boss’ hand and stepping right up on a big corner office desk for a playing of the National Anthem and an instant raise and promotion.But there’s no winning buzzer in your department (just the occasional annoying ringtone), and somet... view article details

Do you have high aspirations to teach as a professor at college? Professors perform a number of duties including producing scholarly articles, conducting research, and teaching courses to college or university-level students. Moreover, a good professor also loves interacting with people, has excellent verbal and communication skills, and is organized enough to create an engaging course curriculum and syllabus. Even though many professorial roles have the same underlying requirements, not all of these positions are paid the same. Many professorial salaries vary by subject matter (department) a... view article details

Valentine's Day at Work: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue -- Keep Both of Them to Yourself on Feb. 14 Valentine's Day is a Double-Edged Sword Valentine's Day. Perhaps no other holiday evokes stronger feelings from both the lovesick and those entirely sick of love. Sure the celebration of holidays at the office can be fun. After all, you're still sporting that certificate for "Best Costume" at Halloween. But if management wanted you to make a big deal about Valentine's Day at work, they'd have handed out a list of names and asked you to decorate a card box for your desk just like in the fourth... 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

If you're actively seeking a new job, there is little doubt you've incorporated some use of social media into that search.For years now we've had the big three: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Now Google has entered the market with Google+. So, which social media site is the best for helping you find a new job?Before you begin, you have to understand the two primary ways you can use social media while job hunting.The most obvious way to use social media is to advertise who you are and what you bring to the table.Social media is great for this because there is so much content being created and ... view article details

Don't Let These Common Mistakes Cost You When Negotiating a Job Offer Salary Negotiation is About Facts, Not Myths A rough translation of a myth could be "a legendary story, usually concerning a hero or event, especially one that is concerned with deities or some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature." Many people play up salary negotiation as some kind of mythical exploit, as if a Cyclops from human resources was guarding a 10 percent salary increase. Perhaps only few select heroes can effectively navigate this rite of passage and pierce the heavily guarded castle. In reality, as author... view article details

Negotiate Wisely We know, you don’t like negotiating. But here’s a hint – very few people do. So despite it being about as enjoyable as nails on a chalkboard, it’s also necessary. And it’s too important to screw up.A misstep during the salary negotiation portion of your job interview – or worse, your failure to negotiate at all – could end up costing you thousands. Unfortunately, there are a variety of pitfalls along the way and traps you can inadvertently fall into that could derail your chances of success. That’s why we’ve identified the nine biggest mistakes most people make when n... view article details

Find an Entry Level Jobs That Can Pad Your Wallet No one ever promised you were going to graduate from college and land yourself a job as CFO. But in today's job market, where competition is particularly keen, it seems as if even the mediocre jobs are few and far between. Before you relegate yourself to flipping burgers, check out the 12 jobs we've listed here. These jobs, while appropriate for recent college grads looking to enter the work place, have reasonable starting salaries and excellent growth potential. Graphic Designer Designs and creates graphics for advertisements, logos, packaging... view article details