Who is looking out for your career - your boss? Probably not. Your accountant? Doubtful. Headhunters, search people, and employment agencies may seem to have your interests in mind, but they're retained - and paid - by the company. So although they can be very nice to you, at the end of the day, their goal is to place candidates and collect a fee.It's time to think like an entrepreneur, with marketable business skills and abilities. It's time to conceive of your career as a high-potential venture, with you as CEO. In this environment, you've got to be your own agent.Learn to look out for your ... view article details

Getting Through  Although email and instant messaging are quickly becoming standard forms of office communication, the telephone still plays an important role in business. Just like a face-to-face meeting, telephone conversations are expected to and should follow certain rules of etiquette to help make the experience pleasant and productive for all those involved. It's easy to forgo manners when talking over the phone. Distractions abound, from impromptu meetings or email notifications blinking on your computer screen. Remember that a conversation over the phone carries just as much weight as ... view article details

Taking a business trip is often part of the job. You may even enjoy the trip, but that doesn’t make it a vacation. Business travel is considered work time. And when thinking about the business travel compensation and reimbursement you’re owed, you should understand what you’re entitled to. Responsibility for Reimbursing Business Travel Expenses When employers think about business travel compensation, they typically begin by putting reimbursement guidelines in place so employees know exactly what they can (and cannot) expense. Business travel expenses can fly out of control in a hurry, and empl... view article details

Putting Interests Like "Alligator Wrestling" Helps You Stand Out & Land Job Interviews Standing Out is Key Like many hiring managers across the country, several years back I was faced with a common scenario: A stack of resumes a mile high for a single job opening (in this case, an entry-level QA technician). First of all, the stats you hear are true -- you really do only have a few seconds to make an impression with your resume. As I quickly scanned the resume of an applicant named Joe, things were looking good. He had held jobs that were relevant to the position, he had a strong educationa... view article details

The start of a new year is always a good time to set new career resolutions. No matter where you are in your career -- entry level, mid-career, or nearing retirement -- there are always new challenges to tackle and goals to meet.Make this year the year you shine at work and make some long awaited changes. Here are 15 resolution ideas to help make this the year you get ahead.Resolution 1: Conquer a fear Is there a pesky fear that's holding you back at work? Think about what that may be costing you. For example, if you're afraid of public speaking, it may be costing you opportunities to... view article details

Last year, a Boston-area high-tech company saw its stock plunge from a record high of $58.75 on January 20, to a low of $1.13 exactly 11 months later in November. One employee, who chose to remain anonymous for this article, exercised 1,000 options at $10 a share when the stock reached its peak. With April 16 nipping at her heels, she still owns the shares. Imagine her terror upon learning that the spread of $48.75 multiplied by the 1,000 shares - a total of $48,750 - is subject to a parallel tax system called the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, at a rate of up to 28 percent. Even though her ... view article details

5 Things You Should Know About Salary Requirements "What are your salary requirements" is a difficult question for job applicants to answer on a resume or in an interview. Many candidates think it's a trick question – it can be embarrassing to talk about salary and they're afraid of giving an unreasonable answer, so they give up their chance to negotiate salaries and accept their first offer. It requires information and research about salary requirements to give a reasonable answer to this question. This article will tell you what kind of preparation is required to answer th... view article details

With the growth of accredited colleges that offer online accredited degrees, starting or finally finishing a college degree could be a breeze. Before selecting an accredited online university, there are some important steps to take for ensuring educational success. Accredited colleges are schools that receive the stamp of approval from education boards. These boards carefully scrutinize to determine if the programs and policies meet specific criteria. If the school fulfills the minimum criteria, it then can market itself as an accredited online college. The 6 approved accreditation organizatio... view article details

In high school, when the teacher announced that the next project would involve working in groups, it was not uncommon for a murmur of discontent to ripple through the room. What if I get stuck with that know-it-all or worse, that really lazy kid? Why can't I just work by myself? Well, according to a pair of new studies, you were either right to question the efficacy of group work, or woefully mistaken.First up: the skeptics.Research from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School suggests that people working together can become overconfident in their choices and opinions. They lean too he... view article details

Dear Annette, One of my colleagues stutters. How should I handle this with him in the office? What if we are making a presentation together or doing an important conference call? Hesitant Dear Hesitant, For all you know, your coworker may be staying late at the office, composing his own letter to Me, far more worried about your discomfort than about his level of fluency. If my People were that ... view article details