As the debate rages on about whether women can have it all -- if we can balance rewarding careers with having a family -- the celebration of Mother’s Day seems an appropriate time to celebrate and discuss the hard work, sacrifice and responsibility of working moms in particular.I am a wife, working mom of three, and the family breadwinner. I can tell you right now it’s just not possible to work full-time, meet your career goals, and get that promotion – while also meeting the standards of a 1950s housewife. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t “have it all.”I am also the general manager... view article details

"What Can We Do to Help?" Q: 'Hi Heather,My co-worker 'Brenda' has a husband who was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. It seemed like he was doing better for a while, but over this past month, Brenda has missed a lot of work and it sounds like her husband isn't doing very well (He had to quit working himself, and Brenda called his condition 'incurable').Most of the office made donations in his honor to a cancer fund last Christmas, but I feel like we should be doing more now. I'm not exactly sure what's appropriate however. I don't want to make Brenda sad or make her think ... view article details

“My meeting to ask for a raise went terribly.”Needless to say, this is about the worst thing you can hear after giving someone advice on how to negotiate, but once in awhile it happens. Like many things in life, a test of one’s character isn’t how they live their life when things are good, it’s how they react when faced with a challenge.Let’s look at a case study from the viewpoint of Kristin, a marketing assistant. There is a 3-step process for our company reviews:Fill out an evaluation formHave a review discussion with your managerFollow up with upper management to discuss compensationI have... view article details

There are three reasons why your credit card bill is so high every month. The first are the splurges: the plane ticket and hotel costs for your vacation; the $130 shoes you had to have; or that new flat screen TV for football season. The second are the lifestyle expenses. A few $60 dinners each week or that round of happy hour drinks on your coworker’s last day are common.The third expense is more insidious: low-cost, recurring monthly expenses that are a direct result of the digital age we live in. You probably pay $8.99 for Netflix, $9.99 for Dropbox, $4.99 for music streaming, $6.95 for web... view article details

Sometimes life is all about timing. A missed flight connection can have a ripple effect, a stock market aberration can help (or hurt) your financial standing, and leaving a restaurant 10 minutes before your favorite sports team or band rolls in and buys everyone a round becomes a story of what might have been.Timing is a key factor in your job search as well. Of course, people are hired or fired every single day of the year, and companies hold reviews all the time: at the end of the calendar year, end of the fiscal year, the anniversary of your hire date, or handing out a promotion on the spot... view article details

The rules of performance reviews are changing. Not too long ago, management guru Peter Block said, 'The performance review is the company's opportunity to prove to you, once again, that they own you.' But as employees gain better access to information and assume more responsibility for managing their careers, the performance review is becoming another opportunity for you to demonstrate value to your company.The Purpose of a Performance ReviewPerformance reviews give employees and employers a chance to evaluate regularly whether they are happy with each other. The review is a meeting between yo... view article details

Getting a raise. Climbing the corporate ladder. Receiving a better title. Taking on more responsibility. Advancing your career. These are the accomplishments most people in the workforce strive to attain. Countless resources exist to guide you every step of the way, from entry-level newbie through middle management and all the way up to the executive offices. How much heartbreak and anger has been exercised lamenting when things don’t go as planned? Why can’t I earn more money?I can’t believe I got passed over for that promotion!My boss is so incompetent, I could do so much better!So if you ar... 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

Non-salary Job Interview Questions That No One Else is Asking Think Beyond Salary When you’re sitting in the hotseat of an interview, it’s natural to think about the immediate here and now: How do I answer all these questions, land this job, and negotiate the highest salary? Salary.com has plenty of resources to help you out. But at some point, the interviewer is going to finish grilling you, turn the tables, and ask, “So, do you have any questions?” Asking good questions is important for several reasons: It shows you’ve prepared for the interview and truly care about the position. It ... view article details

5 things you need to know about employment background checks Nowadays, Human Resource departments are facing a series of risks caused by carelessness. This is simply because some candidates are not reliable enough to take a position within the hiring organization. With senior management often spread thin, promoting the company's interests can become less evident. This can run the risk of people leaving the company to form their own, similar company – providing them higher salary and personal gain. So employment background check is an important step before salary negotiation.... view article details