Those with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree tend to enjoy a higher pay scale than those who hold “just” a bachelor’s degree. But the pay increase within a specific role may not be as much as you think. And the cost may not be worth the gain. Find out if MBA degree holders truly do earn more, or whether there may be other factors at play. Contributing Factors Toward Greater Earnings from an MBA While college should be all about self-discovery, following your passion, and learning, it is so much more. This is especially true when pursuing graduate degrees that students hope will ... view article details

Are you one of the many workers that have intensified their job search in the New Year? According to Salary.com's 2006/2007 Employee Job Satisfaction Survey, more than 60% of U.S. employees are likely or very likely to leave their jobs in the next three months. The most commonly cited reason for employees wanting to leave their job is inadequate compensation - but boredom, lack of recognition or opportunities for advancement also ranked highly. Those looking to stay in their current positions cited good coworkers, managers and working hours as key to their satisfaction.The results of the surve... view article details

Both Finance and Accounting Revolve Around the Management of Assets. Finance and Accounting are two separate disciples that often are lumped together (as we obviously have done). At a high level, Finance is the science of planning the distribution of a business’ assets. Accounting is the art of the recording and reporting financial transactions. People tend to group Finance and Accounting because both functions deal with the administration of a business’ assets. Those who work in the financial department of a business are concerned with planning the distribution of the business’ assets. This... view article details

Don't Make Virtual Meetings a Bore You have to hold a meeting, but everyone who should participate is somewhere else. What should you do?Hold the meeting virtually.More than 20 million virtual meetings are held every year. Some 85 percent of projects now include remote team members and that percentage keeps rising. If you plan it right, a virtual meeting will let you accomplish everything you could with an in-person meeting. Here's a guide for doing that.7. Set a Goal As with any other kind of meeting, be clear on what you want to accomplish. Do you want to convey information... view article details

All of our guests on Salary Talk are winners. But this group of Carnegie Mellon University graduate students truly fits the bill, as they were named one of the grand prize winners of Challenge.gov's Equal Pay App Challenge.David Guarino and Rachel Koch are part of a team of developers who created www.closethewagegap.com, in response to the U.S. Department of Labor's call to action in January. The challenge was developed in conjunction with President Obama's Equal Pay Task Force, with the purpose of highlighting the discrepancy in pay between men and women. Although the Department of Labor has ... view article details

Q. I have been running a small startup company for almost four years. Four of us are consulting to the company in various executive roles. I'm the founder and president, handling a wide range of duties, but mostly in business development. I have the skill set and experience of most directors of business development or higher positions. My role has also exposed me to areas in which business development professionals are not typically involved.In considering other employment opportunities, how do I know which executive level I qualify for given my diverse background? Will companies discount my s... view article details

These 5 Simple Steps Will Significantly Improve your Culture of Accountability Accountability is a topic covered in basic management courses. Unfortunately, there seems to be a burgeoning gap between theory and practice when it comes to this concept. Recent surveys suggest 40 percent of employees in US organizations are not held accountable for results. This is a dismal statistic, especially considering issues to do with accountability in the workplace can negatively impact employee morale. There are five strategies organizations can use to ensure accountability is instilled as a core element ... view article details

On the hunt for a new job? We know job searching can be a stressful process and tricky to navigate. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled summaries of five articles that offer helpful advice: 1) Tips for Salary Negotiation  Some negotiation can go a long way to get you the salary you want and deserve. When negotiating a salary, it's important to know the market pay for a similar job in the same geographical region, industry, and company size to get a better idea of whether the offered salary amount is reasonable. Sometimes employers can’t meet your salary request, so think about negotiating for more b... view article details

Q: I am an HR professional who has had difficulty persuading managers to accept the HR team's job matching to salary surveys. How would you recommend I proceed to get them to buy into the results?A: For companies that have difficulty getting managers to buy into the process of job matching, it can be helpful to start by providing them with data. Ask your colleagues in the employment department how many offers of employment are rejected based on what your company can offer. And then find out how many employees leave the company for more money and/or better career opportunities. Then, armed with... view article details

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has significantly lowered the price of a world class education.Starting in the spring of 2012, the elite school will be making some of its most popular courses available online to anyone with an Internet connection and a desire to learn. The cost? Free.'The courses are going to be rigorous, are going to be to the MIT standard,' said Nate Nickerson, the school's director of communications.The new initiative, dubbed MITx, will have no admissions requirements or application process. Participants will be able to access course materials, interact with facul... view article details