If we can take anything away from the world of marketing and advertising, it’s that the right spokesperson can make or break an organization. Enter Kayla Tucker Adams, a public relations executive with more than 13 years of experience. She began locally through education, expanded nationally through non-profit, and has now garnered global reach working with CNN, CBS, the Oprah Winfrey Network, Huffington Post, and Associated Press among others. She is the Director of Public Relations for T.D. Jakes Ministries, the second largest church in the country.Adams attended Prairie View A & M, a histor... view article details

Dear Annette,As my career progresses, I'm frequently honored with awards and accolades. But whenever it's my turn to step up to the podium, I'm at a loss for what to say. Can you help?The WinnerDear Winner,Although the entertainment industry invented the awards ceremony, there are plenty of accolades to go around no matter what you do for a living. As a matter of fact, I sponsor my own awards ceremony, The Dickies, in recognition of celebrity pets and personal attendants. By honoring distinction in innumerable finely grained categories, I'm able to send each of my elegantly clad People home cl... view article details

Q: At work, two departments have two separate requirements. One requires a four-year bachelor's degree with a lower starting salary than the other, which requires only a two-year associate's degree. Is this appropriate?A: I know of no legal precedent requiring employers to pay someone with a bachelor's degree more than someone with an associate's degree. If your company has a compensation strategy that pays its employees based on competence and skill sets, it is possible that someone with an associate's degree would get paid more than an employee with a bachelor's degree.I can't say whether it... view article details

You Can Be Introverted & Excel at Public Speaking Recently, after I gave a presentation, a few audience members came up to me and insisted that I couldn’t possibly be an introvert (could, too!). Why? They said I was “on fire”—fully engaged with my audience. I was giving a workshop on public speaking, and had a ball helping make such a universally feared activity accessible, and even fun.Like many introverts, even though I need my quiet time to get fueled before and after a presentation, I enjoy being in front of the room, engaging with audiences. How can you do that? The trick is to t... view article details

Pace Yourself How can an introvert get into the zone more quickly when giving a talk? First, quick is a relative term. An introvert's quick could be an extrovert's slow. Not that we're sluggards and dullards---we just need to go at our own pace.Get Some Rest While an extrovert might blast out onstage after schmoozing all day, get a further charge from all the people in her audience, and then give a speech worthy of the Academy, that combination of activities could deplete an introvert, making him feel like ducking for cover. Remember: an extrovert's fuel can be an introvert's... view article details

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in a 5-4 ruling that mandatory public-sector union dues are unconstitutional. Employees must now opt-in to having union fees deducted from their wages. In Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, Illinois State employee Mark Janus claimed that union fees are unconstitutional under the First Amendment’s rights to free speech and association. The decision effectively overturns a previous ruling in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education (1977) in which the Court unanimously affirmed that union fees for the costs of “collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adj... view article details

These Careers Are Worth the Price of College Admission Is College Still Worth the Money? Maybe. As the cost of education continues to skyrocket and job prospects remain less than robust in a tough economy, the answer to the question, "What are you majoring in?" seems more important than ever. There’s no getting around it. Education is expensive. A four-year degree at a public university costs, on average, $37,343, while an education at a private school will set you back $121,930. While statistics show that a college degree will undoubtedly open doors and increase your earning potential, you... 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

In researching the pay for an executive position, it's best to consult several of the many sources of data to get a sense of the range for the job. Don't aim for the top of the range, because there could be unfortunate consequences if you become too expensive.It's relatively easy to get executive pay data for public and nonprofit companies. Publications such as The Wall Street Journal publish information about CEO compensation. A more detailed and more immediate source is your company's annual meeting proxy (DEF-14A filing) if the company is public. You can get it from your company's investor ... view article details

While Salary.com has been an expert on salary and compensation for more than a decade, there's likely no more deserving and experienced job expert out there than Mike Rowe. And as a special treat for our listeners, we've got him on Salary Talk!In case you've been living under a rock for several years, Mike is the host of the Discovery Channel's emmy-nominated show 'Dirty Jobs.' Which means he's spent the last several years traveling around the country as an apprentice for the kind of blue collar jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us, but often go under the radar. He is also... view article details