To Apply or Not to Apply... Have you ever been combing the online job boards and stopped dead in your tracks when you run across the perfect job? It’s in your field for a company you’d love to join doing the work you’ve been hoping to get into.But then you scroll down and your enthusiasm dampens.The 4-page job description starts listing some skills you don’t have. Or it asks for 10 years of experience and you’ve only got five. Soon you find yourself on that all-too-familiar fence of “should I apply or not,” and you’re not sure if you should even bother getting your hopes up. So, what’... 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

There was a great episode of Cheers long ago where the dim-witted Woody was duped into accepting the higher title of “Senior Bartender” over a pay raise. (For those under 30, Cheers was a sitcom in the 80s and Woody was played by Woody Harrelson … you know… that guy from True Detective and Hunger Games).Maybe it’s because I somehow saw my future-self helping others negotiate, but even at the young age of 19, that scene really struck with me. After all, who could possibly want something as insignificant as a higher title, when the bottom line of money is what they were clearly looking for?Well,... view article details

In the early evening on a recent Thursday, Kiran Arora, a consultant at the compensation firm Watson & Wyatt Worldwide, was getting ready to leave for the weekend. No, it wasn't a holiday or a long weekend. Her work week runs Mondays through Thursdays. Arora traded in that one extra day each week to spend time with her family and her children.In a 2000 poll of more than 3,500 company executives by recruiting firm Management Recruiters International, Inc., 61 percent of the participants believed the 9-to-5 workday will disappear in the next 10 years.According to a 1998 study by the Employment P... 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

Has America's Relationship with Work Shifted? America is a country that has long prided itself on sweat, determination and hard work. We love stories about people putting in the hours, working harder than everyone else, and pulling themselves up by their bootstraps to enjoy financial success. Historically that’s been true, but is it still the case?This country has changed dramatically over the years, but we wanted to find out if Americans still value work the way they used to. So we sent out our “Working Study” survey, and nearly 3,000 of you answered. Do we live to work as our grandp... view article details

The High Pay Isn't The Only Interesting Thing About These Odd Jobs.. "You Do What and Make How Much?!?" Think back to the last time you were at a party or a social event, and you had to make small talk with new acquaintances. Inevitably the question of 'So what do you do?” is asked, and everyone recites their professions. While the regulars seem to always come up – doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc. – every once in a while, someone comes out with a doozy that could leave you scratching your head or picking your jaw up off the floor. Did you know Horse Exerciser is a job? Or that you can make a livi... view article details

Identify Bad Employees Before They Become a Major Problem Coworkers will occasionally have arguments. This is unavoidable and most of the time can be worked out with minimal effort. But if a formerly stellar employee is suddenly the subject of multiple complaints, and you hear his/her coworkers constantly grumbling, then you may have a problem employee. As a business owner and/or manager, you work hard and spend a considerable amount of time and money on hiring the right people. Prior experience, references, and whether or not the person will fit into your company's culture are all thing... view article details

As pay equity becomes an increasingly pertinent topic in HR circles and American culture at large, pay transparency has received particular attention as a way to help eliminate the gender and racial wage pay gaps. In the U.S., aside from federal laws pertaining more broadly equal pay, pay transparency statutes differ by state and are relatively underdeveloped. Since pay transparency is still uncommon in American jurisprudence, folks may be surprised to learn about pay transparency trends overseas. Here are four initiatives occurring in some of the most affluent countries in the world: Norway, ... view article details

Get yourself into the habit of recognizing when you have been doing a good job for an extended period. This is the classic signal that you're ready for a promotion, a pay increase, or both. Learn the etiquette about pay talk on the job. Then get yourself into the habit of asking for what you deserve. What Have You Done for Them Lately? First, you need to be able to explain the logic behind the hunch that says you're ready for more. You need evidence to show your manager that you deserve it. No one is paying closer attention to your work than you are. What have you done for your company lately?... view article details