When viewed as a whole, life can seem like an exercise in routine, marked by several key turning points. Think about the important life-decisions you’ve made. Whether it’s deciding to go to an event at the last minute (and then meeting your future spouse) or introducing yourself to someone at a networking event (who told you about a job opening that embarks you on a new career path), you can often look back and see a clear marker where everything fell into place.As I continue to work with private clients to help them negotiate job offers, I’m starting to see distinct patterns. In every session... view article details

Earning a higher education degree is a big investment. With all that money (and time) on the line, students may want to confirm that the entry level jobs they’re setting themselves up for tend to yield a good return on investment (ROI). Using Salary.com data, we found 10 jobs that have median level I salaries over $60,000. These jobs promise even bigger pay outs as employees climb the ranks. Read on to see if one of these jobs may be right for you to pursue: 1) Electrical Engineer I What you’ll earn to start: $68,171 What you’ll do: Assist with the design, development, and testing of electric... view article details

Reason No. 1: Your Leadership Doesn’t Care Whenever people attend a cocktail party, invariably someone in the room will have an occupation that others will solicit for some (free) advice. Medical doctors are asked “Does this mole look cancerous to you?” Car mechanics are queried whether the “chunka-chunka” sound the engine makes means a new transmission is needed. And as an industrial/organizational psychologist, I get interrogated about “Why is my company such a lousy place to work? Why do I hate working there?” There can be any number of specific reasons why one’s work experience is l... view article details

"Soft" Skills & Emotional Intelligence Will Help Get You Hired & Promoted Skills: Hard vs Soft As your career progresses one of your goals is to ensure that your "hard" skills -- tangible, teachable skills and abilities that allow you to perform your job -- are up to snuff. But in your effort to hone your hard skills, don't ignore your "soft" skills. Soft skills, sometimes called "people skills" or "emotional intelligence," are less tangible qualities that determine how you manage your own behavior, as well as interact with and get along with others. While soft skills are more difficult to ... view article details

In light of recent news that there are more job openings than unemployed workers, is now the time to find a new job? The U.S. recently hit a record number of job openings in August, 7,136,000 to be precise, according to data released by the Labor Department. It’s hard to know if it’s the right time to make the switch. Leaving a job is a bit like a rocky breakup. Maybe your current organization has a lot of positive qualities: it stuck by you during some difficult personal times, it financed you, it brought you to a few cool events, and/or it helped you grow. But, those qualities may not be eno... view article details

Ways to Gain Negotiating Leverage Even When the Salary is Fixed Is it fair for a company to offer a job with a non-negotiable salary? Sometimes life isn’t fair. This is especially true in the job market, where one person might quickly land their dream job and increase their salary by $10,000, while the next person might be unemployed for months, be forced to tap into their savings, before finally taking an unfulfilling job at a low salary. I recently came across the following question: “How fair is it for a company to offer a job with a non-negotiable salary? It is considered an entry-lev... view article details

Never mind the federal omnibus spending bill—tough economic times call for personal stimulus plans. The recent downturn has caused many to seek online business degrees in order to achieve their education goals, fulfill new career objectives and increase earning potential. Nothing raises that earnings potential bar more than an MBA degree (even when earned through a part-time program). According to Salary.com’s Salary Wizard, the median salary for a portfolio manager is $107,614, while a marketing director’s is $140,768. While the cost of an MBA can range from $80,000 to $130,000 for a two-year... view article details

One of the most important and generous benefits a company can offer is tuition reimbursement, a contractual arrangement between employer and employee that outlines specific terms under which the employer may pay for the employee's continuing education. Today, tuition reimbursement benefits are also called tuition assistance, and vary greatly from company to company. It generally takes a solid, well-established company to be able to offer what could amount to $10,000 per semester or more for eligible employees. So don't look for too many startups to include tuition assistance as a regular part... view article details

Career Coach & Author Jack Chapman Tackles All of Your Salary and Negotiation Questions We've been listening to your questions and the vast majority of them revolve around salary. This week's mailbag query is no different. How much money? You want to know how much a company is going to pay you and they want to know how much you're going to accept. And more and more often lately---especially with the advent of automated job application forms---companies want the answer to that question sooner than later. Prevailing wisdom consists of putting off talk of salary for as long as possible, but wh... view article details

Awkward But Necessary It may be one of the hardest conversations you’ll have to have with your boss.Asking for a recommendation can certainly be stressful, awkward, and a bit unpleasant. After all, you never know what your boss’ reaction might be to the news that you’re essentially looking to leave the company. But if you’re in the market for a new job, you’ll inevitably need a referral from your current jefe.Here’s how to ask your boss for a recommendation.4. Be Realistic If you’ve been showing up to work day in and day out and being a model employee, asking for a recommenda... view article details