If the true measure of a person is how they act in the face of adversity, then how you react when you get turned down for a raise request speaks volumes. Look, no one likes rejection. It’s not easy mustering up the courage to put in a request for a raise in the form of a pay raise request letter, and potentially put your self-worth on the line. Doing your utmost to convince someone you’re worth it and then having your manager disagree isn’t an easy thing with which to cope. Once you’ve been turned down, you now run the risk of becoming bitter, detached, and disinterested at work – and that ser... view article details

Find Out Why You Get Along with Certain People at Work Have you ever wondered why it is that you seem to get along with some people and not with others? Or why it is that you can’t seem to get through to another? The answer lies in your personality style, a predictable set of behaviors that defines how others see you as you go about doing what you do. Your style -- a preference for behaving one way rather than another -- governs the way you lead others, participate in teamwork communicate, make decisions, and manage change; it even governs the way you learn. Personality style influences the ... view article details

More than 70 percent of America’s workers are still living paycheck to paycheck according to a recent American Payroll Association poll. And current tough economic times have everyone wondering what they can do to stretch their paycheck a bit further. We’ve compiled a list of what we feel are ten of the best ideas to help stretch your paycheck. With a little extra effort, you can yield some big savings.1. Stop buying bottled water Americans spend a staggering amount on bottled water - $15 billion last year. Name brands in small bottles can cost more than $10 per gallon while tap wate... 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

Whether you are unemployed or simply looking to make a move, in a world where jobs are more competitive than ever, finding a job is a full-time job.You can up the odds of landing a good gig by creating an organized, systematic plan to generate job leads. This article explores 12 active ways to ensure the leads keep rolling in.1. Use your network Only about 25 to 30 percent of jobs are advertised in the newspaper. The rest are 'hidden.' The best way to access these hidden jobs is through friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and contacts in your industry.Identify and reach out in an orga... view article details

Network = Net Worth Author Porter Gale may have spelled it out most clearly: Your Network is Your Net Worth. If you could isolate only one single factor to determine career success, from landing your very first position to advancing up the corporate ladder and even helping when things aren’t going well, it’s having a solid network in place.Networking is about making connections and building enduring, mutually beneficial relationships. It’s a vitally important skill, yet one that still mystifies many people.Let’s take a look at 5 networking tips from industry experts.5. Change From a "... view article details

Convince Your Boss Not to Fear the Flex This article is adapted from Chapter 5, “Negotiating for Work Flexibility,” of the new book, The Working Dad’s Survival Guide: How to Succeed at Work and at Home.Lots of working parents benefit from working alternative work schedules, such as telecommuting a day or two a week or shifting hours around family responsibilities. However, for the most part, companies will not come to us to ask us about our needs for flexibility. We have to take the first step. This can be difficult, but most good things in life are.To increase our chances of success,... view article details

Back to School, Back to Basics Most kids are either already back at school or starting up again in the next week. My oldest is starting the first grade, and as we say goodbye to summer and hello to a new school year, I’ve been realizing the lessons he learned last year in kindergarten apply directly to the world of salary negotiation.Sounds crazy, right? But if you really stop and think about it, it’s a lot of basic lessons and common sense. The old saying “all I really need to know I learned in kindergarten” applies to the world of work in many ways, and if you’re looking to get a ra... view article details

The Importance of Buckling Down You know the feeling when you look at the clock and suddenly it’s 5 p.m. and your to-do list is barely touched. Thanks to multiple meetings, an email inbox with an endless supply of new requests and information, and shifting project deadlines that demand juggling, it’s no wonder that many of us reach the end of the day the way an exhausted runner approaches the finish line: spent.Even when you think you’re buckling down, chances are you’re not as productive as you could be. Taking a quick break for coffee or fresh air is one thing. However, a mental shi... view article details

Avoid Them at All Costs You’re presented with a choice by your employer. You can work at home, where you may be distracted by children, laundry, dogs barking or the neighbor cutting his grass. Or you can work at the corporate office in that most glorious of settings - the cubicle.Invented in the 1960s by Robert Propst, the idea was to give individual workers an autonomous workspace. The reality? Well, that’s something very different.There are few things that evoke fear in the hearts and minds of workers like those geometrically-connected, modular desk units that are the model of offic... view article details