Employees in approximately one-third of all companies are eligible for bonuses of some kind. Bonuses are given to employees to serve the following purposes: to create incentives to reduce costs; to pay people for doing a good job; and to encourage employees to think like shareholders.Bonuses reflect your level of responsibility in the organization, making up a larger portion of your total compensation as you take on more responsibility. To ensure accountability and to reward you for your responsibilities, companies tie portions of employees' pay to both individual and company successes. Corpor... view article details

Recent budget constraints have left states having to cut funding left and right, higher education is no exception. The College Board recently released statistics that not only reveal some dramatic tuition increases, but the lull in enrollment for four-year institutions. These factors may indicate a possible demand for learning alternatives such as online education and community college.According to the College Board's findings, public four-year institutions have raised their tuition 6.5 percent higher than the previous year, averaging $7,020, not including room and board. Previously, the avera... view article details

Q. I work for a company that pays me $72,000 a year with no bonus. However, they match 50 cents to the dollar on my 401(k) plan. The company I'm interviewing with has no matching contributions, but they have averaged bonuses of 11 percent over the past five years and 20 percent over the past three years. How should I calculate a base salary with bonus vs. my current base with no bonus?A. Companies have a certain amount of money to spend on variable pay and/or benefits. The senior management of a company may value long-term investment higher than short-term incentives. And companies are more li... view article details

Sustainable energy and green technologies have been placed at the forefront of America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the business world has taken notice.  To better facilitate modern professionals' connection with these emerging eco-friendly industries, MBA programs around the world have begun adopting curricula with a sharper focus on going green. The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education is reporting that the number of colleges requiring MBA students to take courses in ecological business and society issues has more than doubled in the past eight years, from 34 percent in 2001 ... view article details

These days when job security is not necessarily a given, many workers are taking advantage of mentoring, a valuable -- and free -- training tool. And no wonder: According to Randi Bussin, a career coach in Belmont, Mass., 'it's a no-brainer for lifetime career development.'Wherever you are in your career, a mentor can be an invaluable guide. Here are some tips for finding one and making the relationship work.1. Take the initiative It's usually easiest to find a mentor in a formal corporate program, but not all companies offer one. The same workplace stresses that make peop... view article details

People Relate to Themselves Whether you know it or not, most hiring managers have a hiring style that is more reflective of who they are as a person, and not necessarily reflective of the companies for which they work.However, like a duck drawn to water, people will feel naturally drawn to a culture that aligns with their value system, and thus, they hire accordingly. Over twelve years of recruiting for a wide-variety of companies, industries and alongside highly effective hiring managers, I have outlined below the top five hiring styles.To the extent this helps you better understand ... view article details

at Is Dad's Job Worth?   Working Dad vs. Stay at Home Dad Salaries For 2006    Salary.com has revealed that dads would be taking home a pretty hefty paycheck if they were paid an annual salary for the many 'dad jobs' they do for their families. Salary.com consulted with Stay at Home and Working Dads, and used the survey results to rank the top 10 jobs that make up a dad's job description. The analysis showed that if paid, Working Dads would rake in a total of $71,160 in addition to their day job salary, while Stay at Home Dads would earn $125,340 annually. See below for the top 10 most common ... view article details

Switching fields may seem taboo, but it's quite doable, especially now when labor markets are tight. Almost half of the 164 employers who responded to our MONEY/Salary.com survey say they regularly target mid-career changers when recruiting. One reason: Switchers are dedicated to their move, with 32 percent saying they'll spend 'as long as it takes' to get the necessary certification and schooling.What are they looking for? Pay and advancement, sure, but also fulfillment and a sense that they can control their career paths.Steve Mullins, 44, already has a good job: He's a telecommunications en... 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

6 Important Notes for Writing a Thank You Email After an Interview As we all know, there are 3 general stages in a job-seeking process, including preparing for applying to the job, performing in person and over the phone interviews, and following up after an interview. In the first stage, we need to analyze the job requirements, collect relevant information on a website, like Salary.com, make an educated decision based on the information you gathered, and decide to apply the job. If you are lucky enough get an interview with recruiters, you need to be professional and flex y... view article details