Talking to Your Boss -- You Can Do It! You love your in-office job. But at this point in your career (and life), you need to work at home. Convincing your boss that you’d like to telecommute is not as difficult as you might think. Here are some tips on how to negotiate a flex work schedule that benefits both you and the company.7. Assess Your Job Write down everything you currently do in your job. Now, which aspects of your position could be done working at home? Maybe it’s writing proposals or researching tech companies. Be very specific about what can clearly be done at hom... view article details

Hello Jack,I was hired 21 years ago as a nurse practitioner by an MD. The salary was low and the benefits average. I was told salary would increase over time once I proved myself. Nine years later there's hardly any increase in salary even though my employee reviews were always above average. When asked why no raise, the physician responded with folded arms and said 'this is my business.' The next day I gave a 30-day resignation notice to open my own practice.The doctor then asks for a meeting and says she needs changes, and am I willing to talk. I asked if she was willing to pay and she said ... view article details

Are you on the verge of negotiating the terms of a new job? Or maybe you're trying to get a raise, but have no idea how to go about it? On this week's episode of Salary Talk, Aaron and Wendy chat with Jack Chapman, a nationally renowned career advisor, who has written a book that will hold your hand as you go step-by-step through the negotiation process. Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute gives you five hard and fast rules for negotiating an offer or promotion, and Jack shares invaluable tips on how to get what you want at every stage of the negotiation process. Jack Chapman... view article details

Q: Hi Heather,One form of passive aggressive behavior is a boss who looks displeased but does not speak to you for a day or several days. I am retired now but have been through a variety of good & bad managers. There is seemingly no recourse from moody nonspeaking bosses. If reported, one may be labeled as being over sensitive. What are your recommendations?A: Wouldn’t it be nice to just sit down and have a little chat when those situations arise? But that is exactly what the passive-aggressive personality seeks to avoid. Whether due to unresolved issues from childhood or problems with authori... view article details

Dear Annette,Please tell me what to do about coworkers' kids in the office. I could understand if people brought their children in when there was an emergency, but everywhere I look there seems to be some toddler. The noise and distraction are affecting my work. I can't get away from it because we are all in cubes, but I need some way to tell my coworkers that the office is not a daycare center!RattledDear Rattled,It's not surprising that today's office has become so alluring to the young, with its bright colors, foosball table, and all the soda you can drink.I myself have only recently recove... view article details

Job descriptionProject management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, and guiding the process of creating a solution or system. Project managers are responsible for providing a plan and the means on which to base management decisions throughout the life of a project. There are many scheduling software tools available to help project managers perform their job, including PERT, Microsoft Project, Scitor Project Scheduler, and many others. While such applications are usually designed for certain industries or projects, they all use Critical Path Methodology, or CPM. CPM plays a larg... view article details

It's great to have negotiating strategies and a plan beforehand. Preparation is key. But people---especially those new to negotiation---must be careful they don't cross that fine line between strategy and gimmickry.This week's question deals with what to do if you ever come up against a hiring manager who has experienced your strategies in the past. Should you stick with what works? Is using the same thing twice going to hurt your chances instead of help you? Our salary and negotiation expert, Jack Chapman, is here to help as always.QUESTION Dear Jack: The person who is currently in the job I ... view article details

There’s a single, crucial skill that will prove incredibly valuable throughout your career. It’s not learning how to code, being a great public speaker, knowing how to dig into financials, or being blessed with the ability to sell anything to anyone. The key skill you need to have is the ability to adapt to change.Programming languages change, new accounting rules come out each year, and whom you speak and sell to fluctuates over time. But if you’re able to continually adapt to a new environment, you set yourself up for success throughout your career.The same goes for negotiating your salary. ... view article details

Dear Annette,My husband just gave me a beautiful large diamond ring for my birthday. I want to wear it at work, but people in my office tend not to wear expensive jewelry even though many of them could well afford to. Is it tacky to wear my ring in the office? If it is, where else can I go to get some use from my ring? All That GlittersDear All That Glitters,'A kiss on the hand may be quite continental / but diamonds are a girl's best friend.' Truer words were never sung.As a small child in a small European republic near water where everyone speaks three languages and grows flowers, I once won... view article details

Survey Results: How Has Our Readership Been Affected by Recent Layoffs? With the unemployment rate continuing to rise dramatically in recent months (now up to double digits in some states) Salary.com asked its users how they have been affected by the recent changes in the job market. We had over 4,000 respondents of which a larger than expected number answered they had been laid off in the last 6 months. Read on to see some of the trends.The national unemployment rate for January was 8.1% This means that nationwide 8.1% of employable individuals have reported that they are out of wo... view article details