The 7 most affordable US Cities Want to move to a city where the cost of living is relatively low to start your first job? Still struggling with where to move and how to afford living on your own in a city in the United States? Find it exhausting to take all the factors—the price of food, price of apartment renting, price of cars, and the price of clothes—into consideration when you try to find the cheapest place to live? This article takes into account the cost of housing, food, transportation, healthcare, utilities, taxes, and childcare and provides a list of cities with t... view article details

From CNN Money and the compensation experts at Salary.com MONEY Magazine and Salary.com have unveiled an exclusive list of the 50 Best Jobs in America. MONEY and Salary.com started by analyzing government and private data on industry growth and compensation levels. But in an improving employment market in which workers are looking for more than just a paycheck, MONEY and Salary.com dug deeper, surveying 26,000 workers about their job satisfaction and grading careers based on factors such as stress level, flexibility, creativity and ease of entry into and advancement within the field. These ca... view article details

Types of Bonuses There are several types of bonuses. Some plans simply give employees a certain share of the company profits, or perhaps a bonus to the entire company. Other programs give incentives to individuals or teams to perform at or above certain thresholds. And a variety of cash and noncash awards are possible for certain types of achievements in some companies. You can even earn bonuses for being hired or getting your friend a job at your company. The following article details 10 types of bonuses that are typically seen in the workplace. What is Profit Sharing? One very basic type of ... view article details

Do You Not Play Well with Others? Effective networking is a game-changer. It’s the unofficial homework of today’s business professional. Whether entwined within charitable ventures or business or social clubs, professional connections are far more powerful career-builders than the old school resume. It’s not just 'who you know.' It’s 'who you know who knows who you want to know.'Most of us can navigate a room of name-tagged citizenry with reasonable success. But in this competitive world, why settle for adequacy? Read on for a few of the ways some networkers relegate themselves to the... 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

In our unstable economic times, there are few employees who feel absolutely sure their job will still be here tomorrow. But it's not productive to be distracted by needless worry every day. So how do we know when to relax and when to worry (and start polishing up that resume?) Pay attention to true warning signals, but don't get too caught up in office gossip. It can lead to low morale. Just keep your eyes open for these signs that your job may be on its way to the downsize dump.1. There are rumors of layoffs Here's an obvious one. Generally, when the... view article details

The adage 'You never get a second chance to make a first impression' is never truer than when you submit your resume. Because this is likely the first glimpse of you that employers will get, make it an impressive one.A great resume can open a door, but an inferior one can just as quickly close one. This article explores 14 resume mistakes to avoid at all costs.Yes, you need a cover letter even when you are emailing your resume, posting it to a job board, or sending it electronically. A cover letter is the best place to introduce yourself, identify your goals, and briefly describe why you are 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

Halloween, Job Search, and You Halloween is big business. According to an infographic by History.com last year, giant pumpkins have tipped the scales at 1,810 pounds, the average American will consume 24 pounds of candy, and 120 million people will dress up in a costume -- with 11.5% of them also dressing up their pet.It also seems that each year the costumes become more and more elaborate, with some people spending hours and hours on the perfect look. It’s enough to make you wonder what would happen if these people spent as much time thinking about their career as they did applying z... 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