Pleading ignorance isn't going to save your job if you show up for work inappropriately dressed. It's not a secret code. It's a dress code.Whether informally followed or clearly outlined line by line in an employee manual, trust us. It exists. Keep in mind, however, the corporate culture of your particular business. What might crisply soar through a law office might look a bit stiff in a more eclectically creative environment. Follow these tips to be sure you're a dressed for success, not disaster.Do sparkle The difference between 'sparkle' and 'flash' equates to the considerable mile... view article details

Minimize Your Stress Searching for a job is stressful. If the loss of a job continues into an extended time of unemployment, not only does it take a toll on your bank account, but also your self-esteem, confidence, and relationships.Like most people, over my lifetime I’ve experienced job loss for myself, close family members, friends, and colleagues. Based on my experience, I usually offer two pieces of advice, as well as a simple sentence to say at the end of an interview that can take away some of the stress of job searching.Don't Get Too Low Conducting a job search is like... view article details

New London topped our list with salary ranges above the national average, a low cost of living, and a low unemployment rate. Are you living beyond your means? Is your paycheck not stretching far enough? Perhaps you're even having trouble finding a job. Maybe it's time to jump a plane to one of the cities at the top of Salary.com's 'Salary Value' index. We found the top (and bottom) US metros for building personal net worth (taking into account local salaries, cost of living, and unemployment relative to the national average). Median base pay was correlated across more than 2,500 different benc... view article details

It's the rare person who doesn't feel frazzled at work these days. The threat of layoffs seems to be churning around most offices, and employees who do survive the cut often end up doing the work of their colleagues who left.No matter what's going on around you at work, these tips will help you stay calm -- before, during and after the storm.A: Ask for help If you're the type of person who insists on taking on every little task, even when there is no room left in your schedule, you're headed for trouble. Don't be afraid to delegate or call in favors. B: Breathe Regularly pr... view article details

Last year, a Boston-area high-tech company saw its stock plunge from a record high of $58.75 on January 20, to a low of $1.13 exactly 11 months later in November. One employee, who chose to remain anonymous for this article, exercised 1,000 options at $10 a share when the stock reached its peak. With April 16 nipping at her heels, she still owns the shares. Imagine her terror upon learning that the spread of $48.75 multiplied by the 1,000 shares - a total of $48,750 - is subject to a parallel tax system called the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, at a rate of up to 28 percent. Even though her ... view article details

What Captured Our Attention When We Should've Been Working? We know you work hard – most of the time. But let’s face it, very few people can resist the pull of a viral YouTube video.We already came out with our “Wasting Time at Work” survey earlier this year and you can read the full results there. But as we wrap up 2013, we were curious as to exactly which pieces of content were responsible for the most egregious amounts of lost productivity at work. So we consulted some outside lists, scoured YouTube, and asked around our own office (even though dedicated Salary.com employees would ... view article details

Careers on the Way Out 'My job is the WORST!'How many times have you or your friends said that? Usually it's uttered in a moment of frustration or annoyance when everything seems to be going wrong at work. But for the employees who work in the fields included on this list, it very well might be the truth.The website CareerCast.com recently published it's list of the Worst Jobs of 2013. They analyzed several hundred jobs and categorized them by four 'core criteria' with which almost every job deals -- environment, income, outlook, and stress. Using data from the US Census and the Burea... view article details

Forty years ago, economists predicted that the U.S. workforce was heading into a crisis of leisure - that people would soon have so much free time they wouldn't know what to do with it. As the impact of technology made more and more human labor redundant, it was widely assumed that a four-hour workday, or a three-day week, or even a six-month year would eventually be the norm. Those forecasts couldn't have been more wrong. The amount of time Americans spend at work has increased relentlessly over the last two or three decades. Harvard economist Juliet B. Schor, in her book The Overworked Ameri... view article details

Just like an interview, a job offer can tell you a great deal about a potential employer. An offer can reveal how serious the employer is about the offer, how valuable you are to the company, and most importantly, whether you should make the move.You'd be wise to think over an offer carefully and negotiate if necessary. Your goal is to make sure the compensation and benefits in your job offer exceed or at least meet your current status.Jobs are customarily offered over the telephone or in person. The employer should offer more than just, 'Congratulations, you've got the job.' He or she should ... view article details

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