Rich or Poor, Offer Letters Are Still Necessary If you’ve worked at any level in the corporate world, you’ve probably received an offer letter of employment. As a teenager, your first job offer – babysitting, mowing lawns, washing dishes, waiting tables – was probably pretty informal. Ah, but that first official offer letter.Sure, things might have gone great on your interview. You’re 99% sure they’re going to give you the job. Hopefully you negotiated a nice salary increase. You can’t wait to tell your parents and friends. And HR even verbally said you got the position. But it wasn’t... view article details

Volunteering Has Many Benefits Millennials love to volunteer. Why? In short, it makes them happy. But surprisingly, college students and young professionals also lead the pack in volunteerism as a means of developing themselves professionally.In fact, an employer’s involvement in causes was cited in the 2014 Millennial Impact Report as the third most important factor when determining whether to apply for a job. And a Deloitte study found that Millennials who frequently participated in workplace volunteer activities were more likely to be proud, loyal, and satisfied employees.Millennia... view article details

Q. I recently accepted a new role as a Web assessment client coordinator within an organization for whom I have been working for a year. My previous salary was $25,000. When asked about my desired compensation for this new role, I replied, "I don't know what the salary range is for this position," trying to get a feel for what I might expect. I was due for my one year performance review and was expecting a salary increase of at least 5 percent. My manager told me to go into this performance review with $27,000 in mind. This was lower than I was hoping for. I didn't really feel I had much barga... view article details

Are you uncomfortable in group settings? Do you abhor public speaking? Do you have better ideas than the loudmouths in your office, yet you watch helplessly as they get promoted while you're barely noticed working silently in your cubicle?If so, you're likely an introvert who is going to need some help from this week's guest, Nancy Ancowitz, author of 'Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead.'Whether you're introverted or extroverted, promoting yourself is mandatory, not optional, if you want to get ahead at work, Nancy tells Aaron and Wendy on this week's Salary Talk. ... view article details

Like it or not, money is power. And if you want to be included in powerful circles, you need to look and act the part. But how can you look and act like a millionaire without the millions?Enter Vicky Oliver, whose brand new book 'The Millionaire's Handbook: How to Look and Act Like a Millionaire Even If You're Not,' serves as a guide for faking it 'til you make it into the inner sanctum of the rich and influential. And since social standing is often determined by perception, Oliver's book is a treasure trove of helpful tips to help get you rubbing elbows with the bigwigs in a hurry.The one big... view article details

Dear Annette,What exactly is 'business casual'? I usually wear suits, but I feel overdressed now that my company has instituted this new, more relaxed dress code. Any hints?Too formal in PhillyDear Formal,Hosts and fashion police like to throw out dress code terms and phrases as if they were an actual Thing. But most of these combinations of words are made up, virtually meaningless, just thrown together to get someone off the hook. 'Semiformal.' 'Cool casual.' 'Relaxed retro.' 'Country club.' And at auditions, 'Wear something you can move in.' I hate when I get dressed in the morning and can't... view article details

Firefighter Ranked #1It turns out that making a lot of money doesn't necessarily make you sexy. In a recent poll conducted by Salary.com, firefighter hosed down the competition and won the title of 'sexiest job' with 16% of the nearly 5,000 votes. These brave, uniformed public servants lit it up over other high paying jobs like doctor, lawyer, and Chief Executive Officer. Take it from the wife of a firefighter: 'How could you not find it sexy when a person is willing to risk his life for another's; literally walk through fire? You can't put a price tag on that. It is not just a job to them, bu... view article details

Women who fail to negotiate their salaries at the start of their careers could leave up to $2 million on the table.This week's Salary Talk guest is Linda Babcock, author of 'Women Don't Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation--and Positive Strategies for Change.' Linda talks to Aaron and Wendy about her considerable expertise as a college professor and researcher, regarding why women don't negotiate salary, what makes them anxious and how they can improve their skills.Linda's book supports our earlier article based on a 2,000-person survey that found women are more apprehensive than men reg... view article details

Power, influence, status, recognition, ambition and reward -- as much as we might hate to admit it, the stuff that makes a fast-track career exciting and fun can be the very things that can also do it in. Set any negative connotations aside and face it -- office politics, and playing to win, can make all the difference. In this, the first in a two-part series, we'll examine how to position yourself for the game you'll have to play at some point, like it or not!1. Play with a purpose As with all things work related, you should ... view article details

Pace Yourself How can an introvert get into the zone more quickly when giving a talk? First, quick is a relative term. An introvert's quick could be an extrovert's slow. Not that we're sluggards and dullards---we just need to go at our own pace.Get Some Rest While an extrovert might blast out onstage after schmoozing all day, get a further charge from all the people in her audience, and then give a speech worthy of the Academy, that combination of activities could deplete an introvert, making him feel like ducking for cover. Remember: an extrovert's fuel can be an introvert's... view article details