Even though most states found themselves creating massive cuts in the last year, the budget gap is still too much for some to handle, leading them to decrease spending further. States such as Indiana and California have already announced a dramatic decrease in education budgets for the next year. Both states, especially California, had a hard year in 2009 trying to fill the debt gap. While California inflicted dramatic tuition increases that led to student protests and media scrutiny to make up for the budget, Indiana cut programs and limited faculty travel as a way of spending less, promisin... view article details

A proactive approach to long-term goals is necessary for career advancement. And, while it's important to focus on the big steps that will help you climb the corporate ladder, don't forget that small actions can have a big impact too.This article explores 12 things you can do in five minutes or less to advance your career.1. Make a meaningful connection Reach out to someone whose career path you admire, and ask them to mentor you. It takes a couple of minutes to make a phone call or send an email, but this small action could change the entire course of your career.2. Ask for more resp... view article details

You Can Do Both Whether you’re joining a staff of twenty or just two, it’s simply expected that you will act as a team player when you’re hired. And for the most part, you don’t mind working with others—as long as you are also able to be independent. The thing is, sometimes it’s hard to keep your independent working style when you’re forced to work in a group. Here are some ways to join the team—but still be true to yourself and get ahead at work.4. Respectfully Voice Your Opinions It can be easy to lose your train of thought -- as well as your voice -- when you are in a meet... view article details

How to Keep a Low Profile & Stay Out of Office Gutter Politics Office Politics? Proceed with Caution We recently ran an article about why it's imperative for successful employees to engage in office politics. But as in the case everywhere, reasonable people will disagree. And that includes the writers at Salary.com. So here's the flip side of the office politics coin. Office politics occur in most workplaces. When employees spend hours per day together and vie for the same promotions and raises, competition is inevitable. Some people claim office politics are an essential part of the workpl... view article details

"Soft" Skills & Emotional Intelligence Will Help Get You Hired & Promoted Skills: Hard vs Soft As your career progresses one of your goals is to ensure that your "hard" skills -- tangible, teachable skills and abilities that allow you to perform your job -- are up to snuff. But in your effort to hone your hard skills, don't ignore your "soft" skills. Soft skills, sometimes called "people skills" or "emotional intelligence," are less tangible qualities that determine how you manage your own behavior, as well as interact with and get along with others. While soft skills are more difficult to ... view article details

They Didn't All Win Oscars, But These Work-Related Movies Hold a Special Place in Our Hearts And the Oscar Goes to... The nominees for this year's Academy Awards feature whimsy and fantasy, wartime adventures and family dramas. These movies may be praiseworthy, but they largely lack any perspective on the things that occupy most viewers' daily lives: impersonal cubicles, tedious commutes, the chances of promotion. We, therefore, have assembled an alternate list of deserving films that offers a peek into what it is to be a worker, striving for career advancement and negotiating all the hurdl... view article details

While our economy appears to be making gains in other areas, unemployment in this country is still hovering around 9.6%, according to the most recent statistics released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor. If you are currently searching for a job, consider taking paths less traveled -- and therefore less crowded. This article explores 14 less conventional ways to land a good job.1. Tailor your message to potential employers Forget generic resumes and cover letters -- they won’t cut it in today’s competitive environment. Make sure your objective statement is specific to t... view article details

Don't Check Out During the Holidays When you look at your career calendar, it’s easy to see December as a forgotten month. You stumble into the first week fresh off a Thanksgiving food and shopping hangover, and once the 20th hits, you’re days away from Christmas, which rolls directly into New Years. The “out of office for the rest of the year” and “let’s touch base in January” replies fly fast and furiously.But before you put on your Santa hat, take a moment to cross off a few things on your wish list and propel your career forward.7. Summarize Your Accomplishments I consist... view article details

How does a night owl who cannot shift her hours to “normal” navigate the work world? In the first story in this series, Peter Mansbach, Ph.D., president of the Circadian Sleep Disorders Network, shared the basics about a type of circadian rhythm disorder called delayed sleep phase syndrome (also DSPS, or delayed sleep), which half a million Americans suffer.Unlike most night owls, who prefer to go to bed late, delayed sleep sufferers are hard-wired to do so—in fact, they’re responding to a physiological need. Unless they meet that need, they feel exhausted all the time, and conforming to “regu... view article details

Job descriptionComputer Programmers are responsible for creating code that essentially tells a computer how to operate. They write, test, and maintain these coded instructions, also referred to as programs. The work of programmers has been expanded in today's world, due to the innovative and advanced technologies that now exist. Programmers are now heavily involved in all aspects of technical problem solving for companies. Common computer languages that programmers use include COBOL, C++, BASIC, Java, and HTML. Most programmers know several computer languages because they tend to be similar, m... view article details