Are you looking for a new role in the finance and accounting spheres? A promising statistic job seekers should consider is that the unemployment rate for specialized roles in these realms range well below the national average at 0.8% - 3.3%, according to the Q2 2018 quarterly report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With such low unemployment rates in these sectors, there is a labor shortage of experienced candidates. As the pool of unemployed talent continues to narrow, employers struggle to compete in the modern war for talent. For qualified job seekers, however, the labor shortage sug... view article details

Perhaps you’ve heard rumblings about the existence of a season called “women’s winter.” The scenario goes something like this: summer is in full swing and suddenly your office turns into the Arctic Tundra. John arrives to work on a particularly balmy July morning and hears the soft hum of Beth’s personal space heater. A shawl is wrapped snuggly around her shoulders. The men seem unfazed by the air conditioner's sudden resurgence into the workplace, treating it like an old coworker that suddenly returned after a winter sabbatical. The women, on the other hand, tend to be less welcoming towards ... view article details

70% of people believe they have above average leadership skills. This effect is called the Superiority Bias. (Sometimes, it’s called The Lake Woebegone Effect, Illusory Superiority, or The Better Than Average Effect). It is one of many cognitive biases that prevent us from seeing ourselves and others clearly. Everyone has a set of unconscious biases that support their view of the past, present, future, and how the world works. These unconscious ideas are based on our own perspectives and experiences. We believe that our own perspective is correct and applies to others the same way it works fo... view article details

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in a 5-4 ruling that mandatory public-sector union dues are unconstitutional. Employees must now opt-in to having union fees deducted from their wages. In Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, Illinois State employee Mark Janus claimed that union fees are unconstitutional under the First Amendment’s rights to free speech and association. The decision effectively overturns a previous ruling in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education (1977) in which the Court unanimously affirmed that union fees for the costs of “collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adj... view article details

Can an Employee Refuse a Raise?  No doubt about it, your team is working hard. But one day, an employee pops into your office and asks for a raise. They're a fairly good worker, but frankly, they haven’t done anything extraordinary to deserve a boost to their own bottom line. You don’t want to offend them—or worse, lose them—by declining their raise request, but you can’t approve it either. Unless there has been major hinting happening around the water cooler, an employee’s request for a raise can come out of left field. Here's how to keep your employee motivated—and on the job—with these tip... view article details

For new dads, Father’s Day doesn't consist of cracking open a cold one with junior back from college. Instead, it's a less laidback affair involving tending to the newest 'mini me's' every waking need – but how can a new dad be there for his newest addition if his company doesn't offer any paternity leave? Child rearing is mankind’s greatest passion – and challenge – but the country’s paid family leave policies fall well short of what new parents deserve. According to a report from the Society of Human Resource Management, about 58% of women – but only 15% of men – get replacement pay for leav... view article details

Discouraging predictions of lower salary hikes coupled with a tough job market have increased the already growing number of people returning to school. Numbers have been steadily growing because of increased educational requirements in the job market and the fact that on average a higher level of education translates into a higher annual salary. Salary.com's calculations for 2003 placed bachelor's degree holders at an average salary of $43,000, and master's degree holders at $53,000 (see earnings chart below). Therefore many professionals assume it is logical to go back to school, just as many... view article details

Q. I've been employed with the same company for 10 years. My official job title is financial analyst, and I report to the financial operations manager. For the last year and a half, the manager and I have been working at both locations, rotating throughout the week. The company decided it is inefficient to have us rotating plants, so I was informed that I would take over all of my manager's duties at one plant and she will handle everything at the other plant. Since these are two small plants, we handle all HR-related issues, all financial issues, benefits, general office management, etc. I no... view article details

The California budget crisis has been a headline fixture for a while, but now that higher education students and faculty are beginning to feel the heat of the latest budget cuts, education has jumped to the front of the news. Because of the cuts in the higher education system, many are acting out through protests to show their anger, while others are wondering what their next option could be. The New York Times reports that in the past two years, California has made over $30 billion in budget cuts, one of the largest cuts has been higher education. The California state schools have seen $2.8 ... view article details

The Career Coward's Guide to Career AdvancementHello and welcome to Salary Talk, the official podcast of Salary.com.We'll be bringing you interviews with renowned authors on all things related to salary, job hunting, career coaching, negotiations, resumes and more. The podcasts---which will run between 15-25 minutes in length---are available free of charge. You can listen to them while on the site or download the interviews to your mobile device and listen later.Our inaugural interview is with Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., author of the Career Coward's book series.She has been a career counselor in ... view article details