Did you know that you may be able to negotiate some of your benefits? Even though companies put fixed policies on most benefits, some benefits are negotiable - and sometimes, all you have to do is ask. Signing bonus. If a company wants you badly enough or can't meet your salary demands, it might sweeten the deal by offering you a signing bonus, a one-time payment that doesn't increase the base salary on which everything else is calculated. A signing bonus is a good-faith demons... view article details

If you open up a biology textbook and look at the pictures, you'll find a number of dull images of DNA, chromosomes, and photosynthesis that have been putting you to sleep since high school. Unless you’re looking at a book with new and enthralling scientific illustrations by Nicolle Fuller. As an independent science artist, Fuller conceptualizes and creates the scientific images found in magazines, scientific journals, and textbooks. Her artwork runs the gamut from paintings of ancient dinosaurs to intricate depictions of highly complex cellular systems. What every one of her pieces has in com... view article details

If stay-at-home moms earned an annual salary for all the jobs they perform on a daily basis, how much would they earn? Today, we've released the results of our annual Mom Salary Survey – just in time for Mother's Day! This year, we estimated the value of a mother's work by tracking real-time market prices of all the jobs that moms perform. The result? The median annual salary for stay-at-home moms in 2019 is $178,201 – rising $15,620 (a 9.6% increase) from the 2018 mother's worth calculation. This year's study gave consideration to traditional roles – like housekeeper, dietitian, and day care ... view article details

The start of a new year is always a good time to set new career resolutions. No matter where you are in your career -- entry level, mid-career, or nearing retirement -- there are always new challenges to tackle and goals to meet.Make this year the year you shine at work and make some long awaited changes. Here are 15 resolution ideas to help make this the year you get ahead.Resolution 1: Conquer a fear Is there a pesky fear that's holding you back at work? Think about what that may be costing you. For example, if you're afraid of public speaking, it may be costing you opportunities to... view article details

Dear Jack,After 25 years working for same company, I still only get 2 weeks a year paid vacation. I take no sick days off and I work overtime, but this year no vacation? Or not one sick day and my four 10-hour workdays have turned to five 10-hour days -- sometimes as high as 14 hours -- and I don't get overtime? What are my rights here?? After 25 years do I get my vacation pay because I did not get a day off?? I'm not sure this is a matter of 'rights.' While two weeks vacation is almost universally acknowledged as the minimum vacation time, even that is at the discretion of your employer, and ... view article details

We all know somebody who seems to have the most unusual job in the world. You know, the guy who calls himself a 'day-time talk-show critic' and gets paid for sitting on the couch all day eating cheesy puffs. What about those people who have unique jobs like roller-coaster designer, pet psychiatrist, or professional food-taster? Do your friends claim they have jobs that don't even exist? What about cushy jobs? We'd like to hear your feedback for our funny and unusual jobs series. Please write in here at salarytalk[at]salary.com. Your comments could be published! view article details

Q. I am a creative director with a mid-sized Internet development company (200 people). I oversee a department of 10 graphic designers, programmers, writers, and interface architects. Is it uncommon for one of my department members to be compensated more than I am? A. It doesn't happen often, but from time to time a supervisor may make less money than an employee who reports to him or her. When an employee earns more than his or her supervisor, it is normally because the employee's technical skills are worth more than those of the supervisor. For instance, employees who have very strong techn... view article details

Seeing that Father’s Day is right around the corner, I’d like to get a few things off my chest regarding dads.Fatherhood is a hot topic lately, because – ironically enough -- mothers are making big news. With visionaries the likes of Sheryl Sandberg encouraging women to “Lean In,” women are winning the day across the board. Hanna Rosin’s 2010 piece “The End of Men” in The Atlantic painted a damning picture for modern-day men, citing the fact that women outnumber men in the workforce, are earning college degrees at a faster pace than men, and cast men as an antiquated gender that has failed to ... 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

Managing meetings effectively is a core skill every manager should develop. Although there's no mystery to what makes a meeting productive, it can take practice and attention to detail to become an effective leader of meetings. It all starts with knowing when to call a meeting, and why.Is It a Meeting?How do you know it's time to call a meeting? What type of meeting is it? What's the purpose of the meeting? Here are some typical situations when a meeting may be called for:You're Managing a ProjectProjects tend to require meetings at various stages: at the beginning, as the project plan is comi... view article details