Q. I am a temporary employee for a large firm. Before I interviewed for the job, the agency representative asked me what salary I wanted. The hourly wage I quoted was too low and does not reflect my years of experience. Later I was told that neither the agency nor the employer was able to find anyone to perform this job (the person I replaced is on a job-related disability leave). This is a professional position. The basic salary is below the Salary Wizard median. In addition, several other people at this department will be taking extended absences. What is the appropriate avenue for requestin... view article details

What If Moms Were Paid? Maybe it’s an increased commitment to battle the gender wage gap, the rise of female breadwinners, or women heeding the call to “Lean In.” But whatever the reason, Salary.com’s annual “Mom Salary” survey was more popular than ever and created some great insights in 2014.But before we begin, we need to stress something. This is not an exact science, nor is it meant to be. We understand no one survey could ever truly encapsulate what a parent does, and many mothers disagree that what they do is a job. We don’t do this to demean or devalue mothers – quite the oppo... view article details

Q. I never know what to say when the interviewer says, 'Tell me about yourself' or asks, 'Do you have any questions for me?' Most of the time I don't, because the interviewer has given a good description.Then there's 'What are your salary requirements?' I know you should not discuss pay, but how do you get around it without sounding really bad?A. To get a good idea of the job you are interviewing for, ask what expectations and objectives the supervisor or manager has in mind. You may also want to know the scope of responsibility of the job, and whom are you expected to interact with to get the... view article details

So you don't like sales? Well, you'd better start.Grant Cardone, the author of 'Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and Life,' is this week's guest on Salary Talk and he sells sales -- and with good reason. Even those who don't think they are salesmen in their current jobs actually do sell, says Cardone. Every time you ask for a raise, go for a promotion or pitch a new idea to your boss, you're selling yourself. Sales is nothing more than getting someone to see your side, and that's an essential component of career success.Cardone, who is also a TV and radio host, has some great e... view article details

Graduating from college is a wonderful thing that should rightfully be celebrated. But in six months or so, that celebration will be substantially muted when college loan payments begin.Did you know the average 4-year undergraduate has $18,625 in student loan debt that will end up costing $25,720 between now and 2022? Being saddled with that kind of debt often leads to putting off major life decisions such as getting married, buying a house and starting a family. That's why Patrick Kandianis and the SimpleTuition.com team offers a SmarterBank account with SmarterBucks rewards. Basically how it... view article details

Q. I've been in this job for five months. I started out as a data entry clerk and was promoted to project manager in the first six weeks. At the time, I was promised a salary increase after a trial period of two months. But it hasn't happened yet. I was also supposed to get a three-month review, should I ask for that also? I love my job and love to come to work every day.A. First of all, a project manager is a very general job title, so ask your manager to come up with a more definitive title.I would strongly urge you to send an email to your manager reminding him or her about the agreement to... view article details

Dress to Get Noticed Even If You Don't Like the Spotlight Some people think it’s a waste of time to worry about their appearance. Yet we can’t really see ourselves -- and every day we’re subject to snap judgments just based on how we look.'When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions,' says Malcolm Gladwell in describing his bestseller Blink. What conclusions do people jump to when they set eyes on you? Let’s look at how you can ... view article details

Q. Three weeks before my scheduled date of resignation, I got sick. After spending a Friday in the hospital and the rest of the weekend at home, I told my supervisor I expected to be in by the following Friday at the latest. She then told me I would be laid off because I had been absent too many times. Is it legal to fire someone because they've been out sick for several days? Is there anything I can do?A. I would suggest you read your company's sick policy first to see what steps your company expects you to take when you are sick.Time off and sick policies vary among companies. Yours may have... view article details

How does a college kid with no experience go from being a complete homer to drawing Homer (Simpson) professionally? For Brad Ableson, it was a little luck and a metric ton of hard work. Ableson, now 36, spent 15 years as an animator and storyboard artist for The Simpsons, the infamous animated TV sitcom that has been on the air for more than two decades. That means when Homer dishes out his patented 'Why you little---' and starts to throttle his mischievous son Bart, there's a good chance it was Ableson who came up with the angle, the actions and everything else that brings the characters to ... view article details

Don't Be Short-Sighted Life in 2013 moves fast. Some would say too fast. Our tweets are only 140 characters, social videos on Vine max out at 6 seconds, and we’d all like to get six-pack abs in just a few minutes. What surprises some job-seekers when they learn about salary negotiation, is that sometimes the entire conversation around your future compensation is wrapped up in just a few short minutes, but can have a lasting impact for years to come.If you’re not prepared, it can fly by in an instant. If you don’t have the right approach, you leave money on the table.Here are two cruci... view article details