Talking about salary is always tricky. Bring it up too soon and you might screen yourself out of an interview. Put it off too late and you could be at a disadvantage towards the end of the process. And sometimes---as is the case with this week's guest---your hand is forced because your salary is a matter of public record. So what do you do if you're going for your dream job but your current job has paid you peanuts? Are you at a disadvantage because they don't take you as seriously? If so, how can you make sure you don't get lowballed? As always, our expert Jack Chapman has your answers!QUESTI... view article details

If a job candidate is far enough in the interview process that the human resources professional is ready to ask for references, the candidate is close to being offered the job. For that reason, the references are crucial and have a significant impact on the final hiring decision. Any company that is going to hire you should ask for references, so be ready to give them at least three solid ones.Choose References Who Will Portray You FavorablyWhen asking people to serve as a reference, choose people who are unquestionably ready to offer a glowing report. If you won't be using them immediately, y... view article details

Dear Annette,Do I have to attend the company's annual softball picnic? I hate forced socializing almost as much as I hate softball. I am to the point where I am considering faking an injury just to avoid this thing!Bitter BatterDear Bitter Batter,Stay home from a company-sponsored athletic event? And miss the chance to watch your coworkers spit, sweat, scratch, and pat each other everywhere? I don't think so. I just love it when people work with their bodies. And there are few bad seats at a ballgame, although I have a secret fondness for the right-field line, where I get an excellent 360-degr... view article details

In a study by the American Society for Training and Development, more than 750 U.S organizations provided data about their expenditures on training programs as a percentage of payroll and on a per-employee basis. Here's how they compare by industry on several key factors.Business sector Commitment to learningServices (hotels; professional, business, and personal services; educational, legal, social, and consumer services)High percentage spent on training and a significant increase in the use of new learning technologies, including computer-based training, the Internet, and teleconferencing.IT ... view article details

Who has the time, interest, or confidence to pick and track individual stocks (unless, of course, it's what you do for a living)? For those of us who don't, there are index funds. Every self-help guide on investing champions index funds as the safest gateway into the stock market. As portfolios of securities, indices are designed to match the performance of the market as a whole. They are essentially mutual funds that track the market, allowing even the least savvy investor to benefit from an expanding economy in a hands-off, lower-risk way. Most people have heard of the more famous indices su... view article details

Parting with Tradition For most of us, working on a resume is pretty uninspiring stuff. Fire up Microsoft Word, search for synonyms for “experience,” fiddle with the spacing until everything is lined up just so. Should the font be Arial or Times New Roman? 12-point or 11-point?But because we live in the digital age, there are a few brave souls among us who are turning the tedious traditional resume into something a little more creative and compelling. Personal branding websites, video resumes and social networking profiles are becoming increasingly valid ways for job seekers to distin... view article details

You've heard of those brain teaser questions that may well come between you and a job someday. No matter how much you may prepare yourself for a job interview, you may never be completely ready when that interviewer asks you why manhole covers are round. Even that question has been asked so often by now, it's considered one of the easy ones. Microsoft is partly to blame.Ever since the Seattle-based software giant made news a few years ago for asking applicants questions like 'How many golfballs does it take to fill a 747?', more and more companies have been adding their own mindbenders to the ... view article details

Job descriptionLaw enforcement officers, including both state officers, federal agents and detectives, protect our lives and personal property from harm. There are many different areas of law enforcement, and duties performed by officers and detectives will depend upon their area of focus and the size and type of organization for which they work.The majority of law enforcement officials, about 65 percent according to the bureau of labor statistics, are uniformed personnel. These officers work for police departments in towns and cities across the country or for the State as State troopers and h... view article details

Greetings Jack,I interviewed with a university office today; for a Licensing Associate position in Technology Transfer.This requires MBA, skills in business, science, and heavy communication with cold calling, together with database management, etc. I have all of these and more (PhD and MBA), and my experience in science is 10+ years and in business is 2+ years.Someone who I know and works with the director of that office, told me that the base salary was to be $55,000, but that the director was also planning to raise it to $75,000. The interview went well. They are planning to fill the positi... view article details

Sustainable energy and green technologies have been placed at the forefront of America Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the business world has taken notice.  To better facilitate modern professionals' connection with these emerging eco-friendly industries, MBA programs around the world have begun adopting curricula with a sharper focus on going green. The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education is reporting that the number of colleges requiring MBA students to take courses in ecological business and society issues has more than doubled in the past eight years, from 34 percent in 2001 ... view article details