Career Coach & Author Jack Chapman Tackles All of Your Salary and Negotiation Questions You know them, you hate them, but how do you beat them? All the experts---Jack Chapman included---agree it's best for job-hunters to hold off on any and all salary talk until the interview process is complete and a firm job offer is in hand. But as hundreds of our readers have pointed out, the "salary boxes" found on online job applications often require a numeric answer. You want to play your cards close to the vest, but sometimes that feels impossible when a potential employer is barely letting you sit... view article details

Looking to negotiate your salary? Maybe you’ve received a job offer, or maybe you are simply looking to get a raise at your current company. Either way, salary negotiation can be a gut-wrenching process. Of course you want more money or more benefits, but will it affect the way your manager views you? Could the new company withdraw their offer in favor of a candidate looking for less? Many people are afraid of asking for more – particularly women, with a shocking 7% of women attempting to negotiate their first salary. And, for those that are unemployed, working in a toxic environment, or switc... view article details

How to Brand Yourself in 14 Short Steps Wondering how to brand yourself? One of the best ways to articulate your skills, experience, knowledge, and overall worth in today's competitive job market is to create a personal brand that helps you stand out in the crowd. According to management expert and author Tom Peters, "We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer of a brand called You." This article explores 14 steps to branding yourself successfully. Step 1: Determine your unique value proposition Spend some time thinking ... view article details

Descriptions of job titles appear in a variety of forms in the workplace. Recruitment ads, compensation surveys and other benchmarking tools, as well as corporate or departmental development plans all use some method of describing a job. The brief descriptions of highlighted positions that are seen in compensation surveys and other benchmarking tools are called job descriptors. These outline the major responsibilities associated with the position that can be applied universally. These are therefore sometimes standardized. While they may contain details like exemption status or job location, t... view article details

Sunday night, the 2018 Tony Awards celebrated the best and brightest of Broadway. The Band’s Visit came away with 10 Tony Awards, making it the big winner of the night. With so many wins, could The Band’s Visit be the next ‘Broadway Blockbuster’ like Hamilton? Over the past decade, Broadway shows have increased exponentially in revenue and popularity, with ticket sales (and prices) through the roof. With so much money flowing through Broadway shows these days, we started wondering: what does the compensation landscape look like for aspiring musical theatre professionals? When visualizing a B... view article details

One of the most important and generous benefits a company can offer is tuition reimbursement, a contractual arrangement between employer and employee that outlines specific terms under which the employer may pay for the employee's continuing education. Today, tuition reimbursement benefits are also called tuition assistance, and vary greatly from company to company. It generally takes a solid, well-established company to be able to offer what could amount to $10,000 per semester or more for eligible employees. So don't look for too many startups to include tuition assistance as a regular part... view article details

Career Coach & Author Jack Chapman Tackles All of Your Salary and Negotiation Questions We've been listening to your questions and the vast majority of them revolve around salary. This week's mailbag query is no different. How much money? You want to know how much a company is going to pay you and they want to know how much you're going to accept. And more and more often lately---especially with the advent of automated job application forms---companies want the answer to that question sooner than later. Prevailing wisdom consists of putting off talk of salary for as long as possible, but wh... 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

Leading up to Salary Negotiation Week, we surveyed more than 1,000 people on several different topics related to salary negotiation. We had readers answer some questions regarding their experiences asking for raises, and what they're afraid of when it comes to negotiating salary. Here is input from an actual Salary.com reader, and our subsequent advice.Job Title: Senior Web DesignerCity: SalemState: NHCurrent Salary: $72,000Last Raise: 09/2010Company Size: 8What is motivating you to ask for a raise? It’s been long enough between raises and friends in the industry are making more than me.What c... view article details

Mars, Venus & All That Jazz Men and women are different. This hardly counts as a revelation, but new research in neuroscience hints at the scope and complexity of these differences, and helps to explain some of the social differences, too. Men, we’ve learned, are apt to practice an agentic style of leadership, marked by assertiveness; and in the extreme, a “take no prisoners” attitude. Research shows that male leaders are more likely to clarify the roles and responsibilities of subordinates, and to weed out those who don’t measure up. Women, on the other hand, tend toward a communal s... view article details