Do You Have a Blueprint for Job Search Success? Like a brand-new day, 2015 is peeping over the horizon, promising changes to come. Now’s a great time to pause in your job search, set new goals, and find ways to keep established goals fresh as you map out where you want your career to go in the new year.Question: do you have a 2015 career blueprint? And why would you need one, anyway? Well, working without a job-search plan can set you up for a lot of frustration and can stall forward motion in your career. Instead of losing ground trying to figure things out willy-nilly, pause now and... view article details

Women are far less likely than men to negotiate at work, which typically costs women more than half a million dollars in earnings over the course of their respective careers, according to Linda Babcock and Sara Lashever, authors of the book Women Don’t Ask.The authors conducted multiple studies that found women miss out by failing to negotiate salary, promotions and other advancement opportunities that men commonly and aggressively pursue. The reluctance of female employees to advocate for themselves is often the difference between climbing the career ladder at a healthy pace and not climbing ... view article details

Be An Essential Part of Your Company's Plans As companies downsize and jobs are lost, many people wonder why they're let go while other employees remain with the company. Although there are always many factors to consider -- political, economic, etc. -- it often comes down to being considered indispensable.Having worked at several companies that have downsized in the past, I've learned these seven things that can help ensure your company is happy with your performance and holds onto you at all costs.Be EXTRAordinary Do at least one thing every day that someone didn't ask you ... view article details

Don't Sink Your Own Ship Once you land a job interview, you may feel the hard work is done. You might even allow your enthusiasm to melt your inhibitions during the meeting. Don’t let your excitement rob you of a chance for the job you’ve been waiting for. Arm yourself with these key interview strategies that include practicing restraint as well as excellent preparation.Here are some things to avoid doing during job interviews.7. Talking Salary Too Early Why is it bad?: Simply put, this question shifts the focus to what you want for yourself as opposed to the value you will p... view article details

You've just received word from the human resources manager that your resume made the cut. Next stop: the interview.The job interview is your opportunity to create a positive impression of yourself, and can mean the difference between the door opening, and the door slamming shut. Here are eight tough but frequently asked interview questions, with eight kick-butt answers designed to help you create a favorable--and memorable--impact.Question 1: What can you tell me about yourself? Don’t brag, try to make yourself look interesting by sharing offbeat information, or prattle on and on abou... view article details

Deal With It, Get Past It, Get Hired The unemployment rate in the U.S. is currently 7%, but if you're one of the ones out of a job, you probably don't care what the percentage is. What you care about is how you'll pay your bills until you can get back on the payroll again. While you're probably in for a few major changes, you can get through this tough time unscathed. Here are eight tips to survive unemployment.8. Create a Frugal Budget If you're out of work, you absolutely must set a budget. Use an Internet resource, such as Mint, or write your budget out on paper. Take a ha... view article details

Whether you're already an executive or just an aspiring big cheese, it's never too early to begin studying the sophisticated art of negotiating executive compensation. Only executives are eligible for many types of perks and benefits - if you disagree, try asking for your own jet. And executives often have access to data sources that are harder for other employees to use, or less relevant. But you may be surprised to learn that some of the methods for negotiating executive pay can work just as well for you as they do for the senior VP whose salary continues to rise while everyone else worries ... view article details

Do you think you are underpaid for the work you do? Have you recently received a pay raise and been disappointed at the increase amount? Would you like to unload on your boss for undervaluing you? Before you lose your cool and say something you may regret, follow our advice on how to prepare for and conduct a successful salary negotiation.Step One – Understand Your Role Make sure you understand your role and responsibilities and how your position contributes to the organization’s success. You and your employer will need to agree on your jo... view article details

COBRA  The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA) is a federal law that protects your right to continued health insurance. COBRA gives former employees, retirees, spouses and dependent children, who were covered by a group health plan on the day before a qualifying event, the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates. One overwhelming drawback to COBRA is the cost. If you and/or your family members qualify for COBRA, you will pay 102% of the insurance premiums until coverage is terminated. Most companies pay a portion of health insurance premiums... view article details

Interview Basics  Despite the etiquette, formality, and inevitable fear factor, job interviews can actually be enjoyable as well as extremely informative. In an interview, where you and the prospective employer begin a mutual relationship based on observation and communication, you have just as much power as the interviewer. So forget the high stakes and have fun.The focus for both sides should be on the immediate benefits you can add to and get from the company. Use examples; emphasize thought processes rather than results; and turn negatives into positives.Research, research, researchBe read... view article details