Most job seekers understand the value and importance of a well-organized resume  but spend far less energy on crafting a strong cover letter. What they fail to realize is that resumes and cover letters go hand-in-hand.  Employers are very busy and receive hundreds of resumes leaving little time for individual review. Submitting a thoughtful and well-written cover letter can help you outshine your competition and get you one step closer to an interview. Don’t let the energy you’ve spent on developing the perfect resume go to waste by failing to deliver an effective cover letter.  Here we offer ... view article details

Lessons to be Learned from Don Draper & Company The fifth season of Mad Men came to an end on Sunday night, closing for a time everyone's favorite window into the working world of days gone by. While the expectations for workplace behavior have certainly changed since the 1960s, this season of Mad Men still offered up a few useful lessons for today's ambitious professional. And thus we present you with the Top 10 Workplace Do's and Don'ts, as gleaned from season five of Mad Men.1. Don't Make Lewd Comments About Coworkers In the season premiere, Megan performed a sexy song-and... view article details

Taking a business trip is often part of the job. You may even enjoy the trip, but that doesn’t make it a vacation. Business travel is considered work time. And when thinking about the business travel compensation and reimbursement you’re owed, you should understand what you’re entitled to. Responsibility for Reimbursing Business Travel Expenses When employers think about business travel compensation, they typically begin by putting reimbursement guidelines in place so employees know exactly what they can (and cannot) expense. Business travel expenses can fly out of control in a hurry, and empl... view article details

As your own agent, you've done you annual salary research and know what you’re worth at your next job. You know what combination of compensation elements will make a prospective position your dream job. Now it's time to negotiate to your total compensation package and secure your dream deal. Let's get this done. Your Dream Deal What’s in a dream deal? It’s that combination of statistics and characteristics that, taken together, make up your dream job. Learn the typical range of base compensation for your dream position in your industry, in your area. Find your fabulousness factor: where your ... view article details

Going to work can be stressful enough on its own. But throw in the stock market's rollercoaster ride of late and you have a host of people ripping their hair out and getting closer and closer to the proverbial ledge. Whether you work on Wall Street or you're agonizingly watching the value of your investments ebb and flow with each shift in the market, there is no escaping the fact that this is a period of tremendous stress and uncertainty.Even if you're not on Wall Street and you don't have a portfolio to worry about, work stress affects nearly all of us. So how do we deal with it... view article details

A pay philosophy is a company's commitment to how it values employees. A consistent pay philosophy gives the company and the employee a frame of reference when discussing salary in a negotiation.The goal of a pay philosophy is to attract, retain, and motivate employees. For companies in the private sector, this usually requires a competitive pay philosophy. For companies in the public sector, this means a well-rounded philosophy, with a focus on benefits and work life.Companies attract, motivate, and retain through total compensationThe purpose of a good compensation philosophy is to attract, ... view article details

Last year, a Boston-area high-tech company saw its stock plunge from a record high of $58.75 on January 20, to a low of $1.13 exactly 11 months later in November. One employee, who chose to remain anonymous for this article, exercised 1,000 options at $10 a share when the stock reached its peak. With April 16 nipping at her heels, she still owns the shares. Imagine her terror upon learning that the spread of $48.75 multiplied by the 1,000 shares - a total of $48,750 - is subject to a parallel tax system called the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, at a rate of up to 28 percent. Even though her ... view article details

The Hidden Savings of Working from Home A recent comparison of the salaries of in-office jobs and work-at-home jobs found that working from home typically comes with a slight pay cut. But that’s not quite the end of the salary debate when it comes to telecommuting jobs versus in-office jobs.While telecommuting jobs may pay slightly less than the same job done from a traditional office, there are a number of cost-savings associated with working from home that more than make up the difference.Here are 10 ways that working from home saves you money, including the obvious costs and some t... view article details

It's mom appreciation time Of course there's no putting a value on the myriad responsibilities in a mom's day. Between all the listening, teaching, cleaning, cooking, driving, fixing, loving and lecturing she does on any given day, every mom is absolutely priceless.That said, it is nice to know one's worth, and we're not talking in messy kisses, macaroni necklaces, dandelion bouquets or Popsicle stick frames. We're talking in cold, hard cash.You might be surprised at what moms would be making if they received a paycheck every week.For all you do, this survey's for you At Sala... view article details

"Soft" Skills & Emotional Intelligence Will Help Get You Hired & Promoted Skills: Hard vs Soft As your career progresses one of your goals is to ensure that your "hard" skills -- tangible, teachable skills and abilities that allow you to perform your job -- are up to snuff. But in your effort to hone your hard skills, don't ignore your "soft" skills. Soft skills, sometimes called "people skills" or "emotional intelligence," are less tangible qualities that determine how you manage your own behavior, as well as interact with and get along with others. While soft skills are more difficult to ... view article details