Workplace Flexibility is Increasingly Important Flexibility rated as one of the top perks people look for in a job. Whether you're a parent looking for a better work/life balance, or simply someone who wants to cut down on commuting time and costs, more and more jobseekers are actively seeking out workplace flexibility.Here’s a primer of the three most common forms of workplace flexibility that can help you balance family and life demands with your career.3. Compressed Work Weeks Compressed work weeks involve working longer hours each work day, but then earning extra days off... view article details

Get a Tan & a Raise If the winter of 2013-2014 felt like one of the worst on record in your town, it probably was. The amount of snow in Chicago and New York City was in the top 10 all time, while Minneapolis had 50 days with temperatures below zero (and not surprising, reported 225 cases of frostbite). And even if you tried to escape it, the number of canceled flights was the worst in two decades.In other words, bring on summer!However, just because you can finally exchange your snowsuit for your swimsuit, it doesn’t mean you should ignore your career for the next few months.Here are... view article details

Be Careful with Your Brand Many job seekers attempt to use a functional format to emphasize specific skills or to cover up problems with the resume, such as job gaps, brief employment periods, or multiple jobs in a short time period. Or you may be trying to brand yourself, in modern terms, with the functional approach. Personal branding is a great idea, but be aware, the functional resume is not the way to create your brand. Even though branding is a popular marketing concept for corporations, the transition to personal branding isn’t always as easy to establish. Brainstorm for a minu... view article details

Go for Broke Without Being Broke Currently, there are around 23 million people either out of work or underemployed, and the number of people out of work for more than six months has doubled in the past three years. Understandably, the pressure to get a job can make it easy to develop a find-work-at-all-costs mentality.However, this approach isn't necessary and can even be hazardous to your job search. To launch an effective job search and avoid going into unnecessary debt, consider these money-saving tips.6. Apply for Unemployment It may be obvious, but applying for unemploym... view article details

You've picked an agency - now you have to apply for a spot on the team. It's not as easy as just walking in unemployed and being handed a job (or, placement in temp jargon). The people at the agency have to decide whether they want you to represent their company.Make an appointment at the agency and prepare yourself accordingly. 'Be professional and dress as if it's a 'real' interview,' said Jacqueline Johnson, who has more than 10 years of experience temping in Washington, DC, Boston, Mass., Nashville, Tenn., and Northridge, Calif.Bring a resume with a detailed work history and contact inform... view article details

Dear Heather,I was recently laid off. It was kind of a shock, but the company let about 400 of us go. So, I'm hitting the job hunt knowing there are at least 50 (of the 400) others chasing the same job descriptions as I am. I've always worked in HR and have lots of skills, but my confidence is flagging a little. I've been involved in hiring and am trying to get my head around the fact that I was expendable. I find myself wondering if I picked the wrong career and should go back to school, but that seems impractical. Any suggestions on how I can better move forward from here?Lisa---------------... view article details

"What Can We Do to Help?" Q: 'Hi Heather,My co-worker 'Brenda' has a husband who was diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago. It seemed like he was doing better for a while, but over this past month, Brenda has missed a lot of work and it sounds like her husband isn't doing very well (He had to quit working himself, and Brenda called his condition 'incurable').Most of the office made donations in his honor to a cancer fund last Christmas, but I feel like we should be doing more now. I'm not exactly sure what's appropriate however. I don't want to make Brenda sad or make her think ... view article details

Most of us loathe the very idea of doing our U.S. personal income taxes, not because we expect to get fleeced each April 15 (or 16) but simply because we don't know an adjusted gross income from a standard deduction. For the many tax code illiterates among us, Salary.com has combed through the Internal Revenue Service website, taking inspiration from Sarah Young Fisher and Susan Shelly's book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Personal Finance, to come up with a checklist that may help simplify your tax-filing experience. Taxable and nontaxable income To get things started with the very basics, bel... view article details

Paid Vacation Before Your First Day on the Job? How does the idea of taking a vacation before you've started a job sound? The pre-cation is a fairly new development in hiring perks, and both new hires and the companies giving them out are reaping the benefits. Pre-cations may be particularly valuable to new hires that have recently left a job that was very frustrating or energetically draining. These workers are often exhausted to near burnout, and although they are grateful to have a new opportunity, they are often not in the best shape (physically and mentally) to start out on the r... view article details

One way to blow off steam and recharge your batteries at work is to chat with co-workers. While talking about topics unrelated to work may seem unproductive, it actually helps to build the relationships that are necessary for good teamwork and workplace morale. However, it's important to remember that no matter how comfortable with or friendly toward your co-workers you feel, there are simply some topics that are better suited to Saturday night than Monday morning. This article explores seven topics that are acceptable, and seven topics that are taboo.Water cooler do: Su... view article details