Vacationing for a Living When you're lying on the white sands of the Mexican Riviera, the stresses of the world seem a million miles away. Hey, snap out of it! This is no vacation - you have a deadline to meet! Therein lies the dilemma for travel writer and food critic Edie Jarolim. "I always loved traveling and always like to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of those things," Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere - in Arts and Antiques, in Brides, or in one of her three published books, including The Complete Idiot's Travel Guide to Me... view article details

This might be the best job search article you read today because it’s simple to implement and so very powerful. I insist that my clients, men and women alike, attend all interviews with a box of 4' x 5' thank you cards and envelopes. Keep them in your car, messenger bag, purse -- no matter where -- keep them handy. You do not have to spend a lot of money to obtain a batch of professional cards from an office supply store or big-box retailer.Job search experts correctly tell you that upon completion of an interview, you should email or handwrite a thank you note to your interviewer. But I find ... view article details

So, you want a raise? Great! But do you deserve a raise? Have you adequately displayed your value to the company? Or do you believe you can easily receive a raise because it's been a year? Before you go in and ask for a raise, it's important to make sure you have enough going for you. Here are seven reasons to ask for a raise. 1) A Positive Attitude Don't underestimate likability. Do results matter? Absolutely. However, a positive attitude goes a heck of a long way in helping your cause. This doesn't mean you have to be best friends with your boss (in fact, that's a no-no), but a good attitu... view article details

Dear Annette,Do you have any holiday gift ideas for the office?SantaDear Santa,This is my favorite time of year, as thinking of gift ideas for others always reminds me of me. One December years ago I received an ostrich from a client after helping him survey his New Zealand ranch. I had to get rid of him after Dickie became allergic. The ostrich stayed for five years.Narrowing down the wish list is always so difficult. A year or two ago, the Mednikow catalog had a $575,000 diamond ring on its front cover, complete with a little cutout so you can try the ring on for size. Difficult to duplicate... view article details

Weigh 'Need vs Greed' When Negotiating Salary at a Nonprofit Nonprofits are a Different Animal When you’re an employee at MegaCorp and the CEO travels to the shareholder meeting in his private jet to announce that they’ve exceeded Q4 revenue predictions by $200 million, it’s not too difficult to look at the company’s success, negotiate hard for a raise, and say “How about a little something for me?” But what happens when you work for a nonprofit and you’re not dealing with mergers and acquisitions, but rather microfinance loans to empower women or access to clean drinking water in developin... view article details