Why You Should Bank on Taking It to the Bank When asking for a raise or promotion, many people ask the wrong way and ask for the wrong reasons.The wrong way to ask is to walk into your boss’ office and beg for a raise, demand a raise, or give an ultimatum. The wrong reasons to justify an increase are excuses like you need the money for rent, you heard that a friend of yours makes more than you, or you want to buy that new Jaguar convertible you saw on TV.In fact, if you’re like many Americans, even if you get that raise, you’ve already spent the additional money before it even clears ... view article details

Salary.com estimates that at least one employee in ten has viewed compensation information on the Internet within the last year. That number is expected to grow, as salary sites have become a routine component of both the job search and the career management process. In response to questions from HR professionals about what to do when an employee knocks on the door with a salary printout in hand, Salary.com has prepared this advice for and from employers on responding to online data.There probably is no way for employers to prevent employees from using salary sites, and no advantage to doing s... view article details

There has never been a better time to plan your career path. In today’s war for talent, there are more job vacancies than unemployed individuals to fill them. Career growth will certainly evolve in the future. A report by Dell Technologies estimates that 85% of the jobs today’s learners will be doing in 2030 haven't even been invented yet – good luck future Marty McFly! So whether your plan for career growth in the new year is to enter the workforce for the first time, move into a more senior role, or make a lateral move, you should start strategizing now. But with so many possibilities, how d... view article details

How to Keep a Low Profile & Stay Out of Office Gutter Politics Office Politics? Proceed with Caution We recently ran an article about why it's imperative for successful employees to engage in office politics. But as in the case everywhere, reasonable people will disagree. And that includes the writers at Salary.com. So here's the flip side of the office politics coin. Office politics occur in most workplaces. When employees spend hours per day together and vie for the same promotions and raises, competition is inevitable. Some people claim office politics are an essential part of the workpl... 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

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

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

Under Pressure Pressure. It can take many forms.Imagine you’re just 21 years old and a senior in college. You’ve got a massive final exam that accounts for the majority of your grade, and it’s the final class in your major. While you’ve invested considerable time and effort studying, you know it all comes down to this.Now imagine that you also play on your college’s basketball team, and you’re playing for the national championship. You’re down by 1 with a few seconds left, the crowd is going insane, and they swing the ball over to you. As you launch your jump shot in front of millions... view article details

Getting a raise. Climbing the corporate ladder. Receiving a better title. Taking on more responsibility. Advancing your career. These are the accomplishments most people in the workforce strive to attain. Countless resources exist to guide you every step of the way, from entry-level newbie through middle management and all the way up to the executive offices. How much heartbreak and anger has been exercised lamenting when things don’t go as planned? Why can’t I earn more money?I can’t believe I got passed over for that promotion!My boss is so incompetent, I could do so much better!So if you ar... view article details