Reference Articles
Work Life
The challenge will not be too few jobs, but too few people to hold them.
Though we wisely worry about rising unemployment during this recession of 2008, there is another, quite different problem that soon will confront the nation: a shortage of workers.
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How I Got Here: Mechanical Engineer Turned Technology Officer
For many executives, "arriving" involves years of planning and calculated moves. But not for Colin Hendricks. He embraced the "change your mind" approach from the very beginning and says he has "stuck" to it ever since. "There was no plan," Mr. Hendricks says. "Having one would have taken all of the surprise out of my life." That unconventional approach has taken him from an early start in mechanical engineering to a Master's degree in journalism and finally to his current position as Chief Technical Officer of Rome Corporation, a Houston-based financial software company. Elizabeth Garone spoke to Mr. Hendricks about the twist and turns in his career. Edited excerpts follow.
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Comeback Careerists: Reinventing Work After Time Away
Hilary Stark, an investment banker with a Harvard M.B.A had more than a decade of experience when she left the workforce in 1995 to raise her two children. Last year, she decided to come back. Her decision came just as Corporate America began to make it easier for professionals who've taken time away to return—and to reinvent their careers in a way that works better for them than their 90-hour-a-week pasts might have.
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It's About Time: Execs Resolve To Work, Play Efficiently in 2008
Time. It's a boss's most finite resource; there's no way to expand the supply. So managers must strive to make better use of it. As 2007 expires, we asked executives to reflect on how well they fulfilled resolutions to better manage time this year.
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What Makes a Company A Great Place to Work Today
Tis the season for workplace rankings, with "best-workplace" lists sprouting everywhere this fall.
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Small Firms Battle Labor Laws In Hiring Guides for Work Abroad
Architect Joseph Boggs was overjoyed to land his U.S. firm's first contract in India -- until he saw the first paycheck. The amount was almost one-fourth less than he had expected, because of an Indian tax on payments to foreign firms.
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Switching Careers Takes Time But May Be Well Worth the Wait
Frank Harrington spent 13 years climbing the ranks at a semiconductor maker in California. But he gradually realized he hated his job, so he changed careers. It took years, but today he's a nurse -- and much happier.
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Some Americans working abroad are getting an additional dose of relief from tax increases enacted last year.
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Here are seven key lessons from happiness research.
No, happiness isn't a lottery ticket away.
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Finding Time: Blending Networking Into Your Life
If you're doing it right, networking isn't something that takes lots of extra time in your life.
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Declutter Your Career And Make Way for Success
Just as it can be helpful to clear out closets at home every so often, it's a good idea to declutter your career periodically. By removing the stuff that gets in the way, you can free up time, brain power and energy, enabling you to enjoy work more and improve your performance.
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Bridging the Gap When a Boss Is on the Other Side of the Globe
When Ray O'Connor was hired as marketing director for the U.S. unit of Japan's Topcon Corp. in 1993, his friends predicted disaster.
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Four Tips for Fitting in an Office Where You're the Odd One Out
Are you the only parent in an office full of singles or a health nut among a group of junk-food snackers?
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Is a Job Move Worth It? How to Weigh Your Options
Two years ago, then 28-year-old Valerie French experienced a culture clash when she moved from southern California to Washington, D.C., to work at a major art museum. "I loved my job, but I just hated living there," she says. She found the nation's capital too conservative, "the kind of place where if you wear Banana Republic you're cutting edge."
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When You Work to Live And Your Boss Lives to Work
Question: I am a working mother. I work a flexible schedule, from 7 to 4, which I discussed with my boss and he agreed to about eight months ago. Even though he agreed to it, he schedules meetings for 3:30, when he knows I have to leave at 4. Sometimes he asks me to stay late when I am already walking out the door and it's too late for me to find a backup to pick up my daughter. I have to say no, and then he is obviously annoyed. He doesn't have children and lives to work. I am not behind in my work and believe that I am doing a very good job. How should I deal with his belief that work is the be all end all, when I don't agree?
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Many companies believe in separating the performance review from the salary review, because one is an evaluation and the other is a negotiation. But the business world moves so fast that that the two discussions are often combined.
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Some companies schedule everyone's performance review at the same time, for example the end of the calendar year. Others conduct performance reviews at employees' anniversary dates. In either case, make sure your review happens. If your company seems to be dragging its feet, take the initiative to ask for a performance review.
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It's a week before a layoff announcement at Acme Widgets. The financial analysis has been done, the legal requirements met, and the objective criteria for termination established. Now it's down to names. An unbiased process? "It's more human nature than you'd like to think," said Erisa Ojimba, compensation consultant for Salary.com. "You'd be surprised what people talk about."
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Time off from work gains in importance
The reasons for this shift are many and varied. Some have to do with the way a new generation is thinking about work, while others are driven by how companies are responding to recent economic pressures.
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Top 10 Reasons To Leave Your Job
#1 Inadequate Compensation
Percent Responding: 57.2%
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As contrary as it may seem, most people in the U.S. workforce have some choice in what they do for a living and where they work. That means most workers can hold out for a job with some degree of intangible benefits such as personal fulfillment, positive corporate culture, and meaning.
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Salary
Tough Times Don't Mean Tough Luck on Salary
You've prepared for your next job interview by researching the company, brushing up on your sales pitch and pressing your suit. But one key task remains: Figuring out what to expect as compensation.
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What will raises be this year?
Q. Assuming employees are meeting the requirements of their position, what are the new standards of annual salary increases (percentage-wise)? Also, what happens to long-term employees who are earning beyond the position's salary range, because they steadily received 4 percent increases and are now almost "overpaid"? Do they stop getting raises?
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Q. What is the typical increase a person should get (or should look for) when changing jobs? I'm in the information technology field.
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Not Your Father's Income: Why Wages Today Are Weaker
American men in their 30s today are worse off than their fathers' generation, a reversal from just a decade ago, when sons generally were better off than their fathers, a new study finds.
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Five Tips for Switching To a Higher Paying Career
Haven't worked for "the man" yet? No matter how far along you are in your career, you may be able to change course to boost your income.
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After my column on whether to state an exact salary or a range on a job application was republished, readers again wrote to say they disagreed with my answer.
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Get the Most Pay Out of Your Job
Want a bigger paycheck? It may not be as hard as you think.
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Answering Pay Questions On Job Applications, Revisited
After my column on whether to state an exact salary or a range on a job application was republished, readers again wrote to say they disagreed with my answer.
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Many Employees Wrongly Assume They Are Underpaid
The compensation experts at Salary.com took the job title, industry, geography, and company size reported by each respondent in the sample. They then matched this data to a benchmark job (and corresponding salary) in the Salary.com database. This analysis revealed that only 18.7% of the self-proclaimed underpaid employees looking to leave their job were in reality underpaid. That means nearly 80% of these workers who felt that they were underpaid actually were not. The majority of these workers, 34.2%, were paid fairly relative to the market, while 17.4% were overpaid.
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The "New Black"
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The Top 10 Salary Trends For 2006
See below for the Top 10 Salary Trends For 2006 and how you can use these trends to make more money this year. Also use The Personal Salary Report negotiation tool in order to better your chances of boosting your pay in 2006.
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Negotiating
Working Well With Executive Recruiters
The higher you rise along the corporate ladder, the more attractive you're likely to become to executive recruiters. But even if they contact you first, your odds of getting a job as a result can flounder if you don't understand how the search business works. For example, some up-and-coming corporate leaders withhold critical information, such as their current salary, due to privacy concerns. Yet recruiters work on a confidential basis, asserts Wes Richards, a senior client partner and managing director at Korn/Ferry International Inc. "We're like your doctor, your priest or your lawyer," he says. To avoid being labeled a greenhorn, see these tips for forging and managing strong relationships with recruiters.
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How to Interview for a Job Without Raising Suspicions
Question: I'm job hunting but don't want to lose my current job until I find another. I rarely leave my desk or the office, so it's difficult to get away for interviews. I've called in sick but this means I miss a day of work when I only need a couple of hours off. How can I leave the office for a few hours to interview without faking an illness?
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Explore Your Options Before Resigning a New Job Quickly
Question: How soon can you leave a job that's a poor fit without it looking bad on your resume? Two months after accepting a new role, I find it's not a good match for my skills, strengths and values. I am now job hunting in hopes of finding another position and then resigning, but I'm finding it hard to keep working because I'm so unhappy.
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Just like an interview, a job offer can tell you a great deal about a potential employer. An offer can reveal how serious the employer is about the offer, how valuable you are to the company, and most importantly, whether you should make the move.
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How do I negotiate for a cost-of-living adjustment?
Q. My facility just was closed. Approximately 80 hourly employees were eliminated, as well as 90 percent of the salaried workforce. I am one of the lucky 10 percent who are being offered postions at a different location. I currently live in a state that has a low cost of living and will most likely be asked to move to a state that has a much higher cost of living. Would it be out of place to ask for that increase in my salary?
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Should I counteroffer a negotiated salary offer?
Q. I received an offer lower than my desired salary. I talked it over with HR, and they met me almost halfway with a second offer. Is it appropriate to renegotiate to get closer to my desired salary, or is it time to accept their offer?
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Discretion, Tools Help Hide A Job Hunt From the Boss
Two days after posting his resume on a major job board, Jason Keith was called into his manager's office for a talk. His boss found his resume online and wanted to know if he was considering leaving. From there, he says, he was viewed as a lame duck.
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An interview is the only time during the hiring process when you and your interviewer can form a mutual relationship based on observation and communication. You're both on the same level: the interviewer wants to do his or her best to get to know you, answer your questions, and find out if you would be a good fit for the job and the company.
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The purpose of a performance review
Performance reviews give employees and employers a chance to evaluate regularly whether they are happy with each other. The review is a meeting between you and your boss to discuss both the results of your work and the process you went through to achieve them. The discussion includes an evaluation of your initiative, problem solving, attitude, professional demeanor, and other qualitative aspects of your performance.
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What have you done for them lately?
First, you need to be able to explain the logic behind the hunch that says you're ready for more. You need evidence to show your manager that you deserve it. No one is paying closer attention to your work than you are. What have you done for your company lately? The company wants to know.
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Signing bonus. If a company wants you badly enough or can't meet your salary demands, it might sweeten the deal by offering you a signing bonus, a one-time payment that doesn't increase the base salary on which everything else is calculated. A signing bonus is a good-faith demonstration that the company agrees you're worth more than the job pays.
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Besides, what you've earned in past positions is not the relevant measure of what you're worth in a new job. The relevant measure is the fair market value of the open position.
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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.
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It's time to think like an entrepreneur, with marketable business skills and abilities. It's time to conceive of your career as a high-potential venture, with you as CEO. In this environment, you've got to be your own agent.
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Are you prepared to negotiate for happiness? The negotiation process is an opportunity to define, communicate, and achieve what you want out of your job offer. But to get offered the right job that pays what you deserve, you'll need to do your homework. The first step in the negotiation clinic is to understand the negotiation basics.
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Job Search
Don't Let a Messy Exit Spoil Your Job Search
Question: I have 15 years experience in consumer product marketing, seven in my last job. It ended six months ago, when my boss and I parted badly. Since then, interviews with recruiters and employers haven't gone well because of my low self-esteem. Can I repair the damage from these meetings, or should I stop job hunting and find temporary work until I feel better?
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What to Do When Your Best Reference Has an Attitude
Question: I worked for a semi-famous woman, who is known for having a huge temper and being reactionary. I use her as a work reference and, during my job search, she was called by people who just wanted to talk to her -- even in cases where I had not interviewed with them. At one point, her response to someone I hoped would have been my future boss was harsh. Her tone was blunt, and I didn't get the job. Everyone told me I wasn't hired because of this encounter. How is someone supposed to address what a prospective employer hears from a former boss who is just having a bad day?
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What Should I Do Differently To Revive a Stalled Job Hunt?
Question: I was let go from my job last November after 20 years with the company. Since then I have not been able to find a new position. I am constantly on the Internet and the phone to no avail. Should I be doing something else?
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When Applying for Jobs Online, You Can Skip Certain Questions.
Question: When completing online job applications, I'm asked to provide my college graduation date and Social Security number. Does this give the HR department an opportunity to discriminate against me? Also, if I don't answer the voluntary question about my ethnicity, will my application be excluded?
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Uncomfortable about a question someone asked in a job interview?
Have you ever felt uncomfortable about a question someone asked in a job interview? Frankly, some things are none of your prospective employer's business. Moreover, many types of questions are not only inappropriate, but even illegal.
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Employers give laid-off staffers something extra to ease the pain of their job loss.
A growing number of employers give laid-off staffers something extra to ease the pain of their job loss: continued access to employee-assistance programs.
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Service Programs Are Gaining Favor
From The Wall Street Journal Online
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Why Making a Career Change Can Look Good on a Resume
Say you want to quit your job in sales to become a bartender. Or maybe you're ready to bag your law practice and open up that café you've been dreaming about since undergraduate school.
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After Two Years of Searching, A Job Hunter Asks What's Wrong
Question: I spent 18 years at a Big Four firm, followed by four years at a financial organization. I have been job hunting since my last company moved in 2005. I'm willing to start at a lower level, but employers can't seem to figure out what I am or they lose interest because I'm unemployed. What should I do?
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You Don't Need to Show Up For This Kind of Job Interview
It's now possible to meet with recruiters without actually showing up for a job interview.
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How Do I Explain to Employers Why I Suddenly Quit My Last Job?
Question: I walked off my last job in frustration with a boss who constantly belittled me and others, never gave clear guidance and ripped apart anything that wasn't his idea. I know that not giving two weeks' notice may hurt me, so how do I explain it in job interviews?
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Why Attention-Seeking Tactics Often Backfire on Job Hunters
In an era when many resumes share a standard email-friendly format, it's no wonder some job hunters feel compelled to use creative tactics to stand out. But while a rare few succeed, most fail miserably, say recruiters and hiring managers.
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Should Potential Hires Show W-2s on Interviews?
Question: After a first interview for a new job, a potential employer asked me to provide W-2 forms. What if I don't want to share them?
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Tips for Creating a Resume That Downplays Job Hopping
If you've held several jobs over a short period, and don't explain the changes on your resume, you might look like a "job hopper" to recruiters and hiring managers.
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Breaking Into Your Dream Industry When You Lack Superstar Skills
Jeremy Atkins enjoys many of the benefits of a successful comic-book illustrator, though he doesn't have a shred of artistic talent.
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How to Explore Another Career If You Started on the Wrong Path
Changing careers, even for those in their twenties, is a tall task. But if you think you've picked the wrong line of work, it's time to start scoping out other areas that interest you.
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How Do I Convince Employers I Want to Downshift My Career?
Question: In recent years, I have been "buried" in my career at the expense of my life, often working 18-hour days. I'm now seeking a new career path so I can balance my life. How do I convince employers that I'm willing to take a lesser job, title and salary to achieve my goals without appearing suspect?
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Why Job Seekers Should Be Spying on Themselves
More people are running background checks. On themselves.
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How Blogs Are Changing The Recruiting Landscape
Corporate recruiters have long surfed the Web to vet potential hires, but now they're also surfing blogs to unearth job candidates, expanding their talent pool and gaining insights they say they can't get from resumes and interviews.
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Add One More to the Hiring Process: The Boss's Coach
Carol Shapiro badly needed a second in command for Family Justice, the booming New York nonprofit that she founded and runs with fervor. She really liked one prospect because "she had amazing energy."
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Should I Hire an Expert To Write My Resume?
Question: Do you recommend having a resume professionally written, and if so, what Web sites do a good job with this? My thinking is that professionally written resumes must be very similar, with the same wording and appearance.
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Why Sneaky Resume Tactics May No Longer Aid Job Hunter
It's getting harder for job hunters to game the systems that recruiters use to identify potential candidates.
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Overcoming Resume Red Flags Related to Multiple Job Losses
Question: I've lost three jobs during the past few years due to downsizings and staff reductions. None of these terminations were performance-related. How should I describe my work history on a resume and in interviews so employers understand the situation?
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Job-Search Secrets For Hunting on the Web
Job hunting has made a dramatic transition in the past decade as both companies and candidates have moved online. While surfing the Web may not get you a job, better Internet job-search skills can improve your odds of securing an interview. According to a 2005 survey from the Society for Human Resource Management in Alexandria, Va., about 86% of human-resources professionals polled use Internet job postings to recruit candidates.
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Sharpen Your Aim When Job Hunting Online
As Internet job boards continue to evolve, it can pay to stay current on the latest search tools and tactics. By learning how to use them, job hunters may be able to boost their chances of securing interviews.
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Finding Time: Blending Networking Into Your Life
If you're doing it right, networking isn't something that takes lots of extra time in your life.
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Ways to Find Recruiters Who Specialize in Your Niche
Building relationships with recruiters may expose you to career opportunities that you might not learn about otherwise. Most employers don't advertise the positions they hire recruiters to help fill, which are typically a firm's most senior and highest-paying. And search executives usually promote their services to employers, not job hunters.
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It's half an hour before an executive schmooze-fest at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and Ken Morse is giving last-minute networking tips to a crowd of MBA students and invited guests. As managing director of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center, Morse teaches aspiring business leaders the nuts and bolts of growing and sustaining a business. His lecture on networking is one of the highlights of the semester.
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The purpose of your resume is to make the reader want to interview you. Resumes should be informative, concise, consistent, and should highlight intriguing skills and experience. They should grab attention early and provide a concentrated, convincing argument that you perfectly match the position at hand.
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Education
Top Universities Post Free Course Materials Online
Getting into college may be tougher than it used to be. But top schools are offering a growing number of courses free online.
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Eight Things That Can Boost Your Pay
Employers typically adjust their market data when determining how much to pay a specific employee to do the job. In other words, they price the "space" - the position in the organization - before they price the "face," or the person doing that job. After they determine the value of the position by researching the data on pay practices for comparable jobs at comparable companies, they adjust the data to reflect the employee's background and experience.
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A Higher Degree the Key to Higher Pay?
While it may seem like a logical choice for everyone, there are opportunity costs associated with attaining a higher degree, not to mention the career risks one takes if rushing into such a decision. Many career counselors suggest that individuals seek a higher degree mainly to pursue a passion or strong interest they have in a subject, rather than for a higher income or job security, as these are not always guaranteed. It is also strongly advised that in order to discover or reinforce your interests and better understand how a higher degree may benefit your career, one should first pursue work in their field and seek advice from professors and experienced professionals. Those who have worked in their field for a number of years will be more able to make this decision on their own. A cost analysis should be performed as well, on costs associated with going back to school and the alternative cost comparisons.
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