By Charles Purdy, Senior Editor, Monster-HotJobs

Whether you're looking for a job or trying to advance your career, networking is very important (in a recent HotJobs poll, 57 percent of respondents said that networking was a factor in landing their most recent job). And networking shouldn't end when you log off of LinkedIn or head home from a conference. Valuable contacts are on the perimeter of your social circle, they're the parents of your kids' school chums, they're sitting next to you on airplanes--basically, they're all around you every day. So how do you turn these people from relative strangers into valuable network contacts?

By Jane Genova, AOL Jobs

Mark Zuckerberg, Time magazine's Person of the Year, might be very much like you. Once you realize those attitudes, values, and behaviors you have in common, you might decide to also take the road less traveled -- which could lead to unusual accomplishment.

During the holiday season, the notion of tipping those who provide you service becomes a hot topic. However, it is important to remember that tips are a year-round affair for many. The questions that plague most people are: "Who do I tip?" and "How much do I tip them?"

Fear not, for PayScale is to the rescue. We recently released our 5th annual Tipping Study that answers these questions and then some. In this post, I will highlight interesting results from our study, as well as detail the methodology.

Do you work in a job where tips are commonplace and are wondering how your pay fares? Find out with a free PayScale salary report.

By Bridget Quigg, PayScale.com

Has your tipping etiquette changed so that you give a little less these days? Americans’ household budgets have been under stress in the last few years and people’s willingness to tip bartenders, hairdressers and other people in the service industry has gone down and stayed down, according to data collected by online salary database PayScale.com.

Name: Patrick Howe
Job Title: Artist, art gallery owner, art instructor
Where: Seattle, WA
Current Employer: Self
Years of Experience: 7
Relevant Work Experience: I have exhibited my artwork widely in galleries and museums. I have also taught art for many years. I was the head preparator for the Portland Art Museum. In the past I have worked in ad agencies as a creative director and award-winning art director.
Education: BFA from the Museum Art School (now PCNA) in Portland, OR, 1974.
Salary: Use the PayScale Research Center to find art occupations and salaries.

Art Careers - Can You Really Make a Career as an Artist?

Many artists struggle to find a balance between work and art, wondering if they should get a day job, become a commercial artist, or focus on a fine art career. Before committing to the life of an artist, many want to know: can you really make a career as an artist? According to this Salary Story, the answer is yes, but it won't necessarily be easy. Patrick Howe, an artist, art instructor and owner of a Seattle art gallery, describes how he made the leap from toiling at a day job to doing what he loves. If you're a struggling artist or just want to know more about art careers, don't miss Patrick's advice on what it takes to create a successful fine art career.

By Margaret Steen, Monster-HotJobs

The job market is finally showing signs of life--and that means more workers will likely have the opportunity to change jobs in the coming months.