Author: gbelli

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7 Communication Tips for Working Remotely When You Usually Don’t

Looking for research? View PayScale’s Research and Strategy Guide on How to Set Pay for Remote Workers In an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible, many companies are asking — or mandating — that employees work from home for a while. As a result, some people are working...

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Is Your Boss Lying to You?

Is your boss lying to you? The truth is that managers may lie more than most. In a SimplyHired survey, 37% supervisors admitted to telling “white lies” at least once a week, compared to 30% of associates and 28% of entry-level workers. Further, supervisors were most likely to lie up and down...

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Survey: Remote Workers Love Remote Work – and Never Want to Go Back to the Office

Looking for research? View PayScale’s Research and Strategy Guide on How to Set Pay for Remote Workers   The majority of remote workers like the arrangement, according to the latest State of Remote Work survey from Buffer and AngelList. The annual survey, now in its third year, also shows that 98% of remote workers...

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No Bachelor’s Degree? No Problem. New-Collar Jobs Are on the Rise.

Between 2006 and 2016, the cost of a four-year college education at a public institution rose 31%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average cost for a bachelor’s degree from a public college or university? $17,237 per year. No wonder 65% of students graduate with student loan debt. But...

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How to Be a Compassionate Leader

Leaders face tremendous pressure. When you’re in charge, you’re often pulled in a multitude of conflicting directions. You have to answer to your own bosses, which may even include the board. And, you also have to attract and retain top talent. When it comes to how to respond to employees, you probably...

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Even Students Need Good Cover Letters

Whether you’re in high school, college, or a certificate program, you’ve probably heard more than you care to about the importance of a good resume. But did you know that a good cover letter is also essential for a successful job search? Even if you won’t be starting your professional job search...

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5 Lies You Probably Tell at Work (and Why You Tell Them)

Lying at work is more common than you might expect. But that doesn’t mean that it’s good for your career — or that it’s your only option for dealing with difficult conversations. In general, people lie a lot. According to one study, 60% of people told at least one lie during a...

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What Does It Really Mean to ‘Follow Your Heart’ in Your Career?

How can you tell when a big career decision is right for you? If you’re contemplating whether to accept a new job, change your career path, or go back to school, you may have asked friends and colleagues for their advice. Inevitably, many will tell you to follow your heart. But, what...

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The Glass Ceiling Is Cracking. Now It’s Time to Fix the Broken Rung.

The biggest obstacle women face when aspiring to corporate leadership roles isn’t the glass ceiling. It’s the “broken rung” they encounter much earlier on the corporate ladder, according to the results of the fifth annual Women in the Workplace study. The Women in the Workplace study from McKinsey & Company and Leanin.org...

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Microsoft Japan’s 4-Day Workweek Boosted Productivity by Nearly 40%

Recently, Microsoft Japan experimented with switching to a four-day workweek. The results of the trial will come as a surprise to anyone who buys into the idea that more time at work is the best way to boost productivity. (Your boss, perhaps.) A five-day workweek is the standard in the United States...

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5 Awesome Annual Bonus Stories to Make You Smile

Over half of employers offer some kind of annual bonus, according PayScale’s Compensation Best Practices Report. Some even offer this kind of variable pay quarterly (17%) or monthly (11%). But it safe to say that very few employers are offering free trips to Hawaii or $100,000 in cash to their lucky employees....

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How to Use Your Winter Vacation to Boost Your Career

Are you taking a winter vacation this year? There are ways to use your time away that could benefit you professionally. (And don’t worry: none of them involve checking your work email.) At first, the idea that going on vacation could boost your career might seem counterintuitive, especially to Americans who tend...

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You’re Probably Making 1 of These 8 Networking Mistakes

Hate networking? You’re not alone. The problem is that making connections with others in your industry is essential for professional success. Make certain key networking mistakes, and you may find yourself stuck in dead-end jobs or even unemployed. At The Conversation, professor of organizational psychology Libby Sander writes: Strong networks provide a...

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34 Quotes From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Labor and Leadership

Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. On this national holiday, we celebrate and remember the minister and civil rights leader’s teachings, achievements and vision for the future. Per the King Center: During the less than 13 years of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s leadership of the modern American Civil Rights...

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Nearly Half of US Workers Have Low-Paying Jobs

The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low. But that doesn’t mean that workers are thriving. According to a recent analysis from The Brookings Institution, over half of U.S. workers hold low-paying jobs. Per the report: “…53 million Americans between the ages of 18 to 64—accounting for 44% of all workers—qualify as...

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Try These 12 Tips Before You Quit Your Crazy Job

Are you ready to walk away from your job — even though you feel a real connection with your work (or at least, the money that comes with it)? Before you quit your job, consider. There may be ways to stick it out. These strategies can help you make even a high-stress...

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If You Work at Home, You’ve Experienced These 10 Struggles

There are a lot of benefits associated with working from home. Many workers find that they’re more productive and happier once they’ve made the switch. However, that doesn’t mean that working remotely is all fun and games. There are some common struggles associated with working from home. If you’re considering telecommuting, you...

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Are You Middle Class? (Are You Sure?)

What does it mean to be middle class in the 21st century? The definition of this social and economic group is fuzzier than you might think. It may also be getting fuzzier. Higher debt loads, stagnating wages and income inequality add up to a very different picture for today’s middle-earners. In fact,...

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Here’s Another Reason Not to Lie on Your Resume

You probably already know that you shouldn’t lie on your resume. But, do you know why? It’s not just that it’s unethical to stretch the truth, or even that you won’t get the job if you get caught. Lie on your resume, and you could wind up getting into serious trouble —...

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5 Red Flags That You’re Addicted to Being Busy

When is the last time you mentioned how busy you are? Perhaps someone asked you how you were doing and you responded, “Busy.” Our culture normalizes being constantly on the go. Sometimes, it feels like we’re all competing with one another to see who’s got the most to do and the least...

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How to Resolve Team Conflict

The downside to working with passionate, committed people is that sometimes, you’re going to disagree on the best way forward. Best-case scenario, colleagues listen to each other’s point of view respectfully, and work together to come to a consensus that achieves the team’s goals. Of course, that best-case scenario is often hard...

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Why You Need to Learn to Love Failure (and How to Do It)

Making a mistake at work. Getting fired. Choosing the wrong career. Failure in some form touches even the most successful career eventually. But a temporary setback can be just that — temporary. In fact, with the right attitude and response, failure can help propel your career forward. It’s all about seeing reversal...

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What It’s Really Like to Be a Full-Time Remote Worker

Looking for research? View PayScale’s Research and Strategy Guide on How to Set Pay for Remote Workers   Remote work is on the rise. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 4.7 million employees — 3.4% of the workforce — worked from home at least half the time in 2017. That’s an increase of 159% from...

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10 Reasons You Can’t Get Anything Done

Does it feel like you can’t get anything done at work these days? Don’t jump to the conclusion that you’re just lazy. Working harder isn’t always the answer to a lull in productivity. Sometimes, there’s a larger issue at play. To figure out what’s going on, you need to dig deep, examining...

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Are You Secretly More Afraid of Success Than Failure?

There are enough obstacles to overcome at work without getting in your own way. But, when you don’t realize that you’re afraid of success, that’s exactly what happens. It’s not hard to understand why someone might fear failure, especially at the start of their career. But, there’s another fear that holds a...

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The Totally Selfish Reason You Should Help Your Coworkers

Why should you help your coworkers? It’s not just the right thing to do. Lending a hand to your teammates might also boost your career. At first glance, it might seem as though the time you spend helping your coworkers is time lost. But, in fact, you receive many rewards in return...

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5 Signs You’re Never, Ever Getting a Promotion

Does it feel like you’re never getting a promotion at your job? While it’s normal for your career to slow down from time to time, it’s also important to be aware of the signs that the stagnation isn’t temporary. Why is it so tricky to tell the difference? In part, because promotions...

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10 Questions Your Mentor Can’t Wait to Answer

Everyone needs a little guidance at some point in their career. You don’t need to have a formal mentor/mentee relationship to benefit from someone else’s experience. But you do need to know the right questions to ask a mentor, in order to unlock their wisdom. Mentors can appear along your professional path...

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7 Reasons Why You’re Losing Motivation at Work

Have you noticed that you’re losing motivation at work? Don’t panic. There are lots of reasons why you might be having trouble getting out of your own way — and most of these problems are very fixable. First of all, understand that a certain amount of fluctuation is normal. Humans aren’t robots....

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10 New Employee Benefits That Might Make You Give Up on Job Hopping

These days, employee benefits often extend far beyond health insurance and paid time off. It’s enough to make even the most nomadic job hopper consider settling down. Despite a few signs of economic stress at home and abroad, the U.S. labor market remains strong. The unemployment rate continues to hover around a...

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The Seemingly Harmless Habit That’s Making You Hate Your Job

Wondering why you hate your job? It’s possible you’re venting about it a little too much. Most people like to engage in a little light complaining about their jobs. But there are good reasons to resist the urge — or at least, to dial back the frequency of those venting sessions. The...

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Career Vision Boards: A Fluffy Idea That Can Yield Concrete Results

Don’t knock the idea of a career vision board until you’ve tried it. Goal-setting and visualization are powerful tools that can yield real gains. Your encounters with the concept of vision boards up until now may have left you feeling skeptical. After all, how could spending valuable time and energy making some...

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Answer These 7 Questions and Change the Way You See Your Job

You don’t have to change jobs in order to shift the way you feel about your work. You can gain a whole new perspective just by thinking about things a little differently. Have you ever heard the saying, “change your mindset, change your life?” Well, there’s actually an awful lot to be...

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Workers Value Flexibility Perhaps Even More Than Employers Realize

Flexible work options are increasingly common — and increasingly popular, too. More and more workers are setting flexibility as a priority when making job choices. For a long time, the words “flexibility” and “work” just didn’t mix, at least not for most workers. Some managers in certain industries might have enjoyed more...

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CEO Pay Is Rising Much Faster Than Worker Salaries

Wage stagnation is a problem that’s having a profound impact on millions of American workers today. But it isn’t an issue for every worker. Those at the very top of the org chart often benefit from large salary increases. Everyone knows that you can expect to earn more, as a general rule,...

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These Telecommuting Stats May Surprise You

According to a report from FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics (GWA), the number of remote workers in the U.S. increased 159% between 2005 and 2017. These telecommuting stats suggest that the trend isn’t slowing down any time soon. The FlexJobs/GWA report utilized data based on an analysis of the American Community Survey,...

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Here’s How to Fight the Back-to-School Blues

Getting more education is one of the best things you can do for your career. But, it’s not always easy. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to fight those back-to-school blues. It can be quite an adjustment to get back into the groove of being a student. This is especially...

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5 Awesome Things Brought to You by the Labor Movement

Without the labor movement, the modern work experience would look very different. This Labor Day, don’t forget to acknowledge and honor all of the awesome things the movement has helped workers to attain. Lots of folks across the country will celebrate Labor Day this year with picnics, cookouts or maybe a little...

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Are You About to Make a Bad Career Decision? 7 Warning Signs to Heed

Being proactive in your career means taking risks now and then. But sometimes, the gamble doesn’t pay off. How can you tell a bad career decision from a good one — before you make the leap? The first thing to understand is that no one gets it right all the time. Circumstances...

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7 Alternatives to That Useless Meeting

Do you like going to meetings? If you’re like most people, your answer is a resounding “no.” In fact, one study even found that 17 percent of employees would rather watch paint dry than attend one. Complaining about useless meetings is as much a part of office life as dealing with performance...

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Let Go of These 5 Job Search Myths and Be Happier in Your Career

There’s a lot of career advice out there — but not all of it is sound. If you’ve ever spent a few months looking for a job, you’ve no doubt stumbled across some of the most common job search myths. Many of these myths stem from the idea that there’s a one-size-fits-all...

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Swearing, Playing Video Games and 8 Other Unusual Stress-Busting Techniques

Chronic stress can undermine your happiness and your productivity at work. Thankfully, there are some fun stress management techniques that can help you feel better. Our modern culture of overwork sometimes normalizes stress. Folks brag about being “so busy” as if it’s an accomplishment. The culture can make you feel that you...

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The Powerful Morning Rituals of Famously Productive People

The way you start your day has a big impact on the hours that follow. There’s a lot we can learn from examining the morning rituals of famously productive people. “The reason I like having a morning routine is that not only does it instill a sense of purpose, peace and ritual...

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10 Reasons You’re Not Getting Promoted

Do you wonder why you’re not getting promoted at work? Keep in mind that there are a lot of different explanations to consider. It’s only natural to want to move up within your company. However, being with an organization for a certain length of time doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a promotion. And,...

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7 Perceived Weaknesses That Are Actually Professional Strengths

Traits that appear to be weaknesses at first could actually turn out to be professional strengths that serve you well in your career. Conventional wisdom about how to be successful can be one-size-fits-all. That’s unfortunate, because everyone — and every career — is a little different. What works for someone in one...

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7 Job Search Tips for Introverts (Good News: You Can Be Yourself!)

Looking for work is hard for everyone, but for people who recharge their batteries by spending time alone, job searching can be particularly overwhelming. If that sounds familiar, these job search tips for introverts are for you. Bottom line: you have a lot to offer employers. Learn how to play on your...

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Are You Planning to Work During Vacation This Year?

The downside to being able to work from anywhere is that many employees do just that, even when they’re supposed to be taking a break. Many even work through their vacation each year — when they take vacation at all. Workers in the United States don’t take vacations the way they should....

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Are Summer Jobs a Thing of the Past?

Fewer students are getting summer jobs than they did in the past. But why? The answer lies at the intersection of culture and technology. The benefits of working at a summer job go beyond a little extra pocket money. Gaining work experience during the summer months also allows students to build confidence...

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Should You Trust Your Boss?

Trust is very important in any type of relationship. And, your relationship with your boss is no exception. How much you feel that your boss has your back can make a big impact on your career. Good leaders understand that building trust is an important aspect of their job. It’s essential that...

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Think Fast! 7 Ways to Boost Your Mental Agility

Mental agility is more than just quickness of mind. A person who is mentally agile is able to think on their feet, solve problems and be creative at work. Cultivate this ability and you’ll be more effective at your job, brainstorm better solutions to your teams’ problems and ultimately be more successful...

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Scared to Change Careers? How to Explore Your Options, According to Experts

It’s hard to say exactly how many workers change careers at some point during their lifetime. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), people now change jobs about once every four years. That comes out to an average of about 12 job transitions per worker. It’s more difficult to figure out...

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Don’t Clean Your Desk and 6 Other Pieces of Unconventional Career Advice (That Just Might Work)

Some career advice might seem a little odd or unconventional at first glance. However, there is a lot to be gained from thinking outside of the box once in a while. There are certain career tips that tend to get repeated a lot. Some of this “wisdom” can seem almost self-evident. You...

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How Do You Measure Success?

There are a lot of different ways to assess your professional progress. Which ones matter most to you?

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Avoid These 7 Job Search Traps and Land Your Dream Job

Even in a good economy, landing a job isn’t easy. The higher your expectations, the more difficult it becomes to find the right role at the right time. Of course, some of the process is beyond your control. You can’t make hiring managers call you back or employers post honest job advertisements....

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Why You Should Be Yourself at Work

Authenticity can go a long way in a professional context. You’ll reap great rewards when you give yourself permission to simply be yourself at work.

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You Don’t Need to Be Perfect to Get Ahead

Perfectionism can make you feel like you need to do everything just right or there will be terrible consequences. Unsurprisingly, this kind of thinking can make it hard to be effective at work. Sure, it’s important to be diligent and to prepare high-quality work on a regular basis. But, that doesn’t mean...

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Everyone’s a Storyteller: Learn to Tell Your Story and Supercharge Your Career

Improving your storytelling skills can do wonders for your career. Whether you're looking for a new job or a promotion at the job you have, being able to create a narrative will help you sell your skills.

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Why Do Employers Ghost Job Seekers During the Hiring Process?

It happens more often than you might think. You go on a job interview. Things seem to go well. Perhaps you have a second meeting, or even a third. Then, poof! The interviewer disappears. What just happened? It’s not a new trend, employers ghosting candidates during the interview process, but it is...

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The Ingrate’s Guide to Starting a Gratitude Practice

Embracing a grateful attitude and mindset, which can benefit one’s career immensely, comes more naturally to some than it does to others. Thankfully, there are simple ways that anyone can get started.

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Study: Flexible Schedules Can Make Work-Life Balance Harder

Flexible schedules are popular with workers. But, could this kind of arrangement actually make finding solid work-life balance even more difficult?

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Do You Get Enough Time Off?

Workers require time off in order to stay optimally engaged, innovative and productive. However, most employees in the U.S. get less time than they really need. There are many different reasons why you might need a break from your job. You might get sick, for example, or you might have to take...

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Indeed Ranks the 25 Best Jobs of 2019, ‘From Cutting-Edge to Centuries Old’

Some of the best jobs of 2019 have been around for centuries, while others operate on the cutting edge of technology. Which of these jobs are most appealing to you? Indeed recently released their list of The Best Jobs in the U.S.: 2019. The list features 25 jobs from across a wide...

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Are You Job Hopping Too Much?

Job hopping too much can hurt your career, but that doesn’t mean that you should stay put forever. Changing jobs the right way — and at the right time — will help you build a career that’s truly satisfying. It might even boost your earnings. The era of staying with the same...

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Here’s How Many Teachers Work Multiple Jobs to Survive

Teaching is an important job that requires significant education and training. So, why do so many teachers work multiple jobs in order to make ends meet? There are a lot of misconceptions about what it really means to be a teacher. If you imagine a sea of smiling young faces and long...

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How to Set Better Boundaries at Work

Learning to set boundaries at work doesn’t just protect you. It also helps you to shine professionally and do your best work every day.

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Are You Your Own Worst Enemy at Work? How to Stop the Self-Sabotage and Succeed

Do you self-sabotage at work? It’s easier to get in your own way than you might think. Little things like being late all the time or apologizing too much can have a serious impact on your success. Even behavior that seems like it would be a plus — perfectionism, for example —...

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Have You Outgrown Your Job? 5 Signs It’s Time to Move On

Thinking of changing jobs? You’re not alone. The median employee tenure is 4.3 years for men and 4.0 years for women, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average person changes job about 12 times during his or her career. One of the best reasons to look...

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How to Recover When You Make a Mistake at Work

There’s no such thing as perfection, at work or anywhere else. All of your heroes have made mistakes. That includes business gurus, artists, celebrities, leaders — everyone. As Hall of Fame NCAA basketball coach, John Wooden, once said, “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.” Messing up is part...

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Wage Inequality Is Becoming Hard to Measure

According to the Economic Policy Institute’s report, State of Working America Wages 2018, wage inequality has worsened over the past few years — to the point where it even threatens data reliability. The EPI analyzed the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S....

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7 Office Spring Cleaning Tips to Boost Productivity, Happiness at Work

Spring cleaning isn’t just something to do at home. Your workspace deserves a little attention, too. And, office spring cleaning can help improve your performance at work and your reputation with your colleagues.

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How to Answer 7 Tricky, But Common, Interview Questions

Interviewers aren’t necessarily trying to trip you up when they ask tough questions. However, if you’re not ready, their inquiries could cost you the job. Certain tough questions tend to come up more often than others. So, consider these seven common — but tricky! — interview questions before your next job interview...

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How to Unplug From Work, Even When It Feels Like You Can’t

As Anne Lamott once said, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” It’s important to take time away from work regularly so that you can rest and restore your energy. But you might have a hard time convincing U.S. workers of the wisdom of...

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Is Networking Actually a Waste of Time?

The idea that networking is the key to a successful career is pretty popular these days. But, could the practice take more time and energy than it’s actually worth?

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Before You Change Careers, Consider These 10 Factors

Changing careers might make you happier at work, and maybe even boost your earning potential. But there are a few factors you should carefully consider before taking the plunge.

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Want to Be Successful? Cultivate Creativity. Here’s Why.

Even if the word “creative” would never appear in your job description, cultivating creativity is essential to your success at work. Without this uniquely human quality, it’s nearly impossible to cope with the challenges of modern professional life. Whether you’re solving technical problems at work or making a long-term career plan, creativity...

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How to Make Your Boss Love You

You don’t have to be best friends with your boss to be successful or to enjoy your job -- but having a good working relationship will certainly help.

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10 Low-Stress Jobs That Still Pay Decent Salaries

Believe it or not, there are some jobs out there that pay decent salaries ... without burnout-inducing levels of stress.

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How to Have More Fun at Work (and Still Be Awesome at Your Job)

Work can feel like almost the exact opposite of play. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

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7 Types of Annoying Coworkers You’ll Meet and How to Deal With Them

You’ll meet all kinds of annoying coworkers over the course of your career. It’s how you handle them that matters.

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Why You Should Never Lie on a Resume: 7 Stories of People Who Got Caught

There’s a common misconception that it’s all right to lie a little on your resume. But nothing could be further from the truth.

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5 High-Paying Work-From-Home Jobs

You might think that working from home is such a fantastic perk that it must come with a financial hit. However, the fact is that many remote jobs pay as well or better than those that require a commute. In fact, people who work remotely earn a higher median salary than traditional...

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Most Older Adults Who Want to Change Careers Succeed

New research from the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) finds that most older workers who want to change careers are successful. Pursuing a new career path can be more than a little scary at any age. At first glance it might seem like this kind of major life upheaval is best...

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Put These 5 Things on Your Desk and Be Happier, According to Science

Science has found that having certain items on your desk, or even just in your office, can help make you happier at work. Your surroundings matter more than you might think. This is true whether you work in a traditional setting, a home office, or somewhere in between. Improving your environment could...

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Use Your Time Off to Boost Productivity: 7 Tips

Want to improve your productivity and efficiency at work? Use your time off better — and not by working through the weekend. The hours you spend away from work have a significant impact on the rest of your life. There are ways to use your breaks that can actually help you to...

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Intellectual Curiosity Is Key for Career Success. Here’s Why.

Intellectual curiosity can support you in your career just as much as any other skill. You probably didn’t hear much about the importance of cultivating intellectual curiosity when you were in school or training for your career. These kinds of soft skills or creative habits generally aren’t emphasized as much as they...

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Make These 7 Career Resolutions and Achieve More in 2019

Small changes can make a big difference to your career. So, consider taking on one of these career-related New Year’s resolutions for 2019.

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14 Quotes From Ancient Greece and Rome to Boost Your Career

Don’t underestimate the wisdom of ancient civilizations when looking for solutions to your modern problems. The world is obviously pretty different today than it was in ancient times. (Even if some ancient jobs still exist today.) But human beings haven’t changed as much as you might think. We still struggle with the...

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5 Reasons Improved Self-Awareness Can Make You a Success

Practical skills, education and training only go so far. Improving your self-awareness could make a bigger difference than you’d think, if you want to advance your career. Part of the way that we’re going to stay competitive against the robots is by besting them in skills that are uniquely human. Sure, a...

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How to Regain Enthusiasm During a Long Job Search

The process of looking for a job can be long and somewhat soul-crushing. Most candidates face a lot of rejection. In fact, recruiters spend as little as six seconds reviewing job seekers’ resumes before deciding whether to pass, according to a 2012 study from The Ladders. It’s easy to understand why it...

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Are You Covering For Your Coworker Too Much? Here’s How To Tell

Part of being a good coworker is being willing to lend a helping hand once in a while. However, some people abuse their colleagues’ helpful natures. The relationships you have at work can make or break your feelings about your job. Having friends at work comes with a lot of benefits. And,...

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Is Your Boss Toxic? 5 Ways to Tell

A toxic boss can do real damage to the heart and spirit of a company and to the individuals who work there. But, there’s a huge difference between a truly toxic boss and one who’s merely challenging. You can work with a difficult boss. But, it’s nearly impossible to be successful when...

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7 Tips for Finding Your Professional Passion

Some people seem to know what they want to do for a living from an early age. Others struggle to find the best fit. You’ve probably heard that the way to find the career path that’s right for you is to “follow your passion.” Of course, it would be wonderful to find...

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Are These the 10 Weirdest College Admission Essays Ever?

How important is the college admission essay to getting into the school of your choice? Depending on the college, it might be crucial. According to The National Association for College Admission Counseling, “a majority of colleges and universities believe the essay to be of considerable or moderate importance in determining which academically...

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7 Ways to Improve Your Relationships With Your Coworkers

Would you like to improve your relationships with your coworkers? It is possible to do so, whether you’d like to strengthen already existent ties or if you’re new to the job and just finding your footing. You spend a large percentage of your adult life at work (about 35 percent of your...

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Tiffany Haddish Asks for What She’s Worth and Says You Should, Too

In a new interview with Variety, comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish shares how she asks frank questions about money in order to be paid what she deserves. Having open and honest conversations about salary isn’t always easy. For one thing, many employers encourage an air of secrecy around salary, even if supporting...

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14 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Quotes to Inspire You in Your Career

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been breaking glass ceilings for decades. She has long been a powerful advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. Justice Ginsburg took the oath of office 25 years ago, in August of 1993. She was just the second...

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Use This 2-Step Process to Love Your Job Again

Even if you love your job, working hard all the time without a break can really run you down. Eventually, you can wind up burned out and longing for a change — or at least a vacation. But you don’t necessarily have to get a new job or take a sabbatical to...

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Never Have a Bad Meeting Again With These 5 Tips

Most people aren’t big fans of meetings. In fact, 17 percent of workers say they’d literally rather watch paint dry than attend one. However, for many professionals, meetings are still a mandatory part of working life. And the truth is that even the worst meetings can be an opportunity to learn something...

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Here’s How Many Companies Monitor Workers’ Email

Is your employer watching you at work? Employee monitoring is common … but maybe less common than you think. A new survey of 987 workers and 28 employers conducted by SimplyHired aimed to uncover the truth about employee monitoring. How often are employers really looking at email, social media, messaging applications and...

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5 Quick Tips to Build a Better To-Do List

Being organized can make a big difference in your day-to-day experience at work. Keeping a great to-do list helps you get there. Do you keep a to-do list at work? Not everyone does. But, having a method like this can really help you to be efficient and productive. Sometimes, you have to...

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Can You Ever Be Overdressed for a Job Interview?

Can you be overdressed for a job interview? Conventional wisdom is that dressing up is essential when you’re going on an interview. Think suit and tie, or dress and heels. But the times are changing. People aren’t dressing for work the way they used to, at least not in some industries. So,...

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Negotiating While Female: You Are Not the Problem

The gender pay gap persists, even among women and men with the same qualifications and experience. One way to close that gap, experts often say, is to encourage women to negotiate salary. But when research shows that women who negotiate are penalized, is it really their fault if they find it hard...

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The 5 Most Common Workplace Struggles Employees Face in 2018

No matter how much you love your job, there are probably aspects of actually going to work that you could do without. Perhaps a coworker’s negativity gets under your skin, or you find that you’re routinely spending more time at the office than you’d like. Whatever the case may be, it always...

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Here’s How Many Years You’ll Spend at Work in Your Lifetime

How much time do you spend at work? Over the course of a lifetime, probably a lot more than you think. People only spend 328 days socializing with friends, on average, over the course of a lifetime. However, the average person spends 13 years and two months at work, according to one...

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7 Good Reasons to Turn Down a Promotion

Being offered a promotion is great news, right? Most of the time, yes. But there are times when it’s smarter to turn it down. Your boss has offered you a promotion, but for reasons you can’t quite put your finger on, you’re not feeling the move. Is it promotion anxiety — or...

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46 Percent of Workers Feel Like They’re Underpaid. But Are They?

The economy and the job market are going strong. (The unemployment rate is only 2.1 percent among college graduates over the age of 25, as an example.) However, a lot of workers still feel as though they’re being underpaid. A recent survey from the staffing firm Robert Half found that forty-six percent...

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Which Workers Are Most Likely to Bring Work Home?

Have you ever brought work home from the office? Chances are that you have, especially if you work in certain industries. The problem with bringing work home with you is that you also tend to bring the stress associated with it — and bringing stress home at the end of the day...

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Consider This if You’re Afraid to Take That Promotion

Learning that you’re being offered a promotion should come as exciting news. But, the invitation to take on new opportunities doesn’t always land that way. If you’re anxious about taking a promotion, know that you aren’t alone. There are some things you can do to regain control of the decision-making process. Moving...

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How to Be Happy at Work, According to Science

The average person spends more than 90,000 hours at work over the course of a lifetime. So, wouldn’t it be nice to be happy at work as much as possible? It’s not frivolous to enjoy your workday. It’s actually a very serious and worthwhile goal. After all, happy employees work more effectively,...

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Can Working Too Hard Actually Hurt Your Career?

If you want to get ahead in your career, you have to work hard. However, new research suggests that it’s possible to overdo it. Working too hard might actually backfire. You were probably taught the value of hard work from a very young age. And, you’ve likely relied upon your work ethic...

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The 5 Most Desirable Jobs for Men and Women, According to Tinder

The online dating profiles of workers in certain fields tend to get more attention than others. Tinder recently crunched the numbers to find out which jobs were most desirable, according to their users. Did your job make the list? The dating app Tinder asks folks to swipe right or left, based on...

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How to Be a Workaholic (If You Must)

If you read a lot of career advice, you’ve probably heard about the importance of good work-life balance. However, that doesn’t look the same for everyone. After all, if you truly love your job, why not throw yourself into it completely? That’s not to say that working all the time is harmless....

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Should You Work for a Jerk?

Your coworkers and your boss can have a big impact on how much you enjoy being at work. When you work for a manager who supports you, it certainly makes it easier to enjoy your job. But, most of us will have to deal with a bad boss at some point in...

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Why You Might Not Want a $150K Salary

Do you sometimes think that making more money would solve all of your problems? Well, think again. Earning a $150,000 annual salary, for example, could raise your stress levels. Earning a high income isn’t always as great as it sounds. There are benefits, of course, but there are drawbacks, too. A global...

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5 Salary Negotiation Tips for People Who’ve Never Negotiated Salary

Negotiating for a higher salary can really pay off in the end. But, if you’re new to salary negotiation, you might not know how, and when, to ask for more. Seventy-five percent of people who ask for a raise receive some kind of increase. Still, 57 percent of respondents to our survey...

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How to Impress Your New Boss on Day One

The relationship that you have with your boss really matters. If you get along, you’re more likely to enjoy your job; if you don’t, you’re more likely to leave. As the saying goes, people quit bosses, not jobs. So, how do you get started on the right foot with a new boss?...

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7 Ways to Be Seen as More Powerful at Work

The most powerful people at work aren’t necessarily the ones who have the highest rank. There are ways to cultivate a more powerful professional reputation within your organization, no matter what you do. The way others see you at work matters a great deal. Your reputation can go a long way to...

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Why You Should Ask for a Promotion Soon (or Get Ready to Wait)

Advocating for yourself can help advance your career. But, asking for a promotion isn’t easy. There are a lot of factors to weigh in advance. One of them is timing. Timing is everything, they say. And, when it comes to asking for a promotion, they just might be right. Certain times of...

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How to Job Hop the Right Way (and Make $$$)

Workers typically change jobs about 12 times over the course of their career. Unsurprisingly, this means that the average employee tenure is short — just 4.2 years in 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What used to be called “job hopping” is now pretty normal. It can also be lucrative,...

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Should You Negotiate That Salary Offer?

The job search process can be long and arduous. Even when things move quickly, finding employment is still pretty stressful. So, when you’re offered a position, it’s understandable to want to jump on it and accept the job right away. But, should you negotiate that offer instead? Although negotiating salary often pays...

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7 Reasons Why Cultivating a Love of Learning Is Crucial to Your Career

Skills like organization, communication and the ability to work in teams are critical when it comes to fostering a successful career. However, these days, a love of learning may be just as important. One thing is for sure about our modern world — it’s changing quickly. New technologies and innovations are continually...

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5 Ways to Be Everyone’s Favorite Teammate at Work

It’s not always easy to work as a member of a team. But, upping your ability to work well with others, no matter how skilled you already are at collaboration, can help you in your career. Most people have to work closely with others throughout their careers. For many, collaboration is a...

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How to Succeed When You’re Actually Not a Team Player

Many people prefer to work alone. But, that’s not always possible in today’s collaboration-obsessed work culture. If you live and work in the U.S., then you know what it’s like to be a part of a society that rewards extroversion – it’s frequently associated with leadership and success. It can be hard...

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10 Tips For Coping With Unwanted Change at Work

Change at work can be scary and even upsetting, especially if you worry that the shift might not be in the right direction. Change is a part of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier to cope with the unexpected. If you’ve been at your job for a while, this is...

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Unhappy With Your Salary? You Aren’t Alone. Here’s What to Do.

Are you happy with your salary? If you’re like most full-time workers in the U.S., the answer is probably no. Why are so many feeling unsatisfied? Many workers are less that thrilled with their earnings these days. According to a 2018 Indeed survey, only 19 percent of workers are satisfied with their...

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7 Ways to Find Jobs That Will Never Be Posted Online

Have you heard about the hidden job market? The job of your dreams may never be posted online. Some jobs are only available to those with inside information and connections. To land one of these jobs, first you have to find them. Here are some tips that can help you learn about...

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Never Have a Boring Meeting Again With These 10 Tips

Meetings can be pretty boring, and feel like a real waste of time. But, there are things you can do to improve the situation, even if you aren’t the person in charge. As a general rule, people really kind of hate meetings. In fact, 17 percent of employees would literally rather watch...

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7 Tips for Getting Ahead at a Small Company

Working for a small company can be exciting. However, it’s often a little tricky to figure out how to move up the ranks within smaller organizations. Large companies usually have clear and charted paths for advancement. But, in smaller organizations, you often have to find your own way. Here are some tips...

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The Loneliest Jobs in the U.S.

The way we work is changing. These days, more and more workers are finding themselves in professional situations that leave them feeling isolated or even lonely. This can have a major impact on overall happiness and general well-being. Earlier this year, the Harvard Business Review released the results of a survey they...

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6 Excellent Ice Cream Jobs

What’s better on a hot summer day than a visit to your local ice cream shop? What if you could parlay your love of ice cream into a job or even a career? It’s great to love what you do, and who doesn’t love ice cream? It turns out that there are...

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Tips For Navigating Awkward Networking Conversations

Building a robust professional network is an important part of having a successful career. But sometimes networking conversations can feel more than a little awkward. All relationships have to start somewhere. But conversations can feel a bit uncomfortable when you’re just getting to know someone, even if it is in a professional...

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5 Reasons to Embrace Change at Work

It can be difficult when big changes, or even small ones, happen at work. But embracing change is essential for professional success. Change is an inevitable part of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It can be challenging to embrace change when you’ve been doing things the same way for a...

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7 Reasons You Didn’t Get That Promotion

These days, the average person goes through about 12 job changes over the course of a career. Change is to be expected. It’s even desirable. So, it can feel pretty lousy when you’re hoping to be promoted and are turned down. It can be really disappointing to be passed over for a...

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5 Tips For Negotiating a Better Job Title

Your job title matters. A lot. It impacts your current professional standing and the opportunities that could become available to you in the future. But it’s not easy to know how to go about getting the job title you want and deserve. Wanting to change your job title is a little different...

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Wait, How Many US Jobs Are Dependent On Agriculture?!?

Do you work in the agricultural industry? Even if you don’t work in agriculture directly, your job may still be connected, or even reliant, upon it. When you think of the agricultural sector of the job market, you probably think of farming. But, there are so many other jobs that are closely...

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15 Quotes From Oprah Winfrey To Inspire You In Your Career

It’s always a good idea to glean wisdom from wise and inspirational people. Oprah Winfrey has had an incredible life and career. She is famous world-wide for her entrepreneurship, her philanthropy, and her inspirational approach to life and work. Do you take inspiration from her life and career? Oprah Winfrey is an...

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The Surprisingly Low Salaries of Three Famous Billionaires

Things like earnings and compensation tend to work a little differently once you reach a certain economic tier. Case in point, several well-known billionaires have surprisingly low salaries. There is a lot more to compensation than just annual salary. There are other factors to consider, like benefits and vacation time. Some professionals...

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How Many Sick Days Are Too Many?

Just because your contract affords you sick days, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you feel comfortable taking them. Still, managing illnesses, or just taking a mental health day here and there, is important for your overall health and well-being, not to mention your career. Many professionals are given sick days as a...

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The 5 Best Jobs In America

Everyone is different, but there are some consistent factors that help most folks feel satisfied with their jobs. Good pay and job security go quite a long way, for example. Taking factors like these into account, it’s possible to determine some jobs – the “best jobs” – that are practically ideal. A...

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Here’s How Many Jobs Would Be Created by Legalizing Marijuana

Laws around marijuana use, for medicinal purposes and for recreation, have been expanding over the course of the last few years. Some advocate legalization, but others are concerned about the implications. One consequence that shouldn’t be overlooked in this debate is how legalizing marijuana would change the job market. It’s important to...

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10 Tips For Decreasing the Negative Effects Of Too Much Screen Time

The majority of Americans spend a lot of time in front of screens. Sixty-one percent report more than five hours per day on average, and 30 percent say they look at screens for at least nine hours a day. This is taking a toll. Too much screen time isn’t just bad for...

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7 Terrible First Day of Work Stories

It’s easy to make mistakes on your first day at new job. But that doesn’t make missteps any less upsetting. However, these tales of first days gone horribly wrong should help you put your bad day in perspective. The first day at a new job can be more than a little scary....

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7 Ancient Jobs That Still Exist Today

Life in the ancient world was pretty different than it is now. Still, some of the jobs that we have today have been around since then. Some jobs are so new that most of us can’t even recognize them by name. For example, do you know what a focus master or a...

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Big Promotions Increase Odds of Divorce for Women, but Not for Men

New research has identified yet another challenge facing professional women. A big promotion increases women’s odds of getting a divorce. But the same isn’t true for men. A new study from Swedish researchers Olle Folke and Johanna Rickne found correlations between women getting promoted to the top job in their fields and...

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7 Tips For Getting Excited About Your Job Again

It helps to love what you do. Research has found that people who are happy with their jobs are more productive. But it can be difficult to stay enthusiastic when you’ve been doing the same job for a long time. Who wouldn’t want to love their job? Enjoying what you do comes...

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5 Things To Do When You’re Put On a Performance Improvement Plan

If you’ve been put on a performance improvement plan (PIP) at work, you’re probably feeling pretty nervous about what happens next. Can you work to improve your standing? Or is this just the first step toward moving you out the door? Some managers put employees on performance improvement plans when they aren’t...

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Thinking of Quitting Your Job? Ask Yourself These 7 Questions First

Quitting your job is a big deal. It’s not the kind of decision you should make impulsively. Instead, you should pause and do some real soul searching before taking such bold action. If you’re thinking about quitting your job, you probably have a lot of thoughts racing through your mind. But, it’s...

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7 Jobs For People Who Love Sleeping

Do you ever wish you could sleep your way through the workday? Well, it might not be quite as simple as that. But, there are some job opportunities out there that could be great for those who love to doze. There are all kinds of work opportunities available these days. You just...

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7 Signs You’re Interviewing With a Bad Boss

If you’ve ever worked for a difficult boss, you know just how miserable it can be. Thankfully, there are some signs to look out for during the interview process. They could help you figure out what you’d be getting into if you took the job. Difficult bosses make everything about work more...

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5 Tips for Successfully Navigating Office Politics

Even if you have the same official goals as your coworkers, your priorities and motivations may be very different. The result? Office politics — dirty words for many professionals, but ones you have to cope with all the same. Human interactions are tricky enough to navigate during the course of your regular...

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7 Nightmare Coworker Stories That Will Make You Count Your Blessings

One of the hardest things about working life is dealing with difficult coworkers. These tales about nightmare coworkers might help you realize how good you actually have it. It’s important to be considerate when working with others. After all, we’re all on the same team here, right? Unfortunately, overly competitive, hostile, or...

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How to Get the Job When You’re Under-Qualified

You sent in an application for a job that felt just a bit out of your reach. And, low and behold, you were called in for an interview. Now what? You’d really love to get the job. But, you worry you’re under-qualified. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help...

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5 Disadvantages of Doing What You Love

The old saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is certainly true in many ways. However, making money with your passions comes with some real disadvantages, too. It’s wonderful to have a job that you enjoy. The attitude that we bring to the workplace really...

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5 Careers for Optimists

Optimists bring something unique and valuable to just about any workplace. But, some careers can really help them shine. Optimism is good for your career. Plain and simple. It improves your ability to troubleshoot when problems arise and makes you more resilient to challenges. Also, optimism helps reduce stress, which helps you...

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The Worst Company Rules Ever

From lack of parental leave to counting key strokes, some companies have some pretty terrible rules and policies. Do you disagree with some of the policies that are currently in place at your company? It can be awfully frustrating to work within a system that feels too authoritative, insensitive, demanding, or otherwise...

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3 (Slightly Risky) Ways to Negotiate a Higher Salary

Negotiating a higher salary could make a big difference in your life, both now and long into the future. But, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy thing to do. A lot of people shy away from the process altogether. Among workers who responded to PayScale’s survey, 57 percent said they’d never negotiated...

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Introverts, Here’s How to Get Ahead This Year

Between one-third and one-half of the U.S. population are introverts. Despite this, our modern world is geared more toward extroverts. So, introverts can sometimes have a difficult time navigating the waters at work — especially when it comes time to ask for a raise or promotion. But, it’s important to remember that...

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Here’s How Snapchat Could Be Bad for Your Career

The average person spends nearly two hours per day on social media. About 30 percent of all time spent online is on social platforms. But, could all this sharing be bad for your career? The dangers of Snapchat and other “temporary” social media apps may be greater than is immediately obvious. New...

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2018 Job Outlook Good for New Grads

New college graduates can feel good about entering into the current job market. Employers plan to hire four percent more graduates for U.S. jobs from the class of 2018 than they did from the class of 2017, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE) Job Outlook 2018 survey. The...

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The Top 5 Jobs Held By Older Americans

Many different factors impact the age of retirement.   Workers from some occupations tend to retire earlier than others, due to the physical demands of their job, for example. Other factors like savings, children, health and investments matter, too. Broader economic shifts also play a part in workers’ decisions.   Recently, SeniorLiving.org...

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10 Quick Tips to Help You Sharpen Your Negotiation Skills

When you think of negotiation skills, you probably think of money. It’s true that learning how to negotiate salary will help you earn more at every stage of your career. But the benefits of knowing how to negotiate with your colleagues and clients go far beyond an occasional raise.   Improving your...

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Will Automation Raise Pay?

Are robots really coming for your job? Technology has been changing the way we live and work since the time of the Industrial Revolution. However, automation has created more jobs than it’s destroyed, historically. But there is some debate about whether this will continue to be the case going forward. There is...

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This Is the Best Time of Day to Submit an Online Job Application

In work, as in life, timing is everything. For example, did you know that research has shown that Tuesday afternoon is the best time to have a meeting? Similarly, timing could make a surprising difference when it comes to submitting an online job application, according to recent research from job-search startup TalentWorks....

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5 Ways Gratitude Could Improve Your Career

It seems like there’s more talk than ever about the importance of gratitude these days. We know that appreciating what’s good about our lives helps us to be more positive in the present and more optimistic about the future. But, there’s a lot more to cultivating an attitude of gratitude than just...

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7 Warning Signs of Career Burnout to Recognize Before It’s Too Late

Are you the go-to person at your office, the team member who’s always willing to put in overtime and go the extra mile? You might think that you’re doing the best possible thing for your career, but if you push yourself too hard, you could erase all the gains from your hard...

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How to Choose Between Two Job Offers

If you’re lucky enough to be choosing between job offers, you know that it isn’t an easy decision. Sure, this is a good problem to have — but how are you going to decide? There are a few important factors that aren’t immediately obvious that you should probably keep in mind. 1....

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5 Hidden Benefits of Having a Strong Professional Network

Networking can feel like a real drag sometimes. Even if you’ve found ways to network without the yuck, it still takes a lot of hard work to build a strong professional network. It can be time-consuming, too, even though it’s worth the investment. We all know that having, and maintaining, a robust...

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When Your Parents Don’t Approve of Your Career Path, Do These 5 Things

It’s only natural for children to want their parents’ approval … even when those children are legally adults. But, not everyone is lucky enough to have a vision for their lives that aligns with what their parents want. Many young adults decide to follow a career course that goes against the wishes...

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5 Tips for Resolving Workplace Arguments

Workplace arguments happen, whether we like it or not. It can be uncomfortable to navigate these conflicts, especially when neither party is willing to budge. But, no matter how dug in both sides have become, there are ways to move past ideological stalemates. There are many good reasons to do so. Conflicts...

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Your Office Kitchen Is Gross. Here’s How to Fix It.

Shared office kitchens and company break rooms are often some of the grossest places in the modern workplace. There’s just something about a communal space. The mess often tends to spiral out of control. The grime itself is just part of the problem. The annoyances associated with a perpetually messy common area...

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5 Ways to Land a Telecommuting Job

Telecommuting jobs are increasingly common. Working from home is up 115 percent since 2005 among the non-self-employed population. This is no surprise: U.S. workers want flexible arrangements. Many working parents would even choose it over a higher salary. So, if you’re one of the millions of Americans who would love to land...

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7 Things to Do After Getting Turned Down for a Promotion

There’s nothing quite like the letdown of not getting a promotion when you had your heart set on the move. Maybe you were passed over in favor of a colleague. Or, perhaps your request for a promotion was simply denied. Whatever the case may be, eventually, it’s time to dust yourself off...

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81 Percent of Parents Say Work-Life Balance Is More Important Than Salary

So much changes when you become a parent. Your professional goals and aspirations can look entirely different — at the very least, you adopt new means of balancing work with your personal life. It’s no wonder, then, that working parents weigh work flexibility pretty heavily. How heavily? A recent report from FlexJobs,...

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5 Ways to Improve Your Professional Reputation

When you’re looking for a new job, personal branding is important. In particular, your online presence could help — or hinder — your job search. But, cultivating a positive professional reputation is about more than just tidying up your online image. Here are a few tips for building and maintaining a solid reputation,...

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5 Tips for Dealing With Office Politics When You’re a Nice Person

Ever work in an office where just about everyone on staff acts like they’re appearing in a community theater version of Game of Thrones? Some offices are steeped in office politics, with coworkers throwing each other under the bus left and right, just to get ahead. Lying, manipulating, stealing ideas — in...

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7 Ways to Say No at Work

If you’re like most people, you’re pretty stressed out. The American Psychological Association, which has tracked anxiety levels in this country for the past decade, says that stress levels rose this year, after years of gradual decline. The election was an obvious factor, but respondents of every political persuasion reported feeling more...

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15 Inspirational Quotes About Creativity and Innovation

Creativity is a wonderful thing, but it can also be pretty difficult to pin down. How exactly do we tap into it and utilize it most effectively? Which practices, conditions, and mindsets propel innovation? If your work relies on being creative on a regular basis, you probably ponder questions like these fairly...

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62 Percent of Workers Would Leave a Job Due to Lack of Flexibility

More and more people are working from home these days, at least on a part-time basis. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 24 percent of employed people did some or all of their work at home in 2015. However, even more workers would like to have the...

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10 Tips for Dealing With Toxic People at Work

You don’t get to pick your coworkers — which is kind of too bad, considering the huge impact that they can have on your working life. When a coworker, boss, employee or even a regular client is especially difficult, even toxic, it can be a real challenge. Prolonged exposure to especially negative,...

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5 Pieces of Terrible Salary Negotiation Advice You Really Shouldn’t Take

Not negotiating salary can mean losing as much as $1 million to $1.5 million over the course of your career. That figure doesn’t factor in things like retirement contributions, which are also based around salary. Plus, 75 percent of respondents to PayScale’s survey who reported negotiating salary said that they received some...

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5 Weird Things That Might Happen at Your Next Job Interview

Job interviews are stressful enough when everything goes according to plan. When something unexpected happens, it can really throw you off of your game. It helps to be prepared for whatever might come your way. So, consider this list of weird things that could happen during your next interview beforehand. They just...

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Should You Go Back to School?

Most people don’t make the decision to go back to school lightly. It’s a big deal. In the long term, going back to school could do wonders for your career. But, in the short term, it can complicate your life in a big way. It’s one thing to go to college, or...

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5 Ways to Encourage Your Team to Be More Proactive

One of the hardest things about being a manager or a team leader is trying to find ways to help your reports learn to help themselves. Of course, you’re available to support them — to help to answer questions and resolve problems along the way. But, good managers know that everyone will...

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7 Tips For Staying Passionate About Your Work

There is a gigantic difference between doing work that you’re passionate about and doing work that bores you. The experiences are night and day. Time passes a little faster when we’re enjoying what we’re doing, and we’re more creative and productive, too. Passion encourages our professional success as well as our enjoyment...

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65 Percent of Tomorrow’s Workers Will Have Jobs That Don’t Exist Today

The job market is constantly changing. In fact, 65 percent of the children entering primary school now will ultimately work in a job that doesn’t exist today, according to one popular estimate reported by the World Economic Forum. The question becomes, how do we prepare for a future labor market that’s beyond...

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Do We Even Need Meetings Anymore?

If you’re like most people, you don’t enjoy attending meetings — not only don’t you enjoy them, you probably kind of hate them. In fact, 17 percent of workers say they would literally rather watch paint dry than attend one. Eighteen percent would rather take a trip to the DMV. Why do...

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Why You Should Play Video Games at Work, According to Awesome Scientists

Americans play a lot of video games. Forty-two percent of Americans play video games at least three hours per week, according to research. However, not many of those adults are playing at work, at least not with their company’s authorization. But, new evidence suggests that maybe your boss should let you play...

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7 Reasons Self-Awareness Leads to Success

There are so many different skills that experts say can help you attain professional success. Some are especially valued in some lines of work, but don’t matter much in others. But, some of the most important skills are extremely valuable regardless of industry. Self-awareness is one of those most essential skills for...

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This Surprising Quality Helps Good Leaders Succeed

What makes someone a good leader? Opinions about how to answer this question are as diverse as leaders themselves. In the end, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Leadership is both an art and a science. Of course, there are some traits, like good listening skills, that benefit all leaders. However, leaders also...

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Don’t Do These 7 Things After You Quit

When you make the decision to quit your job, it can feel like the end of an era. In many ways, it is. But, it’s important to remember that it’s also the beginning of something new. It would benefit you to ride the waves of this transition phase with maturity and thoughtfulness....

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How to Cope When Your Work Spouse Moves On

A work spouse is really just another term for a close friend at the office. They’re someone you get along with on a personal level — a close professional ally who always has your back. If you’ve been lucky enough to find a work spouse, chances are you’ve come to count on...

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Only Introverts Will Appreciate These 5 Workplace Coping Mechanisms

The main difference between introverts and extroverts has to do with the way they replenish their energy. Introverts need time alone in order to recharge, but extroverts regain energy from being around others. Sometimes, the demands of a job can conflict with an individual’s needs or preferences. Introverts are especially vulnerable to...

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7 Magic Words and Phrases for Expert Salary Negotiation

It pays to negotiate salary. Still, of respondents to PayScale’s survey, only 43 percent said they’d asked for a raise while working in their current field. The reasons for this are complex. Women are more likely to say that they’re uncomfortable negotiating salary (31 percent compared with 23 percent of men) and...

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How to Move Forward When You’ve Survived a Layoff

Sometimes companies reorganize. And, that can be a very painful and difficult process even when you’re one of the lucky ones who has managed to keep their job. If you’ve survived a big round of layoffs — or maybe even more than one round — you probably have a lot of thoughts...

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College Degrees With the Highest and Lowest Starting Salaries

It’s a wise financial move to earn a bachelor’s degree. People with college degrees earn median weekly wages of $1,227, compared with median weekly earnings of just $678 for folks with high school degrees. However, not all college degrees come with the same benefits. Just as some schools offer a better return...

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91 Percent of Teenagers Think They Know What Career They Want

How did you answer questions about what you wanted to be when you grow up, when you were a kid? Is the job that you mentioned what you’re actually doing now? Or did plans, or the dream, change at some point along the way? While there is some evidence that it’s not...

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70 Percent of Employers Screen Candidates on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool. It can help you stay connected to friends, family and your professional network. But, it can also get you into trouble when it comes time to look for a new job. A recent study from CareerBuilder, which was conducted by Harris Poll, found that 70 percent...

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5 Reasons to Celebrate Being Fired

Obviously, most people would prefer to go their entire careers without ever having been fired. Under the best of circumstances, it’s an upsetting, even terrifying, experience. For one thing, it’s pretty difficult to amass the six to nine months of savings that many experts suggest, in order to cushion the financial blow....

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4 High-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs

Just because an occupation requires a hard hat instead of a tie doesn’t mean it’s a low-paying job. In fact, many blue-collar jobs pay as much or more than white-collar professions, without requiring four-plus years of college (and the debt that comes with it). Forbes recently examined Bureau of Labor Statistics data...

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5 Tips to Help You Stop Mansplaining

Men and women communicate differently than long-held stereotypes might suggest. It turns out that the old notion that “women talk too much” isn’t based in reality. Research has proven that the opposite is true, especially in group settings. The larger the group, the more men talk. One study from Brigham Young University...

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Higher Education Linked With Higher Pay, Job Security and Better Health

College is expensive, but the investment pays off … even if it takes until the average graduate’s mid-30s to get on the right side of the equation. That’s the main takeaway from the 2017 release of the triennial report Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society from The...

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5 Reasons to Be Yourself at Work

Do you have a “work self” that’s more polished and calculated than your off-hours personality? If so, it might be time to rethink. While it’s important to maintain an awareness of appropriate professional boundaries, there’s also a lot to be said for authenticity. There are so many benefits to deciding to be...

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10 Ways to Make Your Boring Job Exciting Again

It can be hard to be enthusiastic about your job after you’ve been at it for a while. Even if you once found the work exciting, it’s easy to get in a rut. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you need a new job. Sometimes a new perspective is enough. There are so...

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5 High-Paying Side Jobs for Recent College Grads

Looking for work can be a long and challenging process. The current wisdom says that the average job search takes about one month for every $10,000 you’re looking to earn. But, who can afford to be out of work for that long? Recent college graduates currently shoulder an average of $30,100 in...

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52 Percent Say They’d Choose a Different Career If They Could Start Over

If you could go back in time, would you choose a different career than the one you have now? It turns out that a lot of people would, according to the results of a new survey from Monster Canada. Fifty-three percent of the working Canadians surveyed said they would pursue a different...

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5 Reasons You’re at Risk for Burnout

Burnout can happen to anyone. But, knowing what to look out for could help you catch the warning signs, and get them under control, before things get out of hand. A recent study found that 25 percent of American workers say that their jobs are the number one stressor in their lives....

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7 Tips for Resolving Workplace Conflicts

Conflicts in the workplace happen. They’re a fact of working life. It can feel pretty crummy when you’re wading through one of these challenges. But, if handled well, workplace conflicts can lead to progress — for the individuals involved and for the business as a whole. However, if mishandled, they can cause...

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The 5 Highest Paying Jobs In Healthcare

Want a secure job in a growing industry? A healthcare job might be for you. Even during the recession, healthcare continued to add jobs. Of course, not all healthcare jobs are created equal when it comes to compensation. Generally, the more education a position requires, the more money you can expect to...

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7 Tips For Keeping Your Smartphone From Destroying Your Productivity

It’s a funny little dance that many of us are doing with our smartphones these days. On the one hand, we know that they kill our productivity and that, probably for many reasons beyond that, we should limit our use of them. But we also love our phones and can’t begin to...

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5 High-Paying Marijuana Jobs In The Legal Cannabis Industry

The legal cannabis industry is booming. The expansion and growth has recently been compared to the way broadband internet spread in the 2000s, or even the dot-com boom. One of the latest predictions is that more jobs will be created in legal marijuana than in manufacturing by 2020. This is an exciting...

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5 Ways Meditation Can Help Your Career

We’re living and working during some pretty challenging times. In our culture, stress is the norm. Too often, our working lives are typified by long days, late-night emails, and unused vacation time. But, more and more, we’re beginning to understand the positive impact of wellness and mindfulness practices. It seems that an...

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1 In 5 Mature Workers Think They’ll Never Retire

Every worker dreams about what it would be like to enjoy a secure retirement. For some, the fantasy will become a reality, while others might not be as lucky. Of course, wishing and hoping isn’t the way to prepare for the future. A financially secure retirement requires foresight and planning. But, for...

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5 Ways to Show You`re Trustworthy

Trustworthiness is an extremely important quality to demonstrate at work. It’s really the glue that binds when it comes to business, whether you’re talking about coworker or client relationships. So, it’s important that you demonstrate to your professional connections, across the board, that you deserve their trust. But, how? 1. When you...

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Should You Update Your Resume?

When’s the last time you revised your resume? Many people don’t even think about their resumes, much less updating them, unless they’re actively looking for a job. But, this could be a big mistake. Do you know that some experts recommend updating your resume at least once per year? There are actually...

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How to Get Recruiters to Pursue You

Looking for work can be, well, a lot of work. The job search process is nerve-wracking and time-consuming, especially when you’re already busy working at the job you have. You know that sometimes job recruiters pursue candidates, maybe it’s happened to a friend or a colleague in the past, but so far...

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How Many Jobs Are Found Through Networking, Really?

As a member of modern society, you’re well aware that networking is one potential route to finding work. But, did you know it might actually be the best way to get the job done? (The job of finding a new job, that is.) Some estimate that upwards of 85 percent of open...

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5 Networking Tips for Beginners

Getting your career off the ground is not easy. When you’re new to a job, a company, or an industry — or maybe all of the above — there is a lot to learn. But, what you lack in experience you make up for in effort and enthusiasm. Still, beginners often struggle...

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10 Inspirational Quotes About Salary

For many of us, the prospect of talking about salary is just about as appealing as talking to a stranger about our most embarrassing memory. It’s no surprise then, that data collected for PayScale’s Salary Negotiation Guide shows that 57 percent of respondents have never negotiated salary in their current field. Twenty-eight...

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Beer Historian Starts Dream Job at the Smithsonian

Since the time of the Industrial Revolution, the job market in the U.S. has been in a perpetual state of change. Some jobs disappear, because of market changes or technological advances, and new ones emerge. Now, thanks in part to the craft beer market explosion, we can add one more exciting new...

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5 Ways Stress Affects Your Work

Too many Americans are suffering from chronic stress. In 2011, the American Psychological Association reported that 44 percent of those surveyed said that their stress had increased in the last five years. More recently, the APA has identified new stressors, including the tendency to constantly check electronic devices. We all have tough...

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Is Multitasking Actually Possible?

Are you a multitasker? If so, you’ll likely say that multitasking is absolutely possible, even preferable. There is some science to support this idea. However, some of the non-multitaskers among us, and some researchers too, strongly disagree. They think multitaskers are just kidding themselves and that they’d do better work if they...

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5 Jobs That Are Hard to Fill in 2017

During the Great Recession, it was difficult to imagine the problem that some industries are confronting today — labor shortages. But, we’ve seen steady and consistent economic gains, year after year, since the recession ended. Now, after a record 75 consecutive months of job growth, some jobs are hard to fill. Workers...

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Resilience: The Key to Success

The training and education you receive in school might help you attain the skills required to actually do your job, but there is more to success than that. These days, it’s soft skills that set you apart from the pack. Traits like excellent communication, the ability to work well in a team,...

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5 Things You Should Do After a Job Interview

Interviewing for a new job can be a truly nerve-racking experience. You put a lot of effort into preparing for the conversation, partially to ease the worry, but also because you know what an important step this is in the hiring process. You might be more than a little ready to stop...

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National Urban League Delivers Resumes to Senate, Calls For Increased Staff Diversity

Last week, the National Urban League delivered senior-level resumes of qualified, African-American candidates to senators who represent states with a high percentage of minority residents. The hope is that this will encourage senators to consider a diverse pool of candidates when hiring for positions like chief of staff, legislative director, and communications...

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6 Reasons Women Shouldn’t ‘Act More Like Men’ At Work

We’ve come a long way as a society in when it comes to gender equality. So, why are we still telling women that they should act like men in the workplace? First of all, of course there’s no such a thing as “acting like a man” or “acting like a woman.” But...

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Here Is Why You Should Sit in a Circle at Work

When you picture “sitting in a circle,” adults in professional dress probably aren’t the folks who spring to mind. You might instead imagine schoolchildren during reading time, or perhaps assembled for a round of duck-duck-goose. But, sitting in a circle isn’t just for kids. In fact, you should try to do it...

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The 5 Most Dangerous Jobs in the U.S.

The International Labour Office estimates that around 2.2 million people lose their lives each year due to work-related diseases and accidents around the world. They also indicate that this number may be “vastly under estimated” due to poor reporting in some places. Here in the United States, we’re fortunate to have labor...

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What Your Energy Level at Work Says About How Long You’ll Stay on the Job

Managers want to retain the best talent, for obvious reasons. So, there is an abundance of research concerning that issue. What is today’s worker looking for? What makes them stay with an organization? Now, a new study from the University of Surrey reveals another important piece of this puzzle: worker energy and...

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Take a Walk. It’ll Be Good For Your Career.

It may be hard to believe, but something as simple as taking a walk could actually have a big impact on you and your career. Of course, exercise is good for us on so many levels, but walking, specifically, has some special benefits. Let’s take a closer look at a few important...

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4 Facts About Obama’s Unemployment Record (and How to Read the Data)

President Obama is leaving office in just a few weeks, so now’s a good time to reflect on the outgoing administration and its policies. Where do we stand compared with eight years ago, in terms of the economy and the job market? Let’s look at a few facts about Obama’s unemployment record...

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6 Easy Ways to Build a Good Reputation at Work

Having a good professional reputation is very important. When others think highly of us, it makes our lives a little easier. Our good ideas are ushered in with greater ease because people believe in us and in our contributions. Our mistakes go over a little more smoothly too, because we’re more likely...

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5 Tips for Asking to Work Fewer Hours

There are many reasons why you might want, or even need, to reduce your working hours. You might have caregiving responsibilities that need to take priority, for example. Or, you might just prefer to work four days a week instead of five. But regardless of your reasons, don’t think you’ll need to...

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The States Where Nurses Are Most and Least In Demand

Some professions are more regional than others. For example, you’re much more likely to work as a gaming dealer in Nevada or an automotive engineer in Michigan than in any other part of the country. On the other hand, some occupations exist in every state. For example, registered nurses are always in...

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5 Reasons Why Having Friends at Work Is Good for Your Career

The old belief that it’s best to keep our personal and our professional lives separate persists, despite the fact that there are a lot of potential benefits to having friends at work — benefits that could seriously outweigh any potential drawbacks. As long as you interact with your friends at work responsibly...

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Never Say These 6 Things When Negotiating Salary

It’s totally understandable to feel a little nervous about negotiating salary, but you can’t let your nerves keep you from asking for what you deserve. Remember, when you negotiate a higher salary, you benefit from that increase not just for one year, but for the rest of your career. Over time, asking...

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Do Americans Really Work More Than Europeans?

If you feel that Americans work too much, you’re certainly not alone. Some argue that we’d actually be more creative, more productive, and ultimately healthier and wealthier, if we worked less. Perhaps we can learn a little something about this by comparing our experiences of work with those of workers in other...

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This Is Why You Shouldn’t Work For More Than 90 Minutes at a Time

There’s so much emphasis on increasing productivity these days. Some companies are even doing things like doing away with meetings altogether to try to increase it. Workers are being mindful of productivity, too. Given the pace and expectations of modern life, we’d all like to understand how to best maximize our time...

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4 Key Listening Skills to Advance Your Career

Communication skills are among the most coveted of soft skills, but good communicators are pretty rare. Why? Because communication, frankly, is tough and complicated. Perhaps it would be best to look at communication skills by breaking them down into essential components. When we do that, we find that at the heart of...

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Here’s Why You Should Never Keep Score at Work

No one wants to be taken advantage of at work. We know we have to do our part, but it doesn’t seem fair when our part appears to be bigger than everyone else’s. If you find that you’re constantly asked to go the extra mile and your coworkers aren’t, or you’re always...

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5 Reasons Why Relaxation Isn’t a Waste of Time

These days, it seems like everyone is interested in relaxation techniques and mindfulness practices — even many top employers. If you’re pondering ways to embrace a calmer life, start by remembering why you should make relaxing a top priority in the first place. Hint: it’s not just about enjoying your personal life...

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8 Reasons Teaching Is More Difficult Than You Think (Not One Is About the Kids)

There are a lot of tough jobs out there in the world, but some professions are also misunderstood, which only compounds the difficulty. Teaching is definitely a tough, misunderstood job. Maybe it’s because we all went to school (see reason No. 2) or perhaps it has to do with the way teaching...

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AAUW: At This Rate, the Gender Pay Gap Will Close in 2152

The gender pay gap is real, and the reasons it persists are complex and varied. The first step to closing it is to understand where we are right now, in terms of pay equity for women. Recently, the AAUW (The American Association of University Women) released the 2016 edition of their report,...

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Why We Work (Besides the Money)

There are very few people who have the kind of money that makes working optional rather than mandatory. But, just because we need to work to pay the bills, that doesn’t mean that money is the only reason we go to work in the first place. Actually, there is a whole lot...

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Why Mandatory Fun at Work Is Awful (But Every Company Insists on It)

What’s the best way for your employer to keep you toiling away, happy and productive? One trend that seems to be on the rise is something a recent article from BBC.com dubbed “forced fun” — that is, mandatory (or “strongly encouraged”) work events that have nothing to do with actual work itself....

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8 Quick Tips For Getting Into Flow State

If your work has a creative component, then you’re likely familiar with the concept of flow state. Even if you don’t know it by name, chances are you’ve experienced it at one point or another. Flow is an optimal state of consciousness where concentration is acute, focused, and sustained. Here, “action and...

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14 Quotes From President Obama to Inspire Your Career

Whether you think President Barack Obama has been a great president, or maybe not so much, it’s tough to argue with the fact that he’s gotten a lot done during his time in office — and that certainly wasn’t easy. Obama has had an extraordinary life. His childhood circumstances were modest, and...

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Could ‘The Red Sneakers Effect’ Boost Your Career? It Depends.

You might have noticed that norms have changed in recent years in regards to workplace dress codes. A few decades ago, the introduction of Casual Fridays helped offices blaze new trails in terms of attire, partly in the hopes that comfier workers might feel more creative. Next, Silicon Valley professionals took things...

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5 Problem-Solving Skills All Professionals Need

It can take time to find your desired career path. All of the education in the world can’t really prepare you for the real day-in, day-out struggles of working life. Unforeseen challenges abound — from attempting to navigate the salary negotiation process, to trying to find work/life balance, to getting along with...

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4 Reasons More Time Off Is Better Than More Money

Workers’ values are changing. These days, millennials are the largest generation in the workforce, and that’s shifting work culture. This generation cares about things like flexibility, inspiration, and purpose as much as, or even more than, they care about money. So, might this generation be on to something? When you stop and...

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Does Listening to Music at Work Really Rock?

Some folks love listening to music while they work. They’ll blast it from their computer’s speakers if given the freedom to do so, otherwise you’ll likely find them pacing around their office, or even the halls, with their earbuds seemingly permanently planted in their their ears. Others don’t understand how they do...

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Who Wastes the Most Time at Work?

What if you kept track of how you spent every minute of your workday? You might be amazed by the amount of time you spend checking email, chatting with coworker friends, or looking at social media. And, how about meetings — do you feel meetings are worth your investment, or do you...

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4 Disturbing Facts About the Current State of Teachers’ Pay

The fact that teachers aren’t paid very well compared to other professionals with similar levels of training and experience is not news, but some of us are still unaware of how bad it is. The idea that “teachers are paid more than you think” is just one of the many myths about...

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The 4 Lowest Paying Jobs for College Grads

There is a lot to be gained from getting a college degree, and securing a better paying job than you’d be able to otherwise is only one of the benefits. Ideally, time spent on higher education helps you learn to think, write, and speak your mind. It also helps to provide you...

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3 Types of Charity Donation Requests in the Workplace, and How to Respond

Americans donated more than $370 billion to charities last year. Almost $18.5 billion came from corporate giving, and more than $57 billion came via foundations, meaning that the largest source of charitable giving in 2015, by far, was the individual. Contributing a donation to an organization or toward a cause that you...

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3 Presidential Salary Stories You Should Know

The job of President of the United States comes with a compensation package, just like any other professional position. In 2001, this salary rose to $400,000 per year, which includes a $50,000 annual expense account. The rate is set by Congress, and this most recent increase (although it happened 15 years ago)...

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Top 5 High-Paying Jobs With Rising Salaries

Although most agree that the worst of the economic recession is behind us, wage growth continues to be slower than workers would prefer. However, according to a new study conducted by the job-search site Indeed, which was reported on by The Wall Street Journal, there are a few jobs with already high...

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Words of Wisdom From Bill Gates

Bill Gates may be best known for being the founder of Microsoft, which also made him (literally) the wealthiest person on the planet, but his life and legacy has always been about way more than that. If you look into his biography, it’s easy to see that his passion for learning, and...

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The 4 Cities Creating the Most White-Collar Jobs

The professional and business services industry remains a strong part of the U.S. economy, adding jobs even when other sectors are weak, and offering significantly higher wages than other service-providing industries. In a recent piece for Forbes, Joel Kotkin and Mike Shires analyzed employment growth in professional and business services for 366...

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How Much Notice Should You Really Give When Quitting a Job?

Quitting a job isn’t always easy. Regardless of whether you were happy or miserable with the company, anticipating the conversation you need to have with your boss can make you feel pretty nervous and uncomfortable, especially if the announcement will come as a big surprise. But, you’ve made up your mind and...

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18 Albert Einstein Quotes to Inspire Your Career

There are geniuses, and then there are geniuses whose names become a metaphor for being intellectually gifted. Albert Einstein is the latter. Although the Theory of Relativity made him famous, one could easily argue that it was his personality and charisma that made him such a beloved figure – although he spent...

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The 3 Words and Phrases You Should Avoid When Negotiating a Job Offer

Looking for work can be, well, pretty tough work. You might think that once you get an offer, the hard part is over. But, there are still plenty of pitfalls standing between you and the job of your dreams, even at the offer stage; for example, it’s possible to cheat yourself out...

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Science Says This Is the Best Time to Schedule Meetings

As a general rule, people really don’t like meetings. In fact, 17 percent of employees say they’d literally rather watch paint dry than attend one. Still, there are some rare folks who actually enjoy them, and most of us agree that some meetings seem to go more smoothly than others. But, why...

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How to Be Proactive Rather Than Reactive

Difficult situations don’t always bring out the best in us. In fact, trying times at work or at home can sometimes reduce us to the lowest versions of ourselves, eliciting unpleasant emotions like fear, anger, and anxiety. One potential key to turning this whole thing around is the simple idea that it...

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4 Tips For Landing a Work-From-Home Job

The appeal of working remotely is pretty plain to see. The flexibility (not only in terms of where to work, but sometimes when and how as well, depending on the work-from-home job) can’t be beat. Plus, you get to miss out on all of the nonsense that comes with working in an...

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#WednesdayWisdom: 14 C.S. Lewis Quotes to Inspire Your Career

C.S. Lewis (Clive Staples Lewis, 1898-1963) was a highly influential writer and intellectual. In addition to penning more than 30 books (The Chronicles of Narnia books alone have sold more than 100 million copies) he also worked in esteemed positions at Oxford University, and later Cambridge University, until his retirement. Lewis’s comments...

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How Much Does It Cost to Go to Work?

We all know that working takes a toll. We give our jobs our time, our energy, even our peace of mind when things are particularly stressful around the office. But, have you ever thought about the actual financial cost of working? We think of our jobs as being something we do to...

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5 Early Jobs of Famous Billionaires

No one starts off their career at the top. It takes a little experience, and often quite a bit of time, to succeed. Even the brilliant entrepreneur and innovator Steve Jobs spent some time honing in on his purpose and direction during his early years, leaving his job as a video game...

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5 Things You Should Never Communicate Through Email

When email first emerged as a productivity tool, the hope was that it would make communication more efficient, allowing us to spend less time getting our point across. However, we underestimated humankind’s ability to fill up time saved with the very activities that technology was supposed to streamline. In short, email often...

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4 Benefits of Job Hopping

Job hopping (and job hoppers more specifically) can sometimes get a bad rap, but that could be changing. These days, job hopping is better understood, and people are realizing that changing jobs every few years could actually be really good for our careers. We should reconsider the concept of job hopping so...

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Here’s When You Can Expect to Retire, Based on Occupation

Retirement often doesn’t play out the way we intended. There has been a standing trend of non-retirees planning on retiring earlier than they’re actually able to in the end. The average age of retirement right now is 62, although the average age of expected retirement is 66. But, what causes some workers...

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12 Pearls of Wisdom for Students From Mark Twain

Beloved literary icon Mark Twain, born Samuel Clemens, was famous for his strong opinions about all aspects of life. He had a great deal to say about education, for example; there is ample evidence to support the claim that he would’ve loathed today’s standardized testing. His irreverent approach to learning offers inspiration...

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Rewards and Incentives: Do They Really Work?

Rewards and incentive programs are a part of professional life for many. But, do they actually do what they’re supposed to do – make us work more productively? Research has indicated that while these programs might make people work harder, they might not help anyone work smarter. Is performance really improved by...

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For Perspective’s Sake, Here Are 4 Jobs That Pay Better Than Teaching

Despite all of the evidence to the contrary, there are still folks out there who think that teachers are fairly well paid. The truth is, they aren’t. At least not when compared with other professionals who receive equivalent education and training. Despite the extremely important nature of the work, teachers often need...

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4 Great Benefits of Having a Side Job

In a perfect world, we would only take on side jobs because we really wanted to. Unfortunately, wage stagnation means that many workers take on side jobs (or even second full-time positions) in order to make ends meet. Working too many hours is never recommended, but side jobs can have their benefits...

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Improve Your Focus by Learning to Ignore Things

Has the following situation ever happened to you? You come home for the weekend with a ton of work that you need to get done before Monday. But, instead of waking up on Saturday morning and getting right to it, you decide you need to clean up a little first instead. By...

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3 Types of Job Stress, and What to Do About Them

Work-related stress is all too common these days. Although stress levels, overall, have declined in the last few years, 60 percent of Americans surveyed by the American Psychological Association last year reported feeling stressed because of work. The problem is likely to continue as long as our modern culture of overwork persists....

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5 Emotional Skills Every Worker Should Possess

If you’re looking for work right now, you’ve probably heard a lot about the importance of developing skills (with technology, for example) as an essential step toward getting hired. But, you may have noticed an awful lot of talk about soft skills, as well. Writing, public speaking, and teamwork are increasingly coveted...

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Should You Tell Your Friends and Family How Much You Make?

Discussing money might be the only real conversational taboo left in America. We’ve recognized, over time, that sharing our ideas and even our fears with trusted friends and family only builds our understanding and makes our lives better. These days, it’s okay to talk about the troubles we’re having with our children...

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The 4 Best Cities to Find a Job

The unemployment rate has been steadily improving for a few years now. The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an unemployment rate of 4.9 percent, a figure we haven’t seen since 2008. Although there are still some concerns about whether or not pay is also on the rise, the...

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5 Reasons Why Your Employer Should Embrace Diversity

Building a diverse company isn’t just the right thing to do; according to research from Bersin by Deloitte, it’s also pretty good for business. In a recent article for Forbes, contributor Josh Bersin wrote about why smart companies are making diversity and inclusion a top priority. Here’s why your employer should be...

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5 Tips for Learning New Things More Quickly

In order to stay relevant and competitive, we have to ready and able to learn. While the ability to learn new things quickly and adapt to that learning has always been a key factor for success, it’s even more important these days as the pace of innovation is reaching new heights. These...

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4 Reasons Why Chasing Money Isn’t the Same as Pursuing Happiness

First things first: there’s a difference between negotiating salary and chasing money. The former consists of you advocating for yourself, and insisting on being paid fair wages for your hard work; the latter confuses money with the stuff money is supposed to provide, namely security, happiness, and a bright future. Here’s why...

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Millennials Are Afraid They Won’t Be Able to Get Ahead and They Might Be Right

Despite the difficulties they faced entering the job market during the worst recession in decades, millennials have found their way into the workplace, even teaching older generations a thing or two about new ways to work along the way. But, financially, it’s been a rough decade or so for the youngest generation...

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Why Unions Need Saving, and Why Millennials Might Be the Best Ones to Do It

Labor unions have a long history in this country of protecting workers. Unions protect workers' collective bargaining powers and help them negotiate better wages, hours, benefits, job security, and working conditions. However, these days unions are in jeopardy, and it turns out that millennials could be the ones to save them. Let's...

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What Do Your Childhood Dreams and Career Goals Say About You?

When you were a kid, what did you say that you wanted to be when you grew up? If you’re anything like the kids of today, your dreams started off a little unrealistic (think superhero or panda bear) and smoothed out over time, leaning toward things like doctor, teacher, or police officer....

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What Today’s Kids Say They Want to Be When They Grow Up

When you were younger, how did you answer the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” These days, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that this is a question we really shouldn’t even be asking little kids; it might be sending the wrong message about identity....

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4 Scientific Reasons Why Waiting Tables Is the Most Stressful Job Out There

Most of the folks who have held a food server job during their lives will tell you that it can be a very stressful line of work. In fact, anyone who’s ever worked with the general public, whether it be in a restaurant, a retail store, etc., will likely say the same....

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The Trouble With Performance Goals, and Why It’s Not All On You

Many companies ask their employees to select performance goals annually (or on some other timetable) and these goals help to organize the performance review discussion. Sometimes, managers create and assign the goals themselves, either with or without employee feedback. However, the truth is that setting, pursuing, and reviewing these goals can feel...

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How Important Is Cost of Living When Considering Relocation for a Job?

If you’re pondering relocation to a new city for a job opportunity, you’re probably hoping to make more money. But, determining how far your salary will go in your new town can be kind of tricky. We all know that cost of living is a factor to evaluate when considering a job...

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How to Work Up the Courage to Change Careers

So, you’re ready to move on. Whether you’ve decided to change careers because you want a fresh challenge or because your industry doesn’t feel like a good fit for you anymore, making this bold move can feel pretty scary. But ultimately, if you’re really ready for a change, you’ll probably be glad...

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5 Surprising Facts About Lunch Breaks

Most of the time, lunch doesn’t really feel like that big of a deal. If we’re able to take a lunch break, we generally feel glad, and enjoy a short respite from the craziness of the workday. Often though, we lunch at our desks, or on our feet, unable to take the...

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The 3 Most and Least Recession-Recovered Cities

Since the Great Recession, cities have been struggling to recover their housing markets, job opportunities, and economies overall. The recovery has been spotty – in some cities and states more than in others.   (Photo Credit: Larry Johnson/Flickr) Recently, WalletHub released their rankings of The Most and Least Recession-Recovered Cities. They profiled...

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4 Reasons Humility Is a Virtue Worth Embracing

It’s often said that, in business, confidence is king. In fact, it is good to project confidence at work – or rather, timidity and lack of confidence can really hold you back. But, ego and hubris can do damage, too. Perhaps it’s time to take a good hard look at the value...

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What to Expect From Your Co-Workers After You Announce That You’re Quitting

These days, people change jobs, on average,12 times during the course of their career. Still, given the depth of commitment we give to our place of employment, (sometimes feeling it’s more like a family than a company) and the time and energy we invest, it’s not too big a surprise that the...

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The 4 Highest Paying Jobs of 2015

Money isn’t everything, but being well compensated for your time and efforts never hurts either. Recently, CareerCast released their list of the highest paying jobs of 2015. Their wage data came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and they based their ranking on other factors as well including stress, and future income...

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Cool at 13, Not at 23: Why Popular Kids Aren’t Necessarily Successful Adults

Ever notice that the cool kids from high school seem to still be stuck there? They like to spend a lot of time talking about the good old days, and it’s clear that these years were the highlight of their lives thus far. Well, there might be a good reason for that,...

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5 Things to Negotiate, Other Than Salary

The words “compensation” and “salary” are often used interchangeably, as if they are synonyms, but that isn’t the case at all. It’s important to remember (particularly during negotiations) that salary is just one aspect, one part, of the compensation you’ll receive from your employer.   (Photo Credit: Mike (Dakinewavamon) Kline/Flickr) In fact,...

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4 Ways to Become Indispensable at Work

We all want job security, but in 2015 it can be pretty hard thing to come by. Of course, no one is totally indispensable; the reality is that we can all be replaced. We all know this. However, there are certain things that you can do to achieve near-indispensability, which should provide...

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Research Says Your Bad Boss May Be Even More Damaging Than You Think

We all know that a difficult boss can make life miserable, but new research shows that it can directly impact our career path – in fact, nearly half of us choose to leave our jobs because of our bosses. With all the toxicity a terrible manager yields, it's almost surprising that the...

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Women Over 65 Are Twice as Likely to Live in Poverty

The gender wage gap is a persistent problem that’s taking a long time to solve. The fact is that on average, women earn about 78 cents for each dollar brought in by men. And, new data suggest that this is having a significant effect on the state of women’s finances in retirement....

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BLARPing, the Office Role Playing Game You Need Right Now

Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons or ever heard of the Society for Creative Anachronism, there’s one role-playing game that might appeal to you – especially if you spend your days in an office. BLARPing, or Business Live Action Role-Playing, allows office workers to become something more interesting than their...

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Debunking 4 Myths About Teachers’ Pay

Most agree that teaching is an important job. Teachers have an enormous impact on the people they teach, and their former students go on to shape the world – for good or for ill. Given that, some feel that teachers should receive higher compensation for their work. Others, on the other hand,...

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What’s the Difference Between a Manager and a Leader?

A lot of people use the word “manager” as a part of their job title or description, but “leaders” don’t get that label simply by being appointed to a post. Leadership is earned, and is hard-won, by the folks who prioritize and understand the traits and qualities that come with the unofficial...

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What Happens When You Sit Next to the Boss

The old saying goes, you’re only truly yourself when you’re alone. That’s because it’s human nature to change the way we behave, even just slightly, depending on who we’re with. This is just as true in the workplace as it is in our personal lives. (Photo Credit: grahamhills/Flickr) New research from Rotterdam...

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Do Teachers Really Get Summers Off?

Summer break has rolled in for most school districts by now, and students around the country are celebrating. Teachers too, no doubt. After a long year, they deserve to take a beat and get some rest before gearing up for a new crop of students in the fall. But, do teachers really...

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The 5 Best States for Teachers

Teaching is difficult work. However, some factors (such as compensation and teacher/student ratio) can make a big difference. Recently, WalletHub examined 50 states plus the District of Columbia using 18 metrics in order to determine the best and worst states for teachers. (Photo Credit: toddwendy/Flickr) Let’s take a look at the five...

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How to End a Toxic Work Friendship

It’s great to have friends at work, and there are a lot of benefits associated with it as well. But, when those friendships turn sour, they can take a toll on you personally as well as professionally. It can be difficult to detach and get distance from a toxic pal when you...

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6 Things to Do When You Make a Mistake at Work

We all make mistakes. It’s part of life. But, that doesn’t make it any easier to recover (in the eyes of others and within yourself) when you misstep at work. We’re not talking about navigating a difference of opinion here, but rather an actual error that’s plain as day for all to...

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Is It Ever OK to Drink During Your Lunch Break?

The return of AMC’s Mad Men for its final season brings about mixed feelings for a lot of viewers. There’s some sadness that it’s almost over, but it’s also a lot of fun to reacquaint ourselves with the characters, and culture, we’ve come to love. One aspect of the show that seems...

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Forced/Stacked Employee Rankings Crush Morale

An old trend in early elementary education and child care has resurfaced and has been causing controversy (and more than a few tears – shed by children and parents alike). The divisive method is known as the color-coded behavior chart. It’s a system that’s been used off and on for decades to...

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6 Great Reasons to Bring Your Kids to Work With You

Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is April 23rd and with summer vacation fast approaching as well, now might be a great time to start making plans. Or, since April break is well underway for a lot of kids, maybe now is the right time to bring your littles to...

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5 Reasons to Get to Work Early

Most mornings, hitting the snooze button a time or 10 feels a lot more enticing than catching the worm and getting to work early. However, the benefits of doing so far outweigh the drawbacks. Even if you aren’t a morning person, it might be worth considering an earlier start. (Photo Credit: docoverachiever/Flickr)...

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Is Your Boss a Theory X Manager?

In 1960, Douglas Murray McGregor’s book The Human Side of Enterprise, proposed that a manager’s personal assumptions about human nature determine how that individual manages their employees. McGregor identified two distinct management styles utilized to motivate workers; he called them Theory X and Theory Y. (Photo Credit: HikingArtist.com/Flickr) A Theory X manager...

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Why We Choose the Wrong Career

Changing jobs is a natural part of building a career in today’s world. Many things motivate our desire to try something new, including necessity, desire for new challenges, and the need to make more money. But, for some, there is more to these professional shifts. If you sometimes feel like you’re in...

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5 Reasons to Say ‘Thank You!’ More Often

Sometimes, saying thank you can feel rote, habitual, and therefore maybe even a little pointless. If you thank people the way we were taught as children, you’re doing it all day long — for holding the door, handing you the stapler, or for answering a quick question. Thank you, thank you, and...

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Top 5 Companies Offering Work-From-Home Jobs

These days, work-from-home positions are more popular than ever. More and more companies are offering remote jobs, and workers are eager to snatch them up. Telecommuting offers an opportunity for increased flexibility and greater control over your life and schedule. It's understandable that many people find this kind of arrangement appealing and...