The Economy of Top Colleges in the United States

Some of the top colleges in the U.S. are not just hard to get into academically, but also financially.  Learn more about these schools and how they are functioning in the following infographic. Continue Reading

The Skype Job Interview Experience

Carole Martin, The Interview Coach

The Camcorder/Skype job interview was bound to happen – and it’s been happening faster and faster as the world becomes smaller and smaller. Because we are able to reach out to others around the world through social networking, electronic devices and instant communication – without leaving home or the office – it is not surprising that companies have latched on to this technique to conduct job interviews.

The latest trend in job interviews is to use the Camcord/Skype technology to screen and interview applicants. Companies are finding this new method to be a great way to save time as well as money by conducting phone screenings before they bring the candidate in for a face-to-face interview – and in some cases to conduct the full job interview over Skype. Continue Reading

Top Employers for Business and Engineering Students

Which are the world’s best employers according to Universum’s 2012 survey of 144,000 business and engineering students from the world’s 12 largest economies?

In business, Google placed as the most attractive employer in the world for the fourth consecutive year. KPMG maintained its 2011 second place finish, while Procter & Gamble reached a new high as the third most attractive employer in the world in 2012. “The Google fever is still hot!” comments Universum’s CEO Petter Nylander. “Students are still attracted to Google’s relaxed and creative work environment, international atmosphere and innovative products. Google lets the students know that they offer great benefits that are hard for other companies to match.” In engineering, Google takes first place for the fourth consecutive year in a row. IBM and Microsoft nabbed second and third place, respectively. “The giants in the software industry are seen as great places for the launch of an engineering or IT career,” said Nylander. “They offer training, networking and future career possibilities.”

The rankings reveal dramatic trends: Continue Reading

The 7 deadly sins of the workplace

Wendy Ryan, Salary.com contributing writer

We all know the 7 Deadly sins, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride, are practices that are usually best avoided in daily life. But what are the “7 Deadly Sins of the Workplace” and how can committing these “sins” affect your career?

This week, we will explain the “7 Deadly Sins of the Workplace” and reveal the results of our recent poll on the perceived career impact of these “sins,” complete with some of our readers’ real life examples from their jobs. Continue Reading

6 Things to Look for in an Internship

What is an internship? An internship is generally an unpaid position within a company, with a definite start and end date, that serves to provide vocational education for the intern. Internships are a great way to gain some real-world experience before you graduate, and may even allow you to transition into a paid, full-time job. Your school’s career education department can help you find an internship. But even with that guidance, how will you know if an internship is right for you? Here are six things you should look for in an internship. Continue Reading

A Breakdown of the Chicago Teachers’ Strike

While you may have heard about the teachers’ strike in Chicago, the following infographic offers a detailed look at the strike’s impact and more. Continue Reading

High School Exit Exams May Face New Standards

In the near future, high school students might be preparing for more challenging exit exams.

After more than a decade of growing reliance on high school exit exams, states are rethinking how they use these popular assessments, a new Center on Education Policy (CEP) report finds.

New data released yesterday shows that eight of the 26 states with exit exam policies have aligned these exams to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or other college- and career-readiness standards, and 10 more states plan to do so in the near future, according to “State High School Exit Exams: A Policy in Transition,” the 11th annual report on high school exit exams by CEP at George Washington University. Continue Reading

Interview Answers from The Interview Coach, Carole Martin

Carole Martin, The Interview Coach

Q. In 2010, after getting laid off, I made the decision to put my career on hold so that I could care for my elderly parents. Now I’ve made other arrangements for them, I am able to resume my career path as a software developer. I have been a developer/programmer since the mid 80′s.

I am having a serious problem getting interviews and getting hired. I have no recent professional references. Second, I have some gaps in my employment because of relocation.  Third, I am not up-to-date with current technology.I am in my early 50′s and know no other trade.

Recently my wife lost her job. Until then we had been surviving on her income. Now we are in a dire situation with very little income.

What can you recommend? Continue Reading

Should I Include Salary Requirements on My Cover Letter, Resume, or Application When Asked?

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast

I recently found myself baffled.

Yes, baffled.

I placed an ad with a prominent, industry-related newsletter seeking a few new, talented, certified resume writers to add to our team. One of the requirements of the application submission included submitting a few samples of previous work the writers had completed—and also a request that they submit their fee requirements. Of all the submissions we received, only one candidate included fee requirements in the cover letter. Shocking, considering this was directly addressed in the ad. Continue Reading

Wellness Programs Reduce Medical Costs, Increase Productivity, and Reduce Absenteeism

In 2012, roughly two-thirds of manufacturing and distribution industry employers experienced increases to their medical insurance premiums, according to the 2012 Compensation Data Manufacturing & Distribution survey results. The average increase reported by these organizations was 10.2 percent, down from 11 percent reported in 2011. Despite the drop in the average premium increase, manufacturing and distribution organizations still contribute 10.5 percent of their total payroll costs toward providing medical insurance to their employees. Employers everywhere are looking for ways to curtail rising healthcare costs and as a result, many are turning to wellness programs.

For years, wellness programs have consisted of traditional options such as weight management, tobacco cessation programs or offering flu shots and immunizations. But over the last few years, some wellness options have shown a more accelerated rate of use. Biometric screenings, which measure an individual’s blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol and blood glucose in an effort to identify risk factors, are a good example of this trend. In 2009, biometric screenings were offered at only 17.4 percent of manufacturing and distribution organizations surveyed, compared to 44.2 percent in 2012. Physical fitness facility access, on-site health clinics and offering rewards and incentives have also increased over the last few years. Continue Reading