Free Money Finance

How to Conduct an Exit Interview

Yahoo has some thoughts on how to manage an exit interview including asking for your comments to be anonymous (yeah, like that will happen), anticipating the important questions, and offering constructive solutions. It's an ok piece if you feel you MUST comment. But here are my thoughts on an exit interview:

1. An exit interview is for the benefit of the company only. In no way will you gain from it (in most cases). Remember, you've already moved on (theoretically) and have another job. So why do you care anyway?

2. Given #1, I would avoid an exit interview if at all possible. If asked to give one, I'd say "I don't really have anything of benefit to contribute in an exit interview" or something like that.

3. If forced to do an exit interview, offer a few minor suggestions for improvement (ones that "everyone" knows need to be done anyway). This way, you've offered them something that an HR person can put in a file and feel like they've accomplished their job for the day.

4. Whatever you do, do NOT badmouth you boss, co-workers, executives, the company, etc. You will get zero benefit from this (other than maybe feeling better for 15 minutes for venting), but it could come back to bite you. It's a small world out there and a bad comment directed to the wrong person could derail some of your future plans. Don't think it will happen to you? I'm telling you, I've seen it happen time and again. Be nice and don't burn your bridges.

What about your "friends" still at the company? What about giving an honest assessment of the situation and "telling it the way it is" to help them out? I'm ok with this as long as those same friends will help you pay your bills when your career is negatively impacted, when you can't get a job/promotion you want, and so on. In other words, forget about "helping" out your friends. It's harsh to say, but they'll need to fight their own battles. For the sake of your career and your earning ability, simply move on, thanking everyone for the opportunities they gave you while you were employed.

All this said, I think this discussion is a moot point for many of us. The last time I had an exit interview was about 15 years ago. Do many companies even use them these days?

Signs Your Job Is in Jeopardy

Yahoo lists five signs your job is in jeopardy as follows:

• Mergers and acquisitions can mean only one thing to employees: duplication.

• A clear sign that your company has fallen on hard times is when the president trades in his posh Jaguar for a Volkswagen Rabbit.

• You used to be the "go to" person when people were seeking advice on critical projects.

• Your calendar used to be filled to the brim with meetings. Now you have time on your hands to sneak in a manicure.

• Constant pruning by your competitors is a sign that your industry is in despair.

Let me add a few others based on my almost 20 years of work experience:

• The president and VPs are huddled in meetings most of the day and talks of "restructuring" are in the air.

• You see a new job offer to a candidate that's basically a description of your job (this actually happened to a friend of mine.)

• Someone under you is hired and their project list looks almost identical to yours (I've seen this tactic used a few times.)

• Your last performance review was "excellent" and now you're suddenly "below expectations."

• Your boss does an out-of-cycle performance review on you and it's not positive.

• New agencies are being interviewed that do basically what your department does.

• The economy is bad and you don't contribute to the organization in a vital way (like saving money, bringing in sales, etc.)

• Layoffs are rumored and you don't have an advocate/mentor in the group of people making the decisions on who goes.

• Your high-up-in-the-company advocate/mentor is let go and more firings are looming.

I could go on and on, but I think these cover most of the situations I've seen. How about you -- any to add to this list?

How to Explain a Layoff to a Recruiter

Have you ever been laid off (or fired)? If so, how did you explain it to recruiters while looking for a new job? Well, the Wall Street Journal has some thoughts on the issue. Here's how they suggest you handle the issue when applying for any job:

When applying, avoid expressing bitterness or self-pity. Many layoff victims send cover letters that blame the economy for their job loss, says Ms. Shapiro. There's no need to even point out the fact that you've been laid off. "If your last work day was in October, your résumé will say that," she explains. Plus, since so many workers have been handed pink slips in the past year, this information is unlikely to kill your candidacy upfront. While it can be helpful to explain why you were let go over others whose jobs were not eliminated, save those details for the interview and use the cover letter to describe your strengths.

And then, be ready to address the issue in the interview:

Prepare an explanation about what led to your layoff. For example, you might tell the interviewer that your skill set wasn't critical to your last employer's survival, but that you believe it is for the organization you're now targeting -- and then explain why, suggests Mr. Joerres.

If you've been unemployed for a long period of time and a recruiter asks why, consider pointing out that you're being selective about your next move, says Mr. Joerres. Then describe how the position is a strong fit. Or you might explain that you opted to delay your search to spend time with family or take a class, suggests Ms. Shapiro. "You have to make those last months sound like a conscious choice," she says.

I've never been in this situation, so I'll have to tell what I would do (versus what I have done) if I was ever laid off. Here are my thoughts:

1. I'd follow their advice regarding initial contact. There's no need to bring up the lay-off before you even have an interview. After all, you're trying to emphasize the POSITIVE, and being laid off isn't really a positive.

2. Then I'd write out reason why I was laid off and practice it for the interview. I'd get it to the point where the answer was delivered in a smooth manner and reflected as positively on me as possible (without disparaging my previous boss or company -- that gets you nowhere.)

3. And, of course, I'd do all the other things that demonstrate I'm a great employee and should be hired -- have a strong, accomplishment-oriented resume, have my interview questions prepared and rehearsed in advance, offer great references, etc. If you do all of these well and offer a reasonable explanation for a lay-off, you should be fine.

And, as they say, being laid off is not the mark of job-hunting death that it used to be -- and it's likely it will become even more accepted as the economy worsens. Employers know that in really bad times even good people are let go and are much more forgiving than they have been in the past. So relax, prepare, and go get 'em!

The Cost of Commuting -- Balancing Time Versus Money

Here's a piece from Business Week that says in 15 top U.S. cities, the more you make, the more time you probably spend commuting to work. In other words, the high earners generally don't live in an urban area, they live in the suburbs and need to take a car, train or some other form of transportation to get into work each day. Here's a summary of the situation:

The study also suggests that there is a link between salaries and the time people spend in a car, bus, or train each morning. The poorest people in these urban metro areas have the shortest commutes. In the Boston metro area, for example, people earning less than $20,000 a year commute typically commute 17.3 minutes each way compared with people earning $50,000 to $60,000, who commute 30.8 minutes. Commute times in the city of Boston don't rise much for people earning more than $60,000. Similarly, in New York City commute times climb steadily as annual salaries rise before peaking for employees earning $110,000 a year. The commute time peak in Los Angeles is $60,000; it's $70,000 in Detroit; and it's $30,000 in the vast Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area, where the typical commute time for wealthy workers is just 26.4 minutes.

This obviously brings up an interesting time-for-money sort of discussion (not to mention the "quality of life by living outside the city" discussion, but we'll table that one for now. For illustration purposes, here are a couple personal stories -- one from a friend and one from me:

• A friend of mine used to live in New Jersey and had a job in New York City. He would commute two hours each way into work and then back home for five days a week. Yep, you read that right -- four hours a day commuting (or 20 hours a week.) He got up at 4 am so he could leave home at 5 am (to "minimize" traffic), getting to work at 7 am. He then left at 6:30 pm (again trying to limit the traffic he had to fight) and got home each night at 8:30 pm. In other words, he was gone each day from 5 am through 8:30 pm. His family life was almost non-existent. He slept much of the weekends because he was exhausted. His health was a mess. Sure, his family had a nice home and he made $150,000 a year, but he didn't really have a life. He moved to a smaller city a few years ago and had a 15-minute commute, a bigger house in the suburbs, still made close to the same amount, and his quality of life went way up (BTW, his finances probably improved dramatically because his living costs likely dropped big-time.)

• You all have seen the cities I've lived in, so you know that I've never had a huge commute. My worst was actually in Pittsburgh where I had a 30-minute one-way commute -- much worse when the weather was bad. Even in DC I took the metro and made it to work in under 20 minutes (of course I was a student then, and probably would not have lived where I did if I'd had a family.) My commute now is under 15 minutes in good weather but can be as much as 30 minutes if we get hammered with snow and ice the night before. In other words, it's a GREAT commute for the most part -- not much time at all.

We've talked about the fact that some people want to be paid more if they have a long commute, and I can see where they're coming from. If I had to switch to a longer commute (let's say 30 minutes each way), there would certainly need to be a compelling reason (like much more money, better job satisfaction, etc.) before I would move. My time is just too valuable to give up for a few thousand dollars more a year.

How about you? How do you balance the time/money issue?

Ever Lie on a Resume?

Check out these findings from the Wall Street Journal:

About 20% of job seekers and employees undergoing background checks exaggerate their educational backgrounds. In a 2004 survey of human-resource professionals, 61% said they "often" or "sometimes" find résumé inaccuracies when vetting prospective hires, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

I've never lied about anything on my resume (especially my education -- I've never had to). But maybe I have made something seem bigger than it really was. That's not what they're talking about though, is it?

Anyway, I thought I'd ask all of you: have you ever lied on a resume?

The Key to Affordable College: Match Costs with Benefits

I've written several times that I think one key to selecting the right college is to match the cost of the education with the income you can expect to earn upon graduation. The more the spread between the cost of college and your lifetime earning potential, the better off you'll be (at least financially.) Of course there are many other factors involved in selecting a college/career, but from a financial standpoint, the cost/benefit issue is a HUGE one (and something that I think very few people consider when selecting a school to attend.)

Recently I found this summary of an education and salary report that highlights these same issues. In particular, here are a few quotes I found interesting along with my thoughts:

Harvard College graduates frequently enter not for profit positions.

Unless you're getting a free ride at Harvard or independently wealthy, it's going to be hard to pay for a large debt load with a not-for-profit career. Can't you go to a more affordable college and still work in this industry?

Major state universities provide exceptional value, with median salaries of graduates in the top five in their states, just behind highly selective national universities and colleges.

No surprise here -- many state universities are very good, relatively inexpensive, and provide great careers/lifetime earning potential. Seems like these should at least be in the consideration set for almost any potential college attendee.

"With great specificity, this report brings home the long term financial impact of the choice of undergraduate school and major. For young people entering college, and contemplating their post-graduate years in the workforce, this is critical information not available anywhere else."

Finally, someone is talking about the cost/benefit issue related to selecting a college and a career/major. Hopefully the fact that more places are talking about this topic will help potential college attendees and their parents consider the financial implications of going to a specific college and selecting a specific major/career. Otherwise, we'll all continue hearing stories of graduates who take out $100,000 in loans and have a $20,000-a-year job.

FYI, if you're interested, you can see how I balanced the college cost/career benefit issue.

Pay Increase versus Better Title

US News says that companies sometimes give titles instead of raises to save money. So instead of giving Bill an extra $1,500 a year, they leave him at the same salary but make him a "Senior Manager" instead of a "Manager."

Banks are notorious for making everyone a "vice president" -- even people with little experience -- versus giving them a decent pay bump (or at least I assume that's why -- maybe it's really because people think they're better taken care of if they're dealing with a "vice president".) I wonder if there are other industries that do this as well. Maybe financial services (for the same reasons banks do it)?

I've known people who really wanted a title increase -- so much so that they would forego a salary bump. But I'm assuming that most people (me for sure) would rather have the money. How about you?

Here's a Vital Career Tip

Here's a great comment/tip/suggestion left on my post titled How to Prepare for a Performance Review:

A colleague once advised me to keep a written record of my accomplishments at work. It is one of the best pieces of advice that I have ever received. At the end of every month, I look over my calendar and emails and add all of my accomplishments for the month to my list. At the end of the year I am always shocked at how much of my own work I have forgotten about. I figure if I forget half of my work, my boss must forget almost 90%. This list helps me out tremendously.

GREAT TIP!!!!!

As I've said before, I send my boss a weekly list of my accomplishments so he knows what I'm working on/getting done. I also copy myself on these emails and save them for posterity. I then refer to them at the end of the year, summarizing what I've accomplished in the past 12 months. And like the commenter said, I usually have forgotten about several key accomplishments that are relatively old, so this process is great at reminding me.

BTW, this process also serves as a great resource in case you need to find a new job and update your resume as all of your accomplishments are in one place.

Reminding your boss of your accomplishments is KEY to your career success. So whether it's the process used by the commenter above, the weekly email I use, or something else, be sure you keep track of everything you achieve and be sure those you report to are up-to-date on all the great things you've done!

Keeping Your Job by Thanking Your Boss

This piece says it's good to thank your boss. Their rationale:

Think of the lovely warm fuzzy feelings you have toward people who say nice things about your work. Now think how great it would be if your boss was having those same warm fuzzy feelings about little old you!

No matter how bad or good your boss, your relationship (not to mention your job security) can be improved with a simple, sincere, professional, nonsycophantic thank you.

Ok, so it's not necessarily a thank you -- maybe it's a compliment. Maybe it's a "you did this well" or "good job on that project."

I don't do this much and I should do more of it. Not because I want to keep my job (though I do) but because my boss is a great guy who does a tremendous job on so many fronts. Our company would only be a shell of its current self without him.

How about you? Anyone out there take time to say "thanks" or "good job" to their boss on a regular basis?

10 Jobs that Make $80k Per Year

CNN lists ten jobs that make $80k per year and I'll get to those in a minute, but let's start with this fact they list -- the national median annual income is $40,690. Wow. I thought it was higher -- somewhere in the $50k range. Maybe that's annual household income I'm thinking of.

Anyway, the piece then lists ten jobs where the annual mean income is at least twice as large as the national average. Here's their list:

1. Associate actuary -- $81,924
2. Attorney -- $88,235
3. Compensation and benefits manager -- $80,011
4. Economist -- $80,817
5. Floor broker -- $83,608
6. Marketing manager -- $86,283
7. Petroleum engineer -- $86,899
8. Pharmacist -- $88,786
9. Risk management supervisor -- $85,655
10. Veterinarian -- $80,069

They also tell what these positions do and their projected employment trends for the next eight years. Click on the link above for details.

Here's my quick take on some of these:

1. Too much math for me to become an actuary. Don't they have computers to do this anyway? I guess someone needs to operate the computers.

2. I wanted to be a lawyer once. Then I spent a semester as a legal intern and about lost my sanity. Best internship I ever had (for helping me decide what I DIDN'T want to do with the rest of my life.)

3. From personal experience I can tell you that marketing managers can make a lot more if they have the right education. For me, an MBA was a GREAT investment.

4. I wanted to be a vet when I was young because I loved animals. Still wouldn't mind being one today...

Ever Known a Poor Performer that Couldn't Get Fired?

This piece at US News about why poor performers don't get fired made me think about the people I've seen in my career that "everyone" knew should be fired but they weren't. In one case I know of, the person got PROMOTED -- much to the dismay of almost the entire company.

This practice really impacts an organization. Everyone around the poor performer has to suffer with their incompetence. It's bad enough that the person himself is a poor performer, but what is worse is that he often brings down the performance of countless others around him.

So, what can you do about it to protect your own career/job performance? Stay as far away from him/her as possible. Try for project assignments in which he's not involved. And if you're forced to work with him, try to assign him something meaningless that won't derail the entire project. Otherwise you could always either look to be reassigned or even leave the company if it got that bad. I know, it's something that you shouldn't have to do, but it is reality for many workers today.

Have you ever been in a situation close to a poor performer that couldn't get fired? What did you do to deal with it?

The Best, Overrated, and Secret Careers

US News has a set of lists all about various careers. They start with the 30 best careers for 2009 as follows:

• Audiologist
• Biomedical equipment technician
• Clergy
• Curriculum/training specialist
• Engineer
• Firefighter
• Fundraiser
• Genetic counselor
• Ghostwriter
• Government manager
• Hairstylist/Cosmetologist
• Health policy specialist
• Higher education administrator
• Landscape architect
• Librarian
• Locksmith/Security system technician
• Management consultant
• Mediator
• Occupational therapist
• Optometrist
• Pharmacist
• Physical therapist
• Physician assistant
• Politician/Elected official
• Registered nurse
• School psychologist
• Systems analyst
• Urban planner
• Usability/User experience specialist
• Veterinarian

Next they list 13 overrated careers as follows:

• Advertising Executive
• Architect
• Attorney
• Chef
• Chiropractor
• Farmer
• Medical Scientist
• Nonprofit Manager
• Physician
• Police Officer
• Professor
• Small-Business Owner
• Teacher

Finally, here's a list of 11 best-kept-secret careers:

• Accent-reduction specialist
• Casting director
• Child life specialist
• Creative perfumer
• Health informatics specialist
• Orthoptist
• Orthotist/prosthetist
• Program analyst
• Program evaluator
• Prospect researcher
• Surgical technologist

For each of these careers, they give a small snapshot of the career, how to get started in it, etc., so click through for details if you're interested in any of these.

Two Great Career Tips

Yahoo lists ten tips for career survival, but to me two of them really stood out. They are:

• Stand Out for the Right Reasons -- That means for your accomplishments, positive attitude, and for going the extra distance—not for being a whiner, a problem, or a pain. Be known companywide or divisionwide as someone who looks out for the organization.

• Let People Know What You've Done -- You'd need to start assessing your achievements for the year anyway for a performance review. Work some of them into conversations, memos, etc., where appropriate.

The piece is written from a "here's what to do in tough times to keep your job" standpoint, but the two tips above are things you should ALWAYS be doing as part of making the most of your career (in fact, they are steps #2, #3, and #5 in my five steps to demonstrating that you deserve a raise.) Yes, in tough times these tips will help you keep your job (at the very least), but in good times they will help you thrive -- get promoted, get more raises, get better raises, etc. And regular readers here know how important these can be to maximizing your total income over the course of your career.

And in case you missed it in the links above, let me specifically point out a simple way to promote your work without appearing to be a self-promoter: a regular update to your boss. Establish it as an early habit and your career will thank you for it. ;-)

Five Ways to Protect and Grow Your Career

Here's a list of ways to protect and grow your career from Yahoo:

1. Invest in your education.
2. Shift to an industry that needs workers.
3. Document your accomplishments.
4. Tackle tasks no one else wants.
5. Accept high-profile assignments close to review time.

A few thoughts from me:

1. Getting a good education is one BIG way to grow both your career and your income. It sure worked for me.

2. One great way to protect and grow your career is to overperform in your position and make sure people know about it. Documenting your accomplishments is a key part of this process.

3. If people take on necessary tasks that no one else wants to handle -- and they do them well -- then there will always be a job for them.

4. I'd modify #5 to simply "accept high-profile assignments." Of course these will also put you in the line of fire (if they go south, your career could be hampered in a major way), but if you're confident of success, I'd suggest always going for high-profile assignments. Besides, if you do crash and burn, you can always get a job somewhere else.

5. If there aren't any high-profile assignments, create your own. Find out what your organization needs (grow sales, cut costs, etc.) and come up with an idea that will help them do this in a substantial way. In my last company, I saw a way we could make a very good amount of money, I submitted the idea for consideration, it was approved, and I carried it out. That year, this project was the one that put us over the top to get our annual bonuses. Needless to say, I was popular with my co-workers that year. ;-)

The Biggest Mistake that Job Seekers Make (And How to Conduct a Successful Job Search)

Secrets of the Job Hunt lists what they think is the biggest mistake that job seekers make as follows:

In my experience, the biggest mistake that most job seekers make is in poor planning and improper expectations. Even with a well-done resume, often they are still not really prepared to launch an effective job search. They are ill advised on how to use their resume, and they are hoping against hope that all they have to do is throw their resume out there on Monster or TheLadders.com and the job of their dreams will fall into their lap. Unfortunately, it rarely works that way. A job search requires time, energy, and yes, even money. And you can waste all of those if you don't know how to conduct a good job search.

Here's my two cents:

1. Generally, I agree -- people usually don't have a plan. But even before that, they don't have the knowledge on how to conduct a proper job search. So most don't know the basics PLUS they don't have any sort of effective plan to make their search work if they did know the basics. As a result, many job searches flounder badly.

2. This begs the question "what are the basics?" Here's a quick list from me:

• Write a good resume that has a standard format and highlights your accomplishments. Then get your resume to everyone you know -- potential employers, friends, families, etc. Use your network!

• Once you get an interview, prepare for it so you can wow the interviewer and get an offer.

• After your interviews, follow-up with a thank you note. Yes, it can make a difference in your favor.

• Once you get a job offer, be sure to negotiate for the best salary you can. Simply taking a few extra minutes to raise your starting salary can pay off big. And be sure to consider total compensation, not just your starting salary.

• Once you get your new job, work towards being a successful employee. Once you establish your contributions to the company, you'll be in prime position to get a promotion or ask for a raise.

For more career-related tips, check out my pre-2008 career posts and my 2008 career posts. There are over 370 tips in these two categories -- plenty of suggestions for super-charging your career.

Four Tips for a Great Resume

Yahoo has four tips for a great resume as follows:

• Tailor your content to each opportunity. Whenever possible, integrate relevant keywords found in the job ad. Remember: The more closely your resume matches the prospective employer's qualifications, the better your odds of securing an interview.

• The most effective resumes are clear, concise and written in plain English. Cut to the chase and keep it simple by eliminating extraneous words and phrases.

• Don't give hiring managers any reason to question your professionalism or attention to detail. After going over your resume with a fine-tooth comb, solicit proofreading assistance from trusted friends and colleagues.

• Employers seek well-organized resumes that effectively summarize what professional qualifications you bring to the table. Delete personal information and non-work-related activities that have no bearing on your ability to perform the job.

I think these are pretty good resume suggestions. Here are a few more from me:

• Seven Tips for a Better Resume

• Four Ways to Improve Your Resume

• How to Make a Minor Accomplishment into a Major Resume Success

• You Need a Great Resume

• How Long Should a Resume Be?

• The Purposes of a Cover Letter, Resume, and Interview

• The One Question Your Resume Must Answer

Looking over these, there's a lot of duplication. Which leads me to believe that developing a good resume isn't that hard. Stick to the few tried-and-true tips that make a resume "good" in the eyes of most employers, and you'll do just fine getting those interviews lined up.

A Great Interview Tip

Here's a great interview tip from US News:

When preparing for an interview--make use of a voice recorder. It’s very easy. Enlist a spouse or friend to mock-interview you and tape your answers.

Why is this a great tip? Because you can listen to your responses and then refine them over and over again until your answer is perfect. In other words, an interview is a test you can study for, and in this case a voice recorder is a tool you can use to help you in your studies.

Personally, I go over my answers on paper first (I write out both the question and the answers) and get them to where I think they position my skills in the best possible light. Then I rehearse them verbally, make any adjustments as needed, and record the changes on paper. I then repeat the process until I have the answers fine-tuned and can then rattle them off without missing a beat. I've never used a voice recorder in this effort, but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea -- just means I have a different method.

Anyone out there ever use a voice recorder to rehearse for an interview? Or do you have any other interview tips the rest of us can use?

How to Super-Charge Your Career

Looking for an unusual opportunity that could potentially (quite likely even) rocket your career into the stratosphere? Then check out this offer from Seth Godin. It's unbelievable. (FYI, if you don't know who Seth is, here's an overview.)

I'm not at the point in my life where I can (or want to) take advantage of this sort of offer, but for those of you willing and able to do so, getting into this program could be a life changer. As such, I thought I'd let you all know about it.

How to Derail Your Job Search

Secrets of the Job Hunt list five job search mistakes, but I want to highlight the first one:

Overselling/Underselling. It is probably just as bad to oversell your qualities as it is to undersell them. The reason that either one occurs is because job seekers place all the emphasis on the product (themselves) and forget about the buyer (the potential employer) and the buyer’s needs. Big mistake!!

I've seen plenty of both. Those that try to oversell are usually weeded out either in the resume review process or by an initial phone interview most of the time, so they really aren't that much of an issue. What I see more of are people who undersell their abilities. How do they do this? Here are several ways people make mistakes in the hiring process and leave potential employers questioning their skills and abilities:

1. They stumble through the job hunting process, often looking unprofessional, because they don't know how the game is played and the purpose of each phase in the search.

2. Their resume is weak and not filled with accomplishments.

3. Their interview is underwhelming because they haven't prepared adequately for it. (And this is such an easy problem to overcome.)

4. They talk too much in the interview.

5. They don't dress appropriately.

6. They choose weak references.

7. They give up when they think they have a job in the bag.

Yes, I realize that not all of these reflect people actually underselling their abilities directly, but many of them put a question in the potential employer's mind that makes him think "maybe this person isn't up to the task I have for them."

Also, I listed on a few of these -- there are actually many more ways to screw up a job search process and not present yourself in the best light. If you'd like some thoughts on how to make the most of your career, check out my career posts for this year -- there's lots of good stuff to review and implement.

Dirty Jobs that Pay Well

Yahoo has a list of dirty jobs that pay well including the following:

• Veterinarian -- Median annual salary*: $73,621
• Waste Management Engineer -- Median annual salary: $67,249
• Trauma Surgeon -- Median annual salary: $273,160
• Coroner -- Median annual salary: $52,072
• Certified Nurse Midwife -- Median annual salary: $81,015
• Podiatrist -- Median annual salary: $118,665
• Oil Drill Worker -- Median annual salary: $55,806
• Gastroenterologist -- Median annual salary: $239,622

BTW, you don't get these salaries overnight. Here's what the "*" above links to:

*Median annual salary numbers are for people with 10-19 years of work experience in the specified field.

Holy cow, with 10-19 years of work experience, you can make these salaries (or even more) in a lot of different fields. In other words, you don't have to go "dirty" if you don't want to.

That said, here are some thoughts I have on the list:

1. I'm surprised that veterinarians don't make more. I would have put them in the "over $100k" group easily.

2. Medical personnel make good coin, huh? Yeah, but are the hours, frustrations, and "mess" worth it? Not for me. Maybe being a podiatrist would be ok.

3. 10-19 years of experience and coroners and oil drill workers are still making in the $50's. Yikes! Sounds like those jobs don't "pay well" at all.

How to Make Your Performance Review a Success

Yahoo lists five ways to make your performance review discussion a success as follows:

• Ask questions -- Always press for details, says Gail Ginder, an executive coach with the Claros Group.
• Tell your story -- If you disagree with your boss' assessment of your performance, ask if you can tell your side of the story.
• Play it by ear -- It's generally a good idea to discuss your future with your boss at your review. But if you're blindsided by criticism of your performance, it may be better to save that for another day.
• Don't sweat the small stuff -- You don't have to explain or discuss every minor improvement your boss thinks you could make.
• Follow up -- If you are surprised by a negative review and want some time to reflect before discussing it, ask your boss for more time. "Your boss knew it was coming," Civitelli said. "You may have to say, 'I need some time to think about these things.'"

Ok, broken record time for me.

If you have managed your career/boss correctly prior to the review, then there shouldn't be any surprises when you meet with your boss -- it should simply be a more formal part of an on-going conversation you're having with him/her about the expectations for your position, how you're doing against them, etc.

Prior to my annual reviews, I usually list my accomplishments (making them as quantifiable as possible) next to my goals for the year. I then send my boss a copy a few days before the review so he can see it as well.

That's how I usually do it. This year he had to move the review up a week at the last moment, so I didn't get to send him my thoughts in advance (I had been working on them but thought I had a couple more days.) But his review caught them all anyway. I guess he's reading those weekly updates. ;-)

How to Prepare for a Performance Review

Yahoo lists four steps you need to take to prepare for a performance review as follows:

• Assess what you already know.
• Dust off your previous review.
• Learn how your company works.
• Make your case in writing.

In particular, I think their most valuable information is found as part of point #1. They say:

Ideally, you should be checking in regularly with your boss to make sure you're doing what's expected.

"The performance evaluation process should start the day you're hired," said Janet Scarborough Civitelli, founder and president of Bridgeway Career Development. "There should not be any big surprises during the actual review."

Exactly. The best way to prepare for a performance review is to be over-performing versus the expectations for your job. And the first step in doing this is to know what the expectations are. I detailed my thoughts on this in an earlier post and you may want to check it out. It's a tried and true method for getting you a raise, promotion, or a good performance review.

Reminder: EVERY Question from a Potential Employer is Part of the Hiring Process

US News tells this story to illustrate a key point about the hiring process:

We want to find people who want to learn sales to make it a career. We invest a lot in time and money in their training, so we do not want to have people here who don't want the job.

We always ask...in a very casual, offhand manner..."What do you really want to do?"

Keep in mind we are hiring sales reps, we are not hiring marketing reps or advertising people. Yet some of the applicants say something like, "I really want to find a marketing job." Why would we hire someone who doesn't want THIS job? The right answer to us is, "I want to work here in sales." Simple. The best answer is "Sales!" and double the points if the candidate has a look of amazement that we would even have to ask.

My advice is to think first before you speak. Even the most innocent-sounding question can trip you up.

Good, good reminder -- NEVER let your guard down in an interview, phone call, dinner or lunch out during the hiring process, etc. As they say on all those cop shows, "everything you say can and will be used against you." So think before you speak and be sure to give the "right " response to the questioner. (And if the "right" response is not what they want to hear, that's a good sign you're not interviewing with the right company/for the right job.)

Even better -- rehearse what you want to say to all potential questions.

Do You Give Your Boss a Christmas/Holiday Present?

Here's part of a comment a reader left on my post titled Holiday Tipping Overview:

How about bosses? Does anyone get presents for their boss?

For me, it really depends on the relationship I have with my boss. In the past I've purchased nice presents for some bosses while getting nothing for others. My current boss (and the owners of the company for that matter) is a friend as well as my boss, so I get him something small like a book, some baked goods, or something similar. Again, for me my relationship with my boss determines not only if I get a gift, but what kind I get. And I don't give to win "brownie points" because I don't think that would work anyway. Maybe you disagree.

So, let us all know what you do for your boss during the holidays as well as why you do it. Should be a fun conversation.

How to Answer the "Do You Have Any Questions for Me?" Question

U.S. News gives their opinion on how to answer the dreaded "do you have any questions for me?" interview question:

What the question (often) really means is: "Do you have any simple questions that I can easily answer and which will not make me reconsider my tentative decision to offer you the job?"

Because of this, the applicant should avoid asking:

• "What is the benefits package?"
• "How much vacation time would I get the first year?"
• "To whom do you report?"
• "How do you like working here?"

I agree with the first of these three, but I've used something similar to the last question with no problems at all. I say something like, "This seems like a really great place to work to me because (fill in the blank.) Is that the same reason you like working here or are there other reasons you enjoy it?"

I've used two other questions in the past:

• "What tasks will it be important for someone in this position to complete successfully?" I ask this if the subject didn't come up during the interview. Then, once they tell me, I say something like, "That's great. I think I'll be able to do those successfully just like I did when I (fill in the blank from past job -- I detail a similar experience and list my quantifiable accomplishments.)

• "Is there anything about me that makes you think I'm not the best person for this position?" If they list anything, I say something like, "I understand how you can think that. I didn't have the chance to share (successful experience from pervious job) with you." Then I proceed to answer their concerns citing past job successes in the areas they think I'm lacking.

In other words, I use the questions as springboards to keep selling myself, my skills, etc. Of course, I've rehearsed all of these answers before to the interview, so they slide off my tongue with ease. It looks like I'm speaking off-the-cuff, but I'm not really, which leaves a good impression with the interviewer.

How about you? How do you respond to the "do you have any questions for me?" question?

Get Hired Like Obama

US News writes a piece on what Obama can teach you about getting hired. Their three key points are:

• People hire people they like.
• People hire people who show they really want the job.
• People hire people they believe in.

I'd have to agree with this list in general. A few specific thoughts:

1. I agree that you need to be likeable, but I think it only goes so far. You also have to meet a minimum level of performance. I've seen a TON of "nice guys" fired because they were incompetent.

2. You need to show an interviewer that you want their job without going overboard. If you seem too desperate/over-the-top in your enthusiasm, it can turn some people off. That said, it's better to be over-the-top in wanting the job than having an I-could-care-less attitude.

3. Why do people "believe" in certain job candidates? Because those people have proven accomplishments in other jobs that show they'll likely be successful in the new job. If you want some additional thoughts along this line of thinking, check out How to Make a Minor Accomplishment into a Major Resume Success, How to Demonstrate that You Deserve a Raise, and Grow Your Career by Promoting Your Work.

How to Make the Most of Your Work Week

Yahoo lists thoughts on how to make the most of your workweek as follows:

• Make a plan on Monday. Take some time to develop a to-do list and prioritize your projects for the days ahead.

• Time to get movin' on Tuesday. This day provides you with an opportunity to focus your efforts and establish momentum for the rest of your week.

• Reassess your week on Wednesday. Think about what you can reasonably accomplish the rest of the week.

• Think about a break on Thursday. Use Thursday as a day to reward yourself for your hard work throughout the week and to prepare for the final pre-weekend push.

• Be flexible on Friday. As much as possible, try to pad your week's schedule so you have the flexibility on Friday to wrap up tasks you weren't able to accomplish during the week.

Here's how my week usually goes:

• I prepare each night for the next day. (Yes, this means the "work week" begins Sunday night.) It takes me maybe 10 minutes working on my Blackberry to review tasks for the next day and set priorities. I usually do it at "down" times anyway -- like during the commercial break of a TV show -- so it's no big deal.

• I try to get as much done as early in the week as possible. Monday through Wednesday are my peak days (or at least I strive for this.)

• Thursday is mostly clean-up. This day I take care of things I wanted to get done this week but didn't get to.

• Friday is the most casual day. I tend to do small but necessary tasks on Friday. I knock a lot of things off my list (including my weekly update) and have a good sense of accomplishment heading into the weekend.

How about you? Do you have any work-related specific plans set around certain days of the week?

Seven Tips for a Better Resume

Yahoo lists seven tips for a better resume as follows:

1. Select the best format.
2. Make certain your document is error free.
3. Find a balance between wordiness and lack of detail.
4. Do not use personal pronouns.
5. Use numerical symbols for numbers.
6. Think "accomplishments" rather than "job duties."
7. Keep it positive.

Some of these are no-brainers, and I'll note that in my thoughts/comments. Here goes:

1. I prefer a "plain" resume on white paper. To me, creative resumes aren't worth the risk.

2. Of course. If your resume is full of errors, the employer is likely to think your work will be sloppy as well.

3. There's a debate over how long a resume should be. I have been working for almost 20 years and I have a two-page resume. I can't see needing more than that even 10 years from now.

4. I don't like these either. Using them means you're either talking too much about "me" and/or it looks like you're bragging. Write the resume as a third-person observer who's just stating the facts and it will come across as unbiased and clean.

5. I agree. Not much else to say.

6. Yes, I LOVE accomplishments (and so do employers -- especially quantifiable accomplishments.) Using them is a KEY part of writing a winning resume.

7. This is also point #5 on my five steps to getting a raise.

Final thought: you may want to check out Four Ways to Improve Your Resume for additional information on this topic.

The Ten Happiest Occupations in America

Yahoo lists the 10 happiest occupations in America as follows:

1. Clergy
2. Firefighters
3. Transportation, ticket, and reservation agents such as travel agents
4. Architects
5. Special education teachers
6. Actors and directors
7. Science technicians
8. Miscellaneous mechanical and repairing occupations
9. Industrial engineers
10. Airline pilots and navigators

They tried to determine what made people in these occupations happier than most, but there's no clear-cut answer. Anyone out there want to venture a guess why people in these occupations are happier? Or maybe you're in one of them and can tell us first-hand what makes these so great.

Personally, I'm VERY happy in my job, though it's not on this list. My reasons for being happy:

• Good people to work with
• Challenging work
• Believe in the company mission
• Good compensation
• Controlled work hours (no longer working 55+ hours per week)

How about you? Do you like your job? Why or why not?

The Biggest Raise You'll Ever Get

I found this piece from Money magazine (and its funny title) to be quite an interesting take on a personal finance issue. So what do they say is the biggest raise you'll ever get? The summary:

The oldest of my three children started college this year, prompting me to flash forward to the day when my kids have all left home and the expenses of child rearing - from piano lessons to orthodontics, summer camp to undergrad tuition - are firmly behind me.

Yes, this time of life may be bittersweet. Reduced expenses will come with the emotional baggage of living in an empty nest and experiencing a few more aches and pains from aging. Financially, though, this turning point may amount to the biggest pay raise you or I will ever get.

Yes, kids are expensive and once they are off and on their own, it IS likely that your finances will be in a position to improve greatly. It's a wonderful time to kick the pay off all debt/save more/invest more plans into hyper-drive.

Then again, you don't need to wait so long to get a raise. Instead, plan to ask for raises at work on a regular basis. And when should you ask? When you can show that you deserve a raise.

How to Ace Your Performance Review

The end of year is the time when many of us will get our annual performance reviews. And whether you're looking to do so well that you'll get a raise/promotion or you simply want to hold on to your job in a tough economy, The Wall Street Journal says you need to prepare now to ace your performance review. Here's their list of what you should do:

• Know what's expected. A month or two before the meeting, review the goals that were set for you in your last performance evaluation.

• Do a self-assessment. Take an objective look at your performance to determine whether you're on track to meet your goals, Ms. Smart says.

• Document your successes. Craft a summary of your accomplishments from throughout the year to help refresh your boss's memory.

• Find out how to excel. You should be vigilant all year about asking your boss how you can go above and beyond what's expected.

• Prepare a career wish list. "Many people think of the performance review just as a backward reflection," says Dr. Peterson. "But it's an ideal opportunity to look forward as well."

I agree that you want to prepare for your review to be the best it can be, but if you've waited until now to do these tasks, you're well behind the curve. What would I suggest? I'd recommend that you follow the five steps I highlighted in How to Demonstrate that You Deserve a Raise. These are not only good at getting you a raise, but also are winners in helping you perform well in your job and, finally, get great performance reviews.

Two Ways Women Can Make More Money -- Wear Skirts and Make-up

Ok, I know I could get some flack for this post, but the concept was so compelling that I wanted to look into it. The issues started when I recently had this comment left on my post titled Is Your Image at Work Killing Your Career?:

I've also seen studies that, if you're a woman, wearing a skirt will make you 85% more successful. I know that's hard to do in the dead of winter, but I've used it to my advantage on days that I knew would be tough. Also, women who do their hair and makeup well make 20% more than women who don't. I noticed after I started wearing makeup every day that my raises got bigger. I figure the extra minute it takes to put on lipstick and mascara are well worth the extra percentage or two I'm making over my peers.

Hmmmm. Makes sense that this could be the case. But is it true?

So I went a-Googling, and couldn't find anything on the skirt/success stat. (If any of you find anything, post it in the comments below.) But I did find several articles on the makeup/career connection. I'll share two of them with you. Here's a summary of the first:

It is a fact that women who wear make-up in business generally get better jobs, get promoted more quickly and get paid more. Whether we like it or not, we live in a very visual world and we get judged on appearances.

In fact, in a survey, 64 percent of directors said that women who wore make-up look more professional and 18 percent of directors said that women who do not wear make-up “look like they can’t be bothered to make an effort”. 

Overall, remember the way that you dress is the packaging of your personal brand; whether you like it or not, you will be judged on your appearance.

Here's the second one:

“Research shows that about 55% of your credibility comes from how you look,” writes Frankel in Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers. “How you sound accounts for an additional 38%. Only 7% of your credibility is based on what you say.”

Wear the appropriate amount of makeup. “I once asked the boss of a woman scientist for feedback about what she could do to overcome existing barriers to promotion,” writes Frankel in Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. “He explained for her staff.” When Frankel pressed him - he looked like he had something else to say - he sheepishly said, “Maybe she could start wearing makeup.”

Remember that short hair looks more professional. Knowing what to wear to work includes choosing a hairstyle that complements your image. “Typically, your hair should get increasingly shorter as you get older and go higher on the corporate ladder,” writes Frankel. “Not only is shorter hair more professional, but longer hair tends to emphasize facial features of which we may be less proud as we age.”

I think that though most of us don't like it, it's generally accepted that the way people look impacts their career (the better looking, taller, etc. you are, the better.) And if something like wearing a skirt and/or makeup makes someone "look better", then it follows that doing so will positively influence their career (and thus their pay). I'm not saying it's right -- I'm just saying that's the way it is. You can go with the flow or against it, it's up to you, but as the commenter said, seems like an easy way to earn a good amount more than co-workers.

P.S. After I wrote this piece (about a week ago), I found this piece from MSNBC:

Women running for top offices need to appear competent and attractive, according to a new study. For male candidates, seeming competent may be enough.

It's a finding that could help justify heavy spending on makeup and wardrobe for Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, while at the same time raising questions about the need for a man like John Edwards to invest in a costly haircut.

Seems like there's a trend here, huh?

Counteroffers Rarely Work Out

So let's say you get a job offer from another company and you either 1. ask your current company to make a counteroffer or 2. you tell your current company and they make you a counteroffer. What do you do? Well unless there are VERY SPECIAL circumstances, don't accept it. Why? Because it hardly ever works out. Here's what the Wall Street Journal says about asking your company to make you a counteroffer:

Still, "counteroffers rarely work as they often make the company feel like they have been held hostage," says Jo Bennett, a partner with Battalia Winston, an executive search firm. The best strategy would have been for you to make up your mind and decide what you wanted to do first, then approach your firm.

And even when you announce that you're leaving and they make the counteroffer on their own initiative, it still usually doesn't work out. According to this site:

Over 85 percent of employees who accept a counteroffer leave their company within a year.

And here's why:

Companies hate being fired by you. A counteroffer is a way to keep you around temporarily until they can prepare to replace you when you ultimately do leave. One executive shares this story about counteroffers:

The senior partner cites a long conference he once attended with his boss and two subordinate managers, in which they approved a counteroffer and raise to an employee two levels down. “Immediately after that meeting, my boss called me and said, ‘We can’t afford to lose him now, but our No. 1 priority is to find a replacement, ASAP!’ he says…And we replaced him within a few months.”

And there is the sober truth: counteroffers are made primarily for the company’s profit. If you stay on, your loyalty will probably be under suspicion. Other employees may be jealous of you. And you might realize that money was not the real reason you wanted to leave.

I've been in the workforce for 20 years now (yes, it pains me to say that) and I can say this is absolutely true. I have NEVER seen a counteroffer work out -- either the company starts planning to get rid of the employee (as noted above) or the employee leaves anyway because the reasons he wanted to move in the first place (like the job stinks) still exist.

I searched the web and found a few more resources for you to read just in case you aren't convinced:

• Here’s a collection of interesting articles on why accepting counteroffers is a bad idea (though the site design is hideous).

• More on why you shouldn't take a counteroffer.

• When it's a good idea to take a counteroffer, though they do admit:

"Nine out of 10 times, counteroffers end up being the departure platform," says Mark Lonergan, managing partner with Lonergan Richards, a Redwood City, Calif., search firm. "The people who accept find they lost points around trust, and it's more difficult to get their jobs done, because they're no longer considered part of the team."

In other words, accept a counteroffer at your own risk.

I'm sure some of you have had counteroffers (and maybe some even took them and they worked out.) I'd be interested in hearing your stories.

One Key to a Great Phone Interview

This post lists five keys to a great phone interview, but here's the one I like the best by far:

Stand up and walk around as you talk - funny how this works but you tend to sound more authoritative and strong when you are doing something vs. sitting at a desk or on a couch playing with a button on a seat cushion.

This does work! It is strange how simply walking around does that, but I can hear the difference in my own voice. For some reason I'm just full of more energy when I'm walking around doing a phone interview -- and that comes through in my voice (which is a positive factor in the interview.) This is now standard operating procedure for me with any sort of phone interview -- get up and walk around.

How about you? Anyone out there have any other tips for having a great phone interview?

Seven Tips for Salary Negotiations in Tough Economic Times

Here's a list of seven tips for salary negotiations in tough economic times along with my thoughts on each of them:

1. Don't assume pay and benefits aren't negotiable. More than 80 percent of employers expect some form of negotiation for pay, benefits, perks, work schedules, work locations and so on.

Generally, many benefits (at least the important ones) are more fixed than the other options. For instance, medical and 401k plans are often set in stone, with little room for negotiation. That said, employers can be flexible in most other areas.

2. Do know your worth.

Of course. It's hard to get what you should if you don't know what that number is.

3. Don't negotiate for just more money. Sometimes a company can't give you more money. In that case, negotiate for things that translate into money or make your life easier, such as extra vacation time, educational reimbursements or travel allowances.

These especially work if they don't cost the employer anything. For instance, a couple extra days of vacation has no real cost on an organization -- as long as you get your work done anyway.

4. Do time the negotiation right.

I've found that the "right time" also includes 1. When you have a competing job offer, 2. When you've just completed a major deal/project and/or gotten a big-time award, and 3. When your skills are especially in demand.

5. Don't give up too quickly.

Yes, but don't be too pushy either. As long as you conduct your negotiations with the right spirit -- one of cooperation and wanting to reach a mutually acceptable agreement -- you should be fine.

6. Do know how to support your request for higher pay. Present concrete and measurable examples of how you will increase your value by doing more than just your job, making the company money, saving the company money and time, or solving problems on the job.

I'll reinforce the tips on showing how you can make or save money for a company. Being able to show these will demonstrate that hiring you (and paying you more) will be worth the investment.

7. Don't say yes too quickly. The longer that an interviewer talks to you, the more likely you'll be to negotiate better compensation.

In addition, the longer you go back and forth, the more the company has invested in you (and the more they want the deal to go through.) Of course, you'll have more invested with them as well.

Anyone have any other tips to add to these?

Career Tips We Can All Use

Yahoo's 5 Salary Secrets Your Company Won't Tell You offers some good tips on how to manage your career (hidden amid a piece on "salary secrets".) Here's what I found especially useful as well as my comments on each of their thoughts:

For most companies, 3.9% is the average budget increase for salaries.

Ok, this one is not really a great career tip, but I'm doing these in order they appear in the piece and this one is the first I wanted to note. I was actually surprised that this number was this high -- and I'm guessing that it will go lower in the next year or so as the bad economy impacts all types of organizations. The "good old days" of a 3.9% raise may be gone for awhile.

Using a spreadsheet or a special email folder, keep track of your accomplishments as they happen, so when the time comes, you have a strong case for a raise.

Accomplishments that show you've either saved the company money or earned the company money are the best ones to highlight, especially if you can specify an exact figure. If that's not possible (which is the case for most employees), take note of any extraordinary praise you received from managers or fellow coworkers, any special thanks from clients, and any other ways that demonstrated you went above and beyond your normal job duties.

This is EXCELLENT advice and very similar to what I suggested in How to Ask for a Raise and Grow Your Career by Promoting Your Work. If you want to get better-than-average raises, you not only need to do a better-than-average job, but you need to document your successes and let those who control salary decisions know about your accomplishments.

Threatening to quit can result in a big wage increase (but it's risky).

If you're hoping for a big raise, or were disappointed by a recent raise, you may want to start job searching. For most people, the biggest salary jumps they have in their careers occur when they get a new job or threaten to quit because of a tantalizing job offer.

Sometimes, telling your current employer about your new gig can be a potent bargaining chip -- they may be willing to match the new offer just to keep you. But not always, as Mazin points out, so don't let your plan backfire. Make sure you really want that new job -- and are ready to quit your current one -- before threatening to quit.

Yes, it's true that:

• Moving from company to company can result in big raises at each stop.

• If you're in a vital role and are a good performer, you can threaten to leave and probably get a decent raise.

But, you need to know that:

• Once you threaten to quit, you may never be thought of as "part of the team" ever again. You may be seen as someone who puts himself ahead of the company (don't we all -- but you don't want to be seen that way) and they may remember that when times are different and your negotiating power isn't as strong.

• They may call your bluff and tell you to get lost. As the piece says, you really do need to have another job and be prepared to leave.

Personally, I've never threatened to leave (never needed to) and even when I've quit jobs I've never accepted an offer to stay (and I've had them.) For me it's more about moving on with and advancing my career and an extra $3k to stay at a job that was going nowhere just wasn't worth it.

Who's the First to Be Fired?

With the economy on life support, CNN Money asks which employees will be the first to be let go in any downsizing. Their conclusion? Those employees who perform poorly, have high salaries, and aren't vital to the business. A few key quotes:

• When a workforce must be cut, "employers need to keep their best talent," Challenger said. "You want to keep the people that you think are your A-players."

• "When companies cut back, they certainly look hard at people at the high end of the salary range," Challenger said.

• Employers will also take a hard look at each division or department, to find areas that can be cut without sacrificing successful business operations.

I've been part of a few "down-sizings" or "right-sizings" if you prefer, and this list is pretty spot on based on my experience. If your job contributes to the company in a vital way and you're a good performer, you probably won't have any trouble keeping your job no matter what your salary. Now if you're in a department that's not really that important and/or you're not the greatest employee, it could be time to think about Plan B -- especially if you have a high salary.

There are exceptions, of course. If your company is in trouble and in danger of going under, then no one's really safe. Then again, maybe you're in an industry that's actually thriving these days. For instance, I've seen reports that say grocery stores are doing well as people are eating at home more often, so those in that industry might actually thrive in these tough times.

Six Alternatives to a Pay Increase

No news flash here, but with the economy in such turmoil, it's likely that raises this year will be small at best. That's why Yahoo's article on the six alternatives to a pay increase caught my attention. Their list:

• A More Flexible Schedule
• Wellness Benefits
• Additional Vacation
• Job Training Reimbursement
• Professional/Trade Association Membership Reimbursement
• An Additional Insurance Benefit

If I had to pick from these, I'd take either a more flexible schedule (maybe working four longer days per week and having three days off) or additional vacation time.

How about you? Any of these look good or would there be something else you'd prefer?

A Friend as a Boss

Ever have a friend as a boss? I don't mean being friendly with the boss, I'm talking about the scenario where you and a friend are at similar levels in the company, then he gets promoted and becomes your boss. Ever have that happen to you? How did you handle it?

Several years ago I had a friend who was at the same level as me. I then moved to a different division and he moved up a notch. A year or so later I moved back to the original division and my friend was now my boss.

I must admit that it was awkward for me at first. We had always been buddies, working together in the trenches, swapping stories about the execs/bosses, and having a great time (and yes, goofing off now and then.) But now he was my boss. He was "them", not part of "us".

But it only took a couple of months until things fell into place, mostly because he was one of the coolest bosses I ever had -- so easy to work for. I eventually came to appreciate him as my boss (versus appreciating him as my friend) and we had several good years together before I left the company. That said, our friendship was never the same -- not the way it had been.

How about you -- have you ever had a friend as a boss? How did you handle it?

How Do You Select Job References?

After our discussion about how to handle a bad job reference, I thought it was worth talking about how we each select our references. I'll share what I do and you can add your thoughts in the comments.

My method:

1. I first list people I think will give me very positive reviews. I consider past bosses, current and past co-workers inside the company, and contacts outside the company that can speak to my skills and experience.

2. I narrow the list down to three to five people that I think will give the best reviews. I am sure to have at least one past boss in the group as I think companies expect/want that (and that's about all I have contact with -- I'm not even sure where to contact some of my former bosses). The others are usually mostly peers who know my work well.

3. I ask each person for a reference before sending their contact information to the company. It's a common courtesy and let's them know that they may be called (so hopefully they'll be prepared.)

4. I'm sure to ask them if they can give me a GOOD review. Based on who I'm asking, most will commit to this. If someone didn't, I wouldn't list them as a reference.

5. I submit the list of references to the company.

6. After I get the job (or even if it doesn't work out for some reason), I'm sure to send them a note of thanks -- or stop by their offices and thank them in person if I currently work with them.

That's how I select my references. How do you do it?

Is It Standard Procedure to Ask for More If Offered a Job?

In Bankrate's list of 10 ways to land the job you want, I found this listed as part of #10 (negotiate your salary):

"You have to at least ask (for more money)," says Levit. "(Once you accept a position), you may have lost the opportunity to ask for at least a year. It's better to get that money (now). Even in this market, definitely ask. Things are negotiable."

I've said before that a high starting salary is worth a ton of money and is one part of two factors that combine to maximize pay levels. But is it given that you have to at least ask for more money? Is that mandatory nowadays? It's an interesting question.

In almost every job change I've ever had, I've asked for more pay. Most said "yes" (with a counter-offer), one said "no" flat out, and one tried to convince me how their lower offer was actually more (no, I didn't go to work for them -- that experience alone was enough to show me that it wasn't the place for me to work.) So I guess, for me, asking for more money after getting an initial offer is standard operating procedure. How about for you?

One Interview Killer

US News lists one way to destroy an interview as follows:

There is one big thing you can do to destroy your job interview. You can talk too much.

It's a real interview killer. Babbling turns off hiring managers! It gives them less time to get through their lists of questions. It makes them wonder what it would be like to work with you all day. It dilutes your message. Worse, you risk boring your interviewer.

Remember: Every word you say in a job interview should display your competence, experience, intelligence, and maturity. Also, sanity.

Very, very true. I've had several times in my life, career, etc. where I've talked way too much and looked like a fool. If I'd simply kept my big mouth shut I would have been fine.

So, how do you avoid talking too much and only sound competent in an interview? Simple: you practice for it.

I'm going to look through some of my old interview questions and answers (yes, I put them to paper and then practiced them) to see if they're worth printing here. If so, I'll share the interview questions I prepared and how I answered them.

Keys to a Great Work-Life Balance and Freeing Up Time

US News lists eight secrets to work-life success. Here's the one I like the best:

Prune constantly: Think of yourself as a gardener. "A rosebush produces more buds than it can feed," Cloud says. Gardeners prune the buds that aren't vital. Successful people constantly reassess their schedules and cut down on nonvital activities. They also may need to prune some relationships.

Successful balancers tend to set aside chunks of time at regular intervals for in-depth examinations of their life, goals, and plans, so that they have a plan that reflects their existing priorities, Cloud says.

I guess I particularly like this one because I grow roses. ;-)

Seriously, about a year ago I took a major look at how my time was being spent, and I did some pruning to make myself less busy. Here's what I did to free up some time in my schedule so I could enjoy life a bit more:

1. I eliminated most of the magazines I subscribed to. At one point, I had 12 monthly magazines coming my way. Even though several of them were free, they were still a big time hog, and I got rid of all but four of them. After January, I'll be down to three.

2. My wife and I decided on the "one kid, one activity" rule. Our kids are in one sport or activity at a time. If my son decides he wants to play basketball, then he gives up the winter swim team. If my daughter takes a crafts class, she picks it over gymnastics or dance. We were never really the type of family that did 15 things at once, but even two at a time for each child was too much.

3. I volunteered less and deeper. I was involved with several charities, volunteering my time in different ways. I phased out of all of my commitments except one and have focused more time and energy on that one. There are a lot of great causes out there, but I can't be part of all of them or I'm not really effective for any of them. That's why I'm now involved with a single charity from a volunteer standpoint.

4. Less TV. The biggest time-sucker of all. Yeah, we seem to get involved in one "series" per year (we just finished America's Got Talent), but we rarely have the TV on in the evenings and, miracle of all miracles, I'm even watching less football this year. I'm CONSIDERING not even hooking up our TV in our new house for anything other than video games and DVDs.

That's how I found a ton of time. I realize this is more about pruning on my personal side of life (versus trying to get a better balance with work associated issues), but I've found that freeing up my personal time has helped me be more at peace in general, which has helped me feel better about work and non-work activities.

How about you? Do you have any tips on how to free up time either at work or in your personal life?

How to Succeed at Your Job

Kiplinger's calls this piece "how to hold on to your current job" but to me it's more of a list on how to succeed at any job. Their suggestions:

1. Find out if you're as good as you think -- get a 360-degree evaluation.
2. Be as much a profit source as possible.
3. Be indispensable.
4. Do things to make your boss look good.
5. Hitch yourself to a star.
6. Become beloved.
7. Don't be expensive.

In particular, I liked what they had to say on point #3:

Ways to be indispensable: become an expert at something critical to the organization. Sure it can be something obvious like being the guru on the new software your employer just bought, but it can be more subtle. One of my clients is a middle manager in a government agency in which there is ongoing racial strife. She became the bridge-builder between the feuding factions, making her indispensable.

This is a pretty good list not just to keep your job in tough times, but to get ahead and get a raise in good times. Do these seven things and it's likely you'll be able to ask for a raise and get it!

For more on making the most of your career, check out these posts:

• Six Ways to Invest in Your Career

• Five Keys to Increasing Your Pay

• How to Hunt for a Job Without Letting Your Current Employer Know You're Doing So

More on the "Weakness" Question

I've talked a few times about the "weakness" question in an interview (for reference, see What are your greatest weaknesses?, How to Answer Tricky Interview Questions, Part 4 and How to Handle the "Weakness" Question in a Job Interview). You know, it's when the interviewer asks, "What's your biggest weakness?" Yahoo recently asked several recruiters about their take on the question and here's what the four recruiters had to say:

• I recommend that job candidates be upfront during interviews. Don't say you have "no weaknesses" or "work too hard." Instead, tell hiring managers what you are working on improving and what you've done to build your skills in these areas.

• First, make sure you truly understand the job duties before the interview starts. Match the job duties with your strengths. What is a strength you have that someone may consider as a weakness?

• The importance of this question is often not the candidate's answer per se, but whether or not the candidate's references respond in a similar manner. In short, it is a way for employers to assess the candidate's awareness of his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

• We advise our candidates to be honest and focus on a weakness that is not one of the top three qualities required for the job. Also, be sure to describe how you've already taken steps and made strides in strengthening this skill, showing your ability and desire to constantly learn and grow.

Bing, bing, bing -- we have a winner! Response #2 is the one I like best and the strategy I use personally. It seems to work -- no one's ever "called" me on it. Of course I word it in a way not to be blatant about what I'm doing (which is a combination of side-stepping the question and not really answering it.) How do I deliver such an answer smoothly? I prepare for it in advance and practice my response.

I could also go for #4 and agree that it can be useful as well.

#3 is a waste, really. Who's going to give a reference that will name any major weakness anyway? Not me.

What's your take on this question?

Don't Stop Looking for a Job Just Because the Interview Went Well

US News has a post on how to play the post-interview waiting game -- that time between having the interview and actually hearing back from the company on what they think. The piece has lots of great advice overall, but I think this part is especially important:

And whatever you do, don't let up on your job search, no matter how confident you are that an offer is coming. Things change; other candidates come along; plans for the position evolve or even get canceled. Until you have a firm offer in hand, you have to proceed as if you don't, since ultimately you can control only your side of the process—so keep setting up those other interviews.

I've had a few interviews (early in my career) where I thought I aced it and had an offer in the bad. The company was very encouraging and said they'd get back to me soon. Then a couple days went by, then a week. Was I ever going to hear from them? Did they change their minds about me? What's going on anyway?

Now that I've been on the other end of the interviewing table, I can see all the factors that might cause a delay: an internal candidate pops up, they're waiting to see other interviewees who are scheduled, the position is on hold, they need the final approval of HR/management/a boss and on and on.

Whenever I've ever had a candidate that I've liked and the process has dragged on past his/her interview, I always shoot them an email or call them so they know what's going on. But not all interviewers do this. In fact, many don't do this. So, as the piece says, feel free to contact them and ask for an update. As long as you're friendly, that shouldn't be a problem.

But back to the key point -- DO NOT stop your job search no matter how much you think the company loves you after the interview. Things happen and what seems like a sure thing one day vanishes the next day. Keep looking, keep interviewing, keep searching -- until you get a written offer. At that time, you can change your focus a bit to determining if you want the position and negotiating a great salary.

For more career-related tips, see these posts:

• Good Example of How to Handle Salary Negotiations

• Four Ways to Improve Your Resume

• A Better Way to Get the Salary You Want

Also Ask for More Money

In my all about asking post this morning, there was this comment that I wanted to be sure you all saw:

I'm looking for a job and I received a verbal offer that I am seriously considering. I asked my potential future boss if he'd throw in a signing bonus, understanding that this would be at his discretion. He ended up adding a signing bonus of $20,000. Not bad for 5 minutes of work.

The funny thing was that it was just an impulsive ask. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I suppose.

Holy cow, I suppose so! Not only is asking for a discount a good idea, but it never hurts when you're negotiating a salary either (as long as you do it in a kind, respectful manner.) The worst they can say is "no", but you never know -- maybe they'll come back with a $20,000 bonus!

How to Cope with Being Laid Off

Smart Money lists some ideas on how to cope with being laid off. Their suggestions:

Negotiate severance. The good news: Employees with a stellar track record can negotiate a better deal. Also, make sure to have any unused vacation days tacked onto your final paycheck.

File for unemployment benefits right away. Even if you're receiving severance, you're still entitled to unemployment benefits. Be sure to file for benefits right away because it usually takes a few weeks for the first check to arrive.

Seek affordable health coverage. If you can't sign onto a spouse's employer-sponsored health plan, consider either extending your previous coverage through COBRA or buying an individual policy.

Don't panic. Resist the temptation to tap your 401(k) or charge everything on your credit card.

Seek job-hunting help. State and local governments offer free job training and search assistance at so-called one-stop career centers.

Decent suggestions, but here's my one bit of advice on how to cope with being laid off: start preparing now.

Yep, if you start preparing for being laid off when you still have a job, you'll be much more ready and able to survive a lay off. So what should you do now to prepare? Take these steps:

1. Start an emergency fund and save at least six months worth of living expenses. If you're laid off, you'll then have this money plus severance plus unemployment -- which should give you plenty of time to find a new job.

2. Develop efforts that make money for you on the side. This way, if you lose your job, you'll have at least something flowing in. Combined with the funds in #1, this should give you a great cushion.

3. Network. The most-likely way to find and get a job is through your network. Develop it now and you'll have a great resource for helping you find a new position.

What to Do About a Bad Reference

Anyone out there had a boss who would give you a less than stellar reference? If so, US News has some suggestions on how to handle the situation as follows:

Call your old boss and ask if she'd be willing to reach an agreement with you on what she'll say to future reference calls. It's at least worth a shot—the worst that can happen is that she'll say no.

If you think the reference your boss is providing is factually inaccurate, skip her and go straight to your old company's HR department. Explain that your boss is giving an inaccurate reference for you and that you are concerned she is standing in the way of you obtaining employment.

If all else fails, you may need to simply warn prospective new employers that the reference won't be a good one. And you do want to give this warning, because it allows you to provide context and framing for what they might be about to hear.

You can also offer up former coworkers, clients, and others who can speak to your work, and even old copies of performance reviews if you have them. Sometimes the mere offer of these things will provide the reassurance employers are looking for.

I've never had a boss who wouldn't at least give me a fair recommendation, but I also don't usually give a bosses name as a reference. I pick peers more than any other group -- people I worked with closely who know my abilities and will give a good review of them. A few more thoughts:

1. I ALWAYS ask them for a reference before putting them down as one. It's a common courtesy and let's them know that they may be called.

2. I ask them if the can give me a GOOD review. Based on who I'm asking, most will commit to this. If someone didn't, I wouldn't list them as a reference.

3. In addition to co-workers, I also use others I've worked with closely such as the President of an agency we use.

How about you? Do you have any reference tips?

The Quickest Route to a Six-Figure Job

Yahoo says the quickest route to a six-figure job can be found through these six different careers:

• Actuaries - Actuaries earned a mean annual wage of $95,420 in 2007, with the top tier hauling down a tasty $145,600.

• Dental Hygienists - Not all dental hygienists' earnings skyrocket into the six figures -- but there are enough that do, making this a surprisingly rich opportunity for someone who holds only an associate degree.

• Marketing Managers - Marketing managers earned a median income of $104,000 in 2007. At the top end, salaries were well over $150k.

• Computer Software Engineers - Computer software engineers may often begin their careers after completing a two-year, online associate degree in programming or IT systems. Starting salaries actually can reach the $90k range.

• Medical and Health Service Managers - A bachelor's degree may provide sufficient career training to enter the occupation and earn the median $76,990 salary reported for 2007; however, earning a master's degree in management, finance, or health care administration typically provides the best path toward the $132,580 high-end 2007 wage.

• Human Resources Manager - Human resources managers earned a mean annual wage of $92,710 in 2007, with high-end earnings reported as $120,960.

BTW, Yahoo does admit that earning six figures, even with these positions, usually requires "several years of on-the-job experience and/or advanced college degree work." Of course. ;-)

Here's my take on each of these:

• Actuaries - Too much math for me. I like math, but once it gets past algebra II I start to glaze over.

• Dental Hygienists - Not a bad salary for only a couple years' worth of college. Plus, seems like the position would be highly mobile -- if you needed to move you could probably find work almost anywhere.

• Marketing Managers - Ha! This is my career field. Let me reiterate from above: "several years of on-the-job experience and/or advanced college degree work." I've seen many "marketing managers" that were no more than glorified sales people -- and they usually make a very, very low salary.

• Computer Software Engineers - Again, pretty good for a two-year degree, though I suspect you really do need more education to make the big bucks.

• Medical and Health Service Managers - Everything health-related seems to offer a good level of job security too.

• Human Resources Manager - Dealing with people all day = headache = you have to be well-paid, otherwise who would do it?