Do you know what it’s like to set up a search agent, then get back hundreds of job listings you don’t really want? Employers do, too. They get thousands of e-resumes for any one job, and somebody has to screen them all. If your resume could just get through this screening process, your chances of [...]

Resume Red Flags The resume has sprouted a new pair of wings. Since the dawn of digital documents, companies are accessing resumes at record volumes and speeds. Because of this, the task of screening resumes is not getting any easier. Recruiters and hiring managers need to find the good ones, fast, while maintaining high standards [...]

Having a career plan in place can make the difference between wanting the career of your dreams and actually getting it. “If you don’t design a plan, you are very likely to end up in a job you don’t like,” says Louise Garver, founder of Career Direction, a Connecticut-based career planning service. “To get where [...]

As you start to evaluate prospective information-technology career opportunities, don’t think about just the job at hand, the day-to-day ins and outs and the immediate prospect of a promotion or higher salary. Think instead in terms of both your current priorities and long-term goals. While that advice could apply to any job in any field, [...]

You’re in the market for a used car, and you’ve saved $1,500 to buy one. Lucky for you, I’m trying to sell my 1989 Toyota Camry and, according to my classified ad, I only want $1,500. So you come to my house to talk about it. From my ad, you know that the car is [...]

Talk about adding insult to injury! Your paycheck gets shorted all year long, and then mid-April rolls around and you owe even more in taxes–sometimes a lot more. Sure, taxes are a necessary evil and everyone should pay their own way. But why pony up more than your legal share? There are a number of [...]

When should you retire? The answer is simple: Whenever you can afford it. Retirement is fueled by four sources. Pension plans Social Security Tax-deferred savings Basic (taxable) savings This is a good time to evaluate your situation and come up with a workable retirement plan of action. Do You Qualify? Retirement before age 65 is [...]

Tax strategies for the IRS novice. You’re a new employee and a first-time taxpayer. Now is the time to get serious about financial planning–if you have not done so already. Put accounting on your priority list and focus on serious tax savings. Good Accounting in Place Bruce Budofsky, a partner with New York-based accounting firm [...]

Writer Peter Mayle explains his own move into self-employment by saying, “I would rather live precariously in my own office than comfortably in someone else’s.” It’s a notion that’s catching on with an estimated 40 million of us who already are working on our own. Here are some basics for anyone wishing to start down [...]

Do You Have What It Takes To Turn Pro as a Speaker? You know if you’re good. You can tell immediately from the applause and audience feedback. One person says yours was the “best speech I ever heard.” Another says, “You touched my life.” You’re asked how much you charge for a speech. Should you [...]