If your responsibilities have notably increased, the company is in good financial standing, and your salary is below the market average, it's time to ask for a raise, writes Kevin Dickinson. Prepare an argument based on recent value you've created for the company, as well as a backup request, such as more benefits, in case a salary increase is rejected.
Instead of fixing your sights on a promotion or a job you see as "better," find ways to enjoy and excel at your current job, writes Paul Gentile, a senior director of product marketing at LogMeIn. Get to know colleagues and find ways to help them succeed to improve relationships and create a nurturing work environment, he suggests.
If your calendar has no room to attend regular networking events, set a goal to visit at least one a month, seek speed-networking opportunities or access professional networks online, writes John Rampton. Strike up conversations during downtime at the gym or on flights, and remember connections happen when you publicly praise the work of others.
A hospital in Cornwall, N.Y., is offering employees the opportunity to convert their unused paid time off to student-loan payments. The benefit, capped at $5,000, is available to full- and part-time nonunion employees, and the hospital hopes to expand the initiative to unionized employees.
An often overlooked job search tool is Google Jobs, which allows you to collect postings from several sources at once and customize your search, says Susan Joyce, CEO of job-hunt.org. "You can select one or two or eliminate jobs in fields you have no experience in or don't want to work in," writes career counselor Robin Ryan.
A post-interview thank-you letter should be sent to each member of the interviewing team and cover five topics, including a recap of what you learned about the company during the interview, writes Dustin McKissen. Keep the word count to less than 300 and send it one to two days after the interview.
Fear is part of anything difficult, and we can learn to manage and channel fear and nerves by being prepared, getting help and persevering, writes John Baldoni. "People who phone it in, as we say, don't get nervous because they are not invested in the topic," he writes.
The writings of J.D. Salinger haven't been published since 1965, per the author's wishes specifically against publishing digital editions of his works. While Salinger's son Matt spent the past decade honoring his father's wishes, Matt has now decided to begin typing up manuscripts with the goal of fully digitizing his published and unpublished works over the next five to seven years, citing the goal of bringing J.D. Salinger's words to new readers.
