The 11 smartest things to do with your end-of-year bonus

The 11 smartest things to do with your end-of-year beigabeThe 11 smartest things to do with your end-of-year bonusAccording to CNN,91% of businessesnow have variable compensation programs - salaries coupled with bonuses or commissions.Bonuses tend to come around the holidays, meaning that many employees are in for a nice supplemental check soon.While it can be tempting to splurge on the latest iPhone or treat yourself to an extravagant vacation, excessive spending may not be the most productive way to handle your bonus. Making a long-term plan and investing your hard-earned money in retirement, an emergency fund, a health account, or even yourself will pay off more in the long run.Katie Brewer, CFP and founder of financial planning firmYour Richest Life,previously told Business Insider previously told Business Insider that you should put 80% of your holiday bonus to serious money and 20% of it toward fun money.Before blowing your check on gifts, trips, or gadgets, consider directing it towards these 11 options.Increase your 401(k) contributionYou should already be contributing to your employers 401(k) retirement account and taking full advantage of any availablecompany match programif one is available - but if you get a bonus, thats a great opportunity to increase that contribution.The more you can set aside today, the better off youll be in the long run, thanks tothe power of compound interest.Just know that the 401(k) contribution limit for 2018 is $18,500,according to the IRS.Max out other retirement savings accountsIf you havent yet reached the contribution limits on other retirement plans, such as a traditional IRA or Roth IRA, direct your bonus towards one of those.There are afew key differencesbetween the two accounts1. The income limit.Anyone can open and contribute to a traditional IRA, whereas theres anincome capon the Roth IRA for the 2018 year Only married people earning less than $189,000, or single people earning less than $120,000, are eligible . The maximum yearly contribution for both accounts in 2018 is $5,500 (or $6,000 for people age 50 or older).2. Taxes.Contributions to a Roth IRA are taxed when theyre made, so you can withdraw the contributionsandearnings tax-free once you reach age 59 1/2. Traditional IRA contributions, on the other hand, are tax-deductible when theyre made. Both contributions and earnings are taxed when you withdraw them starting at age 59 1/2.The advantage to the Roth IRA is clear You only pay taxes on a portion of your savings (your contributions), while with a traditional IRA, youre taxed on every penny (contributions and earnings).Roth IRAs areparticularly well-suited to millennials. However, even if youre not a member of Gen Y, its worth considering if you dont exceed the income cap.Start a 529 savings plan for your kidCollege tuition hasmore than doubledsince the 1980s, currently at an all-time high.Time has a way of flying by, and before you know it, youll be responsible for a hefty tuitio n bill. Take your bonus and put it towards a529 savings plan, a state-sponsored and tax-advantaged investment account that you can start when your child is born.These plans allow a single parent to contributeup to $14,000 a year- $28,000 for a couple - for each of their childrens college educations. It also allows anyone (a grandparent, godparent, or particularly generous neighbor) to contribute to the fund.Pay off lingering debtIf you have debt - whether its student loans, car loans, or credit card debt - a bonus can be a great way to start tackling it aggressively. If the interest rate on your debt is high, youll want to pay it off as fast as possible - interest can cost you thousands in the long run.If you arent koranvers where to start, consider the advice from 13 real people whopaid off thousandsof debt.Start, or contribute more to, an emergency fundNot setting aside money in an emergency fund is a common (and costly) mistake - its easy to ignore the possibility of your ca r breaking down, a medical emergency, or losing your job, but these are all scenarios that could quickly become expensive realities.Use your bonuscreate an emergency fundif you havent done so already.The amount of savings you need is highly personal, so it isnt usually measured in terms of dollars rather, its months of living expenses that money could cover. A general rule is that its smart to have six months worth of savings tucked away, butyou may need more or less depending on your situation.Contribute to a healthcare flexible spending accountIf your employer offers a healthcare flexible spending account, it could be a smart investment. Its a pretax benefit account you can use to cover a variety of healthcare products and services, from acupuncture and physical therapy to vaccines and over-the-counter medicine (note that OTC medicines are only eligible when prescribed by a physician).You can put up to $2,650 of tax-free money into this account in 2018,according to the IRS. Note t hat you must spend the money saved in an FSA by the end of the year.Contribute to a health savings account (HSA)Another health-related benefit you may be able to tap into is the health savings account (HSA), into which you can put pre-tax money and use towards medical costs whenever you want, not just during the plan year. The contribution limits are higher than FSAs - $6,900 for a familyin 2018 - and theres no limit to how much can be rolled over at the end of the year.To qualify for a HSA, the IRS requires you to be on a high-deductible health care plan (HDHP) - a plan that offers a lower health insurance premium and a high deductible. This option is particularly advantageous for those who are generally healthy and dont have to go to the doctors office or hospital that often, such as 20- or 30-somethings without children who are looking to save for future health care expenses.Its one of the more popular benefits these days, Britta Meyer, CMO at consumer-directed benefits adminis tratorWageWorks, told Business Insider. It allows you to contribute on a paycheck by paycheck basis, and you can keep it for as long as you want, even if you change jobs.While you can use it to pay for qualifying healthcare expenses today, you can also use it as a complementary tool for retirement planning, asthe funds will always be availablefor you to use.If you can afford it, you can contribute to it even in the early years of your career when you may not have a lot of medical expenses, Meyer said. You can contribute year after year and develop a healthcare nest egg that grows over time and will always be there for you.Contribute to a dependent care flexible spending account (FSA)If you have younger children, dependent care FSAs are worth considering. This account works very similarly to the healthcare FSA in that you can contribute pre-tax money, but is specific to dependent care services, such as preschool, summer camp, daycare, or before and after school programs. Again, you m ust spend the money in your FSA by the end of the plan year.It is probably the single most underutilized benefit, Meyer said. Employers offer it quite frequently, but people are not taking advantage of it.Set aside money for big purchasesThere are bound to be big expenses in your future - a home, car, vacation, and kids, to name a few - that require diligent savings.The best way to prepare for these expenses is to create savings goals and then set aside money as early as possible. Use your bonus to jump start these savings goals, or add to previously established ones.Consider investment platforms outside of retirement savings plansAn end-of-year bonus is a good opportunity to start investing in low-cost index funds, which legendary investorsWarren Buffett and Jack Bogle recommend.Evenmillionaires preferthis simple investing strategy for the high returns and low costs.There are also online investment platforms known as robo-advisers, which manage your investments for you through un ique algorithms.You could also make a lump-sum investment with your bonus - when you invest your money all at once rather than over time, according to Richard Graziadei, managing director ofTIAA-CREF Putting a bonus to work right away is a smart thing to do. Get it invested - if youre going to invest it - within a few weeks. Dont wait three, six, or 12 months.Of course, youll want to make sure your general finances are in order before youinvest- but if you have a sound emergency fund, have prepared for future expenses, and are debt free, the quicker you put your money to work and jump start its growth, the better.Invest in yourselfSelf-educate by enrolling in a course, attending a work related conference, or investing in books. The wealthiest, most successful people are constantly exercising their brains and looking for ways to continue learning long after college or any formal education is over.On a similar note, invest in your health - consider using your bonus for a gym memb ership, yoga classes, juicer, fitness magazine subscription, or anything else that will better your health and strengthen your mind.Also consider picking up a hobby - even the worlds most successful people have them. Hobbies can make you even more successful by helping you develop additional skills.This article was originally published on Business Insider.

And the Winner for Most Expensive Law School Is

And the Winner for Most Expensive Law School IsAnd the Winner for Most Expensive Law School IsAccording to the National Law Journal, Columbia tops the charts as the priciest law school in the country. Last year, tuition at the school was $60,274. Coincidentallyor notColumbia is also 1 when it comes to percent of grads who go on to BigLaw. In 2014, 66.24% of its graduates were hired by the nations largest 250 law firms. Columbia was NLJs 1 Go-To school (aka fruchtwein beloved by law firm hiring partners and recruiters) in 2013 as well. Congratulations, Columbia Law class of 2014, on shelling out the most cash for your degree. Luckily, you are also the most likely to be enjoying the bliss of first-year associate life at Skadden, Cravath and the like.Is high tuition directly related to Columbias glowing employment statistic? Other members of the Top 10 of NLJs list BigLaw feeder schools (UPenn, UChicago, NYU, Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern, Duke, UVA, Stanford) are also in the soaring c ost category. The Go-To law schools all cost more than $55,000 a year (Cornell is the runner-up for most expensive 2014 tuition was $59,360), and they are the only law schools that cross that threshold. Their tuition rates are also increasing at a higher rate. Between 2011 and 2014 average tuition at the Go-To schools spiked almost 13%, from $49,907 to $56,292. Among all ABA-accredited schools, the increase was just shy of 10% in those three years ($32,227 to $35,312).Apparently these tuition statistics are not representative of what everyone actually pays, due to financial aid offerings and prospective students ability to negotiate if they have aid offers at multiple schools. Still, at most of the Go-To schools, over 50% of students pay full price. And obviously the higher ticket price is worth it to them to maximize chances their post-grad employment options. Executive Director of Law School Transparency Kyle McEntee told the NLJ that this willingness to pay model is unconscionabl e in higher education. The whole situation does feel icky what is to stop rising price tags at the few institutions that can offer students a better shot at BigLaw? How high will the cost of law school go? So long as a significant portion of enrollees continues to pay full price, its hard to imagine these tuition rates levelling off anytime soon.Read More Which Law School Do Firms Love Best? Some People Are Paying Way Too Much for Law School (Bloomberg) An Elite Educations Going to Cost You (NLJ) (sub. req.) This law school charges more than $60K tuition is up 13% in 3 years at top BigLaw feeder schools (ABA Journal) Columbia is No. 1 on list of law schools with highest BigLaw placement Yale isnt among top 10 (ABA Journal)Follow Vault on Twitter VaultCareers,VAULTLAW, InstagramVaultCareersandFacebook

Leadership gap How to stop blocking your own success

Leadership gap How to stop blocking your own successLeadership gap How to stop blocking your own successEven the fruchtwein excellent leaders sometimes find that one day, suddenly, what once worked so well to propel their rise stops working. And the very same traits that had worked for them actually start working against them. Aelendher sternbezogen career comes to an abrupt end.This is the moment when leaders confront a critical and very uncomfortable question What if theres a gap in what I think I know?One of the sevenleadership archetypes that I outline in my book, The Leadership Gap What Gets Between You and Your Greatness, is the Truth-Teller, who above all else, values candor. But in the face of uncertainty, someone who relies on telling the truth can bring about their own demise.And if youre like Michael, then leading with truth is non-negotiable.Michael is an extremely accomplished man who embodies success. And if theres anything that the people who work for Michael know, its that he has no tolerance for liars. The reason they know this is because Michael talks about it incessantly. He often pontificates about how wrong it is to lie, and how he would never do it. Unbeknownst to Michael, this drives the people around him crazy.So when Michael discovered one day that many of the people in his organization not only did not admire him for his utmost honesty, but actually wanted to stay away from him, he was shocked to the core. He couldnt understand why people found him difficult simply because his standards were so high.Leadership gaps are invisible and insidious - especially to those who have them. I knew I needed to get Michael to look at himself in a way he never had so that he could rethink not only what he was saying, but what he was doing and why.I asked him if there had ever been a time when he had lied.At first he just stared at me, his face expressionless. But then his eyes quickly grew more intense, and his body language screamed out to me How d are you speak to me in this way?But after a long, pregnant pause, Michael answered.I didnt take my education seriously in high school. I thought I could wing it, because everyone said how smart I was. I knew deep inside that if I would just apply myself, I would do well, but I never did. And at the end of high school my report card showed my lack of effort. I knew I was in trouble. My last chance to change things around was to do well on my SAT, so I could get into a great college and law school, and eventually become the lawyer I dreamed of being.But I knew I could not learn in just a few months all the information I had ignored during my four years of high school. And then an opportunity came my way that I could not pass up. Someone had stolen the SAT test. I used it to prepare myself with the exact right answers. My high score surprised everyone, including me. I was ashamed and horrified. And when I got called to the principals office and was asked how I did so well on the test, I lied. Big time.We sat in silence for a moment and then Michael regained his composure. I promised myself, that day in the principals office, that if I got away with this I would never lie again.And there, in front of him, was Michaels leadership gap.Telling the truth became such a strong mantra for Michael that it was getting in the way of his ability to connect with people. But most of all, the way he prioritized truth above all else created gaps between himself and others. This insight was completely counterintuitive to him.Michael was so afraid of anyone discovering his indiscretion that he avoided getting close to people. Meanwhile, people disliked him and would lie about his positive effect on them, which created a destructive, vicious cycle.An executive can value the truth and still be an excellent leader employees respect managers who can tell them the truth. Here are a few ways a leader can work on becoming an effective Truth-TellerCommunicate everything- dont hold backUn less there is a specific, honest reason for not sharing information, employees should be told everything of importance to them. Managers who keep saying they have a culture of candor but arent truly transparent will demolish trust and create suspicion in their organization.Create a culture of candor and solutionsInstead of blaming your employees when things go wrong, look for solutions. People should feel free to make mistakes, because it is a normal parte of a persons growth and development, and it will also prevent them from lying to cover up mistakes in the future.Eliminate barricades of insufficienciesGet rid of the roadblocks that keep people from performing, and do all that you can to eliminate policies and principles that create liars.Treat everyone equallyThe cultures that thrive are the cultures that continually treat everyone the same. Dont let people feel as though they are against one another make them feel they are important.Model your own high standardsDo all that you can to let others know that you will not hire or tolerate liars, deceivers, and cheats. Keep your standards high, and do everything you can to reach them daily. Make truth a consistent part of your own leadership and your business.Give them reasons to be betterDont allow your team to be pessimistic. Give your company and your people something to develop and grow toward. Let people know they are part of something bigger than themselves. Provide them with a vision and a path for getting there, and then reward them for being truth tellers and for speaking with candor.Once Michael identified his leadership gap, he was able to embrace his strength of truth-telling. He could choose to be more human and empathetic.As humans we will never be perfect, but we can be the best versions of ourselves. And the way to become the best versions of ourselves is to recognize our leadership gaps, leverage our knowledge in new ways, and stand in our greatness.Adapted from THE LEADERSHIP GAP What Gets Bet ween You and Your Greatness by Lolly Daskal, with permission from Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright Lolly Daskal, 2017.

Make an Impact on Employee Morale With These Quotes

Make an Impact on Employee Morale With These QuotesMake an Impact on Employee Morale With These QuotesLooking for an inspirational quote about experience for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These quotes inspire employee motivation, raise employee morale, increase employee satisfaction and engagement, and positively affect employee performance.They will help you create success in management and life for you and for your employees. These quotes were selected because they are moving, inspirational, and worth remembering and repeating. Quotations About Experience Experience is not a matter of having actually swum the Hellespont, or danced with the dervishes, or slept in a doss-house. It is a matter of sensibility and intuition, of seeing, and hearing the significant thing, of paying attention at the right moments, of understanding and coordinating. Experience is not what happens to a man it is what a man does with what happens to him. -Aldous Huxley Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character. -Henry David Thoreau It is not how much you know about life but how you live your life that counts. Those who can avoid mistakes by observing the mistakes of others are most apt to keep free from sorrow. In a world full of uncertainties, the record of what has gone before - human experience - is as sure and reliable as anything of which we know. -Ray Lyman Wilbur Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment. -Barry LePatner Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience. -James Boswell You know mora of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world. -William Hazlitt To live means to experience - through doing, feeling, thinking. Experience takes place in time, so time is the ultimate scarce resource we have. Over the years, the content of experience will determine the quality of life. Therefore one of the most essential decisions any of us can make is about how ones time is allocated or invested. -Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. You must do the thing you think you cannot do. -Eleanor Roosevelt Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. -Oscar Wilde The years teach much which the days never know. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices - just recognize them. -Edward R. Murrow Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever Im doing. -Phil Jackson We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction. -Malcolm Gladwell A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others. -William Faulkner It is possible to make each year bring with it a lasting gift to add to the fullness of experience, to be treasured up, savored, and remembered. They need not be startling, these gifts of the years they may be things that lie within the reach of all. -Grenville Kleiser It is not how much you know about life but how you live your life that counts. Those who can avoid mistakes by observing the mistakes of others are most apt to keep free from sorrow. In a world full of uncertainties, the record of what has gone before - human experience - is as sure and reliable as anything of which we know. -Ray Lyman Wilbur As the traveler who has once been from hom e is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate lovingly, our own. -Margaret Mead When its time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived. -Henry David Thoreau Im a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. -Thomas Jefferson All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience. -Henry Miller The further one advances in experience, the closer one comes to the unfathomable the more one learns to utilize experience, the more one recognizes that the unfathomable is of no practical value. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe For the unlearned, old age is winter for the learned, it is the season of the harvest. -The Talmud Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print experience is what you get when you dont. -Pete Seeger Life must be underst ood backwards but... it must be lived forward. -Soren Kierkegaard

These are the 5 most disgusting, germ-filled places on the plane

These are the 5 most disgusting, germ-filled places on the planeThese are the 5 most disgusting, germ-filled places on the planeStudy after study shows that airplanes and airports are absolute cesspools of germs. The fact that some people manage to travel and not get horribly sick is absolutely incredible. Ladders recently reported that airport kiosks have 1,475 times the amount of bacteria than your houses toilet seat but the danger doesnt stop there. Heck, you arent even on the plane yet. And according to new research, thats where the real icky germs are. In fact you are basically sitting in them for the duration of the flight.According to a new study from Canadian Broadcasting Corporations Marketplace, one of the grossest places on an airplane is that seat-back pocket. Apparently people look at that pocket as a trash can. And we arent just talking gum wrappers. Think mora like food remnants, dirty diapers and used condoms and tampons. Permission to scream now.Bacteria everywhereBu t wait, its not over yet. There is also a ton of bacteria on the headrest. Apparently both of these areas get the least amount of cleaning focus. So even if you think it looks clean, it really isnt.We dont have rags, we dont have spray on board, former WestJet employee Stphane Poirier told Marketplace. Lots of cleaners are a dangerous good so its either water from the aircraft, or a napkin. Well thats great. Apparently airplane cleaners approach cleaning with the same amount of enthusiasm I do.As for the the next three germiest places the washroom handle came in next not surprisingly. People still believe that washing their hands after using the facility is just a suggestion. This was followed by the tray table and then your seatbelt.With 2,155 microbes per square inch, the table tray is far dirtier than a typical airplane toilet seat, making it an extremely unsanitary surface to eat your food from, Microban zwischenstaatlich noted. To ensure that your tray table is fresh, use a di sinfectant wipe to clean the surface both before and after using it. We would also recommend putting something down (such as a clean tissue) to prevent contact between your food and the tray table. That cozy airplane blanket isnt too great either and those come in a sealed package. Permission to scream again.But wait it gets better. What kind of bacteria are they finding on all these places you will be putting your body on? Samples collected from various flights that were then analyzed at the University of Guelph found E. coli, mold, and yeast. And of all of these were at high enough levels to cause infections in humans. You may want to pack your hazmat suit for your next flight.

The Start of Resume for College Students

The Start of Resume for College Students New Step by Step Roadmap for Resume for College Students Therefore, before you begin writing your resume, think of what it is youre attempting to realize. Resume writing is daunting work for those who write a resume once per year, or once a decade in some instances. No matter your degree of work practical understanding, your resume format is crucial to making your program stick out. Who Else Wants to Learn About Resume for College Students? You may also have the city and state where the business is located in the event youd like. You will possibly move up a lage in the business To begin with, consider the work description to see whether it indicates the kind of skills the provider is seeking. Another benefit of our website is the quickness. Demonstrating true interest and attention can create a difference on the margin. Actually, so long as the volunteering work is pertinent to the role or industry you wish to work in, 85% of hirers think that its equally as credible as paid work. You might also have to receive your hands dirty. For students that are new to the work market, interests and activities are a fantastic method to show employers you have skills they are searching for. If you worked during the summertime, be certain to have that too. Yes if youre asking for a job you have to stand out. You may also list summer jobs. It is possible to also leave off any jobs that are entirely unrelated to the job that you desire. The Tried and True Method for Resume for College Students in Step by Step Detail You might also Sample resumes. Your resume will be split into sections. The resume templates can become your guide in producing a great impression on the employers. The resumes for college students should be shown in a well written format with the right use of words and grammar. You may incorporate coursework which you think is noteworthy that would be an excellent add-on to the general document. Take a look at the requirements, and should you see certain terms used frequently, they need to most likely be in your resume. No matter your degree of work practical understanding, your resume format is essential to making your application stick out. The format of your entry-level college-graduate resume will be contingent on the info youve got to work with. The 5-Minute Rule for Resume for College Students The majority of the moment, it is but one of the requirements for enrollment which is the reason why it is vital to be carried out. Many are highly-reputed. Its not quite as difficult as you may think. Thus, you will know all that is required. Resume for College Students - the Story Perhaps you can produce the cut, but you will need a scholarship to convince your parents to allow you to attend the school that you dream about. Detecting a berater is absolutely not a simple endeavor. Consult your teachers or parents if you require help. Most students hit a wall when it rega rds the expert experience section since they just dont have relevant work experience. The secret to a thriving journey is adequate preparation. Your attitude is the thing that dictates your approach when dealing with challenging behaviour, so its very vital that you are conveying the acceptable attitude to your students that will bring about positive classroom behaviour. You will receive instruction and performing experience which will help you hone your abilities and boost your confidence for a performer. Since youll discover, even in the event you dont have any prior professional experiences, you are able to still draw on your school experiences. An excellent method to steer clear of confrontation is to provide the student a neutral warning. Now you need to know how to compose a resume with no experience thats compelling and distinctive, ideal for a high school resume or a beginners resume for teens. Read below for ideas on how to compose a strong college resume. A good resu me could propel you to the peak of the list as a bad one could take you from the game completely.

3 Ways to Transfer Your Job Recruitment to Online Networks - Spark Hire

3 Ways to Transfer Your Job Recruitment to Online Networks - Spark HireOut with the old, in with the new. And if youre using the new these days, it could save your small geschftsleben a lot of money.With the widespread use of zugnglich platforms by candidates in the job search, there is no reason that small geschftslebenes should be paying for recruiting firms and resources. What used to cost your small business thousands can be done with only hundreds now. Plus, you have more control over the search as well as preliminary stages of interviewing and hiring, which will ultimately lead to finding better candidates for your open positions.An article in The New York Times helps to articulate how you can transfer your small business hiring from outdated techniques to online platforms.Find the right recruitment tool for your small business. First and foremost, youneed to find a website and establish your presence. Create an online profile, post job openings and start searching for candidat es that meet your companys needs and qualifications. And when using a site like SparkHire, the small business hiring process doesnt stop there.On Spark Hire, you can also interview prospective candidates through video interviews. This takes the hassle and cost out of interviewing candidates in person, especially if theyre not in your city. With this online recruitment platform, you can search for, interview and hire the perfect candidate without paying thousands of dollars to a recruiting firm.Project a positive image. Once youre a part of the virtual job search, you canexpect to be actively pursued by interested candidates. Thats why your online image extends beyond the online profile you create on a job search site.Interested candidates are going to look at your website, social media networks and compare you to other similar companies on sites like GlassDoor.com. Small business hiring today is not just about finding the right candidates, its about keeping them engaged and interest ed. Rather than investing your resources into recruiting firms and resources, it may be time to update your online image with some professional help. After all, using online job search platforms has freed up some of your capital resources.Get search savvy and ask for help. Lastly, educate yourself on the onlinerecruitment and small business hiring space. By becoming an expert in the field, you have a better chance of finding and attracting those ideal candidates. With a bit of practice and research, youll know what and who to search for when working on online job search platforms.And dont shy away from asking for help. After all, you have an entire company full of capable employees with their own online networks. Entice them to help find the best candidates for your small business with free pizza after hours as they comb through their online job networks. Reward them with referral bonuses if their connections get hired.With these new resources at your disposal, youll not only save y our small business some major money, but youll finally have control over the job search and hiring process.What were your successes with online job recruitment? Let us know in the comments below.

CIOs Beef Up IT Security in 2015

CIOs Beef Up IT Security in 2015CIOs Beef Up IT Security in 2015*/Read the infographic text.CIOs BEEF UP IT SECURITY IN 201585% of U.S. tech executives are taking steps to increase IT security in 2015CIOs current or planned measures for enhancing IT security*54% Enhance employee training on IT security issues45% Enhance vetting of firms with access to company data41% Add IT security personnel41% Implement multifactor authentication processes41% Contract with third-party vendors or add tools to enhance security1% Other measuresSource Robert Half Technology survey of more than 2,400 telephone interviews with CIOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees in 24 major metropolitan areas.Percent includes tech executives who are currently and/or planning in the next 12 months to take measures to enhance their IT security.*Multiple responses were permitted. 2015 Robert Half Technology. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

Social Media Dos and Donts Every College Grad Should Know

Social Media Dos and Donts Every College Grad Should KnowSocial Media Dos and Donts Every College Grad Should KnowDont let your social media habits derail your job search. In last weeks article I offered tips to improve your resume. This week the focus is on cleaning up your verbunden presence and building the right professional brand. When I coach seasoned professionals, I often have to encourage them to explore the world of social media and build a professional online presence. However, if youre a recent college graduate, its pretty safe to assume youve had a social media presence since you entered high school, if notlage earlier.This works in your favor because youre already familiar with social media and should feel comfortable incorporating it into your job-search strategy. However, this comfort also comes at a price. Chances are youve built up a long, online history thats publicly visible and not necessarily appropriate for the professional world.A Jobvite social recruiting sur vey found that 93 percent of HR professionals and recruiters admitted to reviewing candidates social network profiles. 70 percent turned down a candidate based on something they found out about them online. If youre not carefully controlling your online brand, you could be unknowingly hurting your chances of landing that dream job. Here are five tips to manage your online image and build a professional brand that employers will notice for all the right reasons.Keep your story consistentGoogle your name regularly to monitor your online image. Remember, your online brand should tell the same story as your resume, so make sure your name, education, and work history are consistent. Increase the security settings on any site thats not related to your job search and change the account name (I recommend using your first and middle name) so no employer will find them.A picture says 1000 wordsTake down any photos that show you doing something illegal, or merely paint you in a bad light. This includes smoking cigarettes (or anything else), drinking, skinny-dipping you get the point. If you wouldnt want your mother seeing it, dont put it up there. Also check the settings on sites such as Facebook to make sure you have control over photo tags.Stop the hateDont post comments or status updates bashing your colleagues, professors or interviewer those things have a way of getting found. No one wants to hire a negative Nancy (or Ned). Not to mention, your prospective employer doesnt want to be on the receiving end of your next rant.What the $?Refrain from dropping f-bombs or other 4-letter words in status updates and comments. When youre trying to find a job or get ahead in your career, its important to have a professional online brand. Need more convincing? A study found that 61 percent of HR professionals reacted negatively to job seekers who used profanity in their posts and tweets.Keep the profile pic G-rated professionalUse a professional-looking photo for any social m edia account associated with your professional brand and job search. Just you not your dog and you, or a group shot of you and your best friends. This should be a friendly, professional looking head shot (hint not the right spot for your bikini pic). If you need a new pic, have a friend help you the web cam or DIY Instagram picture with your arm in the shot looks unprofessional.Be mindful of what you post on the Internet once its published, its there forever whether or not you delete it. Think twice before hitting the send button on every status update, tweet and email.

Managing Career Expectations in the Internet Economy

Managing Career Expectations in the Internet EconomyManaging Career Expectations in the Internet EconomyYoure overworked and underpaid. Your boss is a source of constant aggravation. The headhunters are at the door. Get a new job. Everybody is doing it. Things are much better elsewhere. Just before you jump, consider a few things How long have you been at this job? Less than a year?Was your previous job a similarly short stint?Why are you are leaving? What are you are looking for?In the Internet economys unprecedented wealth and job creation, the next great opportunity is always around the corner. More money more options a better title. So why is getting hired in this sector easier by the day while keeping a job is increasingly challenging?One reason is the greater geschftsleben awareness of young knowledge workers, resulting in heightened, sometimes unrealistic, expectations. Its a candidates market and everyone knows what theyre worth (or at least what they can get). New co mpanies are popping up like weeds as every freshly minted MBA seems to come with a dot-com b-plan in tow. Opportunities abound.So whats the problem? Its a matter of what is important. Careers are not just about more money, more options, or moving into management. Success measured by those metrics is missing the point. More job failures are associated with bad cultural/personality fits than with low pay, long hours, and limited advancement combined. So here are some tips on how to find the right fit1) Ask yourself the important questions What did you accomplish? Where did you bring value? What experience did you gain? Why did the company succeed or fail? What did you like and not like? then pick the situation best suited to your interests and capabilities.2) Check your selbst at the door. Companies succeed when the President makes the coffee and the secretary thinks like an owner.3) Focus on a 3-year commitment. It might turn out to be less, but if 3 years sounds scary, its probably not the right thing.4) Temper your ambition with reality. Two years of work experience does not often make for a savvy veteran capable of building and running a department, even in the Internet sector. 5) Dont develop a situational ethic. Just because theres a better job every few months doesnt mean you should take it. Loyalty will pay-off when the market tightens-up.And finally, the most accurate statement I have ever heard in this business do your job well, and either your company will reward you or your industry will.