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October 12, 2006
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10 Tips for Career Success
Alvah Parker is publisher of Road to Success and Parker's Points, e-newsletters providing strategies to advance your business and career goals. Click here to subscribe. Alvah is a Work/life coach, who can be reached at asparker@asparker.com, or visited on the web at www.asparker.com.
By Alvah Parker
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© 2006 Kennedy Information, Inc., a BNA Company.
This issue highlights recent career-related news, commentary and blog postings from resume writers, career coaches and executive recruiters.
-- Jennifer Zaslow, Editor, Career Tips & Tactics
Executive News & Views
Compiled by Jennifer Zaslow, Editor, Career Tips & Tactics
Executive search activity grows – Average net revenue amongst executive search firms increased 18.5% during the second quarter of 2006. Revenues per search consultant, an indication of both the level of activity and the seniority of positions being recruited, also increased from the first to second quarters of the year. The number of searches started in the second quarter was up 6% over the previous quarter, with the highest increases in the financial services and not-for-profit sectors. www.aesc.org
Salary negotiation tips – Robin Ryan, Seattle-based author and career counselor, addressed the ever-challenging issue of salary negotiation. Ryan advises not revealing your prior salary history. When applications ask for salary information, leave the field blank. She writes: “DON'T lie or exaggerate your past salary. Always leave the salary boxes blank on job applications. The application is a legal document and can result in your being fired if you ‘fudge’ on the true number." www.robinryan.com
SEC rules not expected to impact executive pay – A survey by HR consulting firm Watson Wyatt Worldwide found that a majority of corporate HR and compensation executives believe that the Securities and Exchange Commission’s new executive pay disclosure rules will not have much of an impact on executive pay levels. Additionally, only a handful of companies polled have plans to change their corporate compensation programs. www.watsonwyatt.com
Variable, performance-based pay remains strong – While base pay is expected to be stable in 2007, more companies are relying on variable pay linked to achievement of performance objectives. Several compensation forecasts anticipate average salary increases of less than four percent next year. Executive base salaries, for example, are projected to increase 3.8% in 2007, according to Hewitt Associates. But 11% of payroll is expected to be paid as variable pay. In 2006, actual company spending on variable pay as a percentage of payroll is 11.2 percent, more than three times the 2006 average base pay increase. www.shrm.org
Pursuing happiness – Happiness is a choice, according to career coach Alvah Parker. She notes, “You are able to take a positive or negative approach to issues. Do you find what is good about something or do you focus on what is bad about it?" Finding an interest that gets you excited, doing work you find meaningful, and taking time each day for quiet reflection are all tools for achieving greater happiness in life. www.asparker.com
Top companies for moms – Working Mother magazine released its 2006 list of the 100 best employers for working mothers, which featured 18 new entries. The top 10 companies that best satisfied the five criteria were Abbott Laboratories, Bon Secours Richmond Health System, Ernst & Young LLP, HSBC USA Inc., IBM Corporation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Patagonia Inc., PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP, Principal Financial Group and S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. IBM and Johnson & Johnson are the only companies that have been on the list every year since it was initiated 21 years ago. www.workingmother.com
Top employers for older workers – Flexible work arrangements are prevalent at employers cited in AARP’s annual ranking of the best employers for workers over age 50. Health care organizations are leading with way, with five of the top 10 cited employers operating in the health care industry. In addition to health care, teaching, consulting and small businesses are among the sectors with high demand for older workers. In fact, the number of Americans working in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s is at a record high, according to a new analysis of federal employment data by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. The number of workers age 65 and older increased 45% since 1996 and is the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. www.aarp.org and www.challengergray.com
Considering relocating? – Forbes magazine ranked the best large and small metropolitan areas for doing business and building a career. Albuquerque, New Mexico; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Houston, Texas topped the list of large cities, beating out former top metro areas including Austin, Atlanta and northern Virginia. Among smaller cities, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Fargo and Bismarck, North Dakota stood out in the Forbes rankings. www.forbes.com
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