1.  Berea College

• Berea College

2.  Alice Lloyd College

• Alice Lloyd College

3.  Webb Institute

• Webb Institute

4.  College of the Ozarks

• College of the Ozarks

5.  Curtis Institute of Music

• Curtis Institute of Music

6.  CUNY Teacher Academy

• CUNY Teacher Academy

7.  U.S. Academies

• U.S. Military Academy
• U.S. Air Force Academy
• U.S. Naval Academy
• U.S. Coast Guard Academy
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

8.  State of Washington Universities

• University of Washington
• Washington State University

9.  Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

• Olin College

10.  University of the People

• University of the People

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One important factor in getting to work is how you get there.  Since the majority of us drive cars to work, we thought it would be relevant to include some of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top picks for the safest cars.  You might be surprised by some of the safest cars on the list and by some of the models that did not make the cut.  Here is the list for 2011:

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By Kristina Cowan

Determined to increase your salary? Follow these tips from Reesa Staten, vice president of communications and director of research at recruiting firm Robert Half International and Anna Ivey, a Boston-based career and admissions counselor, to increase your salary this year:

1. Get comfortable negotiating salary raises.
“Women fall behind here, because they generally aren’t as aggressive and fall farther and farther behind with their salaries. You can’t be shy about asking to be paid what you’re worth,” Ivey said. Along these lines, she said, it’s important to keep detailed documentation of your achievements.

2. Research and compare your salary.
Staten urges workers to make sure they know how much their skills are worth before they pursue a different position or a promotion. Compare your salary.

3. Become an indispensable expert.
Continue to learn about your line of work, so that you stay current with trends and developments. Your strategy might include going to industry conferences, reading industry publications or setting up regular lunch meetings with others in your field to exchange information and ideas. This is a key to increasing your salary.

4. Make yourself visible.
Network and mingle, making sure you are continually visible to others in your industry and your workplace. At work, take on difficult challenges and make sure that management is aware of your contributions.

5. Update your skills.
Consider training or certifications that could lead to a promotion. “In some companies, if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, you can’t advance to the next level. Some jobs require an MBA; get as much education as possible,” Staten said. Search for online learning that could help increase your salary.

6. If you return to school, make sure that it will pay off.
Ivey said it’s important to investigate degree programs before launching into one that might not increase your salary — and could end up costing you more in the long-run. Also, find out what continuing education benefits are offered by your employer. You may be able to “earn more” by getting your employer to cover tuition costs. Research the best college degrees for higher earnings.

7. Absorb and adapt to new methods.
“Things are changing quickly; what is state of the art now will be obsolete 10 years from now,” Staten said. When things change at work instead of getting grumpy, be the first to jump on board. Your enthusiasm for change and adaptability to new systems and ideas are to how your employer values you and could lead to a salary increase.

8. Be receptive to criticism.
Constructive criticism can help you improve your performance, Ivey said. Not only is it important to be able to gracefully accept criticism from your coworkers and boss, but integrating that feedback into your work can win you points and opportunities for promotion.

9. Sharpen your communication skills.
“I don’t care what role you’re in. If you can read and speak well, you are way ahead of the pack,” Ivey said.

10. Get comfortable with math.
“A lot of people coast through college without number knowledge — just basic knowledge, like how to read a financial statement. We live in a Sarbanes-Oxley [SOX]  now. If you work in a publicly traded company, you will be affected by SOX. Accounting is a great skill to have in your tool set,” Ivey said, referring to the federal law that tightened corporate governance standards.

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1.  Continue Learning Take advantage of opportunities for training both within your company and outside.

2.  Keep Current with Technology Look at job postings in your field to see what technology skills are currently being sought after and stay abreast of these areas.

3.  Dress for Success.  Always dress for the next job above yours but keep it conservative and don’t try to outdo your boss.

4.  Be Diversity Friendly Show that you are comfortable in working with people from all backgrounds and that our differences are what makes us unique and strong.

5.  Have a Mentor Stay close and solicit operational feedback from one or more key people in the organization who can give guidance to your career.

6.  Welcome Feedback.  Do not fear feedback but rather embrace it as a way to look objectively at your performance and strategize ways for improvement.

7.  Find Your Path Look around you to see what areas in the company provide a conduit for growth and steer clear of the ones that seem to be deadends.

8.  Stay Flexible Take on additional responsibilities and make yourself valuable to different departments by expanding your role wherever possible.

9.  Offer to help Take opportunities to help your boss with special projects even if it doesn’t mean immediate financial reward.  It will pay off in the long run with patience.

10. Join Professional Groups Look for opportunities to connect with others in your field through professional organizations or local and online community groups. This provides a great way to meet others in your field and establish future networking bonds.

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The advantages of having a short commute to work seem pretty obvious.  Less stress driving in congested traffic, more time at home with the family and of course less money spent at the pump.  We all have better things to spend our money on than gas, right?  Gas prices are about to change dramatically and become a much more important factor in deciding where to live and how we get to work.

Gas prices this Christmas were at an all time high with an average of over $3 dollars per gallon. Normally, prices at this time of the year are low and we do not see prices in this range until summertime.  So what is going on here?  According to oil and gas experts, we are experiencing structural changes that are putting increased pressure on the supply and demand formula for oil which is translating into higher prices.  Essentially, the situation we saw several years ago with gasoline prices pushing $4 per gallon is coming back around.

Fox Business Oil and Gas Analyst Eric Bolling has predicted that we are going to see gas prices averaging $4 per gallon again by next summer.  World demand for oil has increased, but production has been steadily decreasing which is causing oil prices to rise.  This is not necessarily a bad thing for oil companies who see profit margins rising as a result.

Former president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, has made a prediction that by 2012, we could see sustained gas prices of $5 per gallon.  If the current conditions of increased demand and lower production continue, there will be increased upward pressure on pricing.  While no one knows for sure if these higher prices will indeed become a reality, it becomes apparent that any steps we can take now to reduce our commute time to work or utilize alternate transportation methods such as public transportation or carpooling, will go a long way in protecting our household budget down the road.

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1. It’s Boring
Repetition and a lack of variety can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction when your job becomes robotic and no longer challenging.

2. You have a bad boss
Having a bad boss can turn a great job into a terrible one.  No one likes to be belittled and micromanaged on a constant basis; both common characteristics of a bad boss who needs to feel important by undermining those in her control.

3. Little Personal Time
One of the greatest contributors to low job satisfaction is not having enough time away from work.  Jobs that require long hours, unscheduled weekend time or just 1 or 2 weeks vacation per year rank poorly for employee happiness.  These tactics bely companies that really don’t care about their employees even though they may offer lip service to the contrary.

4. Unproductive Working Environment
Customers or coworkers that are not receptive to new ideas can create an atmosphere of resentment. Those that prefer to complain rather than participate in solutions to problems can poison the environment and keep morale low.

5. Low Pay
A low salary that continues year after year with poor merit increases, can only serve to demoralize the worker and make them feel unappreciated.  Sooner or later they will begin to look for another company that will better reward their skills.

source: divinecaroline.com

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Here are some basic pointers for how to make the best of the communal space we all use as our little escape hatch from the daily work routine.  We have all been guilty at one time or another of breaking the break room rules.  Do some of these sound familiar?

1. Don’t leave a mess for others to clean up. If you took the last doughnut, then throw the box out.  You get the picture.
2. Find something else to talk about other than work. This is your chance to get away from work so don’t mess that up by talking about it.
3. Fill it up when empty. Yes, this one is hard, but if you took the last bit of coffee, you need to make another pot.  You can learn, it’s rocket fuel not rocket science.
4. Wait your turn. You know when it is going to get crowded in the break room so be prepared to get in line to use the microwave.  Why not change up your schedule a bit to avoid lunchtime jam ups?
5. The fridge is for short term parking only. Let’s not use the break room refrigerator as a backup to the one at home.  Keep your food storage to a minimum and don’t let it turn into a lab experiment.
6. No gossip zone. Something about eating food can tend to loosen our tongues in ways we shouldn’t.  The message here is relax and turn on the coffee mill but not the rumor mill.
7. Don’t take others food. If you think it’s ok to take someone elses soda or use their butter, then you would be wrong.  Always ask first and offer to replace what you use.
8. Fish free not fish fry. No matter how much you love fish, or how healthy it is to eat it, the lingering aroma doesn’t make good office scents so be smart and eat something else.
9. Don’t burn the popcorn. Nothing wakes up the sense of smell better than popcorn cooked right, but knowing when to stop popping is the key to keeping this joy from turning into a smoke filled horror.
10. Get a piece. Take your share of the food being shared; no more and no less.

source: foodservicewarehouse

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