A recent study reported by the Wall Street Journal looking at the relationship between salary and happiness has concluded that  75,000 dollars a year is the point at which people remain most happy. Above this number there is no measurable increase in one’s personal satisfaction.

It doesn’t mean that you will be less happy if your earn more, just that you won’t be any happier above the $75,000 mark.  So if you count yourself among those in this group, take a moment to reflect on how lucky you are.  On second thought, you are probably already happy so that won’t be necessary.

source: lifehacker

click here for more salary information

Clare Kaufman of FindtheRightSchool.com has identified 5 great career options for people considering a career change.  Here are her picks:

1. Technology: software engineers and network analysts

2. Finance: financial examiners and personal financial advisors

3. Health care: biomedical engineers

4. Environmental science: environmental engineers

5. Business administration: marketing survey researchers

These suggestions are based on a combination of forecasted need for future workers along with what is perceived to be decent salaries for workers in these fields.

source: examiner.com

click here for more salary information

What is a Financial Planner?

A financial planner is someone who acts as an adviser to his or her clients. They find out what the client’s financial goals are and use this information to create a plan. This plan gives clients a roadmap to follow in achieving their financial goals (such as retiring by a certain age, having a certain amount of money saved for something etc.). Contrary to what some believe, a financial planner is a lot different from an accountant, as financial planners advise how to use money, whereas an accountant keeps track of the money.

Financial planners are considered “jacks of all trades” because they must know a lot about the financial world. They must be well versed in stocks, savings bonds and other forms of investments. This does not mean that they do not consult with others, however. Good financial planners also consult with a client’s other advisers (lawyers, accountants etc.) to fully understand a client’s situation so that they can offer good information. Because of the variety of things they must do, a financial planning career is very intriguing for those who like variety in their day-to-day activities.

What Does it Take to Become a Financial Planner?

A financial planner should have a bachelor’s degree that includes coursework in mathematics, statistics, economics, & business. A degree is not a requirement, but in nearly all instances a planner will need the Series 7 and Series 66 or 67 license to conduct business on a client’s behalf. These licenses allow them to act as a representative of a securities organization and give financial advice.

What is the Pay?

Financial planners, like many others in the corporate/business world, are usually very well paid. Many financial planners earn at least $55,000 a year, with some pulling in as much as $100,000 or more per year. How much you make will depend on whether you’re working for a financial firm or going it alone. Typically, as long as you have a good client base, freelance financial planning is more profitable.

Cautions About Financial Planning Careers

A career in financial planning is not for everyone. Some people are cut out for the work, but others are not. Some of the cautions about financial planning include:

• The high level of stress. You are responsible for other people’s money. You need to be prepared to deal with clients who may be angry with you if their money doesn’t work for them as well as they want it to, or if, by some chance, you make a mistake and they lose money.
• Keeping up with trends. The finance world is constantly evolving. As such, you need to be able to stay with the times and be aware of what’s going on so that you can smartly advise clients. This can add to the stress level.
• If you don’t like “sales” then you may want to avoid this career field. Even if you start with an organization they may or may not provide you with any leads. Building your client base will be your responsibility.

click here for more salary information

Job Boards – When using the boards, you need to be as strategic as possible in your approach, because there is an enormous amount of information posted on the boards and employers receive multiple responses for each position they post. One of the best strategies for managing your presence on the job boards is to stick with niche boards that best match your professional level, industry, or job function rather than spending time on a board that claims to be all things to all people. This allows you to be a big fish in a smaller pond and potentially garner more immediate recognition from a hiring authority. For example, a senior-level executive is generally better-off creating a presence on a six-figure job site than on a general job board that posts jobs at all professional levels. Another way to optimize your time spent on the boards is to set up job alerts based on keywords and geographical preferences to streamline the amount of time spent on the boards and optimize the amount of relevant leads.

Recruiters – A recruiter can be a great ally during a search, but keep in mind that recruiters are generally only going to be interested in your candidacy if your skill set matches a position in their current job requisition portfolio. In addition, recruiters can only expose you to the positions from the companies that are willing to pay a recruiter to manage the search process. When you partner with a recruiter, you only get to see a small percentage of the available jobs in the market.

Cold Calling – People in search often find their jobs by cold calling on potential decision makers in companies. By creating a marketing letter that communicates your skills, accomplishments, and value-add, you can attempt to forge relationships with key people in the companies you would like to work for. The goal of the letter is to build a relationship with people in companies where no relationship existed before. If you can create and nurture a relationship before there is a need to fill a position, you are much more likely to be considered as a candidate when there is an opportunity because you are now part of the inner circle of contacts within the company. This method takes work and may not yield immediate results, but if these new relationships are nurtured over time, they can grow into opportunity with the company down the line.

Networking – Networking is the art of exchanging information continuously and graciously with members of your professional and social communities. People are more likely to share information with people they know and trust. Sharing information about job leads comes naturally in networking circles. Attempt to give more than you get and don’t keep tabs on your goodwill versus someone else’s and eventually you will find that you can almost always find a connection for whatever you need…whether it’s a recommendation for a great restaurant, advice on a project, or a tip on a job lead.

Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it is quite rewarding to help others and receive their help in return. Now it’s time to put these strategies to work. Best of luck in your search and beyond!

click here for more salary information

Life happens sometimes and it becomes necessary to accept a position due to the ordinary pressures of busy lives. The car was on the fritz for the last time and you needed to replace it. We needed a bigger house to accommodate our growing family. My daughter wanted to join a ballet class with her friends. Whatever the reasons might be, you took a job that enabled you to meet your living expenses, and now 5 , 10 or 20 years later, are wondering where the time went and you might be feeling just a little stuck.

If this sounds like you, don’t despair. Remember, life sometimes does begin at 40. First, determine what your interests are or if you have any unique skills. This can be a challenging exercise, but discussing it with family or close friends can yield answers. Next, do a financial assessment of what your salary needs are to meet your household budget. Finally, the master key to finding a better job is to begin researching top companies that offer careers aligned with your interests.

Every year, Fortune Magazine publishes a list of the top 100 companies to work for. Chances are, that company you are working for is not on the list. Other surveys abound such as the Human Rights Campaign list of best companies for LGBT employees, Working Mother Magazine’s list of top companies, and Black Enterprise Magazine’s list of best companies for diversity. A simple search of the internet will start you on your journey of finding the right company to target. Remember, companies are like shoes. You might have to try on quite a few before you find a comfortable fit.

click here for more salary information

Here are some of the top offending buzzwords and clichés translated:

Change Management (we have a new idea but no evidence it will work)

Employee Engagement (let’s attempt to show workers we care about what they think)

Going Forward (redefining the obvious)

Does That Make Sense? (you’d better agree with me and do what I say you idiot)

Set Them Up For Success (we should implement normal training and establish guidelines)

Deployment (inflates the scale when a new idea is implemented)

Reach Out (contacting someone who has no desire to hear from you)

Rightsizing (whoops, we hired too many people and need to begin layoffs)

Reskilling (your skills are no longer needed here)

Pushback (someone who has a different opinion than management)

Feedback (rebuff of person exhibiting Pushback)

Metric (should have just said measurement but now people think I am so smart)

Proactive (doing your job versus sleeping)

Organic Growth (business is bad so we need to scale back our growth projections)

Incentivize (formerly known as getting a raise for a job well done)

Best Practices (typically used to justify an inflated salary by creating a sense of value)

Touchbase (we need to discuss job performance issues)

Circle Back ( I have no idea what the answer to your question is)

Leverage (manipulate the situation to your advantage)

Value Added (my ideas make money for the company)

So if you are working with someone trying to “Think Outside The Box”, just remain calm and remember, “It Is What It Is.”

click here for more salary information

So what can you do? Here are some tips and suggestions in finding employment:

1. First, make sure your resume is up-to-date, and clearly outlines your skills and experience. (Getting some professional assistance in crafting a well-written resume may not be such a bad idea)

2. Be proactive by generating a list of companies. Go to their website and see if they have posted job openings. Not all companies post on job boards. If there are specific companies you are targeting you may want to contact their HR department or hiring authority, depending on the size of the organization, and contact directly. This can take some time and practice. I know people who’ve taken this assertive approach and landed a job.

3. Create a blog to market yourself or find and participate in other people’s blog.

4. If you are in the IT (Information Technology) field you can search online, and attend local user groups. I know personally, there are several local user groups for various skill sets like .NET developers, Java developers, Oracle, and graphics/multimedia to name a few.

5. Network, market yourself. Join one or two social networking sites. As a recruiter, I like LinkedIn.

6. Organize and keep track of where you have posted your resume, and also what companies you’ve applied to. Create a spreadsheet and basic info of company name, position, contact or any other useful info.

7. In addition to the previous tip, I would take an extra step and for any contact names and info you have gathered, I would follow up by calling the person listed in the job description. This could show initiative and set yourself above the competition.

8. Contact a recruiter, especially if they specialize in your field or industry.

click here for more salary information

An RN or staff nurse starts out at about $59,000 a year. You have to become a certified registered nurse and preferably have an associate’s degree. It is work to achieve that but worth it in the end.

This career is a hot choice on the list of salaries for careers simply because there will always be an abundance of sick or hurt people. Doctors will always have to have nurses to help them. Also, there is great job security in this field, like with many medical careers. A paralegal for an attorney starts at $54,000 a year. You will need to earn an associate’s degree. Your job will be assisting the attorneys with legal documents.

A financial advisor starts at $66,000 a year. You will only have to earn a Bachelor’s degree. This career will also have staying power. People with money will always need help in managing it. Pharmaceutical sales starts at $90,000 a year. You will need to get an associate’s degree. This is a great job because people will always need pharmaceuticals and you will get to rub shoulders with lots of doctors, which can become a good perk.

An investment specialist starts at $54,000. In this career, the more degrees you have the higher your pay will go up each year.

click here for more salary information