Don’t get bogged down in thinking that you only have one chance to change career: “When people start talking about their “true calling” or “finding their vocation” it adds a lot of pressure to an already difficult decision. You will probably change career direction several times in your life (I certainly have!), so try to think in terms of what you would like to try next. Career planning tools on websites such as Prospects or TargetJobs can be useful to throw up a few ideas, but the key is to think about the kind of skills you enjoy and are ...

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The prospect of choosing between multiple job offers may seem unlikely these days, given all the talk of joblessness and the real unemployment rate of 15.1% (counting people who have given up looking for work, and those working part-time who wish they had full-time jobs). But career coaches say they are seeing the job market pick up, at least for some workers. “Things are turning around,” says Kate Wendleton, founder and president of national job coaching organization The Five O’Clock Club. Given the slightly improved U.S. economy, some workers who have been unhappy in their jobs for a long time, ...

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15 things you should not do at an interview If your CV and cover letter have been impressive enough to get you an interview, the job could be yours – provided you perform well at the interview. Even the most seasoned professional can get flustered and spoil their chances, so with a little preparation you can avoid falling foul of these common interview blunders: Read our previous blog => Use Your Annual Review to Negotiate a Raise Not doing your research You might have the skills to do the job but do you know the how the company operates? Check ...

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Your annual review is often the forum for haggling over a raise. People tend to go into these meetings assuming employers will note their accomplishments and reward them accordingly. But that’s not always the case. What’s more, Monster members often write that they have not received a raise in two years or more. Worse, some employers have actually taken away certain benefits, such as bonuses or vacation days. Read our previous blog => Work-life balance is dead — here’s why that might be a good thing These examples underscore the need to be prepared for your performance review. You must ...

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Gone is the notion of balance. Increasingly, professionals are comfortable blurring the line between work and home. In a corner of West Philadelphia, the cranes have been busy. The project? A few hundred luxury apartments aimed at professionals working at the nearby University City Science Center. Read our previous blog => 5 Rules You Must Follow to Get Ahead in Your Career Increasingly, notes Stephen Tang, president and CEO of this incubator and research park, the professionals running these start-ups want to work and live in the same space. They think little of a work-out at noon and a conference ...

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