Job Competition: 20 Okt 2010

Rabu, 20 Oktober 2010

Job Titles Matter

By Mark Kolakowski

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Why Job Titles Matter: job titles are badges of authority. Not getting the job title appropriate to the position can undermine your standing both inside your company and with outsiders such as clients. Additionally, not getting the title that you are due can hinder your pursuit of future career opportunities. You will be seen as someone who actually is at a lower level of achievement than the one you have attained.
Job Title Scenarios: In one scenario, an employee gets a de facto promotion, but does not get an upgrade in job title to that of the former incumbent. This may signal either a downgrade in the importance of that job, or a device to lower its compensation level.
Another job title scenario is one in which your management grants you an upgrade in job title, but your HR records do not reflect it. When this occurs, it is typically an error of omission, but in some machiavellian firms it can be intentional.
An actual case study in HR errors involved someone hired with the explicit understanding that he would get an Assistant VP (AVP) title immediately upon starting work. During the course of over four years in a corporate HQ position, that person got every indication that he indeed was an AVP. However, after he moved to a job in a different legal entity within the firm, he was surprised when his new boss congratulated him on being upgraded to AVP. When he pointed out that he already was an AVP from day one, his manager investigated and determined that, somehow, there were errors in how the personnel records were maintained, and in how they were transmitted internally. Luckily, the employee quickly was able to get an upgrade to full Vice President instead, which is what he actually was due by that point in his career.
Sometimes, people are hired into firms or enticed into changing jobs within firms based on promises about future upgrades in job title. Unfortunately, where these agreements are purely verbal, as they often are, there is the risk that management may renege on them, even by claiming never to have made them. The danger is especially high when there is a change of supervisor for the employee in question, and the new manager denies being bound by his predecessor's promises.
Difficulties in getting an upgrade in job title may occur for worthy employees even if they do not lead automatically to higher compensation. Managers may be using the denial of upgrade strictly as a means to assert their authority.

Job Titles

By Mark Kolakowski

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Job Titles Overview: The financial services industry has some unique conventions regarding job titles. Awareness of these will help you evaluate job opportunities and your career progress.
Vice President: Most noteworthy is the liberal fashion with which financial services firms bestow the title of Vice President. In other industries, this title is reserved for a handful of the most senior executives. In a financial services firm, Vice President generally is an honorific earned by an individual, or an indicator of rank, rather than a descriptive attached to a specific position in the firm. Thus, you might get promoted to Vice President while staying in place, retaining your current job and responsibilities.
Because so many management employees eventually earn one, there typically is a hierarchy of Vice President job titles. For example, as of the time when your guide left Merrill Lynch in 2001, that firm had this menu of VP job titles for support staff, with the highest at the top:

Senior Executive VP
Executive VP
Senior VP
First VP
Director
VP
Assistant VP

Among the above, only the top two, the Executive VP job titles, actually attached to specific jobs within the corporation. Director had been introduced by Merrill Lynch in the late 1990s, as a way to single out certain VPs for special recognition while leaving them in place. By contrast, getting an upgrade to First VP usually required holding a job at a higher level in the organizational hierarchy. To complicate matters further, First VPs might have Directors or ordinary VPs as their peers on the organization chart.
An upgrade in title may or may not bring an automatic increase in pay, or in the potential for future increases. Benefits such as vacation time typically do indeed increase as you advance through the hierarchy of titles. The rules vary among employers.
Within the universe of producers there normally is an entirely separate hierarchy of job titles within the VP category, with different criteria for admission to the club and different benefits associated with it. For example, financial advisors might earn job titles like VP-Investments or First VP-Investments based on reaching specific quantifiable criteria related to the size and profitability of their client bases.

Account Executives

From Rachel Deahl

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

What Do Account Executives Do?

A friend of mine, who works in advertising, once likened the job of an account executive to that of an orchestra conductor. As he explained it, account executives, like orchestra conductors, are there to make sure everything, and everyone, is working in unison.

While you might argue that account executives also aim to make beautiful music, their tools are undoubtedly different -- instead of directing musicians they’re working at advertising agencies making sure the copywriters, art directors and other creatives are doing their jobs.

What Does an Account Executive Oversee?

In short, account executives oversee ad campaigns. Advertising agencies are multifaceted, in so far as they create campaigns for clients across a number of mediums -- print, TV, online. Because of this fact there are various people working on different aspects of a single campaign.

While one department within an agency might be creating a series of print ads for a client, another department might be fashioning a series of television ads. Despite this fact all the ads being created need to be getting across the same message, and it's the account executive's job to make sure that's happening.

Put another way, the account executive is there to make sure all the people creating the various components of the campaign are working in a unified manner, and staying on target with the message of the campaign as hammered out by the media planner.

The account executive is also the liaison between the client and the advertising agency. This means that it's up to the account executive to distill the client’s wishes to the creatives at the agency, and vice versa.

How Do You Get a Job As An Account Executive?

There’s no specific training for account executive positions but most agencies look to hire people with a college degree. Account executives, who need to be skilled at working with people and distilling ideas and directions in a clear and concise way, work their way up at advertising agencies. Generally account execs prove their worth by successfully handling accounts and moving on to work on multiple accounts and/or bigger accounts. Above the account executive position is the account manager.

Exploring Careers in Jobs in Marketing

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

In Advertising you will work with all aspects of marketing from strategy to concept to the execution of the strategy. You will find that most jobs on the business side of advertising include Account Management, Account Planners, and Media Buyers.

Account managers act as the liaison between the agency's various departments and the client. Their job is to manage the execution of ads by making sure that they are created within the allocated schedule and budget. Account Planners focus more on the consumer. Their job is to conduct research on demographics of the targeted consumers. They use that research to get to know what motivates their behavior in the marketplace. The job of the Media Buyer is to find media to place ads in. They use the demographic study that is done by the Account Planner to decide the best possible place to purchase ad space.

Is the Advertising Career Track for You?

Careers in advertising involve variety, compensation based on performance, creativity, travel, satisfaction from seeing ones' personal accomplishments, and contact with others. Advertising jobs are found in advertising agencies, media organizations, advertising departments in business firms, nonprofit organizations, and marketing research firms. The four major career paths in advertising are account management, creative, media and research.

Positions available in Advertising:

Advertising Managers
Advertising Sales Director
Account Executives
Account Planners
Media Director
Media Coordinator
Media Buyers

The Internet - A Really Good Thing for Real Estate

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Real estate agents and brokers fall all over the compass when it comes to how the internet is impacting their business. Some are doomsayers, believing that the web will be the demise of the MLS system and real estate full service brokers.

The internet is like any other sweeping new business development. There are those that will die because of it. There are also those that will achieve fantastic success using it. The difference is that some will embrace it and use its power to market and operate their businesses. And, even better, the internet is the very place to go to discover how to use it in your business and to serve your clients and gather new business!

Start with this site and all the internal and external resources we provide. It's all built around a structure designed to get you started and to provide the information you need to succeed. From social networks to blogging, the successful real estate agent of the future will be web-savvy and integrated across multiple platforms for marketing and interaction with prospects and customers.

Selling An Operating Business & Real Estate - Who's The Broker?

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

When a business owner also owns the real estate, they will want to either close down the business and sell the real estate, or sell both. Real estate agents and brokers are tempted to list both together, and that can be a mistake.

An operating business is a very different animal from the real estate where it resides. There are also very different contractual agreements necessary to transfer business assets. They aren't like real property, and can actually contain guarantees of volume and existing client/customer base demographics.

Real estate professionals, particularly those in the commercial niche, have the knowledge and expertise to analyze rental income and expenses, presenting them to their client/customer for decision-making. Where they can fall short is in analyzing a business from a financial perspective. There is a lot under the surface, and examination of a Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet doesn't begin to get at the true facts.

In the rural area in which I practice, a real estate broker had listed a business for sale, and this was without the real estate. The building was rented. As I had an interested customer, I called and asked for the financial data, receiving a P&L and Balance Sheet. I called back and asked for a Cash Flow breakdown. The broker didn't really know what I was requesting.

It was a disservice to his client to list his business when the most basic of requirements wasn't within his knowledge base. Any good business broker will require a cash flow analysis from their client as one of the most important financial documents. Adjustments to the value of the business are made based on items in the Cash Flow, including:

Detailed spreadsheets of all income
Detail of all expenses
What expenses are actually going to the benefit of the owner
An adjustment back to income for those owner-benefit expenses that will go away (not be expenses to new owner)
An addition to expenses for owner-benefit costs that will require new buyer to increase expenses (owner managed/buyer will hire manager)

In a previous life career, I sold a business to a company going public on the New York Stock Exchange. They sent in a team of auditors who spent several weeks, mostly verifying my cash flows. An example of an owner expense that was going away was my truck expense. The company provided me with a vehicle, all expenses, maintenance and fuel included. They added back that expense and increased the value of my business, as it really wasn't a true expense that they would have to pay after purchase.

As I stated in the item list, if the selling owner also managed the business, and didn't pay themselves a market rate salary, then the buyer would need to adjust their valuation of the business downward due to the necessity of hiring a manager at market salary.

As you can see, there are a number of factors that make the valuation of an operating business much different from the sale of real estate. And we haven't even gotten into inventory. Another thing about business valuation is the different ways that it is calculated depending on the industry or business type.

It is clear that most real estate professionals should not be engaged in the brokerage of operating business enterprises, unless they have the experience and expertise to do it. A far better approach would be to partner with a business broker who doesn't do real estate brokerage. It will be a mutually beneficial relationship, with each of you bringing maximum experience and value to the client/customer.

The CreateAPlan® Agent Personal & Business Budget Planning System

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

The Bottom Line

If you're just starting in the real estate business, this system will help you to determine your expenses, project income realistically, and devise a plan to hit your income projections. It even provides weekly reports of the activities you need to perform to hit your projections. If you're on a tight start-up budget, cut somewhere else and spend the $200 or so and start out with a comprehensive plan for success.

Buy Direct

Pros

Helps a new agent to determine their personal fixed & variable expenses
Prompts the agent to determine a budget for business marketing
Suggests lead and contract closing ratios for the new agent
Presents an expense/income projection that can be adjusted as needed

Cons

Though worth it, the initial cost could deter those who need it most

Description

The Personal Budget Spreadsheet - Takes you through determining what you need to live on.
Projections/Assumptions - Enter inflation rates, close ratios, avg deal & commission percentages.
Direct & Marketing Expense per Deal - Postcards, ads, virtual tours, closing gifts, etc.
Profit/Loss Chart by Year - Shows profit/loss for five year projected period based on your plan.
What Needs to Happen What you need to accomplish as far as appointments & leads to reach goals.

Guide Review - The CreateAPlan® Agent Personal & Business Budget Planning System

As average transaction dollars, expenses and real estate brokerage split percentages are all large variables in the type of data that goes into this system, I stayed very generic in my assumptions. I also tried to be conservative in my projections of agent split percentage, prospect-to-client, and transaction-to-closing ratios. The goal was to determine the value of this service/system to a real estate agent in determining what they would need to have in resources, expend along the way, and generate in revenues to be profitable in this business.
As most agents are Independent Contractors, CreateAPlan was quite helpful in the necessary first step of determining the amount to offset personal expenses while starting this new business venture.
Once personal break-even was determined, then the task is to develop a business spending projection for fixed and variable operations expenses and the all-important marketing expense piece. CreateAPlan did a good job of prompting for the common types of business expense encountered and allowed for addition of new ones.
The user must decide on certain performance ratios, such as how many appointments to secure a listing or buyer and percentage of deals that get to closing, etc. Once an average transaction amount is entered, the user is given an extensive report that tells them what they need to do to achieve their desired net income goal. Over the year, adjustments can be made and the plan changed.

Before You You Choose a Real Estate Career - Know Why People Fail

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Being successful in a real estate career isn't "rocket science," but it isn't "as easy as falling off a log" either. Entering the business with realistic expectations and a plan for overcoming obstacles will help to avoid becoming a statistic.

Average Income of a Real Estate Agent

According to the Department of Labor, the median real estate agent's income in 2004 was $35,670 (median means half above and half below). That's gross income, out of which all their business expenses had to be paid. The bottom 10% had a gross median income of only $17,600. Even if you're with a broker that provides an office, phone, business cards and some prospect leads, you'll still have expenses for your car, personal marketing, client gifts/entertainment and more.

Govt. Data on Agent Income

The Competition is Fierce with More Agents Than Ever

With over 1.18 million members of the National Association of Realtors®, and record numbers entering the field each year, it's imperative that new agents understand their market and the competition. Know your abilities, both business-wise and financially. Learn everything you can about your market and where buyers and sellers come from. Then plan your marketing to capture them at the best value.

More Real Estate Agents than Ever

Are Your Expectations Realistic?

Something we've heard many times is "I'm good with people and I've got a huge number of friends and family. They'll give me enough business to carry me through my first year or so." That's not the way it goes. First, they have over estimated the number of actual transactions all those friends do in real estate. Only a small fraction will buy or sell property in any given year. Also, they don't owe you the business, and you may find that they don't remember you when the time comes.

Why Real Estate Agents Fail

Be Finacially Prepared for Lean Years in Your New Business

Not entering the business with adequate financial resources is a common reason for failure. It's not just having enough cash on hand to make it to the first commission. It's also making a plan and a budget that is realistic in estimating expenses, allows for the unforeseen and hopefully includes a budget for marketing. Don't rely only on your broker for prospects and business. Make a marketing plan and develop a budget to fund that plan through the first year. Debt may be a viable vehicle for a good plan.

Avoid Real Estate Agent Burn-out

One reason given by agents who've left the business is that they just burned out. It's usually in relation to working with Buyers, and driving many miles showing hundreds of homes without a deal. The temptation for a new agent is to take any prospect that comes along, hoping for a deal at the end. You can avoid this ticket to Burn-out City by qualifying your customers as to their motivation and buying schedule. Develop a list of tactful questions that help you to do this.

Sell With Soul - Reality & Rewards for New Real Estate Agents

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

The Bottom Line

With so many books touting the open-ended rewards of a real estate career, Jennifer's real-world stories balance rewards with reality.

Buy Direct

Pros

Gives you the warts along with the beauty of the job.
Well illustrated with personal real life situations.
Good advice for those who aren't inclined to be "sales people."

Cons

Tech resources for tasks & checklists would have helped.

Description

The book presents specific advice and help in working with buyers and sellers with their needs in mind.
Commission discussions in the context of ethics and good business practices are helpful to the new agent.
There are some very fundamental lessons presented as the author's true experiences. This keeps it interesting.

Guide Review - Sell With Soul - Reality & Rewards for New Real Estate Agents

Having been in the business for a while, it takes some doing to think back to my thoughts, hopes and fears as a brand new real estate agent. I don't think I was completely successful, but I did pull enough of it together to see the value in this book.

Jennifer Allan sub-titles the Sell With Soul book with "The New Agent's Guide to an Extraordinary Career in Real Estate." She does a great job of sticking to that theme, and relates her real-life stories to the goal of building a satisfying career.

Though there are a number of reasons why I liked this book, two stood out for me:

It presents a balanced picture of what's fun and what's not about this business.
There is an underlying theme of character and integrity as the basis for an extraordinary career.

If you're just starting out in this business, it's OK to read all the get rich books. It's alright to learn about the latest and greatest marketing tactics. However, get some grounding in the everyday challenges with this book.

How To Calculate Rental Vacancy and Credit Loss in Real Estate Investing

By James Kimmons

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Failure to anticipate the loss of rental revenue due to vacant units and non-payment of rent will lead to lost profitability in your clients' income producing real estate investments. In helping clients to determine the suitability of a purchase, be sure that their due diligence includes an estimate of vacancy and credit loss. You can be sure that most lenders will take this into account also.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How:

Determine an expected percentage of loss due to vacancy and non-payment by checking that of comparable properties and the recent loss experienced by the subject property. Last year's vacancy and credit loss from the subject property may have been 3% of net operating income. Other comparable properties experienced an average of 4%. Choose a value in the mix, let's say 3.60%.
Adjust your net operating income for next year by any anticipated rent increases. If you are anticipating a 5% increase in rent, and net operating income this year is $44,000, then: $44,000 X 1.05 = $46,200
Calculate the expected monetary loss for next year due to vacancy and credit losses: $46,200(net operating income) X .0360 (3.6%) loss estimate = $1663.20.

What You Need:

Calculator
Some estimate(s) of vacancy and credit loss percentages

Market a Used Car through Newspaper Classifieds

By Keith Griffin

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Newspapers are still a viable means for selling a used car. Just make the right choice when it comes to the newspaper you use. Otherwise, you’re going to be throwing good money after bad.

Do you have a fairly common used car you want to sell? Your best bet is going to be a smaller daily newspaper. Why? Your ad is not going to get lost among lots of other ads for the same vehicle. There’s actually little reason to post an ad for a 2005 Pontiac G6 in a large newspaper that has access to a website like cars.com with its listings.

Instead, put your ad in your regional daily newspaper. The aim is not always to reach the widest market. You want to reach the market that is going to buy your car.

Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. There are three Pontiac G6s for sale. One is 10 miles away. Another is 25 miles and the third is 50 miles. A perusal of my Sunday classifieds unveiled that same scenario. Frankly, with all three roughly the same price, I’m going to buy the car that’s roughly in my neighborhood.

There is another advantage to advertising in smaller publications: ads run longer for a similar (if not lower) price. Here’s one example from two Connecticut publications where I live:

Journal Inquirer (Manchester, CT) - Automotive Sure Deal - Sure Deal Classifieds $41.50 - for items priced $1000 or over. 5 lines for 30 days, includes a photo if provided. Private party advertisers only selling autos or merchandise, no refunds. $4 each additional line.

Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT) - 7 Days Print - 14 Online - Renew Print - $45 - 4 lines, 7 days in the Courant - One free photo in print ad - Expanded ad on cars.com for 14 days - One free 7-day print renewal - Add'l print lines available for $11.35 per line - For private party customers only - 3 of your photos on cars.com.

The Journal Inquirer ad is the better value because the ad runs for longer, at a lower price, with an additional line of space. The downside is there is no online component to the ad, but there are also not a lot of waste eyeballs look at your used car ad.

One final piece of advice: stick with paid newspapers that people have delivered to their homes or offices. Specialty publications that you find at your Chinese takeout restaurant are good options for advertising your used car.

How to Reduce the Cost of Advertising Jobs - Adventures in Advertising Jobs

By Susan M. Heathfield

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

My initial advertisement was expensive at $1700.00, so I rewrote the ad to remove all extraneous words. Since newspapers tend to charge for the number of lines in their print ads, I used the newspaper website to repeatedly review my progress in reducing the number of lines. This is the print ad I developed; the cost was listed on the website as $1305.50.

The Print Advertisement

Cellular Technician - Level 3 Wireless

Technical Lead for Cellular Remanufacturing Ops

City, State

"Technician to lead phone troubleshooting and repair at growing cell phone remanufacturer. Requires: Level 3 certification at manufacturers: Nokia, Motorola, Samsung; 5 years+ troubleshooting exp. with various handset models and manufacturers; 2 yr. degree in Electronics Technology/equivalent; reads/follows schematics; has developed training/trained staff; soldering skills; works on surface mount PC boards; knows trouble shooting equipment: DVM, Spectrum Analyzer; supervisory experience preferred. Resume/salary: HR - ReCellular, Inc.; Company Address."

Then, while I would have disagreed with this at the time, fortune favored my ad placement. Instead of a confirmation, I received an error page, after entering the entire transaction online. Forced to call the newspaper to find out whether the ad was received, I discovered it was not.

So, I placed the ad again over the phone. Total cost: $1212.50. When I asked the operator why there was such a difference between my online placement versus calling the ad in, she responded that “spacing was different online.”

This was good news for my company, but not good news for the newspaper website. I am thoroughly trained, at this point, to call in or fax my ads rather than using the newspaper website.

Your experience may vary, but my experience provided key learning points for me. You can significantly reduce the cost of online advertising and classified advertising with a bit of effort and rewriting. The cost savings is definitely worth your time. The cost reduction, by not using the newspaper website to order the ad, was also significant in this instance. This deserves wider exploration as we work to reduce the cost of our future Internet and newspaper advertising.

How to Write Subheads

From Apryl Duncan

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Writing subheads is easy once you know what a subhead is and how it fits into the advertising medium you'll be writing. It's simply a sub headline, a headline of its own on a smaller scale.

How you write your subhead will depend on the advertising medium you'll be using it in. For example, the use of a subhead varies greatly between print and online:
• Print Ads
When you're writing print ads, you won't always use a subhead. It's an optional element of a print ad but its purpose is simple.

Your subhead will elaborate on your headline to pull the reader into the ad even more. Your headline hooks readers while your subhead reels them in.

The reason subheads are optional is because you can also hook and reel readers in with your headline alone. It doesn't mean you've failed if you use a subhead. It's just another method you can use to create an effective print ad that sells products and/or services.

These samples show you the many ways you can use a subhead in your print ad:

Headline: Hit Viruses Smack in the Face
Subhead: Kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses with Kleenex Anti-Viral tissues.
Advertising: Kleenex

Headline: A Better Tomorrow Starts Today
Subhead: Become an Avon Representative
Advertising: Avon

Headline: In the race against teething pain, 30 minutes is too long to wait...
Subhead: Baby Orajel Wins
Advertising: Baby Orajel

Headline: Give 'Em a Reason to Come in Early.
Subhead: It's a Good Night for Stove Top
Advertising: Stove Top

Headline: Going Green Starts Now
Subhead: Create Your Own Masterpiece Today
Advertising: Sta-Green Lawn Fertilizer
• Websites
Using subheads within your website follows the same premise that other advertising mediums do except you now have to throw search engine optimization into the mix. You don't want to fall into the trap of thinking every subhead you write must be witty with a knee-slapping joke to connect with customers.

You have various uses for a subhead on your website. You can use a subhead like a print ad does, making the subhead elaborate on your headline. You also have the opportunity to use your subhead within the body of your copy for two important reasons:

A website subhead can bring in additional traffic through SEO
Your subhead on your website needs to be direct. Each subhead should use SEO copy to bring in the most amount of traffic. If you create a magazine-type subhead that uses clever wordplay, you're missing out on the opportunity to use SEO copy so that your website will show up higher in search engine rankings.
A subhead can provide a visual break in long copy blocks
A subhead can break up the copy on your website and helps readers navigate your content very easily. Think of your subheads like article subheads for your website. You're breaking up long blocks of copy with a subhead that makes it easy for visitors to find exactly what they're looking for within your content.

Sample website content with subheads might look like:

Puttering Heights Golf Course is the only course located on a deserted island in Wales. There's a reason thousands of golfers book their trip a year in advance to play with us.

Challenging Golf Course
Our 18-hole course has been chosen as the "Most Challenging Golf Course" for 15 consecutive years in Golfers Anonymous magazine. Even professional golfers find Puttering Heights Golf Course a challenge to beat.

Breathtaking Golf Course Views
Puttering Heights features 7,000 yards of a championship course built on an island off the coast of Wales. Chip Shot Digest recently named our course one of the "Most Beautiful Golf Courses."

On-Site Golf Training
Our golf instructors can show you how to play like a pro. They even serve as guides when you're playing the Puttering Heights course to give you tips and tricks.

Use your subhead to its maximum potential no matter what medium you are writing in. If you're not putting as much effort into your subheads as you do your headline and the body of your copy, you're wasting valuable ad space.

SEO Report - mirrorEmage

By Jennifer Kyrnin

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

This is a complimentary SEO report for mirrorEmage. The recommendations in this report are based on my present knowledge of the search engine industry. There is no guarantee that by implementing any or all of the suggestions found here that the page will improve in search engine rankings for the specified keyword phrases.
Submit your site for review.

Page Information:

Submitted by: Amit
Page Title: mirrorEmage - Art For Interiors!!!... Send us your interior's picture... View virtually before buying
URL: http://www.mirroremage.com/virtual_templates.html
Main Headline:
Keyword phrase(s) to optimize for: abstract art

Basic SEO Checks:

Basic elements of SEO to fix.

Is the keyword phrase good?
Yes
This is a great keyword phrase. It gets lots of searches. But because it's so popular it could be very competitive.
Where is the keyword phrase found?
Image alt text; With a keyword density of: 0%

Good use of link titles to get the keyword phrase in. However, since there is no actual text on the page, the keyword phrase isn't really found by search engines (or people searching, for that matter).

Advanced SEO Checks:

How many links are there to the page?
0
It's important to get related sites to link to your site with the keyword phrase you're trying to optimize for.
When was the page last modified?
November 16, 2008
Pages that are modified with significant content changes do well in search engines, but constant little changes can hurt your ranking.

Does the page validate?
CSS - yes
Accessibility is the most important, but having valid HTML ensures that the spiders can read the page.

Negative SEO:

Elements of SEO that can hurt your rank.

Hidden content in
None Good!
URLs that are difficult to read
None Good!
Spammer tricks (that could get you banned)
None Good!

Other SEO Thoughts:

If you find it difficult to get good ranking for this phrase, you might want to consider making it more specific to the topic or audience of the site. But honestly, the real problem with this page is that there is virtually no text on it at all. Search engines need text to tell them what the page is about - and meta data, no matter how much you put in, is ignored by search engines. If you want your page to be found in search, you need to add human readable text on the page that includes your keyword phrase.

White Hat Vs. Black Hat SEO

From Apryl Duncan

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Search engine spiders can spot the difference between white hat and black hat SEO efforts. Optimize your site with white hat search engine optimization techniques to increase your search results and avoid the penalties of black hat SEO.

• Meta Tags

Black Hat SEO - Stuffing or Spamming Meta Tags
Stuffing or spamming your Meta tags does nothing for your search results except flag your site as one using black hat SEO. Search engines are always on the lookout for spammed Meta tags. For example, let's say an online pet store called Fiction Pets is stuffing its Meta tags. The site's black hat Meta keywords might read:

Its stuffed Meta description might read:

White Hat SEO - Choose a Solid Keyword Phrase
Research your keyword phrase. Choose a solid keyword phrase that accurately represents your page and use it in your Meta tags. An example of Meta keywords:

A white hat Meta description could be:

• Content

Black Hat SEO - Hidden Content
There are many ways to hide content on your site. All of them are black hat SEO methods.

Hidden content includes white text full of keywords on a white background. Another black hat SEO method is using comment tags to hide keywords. For example:

<!--hidden content, hidden content is bad, hidden content in comment tags is bad--!>

White Hat SEO - Quality Content
Content that targets a strong, related keyword phrase on each page wins every time. After you've chosen your keyword phrase, use it consistently throughout the page. For example, a page with a Meta title of "White Hat SEO - White Hat SEO methods" could have this first paragraph of content:

White hat SEO is the key to effective search engine optimization. If you're not using white hat SEO methods, none of your SEO techniques will be effective.

• Linking

Black Hat SEO - Link Farming
The idea behind link farming is that you exchange links with other websites to boost your site's rank in search results. Search engines like Google examine how many sites are linking to yours when determining rank.

With a link farm, you've traded your link with many sites for the sole purpose of increasing your site's search rank. In effect, you're trying to fool the search engine into thinking your site is more popular than it really is.

White Hat SEO - Inbound Linking
When someone links to your blog post or a page on your site within their content, you have a quality inbound link. Unlike with black hat link farming, inbound linking is not a link list traded for the sake of boosting your search results.

Creating content that is compelling attracts site visitors. It also captures the attention of other webmasters who are looking to create their own content with contextual links to your site.

• Page Elements

Black Hat SEO - Doorway Pages
Doorway pages are known by many names, such as bridge pages, entry pages, gateway pages, jump pages and portal pages. These pages are created to spam search engines with a certain phrase.

A doorway page is created to get traffic based on keyword phrases and then funnel those site visitors to the main site. Most search engines catch doorway pages and sites are penalized.

White Hat SEO - Headings
A better use of page elements is to break up your page visually with SEO-friendly headings. An article using <H1>, <H2> and <H3> tags that make good use of your keywords has more weight in search engines than a page full of regular-sized text.

parliamentary secretary

By Susan Munroe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Definition: A parliamentary secretary is a Canadian member of parliament from the government party who is appointed to assist a cabinet minister. Parliamentary secretaries often fill in for cabinet ministers during Question Period in the House of Commons, at House of Commons committee meetings and for speaking engagements. A primary role of a parliamentary secretary is to explain the policies of the cabinet minister and related government department and agencies.

Parliamentary secretaries are appointed by the prime minister and assigned for a specific length of time.

Role of a Parliamentary Secretary in Canada

By Susan Munroe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

A parliamentary secretary in Canada is a member of parliament assigned to assist a cabinet minister. In some cases a parliamentary secretary may be assigned to assist the prime minister or several cabinet ministers.

Appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries

Parliamentary secretaries are appointed by the prime minister. Parliamentary secretaries work under the direction of a cabinet minister or ministers.

House Duties

One of the prime responsibilities of a parliamentary secretary is work in parliament.

a parliamentary secretary provides a key link between a cabinet minister and parliament
a parliamentary secretary works with House of Commons and Senate committees, shares department information with committees and acts as the minister's representative on political issues. A parliamentary secretary is also expected to bring the concerns of committee members to the minister, and in a broader sense to the government.
a parliamentary secretary acts as a liaison between the cabinet minister and caucus
a parliamentary secretary answers questions during Question Period in the absence of the minister.

Government Department Duties

A parliamentary secretary also has responsibilities in relation to a government department or an assigned policy area.

a parliamentary secretary may be assigned specific policy-related duties either by the prime minister or by the cabinet minister. The cabinet minister maintains overall accountability and responsibility.
a parliamentary secretary assists in liaison between parliamentary committees and the relevant government departments and agencies.
a parliamentary secretary also helps caucus members in their liaison with relevant government departments.

Privacy Law in Canada

By Susan Munroe

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Are you worried about the privacy of your personal information? Do you hesitate to use your credit card online? Do you wonder who has access to the personal information you are required to give Canadian governments? What about Canadian banks? Just what do they do with all the information they collect about you? Who monitors the private sector? Here is a quick overview of the laws governing the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by both governments and businesses in Canada.

Privacy and Governments in Canada

The 1983 federal Privacy Act puts limits and obligations on over 150 federal government departments and agencies on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. It also gives Canadians the right to find out what personal information the federal government has about them by making a formal request under the Privacy Act. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has the authority to investigate complaints.

The governments of all provinces and territories in Canada, except for Newfoundland and Labrador, also have legislation governing the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. The legislation varies from province to province, but the general right to access and correct personal information exists in all, and each has a commissioner or ombudsman who is authorized to handle complaints.

Privacy and the Private Sector

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPED Act, regulates how private sector organizations collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of business activities. This Act has been implemented in three stages:

January 1, 2001 - federally regulated private sector, for example banks and international air carriers, is covered
January 1, 2002 - personal health information collected, used or disclosed by federally regulated organizations covered.
January 1, 2004 - covers information collected in the course of any commercial activity in any province or territory in Canada, including provincially regulated organizations. If a province has legislation substantially similar to the federal law, then that province may be exempted. At the beginning of 2004, the only province exempted from the federal PIPED Act was Quebec. Quebec businesses are not covered by the PIPED Act, but must comply with the Quebec private sector privacy law.

Principles of Fair Information

The PIPED Act establishes ten principles that organizations must follow when collecting, using and disclosing personal information in the course of commercial activity. These principles have been adapted from the Model Privacy Code of the Canadian Standards Association.

accountability
identifying purpose
consent
limiting collection
limiting use, disclosure and retention
accuracy
safeguards
openness
individual access
challenging compliance

Privacy Complaints

Individuals can complain to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about violations, and the Commissioner can start his own investigation without waiting for a complaint.

How Cyberstalkers Obtain Your Personal Information

From Alexis A. Moore

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Jan 8 2009

This is seventh in a series of articles on women and cyberstalking written for About.com by cyberstalking expert Alexis A. Moore, founder of the national advocacy group Survivors in Action. Today anyone can conduct an internet search typing in such key words as

license plate records
people locate
employment locate
bank account locate
employment locate
phone record trace
social security number trace
property records information

Searching with these words will bring up hundreds of internet-based datafurnishing companies that supply consumer records online. Some even provide these types of records for free. Experiment a little and you'll quickly discover that you don't need to hire a private investigator to obtain personal information; with a little ingenuity and the help of the internet, you can find it yourself. Internet-based information brokerages and datafurnishing companies are surfacing all over the country. The information age has created a new revenue source for those who provide consumer records. Datafurnishing is a billion dollar industry that includes the three national credit bureaus, companies like Lexis Nexis, Accurint, Choicepoint and the thousands of others that pop up daily. All provide consumer private records with the click of a mouse.
Currently, a convicted felon in California is operating one of the nation's largest information brokering businesses. Yet the hands of local law enforcement are tied because information brokers are neither licensed nor regulated nearly as well as they should be. Simply stated, anyone at any time can hire one of these datafurnishing agents or an information broker and obtain data that the majority of us believe is private.
In California, I have been working with State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's office in San Francisco to help introduce legislation that will mandate licensing of all information brokers that sell a Californian's private records and information to a third party. Such licensing is not presently in place, enabling many of these so-called information brokers' practices to remain unnoticed by law enforcement and our nation's law makers.
Over the years I have spoken with members of the justice department, local and state law enforcement including the FBI and political figures. All have had the same response: They aren't aware of anything that protects people's records. Most of the time they shake their heads and tell me it's crazy how easy it is to get access to personal information on the internet.

A Dangerous Trick - Caller ID Spoofing

Many people erroneously believe they are safe from cyberstalking because they are rarely online. But technology has extended beyond the reach of the computer and where technology goes, cyberstalkers can follow.
Caller ID spoofing is simple to do. Google the topic and you'll instantly locate sites where you can purchase the technology yourself. By buying pre-paid time, you can then call someone else, changing the number and the name you're calling from on their call display. The person picks up the phone thinking they're talking to National Bank, and instead it's a stalker after personal information. Using these tricks, cyberstalkers can locate victims by fooling friends and relatives into revealing the victim's whereabouts. Or they can obtain critical personal information to access a victim's private records.
In one case I was involved in, a woman received two texts from what purported to be her bank, asking for personal information. She responded without thinking about it, only to find out later that someone broke into her bank account and paid all of her bills several times. Nothing that could be proven as "stolen". As far as the bank was concerned she was the one who chose to pay bills several times. But it left her completely broke until her next payday -- over two weeks away. Even worse, now an identified person had her social security number and other key pieces of information that allowed him to do it again. And there was nothing she could do to have him arrested.
Legislation banning caller ID spoofing has been created and passed in the House and referred to the Senate, but as of this writing it has gone no further. Until laws are on the books banning the sale of caller ID spoofing technology, it is simple to purchase this technology anonymously online.

What is datafurnishing?

From Alexis A. Moore

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Question: What is datafurnishing?

Answer: Datafurnishing companies are entities and agencies that compile and sell consumer private records.

The three national credit bureaus Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union are examples of datafurnishing companies. There are other agencies which are not as well known. The largest of these (outside of the credit bureaus) is called ChoicePoint, a LexisNexis Company; ChoicePoint and LexisNexis were once separate datafurnishing agencies that have subsequently merged.

Datafurnishing companies and the credit bureaus sell consumer private records information to smaller datafurnishing agencies such as Merlin Information Services, Source Resources, KnowX, Accurint, Abika and the information brokers who operate them for a fee. The information broker and datafurnishing agents then repackage the consumer private records and then re-sell them to the general public for the price that the market will bear.

Thus your personal information can wend its way from the credit bureau to a high-tech investigator hired to find it with no input from you.

While datafurnishers in theory are supposed to know why the information is being passed on and to whom, in reality they tend to plead that they are incapable of storing all that information and those records have been erased. There are no laws currently in place to make them take responsibility.

The above piece is seventh in a series of nine articles on women and cyberstalking written for About.com by cyberstalking expert Alexis A. Moore, founder of the national advocacy group Survivors in Action. Links to the entire series are below.

Cyberstalking and Women - Facts and Statistics

From Alexis A. Moore

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

an 8 2009This is third in a series of articles on women and cyberstalking written for About.com by cyberstalking expert Alexis A. Moore, founder of the national advocacy group Survivors in Action.

Cyberstalking is such a new phenomenon that the media and law enforcement have yet to broadly define and quantify it. The available resources are so few and limited that there is little information for victims or for professional victim service providers to utilize. What stats there are reveal millions of potential and projected future cases. The epidemic of identity theft indicates technology abuse is one of the fastest growing areas of crime and those same techniques are easily applied to a specific, targeted victim.

Here’s what we do know:

More than one million women and 370,000 men are stalked annually in the United States. An astonishing one in twelve women and one in forty-five men will be stalked in their lifetimes. The average duration of stalking is nearly two years and even longer if the stalking involves intimate partners.
Within the past twelve months, 9.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft. Identity theft is often present in situations of domestic abuse and can become a form of economic abuse once the woman has left her partner. One and a half million of those reporting identity thefts in 2004 also reported that they suffered from domestic abuse and harassment from their exes. These latter stats could be more correctly re-categorized as cyberstalking incidents.
National figures show victims of cyberstalking tend to be females during the college ages 18-29 but women are not the only targets. A survey of 765 students at Rutgers University and the University of Pennsylvania found 45 percent of stalkers to be female and 56 percent to be male. National figures show most stalkers to be male by overwhelming margins (87 percent.) Men represented over 40 percent of stalking victims in the Penn-Rutgers study.
The Department of Justice statistical report of June 29, 2006 indicates that, on average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. The FBI reports that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 to 44 — more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. Cyberstalking provides astonishingly easy and cheap tools for an abuser to locate women who have tried to move away or go into hiding.

Cyberstalking and Domestic Violence Victims

Domestic violence victims are one of the most vulnerable groups to traditional stalking, so it’s no surprise they are vulnerable to cyberstalking as well. It’s a myth that if women “just leave” they will be okay. Cyberstalking is a way to continue to maintain rigid control and instill fear into a domestic partner, even when she has already left the relationship.

This can happen even to those who one would think would be more prepared. Marsha was an accountant — a working mom with kids — and after her husband Jerry’s rages got more and more severe, she decided it was time for a divorce. She told him in the safety of the lawyer’s office, where terms for their separation were laid out. To say he was angry was an understatement — he vowed right then he’d “make her pay.”

This threat had new meaning when she went a couple of days later to buy groceries. When all her credit cards were politely and embarrassingly declined, she went home to discover that Jerry had cancelled them and her cell phone, and drained her bank accounts, literally leaving her with just fifty cents. She was forced to get a loan from her folks to make it to the next court date.

We're All Potential Victims of Cyberstalking

In my work with victims I’ve learned that the ease with which someone can perpetuate a cyberstalking crime has made potential victims of us all. Individuals have been cyberstalked for the most minor reasons by people they've angered in the past. Victims were targeted because they dumped a guy after dating less than a month, fired an employee, were part of a business deal gone bad or -- no joke -- parked in the wrong parking spot.

One of my most traumatized clients was a well-off white male -- a senior Vice President of a well-known tax firm. A fired employee began sending hundreds of emails with Photoshopped pornographic images of the VP to every single person throughout the company for months before it was stopped. The executive was so humiliated he not only left his job, he left his life – changing his name and moving to a different state. The ease of causing someone trouble through technology, without having to leave the house, makes cyberstalkers out of people who would have normally fumed in silence.

The media learned that Barack Obama’s Verizon cell phone records were accessed after he became President-Elect. Now think about that. If an incoming President, with his reams of security teams and careful management is not able to protect his information, what chance do the rest of us have?

Sound scary?

I mean it to be. We have all grown so complacent about our information and how it is stored and managed; we have no idea how easy it is to access essential personal data that would unlock the safeguards to our finances, our personal and economic safety and our lives. The havoc a cyberstalker can wreak is painful, frustrating and long-lasting, and the technological tools and resources commonly used by cyberstalkers are all available online for affordable prices.

Women and Science - A Scientific Approach to Family / Career Balance

By Linda Lowen

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

You became a full professor at the same time you discovered you were about to become a mother. The biggest argument as to why academia is stacked against women is that the childbearing years coincide with those years in which you're busy compiling achievements, publishing articles, doing all those things that ensure that you'll get tenure. What were the decisions that factored into your choices, and how have you made it all work out?

When I was doing this, there was much less awareness that you can be a serious scientist and have a family. I decided not to have a family for a while, but became pregnant and so the decision was made for me. I didn't realize it would be so hard to have a child and do my research; I didn't think it through.

Women are thinking of this nowadays. In institutions, there's recognition now that the clock will be stopped, there will be time for children, and that there'll be times in a woman's life that she won't be doing science alone. If you look at a trajectory of a few decades - the productive years of a woman's life - the time you'll need to spend intensively with the children occurs in batches throughout that period. Getting them into kindergarten is one significant period. Then again in high school attention has to be paid to them.

There are definitely some years where you're not going to be 100% focused on your work. But if you average this out over several decades, say 20-30 years of every productive life, you don't have to sacrifice your career just because you lose a little bit of time here and there.

Young women seem to see it as one or the other - the fork in the road. My recommendation is to think about the fact that family responsibilities come in waves and it does take time; but work also takes time, so you need to decide to be very focused on this. For my husband and I, our lives were work and family and that was it; everything else stopped for a time, and now we're resuming things like going out to dinner or the movies. It wasn't a sacrifice; we love both our family and our work.

Of course you need good support to do this. Use that good science mind, your good problem solving mind, to figure out how you are going to go about this. I learned from all sorts of women, from those who were young to those who - like me - had children later. In my own field, the American Society of Cell Biology has a Women in Cell Biology group with web pages full of resources. They also have a wonderful pictorial display of women scientists with their families. Younger women scientists who view this gallery of women with their families see that it's being done successfully by others.

It's important to encourage them and demonstrate that this is not impossible to do. The best practical advice I can give is to use your problem solving skills to see what different kinds of solutions there are. It's hard work, but it's okay to have a challenging time.

I bumbled though it like everybody does. I don't think we went to a movie or traveled on vacations. I spent minimal time at conferences and hurried home to be with my family. Of course it's going to be work, and you do find yourself wishing you were in two places at once. Of course the kids do fine; the evidence doesn't bear out that they won't.

You aren't a terrible parent if you aren't there after work every day baking cookies. I baked cookies - not such good ones but I baked. I was helped by the fact that I was a full professor so I attended those child related events that I wanted to be at. People will respect you if you take the time to make time for your children.

We'll always have guilt and stay-at-home moms have it too, although it's a different kind of guilt. We just have to realize we're not doing our children a disservice when we're engaged in our jobs if we are also engaged in them . The media does tend to stereotype women with a one size fits all model , while real examples aren't well represented in the media.

What would you like to communicate to young girls, teens, and mothers of girls who are interested in science, but may lose themselves in the science and math gender gap? What advice do you have?

Coming back to what I was alluding to regarding the family - if you're someone who finds science interesting, you have the mind of mind that enjoys grappling with questions. Finding how to juggle time without falling into the trap of some stereotype is the challenge. Use your own problem solving mind to discover ways to do this.

The reality is that science offers a challenging career and autonomy, and it's fun. Women scientists choose to do this - it's not a burden. Unless they feel pushed out by professional circumstances, women who want to be in the sciences think of these challenges as problems they can solve, and then do it.

A career in research science only appears daunting because of the mythologies surrounding it.

In my own childhood experiences watching my parents, I could see that a woman having a career was as normal as a man. I was one of 7 children and my mother was a doctor who practiced medicine when she could; she could leave and re-enter the field. There are many examples of that. I grew up seeing that women were just as intelligent and able as men.

I asked for a little microscope once for Christmas, and I got that. I wasn't ever told, "Girls don't want microscopes." But just because a girl doesn't come from a family like mine doesn't prevent her from pursuing science. A girl from any background can succeed with encouragement.

The creativity of science is very much like that in the arts; both are about your brain being created.

Showing girls and women realistic images of women in the sciences is part of the solution. When the media depicts real women, it sends the message that these are scientists, they look like women who have lives, and women are recognized when they do good science. For example, the L’ORÉAL Prize is an opportunity to put out positive messages about women in science by showing there are different kinds of women from different backgrounds. It encourages young girls by showing them the important work that women can accomplish in science and research.

For Women, Science Careers Offer Intellectual Freedom and Flexibility

By Linda Lowen

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

I once spent a day shadowing a research scientist and came away with the sense that she saw her work as fun. She taught me that researchers are passionate about their careers. Yet most young girls see science as boring, or work that's too hard to pursue, or devoid of any relevance to their lives. How do you help them to continue the innate love of science and discovery that's in all of us?

When you see the best science being done, it has elements of exploration, fun, and personal involvement; it's about enjoying the challenge. You also satisfy the question of how nature works. It's extremely interesting and endlessly captivating. Scientists often complain that we spend a great deal of time securing grants and funding to do our research, but we've all chosen to do this. There's a degree of autonomy in a research setting, and we forget to convey that it's an extremely rewarding aspect.

Science in academic settings or research institutes is different from trying to solve a problem with a particular end in mind. In a corporate setting, the focus is on problem solving or grappling with questions. The science which isn't goal oriented is very impressive because you have such freedom of choice - Choice in what we do is a huge determinant as to whether or not we enjoy this.

That's something we don't convey to girls - that science can offer intellectual freedom, which is a wonderful thing - and to have access to this type of career is extraordinary.

Why is science seen as boring? Perhaps it's because the teaching of it happens in a very fact-based way. To teach well you have to not only teach the concepts but teach that science is a process of thinking. When science is taught in a problem-solving way, then boys and girls don't get turned off.

Kids pick up completely on what their teachers are thinking. Teachers are so incredibly important and we undervalue them. We must change that, and politically advocate for teachers. I recognize that teachers have a tough life; they're overburdened, and we need to re-examine how we compensate teachers. We should make it one of the top paying jobs and then people would flock to it.

When I was a child, I had a chemistry teacher who came into my school relatively young. She enjoyed what she did and made chemistry so much fun. Because we enjoyed her teaching us, she thrived in her work. It matters to teachers that they feel valued and liked. It's important to understand that how people learn is realistically influenced by the interaction of teachers and students.

In the biological sciences you've observed that women are getting advanced degrees and doing postdoctoral research at the same rates as men, but not getting the top jobs. What are these top jobs, and why are women still excluded from them?

The most desirable positions are in academic institutions where there's a cutting edge research component and lively inquiry. When we look at the pools of applicants, women are very poorly represented. Students say that it looks too hard and too daunting. There's underrepresentation and women are concerned about family issues and there's no real support for this. The good news is that we're aware of what's happening, and intuitions are trying to correct the issues that are turning away really talented women scientists in this career. It's not that women can't do this work; something is putting them off, and it's a combination of things not unique to the sciences.

There are sometimes cumulative negative cues - subtle signals that women receive - that are not huge by themselves but add up to a discouraging picture of the profession that they want to go into. They see it as hostile to family life - that they will be taken as not serious about their profession. We all recognize this and work hard not to create a negative environment.

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

ou've spent the last few months answering help wanted ads, visiting recruiters, and networking. You've sent out your resumes and gone on a bunch of interviews. And now the moment you've been waiting for is here. It's your turn now. You have some job offers to consider. During those long days pounding the pavement, you didn't think making a decision would be this difficult. But this is serious business. The job you take now may be yours for a long time to come.

What's the most important thing to consider? Is it salary, health benefits, or vacation time? Or could it be the corporate culture or the length or your commute? What about your boss and co-workers -- will working with them be pleasant? As you can see there are a number of factors to take into account and only some are negotiable. You can try to get a higher salary or more vacation time. However, health benefits are often standard packages. The corporate culture isn't going to change for you, and your boss and co-workers aren't going anywhere.

Each of us, of course, is different. And what carries a lot of weight for some of us is insignificant to the rest of us. A great example of this is a survey I conducted on the Career Planning site. I asked the question: "What gives you the most job satisfaction?" Given three answers to choose from, 20% chose "Respect from my boss," 17% said "The amount of money I make," and 62% said "I love what I do." As you can see, while the majority responding to the survey felt that loving what they do is the most important thing, there are those whose opinions differed.

Evaluating the Offer

Salary
Even if money isn't what gives you the most job satisfaction, no one can argue its importance. You need a certain amount of money to pay the bills, for example. Most of us also want to make sure we are being paid what we're worth and what is the going rate for jobs similar to ours. It's important to find out what others are making for related work in the same industry, and in the same geographic region. You can start gathering this information by looking at salary surveys and other occupational information. And don't forget, if other aspects of the job appeal to you, you can try to negotiate the offer.

Office Environment
Every office has a different feel to it. Some feel kind of "dark pin-striped suit" while others feel a little more relaxed. Years ago I interviewed for an internship in a public relations firm. From the second I set foot in the office I knew I wanted to work there. There was a big bubble gum machine in the corner and colorful pictures hung on the walls. A few years later I interviewed for a job at a large investment bank. The office was the complete opposite of the one I just described. I was interviewed in a formally decorated conference room and given a tour of the department I'd be working in. It was brightly lit, yet furnished in dull colors. I was offered and accepted both positions and loved both jobs. As you can see, you can be happy in two totally different environments. You just need to know which environment you'd be unhappy in.

Corporate Culture
Defined by Merriam-Webster as "the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes a company or corporation," corporate culture should be an important factor in your decision whether to accept a job offer. If you value your time away from the office, a company with a corporate culture that encourages late hours may not be for you. Is the potential employer's philosophy "win at all costs?" Is your philosophy "always play clean?" This company isn't for you. Are you an ardent proponent for animal rights? Through your research you learn that one of the company's subsidiaries does animal testing. Although this won't affect the day-to-day activities of your job, it may not be a situation in which you'll feel comfortable.

More Tips for Negotiating Salaries for Tech Jobs

From Patricia Pickett

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Former Tech Careers guide John Steven Niznik provided some initial tips on how to negotiate a salary for a technical position. Here are a few additional guidelines I've compiled to help you get through the negotiation process with minimal stress, and end up with a salary that is acceptable for both you and the employer.

The Best Time to Negotiate Salary

Most career experts will say you have the most leverage in negotiating a salary after you have been offered the job; at this point, the employer is certain they want to hire you.

However, avoid trying to negotiate immediately after receiving the offer and before getting additional details on the rest of the compensation package. You need to take some time to consider everything being offered.

Also, try your best to avoid bringing up salary or, if asked, giving specific figures during the job interview. That time should be used to find out more about the job and to determine whether you want to work for the employer.

Know the Job Description and Requirements

You can't be expected to negotiate fairly if you don't have all the information you need. If you have any outstanding questions about what you will be expected to do, the results you will need to produce, and any other benefits or perks the employer offers, find the answers to those questions before you start talking about how much you'll get paid.

Research is Key to Salary Negotiation

Make sure you do some background research to find out what the going salary is for the type of job you are being offered - one with similar responsibilities. Here are some places where you can find this kind of information:

Payscale.com;
Salary.com;
Indeed.com;
government census stats;
salary reports issued by various tech job search firms;
National Association of Colleges and Employers;
postings for similar jobs;
discussions with people who have a similar job.

Salary Negotiation

From Rachel Deahl

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

The other major consideration for your media salary negotiation is the job market. If it’s a really tough market an employer has the upper hand and asking for more money, when there are myriad candidates waiting in the wings, might not be the best move. If you really need a job, and can’t afford to have the offer retracted, then trying to negotiate a higher salary is a bit like Russian Roulette -– do it at your own peril.

Do I Have Time to Decide?

Yes. If, and when, you get offered a job, it is more than ok to ask what the position pays and then request a short time to consider the offer. A short time being a day or, if the offer’s made on a Friday, the weekend. (Don’t ask for a week to mull the offer over.)

Take that time to consider what the salary is and whether or not you want to try for more or whether, taking into account all the variables, you want to accept the offer as is.

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

By Alison Doyle

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

When you receive a job offer, it's important to take the time to carefully evaluate the offer so you are making an educated decision to accept, or to reject, the offer. The last thing you want to do is to make a hasty decision that you will regret later on.

Consider the entire compensation package - salary, benefits, perks, work environment - not just your paycheck. Weigh the pros and cons and take some time to mull over the offer. It is perfectly acceptable to ask the employer for some time to think it over.

Money Matters
Money isn't the only consideration, but, it is an important one. Is the offer what you expected? If not, is it a salary you can accept without feeling insulted? Will you be able to pay your bills? If your answer is no, then don't accept the offer, at least right away. Make sure that you are getting paid what you're worth and you are happy with the compensation. Nobody wants to be in a position where they realize that the salary isn't enough - after they have accepted the job offer. If the compensation package isn't what you expected, consider negotiating salary with your future employer.

Benefits and Perks
In addition to salary, review the benefits and perks offered. Sometimes, the benefit package can be as important as what you get in your paycheck. If you're not sure about the benefits that are offered, ask for additional information or clarification. Find out details on health and life insurance coverage, vacation, sick time, disability, and other benefit programs. Inquire about how much of the benefits costs are provided by the company, in full, and how much you are expected to contribute. If there are a variety of options available, request copies of the plan descriptions so you can compare benefit packages.

Hours and Travel
Before accepting a job, be sure that you are clear on the hours and schedule you need to work. Also, confirm what, if any, travel is involved. If the position requires 45 hours of work a week and you're used to working 35 hours, consider whether you will have difficulty committing to the schedule. If the nature of the job requires that you will need to be on the road three days a week, be sure that you can commit to that, as well. Also, consider travel time to and from work. Is the commute going to take an extra hour or will there be parking fees you're not paying now?

Flexibility and Company Culture
Many of us, with small children or elderly parents, or other personal considerations, need flexibility in our schedules. To some of us, the ability to work a schedule that isn't a typical forty hour in the office work week, is important. It is also important to feel comfortable in the environment that you are going to be working in. One candidate for a customer service job realized that there was no way she could accept it, despite the decent salary, when she was told she had to ask permission to use the restroom. Ask if you can some spend time in the office, talking to potential co-workers and supervisors, if you're not sure that the work environment and culture are a good fit.

Your Personal Circumstances
The bottom line in accepting a job offer, is that there really isn't one. Everyone has a different set of personal circumstances. What might be the perfect job for you could be an awful job for someone else. Take the time to review the pros and cons. Making a list is always helpful. Also, listen to your gut - if it's telling you not to take the job, there just might be something there. Keep in mind, that if this isn't the right job for you, it's not the end of the world. The next offer might just be that perfect match.

It's much easier to turn down an offer than it is to leave a job that you have already started. The employer would prefer that you decline, rather than having to start over the hiring process a couple of weeks down the road if you don't work out. So, do take the time to thoroughly evaluate the offer. Ask questions, if you have them. Take the time you need to make an educated, informed decision so you feel as sure as possible that you, and the company, have made an excellent match.

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

By Dawn Rosenberg McKay

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

You've spent the last few months answering help wanted ads, visiting recruiters, and networking. You've sent out your resumes and gone on a bunch of interviews. And now the moment you've been waiting for is here. It's your turn now. You have some job offers to consider. During those long days pounding the pavement, you didn't think making a decision would be this difficult. But this is serious business. The job you take now may be yours for a long time to come.