What to Do After Accepting a Job Offer

What to Do After Accepting a Job OfferWhat to Do After Accepting a Job OfferCongratulations on landing the new job Now whats next after accepting a job offer?In the time before you start, you might want to schedule a brief break between jobs so you can go into the new role relaxed and refreshed. You can practice your new commute and figure out what to wear, too.But dont forget these 7 steps you should take before your first day at your job with a new employer1. Write your acceptance letterYou accepted verbally but you also want to put it in writing. Whether you send an email or mail a letter formally accepting a job offer, its important to restate the final offer details and express enthusiasm and appreciation for the opportunity. Ask if theres anything needed from you prior to the start date.2. Notify your boss that youre accepting a job offerIf youre employed, its good form to tell your manager you are accepting a job offer and then agree on a termination date - usually two weeks from the day you announce your resignation. Submit a formal resignation letter, making sure to give one copy to your boss and another to the appropriate part in the human resources department.You may get a counteroffer from your current employer that includes a higher salary or sweeter perks. Resist the temptation to accept. Remember all the reasons you looked for a new job in the first place.Have you received multiple job offers? Read our tips on how to make the right decision.3. Let other contenders knowIf youve been interviewing for positions with other employers, email them that youve accepted a job offer with another company. Dont be that candidate who ghosts an employer during the hiring process. As you withdraw yourself from consideration, keep your sentiments positive and express appreciation.4. Cultivate your networkYoure headed for a new adventure, but you should keep nurturing the relationships youve built over the years. Your soon-to-be former boss and coworkers are impo rtant parts of your professional network. Add them as LinkedIn connections. Get their personal email addresses. Go out to lunch one belastung time. Who knows? You may find yourself going back to them for work one day.5. Facilitate handoversIts basic professional courtesy to help out during the transition period before you leave your old role, either by training your replacement or writing detailed instructions for a future new hire. Leave your electronic and paper files in good order. Now is also a good time to give your desk a thorough decluttering and cleaning, making sure you dont leave behind anything personal.6. Stay in touch with your new managerYour formal acceptance letter should not be the last time your new boss hears from you before your first day on the job. If theres silence during the weeks after youve accepted a job offer, dont be shy about communicating first. Ask how you can prepare for the first day, if theres any paperwork you need to fill out, where and when to r eport, and if there will be an orientation.7. Leave on a high noteTheres much to do after accepting a job offer, so dont rest on your laurels and coast during your final two weeks at your workplace. Finish strong and display a positive attitude. Make an effort to thank any colleagues who helped you learn and grow professionally in the job. Make the most of this time to create a smooth transition as you prepare for the next exciting chapter of your career.Have you changed your mind about accepting a job offer? Read our post. Do you want to continue your search? Let us helpSEARCH FOR JOBSSEND US YOUR RESUME

What If Companies Treated Job Applicants Like Customers

What If Companies Treated Job Applicants Like CustomersWhat If Companies Treated Job Applicants Like CustomersCustomer-management software has the potential to change the way companies treat job candidates, keeping them informed and engaged at each step in the process. So why doesnt anyone use it?When a customer picks up the phone to call the help desk at Hewlett-Packard, several things happen that let HP deliver the appropriate answer to the caller.Software called a Customer Relationship Management system displays the customers profile to the operator who can see, for instance, that the caller works for a company that just purchased a $1.5 million data-storage solution or that hes just bought a $150 laptop for his son in college. The CRM system lets HP route the call to the right assistance and provide the appropriate level of support. It also lets the company know when the customer might be ready for an upgrade or mora products. It is a cornerstone of verlottern customer service an d sales.The experience for job applicants at most U.S. companies is nearly 180 degrees from this level of customer service. Job seekers call it the resume black hole They submit their resumes and never hear back from the company. They call and write e-mails repeatedly but get no response. They may even progress through the process to several rounds of interviews, only to be left in the dark when the company decides not to hire them.So why is that customers are treated so well and applicants, so poorly?The technology is there, but the incentive is not, said several recruiters and software experts who spoke to Ladders. Few companies see happy applicants as a business imperative and cant justify the expense of adding CRM capabilities to the process.ATS to CRMRecruiters and hiring managers are halfway there, said David A. Earle, lead researcher at Staffing.org, an analyst firm that measures recruiting trends, practices and sourcing. Most companies already use an Applicant Tracking Syste m (ATS) to manage and track job candidates. An ATS provides a profile of candidates, copies of their resumes and cover letters references and their experience with the company - interviews, jobs applied for and more. It will also match candidates to certain job openings.CRM capabilities would extend the ATS to set engagement standards, such as deadlines to respond to applicants, alerts when a job has been filled or the applicant is disqualified so a recruiter can send a response, and automatic suggestions for future job listings.Merging CRM with applicant tracking systems lets you approach staffing in the same way you would a sales territory, Earle said. It lets you lay out your brand and presence and become like flypaper for candidates who touch the system which improves the quality of hiring by more effectively selecting among the available candidates.So far there are very few companies either willing or interested in the cost and complexity of enhancing their hiring with CRM, E arle admitted, although Staffing.org and other research entities promote it as the next major improvement in hiring.It would certainly address the major weakness of electronic hiring processes by giving both recruiters and human-resources professionals the tools to find the right candidates for the right jobs, said Lindsay Olson, a partner and recruiter at Paradigm Staffing, a recruiting company that specializes in marketing and PR positions.HR managers and recruiters dont have the time to invest in follow-up alerts, let alone more high-touch approaches, no matter how effective they might be in the long run, she said. And automation of the process has hurt more than it has helped, Earle said.Computerization was supposed to have solved a lot of problems in the hiring market, but what it did was actually create a whole other set of problems because the number of candidates is vastly greater, but the ability to parse that information effectively is not, Earle said. Tens of millions of applications create a sea of information, but the picture doesnt become clearer when you need it to it remains just a sea of information, which leaves companies just as frustrated as candidates.The current buyers market exacerbates the problem, said Kate Lukach, director of marketing for SelectMinds, which develops software that companies use to create their own social networks. Because they have plenty of candidates to choose from, they feel no need to please the applicant.Companies such as J.P. Morgan, IBM and Deloitte have all created social networks that resemble LinkedIn or Facebook, Lukach said, but are limited to current employees and alumni and are designed to help drive new business and new hires from former employees back to the company.Being able to filter a sea of applicants to a pool of qualified candidates not only makes HRs job easier and cheaper, it ultimately improves the quality and speed of the hiring process, Earle said.We think its going to be a key differentiat ing factor as the economy turns around, especially for second-, third- or fourth-tier companies that will be able to use that responsive approach to hire the most talented candidates away from the larger companies, Earle said.

5 ways to make sure that work isnt your everything

5 ways to make sure that work isnt your everything5 ways to make sure that work isnt your everythingTheres nothing wrong with loving your job and going above and beyond to make sure that you do the best you can and meet your professional goals. Being passionate about your work is definitely a good thing, but theres a difference between that and letting it completely take over every waking moment of your free time.Here are five ways to feel fulfilled outside of the bro.Crack open a good bookA great story practically reads itself, making it easy to have a whole lot more on your mind than just work requests, ongoing projects, office personalities, and emails.If youd rather read digitally,listen to podcasts about non-work-related subjects on your commute, while you work, and when you get home, or tote around aKindle so youre never without a good read.Books can change the way you think, inspire you to travel, and motivate you to strive for your goals.Re-connect with people you care aboutY ou can get an emotional boost from taking the time to connect with those who mean a lot to you.To have a life outside of work, get back in touch with them, and do everything you can to make sure that nothing gets in the way.A Fast Company article by Harvey Deutschendorf on what people who have work-life balance do mentions this, saying, people who have managed to carve out a work-life balance that works for them dont just wait to see what time is left over after work. They make a point of planning and booking time off to spend outside of work and powerfully guard this time. While emergencies happen and situations come up that need their attention at work on occasion, they strongly resist any intrusion on this time.Explore new placesChanging your surroundings can shift your outlook on whats possible for you, so pack up the truck and hit the road for a Sunday drive with friends and/or family.While planning an upcoming vacation can also be a rush of excitement,hopping on a bus or train to check out shopping, dining and sights in another local area can be a cheaper,short-term solution.Spend time on your hobbiesWhile reading and listening to podcasts definitely fall under the hobbies umbrella, find something that also lights a fire in you by taking a class, joining a club or team.Do volunteer work. Take up mentoring. Do something productive that takes you far out of your comfort zone.This will give you the opportunity to make memories with new people - and maybe even change both of your lives in the process.Draw the lineThe work has to stop somewhere, or youll have no time for things like self-care.A HuffPost article on how entrepreneurs can prevent work from consuming your lifetells us why its so important to keep things separate.There has to be a clearly delineated boundary between your work and your personal life. This applies to your daily routine, as well as making time for yourself on the weekend. For example, some people make a point of closing their comput er at 730 each evening, or not working on Sundays, or not working once the family comes home. By separating your work time from your home time, youll better associate your office with being productive and your home with relaxation, it says.While the need to get ahead can also be very consuming if youre a small-business owner - especially on the weekend - thats all the more reason to recharge by giving yourself the break you need.

Unhappy At Work It Could Be Your Fault

Unhappy At Work It Could Be Your FaultUnhappy At Work It Could Be Your FaultYou dread the sound of your alarm waking you for work every morning. When you get to work, the day seems to drag. None of the projects youre assigned excite you. Youre always the first person to leave the office. Face it. You hate your job. Could the dicke bretter bohren mssen be you?The cause of your unhappiness could be from your own negative energy and perception of the situation, not putting an effort in your relationships at work or not feeling valuable.How to deal with your own negative energyWhile its not beneficial to see everything with rose-colored glasses, being pessimistic is even worse. A negative outlook on work can affect your performance and how your colleagues relate to you. Cy Wakeman, the author of The Reality-Based Rules of the Workplace, says, Your thinking manifests itself in a way that affects everyone around you and the way they see you.If you find yourself complaining about a project or colleague, stop and write down just the facts of your issue without any inner commentary. Writing down the objective parts of a problem will help you see how you are adding unnecessary drama. Once youve done this exercise for a project or colleague, try doing it for your whole job. Changing your perception can be very challenging, but it helps if you are fully present in the moment and not allowing past experiences or future expectation to influence your judgment.How to get along with your colleaguesWork is definitely more enjoyable when you like your co-workers. If you arent on the best terms with your teammates, its time for a gut check. Do you come off as standoffish? Do you prefer to eat lunch at your desk while the rest of your team spends lunch time together? Do you sometimes criticize a colleagues work too harshly in front of others? Maybe youre exuding that negative energy mentioned earlier in the article. Whatever the case, put some extra effort in your relationships at work. Offer a helping hand to a teammate who is stressed with too many deadlines. Ask a colleague for a quick coffee. Just ask a coworker how their day is going. Simple, friendly gestures can go a long way and can make you happier at work.How to find value in your workThe easiest way to find value in your work is by asking, Why? What is the purpose of a project in the big picture? A simple task like formatting a spreadsheet is important because it allows others to see data clearly and make critical decisions faster. If youre not sure why a project is important, politely ask your boss. By knowing why your work is important to the company, youll be more motivated to get it done. Another way to look at is what skills are you building with this project? For the spreadsheet example youre learning organization skills as well as the ability to synthesize information and highlight important items.

The Hidden Truth About Go Resume Exposed

The Hidden Truth About Go Resume Exposed Rather, it is a strategic tool for marketing your rolleal brand. Exceptional templates will also steer you get through the resume-building procedure, which is specially useful if you are a newcomer to the procedure for building an extremely effective curriculum vitae. Application templates aussicht to be simply ideal for women and men that have a tendency have the art of manufacturing impressive resumes. Our seasoned services writer knows what it requires to earn a powerful and memorable first impression. When you get the business card from the individual youre interviewing with, hold onto it. This guide provides you with actionable methods and the very best examples sure to produce your qualifications on a resume shine Obviously, you need to understand whats important to the business you wish to join. It also permits you to copy and paste usernames and passwords to login forms on the web to cut back on typing you need to do while su rfing. If you spend anytime on the internet you have lots of usernames and passwords that need to be remembered to access different web sites you go to. Now youll never be without all your passwords and theyll be safe and secure. Then youve got all your passwords for any computer you use. There are a variety of ways to tackle this kind of open-ended interview question. Paula captures the gist of the person and their professional identity in a manner I have not seen before. Youve got to specify the amount of profit resume make certain it is accurate You are able to guide state the position youre applying for and the explanations for why you applied. If youre in a similar position for an individual youre attempting to help, then you may compare their resume to the one that youve used. Recognize sufficient epoch to compose your intended statement. The New Fuss About Go Resume Create your basic resume which youll be able to edit whenever you require. If you are looking for the Software Requirements Main grid, you must be a wonderful deal creative. Whatever free resume template you select, make sure that it will be able to help you set your absolute best feet forward. Social Media is a huge example here. Interviews are a means to help fix an issue. Networking plays an important role here. The Lost Secret of Go Resume VMock will get bottomward to the nitty-gritty information. Already careful which info you decide to include The email might take a couple of minutes to arrive in your inbox. Second, the emails didnt appear to provide a damn where I was. Find out more about how to compose a professional resume summary. Ability to Be Objective To make certain that your resume has the very best chance of being successful, you need to have the ability to examine the information on the webpage in a wholly objective fashion, which can be difficult to do. To tailor your resume, return to the work description and search for keywords associated with your responsibilities. Resume online to learn the keywords best associated letter the work title. Aim to speak for a couple minutes whenever you have to answer this question, but dont talk for so long your answer gets tedious. Articles are a fantastic means to prove that you already know some stuff. You are aware that its probably coming. Its going alone booty a moment. As you end the interview, you might want to ask how theyll be following up with the upcoming actions. An interview is an opportunity to highlight the way you can assist an organization. Go Resume at a Glance The majority of people will say you will maximize your probability of getting your very first job by sending your resume to all the companies you understand about. Or ask any questions youve got about the resume or about your professional expertise generally. Pharmaceutical youre searching for your very first job, you might think you dont have samples to put in the work experience section of your resum e. Therefore, if youre opting for jobs within different regions of banking, you must have different walk me through your resume answers you tailor the response to each kind of employer. Or youll be able to put money into the networking part and adhere to that provider everywhere. Competent and serious professionals who need to construct a good career in the region of pharmaceutical small business development. A growing number of individuals are applying buy jobs through internet sites. Together with huge knowledge in toronto.

The Mid-Mid Life Crisis

The Mid-Mid Life Crisis Like others my age, I worry about getting a job. This phenomenon of young adults going through their own mid-mid life crisis has been bedrngnisiced and exploited for comedic value (see HBOs Girls, anything that makes fun of hipsters, etc.). I think lots of people think the lives of Gen-Yers consist of wandering around Brooklyn, drinking local beer and wearing flannel. Theyre starving artists with Macbook Pros which mom and dad bought for them back when they attended some liberal arts school in the Mid-West. While there might be some truth to this (it just happens, I swear), some people sincerely cant find a job, and the situation is nerve-wracking at best, terrifying at worst. So instead of giving you some advice about getting a job so that you can leave your parents, Im going to give you some advice for getting through this hurdle in life. However, I hope this also helps t hose going through a midlife crisis. We Gen-Yers really do share mora in common with older folk than many people think. Were all freaking out at the same time about paying the bills, right?1. Do what you want to do.If you dont, youll be miserable, and youll probably suck at the job that you do have. That being said, dont walk away from a chance at another career that you think might work for you. Ive said it before, and Ill say it again those that seem lucky are just those that take advantage of opportunities when they see them.For the writers, painters, musicians, whatever if you cant make any money in the beginning, take up a part-time job. I know you dont want to do that. I certainly dont. I hated working at a cafe, and I really dont feel like doing it again, but if I have to take a part-time job at Starbucks so I can pay my rent in some hipster alcove, so be it. I heard they have health insurance2. Talk to someone.About whatever is worrying you Need help getting a job? Talk to someone. Feeling overwhelmed? Talk to someone. Just want to play Mario Kart in your friends dank room and forget about your troubles for a while? Talk to someone. Im not just talking about reaching out to people for favors. Hanging out with your friends or family when youre feeling low will boost your spirits and motivate you to keep grasping for legitimate adulthood (as in, not living with your parents).3. Think like a dog.I once had a professor (at a liberal arts school in the Mid-West) that told me his secret for getting over hurdles in his life welches to think about what his dog would do.A while back, the dog missed a step on a flight of stairs and rolled down. My professor and his wife thought she was seriously injured, but the dog just got up, shook herself and walked off. She was always happy because she wouldnt dwell on stuff. So be like the dog. If youre stressing out about your career, just remember that it isnt the end-all and that youll eventually be okay again. You won t get anything done if you succumb to your fears.4. Dont make a 5 year plan.Youll be much happier. Why? Because if you had a five year plan and then started feeling that you should be doing something else, theres a good chance that youll feel like a failure. If you allow yourself flexibility, youll be much more open to whatever else can make you happy. I had a 5 year plan for almost every 5 years of my life. Thats not an exaggeration. When I was 3 years old, I made it my goal in life to attend Harvard so I could be pre-med and become a dentist. By high school, I had no interest in Harvard, dentistry, or Barney for that matter. Considering Ive never been that great at anything scientific, its a good thing I gave up the dentist dream early.Its good to have some kind of idea of what you want to do, but dont take it too seriously.

Warren Buffett, Ted Williams on making better decisions in life and work

Warren Buffett, Ted Williams on making better decisions in life and workWarren Buffett, Ted Williams on making better decisions in life and workArguably, hitting a batischsetanzabend is the most difficult feat to pull off in all sports.To put this into context, the average baseball hitter swings and misses a pitch about eight times out of ten. 1These are miserable odds for any sportsman or professional in any field.In 1939, a tall, skinny, and frail looking young man, named Ted Williams, joined one of the leading American baseball teams - the Boston Red Sox - and resolved to shatter the limits of the baseball batting odds by improving his decision-making. 2Day in and day out, for hours on end, Williams would practice his swing - paying close attention to the strike zone where he hit the best balls.Within a few years, Williams scientific approach to making better decisions as a baseball hitter paid off.During the 1941 baseball season, Williams achieved a .406 batting average - tha t means he swung and missed a pitch about 6 times out of 10, the last time any major league player has done so.By the end of his career, Williams had established himself as the greatest hitter in baseball history - he won six batting titles and posted the highest career batting average of any major league baseball player in the live-ball era.Although the late Ted Williams had a natural talent in baseball, he attributed his great success to his rule of waiting for a good pitch to hit.3Similarly, in an unlikely meeting of minds, nobody embraces and champions Williams philosophy any mora than the prolific billionaire investor, Warren BuffettTed Williams described in his bookThe Science of Hitting, that the most important thing - for a hitter - is to wait for the right pitch. And thats exactly the philosophy I have about investing- wait for the right pitch, and wait for the right deal. And it will come its the key to investing. 4Buffett later noted that this philosophy of waiting fo r a good pitch to hit,was the secret to his most profitable investments including Coca-Cola, American Express and Geico.What can we learn from these two greats - in two completely different fields of baseball and investing - on how to make better decisions in life and work?Lets dive in.The sweet spot of decision makingIn Ted Williams book,The Science of Hitting,he notes that the first rule of hitting was to get a good ball to hit. I learned down to percentage points where those good balls were.Below is an image of Ted Williams and his illustration of these percentage pointsThe box on the right of the image above is a representation of Williams strike zone and the percentage points broken down into 77 squares - the red colored squares bordered with red dotted lines lay within his sweet spot.According to Williams, if he waited for a pitch within his sweet spot, hed hit the ball about 40% of the time. But if he grew impatient and swung at pitches just a few inches outside of his swe et spot, hed only hit the ball about 23% of the time.Buffett often makes reference to Williams sweet spot and draws close parallels to decision-making in investing, The trick in investing is just to sit there and watch pitch after pitch go by and wait for the one right in your sweet spot. And if people are yelling, Swing, you bum ignore them. 5This sweet spot of decision-making which both Williams and Buffett refer to, is called the Circle of Competence. And it was first referenced in Buffets1996 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letterwhere he wrote that, You dont have to be an expert on every company, or even many. You only have to be able to evaluate companies within yourcircle of competence. The size of that circle is not very important knowing its boundaries, however, is vital.In his biography,The Snowball(audiobook), Buffet explains how he used the Circle of Competence to make smart investment decisions, When it comes to Microsoft and Intel I dont know what that world will look like ten years from now. And I dont want to play in a game where the other guy has an advantage. The software business is not within my circle of competence. We understand Dilly Bars and not software. 6Now that weve touched upon the importance of the Circle of Competence, lets discuss what exactly it is and how you can use the Circle of Competence to make better decisions in life and work.Circle of competenceThe Circle of Competence is a simple concept the more knowledge (or strengths) you have about what youre doing, the better decisions youll make, and vice versa.For example, lets say youre trying to decide on what exercises to do to lose weight.Like most people, youd probably search for the most popular exercises and workout routines on the web.The problem with this approach however, is that it fails to take into account your circle of competence, leading to bad decisions that cost precious time and money.Assuming youre a much better runner, than a weight lifter, but the most po pular exercises involve weight training exercises like deep squats, deadlifts and bench presses, what do you do?Based on your Circle of Competence, the best decision would be to choose more exercises that involve running.Not only would this prevent injuries, but itll also make it easier to stick to your exercise habit, and improve your odds of achieving your weight loss goals.The Circle of Competence also applies to other areas of our lives including business and profession.For example, I spent a couple of years working in a profession that required strong skills in face to face selling and networking, and even though I pushed myself to improve, I struggled to perform at the highest level because the skill set was outside of my circle of competence.One day I took an inventory of the knowledge and strengths within my Circle of Competence - writing, public speaking, research, storytelling - and decided to shift my time and energy towards them.Without a shadow of a doubt, I can now s ay that the decision to stay within my Circle of Competence has paid off in spades.This year alone, Ive been truly blessed to have the privilege of over 500,000 people read my work across major media outlets on the web.Likewise, if youre an entrepreneur, writer, white-collar professional, athlete, artist or teacher, figure out your Circle of Competence and stay within it.This will ensure that you make good decisions that will improve your odds of success, and prevent you frommaking bad decisionsthat could sabotage your potential to become the best at what you do.Stay humbleThe ancient Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, once said that The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.What separates Warren Buffett and Ted Williams from the rest of the pack in their respective fields isnt their natural talent. Its their ability to identify what they dont know and their willingness to wait patiently for the right opportunities to act on what they do know.The Circle of Competence is a remin der that the best way to make decisions, is to avoid making decisions on things you dont know.Resist the temptation to swing at every opportunity that presents itself, be patient and stay humble, and as the late Ted Williams would say youll get a good ball to hit.Mayo Oshin writes atMayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus,join his free weekly newsletter.A version of thisarticleoriginally appeared atmayooshin.comasWarren Buffett and Ted Williams on How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work.FootnotesReferenceof Major League Baseball Batting Year-by-Year AveragesMontville, Leigh (2004). Ted WilliamsThe Biography of an American Hero.Williams, Ted, and John Underwood (1971).The Science of HittingHBO documentary, Becoming Warren Buffett.HBO d ocumentary, Becoming Warren Buffett.Schroeder, Alice (2008).The Snowball Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.According to Warren Buffetts business partner, Charlie Munger, the best way to expand your Circle of Competence is to read a lot. Munger once said that, In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didnt read all the time none, zero. Youd be amazed at how much Warren reads at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think Im a book with a couple of legs sticking out.

Breaking Down a CFA Salary for Your Career

Breaking Down a CFA Salary for Your CareerBreaking Down a CFA Salary for Your CareerMany financial professionals seek theChartered Financial Analyst designation to improve their marketability and salary prospects. In this article, were going to delve into the numbers behind CFA salary data to discover how much difference a CFA charter can make in salary. Its elend an easy task, because the CFA Institute does not make such information available and because, unlike, say, a law degree, the CFAis broadly applicable to the financial services industry and doesnt have a clear career progression. This makes it hard to measure any salary increase attributable to the CFA charter. Salary Based on Experience According to CFAplanet,a site that tracks CFA-related statistics, there are a couple of different ways to break down a CFA salary, such as by years of experience. According to their estimates, a charter holder with between one and four years of industry experience can expect to earn a z entralwert salary of $78,190, while those with between five and nine years under their belts will earn an average of $99,370. Those with more than 20 years of experience will take home a median salary of $152,122. Now, remember that those are median salaries, meaning that there will be many people earning more and less than those figures. Perhaps the most meaningful way to compare CFA salaries is by job title since that will be most useful to anyone seeking to determine how much they could add to their current salary by pursuing a CFA charter. Data from Payscale.com confirms that the least paid CFA charterholder positions are financial analysts, who earned salaries between $43,741 and $99,957. The highest paid positions will come as no surprise to most of us and are those held by Chief Financial Officers, who earn between $78,410 and $242,395. Investment analysts are next in line at the trough and can earn as much as $125,403. A 2007 CFA Institute membership compensation survey of 9,000 U.S.-based respondents give us some illuminating data. 64% of respondents had between five and 20 years of experience and over 50% had completed an MBA. On theother hand, 37% did not have any graduate education. 42% of respondents worked at investment management firms. The top three positions reported were Portfolio manager (9%), Buy-side research analyst (8%), and C-Suite executive (8%). Caveats and Exemptions Now that weve given you some of the data, lets talk about all of the caveats and exemptions. Since there is no official data from the CFA Institute, most of these salary numbers were cobbled together from employment data and job search sites. As you may expect, its important to control for factors like educational background, years of experience, and job position when looking at salary data. According to industry data, compensation in the financial services industry is highly correlated with experience. A significant number of CFA charterholders are also compensated with bonuses and incentive pay that may not be captured in their reported salary. According to the CFA, compensation reported cited above, 90% of 2007 respondents were eligible for cash bonuses and 80% were eligible for non-cash compensation like restricted shares or share options. In short, there isnt an easy way to analyze CFA salary information. However, for comparative purposes, the easiest way to judge how much a CFA charter would benefit your career is to look up salary information for your target job role and determine what it will take for you to achieve that role. Understanding the base requirements for achieving your desired job or level of seniority and then understanding what desired characteristics can get you there faster is key to working out a career trajectory. Some career tracks require a CFA charter as part of the educational background. For others, its simply a way to differentiate yourself from the competition and increase your analytical skills.

Getting a Job as an Album Cover Design Artist

Getting a Job as an Album Cover Design ArtistGetting a Job as an Album Cover Design ArtistA titelbild art designer is a graphic designer who specializes in producing artwork for music-related projects. Often, graphic designers who produce titel art andliner notesalso dabble in designing posters, T-shirts, and other merchandise for music artists and record labels. When Vinyl Was King Truly iconic album titelbilds dont just define an album, they defined an era, a generation and, in some cases, an entire musical genre. Sometimes they do all there, which is the case with The BeatlesSgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club, considered the most famous album cover ever produced, topping the list of the top twenty-five covers. The widely-recognized album cover that depicts several dozen celebrities and other images were created by Jann Haworth and Peter Blake, who in 1967 won the Grammy Award for Best Album Cover Graphic Artsfor their work on it.And, while costs were not made public, its said that at the time, it welches the most expensive album cover ever made. Many of the most memorable album covers of the 60s and early 70s were high-concept artworks designed by famed graphic designers like Hipgnosis and Roger Dean, who worked in-house for Roxy Music.Their work was glamorous imagery, more like a 50s fashion shoot than an album cover and they commanded in-house salaries equivalent today to a six-figure salary. Salary Range Today, album cover designers (who create cover art and layout for LPs and CDs) earn an average salary of $48,000, though the general salary range varies widely. Salaries can go up to $150,000, or more, based on experience, a well-developed portfolio, and whether or not a designer is producing work for a well-known artist. Freelance designers (with a roster of established clients) can earn on the high end of the scale, as can designers working in-house if its for a major label like Universal Music Group or SonyMusic Entertainment. Employee vs. Freel ance Many graphic designers working as freelancers are hired to design cover art on a per-project basis. If you want to work as a freelance graphic designer, you will need tobuild your portfoliowhich can mean doing some initial projects either for generous discounts or free until you have a portfolio that lands you the type of paying gigs you want. If your clients are pleased with your work, youll likely find new geschftsleben through referrals. Graphic designers working full-time in-house give up the potential for lucrative gigs in exchange for a steady paycheck. The Design Process Analbum cover designer not only designs and/or illustrates the art thats on an album cover but more often than not, does the entire layout, including the back cover, insert or booklet, lyric sheet, CD face print, etc. Freelance design artists often develop a obligation with the bandsthey work for, gainingtheir trust, and collaborating with them over long periods of time and multiple albums. Typicall y, the designer meets with the artist to discuss their ideas. Sometimes the artist has a well-developed idea of what they wantto be createdand other times they have no concept or idea at all and its up to the cover art designer to come up with the ideas. Once a basic direction is understood, the designer develops a series of rough ideas to present to the band. From there, the designer amends their initial concept and after a (hopefully) short back-and-forth process they settle on the covers design. Generally speaking, the longer a designer works with a band, the more intuitive this step becomes. Designers usually work with the artist directly, though it is not uncommon for the label to act as a liaison. Sometimes with major labels, production managers, printers, and other designers may be involved. The smaller the ?artist or more independent they are, the fewer people the designer works with. The process is basically the same when working in-house. There are times when a record labe l or the musicians themselves have very specific ideas about how they want their album covers and other merchandise to look. They may have photos or designs in mind, and they may have decided on everything from typefaces to color schemes. In this case, the designer is in charge of laying out their clients artistic vision- typically using graphic design software- and putting it into the proper format to be delivered for manufacturing. Education and Training While schooling is not for everyone, most album cover designers usually have training in Fine Arts or Graphic Design and attempt to get into one the prestigious institutions like the Rhode Island School of Design and CalArts in Los Angeles. The value of training and truly learning a craft cannot be underestimated. Advancement The days of the rock star designers pretty much came and went with the 70s. This is when vinyl was king.These days, many designers diversify because an artist may also need a logo, T-shirt design, bac kdrops, and other design art to support their tours.