Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has decided decrease his annual salary to $1 for the year 2010, according to Oracle’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The move will shave exactly $999,999 off of Ellison’s income compared to this year, but fortunately for Ellison, the world’s fourth-wealthiest man, his base salary only accounts for about 1.2 percent of his total earnings.
Other massively wealthy executives have paved the way in the field of $1 base salary reductions, such as Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. According to Oracle’s filing with the SEC, Ellison’s company wants …read more

When you are in the midst of a job search, even in this market, you are not at the mercy of the organization. You don’t have to take anything they offer. Negotiation is still an option when it comes to salary. By definition, negotiate means to bargain with others for an agreement.
One key for successful negotiation is to be clear about the market value of the position. What is the position worth in the current job market? Do your homework and know what other organizations are paying for a similar job. Don’t get stuck on one number. Negotiate within a …read more

I like to celebrate with job seekers who get the job offer they have been waiting for. For me, just doing a jig or a respectable shout works for increasing endorphins. I love to celebrate great news! Have you recently received a job offer? If so, before you let out that shout, consider whether it is the right offer for you.
Here are some things to consider:
1. Get the offer in writing
2. Make sure you are clear on salary and benefits
3. Take 24 hours or more to consider the offer
4. If you are uneasy about any portion of the offer, take …read more

You just endured a long hiring process and they’ve offered you a job. Should you take it? How do you know whether you should accept the offer and go to work? Let me say this, don’t be quick to jump on an offer. Even in this market. Take 24-48 hours to evaluate the offer, the organization, the hiring process you went through. Think about it. As much as you need to develop a job search strategy, you absolutely need to develop a strategy for deciding which offer to accept and which ones not to accept. Here are some things to …read more

As a freelancer, you don’t get a “salary” like most other full-time workers. In exchange for the stress, though, you do have the freedom of making your own schedule, and there’s more potential for an increase in the amount of money you make annually than in a regular 9 to 5. That’s not possible without salary goals.
But how do you get such goals? There’s always debates raging online as to how much a writer should make per work or per hour, and I’ve seen ranges from as low as $8 per hour to $100 per hour. So people make even …read more

There’s a title in front of John McCain’s name: Senator. But does he really deserve it? Since January 2007, he’s missed 63 percent of the votes held in the Senate. The last time he was present for a vote was April 8.
Of course it takes a lot of time to campaign for president. Barack Obama has missed 20 votes in the last 20 days. But Obama has actually missed relatively few, and has made a point of showing up for Senate votes every few weeks. He hasn’t let three months go by at a time.
There’s one reason in particular …read more