• Budget your time both in and out of the office - Schedule your time efficiently at work. Put yourself on your calendar and take some time for you and your family/friends.
• Leave work on time at least three days per week - There are times when working late just can't be helped, but schedule your time to leave on time three days per week.
• Control interruptions and distractions - Stay focused while in the office, and budget your time effectively. Try to schedule a block of time during the day without meetings when you can focus on your tasks with minimal interruptions.
• Explore the availability of flex-time - Research flex-time options within your organization. If available, it may be a helpful solution.
• Seize the weekend - Plan your time off as you plan your work week. Schedule activities with family and friends, a weekend trip, or just something fun. Make your time away from work count!

“As business professionals, we negotiate every day on topics ranging from work assignments, project delivery dates and even business travel. Our viewers have routinely reported that women and men approach negotiations differently and have asked for advice from others to develop and refine this critical skill set. Our ’10 Negotiation Tips’ is the culmination of advice from CareerWomen.com viewers and clearly represents a strong desire by women to become better negotiators and ultimately strong business leaders.”

The “10 Negotiation Tips From Women in the Trenches” include:

1. The Mars/Venus relationship needs to be top of mind in business negotiations. Communication styles between men and women are different and as a result, negotiations can be complex. Our advice: keep your communication style direct by sharing plans, not concepts. Think collaboration not confrontation.
2. Use mentors to help refine your negotiation skills. Given that you will be negotiating with both men and women, pick a mentor from Mars and Venus to get perspective from both sides of the communication spectrum. Practice makes perfect, so our advice: Practice, practice, practice.
3. Women tend to think of getting along vs. getting what they want. Be clear about what you want and practice asking for it in a calm, direct manner. Our advice: don’t be confrontational. Getting fired-up and emotional may have an adverse reaction.
4. Negotiation is a conversation and you may risk getting off-track. Our advice: stay focused; remain on point and on course to avoid a negotiation disaster.
5. Gaining buy in along the way will get you closer to your goal faster. Making sure that the other party is being heard is a sign of respect and will be appreciated. Our advice: repeat the points of the other side and use language such as “Let me make sure I completely understand your point.”
6. Successful negotiating requires preparation. Be prepared with a strong understanding of your needs and motivations, as well as the other side. Our advice: do your research, gather together relevant information and if it’s complicated, get outside expertise from a mentor or colleague.
7. Creative solutions are well respected, especially if they demonstrate a strong understanding for the goals of the business. Our advice: Most points are negotiable and remember; it’s not always about money. Think add-ons, better terms or additional services.
8. Starting with your bottom line may close the door on negotiations. Our advice: be prepared to compromise and expect the other party to compromise as well.
9. Being fair is not a loss. It shows that you are willing to adjust your expectations to meet the needs of the other side. Our advice: ask the question, “Why don’t you tell me what you think is fair.” You may be surprised at the answer.
10. Negotiating is a process not an event. One conversation may not culminate in a final decision. Our advice: be willing to say, “Let me think about that and get back to you in 24 hours.”

Additional resources to enhance professional development and advance women’s careers can be found at CareerWomen including career development tools, career and employment news, professional associations and employment opportunities across the US with some of the best women-friendly companies.

--Source: © The Career Exposure Network™

More than 80 percent of working women are stressed out as a result of work related issues according to a new survey released by CareerWomen.com. Women that responded to the poll revealed that most of their stress was a result of ineffective co-workers, too many unproductive meetings and difficult client or office situations. They share 5 tips for de-stressing your career.

Women from across the U.S. responded with their tips on dealing with workplace stress. The top five tips include:

1. De-clutter your office: an unorganized office can make you feel more stressed.
2. Seize the weekend: Use your downtime to recharge, exercise and connect with family and friends.
3. More water, less caffeine: Keeping hydrated improves your sense of well-being and helps you to relax.
4. Get more sleep: Being well-rested helps with coping. Try to get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
5. Talk about your stress: Find a friend that can lend a supportive and sympathetic ear.

Read the full story...

The highly qualified MBA with an internship will receive a job offer, according to a recent poll by MBACareers.com. 88 percent of interns were offered a position following their internship and reported that the internship led to finding mentors and critical networking contacts that helped them in their career path.

1. Professionalism
2. Getting the inside "scoop" about the firm
3. Making networking contacts within the firm
4. Making networking contacts within the industry
5. Navigating politics within the company
6. Learning how to make the best impact for the greatest career success
7. Learning which types of jobs are appealing
8. Understanding which departments are respected within the company
9. Making contact with other interns and recent hires
10. Creating mentoring relationships that will extend beyond the internship

Read the full story...

Source: © MBACareers.com / The Career Exposure Network™

Adapting to the changes and demands of today’s workplace, as well as adapting to your personal career goal and the goals of your company, is critical to maintaining healthy work/life balance. Sounds unattainable? It’s not. You can control the balance. You may want to consider alternatives to the traditional work scheduling, including job sharing, flex-time, part-time or contracted services and freelance projects. Be sure to do your research and only approach your supervisor with thoroughly thought-out proposals for alternative solutions. If you're going to propose that you work from home one day a week, how will your work get done? How will people reach you? Do you have the necessary setup at home to handle the work properly? Outlining how the alternative schedule will benefit you, others in your department and your company will help influence decisions. Be patient. Change takes careful consideration and time.

If your proposal is rejected, stay positive and ask for feedback. Then establish a time frame for revisiting your work schedule and stick to it. Nothing is more important than establishing a healthy work-life balance.

Looking for connections to help your job search? Networking opportunities can be found in a variety of places. You never know which tip, connection or venue might lead to your next career opportunity. Be sure to consider these potential sources and utilize your connections.

-- Colleagues in you chosen profession
-- Career fairs and job expos
-- On-line job listings. (Be sure to utilize niche sites.)
-- Professional associations
-- Family members and friends
-- Faculty, advisors and classmates at your school
-- Alumni network at your school
-- College/Alumni Career Centers
-- Private and public placement agencies
-- Professional trade journals and newsletters
-- Job postings at local organizations and companies
-- Friends and their family members and friends of friends

1. Accounting
2. Business administration/management
3. Computer science
4. Electrical engineering
5. Mechanical engineering
6. Information sciences and systems
7. Marketing/marketing management
8. Computer engineering
9. Civil engineering
10. Economics/finance

• M.B.A.
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Science
• Computer Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Reference Check:

• Assume your references will be checked
• Ask permission before listing someone as a reference
• Make sure your references are comfortable speaking on your behalf.
• Keep them up to date on your accomplishments.
• Keep your references informed—make sure they have your updated resume
• Choose references based on job requirements
• Choose references who know you and who will give you a positive recommendation –you don’t want someone to say, “You’re calling about WHO…?”

For additional job, career and employment information visit CareerWomen.com, DiversitySearch.com, MBACareers.com, and CareerExposure.com. Search for a job, post your resume, career news and more...