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For chocoholic Jean Thompson, life is sweet. As co-owner and CEO of Seattle Chocolates, the 15-year-old company she and her husband first invested in eight years ago and became sole owners of in 2005, she has the delectable task of developing, marketing and packaging wholesale lines of truffles and premium chocolates.
Now: retired professional land surveyor. Then: Seattle Times paperboy.
The median pay of a mortgage loan closer in the Seattle area is $42,443 a year, with most making from $38,497 to $47,440 a year.
How much should a company's culture reflect its chief executive, especially one who prides himself on being blunt and innovative – and, some might say, abrasive? If you're new Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell, the answer seems to be: a lot.
As companies work to protect their networks and in-house technology, the demand for IT professionals continues to grow. According to Robert Half Technology's 2008 Salary Guide, the workers most in demand include chief information-technology officers, project managers, database managers, Web developers and help-desk support.
Workplace bullies wouldn't exist if organizations didn't reward them. Robert Sutton, a Stanford University management professor and author of "The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't," wants employers to know that jerks do their companies more harm than good.
In her nightmares, Jaymie Lennon's former boss calls her an idiot, undermines her confidence, tells other employees that Lennon is "unstable" and "mentally ill," and regularly threatens to fire her. Just, she says, like in real life.
Brian Herr is the ultimate temp. He's on the job before dawn, knows his way around complex machinery, large dogs and big animals, and works weekends and holidays. He'll even hire out for weddings but warns clients to "book the church, book the hall and book me ... not necessarily in that order."
Unemployment in Washington ticked up last month, though the state still completed the year with its lowest average annual jobless rate ever. The outlook for this year, however, is less rosy.
Median pay for a photographer in the Seattle area is $49,239 a year, with most making from $41,520 to $60,642.
Current position: president of HastyChef.com. First job: data entry for a direct-mail company.
Volcanoes, shipwrecks, seismic faults – for Joanna O'Neill, it's all in a day's work. As a marine geologist for Fugro Seafloor Surveys in downtown Seattle, she spends part of the year on land and part of the year at sea, creating topographic maps of the ocean floor.
Now: construction manager. Then: pot washer in a hotel.
The median pay of a cabinetmaker in the Seattle area is $30,457 a year, with most making from $24,993 to $37,832 a year, according to salary.com
Workers who make career resolutions – and create a plan to make them happen – can see benefits that pay off for years. Only 12 percent of workers made career-related resolutions at the beginning of 2006, but nearly three-quarters of those who did achieved their goals by the end of the year, a survey by staffing agency Accountemps found last January.
Now: Nonprofit executive. Then: Sales clerk
The median pay of a massage therapist in the Seattle area is $50,000 per year, with most making from $40,818 to $ $61,888 per year.
If you've been delaying plans to seek a raise, now might be the time. The shortage of highly skilled workers has emboldened some employees to demand higher salaries. Fifty-eight percent of employees surveyed nationwide by the staffing company Robert Half International and CareerBuilder.com said they are more likely to negotiate a better compensation package today, double the percentage a year ago.
Though intended to be a paperless communication medium, e-mail has felled more than its fair share of trees. To fight back, a group that includes bloggers and business folk has begun punctuating its electronic communications with a sentence that's salutation, admonishment and battle cry in one. The message? Stop sending those memos to the laserjet.
Work is a big part of our lives. Our financial stability, and sometimes even sense of self, depend on it. Unfortunately, the day-to-day tedium of paperwork, deadline stress, and office drama can take its toll on health and happiness. "If you work eight hours a day, that equates to a third of your total life," said Pedram Shojai, a licensed acupuncturist and president of Vitality Health & Wellness.
Certified Financial Planner Geleg Kyarsip has spent the past two decades helping people from all walks of life work toward their financial and retirement goals. In March of 2000, he founded Kyarsip Financial Advisors in downtown Seattle, a financial planning firm that charges clients by the hour rather than getting paid through commissions.
