Work & Career

Honest employers never make you pay to get a job, and never send you a check to deposit and then ask you to send some of it back.

A resume is a one-page sales sheet for one kind of job.

Almost everyone starts with no work history.

An interview is a conversation to see whether you and the job fit.

When they say "Tell me about a time when…," answer with a short story: the Situation, your Task, the Action you took, and the Result.

Send a short thank-you the same day, or within 24 hours at most, even if the interview didn't go well.

Gross pay is what you earned.

When you start a job, you usually get a short window to pick health insurance and join the retirement plan.

Under federal law, most hourly workers must get at least $7.25 an hour and time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek.

Ask for a short meeting, bring a list of what you've delivered and what similar jobs pay where you live, and name a specific number in the typical range.

There's no one right path after high school.

A Registered Apprenticeship is a paid job with a mentor, classroom training and wage increases as you build skills, ending with a nationally recognized credential.

If you earn $400 or more from self-employment or gig work, you generally owe self-employment tax: 15.3% for Social Security and Medicare.