SoFi Blog

We build and manage our careers one conversation at a time.  Some of those conversations are easy, some hard, but few cause more stress than negotiating an offer.

In fact, salary negotiations can be so stressful that many people avoid them altogether.  According to a recent PayScale study, 57 percent of those surveyed have never asked for a raise in their current field.

What’s stopping you?

When Matt Bachmann decided to get his MBA three years ago, he didn’t imagine it would lead to a startup fueled by his favorite beverage. “I was committed to using the time as a break from the corporate world, and I knew I wanted to explore entrepreneurship,” says Bachmann. “But I had no idea what the final outcome would be.”

When it comes to choosing an MBA program, cost is only one consideration. For years, business schools, pundits and publishers of MBA rankings have urged that you should also weigh factors such as average class size, required test scores and placement rate when choosing where to apply. This advice still rings true, but it fails to convey a harsh reality.

If you’re thinking about getting an MBA to advance your career, you’ll first want to conduct due diligence to ensure the return on investment is what you need it to be. After all, the average cost for top MBA programs in 2013 was $111,418, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Employers competing for talent in a hot job market have a new tool in their arsenal: student loan repayment support.

To the delight of many job hunters, a growing number of companies now offer some form of assistance with student loan debt alongside more traditional HR benefits like 401(k) plans and health insurance. And it makes sense – with the average debt for recent undergrads and graduates estimated at about $35,000 and $58,000, respectively, who has money left over to fund a 401(k)?