Is a pat on the back too much to ask?

Companies believe they’re doing a terrific job of motivating employees, but American workers don’t see it that way. After weathering the recession and being asked to do more with less, they’d like some kudos for their efforts.                                                             

“We found that employees with one foot out the door clearly feel recognition in their company is not frequent enough or fair enough,” Globoforce, a company that designs corporate rewards programs, said in its twice-yearly Mood Tracker survey last fall. About half of the employees who were looking for a new job said it was because they weren’t getting those “attaboys” for jobs well done.

When the economy was at its trough, employees didn’t mind giving up perks and working harder, because at least they still had jobs. But now things have changed: Corporations earned a record-high $1.75 trillion in the third quarter of 2012, and compensation for top executives has climbed even as wages for rank-and-file have stagnated.

A survey last fall of medium-sized and large companies conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management and Globoforce, found that although about three-quarters of respondents had programs in place to recognize employee achievements, this number slipped from the previous year.

That’s still a healthy majority, but there’s evidence that the decrease might be a longer-term trend dating back to the start of the recession. Surveys conducted every three years by the group WorldatWork found that recognition peaked in 2005 and 2008, when 89 percent of responding companies had recognition programs. In the group’s 2011 survey, that number slipped to 86 percent, and the amount they spent on these programs also dropped.

“There is an impact when things are taken away, particularly in this day and age when there are minimal increases in salary,” said Rodger Stotz, chief research officer with the Incentive Research Foundation. “The recognition becomes more valuable because it shows the organization values and appreciates the employee, and it has an emotional impact.”

Efforts to recognize good work and boost morale don’t have to be expensive, recognition experts say.

“My experience has been these programs don’t cost a lot of money, but there’s a lot of bang for the buck,” said Bruce Elliott, manager of compensation and benefits at the Society for Human Resource Management.

“It creates a culture of positivity,” Charlie Ungashick, CMO at Globoforce, said.

The problem is that the financial benefits of more motivated workers aren’t always evident. Much of the research conducted to assess results is attitudinal rather than quantitative, and the losses the come from dropping recognition efforts are similarly hard to quantify, said Frank Mulhern, associate dean of integrated marketing communications program at Medill School of Journalism Media and Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. “It’s hard for a CFO to see that.”

A little more than three-fifths of respondents in the SHRM survey said their company rewarded employees based on performance, but the people doing that hard work don’t see it that way. Just 37 percent of respondents in Globoforce’s Mood Tracker survey said people in their company were fairly rewarded according to their job performance.

More than half of workers say being “valued and rewarded” is what’s most important in choosing where to work, employee recognition program company Achievers found in a survey conducted last year, but a November Gallup poll found that slightly less than half of American workers are satisfied with the amount of recognition they get for the work they do.

Ungashick said companies were experimenting with new ways to give workers that pat on the back, like peer-to-peer recognition. And a growing number of managers are embracing benefits like flex time and working from home. But these “perks” are a double-edged sword: A Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that up to two-thirds of the time employees spend telecommuting is actually on top of the regular 40 hours they put in every week.

Industries with labor shortages see the most feel-good investment. Elliott says Silicon Valley, where big tech firms fight for top talent in programming and engineering, is a hotbed of incentives and little extras. After becoming CEO at Yahoo last July, Marissa Mayer implemented free lunch and gave employees iPods. (She also demanded that employees work from the office.)

But this sort of lavish perk isn’t the norm in most workplaces. “This emphasis on engagement, much of that is being pioneered in the high tech industries where there’s such a high value placed on human capital,” Mulhern said.

It’s another story at the lower end of the labor-market spectrum, where many of the jobs lost in the recession have been recovered, he said. “It’s more like the cost benefit isn’t necessarily there... for employees where there’s a high turnover and they’re easily replaceable.”

Tara Sophia Mohr is the founder of the Playing Big leadership program for women. Her "Women’s School to Work Guide" shows women how to shake up their good student habits to begin playing bigger at work. Here’s an excerpt:

In my work helping women build successful, fulfilling careers, I started to see something quite interesting: women who had been high achievers in school were finding that the very skills that served them well in school were holding them back in their careers.

Success at work demands different competencies than success at school, and many women aren’t aware that they need to shift their approach.

Below are five new skills women need in the workplace — skills that tend to be the very opposite of what we learned in school.  

1. Influence authority. In school, each class brought a new authority figure — the teacher — who had unique rules, requirements and preferences. As students, we get really good at figuring out what each authority figure wants and to provide it. Yet to have brilliant careers, we must learn to not only please the authority figures — but to challenge and influence too. Today, when you hold a different view than the authority figure in your midst, see how you can influence him or her by diplomatically sharing your point of view.
2. Improvise. In school, we learn how to prepare: how to study for the test, to do the reading the night before, to be ready with the answer when the teacher asks for it in class. This can lead us to feel confident only when we’ve had a lot of time to prepare. Yet brilliant careers require that we think on our feet again and again. Get as good at improvisation as you are at preparation. Today, embrace an opportunity to improvise at work.
3. Get uncomfortable. In school, you probably got comfortable with the routine of studying, test-taking, paper writing, without having to take too many risks along the way to succeed. In our careers, we have to get comfortable with risk-taking, with feeling afraid and moving forward anyway, with leaving our comfort zones. Today, take one action that stretches you out of your comfort zone and that will help you realize your professional dreams.
4. Self-promote. In school, if you did good work, you usually got a good grade, but in our careers, we’ve got to do good work and make sure people know about it. This can be an uncomfortable stretch for women, because we don’t want to come off as arrogant or as taking credit away from others. Today, find one opportunity to graciously let others know about one of your recent successes.
5. Look inward. School taught you how to absorb external information (from a book or a teacher’s lesson) and then regurgitate that information back out. As you move to more senior levels in your career, you’ll need to turn your focus inward and learn to trust what you already know. Today, notice when you default to looking outward for the answers, and turn inward to see where your thoughts lead you instead.

Want more? Go to www.taramohr.com/gettheguide to download Tara's free "Women's School to Work Guide."

More:

• '10 Rules for Brilliant Women': Creating a vision for your life
• Sheryl Sandberg's book offers career advice — for both sexes
• Study predicts billion-woman surge in workplace
• CNBC video: How to mobilize the female work force

With more than 12 million Americans unemployed, job candidates are struggling to stand out – so much that some are going to extreme lengths to present creative -- and sometimes outlandish -- resumes.

There’s the husband in Sylvania, Ohio who last summer paid for an electronic billboard ad touting his wife’s qualifications (imploring, “Please Hire My Wife”). Designer Melissa Washin delicately sewed her resume into fabric, sized like resume paper, when she was in college. In Paris, Philippe Dubost's resume, a mock-up of an Amazon item for sale, went viral.

For some employers, resumes with flair have the desired effect. Ada Famulari, who runs the internship program at the TODAY Show, said she sees hundreds of resumes throughout the year – when a fat envelope stuffed with cookies arrived on her desk, it was at the top of the pile.

“It bypassed my pile of resumes,” Famulari said. “I opened up the envelope and found a resume for an internship. And I thought, ‘Wow. You know it could have taken me a week to get to that resume but it moved to the front immediately.’ ”  

Dubost, who created the Amazon ad, appears to have had success with his unorthodox resume, which links to his LinkedIn profile, lists his fastest marathon time (3:22) and, if you click on the “Add to wedding registry” link, a cheeky pop-up warns: “Not happening.” Dubost reported on his Tumblr that his ad attracted 1.3 million unique visitors, and that he is currently negotiating for a job.

Washin, the designer-seamstress, landed her first job out of college at a global fragrance manufacturer. She is currently transitioning to Etsy, where she will be a product manufacturer. Reached by phone Thursday, Washin said she’s often been asked whether creative resumes are a good idea.

“It made sense for me as a designer to do something more creative,” she said. “But someone applying to the insurance industry, maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to present a resume on fabric. You could do something related to that industry, maybe a little ‘Approved’ stamp, or place a resume on an insurance application form, or something a little special you can do that makes it a little relevant.”

Some career coaches don’t advise over-the-top resumes, however.

Jane Cranston, a career coach with Executive Coach NY, told NBCNews.com: “It’s like getting on a dating site and putting up a naked picture of yourself.”

Cranston added: “You could attract a lot of waste-of-time wackos.”

Related content:

• Job search gimmicks get attention but maybe not jobs
• Social media profiles replacing resumes in the job hunt

Have you created an unlikely resume? Tell us about it in the comments -- and whether you were successful.    

Courtesy of the Shaffer family

Tom Shaffer, a longtime bus driver and a senior training instructor for Greyhound, estimates he's worked 15 of the past 20 Christmases. He said his wife has adapted to his absences over the years because "she knows I love what I do."

Military service it is not: These workers expect to come home safe, and their absences are typically measured in days, not months.

But for thousands of pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, bus drivers, train conductors and other transportation employees, an un-jolly reality exists: Until they attain enough seniority, many of them can expect to spend anywhere from five to 25 years working on Christmas and other major holidays.

Faced with such an enduring buzzkill, transportation employees and their family members often get creative about when and how they celebrate. Sometimes Santa comes with great fanfare on, say, Dec. 19. Sometimes he rolls in with his reindeer (and gifts obtained at fabulous after-Christmas sales) on Dec. 28. But for many of them, Christmas consistently comes a day early or a day late — year after year after year.

That’s the situation Tom Shaffer has learned to accept along with his wife, their two sons and their extended family members who descend each Christmas on the Shaffer home in Rockwall, Texas. A longtime Greyhound bus driver and senior training instructor, Shaffer estimates he’s worked 15 of the past 20 Christmases — and this Dec. 25 will be no exception.

“I’ve just gotten used to it over the years,” said Shaffer, 56. “Greyhound is really, really busy during that time of year. My wife understands this is what I do and she’s grown accustomed to it and she’s accepted it. She knows I love what I do.”

Courtesy of the Shaffer family

Regina Shaffer, right, described her husband Tom Shaffer, left, as a "great person." "He's always so positive," she said. "I've learned a lot from him myself."

Opening gifts at different times
Indeed, everyone who knows Shaffer recognizes how much he loves his job and cares about his passengers. He takes great pains to make holiday bus rides cheery and upbeat.

“I like to be cheerful with everybody,” he said. “I make it my business to say, ‘You have a merry Christmas and a most happy and prosperous New Year’s.’ ... Sometimes people sing Christmas songs on the bus.”

Back at home, Shaffer’s family has found ways to adapt to his absence on pivotal Christmas mornings. They typically break with tradition and open special gifts at different times — sometimes on Dec. 24 before Shaffer has to leave town, or in the late afternoon or evening of Dec. 25 after he’s completed his bus route.

“Whatever we consider to be, you know, the big gift, we always want him to be here so he can see the reactions,” said Tom Shaffer’s wife, Regina Shaffer, 43.

Occasionally the “big gift” reveal happens late on Christmas day in front of as many as 20 members of the Shaffers’ extended family, and can result in special memories for everybody present. Last year, for instance, the Shaffers bought a telescope for their youngest son Jordan, who was 10 at the time. They were pretty confident their son, a space enthusiast, would love the gift — but his ecstatic reaction astonished everyone.

“We didn’t wrap it — we actually hid it and then set it up when he was in the back,” Regina Shaffer recalled. “When he saw it, his eyes were so big. He was almost crying and saying, ‘Thanks, Daddy! Thanks, Daddy!’ ... There wasn’t a dry eye in this house.”

Courtesy of the Shaffer family

Jordan Shaffer is pictured opening Christmas presents in 2009. Jordan, who is now 11 years old, delighted his family with his reaction to the gift of a telescope last Christmas.

Supporting, cheering fellow employees
A number of airlines provide priority travel passes to crew members so they can have a spouse or another close family member travel with them over the holidays. That way, if they have to spend Christmas in a strange city, at least they have their nearest and dearest along for the ride.

On an informal basis, senior airline workers will sometimes switch shifts with junior crew members who have small children. That way, the junior crew members can enjoy the Christmas morning experience at home.

No matter what, though, many moms and dads do end up working on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Sometimes winter weather is to blame.

Capt. Mark Niles, a pilot for Horizon Air, recalls flying one year with a first officer who had been scheduled to make it home on Christmas Eve.

“We got delayed due to a really bad snowstorm,” said Niles, who lives in Portland, Ore. “She was telling her young son over the phone that Santa Claus had a special arrangement with pilots and flight attendants, and he knew when they had to be gone and he would still show up on the right day. ... That was kind of hard to listen to.”

Niles — who also serves as vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, an organization that represents 28,000 pilots — said he’s worked many major holidays during his 13 years with Horizon.

“I’m fairly junior as captains go in the grand scheme of things,” Niles said. “The junior guys are flying on holidays — that’s just how it is.

“In our case, we’ve done alternate days for Christmas, or for Thanksgiving we’ll plan to do it on a different day. Sometimes that works when you can coordinate with family, and sometimes it doesn’t. Then you just have your own little celebration with your immediate family.”

When transportation employees do have to spend the holidays with their “work families,” they usually enjoy special meals together. Greyhound provides traditional Christmas lunches or dinners to workers, and Delta does the same thing for gate agents, ticket agents, ramp workers, baggage handlers and other employees. American Airlines said teams of employees often create potluck, grassroots holiday celebrations with their co-workers.

Niles has fond memories of an unforgettable Thanksgiving meal he shared with fellow Horizon crew members about a decade ago.

“A crew member actually cooked the complete meal, with all the trimmings, and brought it with them in a cooler,” he said. “We were in a hotel in Boise with nothing open around us, and this person had taken care of the whole meal for all of us!

“It’s so great when you work with a really good crew and everybody kind of bands together for the holidays and does nice things for each other.”

Has a work schedule ever prompted your family to celebrate the holidays in different ways or on different days? Share your stories in the comments! 

Need a Coffey break? Friend TODAY.com writer Laura T. Coffey on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or read more of her stories at LauraTCoffey.com.

More on TODAY:

• Military parents come home for the holidays via reading
• Confessions of a mall Santa: Spit, snot and spreading cheer
• Video: Secret Santa pays Wal-Mart layaway bills for 53 families 
• Photos: Faces of Santa: See how St. Nick spreads holiday cheer around the world

Forget face time, meetings and spending your nights and weekends in the office. There’s a growing movement to dump the stereotypical signs that you’re working hard in favor of actually working hard – and getting stuff done.

“The majority of companies believe you have to be there from 9 to 6 or 8 to 5,” said Bob Pozen, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “But it really doesn’t make sense to say a person who is in the office 40 hours a week is more productive than someone who is in the office 20 hours.”

Pozen may well be the poster child for the movement. He’s the author of a new book called “Extreme Productivity” that offers the logical – but in some ways radical – argument that companies should measure success by results rather than time spent at the office.

The idea of measuring worker success by what you get done – rather than the face time and glad-handing that remain so common in offices -- has been given a big boost by the advent of technology that allows white-collar workers to do the same work whether they are at home, in a hotel room or on a remote mountaintop.

Pozen notes that the pressure is also coming from clients and customers, who in recent years have grown increasingly unhappy with systems that require them to pay lawyers, accountants and other outside firms by the hour rather than by the project.

As Pozen notes from his own experience, the system can actually work against the idea of being productive since getting work done more quickly means fewer billable hours.

“There’s a bit of a revolt among the clients,” Pozen said.

Pozen began thinking hard about productivity when he was working two full-time jobs, teaching at Harvard and serving as chairman of the investment firm MFS Investment Management.

The fact that he was able to do all that and turn in his articles to the Harvard Business Review on time eventually led to a series of blog posts and a video on productivity.

In the video, he offered practical tips for everything from making the best use of your time in taxis (carry a flashlight so you can read) to being productive in the afternoon (take a short nap after lunch).

Pozen is realistic about how hard it is to change the face time mindset, which he thinks has thrived partly because companies don’t necessarily have good systems in place to measure results. That’s why they end up giving more credence to the employee who shows up at every meeting than to the person who quietly sits at a desk, doing the work.

Still, the shift is gaining momentum. Executives such as Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg are increasingly speaking out about the value of leaving the office in time to have dinner with your family, for example.

Others are fighting back against corporate cultures that have gradually evolved – or devolved – to the point that many people are spending entire days running from one meeting to the next.

That’s James Whittaker’s big beef. Whittaker, a technology executive at Microsoft, recently wrote a blog post encouraging people to do radical, anti-meeting things like walking out of boring meetings and uninviting people who don’t contribute.

So far he admits his success has been limited. In fact he was in an all-day meeting when he was contacted by TODAY, and he conceded that he occasionally has to hold meetings himself.

“It’s very much an uphill battle, no question about it,” Whittaker said.

Still, he takes great pains to make his own meetings optional, and he encourages employees to come and go by leaving the door open and not offering enough chairs for everyone to sit.

He thinks companies sometimes hold a lot of meetings because people don’t have a clear idea of what they are supposed to be doing. The ultimate goal, he says, is for everyone to know what their job is, so they don’t have to attend a meeting to figure that out.

“It’s not about holding a better meeting. It’s about developing a culture that says meetings are bad, they’re a last resort,” Whittaker said.

 Whittaker also said he could care less whether his employees are working at home, in the office or at a coffee shop, as long as they are spending time on the right projects, and getting that work done.

“The results are what matters,” he said.

More money news:

• China-Japan feud could ripple through world economy
• Wendy's has fastest drive-thru, study finds
• Apple shares tumble; analysts still bullish
• Older workers not 'stealing' jobs after all
• Video: Runway style at department store prices
• Sign up for our TODAY newsletter

Follow TODAY Money on Twitter and Facebook

Reuters

Cutest. Motivation. Tools. Ever. Researchers in Japan have found that looking at pictures of cute things helped people perform their jobs faster.

Forget PowerPoint: It turns out the secret to improving productivity at your job might be puppies.

A new study out of Hiroshima University found that people performed a variety of tasks faster or more accurately after looking at pictures of kittens and puppies. These test subjects also beat out others who looked at pictures of adult animals or gourmet meals instead.

"Viewing cute images improved performance on tasks that required carefulness," researchers concluded. 

Earlier experiments found that people did a better job playing the game Operation after viewing photos of puppies and kittens. Researchers speculated that the cute images made subjects more attuned to being careful because baby animals suggest vulnerability.

"The perception of something as cute activates the idea of something delicate and breakable... valuable and worth caring for," said Gary Sherman, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and one of the authors of that earlier research.

The Hiroshima study, titled The Power of Kawaii (kawaii roughly translates to cute) found that the "cute factor" helped people performing other detail-oriented tasks, not just those involving fine motor skills.

So go ahead and hang that poster of a puppy asleep on a shoe in your cubicle. "If people had the inclination to surround themselves with cuteness in the office, I wouldn't discourage that," Sherman said.

"Cute objects may be used as an emotion elicitor to induce careful behavioral tendencies in specific situations, such as driving and office work," the study said.

The effect "seems to be more generalized" beyond only fine motor skills, Sherman said. "That does extend the domains and types of tasks that could be impacted."

This means anyone who has to do work that requires careful attention, such as copyediting or accounting, could benefit. So the next time your boss catches you perusing CuteOverload.com, tell them what looks like a kitten in a basket is really a performance-optimizing tool. 

More money and business news:

• Job seekers find warm welcome in Plains states
• Goodyear gets a bit too edgy with Lohan letter
• Listing of the Week: Which of these 2 islands will you buy?
• Video: You can still get free checking — here's how
• Sign up for our Business newsletter

Follow NBCNews.com business on Twitter and Facebook

ImageFinder via Forbes.com

More than half of those surveyed said they will be working while on vacation.

A growing number of employers are giving workers paid vacation time these days. The only thing is, many of you don’t understand what vacation is all about.

Vacation means taking time away from work, relaxing and recharging. That means, not working.

Unfortunately, more than half of U.S. workers plan on working during their vacations this year including everything from checking emails to doing actual work tasks.

A poll released this week by software company TeamViewer and conducted by Harris Interactive in May, found that 52 percent of those surveyed will be working while on vacation, up from 46 percent the previous year.

Here’s how the workaholic’s vacation/work schedule breaks down, according to the survey:

• Reading work-related emails – 30 percent
• Receiving work-related phone calls – 23 percent
• Wanting access to a document on my home computer – 19 percent
• Receive work-related text messages – 18 percent
• Wanting access to a document on my work computer – 13 percent
• Being asked to do work by a boss, client or colleague – 13 percent.

The worst gender for this vacation offense are men with 56 percent saying they were more likely to work, compared to 47 percent among women.

And the one group that can’t seem to get a break is single working Americans, who expect to be asked to do work by the boss more often than their married counterparts, 15 percent versus 6 percent.  

For many workers, the decision to keep working through R&R times, is about making sure jobs are secure and going above what’s expected in order to impress employers.

But that can be a recipe for disaster and may ultimately hurt your job performance.

"Rest and renewal ultimately increase our ability to be productive, it is essential to completely unplug when on vacation," said Susan Steinbrecher, a business consultant and author of "KENSHO: A Modern Awakening, Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal."

"Most people don’t take renewal seriously," she continued. "I believe our connected, always on, 24/7 society has lost the ability to recharge and renew without distractions. The minute you check an email or voice message while on holiday, you’re likely to get sucked right back in."

Some employers seem to realize the importance of vacation for their workers. The number of employers offering vacation benefits is actually on the rise.

Today, about 94 percent of employers offer paid vacation days to workers. And now, more than half of organizations provide paid time off as part of all-encompassing packages of days off, including vacation days, sick days, etc., compared to 42 percent in 2009, according to a report released in June by the Society for Human Resource Management.

And some firms are actually trying out unlimited vacation policies.

Alas, many workers still aren’t taking their vacation days seriously, or should I say, un-seriously.

"Today’s work environment of intense time pressures and limited resources means we are all required to put in extra effort, energy and time – which can create a lot of stress," Steinbrecher maintained. "This 'do more with less' work ethic means that if we don’t completely disengage when on vacation, we’re not fully recharging or refueling."

More money and business news:

• Dollar stores are shedding their cheap reputation
• Big screen? Hardly, most payday borrowers buy food
• Not yours, but some companies offer unlimited vacation
• Video: For first time, Canadians richer than Americans
• Sign up for our Business newsletter

Follow TODAY Money on Twitter and Facebook.

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum got a lot of heat earlier this year for suggesting not everyone needs a college degree, but he may have been on to something.

There are lots of jobs out there that don’t require a four-year degree and pay pretty well. And at a time when so many college graduates are drowning in student loan debt and many not finding the jobs of their dreams, bypassing higher education isn’t the dumbest financial option.

You can make over $40,000 a year if you become a dental hygienist or web developer, and the job growth for both occupations is robust, according to a study released this week by jobs website CareerCast.

“Even with a college degree, finding a good job in today’s economy is hard and can be very time consuming,” said Tony Lee, publisher of CareerCast. “Although those with degrees often earn more money, you can still earn a very good living without one.”

Indeed, a degree from a university will likely end up making you about twice as much starting out and in the long haul of your career. But the high cost of college may just be too much for some, not to mention the fact that many people never end up finishing a four-year degree.

About 70 percent of high school graduates do head off to college, but only four in 10 end up with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree by 25, according to a report titled “Pathways to Prosperity” by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. The study found only one in three adults actually end up graduating.

“Given these dismal attainment numbers, a narrowly defined ‘college for all’ goal -- one that does not include a much stronger focus on career-oriented programs that lead to occupational credentials -- seems doomed to fail,” the Harvard researchers maintained.

The CareerCast report includes such occupations that individuals can go into with some training but that do not require a college diploma. The list also includes data on expected income and employment growth for these jobs over the next decade.

Here's a list of the top 20:

1. DENTAL HYGIENIST

Average Starting Salary: $45,000

Income Growth: 109 percent

Employment Growth: 37.7 percent

2. ONLINE ADVERTISING MANAGER

Average Starting Salary: $40,000

Income Growth: 255 percent

Employment Growth: 25 percent

3. WEB DEVELOPER

Average Starting Salary: $43,000

Income Growth: 179 percent

Employment Growth: 21.7 percent

4. MEDICAL SECRETARY

Average Starting Salary: $21,000

Income Growth: 114 percent

Employment Growth: 41.3 percent 

5. PARALEGAL ASSISTANT

Average Starting Salary: $29,000

Income Growth: 159 percent

Employment Growth: 18.3 percent

6. STENOGRAPHER/COURT REPORTER 

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 250 percent

Employment Growth: 14.1 percent

7. HEATING/REFRIGERATION MECHANIC

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 158 percent

Employment Growth: 33.7 percent

8. SURVEYOR 

Average Starting Salary: $31,000

Income Growth: 190 percent

Employment Growth: 25.4 percent

9. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Average Starting Salary: $29,000

Income Growth: 131 percent

Employment Growth: 12.6 percent

10. INSURANCE AGENT 

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 342 percent

Employment Growth: 21.9 percent

11. INDUSTRIAL MACHINE REPAIRER 

Average Starting Salary: $30,000

Income Growth: 127 percent

Employment Growth: 21.6 percent

12. COSMETOLOGIST

Average Starting Salary: $16,000

Income Growth: 163 percent

Employment Growth: 15.7 percent

13. HAIR STYLIST

Average Starting Salary: $16,000

Income Growth: 163 percent

Employment Growth: 15.7 percent

14. TAX EXAMINER/COLLECTOR 

Average Starting Salary: $30,000

Income Growth: 207 percent

Employment Growth: 7.3 percent

15. SALES REPRESENTATIVE (WHOLESALE) 

Average Starting Salary: $27,000

Income Growth: 304 percent

Employment Growth: 15.6 percent

16. CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY OPERATOR

Average Starting Salary: $26,000

Income Growth: 173 percent

Employment Growth: 23.5 percent

17. ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN 

Average Starting Salary: $34,000

Income Growth: 138 percent

Employment Growth: 1.9 percent

18. ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTER 

Average Starting Salary: $30,000

Income Growth: 140 percent

Employment Growth: 3.2 percent

19. TEACHER’S AIDE 

Average Starting Salary: $17,000

Income Growth: 112 percent

Employment Growth: 14.8 percent

20. SEWAGE PLANT OPERATOR 

Average Starting Salary: $25,000

Income Growth: 156 percent

Employment Growth: 11.6 percent.

CareerCast’s Lee advised that individuals do some research before deciding whether to pursue any of these jobs. “If you want to earn a lot of money without a college degree,” he said, “take a look at the amount of training you’ll need, then focus on a job that can still provide a satisfying, comfortable career.”

What’s your take? Do you think you need a college degree in order to have a well-paying, fulfilling career?

The latest Mommy Wars hoopla on the presidential campaign trail centers on a Mitt Romney statement: “I want individuals to have the dignity of work.”

Romney recently defended his wife’s decision to be a stay-at-home mom and never punch a clock, but in a past speech called for welfare moms to earn a paycheck because of the dignity earning money provides.

Politics aside, the candidate’s declaration about the benefits of paid work opens up an important question. Does earning a living provide individuals with dignity?

“In American culture, it is very difficult to substitute the kind of honored dignity that comes with paid work,” said Katherine Newman, a sociologist and the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.

“There’s a premium we place on people in the work world; not that there isn’t tremendous effort put into raising a family,” said Newman, author of “Falling from Grace: Downward Mobility in the Age of Affluence.” “But our society has always defined being in the work world as essential to being a respected adult, and this is self reinforcing.”

Of course, any mother – including Ann Romney – will tell you that parenting is hard work. But in our society, we tend to value paid work differently than difficult tasks that do not come with a paycheck.

Jeremy Carter of Polara Studios

Janie Marsh, an excon who found dignity in work

Janie Marsh, 43, from McMinnville, Ore., is a prime example. She battled drug addiction and alcoholism for 20 plus years, living in the woods and behind dumpsters until ultimately ending up in jail at 36 for a host of charges including stealing cars.

She eventually went through drug treatment, took employment classes at Goodwill Industries, and landed a job in landscaping. “I had never mowed a lawn in my life,” she said.

But, she added, “the first time I saw those lines on the lawn, and a paycheck, it was the greatest feeling. It reconnected me with my community I’d been estranged from. It gave me back my dignity.”

Dignity is hard to define. Merriam-Webster defines it as: “The quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed.” And The American Heritage Dictionary’s meaning says it’s “the presence of poise and self-respect in one’s deportment to a degree that inspires respect.”

The idea of dignity -- according to one extensive study on the topic, “A Taxonomy of Dignity,” by a University of Toronto researcher published in the online journal BioMed Central in 2009 -- “has been criticized for being vague and contradictory.” But the study defined “dignity of self” as “a quality of self-respect and self-worth that is identified with characteristics like confidence and integrity and a demeanor described as dignified.” 

So does employment really help bring about self-respect and self-worth?

Of the list of dignity promoters in the University of Toronto study, being self-sufficient, doing the job right, and working with others were among a list of many contributors to dignity.

“This is why I’m an enduring fan of Roosevelt,” said Newman, about President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who championed the New Deal giving the unemployed jobs during the Great Depression. “He put the nation to work and understood that it's more important that people have jobs, no matter who’s providing them jobs, because if you’re not working you don’t feel you’re whole.”

But Stephen Balzac, a professor of organizational psychology at the Wentworth Institute of Technology and author of “The 36-Hour Course in Organizational Development,” said not all work promotes dignity.

“In general, jobs have the potential to provide people with dignity, defined as greater confidence, feelings of success, and a sense of control over one's life,” he said. “However, for the job to do that, it must be appropriately constructed to increase motivation and self-worth. Jobs that are seen as pure drudgery provide little dignity.”

Not everyone agrees.

Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, said dignity could be found in the most menial jobs.

“You can probably say there are a lot of high-paid consultants out there who aren’t feeling dignity in their work,” he pointed out. “It depends on the person, and it depends on the culture of an organization.”

Karen Dillon, co-author of the forthcoming book, “How Will You Measure Your Life?,” and contributing editor of the Harvard Business review, said it’s all about what makes you happy and makes you feel good about yourself.

She’s reluctant to use the word “dignity” in this context because she believes “it’s a simplistic way of looking at it.”

A baseline need has to be met by work, she continued, such as being able to support yourself and putting food on the table.

But no matter what an individual’s economic status, she added, the key is how you feel at the end of the day. “Did they feel like something mattered and did they feel they were valued?” she said.

When Diane Johnson was newly married, in her twenties, and working as a broker, she pondered leaving the work world and focusing on starting a family but a friend at the time told her you need to "understand what work means" and told her to read the passage about work in Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet.’”

The section changed her mind and now, as she nears her 50^th birthday, she said she’s happy she stayed in the work force, ultimately starting her own communications company. 

The passage from the piece by Gibran, a poet and artist, that touched Johnson most:

“Always you have been told that work is a curse and labor a misfortune. But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born.” 

There’s an awkward pause that happens right after you ask your boss for a raise. 

What ever you do, don’t say anything.

“Silence is a power leveler,” said Selena Rezvani, negotiation expert and author of the recently released “Pushback: How Smart Women Ask--and Stand Up--for What They Want,” during our live Web chat Wednesday.

“Silence is one of the most under-used tactics in a negotiation,” she pointed out. “I'm talking about using this strategically. For example, being quiet right after you make your request, and being quiet again for a few seconds when you get your answer.”

Asking for more money is one of the toughest things employees have to do, but now may be the best time because many employers are handing out more pay raises. 

Rezvani offered advice on how to ask for everything from a raise to more vacations time during our live Web chat. Here’s a sampling of her answers to readers questions:

Renee asked:

“I have been at my job for two years and have never had a raise even mentioned to me. I feel I am valuable to my company with all I contribute. Fellow employees have told me that our company rarely gives raises, some have even said they wait 4 years for a raise. How can I approach my boss about this?”

Rezvani answered:

“First off, don't wait to be asked about your raise! It's best if you bring it up. I am not a fan of waiting until review time... If you have a strong case, make it anytime of the year, but preferably right after a big accomplishment.

“Also, don't be frightened out of asking for a raise just because no one else is doing it or "it's not done around here." If anything, there is less of a trend toward rewarding every employee the same exact way. Show why you specifically deserve this raise and how you can contribute at even higher levels in the future.”

Jay asked:

“How do you negotiate with an employer for more vacation time when they say it is non-negotiable during an interview?”

Rezvani answered:

“Vacation time is often negotiable - even when people say it's not. It all depends on how much they want you. If it's something you're emphatic about, tell them. But have an alternative or second-best outcome if they continually push back.

“Come up with options. If you're first choice is 30 vacation days, ask for that first. If they push back, try 28 days with reimbursement for a $1,000 training course. Your third option could be 25 days, a training course, and something else of value to you.”

For more of this enlightening discussion and targeted tips for employees trying to negotiate better, check out a replay of the Web chat here:

Bryan Smith / Zuma Press

Sure, a $500 million jackpot is big, but after taxes ... better just tell the hiring manager you would have to think about your options.

The Mega Millions lottery jackpot has hit a record $500 million. Would you quit working if you won it?

If you have a job interview this week, that is hardly an idle question.

The lottery, to be drawn Friday, is on a lot of people’s minds this week, and as a result hiring managers may pull out a doozy of an interview question.

Joyce Lain Kennedy, author of “Job Interviews for Dummies,” calls the lottery question one of the top 10 “prime-time tricky probes” employers lay on workers these days.

When you answer the lottery question -- or any interview question -- you want to leave out any inkling you’re not excited about working hard, no matter what the circumstances.

“Recruiters report that high numbers of job seekers blab negative information without realizing they’re making a farewell address to a job opportunity,” Kennedy said.

Even if you would dump work in a heartbeat following such a windfall, it’s best to keep your feelings to yourself.

Kennedy advised responding along these lines: “While you’d be thrilled to win the lottery, you’d still seek out fulfilling work because working, meeting challenges and scoring accomplishments are what make most people happy, including you.” And don’t forget, she added, to “say it with a straight face.”

Many of you would have no problem with the question, based on an unscientific poll of my 13,000-plus Twitter followers.  When I asked, “Would you stay in your job if you won the lottery?” more than 90 percent offered a resounding “yes.”

Most comments were along the lines of @heatherecoleman’s tweet: "Yes - I love what I do!"

But a few tweeters were contemplating post-winnings career adjustments.  “There would be major course change," said @ed_mcfarland.

For some employers, the best answer to the lottery question is one that’s honest.

“I think it is worse for the candidate to say that they would stay, never leave, etc.,” said David Lewis, president of HR consulting firm OperationsInc. “I’m looking for honesty and real people vs. fakers who are trying to tell me what they think I want to hear.”

Others believe an answer that sounds like you’re looking for any reason to get away from the daily grind is troublesome.

Ken Wisnefski, CEO of Internet marketing firm WebiMax, often asks applicants a lottery-type question: “What would you do with $1 million?”

“I have had one gentleman say, ‘I wouldn’t be here right now,’ and that gentleman did not receive a second interview," he said. "I have, however, heard responsible answers including, ‘I would invest it and grow it to $2 million.’  That response earned a second interview and eventually a position at my company.”

Patricia Siderius, managing director of executive outplacement services at BPI group, offered a good suggestion for an answer to the lottery question: “I would need time to understand how this fortune will or will not change my life.”

A life change is exactly what Benjamin Flynn, 38, a New York City cab driver, is worried about and why he’s not sure he even wants to win millions.

“Money is the root of all evil,” he said. But, he added, if he did win he’d quit his job and go back to school to become a surgical nurse.

Before we all start planning our lives post lottery-winnings, it may be time for a reality check.

Your chances of winning the Mega Millions is 1 in 176 million, according to Jim Lackritz, professor of management information systems at the San Diego State University’s College of Business Administration. “Not a good chance, and not worth it,” he said.

An individual winner of Friday's jackpot could elect to take an immediate cash payout of $359 million before taxes.

When it comes to work attire, many of us are worried about the message our fashion choices send to colleagues. But what about the message our clothing sends to us?

What we choose to wear to the office or factory can actually make us smarter or dumber, found one recent study. And that’s bad news for employees who think it’s casual Friday every day.

“Clothes can have profound and systematic psychological and behavioral consequences for their wearers,” according to a study on the effects of clothing on employees by professors at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, which was published in the recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

The study found that work garb associated with “attentiveness and carefulness” actually makes workers more attentive and careful.

In testing the theory, the researchers used a lab coat on their subjects and looked at how wearing the coat impacted their work. It turned out, the study found, that “physically wearing a lab coat increased selective attention compared to not wearing a lab coat.”

So does that mean shorts and miniskirts make you dumber? It depends.

“To the extent that a person associated high heels and miniskirts with less intelligence, then it could make a person less attentive,” said Adam Galinsky, a professor of ethics and decisions in management, and a coauthor of the article. “But if a person associated those clothes with a commanding presence then wearing those clothes could make them more assertive and more attentive.”

Galinsky calls the process of how fashion influences us, “enclothed cognition,” and when that happens, individuals are mentally giving the clothing they’re wearing “symbolic meaning.”

The research may lend support to companies that impose dress codes. A draconian clothing policy implemented by Swiss bank UBS in 2010 that called for workers to wear certain types of underwear, among other restrictions, was ridiculed around the globe, prompting the bank to revise the code last year.

But maybe UBS was on to something after all.

Galinsky’s research, however, stopped short of offering fashionista advice on what not to wear to work, and he acknowledged in the study that age-old questions such as whether an expensive suit makes you feel more powerful or whether a uniform makes a police officer more courageous have yet to be answered.

“Answering these kinds of questions would further elucidate how a seemingly trivial, yet ubiquitous item like an article of clothing can influence how we think, feel, and act," the article noted. "Although the saying goes that clothes do not make the man, our results suggest that they do hold a strange power over their wearers."

They also give a whole new meaning to the phrase "a smart-looking suit."

Related: Whatever happened to casual days at work?