Once a job offer is made, there is plenty of room for salary negotiation. Since one of the primary reasons for changing jobs is the desire for a larger income, the easiest way to ensure that you actually meet this goal is to do your research. Just remember that research isn't limited to knowing what others in your field are earning, or arbitrarily deciding upon the magic amount that you would like to earn.
1. The waiting game
Though it may be difficult, try to wait until your potential employer brings up money. Avoid giving exact salary ranges in your cover letter, and only discuss salary in the interview if the interviewer initiates the discussion. If possible, avoid giving any numbers until an actual job offer has been made, though if an interviewer pushes you to name a price, be sure to let them know that your salary range is open to negotiation.
2. Research pay scales
Though your current position and pay may provide a good starting point, you can learn a lot about fair market value by branching out and looking at what other professionals are earning in your field.
There are many websites that offer salary ranges that break down jobs based on job title, region, and responsibilities associated with the position. You can also contact recruitment firms or look at job postings for similar positions in your field.
Be sure to give yourself credit for any related qualifications you have, and the years of experience you've gained through prior positions. Review any pay scales that exist within the company itself, and their direct competitors.
It's a good idea to have a salary range in mind before you have the discussion about compensation. Know what it's going to take to get you to leave your current employer, and what similar professionals are earning in the current job market.
[Useful: Look for a new job now]
3. Know your value
If you have an unusual skill set or if jobs in your field are in big demand right now, you've definitely got the upper hand in bargaining. Don't be afraid to use your leverage in salary negotiations, but it's best not to be too demanding or arrogant in asking for a larger salary. Let the employer know that there is big demand in this field right now, and be sure to back this with empirical evidence from pay scales you've found online or advertisements from competing employers.
4. Understand the responsibilities
Review the job advertisement along with any information you've been given in the interview. If you've been given a formal job description for the position, this can be especially helpful in determining the level of the responsibility associated with the position.
If you'll be supervising others, be sure to look at what individuals with supervisory roles earn in the field. If you will be expected to work long hours, shift work, or perform any dangerous tasks, these also factor in and should be included in your negotiations.
5. Maintain calm
When an employer gives you a salary offer, try not to look surprised by a low offer, or excited by a high offer. The employer may read your response and use it as a guide as to how much negotiation will be required to secure you as an employee.
If the offer is low, you can let the employer know that the salary does not seem competitive for a position with this level of responsibility. Even if you are pleased with the salary offer, requesting a day or two to consider could result in a higher offer.
Never be afraid to ask for time to consider. It shows that you are confident and won't jump on an offer without taking time to examine the pros and cons of the position.
6. Rational negotiating
Negotiating rationally can definitely increase your salary in a new position. If there are increased costs associated with taking the position, for example, a longer commute, or a less-competitive benefits package, you should include these factors in your negotiation.
Explain these additional costs to the employer and suggest that if you can't find some way to cover the gap, that you won't be able to accept the position. If you can explain your situation to an employer logically and rationally, there's a good chance they'll be willing to meet you in the middle somewhere.
If the employer is still unwilling to budge, you could request a salary review in six months so that if you are performing at or above expectation that you'll have an opportunity to improve your compensation package. If none of these negotiations work, don't be afraid to walk away from the job offer.
7. More than just money
If the employer is absolutely unwilling to move when it comes to monetary remuneration, perhaps they will consider alternate forms of compensation. Job perks can include just about anything, including gym memberships, workplace incentives, pension plans or flexible work schedules to accommodate your family situation.
Research what competitors are offering their employees and ask for similar perks. Be reasonable in your requests and there's a good chance that your new employer will be willing to bargain if they're serious about bringing you on board.
The bottom line
When it comes to money, everyone's looking for a good deal. The same can be said for the workplace. Employees are motivated by money, and employers want to secure the best employees at salaries that won't take from their profits.
When an employer is motivated to secure a specific employee, there is a good chance they'll be ready to negotiate a competitive salary package. However, for an employee, the most important part of these negotiations is having a clear concept of what you're worth, and having the confidence to deliver your requests to the employer. A little bit of research can take you a long way, and having the courage to ask for what you want can take you even further.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Americans might complain about the high cost of living, but overseas the U.S. dollar is even weaker. Find out where it buys the least. Australia, former penal colony, home to the Great Barrier Reef, and producer of world-class shiraz, has never exactly been synonymous with a high cost of living. Yet because of a strong economy and proximity to the booming Asia Pacific region, many overseas visitors might find it more expensive to slip an extra shrimp -- or just about anything else for that matter -- on the barbie here than in most other countries around the world. In fact, in a recent survey, six Australian cities placed among the top 30 most expensive in the world, according to global human resources firm ECA International. Just two years ago, not a single Australian city ranked in the top 100. More from BusinessWeek.com: • World's Most Expensive Cities 2011 • 20 Countries With the Highest Proportion of Millionaires • America's Most Expensive Blocks Australia is not alone in becoming more expensive. Singapore, for example, rose to No. 36 in ECA's ranking, from No. 68 last year, on the strength of the Singapore dollar. Caracas, Venezuela, rose from No. 91 to No. 15, a result of rampant inflation. The city that earns the dubious honor of being the most expensive for holders of U.S. dollars is Tokyo, a rank it also enjoyed last year. How expensive is it? How about $24 for a movie ticket and nearly $11 for a beer. Japan dominated the ranking with four of the 10 most expensive -- in addition to Tokyo, Nagoya (No. 3), Yokohama (No. 5), and Kobe (No. 9) also made the list. Due to the weakened U.S. dollar, no U.S. city ranked in the top 30 this year. The country's most expensive city, Manhattan, N.Y., fell to No. 44, from No. 28 in 2010, making it cheaper than Canada's Toronto (No. 37) and Vancouver (No. 42). The U.S.'s second most expensive city, Honolulu, fell to No. 62 from No. 40. (And while they haven't yet, it could be only a matter of time before Beijing (No. 46) and Shanghai (No. 47) crack the top 30.) Of course, a weak dollar is not necessarily a bad thing. "If the U.S. continues to be relatively cost-effective in an international context, we will see companies pay more attention to whether they are saving money by expanding operations in places like Asia if the cost of living in these places is increasing," says Lee Quane, ECA International's regional director for Asia. Aussie Dollar Strengthens ECA International's ranking is based on a survey carried out in more than 400 cities worldwide in March. It compares the costs of living for expatriates maintaining a standard of living on a par with developed countries to guide employers' salary and benefits offers. Items such as food and beverage, basic goods and services, and some entertainment are included, but the survey excludes housing, utilities, car purchases, and school fees, which can vary widely and typically are counted separately in expatriate compensation packages. A combination of inflation, availability of goods, and exchange rates affect costs. "The strong Australian dollar, which hit parity with the U.S. dollar last November and has strengthened further since, has been a significant factor behind the continued rise of Australian locations up the global ranking," Anna Michielsen, general manager for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific for ECA International, said in a release. The Australian dollar has strengthened by nearly 30 percent against the U.S. dollar since last June. That means a $100 meal would have cost about $83 last June and now costs about $106. The country is also becoming more expensive than other locations in Asia: ECA points out that goods and services in Sydney were only 3 percent more expensive than in Hong Kong last year and are now 17 percent more costly. Rising prices, particularly of food and energy, also play a role: Fruit prices in Australia were up 24.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter and vegetable prices 18.7 percent (due in part to floods); electricity rose 11.7 percent and gasoline 9.3 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Overall consumer prices in the quarter were 3.3 percent above their level a year ago. The bureau forecast in January that weekly living costs for families could increase by as much as A$100 per week this year. Deteriorating Competitiveness The cost of a quick lunch in a Sydney restaurant is now $27.10, compared with $20.57 in Manhattan; a dozen eggs is $5.60, against $3.65 in Manhattan; and a tube of toothpaste is $5 vs. $3.72 in Manhattan, according to ECA International. Since 2004, Australia has seen a deterioration in its relative competitiveness doing business globally, says Glenn Mair, director of MMK Consulting in Vancouver and a leader of KPMG's Competitive Alternatives study, which analyzes the costs of doing business in cities around the world. In 2004, the cost of doing business in Australia was about 8.5 percent lower than in the U.S., according to KPMG's report. By 2010, the gap had shrunk to 2.2 percent, due to Australia's strong dollar and stable economy during the global economic crisis. "I anticipate some improvement for U.S. [competitiveness] if currency trends stay the same," Mair says. He adds, however, that volatile exchange rates can make this hard to predict. It is too early for companies to change their strategy based on recent cost changes, and many other considerations are involved, says ECA's Quane. Still, signs are that U.S. cities may be becoming more cost competitive for businesses.
Americans might complain about the high cost of living, but overseas the U.S. dollar is even weaker. Find out where it buys the least.
Australia, former penal colony, home to the Great Barrier Reef, and producer of world-class shiraz, has never exactly been synonymous with a high cost of living. Yet because of a strong economy and proximity to the booming Asia Pacific region, many overseas visitors might find it more expensive to slip an extra shrimp -- or just about anything else for that matter -- on the barbie here than in most other countries around the world. In fact, in a recent survey, six Australian cities placed among the top 30 most expensive in the world, according to global human resources firm ECA International. Just two years ago, not a single Australian city ranked in the top 100.
More from BusinessWeek.com:
• World's Most Expensive Cities 2011
• 20 Countries With the Highest Proportion of Millionaires
• America's Most Expensive Blocks
Australia is not alone in becoming more expensive. Singapore, for example, rose to No. 36 in ECA's ranking, from No. 68 last year, on the strength of the Singapore dollar. Caracas, Venezuela, rose from No. 91 to No. 15, a result of rampant inflation.
The city that earns the dubious honor of being the most expensive for holders of U.S. dollars is Tokyo, a rank it also enjoyed last year. How expensive is it? How about $24 for a movie ticket and nearly $11 for a beer. Japan dominated the ranking with four of the 10 most expensive -- in addition to Tokyo, Nagoya (No. 3), Yokohama (No. 5), and Kobe (No. 9) also made the list.
Due to the weakened U.S. dollar, no U.S. city ranked in the top 30 this year. The country's most expensive city, Manhattan, N.Y., fell to No. 44, from No. 28 in 2010, making it cheaper than Canada's Toronto (No. 37) and Vancouver (No. 42). The U.S.'s second most expensive city, Honolulu, fell to No. 62 from No. 40. (And while they haven't yet, it could be only a matter of time before Beijing (No. 46) and Shanghai (No. 47) crack the top 30.)
Of course, a weak dollar is not necessarily a bad thing. "If the U.S. continues to be relatively cost-effective in an international context, we will see companies pay more attention to whether they are saving money by expanding operations in places like Asia if the cost of living in these places is increasing," says Lee Quane, ECA International's regional director for Asia.
Aussie Dollar Strengthens
ECA International's ranking is based on a survey carried out in more than 400 cities worldwide in March. It compares the costs of living for expatriates maintaining a standard of living on a par with developed countries to guide employers' salary and benefits offers. Items such as food and beverage, basic goods and services, and some entertainment are included, but the survey excludes housing, utilities, car purchases, and school fees, which can vary widely and typically are counted separately in expatriate compensation packages.
A combination of inflation, availability of goods, and exchange rates affect costs. "The strong Australian dollar, which hit parity with the U.S. dollar last November and has strengthened further since, has been a significant factor behind the continued rise of Australian locations up the global ranking," Anna Michielsen, general manager for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific for ECA International, said in a release.
The Australian dollar has strengthened by nearly 30 percent against the U.S. dollar since last June. That means a $100 meal would have cost about $83 last June and now costs about $106. The country is also becoming more expensive than other locations in Asia: ECA points out that goods and services in Sydney were only 3 percent more expensive than in Hong Kong last year and are now 17 percent more costly.
Rising prices, particularly of food and energy, also play a role: Fruit prices in Australia were up 24.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter and vegetable prices 18.7 percent (due in part to floods); electricity rose 11.7 percent and gasoline 9.3 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Overall consumer prices in the quarter were 3.3 percent above their level a year ago. The bureau forecast in January that weekly living costs for families could increase by as much as A$100 per week this year.
Deteriorating Competitiveness
The cost of a quick lunch in a Sydney restaurant is now $27.10, compared with $20.57 in Manhattan; a dozen eggs is $5.60, against $3.65 in Manhattan; and a tube of toothpaste is $5 vs. $3.72 in Manhattan, according to ECA International.
Since 2004, Australia has seen a deterioration in its relative competitiveness doing business globally, says Glenn Mair, director of MMK Consulting in Vancouver and a leader of KPMG's Competitive Alternatives study, which analyzes the costs of doing business in cities around the world.
In 2004, the cost of doing business in Australia was about 8.5 percent lower than in the U.S., according to KPMG's report. By 2010, the gap had shrunk to 2.2 percent, due to Australia's strong dollar and stable economy during the global economic crisis.
"I anticipate some improvement for U.S. [competitiveness] if currency trends stay the same," Mair says. He adds, however, that volatile exchange rates can make this hard to predict.
It is too early for companies to change their strategy based on recent cost changes, and many other considerations are involved, says ECA's Quane. Still, signs are that U.S. cities may be becoming more cost competitive for businesses.
World's Most Expensive Cities 2011
No. 1: Tokyo
Quick lunch: $20.80
Beer at a bar: $10.56
Kilogram of rice: $9.80
Dozen eggs: $4.50
Movie theater ticket: $23.80
Although the consumer price index in the Tokyo area has been falling since 2009, according to data from Japan's statistics bureau, the city remains the world's most expensive. While housing costs are not included in this survey, ECA International estimates that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Tokyo stood at $4,352 in September.
No. 2: Oslo
Quick lunch: $45.20
Beer at a bar: $13.18
Kilogram of rice: $6.10
Dozen eggs: $8.50
Movie theater ticket: $18.80
Norway's capital is a major hub for trade, shipping, and finance and is home to the Oslo Stock Exchange. Oslo has ranked among the world's most expensive cities for years, which is not surprising when a quick lunch costs about $45 and a dozen eggs, $8.50.
No. 3: Nagoya, Japan
Quick lunch: $19
Beer at a bar: $11.37
Kilogram of rice: $8.50
Dozen eggs: $3.60
Movie theater ticket: $21.80
Nagoya is one of Japan's premier industrial and technological centers and is well known for its high quality of life and competitive business costs, according to the U.S. Commercial Service. Unlike Japan's other major cities, Nagoya was not significantly harmed by the global economic downturn and has maintained its growth.
No. 4: Stavanger, Norway
Quick lunch: $32.30
Beer at a bar: $12.83
Kilogram of rice: $5.70
Dozen eggs: $6.80
Movie theater ticket: $17.30
Stavanger was mainly a fishing community until oil was found in the North Sea in the 1960s, transforming it into a major Norwegian city. Today, Norway is a leading oil exporter, with Statoil as the largest oil company in the Stavanger region. The industry has become central to the local economy and has attracted many residents from other countries.
No. 5: Yokohama, Japan
Quick lunch: $16.90
Beer at a bar: $6.59
Kilogram of rice: $4.20
Dozen eggs: $2.50
Movie theater ticket: $21.70
Japan's second-largest city after Tokyo, Yokohama is easily reached from Tokyo by train. The port city is home to over 300 IT firms and has a growing biotechnology base, according to the city. Yokohama has nine main business districts and exports many cars and auto parts.
No. 6: Zurich
Quick lunch: $32.90
Beer at a bar: $10.54
Kilogram of rice: $3.70
Dozen eggs: $7.90
Movie theater ticket: $19.60
The financial sector is an important part of Zurich's economy and the city is home to the Swiss Stock Exchange and companies such as Credit Suisse and Swiss Re. Zurich is also a major transportation hub. Mercer ranked the city second in the world for quality of life in 2010, but such a high standard of living does not come cheap: Zurich jumped to No. 6, from being the 10th most expensive city last year.
No. 7: Luanda, Angola
Quick lunch: $52.40
Beer at a bar: $6.62
Kilogram of rice: $4.60
Dozen eggs: $5.20
Movie theater ticket: $13.90
Luanda was the most expensive city in the world in ECA International's 2009 ranking. Last year it slipped to third place, due to the depreciation of the kwanza, and this year it fell again, to No. 7. While the city has a high poverty rate, it remains one of the most expensive places for expatriates to maintain standards of living comparable to those in their home countries.
No. 8: Geneva
Quick lunch: $33.70
Beer at a bar: $9.12
Kilogram of rice: $4.70
Dozen eggs: $8.60
Movie theater ticket: $19.20
Truly a global city, Geneva is home to such international organizations as the United Nations (which has an office in the city) and the International Committee of the Red Cross. An important center for banking, government, and technology, Geneva attracts many professional visitors, as well as tourists. It ranked as the third-best city in the world for quality of life in Mercer's 2010 report.
No. 9: Kobe, Japan
Quick lunch: $15.60
Beer at a bar: $8.69
Kilogram of rice: $9.30
Dozen eggs: $3.10
Movie theater ticket: $20.80
Kobe is one of Japan's busiest ports and a manufacturing center for appliances, food, and transportation equipment. The city offers many types of cuisine, though it's known best for high grade and pricey Kobe beef.
No. 10: Bern, Switzerland
Quick lunch: $28.80
Beer at a bar: $7.46
Kilogram of rice: $4.70
Dozen eggs: $8.40
Movie theater ticket: $19.10
Switzerland's capital, Bern is the center of Swiss government, the engineering industry, and the precision industry, as well as a manufacturing center for watches and other technology used in the medical, IT, and automotive sectors, according to the Bern Economic Development Agency. Branded watches such as Rolex, Longines, Swatch, and Rado are manufactured in the Canton of Bern.
Click here to see the top 30 most expensive cities in the world.
Australia, former penal colony, home to the Great Barrier Reef, and producer of world-class shiraz, has never exactly been synonymous with a high cost of living. Yet because of a strong economy and proximity to the booming Asia Pacific region, many overseas visitors might find it more expensive to slip an extra shrimp -- or just about anything else for that matter -- on the barbie here than in most other countries around the world. In fact, in a recent survey, six Australian cities placed among the top 30 most expensive in the world, according to global human resources firm ECA International. Just two years ago, not a single Australian city ranked in the top 100.
More from BusinessWeek.com:
• World's Most Expensive Cities 2011
• 20 Countries With the Highest Proportion of Millionaires
• America's Most Expensive Blocks
Australia is not alone in becoming more expensive. Singapore, for example, rose to No. 36 in ECA's ranking, from No. 68 last year, on the strength of the Singapore dollar. Caracas, Venezuela, rose from No. 91 to No. 15, a result of rampant inflation.
The city that earns the dubious honor of being the most expensive for holders of U.S. dollars is Tokyo, a rank it also enjoyed last year. How expensive is it? How about $24 for a movie ticket and nearly $11 for a beer. Japan dominated the ranking with four of the 10 most expensive -- in addition to Tokyo, Nagoya (No. 3), Yokohama (No. 5), and Kobe (No. 9) also made the list.
Due to the weakened U.S. dollar, no U.S. city ranked in the top 30 this year. The country's most expensive city, Manhattan, N.Y., fell to No. 44, from No. 28 in 2010, making it cheaper than Canada's Toronto (No. 37) and Vancouver (No. 42). The U.S.'s second most expensive city, Honolulu, fell to No. 62 from No. 40. (And while they haven't yet, it could be only a matter of time before Beijing (No. 46) and Shanghai (No. 47) crack the top 30.)
Of course, a weak dollar is not necessarily a bad thing. "If the U.S. continues to be relatively cost-effective in an international context, we will see companies pay more attention to whether they are saving money by expanding operations in places like Asia if the cost of living in these places is increasing," says Lee Quane, ECA International's regional director for Asia.
Aussie Dollar Strengthens
ECA International's ranking is based on a survey carried out in more than 400 cities worldwide in March. It compares the costs of living for expatriates maintaining a standard of living on a par with developed countries to guide employers' salary and benefits offers. Items such as food and beverage, basic goods and services, and some entertainment are included, but the survey excludes housing, utilities, car purchases, and school fees, which can vary widely and typically are counted separately in expatriate compensation packages.
A combination of inflation, availability of goods, and exchange rates affect costs. "The strong Australian dollar, which hit parity with the U.S. dollar last November and has strengthened further since, has been a significant factor behind the continued rise of Australian locations up the global ranking," Anna Michielsen, general manager for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific for ECA International, said in a release.
The Australian dollar has strengthened by nearly 30 percent against the U.S. dollar since last June. That means a $100 meal would have cost about $83 last June and now costs about $106. The country is also becoming more expensive than other locations in Asia: ECA points out that goods and services in Sydney were only 3 percent more expensive than in Hong Kong last year and are now 17 percent more costly.
Rising prices, particularly of food and energy, also play a role: Fruit prices in Australia were up 24.9 percent year-on-year in the first quarter and vegetable prices 18.7 percent (due in part to floods); electricity rose 11.7 percent and gasoline 9.3 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Overall consumer prices in the quarter were 3.3 percent above their level a year ago. The bureau forecast in January that weekly living costs for families could increase by as much as A$100 per week this year.
Deteriorating Competitiveness
The cost of a quick lunch in a Sydney restaurant is now $27.10, compared with $20.57 in Manhattan; a dozen eggs is $5.60, against $3.65 in Manhattan; and a tube of toothpaste is $5 vs. $3.72 in Manhattan, according to ECA International.
Since 2004, Australia has seen a deterioration in its relative competitiveness doing business globally, says Glenn Mair, director of MMK Consulting in Vancouver and a leader of KPMG's Competitive Alternatives study, which analyzes the costs of doing business in cities around the world.
In 2004, the cost of doing business in Australia was about 8.5 percent lower than in the U.S., according to KPMG's report. By 2010, the gap had shrunk to 2.2 percent, due to Australia's strong dollar and stable economy during the global economic crisis.
"I anticipate some improvement for U.S. [competitiveness] if currency trends stay the same," Mair says. He adds, however, that volatile exchange rates can make this hard to predict.
It is too early for companies to change their strategy based on recent cost changes, and many other considerations are involved, says ECA's Quane. Still, signs are that U.S. cities may be becoming more cost competitive for businesses.
World's Most Expensive Cities 2011
No. 1: Tokyo
Quick lunch: $20.80
Beer at a bar: $10.56
Kilogram of rice: $9.80
Dozen eggs: $4.50
Movie theater ticket: $23.80
Although the consumer price index in the Tokyo area has been falling since 2009, according to data from Japan's statistics bureau, the city remains the world's most expensive. While housing costs are not included in this survey, ECA International estimates that the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Tokyo stood at $4,352 in September.
No. 2: Oslo
Quick lunch: $45.20
Beer at a bar: $13.18
Kilogram of rice: $6.10
Dozen eggs: $8.50
Movie theater ticket: $18.80
Norway's capital is a major hub for trade, shipping, and finance and is home to the Oslo Stock Exchange. Oslo has ranked among the world's most expensive cities for years, which is not surprising when a quick lunch costs about $45 and a dozen eggs, $8.50.
No. 3: Nagoya, Japan
Quick lunch: $19
Beer at a bar: $11.37
Kilogram of rice: $8.50
Dozen eggs: $3.60
Movie theater ticket: $21.80
Nagoya is one of Japan's premier industrial and technological centers and is well known for its high quality of life and competitive business costs, according to the U.S. Commercial Service. Unlike Japan's other major cities, Nagoya was not significantly harmed by the global economic downturn and has maintained its growth.
No. 4: Stavanger, Norway
Quick lunch: $32.30
Beer at a bar: $12.83
Kilogram of rice: $5.70
Dozen eggs: $6.80
Movie theater ticket: $17.30
Stavanger was mainly a fishing community until oil was found in the North Sea in the 1960s, transforming it into a major Norwegian city. Today, Norway is a leading oil exporter, with Statoil as the largest oil company in the Stavanger region. The industry has become central to the local economy and has attracted many residents from other countries.
No. 5: Yokohama, Japan
Quick lunch: $16.90
Beer at a bar: $6.59
Kilogram of rice: $4.20
Dozen eggs: $2.50
Movie theater ticket: $21.70
Japan's second-largest city after Tokyo, Yokohama is easily reached from Tokyo by train. The port city is home to over 300 IT firms and has a growing biotechnology base, according to the city. Yokohama has nine main business districts and exports many cars and auto parts.
No. 6: Zurich
Quick lunch: $32.90
Beer at a bar: $10.54
Kilogram of rice: $3.70
Dozen eggs: $7.90
Movie theater ticket: $19.60
The financial sector is an important part of Zurich's economy and the city is home to the Swiss Stock Exchange and companies such as Credit Suisse and Swiss Re. Zurich is also a major transportation hub. Mercer ranked the city second in the world for quality of life in 2010, but such a high standard of living does not come cheap: Zurich jumped to No. 6, from being the 10th most expensive city last year.
No. 7: Luanda, Angola
Quick lunch: $52.40
Beer at a bar: $6.62
Kilogram of rice: $4.60
Dozen eggs: $5.20
Movie theater ticket: $13.90
Luanda was the most expensive city in the world in ECA International's 2009 ranking. Last year it slipped to third place, due to the depreciation of the kwanza, and this year it fell again, to No. 7. While the city has a high poverty rate, it remains one of the most expensive places for expatriates to maintain standards of living comparable to those in their home countries.
No. 8: Geneva
Quick lunch: $33.70
Beer at a bar: $9.12
Kilogram of rice: $4.70
Dozen eggs: $8.60
Movie theater ticket: $19.20
Truly a global city, Geneva is home to such international organizations as the United Nations (which has an office in the city) and the International Committee of the Red Cross. An important center for banking, government, and technology, Geneva attracts many professional visitors, as well as tourists. It ranked as the third-best city in the world for quality of life in Mercer's 2010 report.
No. 9: Kobe, Japan
Quick lunch: $15.60
Beer at a bar: $8.69
Kilogram of rice: $9.30
Dozen eggs: $3.10
Movie theater ticket: $20.80
Kobe is one of Japan's busiest ports and a manufacturing center for appliances, food, and transportation equipment. The city offers many types of cuisine, though it's known best for high grade and pricey Kobe beef.
No. 10: Bern, Switzerland
Quick lunch: $28.80
Beer at a bar: $7.46
Kilogram of rice: $4.70
Dozen eggs: $8.40
Movie theater ticket: $19.10
Switzerland's capital, Bern is the center of Swiss government, the engineering industry, and the precision industry, as well as a manufacturing center for watches and other technology used in the medical, IT, and automotive sectors, according to the Bern Economic Development Agency. Branded watches such as Rolex, Longines, Swatch, and Rado are manufactured in the Canton of Bern.
Click here to see the top 30 most expensive cities in the world.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
KALLONS EARNS OFFERS BEFORE TAKING THE FIELD
Like a down-on-his-luck gambler standing in front of a slot machine, Todd Wofford told himself this was it.
One more try. One more crack.
After a half-dozen failed attempts at convincing Francis Kallon, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound transfer student from England, to try American football -- a sport he had never played -- the Lawrenceville (Ga.) Central Gwinnett head coach was ready for his final stab.
"I told him, 'You can do some big things, just give me two weeks to see if you like it. If you don't like it, go ahead and stick to basketball. There won't be any drama and we can both say we gave it a shot,'" Wofford recalled.
Much to Wofford's surprise, his words to Kallon that spring day, which were neither complex nor overly profound, worked. The teenager who wouldn't budge in the past, at last did just that.
"I'd say he tried five or six times," Kallon said. "He would use mind games with me. He would give me college letters for (Central Gwinnett running back) George Morris to give to him, which was funny. This time, he spoke to me on a level I could understand."
A few months have passed since then, and it is safe to say the Kallon experiment has been a resounding success considering he committed to Georgia Tech on Monday. In fact, he has become nothing short of a recruiting sensation.
Once an athlete who thought of himself as a basketball player, Kallon not only has enjoyed his new sport, but excelled at it. Colleges, who visited the Central Gwinnett campus to scout his teammates, gushed over Kallon's measurables and were equally blown away by his combination of athleticism, agility, power, energy, enthusiasm, hunger and effort.
One scholarship offer came. Then another. And another.
Today, Kallon, a rising senior defensive end, has 12 of them, a rather remarkable total for someone who has only practiced a few weeks and, lest we forget, won't even play his first real game until August.
And just because he gave his pledge Monday to the Yellow Jackets, don't expect the attention from colleges to stop.
Francis Kallon earned 12 scholarship offers before ever playing a game.
"I've never seen anything like it," Wofford said. "I had no idea this would happen. I was hoping this big kid could do anything for me."
The coach isn't the only one stunned by what has transpired. You can include Kallon and his parents in that group as well.
"I did not think he would get a scholarship for sports," said the player's father, Francis S. Kallon, an Atlanta-area security guard. "I thought he would get one for academics."
Coming to America
For a moment, let's backtrack and recap exactly how the younger Kallon, 17, ended up in Lawrenceville, a community just northeast of Atlanta.
He was born in London to Francis S. Kallon and Rosaline, both of whom originally are from the Republic of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. In London, the Kallon family lived in the southwest part of town, roughly a mile from the famed All England Club, site of the annual Wimbledon Championships.
When Kallon was a child, his parents separated and his father moved to Georgia. When the couple decided to get back together in 2010 after 11 years, instead of Kallon's father returning to London it was decided Kallon and his mother would move to the states.
"I didn't want to come," Kallon said. "She had to convince me. I wanted to stay. I had established myself over there."
The transition wasn't overly difficult, but Kallon certainly had some adjusting to do upon arriving in Lawrenceville.
"The biggest change was that instead of being independent I had to depend on my dad for drives," Kallon said. "I can't drive yet. In England, public transportation is big, especially in London."
Back in England, Kallon had dabbled in rugby and soccer, but he always considered himself a basketball player. His plan all along was to play there in college. Because of that, he decided to continue that sport after making his move.
In Lawrenceville, however, it didn't take long for a certain football coach to take an interest in him.
"The first time I saw him, I was like, 'Wow,' " Wofford said. "I didn't know anything about him. I didn't know where he was coming from. I just saw a big kid walking in the halls one day. There's roughly 2,600 kids at the school, but we could have had 5,000 kids and Francis would have stood out. He's not a skinny kid by any means. He was tall. He was thick. He looked like a football player."
Convincing Kallon of that was no simple task.
"The first time I talked to him, he said he was going to focus on basketball," the coach said. "The next time, I asked if he had thought it over. He said he needed to talk to his parents. He gave me his dad's number, but I kept missing him. Even then, Francis still just wasn't fired up about it." Eventually, Wofford's persistence was rewarded.
So was Kallon's faith in the coach.
"He came out one day to get some equipment before workouts," Wofford recalled. "Illinois was coming down to see George [Morris], and they saw Francis and were like, 'Who in the world is that?' That was before we even had practice."
Learning to dominate
To prepare for spring football, Kallon attacked his pre-practice workouts like a veteran and met with the team's defensive line coach to learn proper technique. Initially, though, he was a bit overwhelmed.
I actually don't call myself a football player, and I won't until I step on the field for the first time [for a game]. Right now, I'm a player in training. I use that to stay humble.
- Francis Kallon
"I remember a coach drawing something. I asked the guys what he was writing on the board and what were all those squiggly lines," Kallon said. "That's when George Morris told me, 'What you need to focus on is where you need to be.' "
Kallon did exactly that, amazing his coaches, teammates and colleges from the moment spring practice began to the time it ended two weeks later.
"He was so athletic, he blew right past every lineman we had," Wofford said. "It was pretty evident that in his second step he was full speed. That, with his long reach and motor is probably the thing that jumped out the most. And he never quit. He has no idea when to stop. So he just goes."
Kallon's lack of experience and football know-how would seem to be a negative. But Wofford has insisted the fact his player has a blank canvas when it comes to football as a good thing.
"He hasn't developed any bad habits," he said. "Stanford came in, and the guy and I were talking about how you don't see a typical football player, when the play is almost over, keep going. But that's all he knows."
Kallon, as one might expect, is still incredibly raw and has much to learn, but Wofford claimed, "He's not as much of a project as you'd think. He knows technique, he knows the position he's playing, he knows our defense. He's learning more every day."
Meanwhile, Kallon, who in addition to excelling in practice is a straight-A student, already has gained his teammates' respect.
"He can be tremendously good," Morris noted.
Arkansas was the first school to offer Kallon. Since then, Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina State, Purdue, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest have followed suit. He plans to camp at Auburn and Florida this summer.
"I just thank God to be able to be here," Kallon said.
Come August, Kallon will make his eagerly anticipated regular-season debut for Central Gwinnet. Thoughts of that moment already are filling his head when he lies in bed at night.
"I actually don't call myself a football player, and I won't until I step on the field for the first time [for a game]." Kallon said "Right now, I'm a player in training. I use that to stay humble."
Keith Niebuhr can be reached at kneebs01@aol.com. You can follow him on Twitter @KeithRIVALS.
One more try. One more crack.
After a half-dozen failed attempts at convincing Francis Kallon, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound transfer student from England, to try American football -- a sport he had never played -- the Lawrenceville (Ga.) Central Gwinnett head coach was ready for his final stab.
"I told him, 'You can do some big things, just give me two weeks to see if you like it. If you don't like it, go ahead and stick to basketball. There won't be any drama and we can both say we gave it a shot,'" Wofford recalled.
Much to Wofford's surprise, his words to Kallon that spring day, which were neither complex nor overly profound, worked. The teenager who wouldn't budge in the past, at last did just that.
"I'd say he tried five or six times," Kallon said. "He would use mind games with me. He would give me college letters for (Central Gwinnett running back) George Morris to give to him, which was funny. This time, he spoke to me on a level I could understand."
A few months have passed since then, and it is safe to say the Kallon experiment has been a resounding success considering he committed to Georgia Tech on Monday. In fact, he has become nothing short of a recruiting sensation.
Once an athlete who thought of himself as a basketball player, Kallon not only has enjoyed his new sport, but excelled at it. Colleges, who visited the Central Gwinnett campus to scout his teammates, gushed over Kallon's measurables and were equally blown away by his combination of athleticism, agility, power, energy, enthusiasm, hunger and effort.
One scholarship offer came. Then another. And another.
Today, Kallon, a rising senior defensive end, has 12 of them, a rather remarkable total for someone who has only practiced a few weeks and, lest we forget, won't even play his first real game until August.
And just because he gave his pledge Monday to the Yellow Jackets, don't expect the attention from colleges to stop.
Francis Kallon earned 12 scholarship offers before ever playing a game.
"I've never seen anything like it," Wofford said. "I had no idea this would happen. I was hoping this big kid could do anything for me."
The coach isn't the only one stunned by what has transpired. You can include Kallon and his parents in that group as well.
"I did not think he would get a scholarship for sports," said the player's father, Francis S. Kallon, an Atlanta-area security guard. "I thought he would get one for academics."
Coming to America
For a moment, let's backtrack and recap exactly how the younger Kallon, 17, ended up in Lawrenceville, a community just northeast of Atlanta.
He was born in London to Francis S. Kallon and Rosaline, both of whom originally are from the Republic of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. In London, the Kallon family lived in the southwest part of town, roughly a mile from the famed All England Club, site of the annual Wimbledon Championships.
When Kallon was a child, his parents separated and his father moved to Georgia. When the couple decided to get back together in 2010 after 11 years, instead of Kallon's father returning to London it was decided Kallon and his mother would move to the states.
"I didn't want to come," Kallon said. "She had to convince me. I wanted to stay. I had established myself over there."
The transition wasn't overly difficult, but Kallon certainly had some adjusting to do upon arriving in Lawrenceville.
"The biggest change was that instead of being independent I had to depend on my dad for drives," Kallon said. "I can't drive yet. In England, public transportation is big, especially in London."
Back in England, Kallon had dabbled in rugby and soccer, but he always considered himself a basketball player. His plan all along was to play there in college. Because of that, he decided to continue that sport after making his move.
In Lawrenceville, however, it didn't take long for a certain football coach to take an interest in him.
"The first time I saw him, I was like, 'Wow,' " Wofford said. "I didn't know anything about him. I didn't know where he was coming from. I just saw a big kid walking in the halls one day. There's roughly 2,600 kids at the school, but we could have had 5,000 kids and Francis would have stood out. He's not a skinny kid by any means. He was tall. He was thick. He looked like a football player."
Convincing Kallon of that was no simple task.
"The first time I talked to him, he said he was going to focus on basketball," the coach said. "The next time, I asked if he had thought it over. He said he needed to talk to his parents. He gave me his dad's number, but I kept missing him. Even then, Francis still just wasn't fired up about it." Eventually, Wofford's persistence was rewarded.
So was Kallon's faith in the coach.
"He came out one day to get some equipment before workouts," Wofford recalled. "Illinois was coming down to see George [Morris], and they saw Francis and were like, 'Who in the world is that?' That was before we even had practice."
Learning to dominate
To prepare for spring football, Kallon attacked his pre-practice workouts like a veteran and met with the team's defensive line coach to learn proper technique. Initially, though, he was a bit overwhelmed.
I actually don't call myself a football player, and I won't until I step on the field for the first time [for a game]. Right now, I'm a player in training. I use that to stay humble.
- Francis Kallon
"I remember a coach drawing something. I asked the guys what he was writing on the board and what were all those squiggly lines," Kallon said. "That's when George Morris told me, 'What you need to focus on is where you need to be.' "
Kallon did exactly that, amazing his coaches, teammates and colleges from the moment spring practice began to the time it ended two weeks later.
"He was so athletic, he blew right past every lineman we had," Wofford said. "It was pretty evident that in his second step he was full speed. That, with his long reach and motor is probably the thing that jumped out the most. And he never quit. He has no idea when to stop. So he just goes."
Kallon's lack of experience and football know-how would seem to be a negative. But Wofford has insisted the fact his player has a blank canvas when it comes to football as a good thing.
"He hasn't developed any bad habits," he said. "Stanford came in, and the guy and I were talking about how you don't see a typical football player, when the play is almost over, keep going. But that's all he knows."
Kallon, as one might expect, is still incredibly raw and has much to learn, but Wofford claimed, "He's not as much of a project as you'd think. He knows technique, he knows the position he's playing, he knows our defense. He's learning more every day."
Meanwhile, Kallon, who in addition to excelling in practice is a straight-A student, already has gained his teammates' respect.
"He can be tremendously good," Morris noted.
Arkansas was the first school to offer Kallon. Since then, Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina State, Purdue, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wake Forest have followed suit. He plans to camp at Auburn and Florida this summer.
"I just thank God to be able to be here," Kallon said.
Come August, Kallon will make his eagerly anticipated regular-season debut for Central Gwinnet. Thoughts of that moment already are filling his head when he lies in bed at night.
"I actually don't call myself a football player, and I won't until I step on the field for the first time [for a game]." Kallon said "Right now, I'm a player in training. I use that to stay humble."
Keith Niebuhr can be reached at kneebs01@aol.com. You can follow him on Twitter @KeithRIVALS.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Meet the parents who are raising a 'genderless' baby
or most of us, as soon as a pregnancy is announced, the gender guessing game begins. And while some like to keep the sex of their baby a secret until the child is born, one couple has taken a decidedly different approach on revealing the sex of their offspring.
A Canadian couple from Toronto have decided to keep the gender of their four-month-old baby a secret in order to raise what they call a 'genderless' child. Storm will be raised as neither a boy nor girl and will choose a sex when he or she grows up.
[See also: Couple names baby girl after feature on Facebook]
Kathy Witterick and David Stocker have only revealed Storm’s gender to close members of the family, including their two young sons, one friend and the midwives who delivered the child.
After Storm was born on New Year’s Day, the parents sent out an email to the rest of their friends and loved ones, writing: “We’ve decided not to share Storm’s sex - a tribute to choice in a place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm’s lifetime ( a more progressive place?...).”
The couple told the Toronto Star about the flood of unsupportive comments they have received. Friends expressed their fears of how Storm’s genderless nature would make the child vulnerable to bullying in the future. Another concern was that they thought the couple were actually taking away the newborn’s right to choice, by forcing their own ideology on the tot.
Defending their decision, Kathy said, “With the baby, even the people who love the most and know you intimately, the first question they ask is, ‘“Is it a girl or a boy?”’ David added, “If you really want to get to know someone, you don’t ask what’s between their legs.’
Kathy and David feel strongly about releasing their children from the constraints that society poses on males and females and want them to make their own decisions about how they act and look.
Their sons Jazz, five, and Kio, two, have the freedom to dress themselves and decide when they want to cut their hair. Kio’s favourite colour is purple and older sibling Jazz has long hair, he likes pink.
After being mistaken for a girl and home schooled because of how people would, “immediately react with Jazz over his gender” the couple decided to raise Storm genderless.
All images courtesy of The Toronto Star
A Canadian couple from Toronto have decided to keep the gender of their four-month-old baby a secret in order to raise what they call a 'genderless' child. Storm will be raised as neither a boy nor girl and will choose a sex when he or she grows up.
[See also: Couple names baby girl after feature on Facebook]
Kathy Witterick and David Stocker have only revealed Storm’s gender to close members of the family, including their two young sons, one friend and the midwives who delivered the child.
After Storm was born on New Year’s Day, the parents sent out an email to the rest of their friends and loved ones, writing: “We’ve decided not to share Storm’s sex - a tribute to choice in a place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm’s lifetime ( a more progressive place?...).”
The couple told the Toronto Star about the flood of unsupportive comments they have received. Friends expressed their fears of how Storm’s genderless nature would make the child vulnerable to bullying in the future. Another concern was that they thought the couple were actually taking away the newborn’s right to choice, by forcing their own ideology on the tot.
Defending their decision, Kathy said, “With the baby, even the people who love the most and know you intimately, the first question they ask is, ‘“Is it a girl or a boy?”’ David added, “If you really want to get to know someone, you don’t ask what’s between their legs.’
Kathy and David feel strongly about releasing their children from the constraints that society poses on males and females and want them to make their own decisions about how they act and look.
Their sons Jazz, five, and Kio, two, have the freedom to dress themselves and decide when they want to cut their hair. Kio’s favourite colour is purple and older sibling Jazz has long hair, he likes pink.
After being mistaken for a girl and home schooled because of how people would, “immediately react with Jazz over his gender” the couple decided to raise Storm genderless.
All images courtesy of The Toronto Star
Monday, January 17, 2011
VENUS WILLIAMS IS STILL WEARING REALLY SHORT DRESSES AT GRAND SLAM.
The length of Venus Williams' hemline is inversely proportional to the tennis star's age: as she gets older, the dresses get shorter.
Sporting her most mini-tennis dress yet, the seven-time Grand Slam champion opened play at the 2011 Australian Open on Monday, winning decisively in straight sets. The quick 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sara Errani was especially nice because it allowed us to focus on the most important part of the match; that short blue dress.
Though not as campy as her can-can number from last spring nor as flashy as the dress she wore in New York at the U.S. Open, the new self-designed garment sets a new mark in tininess. Even when pulled down all the way, it still barely came down to her thighs:
And, to think, if not for a last-minute change by Venus, the dress may have even been more revealing. After the match Williams told reporters she almost wore skin-colored (or nude) shorts underneath rather than black (like she did at last year's French Open):
Q. Just on your outfit today, is that one of your designs? Can you tell us a little bit about that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, uhm, the design, it really was an Illusion dress, the illusion when I wear the nude shorts under. But at the last minute I decided not to.
Q. Why was that?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I just decided to wear the black ones. But, you know, it's just about focusing on the dress and not anything else. I mean, I had black shorts under.
But normally like it's all about the dress because it has a mesh and a satin kind of material. Of course, it's all sports gear, and it's all about that zipper, too. A lot of the focus of the dress is the zipper.
I can guarantee that if Venus had worn the nude shorts underneath that dress, the focus would have been on everything but the dress glorified tank top.
RESEARCHERS AIM TO RESURRECT MAMMOTH IN 5 YEARS
TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese researchers will launch a project this year to resurrect the long-extinct mammoth by using cloning technology to bring the ancient pachyderm back to life in around five years time.
The researchers will try to revive the species by obtaining tissue this summer from the carcass of a mammoth preserved in a Russian research laboratory, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
"Preparations to realise this goal have been made," Akira Iritani, leader of the team and a professor emeritus of Kyoto University, told the mass-circulation daily.
Under the plan, the nuclei of mammoth cells will be inserted into an elephant's egg cell from which the nuclei have been removed, to create an embryo containing mammoth genes, the report said.
The embryo will then be inserted into an elephant's uterus in the hope that the animal will eventually give birth to a baby mammoth.
The elephant is the closest modern relative of the mammoth, a huge woolly mammal believed to have died out with the last Ice Age.
Some mammoth remains still retain usable tissue samples, making it possible to recover cells for cloning, unlike dinosaurs, which disappeared around 65 million years ago and whose remains exist only as fossils
Researchers hope to achieve their aim within five to six years, the Yomiuri said.
The team, which has invited a Russian mammoth researcher and two US elephant experts to join the project, has established a technique to extract DNA from frozen cells, previously an obstacle to cloning attempts because of the damage cells sustained in the freezing process.
Another Japanese researcher, Teruhiko Wakayama of the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology, succeeded in 2008 in cloning a mouse from the cells of another that had been kept in temperatures similar to frozen ground for 16 years.
The scientists extracted a cell nucleus from an organ of a dead mouse and planted it into the egg of another mouse which was alive, leading to the birth of the cloned mouse.
Based on Wakayama's techniques, Iritani's team devised a method to extract the nuclei of mammoth eggs without damaging them.
But a successful cloning will also pose challenges for the team, Iritani warned.
"If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed (the mammoth) and whether to display it to the public," Iritani said.
"After the mammoth is born, we will examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors."
More than 80 percent of all mammoth finds have been dug up in the permafrost of the vast Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.
The researchers will try to revive the species by obtaining tissue this summer from the carcass of a mammoth preserved in a Russian research laboratory, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
"Preparations to realise this goal have been made," Akira Iritani, leader of the team and a professor emeritus of Kyoto University, told the mass-circulation daily.
Under the plan, the nuclei of mammoth cells will be inserted into an elephant's egg cell from which the nuclei have been removed, to create an embryo containing mammoth genes, the report said.
The embryo will then be inserted into an elephant's uterus in the hope that the animal will eventually give birth to a baby mammoth.
The elephant is the closest modern relative of the mammoth, a huge woolly mammal believed to have died out with the last Ice Age.
Some mammoth remains still retain usable tissue samples, making it possible to recover cells for cloning, unlike dinosaurs, which disappeared around 65 million years ago and whose remains exist only as fossils
Researchers hope to achieve their aim within five to six years, the Yomiuri said.
The team, which has invited a Russian mammoth researcher and two US elephant experts to join the project, has established a technique to extract DNA from frozen cells, previously an obstacle to cloning attempts because of the damage cells sustained in the freezing process.
Another Japanese researcher, Teruhiko Wakayama of the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology, succeeded in 2008 in cloning a mouse from the cells of another that had been kept in temperatures similar to frozen ground for 16 years.
The scientists extracted a cell nucleus from an organ of a dead mouse and planted it into the egg of another mouse which was alive, leading to the birth of the cloned mouse.
Based on Wakayama's techniques, Iritani's team devised a method to extract the nuclei of mammoth eggs without damaging them.
But a successful cloning will also pose challenges for the team, Iritani warned.
"If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed (the mammoth) and whether to display it to the public," Iritani said.
"After the mammoth is born, we will examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors."
More than 80 percent of all mammoth finds have been dug up in the permafrost of the vast Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia.
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