Sometimes, a company offers you a higher salary than its competitors, but it comes at the cost of worse benefits. The bigger paycheck may not give you the best value once you factor in the higher healthcare costs or a lower 401(k) match.

The last time I was job hunting, I was lucky enough to secure three offers. The salaries were within $5,000 of each other, but they each offered different perks. I chose the organization with the best employee benefits package, and it ended up being the right move.

Employee Benefits to Look For When Job Hunting

Sometimes you can negotiate certain benefits, but others are governed by a plan document and can’t be changed for an individual employee. Here are the benefits to look at when comparing job offers.

1. Retirement

If your potential position offers a retirement account, you may think you’ve hit the jackpot. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

These plans, such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s, offer benefits that vary from firm to firm. Some come with high fees that result in diminished returns while others offer low-fee programs with great investment options.

In my first position, I got a 3% contribution to my retirement plan regardless of whether I put money in. But a different job required me to set aside 6% of my salary to get a 4% match. Before you accept an offer, understand how any matching funds can be earned.

You should also understand the vesting process. Some companies require that you work there for a certain length of time before you’re 100% vested, while others have immediate vesting.

2. Paid time off

The names for this benefit vary. It may be called paid time off (PTO), vacation, sick time, or paid leave.

Whenever I switched workplaces, I always tried to negotiate more vacation time. I was often able to secure an additional week of PTO beyond what each employer offered, even though it went against the established policy. Firms may not be willing to budge from their official paid leave benefits, though.

3. Raises, bonuses, or overtime

Knowing your total compensation is vital. You have to understand how much you’ll be paid beyond your salary or hourly rate.

Ask if you’ll be eligible for overtime. For non-exempt workers, overtime pay is governed by law. Despite the fact I was an exempt employee, which is a term for employees not required to be paid overtime, my first position offered straight-time overtime for their salaried workers.

Bonuses and raises can play a big factor in your total take-home pay. Research pay potential on anonymous sites like Glassdoor. You should also ask the hiring manager about their usual bonus and pay increase practices.

An organization that offers a high initial salary but only gives raises for major promotions may not be the best choice. Another company that gives sizable annual raises to most employees may result in higher pay down the road.

Related: How to Ask for a Raise: The Advice No One Ever Gave You

4. Insurance

Employers may offer health, vision, dental, life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance. Other types of insurance, such as pet insurance, may be offered in rare cases.

When comparing insurance options, ask for the insurance plan documents. This gives you an idea of what the insurance pays for. Premiums, deductibles, providers, and coverage options can vary between plans.

Find out if the business subsidizes the cost of the policy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average civilian employer pays 67% of a family health insurance plan’s cost. This can provide massive savings.

While insurance isn’t negotiable, it’s necessary to understand what you’re being offered.

5. Work from home opportunity

The opportunity to work from home is a benefit more workplaces are offering. You may want the option to avoid the office to save on commuting time and costs. Some people perform better away from the distractions of the workplace.

Even human resources professionals see the benefits of remote work.

“If I were to convince an employer to allow me to work from home, and I did, I would definitely talk about the potential for increased productivity,” said Sandy Smith, Senior Certified Professional in HR and founder of the Elevate Community.

Related: Is Working From Home Bad for Your Mental Health?

6. Paid training

Paid training can be a big money saver if you hold a professional license that requires continuing education. It may be offered to help you learn skills or to maintain certifications relevant to your career.

As a Certified Public Accountant, I must complete 40 hours of continuing professional education each year to maintain my license. My public accounting firm jobs paid for my training, but I had to negotiate having my education costs covered when I moved to corporate accounting.

7. Tuition reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement can benefit employees and the companies providing you the option to pursue a bachelor’s or a graduate degree. Even so, tuition reimbursement doesn’t mean you can study anything.

“If you’re going to be pursuing another degree or program, understand what potential employers cover in their reimbursement programs,” said Jen Bohler, PHR, SHRM-CP and YouTuber at The Budget Bounce. “If yours isn’t currently included, try to negotiate it into your offer, and get it in writing.”

Be sure you understand any repayment or employment restrictions associated with the benefit. You may have to repay certain costs if you leave before your agreement specifies.

Related: Should You Get a Graduate Degree?

8. Student loan assistance

As the student loan crisis continues to grow, more employers are assisting with the repayment of student loan debt. You may have to meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify for a workplace’s program, though.

Programs may offer monthly, yearly, or matching payments. Lifetime maximums on the total amount repaid or program time limits are standard.

9. Family planning benefits

Paid parental leave has become a hot topic in the United States. FMLA requires 12 weeks of unpaid leave in certain circumstances, but paid time off isn’t required.

“It’s nice to be able to expand your family without worrying about money,” Smith said. “More companies are providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for men, women, and adoptive parents.”

Some progressive companies are even offering assistance with the costs of fertility treatment or adoptions.

10. Employee stock purchase plan

Some businesses provide workers an opportunity to own shares of the firm’s stock through an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP). These can be a great way to invest at a discount if you believe in your organization’s future.

The programs have strict guidelines, but it’s one way to get extra compensation through the discounted stock price. There are tax consequences for investing.

I never participated in an ESPP. The industry I worked in wasn’t one I was fond of investing in. Plus, I didn’t want to worry about my investment and my career if the firm faced difficult financial times.

Unique Employee Benefits That Set Companies Apart

Old-fashioned employee benefits provide significant services, but innovative workplaces are moving toward offering newer perks to help make their employees’ lives better. The most important benefits to employees aren’t always traditional ones.

11. Tech benefits

If you must be responsive around the clock, you may be provided with the technology to do so. If not, the organization could give you a stipend to buy equipment.

It may be tempting to use the equipment for personal use to save money.

“If the company does give you a device such as a cell phone, laptop, or tablet, you’re likely subject to usage monitoring,” said Laura Gariepy, a human resources expert turned freelancing coach at Every Day by the Lake, LLC. “Use that equipment strictly for company business.”

12. Pet-friendly policies

If you have fur babies instead of children, pets are a huge part of your world. Employers are beginning to recognize this and may offer pet insurance or the ability to bring your pet to work.

13. Personal health benefits

Progressive firms have started offering health-related benefits other than insurance. My first workplace had a small gym in the building any employee could use.

Others may offer free or discounted services in the office on a regular schedule, such as bringing in a massage therapist once per month.

Related: 11 Good Work Habits for Becoming a Stand-Out Employee

14. Time off for volunteering

Organizations often like to give back to their communities. One way they can do this is by offering employees time off to volunteer locally. Your options may be limited to certain causes your employer supports, though.

If this perk is important to you, Bohler suggested asking if there is a designated volunteer program, if it includes company-sanctioned volunteering events, or how many hours you may get paid to volunteer per year.

15. Free meals

“When your employer provides free coffee, snacks, and meals, it can save you a pretty penny and the hassle of having to procure them on your own,” Gariepy said.

When certain workplaces offer this perk, it’s a genuine way to say thank you to employees. Other companies may use this to get you to put in more hours in the evenings. Consider the motivations behind the perk before assuming it is a benefit.

Related: How to Negotiate Your Starting Salary

Read the Specifics of Your Company’s Policies

Before you sign your offer letter, get the specifics of any employee benefit policies that are your top priorities. Ask any questions you have before you commit.

When reading the policies, look out for commitments or hidden downsides. You may be required to stay employed by the organization for three years after receiving tuition reimbursement.

If a critical employee benefit isn’t available or isn’t as strong as you’d like, try to negotiate with the employer. You may be able to secure an extra week of PTO or a 2% higher salary if a competing offer provides more robust benefits.

Remember, a job is more than the salary. The best employee perks can result in a much different compensation package when viewed as a whole with your pay.

The post 15 Best Employee Benefits to Look For When Job Hunting appeared first on DollarSprout.

When I first started writing my resume, I made some of these common resume mistakes. In particular, I didn’t do a good job of giving specific information about my job duties or customize my resume for each job posting I applied to. Had I corrected these errors, I may have ended up taking a much different career path.

When you’re competing for a job, you don’t want your resume to stand out for the wrong reasons. Here are some common resume mistakes to avoid.

1. Spelling and grammar mistakes.

Spelling and grammar mistakes are some of the harder errors to spot, but they’re important to catch before you turn in your resume.

“Many hiring managers, myself included, will throw out resumes with even a single spelling or grammatical mistake, especially if there are many job applicants,” said Becky Blake, a millennial money expert, career coach, and founder of TwentyFree.

Well-written resumes show you’re a strong communicator, but those with spelling or grammar errors warn employers you aren’t detail-oriented. And if the job is competitive, a manager may have no qualms about tossing a potential candidate because of a resume typo.

Typos on resumes make sense. When you’re staring at a document for hours, it’s easy to read what you meant to write rather than what’s on the page. Have friends or family proofread your resume because they’ll be more likely to catch typos.

If you don’t have anyone else to help, give yourself at least a 24-hour break before looking at your resume a final time. You should also read it aloud to see if it reads well and makes sense.

“Consider reading it from bottom to top to catch mistakes that you’d previously missed,” Blake said.

Related:  How to Make a Resume from Start to Finish

2. Including generic information.

Generic statements about your job experience don’t give hiring managers the full picture. Make your work history shine by including specifics.

Communicate the nature of the duties you oversaw. Rather than saying you managed several employees as a shift manager, include the number of people on your team, explain if you were responsible for hiring or firing decisions, and any other relevant details.

Give specific information about your accomplishments and use numbers whenever possible. Don’t just say you’re a President’s Award winner. Explain you earned the President’s Award because your $1,250,000 sales volume was among the top 5% of salespeople in your company.

The more quantifiable details you add that strengthen your case, the more you separate yourself from other resumes. Managers care about results, and numbers are the best way to communicate them.

3. Exaggerating your abilities or accomplishments.

Exaggerating may seem like a way to get noticed in a competitive job market. But there’s is a fine line between tweaking your resume to look good and deception.

This can have a disastrous effect if you do get hired. If you add skills you don’t actually have, such as saying you’re fluent in a computer language that you have only basic knowledge of, you’ll be in trouble when you receive the first assignment that requires you to use that language.

“You may find yourself in a position that you can’t handle because your employer thinks you’re more skilled than you are,” said Laura Gariepy, a human resources expert turned freelancing coach at Every Day by the Lake, LLC. “This can lead to high levels of stress and poor performance on the job, which could ultimately result in your getting fired.”

4. Leaving out extracurricular activities.

Early career job seekers don’t have a long employment history full of accomplishments to fill their resume. If that describes you, consider adding relevant extracurricular activities to make your resume stand out instead of leaving blank space.

These activities outside of work give hiring managers insight into your skills, hobbies, and interests. This doesn’t mean you should include everything you’ve ever done, like starting a monthly craft beer meet-up, but you should include activities that are pertinent to the job.

“Make sure that there’s a tie between the activity and the job you’re trying to get,” Gariepy said. “For example, if you’re applying for an entry-level sales job, you absolutely want to include the fundraising committee that you were on.”

You can drop these extracurricular activities from your resume once you have enough relevant job experience.

5. Making it too long or too short.

Balancing the length of your resume can be tough. Newer job seekers may feel they don’t have enough to fill up a page. Those with more experience may want to write a book detailing their accomplishments and responsibilities.

So how long should your resume be? One-page resumes are appropriate for jobs that aren’t high-paying or for people just entering the workforce, said Jennifer Grimson, a long-time resume advisor for executives and host of the Micro Empires podcast.

“If you are at an executive level or seeking six-figure income, you must have a two-page resume,” Grimson said. She advised against resumes longer than two pages. Adjust your resume length to your current career and the job you’re seeking.

Most people don’t read past the first third of the resume before deciding about the applicant. If your relevant experience isn’t from your most recent position, minimize the responsibilities listed so your most important jobs take up more visual space and are more easily identified.

6. Not tailoring it to the position.

Using the same resume for every position you apply for may save time, but it’s a recipe for disaster. Potential employers may notice if you didn’t put in the effort to your resume for the position.

“When you try to use something that speaks to everyone, you effectively speak to no one,” said Kamara Toffolo, a resume writer and job search strategist.

To avoid this, consider writing different resume templates for each type of job you plan to apply for.

Some companies use resume scanning software. This software may throw out your application if it doesn’t include certain words or phrases related to the position mentioned in the job listing.

Tailor the skills you highlight for each application by taking clues from the job posting and including them on your resume. If the job description requires knowledge of a specific CRM system and you’re a power user, list your experience in the appropriate part on your resume.

7. Trying to accomplish too much.

When you’re struggling to fit your experience on one or two pages, it can be tempting to fill up the entire page. But this can result in a resume that’s not very visually appealing.

“Recruiters and hiring managers look at your resume for less than 10 seconds,” Blake said. “Trying to squeeze as much information as possible onto an 8.5 x 11″ sheet of paper will only drown the important information in a sea of irrelevant text.”

You don’t need to include all of the responsibilities of every job you’ve held on your resume. Duties from an entry-level accounting position aren’t as important as your experience as an accounting manager when you’re applying for a CFO position.

Provide more details for the most relevant jobs you’ve held while minimizing details on less important positions. Focus on leaving white space so that your accomplishments can be found.

The best way to utilize the space is to break down your relevant points into bullets. Have each bullet start with a verb. Then, describe the specific outcomes you’ve accomplished, Blake said.

8. Not including a cover letter.

Even when a cover letter is optional, you should always try to include one. A cover letter gives the company more information about you and is one more way to stand out. Experts, including Toffolo, often recommend including one with all applications unless the job posting prohibits it.

“Cover letters tell parts of your story that your resume can’t or didn’t,” Toffolo said.

Use your cover letter to explain potential concerns an employer may have about your resume. Explain a skill or career gap or the unique abilities you offer. Tell the company why you want to work for them and why you’d be a good fit.

Related:  How to Write a Cover Letter

9. Not following the company’s instructions.

Always pay attention to the job posting’s instructions about how to apply. If you don’t follow the instructions, it shows a lack of attention to detail, Gariepy said.

Submit your resume and supporting documentation in the correct format. Address your application packet to the right person, include their correct title, and double-check their name spelling.

“You may otherwise be a perfect candidate for the position, but the hiring manager could drop you from consideration because they perceive you as careless or insubordinate,” Gariepy said. “Plus, if you send your resume to the wrong place or the wrong person, it may never get reviewed.”

10. Not addressing career gaps.

Work gaps are a part of life for many career-focused individuals. Whether you got laid off during the Great Recession or you took time off to raise your kids, gaps are obvious on resumes.

Some people prefer not to bring attention to resume gaps, thinking the manager won’t notice them. They may be embarrassed about them, especially if they reflect a long period of unemployment.

“It’s a mistake to leave career gaps unaddressed because you’re exposing yourself to interpretation and allowing the reader’s imagination to run wild,” Toffolo said.

Insert a single-line placeholder describing the reason for your career gap. According to Toffolo, hiring managers understand that gaps happen, but most want to know why they exist and if you did anything productive during that time.

Related:  Should You Get a Graduate Degree? Probably Not. Here’s Why

Your Resume Should Leave a Good First Impression

A successful resume leaves a good first impression. You may not get a second look or a call back for the job if you make one of these 10 resume mistakes to avoid. You want the person to remember your resume —  in a good way — so it doesn’t end up in the trash.

Hiring a resume professional is one way to help you polish your resume to the level hiring managers expect to see. If you prefer a different route, ask a friend to look for errors you may have overlooked. This gives you a final chance to avoid resume mistakes that result in an employer disregarding your application.

The post 10 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead) appeared first on DollarSprout.

I grew up going there once every few years and have continued visiting as an adult. Once my wife and I had our son, we knew we wanted him to experience it too.

Everyone knows going to Disney World can be expensive. As someone who’s visited many times, I’ve figured out where my family can save money and where it makes sense to spend more to get the most value out of our trip.

To make things easier financially, I used my travel hacking skills to save our family even more. With some diligent planning, we took our family to Disney World for four days for free.

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A Look at Where We Cut Costs, First

Here’s how we kept our costs down and the key to getting a cheap Disney World vacation. Use these tips and strategies to make the trip a reality for your family.

Travel

The cost to travel to Disney World can vary dramatically depending on where you live. Admittedly, my family only lives a six-hour drive away so we didn’t have to pay for airfare. If you do have to fly to Orlando, there are ways to substantially reduce the cost of your flight. 

According to travel site SkyScanner, the best month to fly into Orlando is January, when flights are about 11% cheaper._[1] September and February are also good options. Travelers should book their flights between three to six months in advance to snag the best deals.

Flights and tickets are almost always more expensive around holidays, both major ones like Christmas and New Year’s, but also minor ones like Martin Luther King Jr. Day. If you want to visit Disney World, pick a weekend that doesn’t coincide with a holiday. Yes, you may have to take more vacation days or have your child miss school, but the cost savings may be worth it.

Driving can be cheaper but takes up more time in most cases. Sometimes it’s worth paying more money to save time, especially when you have a limited number of vacation days at work.

Total travel cost: $98.77 — $10 in tolls and $88.77 in fuel for our car.

Accommodations

Accommodations are one of the most significant expenses of a Disney World vacation. You can splurge and spend hundreds of dollars per night to stay on the resort property.

Staying on the resort comes with a few perks such as free parking at the theme parks, although you do have to pay to park at the hotels. You can get convenient transportation to the parks if you don’t feel like driving.

To save money, we rented a two-bedroom hotel room off the Disney property. We split the cost of the hotel with my parents who came with us. This cut our total hotel bill, which was $855.02, in half to $427.51.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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You may want to consider booking a vacation rental through sites like Airbnb or VRBO. If you split these larger accommodations with a group, you can get affordable lodging. They may not provide free shuttles to the parks like many hotels do, but having more space and cheaper pricing can make it worth it.

Total accommodations cost: $427.51

Tickets and parking

Disney World tickets aren’t cheap, but there are ways to get lower-priced tickets. The first thing you should do is check all the organizations you’re a part of to see if they offer discounted tickets.

Since my dad was visiting the parks with us, he was able to secure discounted retired military ticket vouchers through his Navy base’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation department.

The catch was that he had to visit the parks with us to redeem the ticket vouchers for real tickets. We would’ve also qualified for discounted tickets as Florida residents, but the MWR department discount was better.

Disney charges different rates daily based on demand. Your ticket price will be lower and the parks will be less crowded if you plan to go during a lower demand time.

We opted to visit in February to take advantage of smaller crowds and avoid the Florida summer heat. This also happens to be a lower-priced time of year.

We saved even more money by taking our son before he turned 3 years old. Kids age 2 and under are free, while kids ages 3 to 11 only get a minor discount.

He won’t remember the trip whether he is 2 or 3 years old anyway. The trip was more for us and to see his reactions. Tickets for my wife and I ended up costing $473 for two 4-day park hopper passes.

If you do decide to drive and park at the theme parks, you’ll have to pay a daily parking fee. When we went, this was $25 per day. You can carpool with family to save money. We split the parking fees with my parents. In total, we paid $50 for half of the parking costs.

Total park visit cost: $523

Related: 11 Cheap Vacation Ideas for the Budget-Minded Adventurer 

Food

Food is an expense that can grow out of control at any theme park. We did a lot of planning to make sure this didn’t become a huge part of our travel budget.

First, we made sure to book a hotel that had free breakfast daily. This saved us $25 or more per day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Next, we decided to bring snacks into the park, which Disney allows. We used these to hold us over between meals. Our family did purchase lunch in the park, though. We preferred to eat at the quick-service restaurants, which had plenty of options at a semi-reasonable price.

Thanks to our 2-year-old’s need for a nap, we found ourselves leaving the park before dinner each day. This saved us a ton of money on our dinner bill. We’d usually order pizza, eat at the Wawa right next to our hotel, or eat the free dinners offered at Staybridge Suites on Monday through Wednesday nights.

Total food cost: $253.17 for a family of three for our 5-night, 6-day trip.

Souvenirs

Since we’ve been to Disney World several times, we usually skip out on the souvenirs. We knew this would be an issue with a 2-year-old, so we decided to pre-purchase a light stick from Amazon for $8.59 before we left. This kept him entertained.

We purchased a teacup for a gift for our pet sitter and an art print I wish I had bought years earlier on our prior visit. 

Total souvenir cost: $53.23

Where Travel Hacking Comes In

We spent a decent amount of money on this trip but managed to keep our costs low with some smart planning. But how does a $1,364.27 trip end up being free? The simple answer is credit card rewards.

We signed up for several credit cards — a process know as card churning — with bonuses that covered our trip. These bonuses made it possible to earn enough points quickly.

If we’d only used a 2% cash-back credit card, we would have had to spend $68,214 to earn enough cashback to cover our trip. But credit card sign-up bonuses made it a much faster process.

Credit card sign-up bonuses give you a large number of points, cashback, or airline miles for spending a set amount of money during the first three months of being a cardmember. For instance, one card may offer 50,000 bonus miles, worth $500 in free travel, for spending $3,000 within the first three months of opening your card. We only had to earn three of these bonuses to pay for our trip.

The key to earning sign-up bonuses responsibly is only putting charges on the card that you can pay off in full. My wife and I use a simple churning spreadsheet to track when payments are due so we never miss a payment. We’ve earned thousands of dollars of sign-up bonuses which have paid for several vacations. We never pay any interest, penalties, or late fees, either.

Coupling Cost-Savings and Rewards Points Together Was Key

We managed to take our family of three to Disney World for free because we kept our costs low and used credit card sign-up bonuses to pay for our trip. Once you come up with a budget for your trip, start planning how long it will take to earn the credit card rewards you need to cover your costs.

If you have to fly, consider using airline credit card sign-up bonuses to pay for your flights. If you want to stay off the resort property, hotel credit card sign-up bonuses could pay for the hotel room. Disney tickets and other theme park expenses may not count as travel, so it’s best to pay for those expenses with credit cards that offer sign-up bonuses with cashback.

Space out your applications so you can reach the credit card sign-up bonus spending requirements. This may result in earning sign-up bonuses for over a year to pay for your trip. All of the planning and effort is worth it when you get home from your vacation and don’t have a huge credit card bill.

Zero to Travel has a great beginner guide to travel hacking for anyone interested in getting started.

The post Travel Hacking Paid for Our Family Disney Vacation. Here’s How appeared first on DollarSprout.