A recent survey found a link between astrological signs and a person's job satisfaction, compensation, and even career choice.

The CareerBuilder.com survey of more than 8,000 workers found that people with the astrological signs Scorpio, Leo, Taurus, and Cancer were the most likely to earn $100,000 or more a year. Meanwhile, people with the astrological signs of Aquarius and Capricorn were among the most likely to earn $35,000 or less.

People with the astrological signs Pisces, Sagittarius, and Capricorn were reportedly the most satisfied with their current jobs, while Gemini and Cancer were the least satisfied.

The survey also identified the professions most commonly held by different astrological signs.

• Aquarius: sales, military, engineering, mechanic, food preparation, facilities management, and transportation
• Pisces: social work, personal care, IT, facilities management, and mechanic
• Aries: government, construction, hotel /recreation, IT, education, and transportation
• Taurus: nursing, engineering, attorney/judge, marketing/public relations, and higher education
• Gemini: art/design/architecture, nursing and personal care, sales, law enforcement, firefighter, and machine operation
• Cancer: government, legal services, advertising, higher education, machine operation, transportation, and military
• Leo: government, legal services, art/design/architecture, engineering, entertainment, real estate, and education
• Virgo: social work, sales, hotel/recreation, editing/writing, and food preparation
• Libra: social work, government, advertising, machine operation, law enforcement, firefighter, sales, and education
• Scorpio : legal services, engineering, science, education, construction, and skilled trades
• Sagittarius: editing/writing, marketing/public relations, entertainment, hotel/recreation, IT, and military
• Capricorn: art/design/architecture, nursing, science, IT, sales, farming, and food preparation

The survey also examined whether there was a link between birth order, compensation, and career choice.

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The survey found a higher percentage of first-born children earned $100,000 or more a year compared to their younger siblings, with the youngest being the least likely to earn six figures. Middle children were most likely to be in the $35,000 a year or less bracket.

The survey also identified which career paths first, last, and middle children are more apt to take:

• First Born: government, engineering, pharmacy and science
• Middle Child: nursing, law enforcement, fire fighting, and machine operation
• Last Born: art/design, sales, and information technology

The survey reports that first born children are more likely to hold vice president or senior management positions while middle children are more likely to hold professional or technical staff positions. Last born children were shown to identify more with administrative clerical positions.

Last born children reported being the least satisfied with their current job, while middle children were reported as being the most satisfied.

Source: CareerBuilder.com

While it used to connote "power," the dark business suit may now be going the way of the tie in becoming a dinosaur from another millennium. Now "CEO casual" is the way for execs to show command, according to a recent article.

After the Wall Street Journal told us that ties were passé (see SBT-Casual Dress Codes Claim Another Victim http://hr.blr.com/hrstrangebuttrue.aspx?id=78503 ), WSJ writer Cristina Binkley is telling us that suits may be out as well, and there may be psychological reasons at play.

For the last 200 years, suits have been a sign of authority, says Binkley, and in the 21st Century, they can "provide psychic distance" that executives can use to their advantage. However, in the new era, suits can also "signal old-fashioned inflexibility," especially in high-tech and creative fields, where suit-wearers are considered "out of sync."

In fact, according to Trevor Kaufman, a branding expert quoted in the article, wearing a suit to work now can mean either the employee has something to be nervous about or is going to ask for more money.

Poster boy for CEO Casual is Steve Jobs, whose trademark dark turtleneck and cords command authority as well as any Brooks Brothers three-piece pinstripe. Alternative-style execs can still shop at Brooks Brothers, which came out with a special shirt for going tieless with rearranged buttons (flashing chest hair ruins the look).

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Kaufman describes a classic CEO casual outfit as blue jeans, a white made-to-measure shirt over a designer undershirt, and polished loafers with no socks. (Didn't they use to call this look "dirt Preppy"?) Women can attain the same look by wearing designer jeans and trendy jackets.

The article says the new way to show your "insider status" and power is through your accessories. Men should have those custom shirts made with a widened left cuff to accommodate an "important" (read thick, gold) watch such as a Piquet. Women signal their executive stature by toting a handbag costing at least four figures. And, says the article, both genders should be aware that the Devil's in the details (as well as Prada). For example, looking wrinkled and sloppy is still--and will always be--out.

The article warns that dressed-down executives who adopt the casual CEO style may have a little trouble enforcing antiquated dress codes on subordinates. You know HR staffers will end up solving this problem, whatever they are wearing.

Source: Wall Street Journal

If you want your cosmetologists to receive more training than your police officers, you should think about moving to South Carolina. The state requires nearly four times as many hours of training for cosmetologists as it does for police officers.

In the state, cosmetologists must complete 1,500 hours of training. By contrast, police officers must complete 396 hours of training.

Governor Mark Sanford highlighted the difference when he signed legislation that removed a requirement for shampooers to receive the same state-mandated 1,500 hours of training that cosmetologists receive.

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"While we're having some fun with this bill today, it does raise a serious issue about overregulation in South Carolina , which in a lot of cases is more about protecting the profits of people in a particular industry rather than protecting the consumer," Sanford said. "Other times, laws are outdated or just plain silly. But the bottom line is that we need to take a serious look at places where we can peel back unnecessary government interference, and we need to do it in a way that takes as little time away from more pressing issues as possible."

The training requirement for cosmetologists was among the top 10 "silly" laws and regulations that Sanford identified in the state. Others included:

• Fortune Tellers are required to obtain a special permit in order to operate in South Carolina .
• Barbering schools are required by law to have at least ten instructional chairs -and those chairs are required by law to be upholstered and finished exactly the same way.
• The fourth Friday in October in each year is designated by law in public schools as Frances Willard Day, and each public school is required "to prepare and render a suitable program on the day to the end that the children of the state may be taught the evils of intemperance."
• Circuses cannot exceed 48 hours at one place in any one year.
• If a menu or advertisement states "frozen dessert," it must correctly state the specific frozen dessert that is offered for sale so as not to mislead the consumer.
• Musical instruments are not allowed to be sold on Sunday.

Source: Press Release from Office of the Governor