TehSkiff

Int-ARR-resting.

Honestly buy yourself a plane.

Just buy a plane? And how does one afford that if they're not, pardon the expression, a drug runner?

What do you think are the most valuable basic skills needed as a world traveler?

A fixer.

I love No Reservations, and I think Bourdain is great, but I think you're fooling yourself if you think he's just throwing himself into a city/country and figuring things out. Lots of things are pre-arranged for him when he gets there. That's one thing that really bugs me about the show: for all his talk about being a traveler and not a tourist, I have yet to see him really take the leap on his own.

I would say a base level of salary negotiation (doesn't have to be completely set in stone) should come no later than after a 30 minute phone screen; preferably earlier. Lets get at least a range out of the way before a lot of time is spent. My time is valuable and I don't want to waste it on a potential job that wont remotely meet market rate. It's also possible they're looking for someone with less experience and somehow my resumé was put in the pile.

Absolutely. In sales, I was always taught that if you're going to lose on price, lose the deal at the beginning of the process, not at the end.

Salary negotiations are similar. We can get to a final number at the end of the process, but we should be talking right up front about whether we're in the same ballpark. Let's not waste either of our time if we're 10s of thousands of dollars apart.

Best $100 I've spent twice, actually. My first one got dropped into the sink and gave up the ghost. It says something about how good it is that I immediately ordered a replacement.