Employment Digest

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Higher Starting Salaries, Better Compensation Packages and More Flex Time in 2006

Planning to add a new job or better paycheck to your list of New Year’s resolutions? This may be the year to cash in on a bigger, better deal, according to a study of more than 1,300 hiring managers nationwide by CareerBuilder.com and America Online. The survey, titled “Key Hiring Trends to Watch in 2006,” reveals that companies plan to offer higher starting salaries for new employees, raise compensation levels for existing employees and provide more flexible work arrangements. The survey also provides insights on the skills companies say will be most critical to their businesses in the coming year and their plans to shorten hiring cycles, diversify their staffs and rehire retirees.

“With the economy and job market expanding at a healthy pace and the labor force tightening, the competition for skilled employees is intensifying,” said Richard Castellini, Senior Career Advisor at CareerBuilder.com. “Half of hiring managers expect to offer more generous compensation packages for new employees and three-fourths expect to increase pay for their current staffs in 2006.”
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Networking shouldn’t ever take a holiday:

Yes, much of the business world appears to have shut down for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you should. The holidays are a prime time to network and build relationships that will pay off in 2006.

College seniors and graduate students who are positioning themselves to enter the workforce should capitalize on time spent with friends and families, says Nancy Keene, a director in the Dallas office of Stanton Chase International, an executive search firm.

“It’s all to help support them in their current job or job search,” Ms. Keene says.

“The womb-to-tomb employment that companies used to offer doesn’t exist anymore. You have to take care of yourself.”
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Five keys to finding a new career:

Have you been feeling like it’s time for a big change lately?

Do you get the sense that your career is not the right fit for you?

If you’re feeling frustrated, unchallenged and unfulfilled in your work, the time might be right for you to make a major change. Changing professions, however, is not something to do without some serious thought and consideration, says Robin Ryan, Seattle-based career counselor and author of “What to Do with the Rest of Your Life” (Fireside, 2002).

Ryan offered these five keys to help you weigh your career options and make a decision:
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Seven New Rules for Savvy Online Job Searching in 2006:

“We’ve used the Internet to find jobs since 1994, but the rules for conducting a safe and successful job search have changed,” said Susan Joyce, Webmaster of Job-Hunt.org. “Now, identity theft over the Internet is a significant problem, and there is tough competition for every job posted. So savvy use of the Internet is a survival requirement as well as a job search advantage.” Here are Job-Hunt.org’s seven rules:

1. Protect your privacy.
For your job search, use an anonymous e-mail address (HotMail, Yahoo,
etc.), and limit the contact information in your resume to your e-mail
address and cell phone or other unlisted phone number.
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Job Etiquette Is Key; You Can Shake On It:

That name tag? It goes on the right so that when people shake hands (firmly, but not as if it’s a contest), they can read one another’s names more easily.

The handshake? Crucial. Grasp the hand firmly, hand turned on its side, thumb up.

And maintain eye contact. Don’t look at the nose, the bust or the shoes. Imagine a triangle drawn from the forehead to include the eyes and stay focused there.

This is your first impression, class, and it is within these few moments that a job can be won or lost.

Who knew saying hello to a stranger could be so complicated?
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New Year, new job:

People whose New Year’s resolution is to find a new job should start putting together a game plan now. You’re miserable at work and you’ve had it. Or maybe you’re just starting out and haven’t quite gotten around to finding meaningful employment. You’ve vowed that 2006 will be your year — the year you find your dream job.

A lofty resolution, indeed.

“It’s not easy,” said Vanessa Grigoli, 24, of Middletown, who graduated with a master’s degree in business administration from Monmouth University last January and didn’t find a job until recently. “My biggest problem was I didn’t have any experience.”

Finding a new job — like fulfilling other resolutions such as losing weight or stopping smoking — takes sacrifice, discipline and a game plan, employment experts say.
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Many job seekers trip over own tongues:

About one-third of executives said job candidates make the most mistakes during the job interview, according to a survey of 1,400 chief financial officers.

Job seekers who agonize over their résumés and cover letters might consider working on their interview skills instead.

About one-third of executives said job candidates make the most mistakes during the job interview, according to a survey of 1,400 chief financial officers by Robert Half International, a staffing and consulting firm in Menlo Park, Calif.

Interview blunders range from the obvious faux pas — arriving late — to not knowing enough about the company and position to which you’re applying, said Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources, a division of Robert Half International.
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Make the case to telecommute

I obtained permission to work at home 50 percent of the week. I am much more productive without the office distractions. But after three weeks, my boss called me in and said I had to come back to the office and work regular hours because the other employees see me as having special privileges and want to work at home, too. I don’t want to go back to the long, stressful commute every day. How can I argue and win against the one-size-fits-all mentality?

F.M.

Argue company profit over personal privilege. If you can make a convincing case on why working at home benefits the bottom line, you may have a chance. Research telecommuting to line up ammo. But the odds are against you, so also research jobs closer to home or jobs that offer options to telecommute.
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On the job hunt, preparation is the key
On the job hunt, preparation is the key

Could it be that Christmas is a good time to search for a job?

That’s what a representative of Lee Hecht Harrison, an outplacement and career services firm, says. “During the holidays, competition is reduced and most organizations have developed their budgets for the coming year and can predict their hiring needs and goals,” says Leonard Posey, a senior vice president.

If you do get an interview, are you prepared? Doug Hardy and Jeff Taylor, authors of “Monster Careers: Interviewing,” have some answers:
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Are you ready for a job interview?

According to some experts the holiday season is a great time to look for a job. The question is: Are you ready for the job interview? If not, my column today might help you.

Jeff Taylor and Doug Hardy, authors of the Color of Money Book Club selction for this month, “Monster Careers: Interviewing,” offered some tips to readers whose questions weren’t answered during the online chat we had last week.

For example, one reader asked: “What’s the best way to find out the salary of the position being offered?”
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