Employment Digest

Keep up to date on articles and news and subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Matched talents can make job sharing work

Martha Mensch works three days a week as the director of strategic development in the finance department at Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in Washington.

And so does Andrea Pesta.

After years of struggling with trying to be mother and executive, hoping to hang on to a career in finance while also trying to hang on to sanity, Mensch and Pesta heard a suggestion from their boss that it was time for them to put their heads and lives together and share one job at the firm. At that time, it was an idea that had never been tried before at Booz, particularly at such a high level of the company.
Read the rest of this entry »

Be careful searching for new jobs while you’re on the job

One of the big don’ts in searching for a new job is insulting your most recent employer.

That holds true when in interviews with a potential new employer and when conducting your job search.

It’s in poor taste to openly search for a new job while at work, which can lead to other repercussions if your employer wasn’t aware you are looking to leave.

Here are some tips on how to conduct yourself when in the hunt for a new position:
Read the rest of this entry »

Job Web sites just part of a smart search plan

Whenever I’m asked for my advice on the best Web site for finding a job (which is about five times a week), I feel my blood pressure rise. It’s understandable that you’d want to know. It’s just that no one ever likes my answer, which is - there isn’t one.

“But can’t you just name one site that I should use?” they always press.

No, and here’s why.

There are more than 40,000 sites operated by commercial firms, newspapers, radio and television stations, trade publications, professional associations, universities, alumni groups and others. New ones pop up every day. They do everything from providing listings of employers’ job in your hometown to around the world, says the International Association of Employment Web Sites, the trade association for the global online employment industry.
Read the rest of this entry »

Online profile has limited uses

I read a pitch saying that “every professional needs an online universal profile by 2006.” I attach the pitch for your comments. Is the claim true? Does every professional need an online presence “to help employers identify the professional as a great candidate for a new role”?

At first glance, it seems logical for a professional to attempt breaking through the static of our 500-channel universe to stand out from the crowd. But after taking a closer look, I found it isn’t always such a hot – or safe – idea.

The basic premise of the pitch by a commercial online service is that a “universal profile” for your professional self gives recruiters, employers and business associates a snapshot of your work experience and background. Further, “it gives business colleagues the chance to get to know you and build trust in you more quickly.”

The service describes itself as a people search engine that “presents an online searchable index of millions of professionals’ profiles from around the world.”

Professionals can list themselves for free – name, title and company. A more complete listing is also free: background information, work experience, résumé and photo.

For a fee of $4.95 month (cancel anytime), you can “give your profile a top-listing position in every major search engine, including Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL.” The first month is free.

You also will receive an e-mail alert every time a visitor finds and reviews your universal profile via any search engine.

The offer sounds enticing, the operators seem bright and honest, and the price is fair. But does it work?

For individuals selling services at the retail level – time management, home cleanup and organization, guitar lessons – universal profiles at $5 a month may be cost-effective advertising, cheaper than postage-stamp ads in the backs of magazines. Speakers looking for gigs can use universal profiles as well.

And for employees of consulting firms dependent upon a steady stream of customers, the return on investment may be rewarding; for example, posting the photo of an attractive young woman who could be a cover girl makes a good ad for a firm that offers media training and message testing.

For others who seek regular employment, I can’t recommend universal profiles for these reasons:

• Recruiters and employers want to hire people whose qualifications are a good fit for the job’s requirements. If they decide to make the effort to check out a universal profile, they’re already very interested because of a referral, a successful interview or a well-done résumé. An inappropriate fact on a canned profile could cause reconsideration of your value.

• Other than for models and actors, photos are risky because a potential employer may decide you remind her of a much-unloved relative, and you’re toast.

• A major problem with the universal profiles I reviewed is the insider stuff, such as a candidate (who is not trying for a job marketing Hogs) who says she rides a motorcycle with her husband, or a candidate who says his wife’s name is Robin and that he has a dog named Camden Yards, or a candidate who leads his profile with the news that he is a cancer survivor. And in this youth culture, another candidate volunteers that she is “middle-aged.”

The litmus test for revealing personal data in a résumé is: “Does including this information enhance my perceived qualifications for the type of job I seek?” If not, send it to the cutting-room floor.

Earlier I mentioned that universal profiles may not be safe. In an analysis, Fran Quittel, a leading online recruiter and author of Job Search Smarts (your career.com), says:

“Identity thieves deliberately prowl cyberspace looking for your personal data. Wise job seekers never include their Social Security, driver’s or professional license numbers, home addresses or family information online. It is simply too dangerous.”

If you’re not clear on the dangers the author speaks about, go to worldprivacy forum.org; scroll down the home page for two reports: “Updated Résumé Posting Tips for Jobseekers” and “Consumer’s Privacy Guide to Job Searching Online.”

Are universal profiles useful for advertising? Yes or maybe.

Are universal profiles useful for job searches? No or rarely.

Many boomer retirees get restless, seek other jobs

Vonnie Kennealy could spend every morning sleeping in or hitting golf balls. Instead, she battles traffic several times a month from her home in Sun Lakes to reach a part-time job in Tempe by 7:30 a.m. It’s not exactly the easiest way to spend retirement, but she welcomes the opportunity.

“I did the golf thing and the shopping thing and got totally bored with it,” said Kennealy, who spent eight years fully retired before returning to work.

“All of a sudden, you have all this free time in retirement and find you need something to do for satisfaction.”
advertisement
Read the rest of this entry »

One Web site doesn’t fit all job seekers:

Whenever I’m asked for my advice on the best job site for finding a job (which is about five times a week), I feel my blood pressure rise. It’s understandable that you’d want to know. It’s just that no one ever likes my answer, which is — there isn’t one.

“But can’t you just name one site that I should use?” they always press.

No, and here’s why.

There are more than 40,000 sites operated by commercial firms, newspapers, radio and television stations, trade publications, professional associations, universities, alumni groups and others. New ones pop up every day. They do everything from providing listings of employers’ job in your hometown to around the world, says the International Association of Employment Web Sites, the trade association for the global online employment industry.
Read the rest of this entry »

Job Applicants Intelligent Questions:

Can job applicants answer questions intelligently and will they ask the right questions to spark the interest of the interviewers?

One of the worst mistakes currently being made by job applicants is not being prepared for an interview. It goes without saying that you will wear the appropriate clothes, try to get plenty of sleep the night before, show up on time and pay attention during your interview. However, will you answer the interviewer’s questions intelligently and will you ask the right questions to spark the interest of the interviewers?
Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Time to Start Networking:

First let me start off with the obvious, considering my target audience. The networking I’m going to write about has nothing to do with Ethernet or 802.11 Wi-Fi standards. The topic of this article is about the type of networking IT professionals fear the most — person-to-person networking.

Most of us have a hard enough time saying ‘Hello’ to the person coming down the hallway during a trip to the vending machine. The thought of actively pursing communication with other warm blooded mammals, besides our pets and family, is downright intimidating. (Pets are, typically, one-way interactions and family communication also has issues, but let’s save that analysis for another publication.)

So why willingly put yourself through this torture?
Read the rest of this entry »

Hot Jobs and Where to Find Them:

The job market is picking up and there are jobs that are hot and employers in a variety of sectors that are hiring. Between now and 2014, total employment is projected to increase by 18.9 million jobs, or 13 percent. If you have the right education or training you may be well positioned for success in this growing job market. If you’re not quite there yet, take a look at these fast growing occupations and see if you can get on a fast track to a new job or career.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment by occupation classification as well as by the largest and fastest growing occupations. Here’s an overview of the jobs estimated to have the most growth between now and 2014.
Read the rest of this entry »

Jobseekers face rude reality :

In their never-ending quest to hire the best and screen out the rest, it is no secret that far too many employers are often less than considerate to the runners-up.

Of course, as CJJ recently reported, employers do not have a monopoly on rudeness. A growing number of inconsiderate jobseekers are ditching job interview appointments without even a repentant phone call. 

To one CJJ reader, such conduct was merely payback for all the indignities he has suffered:
Read the rest of this entry »