July 14, 2009
interview
The Chicago Tribune is having a virtual career event, that will allow you to chat live with employers! And apply for top position, the event is from July 20 to August 3, 2009. Click the link below to register!
http://www.virtualcareerevent.com/vcf_city.asp?id=58
July 2, 2009
The Labor Department report, released Thursday, showed that even as the recession flashes signs of easing, companies likely will want to keep a lid on costs and be wary of hiring until they feel certain the economy is on a solid ground.
June’s payroll reductions were deeper than the 363,000 that economists expected.
However, the rise in the unemployment rate from 9.4 percent in May wasn’t as sharp as the expected 9.6 percent. Still, many economists predict the jobless rate will hit 10 percent this year, and keep rising into next year, before falling back.
All told, 14.7 million people were unemployed in June.
If laid-off workers who have given up looking for new jobs or have settled for part-time work are included, the unemployment rate would have been 16.5 percent in June, the highest on records dating to 1994.
Since the recession began in December 2007, the economy has lost a net total of 6.5 million jobs.
As the downturn bites into sales and profits, companies have turned to layoffs and other cost-cutting measures to survive. Those include holding down workers’ hours and freezing or cutting pay.
The average work week in June fell to 33 hours, the lowest on records dating to 1964.
Layoffs in May turned out to smaller, 322,000, versus the 345,000 first reported. But job cuts in April were a big deeper — 519,000 versus 504,000, according to government data.
Even with higher pace of job cuts in June, the report indicates that the worst of the layoffs have passed. The deepest job cuts of the recession came in January, when 741,000 jobs vanished, the most in any month since 1949.
Still, job losses last month were widespread.
Professional and business services slashed 118,000 jobs, more than double the 48,000 cut in May. Manufacturers cut 136,000, down from 156,000. Construction companies got rid of 79,000 jobs, up from 48,000 the previous month. Retailers eliminated 21,000, up from 17,600. Financial activities cut 27,000, following 30,000 in May. The government cut 52,000 jobs, up from 10,000 the previous month. Leisure and hospitality cut 18,000 jobs, erasing a gain of the same size in May.
One of the few industries adding jobs: education and health services.
May 19, 2009
Let’s say you’ve been job hunting for months now, and applied to so many employers you’re starting to lose track of them all. One day you get a call from someone in HR at a well-known company. He found your resume on an online job board, thinks it’s very impressive, and is looking forward to meeting you, he says. To set up the interview, he asks for your home address, date of birth and Social Security number.
Odds are, you give him the information, even if it seems a bit strange. After all, this person could end up offering you a job, and you don’t want to seem difficult to work with. And odds are, you’ll never hear from him again, or the company he claimed to represent — but, within a day or two, he’ll have opened half a dozen credit cards in your name, maxed them out, and created an enormous mess it could take you years to straighten out.
Identity-theft experts say this exact scenario is playing out more and more often these days. “Fraudsters getting more sophisticated, and they’re taking advantage of a bad situation,” observes Jeremy Miller, director of operations at New York City security firm Kroll Fraud Solutions. “They know many job seekers are desperate, and they prey on that.”
Nice, huh? As if looking for work weren’t tough enough in this economy, here’s one more thing to keep in mind: Every three seconds, someone’s identity is stolen. Nearly 10 million people in the U.S. had their identities ripped off in 2008, a 47% jump from 2007, making identity theft the fastest-growing crime in America.
“Victims spend an average of 200 hours recovering their identity,” says Dianne Cutter, CEO of Asurency, an ID-theft prevention company. That’s time taken away from your job hunt and your family, not to mention a huge extra source of stress and anxiety you really do not need right now (or ever).
The good news is, you can take steps to protect yourself from these miscreants. Here are six ways to keep your identity safe while you job hunt:
1. Don’t put personal data on your resume. “Some information should never be disclosed on a resume, particularly if you intend to post it online,” says Miller. Do not list your date of birth, Social Security number, or home address. Likewise, if any of these, or a driver’s license number, is requested on a job application, says Miller: “You might consider writing ‘prefer to provide this during the interview.’ ” Employers don’t need to know this information until they’re ready to hire you, he notes — and in fact, asking your age is not legal anyway – and you should be suspicious of anyone who insists you disclose it before then.
2. Proceed cautiously with online job boards. “Not all job-posting sites are created equal,” says Miller. “Make sure you review the privacy policy and user terms and agreements before you post your resume.” When in doubt about a job site, Miller recommends checking it out with online resources such as the World Privacy Forum’s Consumer’s Guide to Online Job Sites.
Look for sites whose privacy policies, which are legally binding documents, state that the site won’t give or sell your resume or other information about you to third parties. The WPF also recommends checking to see if the site will let you “opt out” of tracking cookies (sometimes called profiling cookies or persistent cookies), which are tiny files some job sites allow advertisers to put on your computer so they can follow you everywhere you go on the Internet. Over time, this allows them to accumulate lots of information about you that you may prefer they didn’t have.
3. Know how to spot bogus job ads. “Despite the best screening efforts on the part of job sites, scammers always find a way in,” says Miller. You are probably looking at a fake job ad if it offers considerable pay with few or no duties; promises payment of wages in cash; includes no physical address or contact person; and/or requires you to open a new bank account or accept company checks to “test” a wire transfer service.
4. Keep a detailed record of your job search activity. Maintaining good records will not only help you track the progress of your search, it will also provide a paper trail if someone steals your identity. “Record where and when you distribute your resume, maintain lists of contact information for businesses and recruiters or hiring managers you come in contact with, and keep a record of any additional information such as job applications that you’ve provided to employers,” Miller says.
5. Limit the amount of information you post on social networking sites. A recent poll of Facebook users, by consumer research firm NextAdvisor.com, found that 27% listed their full name, date of birth, phone number, and e-mail address on their Facebook profile. An additional 8% revealed all that plus their physical address.
“This type of information is extremely dangerous as it can be used to perpetrate various forms of identity theft,” notes the NextAdvisor report. A separate NextAdvisor survey showed that 49% of Facebook users accept some or all friend requests from people they don’t know. “As a general rule, we suggest that Facebook users only accept friend requests from people they know or whose identity they can verify by some other means,” advises NextAdvisor. Also, adjust your privacy settings so only your friends can see your profile.
LinkedIn, which many job seekers rely on for job leads and recommendations, has posted an official policy on the site that advises users to keep personal data to a minimum and accept invitations “only from people you know and trust well enough to recommend them to others.” You can also go to Accounts & Settings on the LinkedIn home page and review your privacy settings. Rather than choosing that your profile be available for viewing by “everyone,” Miller suggests allowing only your connections to see it. “Always think before you post,” he says. “What many people do not realize is that the more information you reveal online, the greater your chances of having that information fall into the wrong hands.” A good rule of thumb, he adds: “If you wouldn’t hand it to a stranger on the street, don’t post it online.”
6. Be proactive. Let’s return to the hypothetical phone call above. What should you do if someone contacts you claiming to represent an employer, and asks for detailed personal information? Instead of blurting out the data, politely ask for the person’s phone number or e-mail address and say you’ll get back to him or her shortly. Then call the company’s HR department, ask whether the person works there, and inquire if they customarily request these vital stats when scheduling an interview. Most likely, the answers to both questions will be “no.”
Readers, what do you say? Have you ever applied for a job that turned out to be a scam? Has anyone ever attempted to use information you revealed in a job search to steal your identity?
May 15, 2009
The automobile industry has been rocked by layoffs, but Margaret McManus still managed to snag a job.For the average American auto worker, these are desperate times. During the first four months of the year there were over 101,000 job cuts announced in the auto industry, according to the latest data available from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
The sector took another major blow when General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) announced plans to cut 23,000 jobs by 2011 and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy last week.
But McManus, 52, is just one of the people being put to work in West Point, Ga., home to Daehan Solutions Georgia, a new parts supplier for Kia Motor’s first North American automobile assembly plant.
Like McManus, most of the people hired by Kia and its suppliers do not have automotive experience, but were unemployed workers in the textile industry, which has been particularly hard hit in Georgia.
McManus was laid off in February of last year when the textile manufacturer she was working for closed down. With so many residents out of work and the local industry declining, new jobs were hard to come by.
While collecting unemployment benefits, McManus decided to go back to school at Southern Union State Community College in Valley, Ala., to study information technology in hopes of finding administrative work.
Then, in April, she attended a job fair and interviewed with Daehan Solutions. The company sent her to a training session at Georgia Tech and she was offered a position as a trainer for the other workers making the noise, vibration and harshness (or NVH) system for Kia. She started the next day.
Although working at in the automotive industry is unlike anything McManus has done before, “I think I’m going to like it,” she said. Ultimately, she is happy to be employed again.
“Until you go through something like that you don’t realize what kind of struggle it’s going to be,” McManus said of her year and a half out of work. Her husband of 33 years was laid off from the same textile manufacturer and is currently working full time at Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500). “Things are looking up now.”
John Weiss, owner of Atlanta Resume Service in Atlanta, Ga., believes other job seekers can also find opportunities around West Point. “That’s going to be a very good area to be looking for a job,” he said.
And, like McManus, they don’t have to have previous experience in the automotive industry to find success. “They have to train people for the right jobs as well as find people with experience.”
“Job fairs are a great place to start,” he said. But it is extremely important to make the appropriate impression, he cautioned, and that means wearing professional attire and having a polished resume.
“If there is a job fair, then people are hiring,” he said.
West Point’s Mayor, Drew Ferguson, estimates that the opportunities at the assembly plant, auto suppliers and in the surrounding city can bring about 20,000 jobs to the area.
Between retail positions, restaurant workers and other opportunities, Ferguson believes that the impact could be great. “We do have this opportunity which is right in front of us, people are becoming employed,” he said.
May 15, 2009
Forget the classifieds, these days unemployed workers are finding more job opportunities through social networking sites.Not even. In the worst job market in 25 years, building an online presence is crucial to getting a job. Who you connect to, “follow” and “friend” can be just as important as conventional tools like résumés.
“Not only are employers looking for better candidates, but ones that are well versed in social media and seeking out opportunities,” said social media expert and president of Affect Strategies Sandra Fathi. “These mediums are here to stay and also a great way to differentiate yourself.”
Not only are valuable connections forged with potential employers and colleagues on sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and LinkedIn, but openings are also posted there, sometimes in lieu of job boards.
LinkedIn, which has over 40 million users, is geared specifically toward professional networking. Expansive networks are built by posting a profile which acts as an online résumé, making connections and getting references from your connections that potential employers can view.
For Barbara Maldonado, LinkedIn was the gateway to a great opportunity. Maldonado, 32, participated in a professional group on the site for “Innovative Marketing, PR, Sales, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators.” Another member of the group posted a question and liked Maldonado’s response. From then on they kept in contact.
“When I updated my status that I had been laid off, he referred me for a position that was open at his company, which is where I work now,” she said of her current marketing position at the firm in a suburb of Chicago. “Without actively participating in that discussion, I would not have made the contact for the job.”
Other sites like Twitter and Facebook, while popular among teens and young adults, have also been embraced by professional communities. Friends on Facebook typically share status updates, pictures and video. Twitter limits exchanges between people, also known as followers, to messages of only 140 characters.
If it weren’t for Jen Harris’ followers on Twitter, she would not have been notified of another job opportunity, only moments after getting laid off from Idaho-based MPC computers in October.
As Harris packed up her desk she sent out a tweet that read: “just been laid off from MPC.”
“By the time I left the parking lot, I had a job offer from a friend that had a Web development company in town,” she said.
But job seekers don’t have to rely solely on others for information about possible job openings. There are a variety of services associated with social networking sites to help too, like TweetMyJobs, which sends out automatic updates of new openings in a specific field and region sent to your cell phone or by Twitter.
If you fan a company on Facebook or follow internal hiring managers on Twitter, you might be the first to find out about job openings at the employer of your choice.
When the Minneapolis office of Weber Shandwick was looking to hire a junior Web developer, the digital strategy manager, Greg Swan, sent a 136-character tweet to over 2,000 followers which read: “Weber Shandwick Minneapolis looking for mid-level html developer and PSD slicer. Plus you get to work with me. DM or @ me for more info.”
Doug Hamlin, 23, landed the job after responding with his résumé and information.
Job seekers can also seek out and follow professional recruiters, like Shane Bernstein, to get first dibs on job opportunities.
Bernstein runs an IT talent agency based in Los Angeles and says he uses social networking exclusively to find candidates for technical jobs.
“Social network is going to take over job boards,” he said. The greatest advantage to Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and LinkedIn is that job candidates and employers can meet through people. Those connections make it easier to break the ice, he said.
But for job seekers, there can also be a downside to that type of access. “It does open up a more 360 degree view,” Fathi cautioned.
A prospective employer may see your friends, your pictures and your personal information, “so you can’t have drunken pictures of yourself in Cancun,” she said.
For starters, Fathi recommends cleaning up your online image. Job seekers should do a Google search on their own name to get a sense of what information is out there.
Because of their popularity, social networking sites will generally pop up first. But make sure the privacy settings are activated so that a potential employer can only access the content that is appropriate.
If a Google search returns no results at all, that means that you don’t have an online presence, which is also a bad thing.
Fathi recommends that job seekers immediately create a LinkedIn profile, a Facebook page, join Twitter and any relevant professional networks or communities in your field.
“Even adding your name to a directory or commenting on a high profile blog can create new content for a prospect employer to find when searching for information on you,” she said.
May 15, 2009
General Motors notified 1,100 of its 6,000 dealerships today that the automaker is terminating their contracts, the first step in an even deeper 40 percent cut in its retail network. A GM spokeswoman said the dealers are being told their contracts will not be renewed in October 2010, CNNMoney reports. Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/15/news/companies/gm_dealers/index.htm?postversion=2009051509
See which dealership got the pink slip
May 14, 2009
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Chrysler LLC will close down 789 dealerships, or roughly 25% of the current number, according to a plan filed in bankruptcy court Thursday.
Chrysler had a total of 3,181 authorized dealers in operation at the time of its April 30 bankruptcy court filing, according to court filings. Just over half of that number accounted for more than 90% of Chrysler sales, according to the filing.
Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Chrysler does not believe closing these dealerships will adversely affect sales.
“After a period of time, and substantially improved marketing and investments, overall sales in the reduced network are anticipated to grow beyond current sales levels within the existing network,” the carmaker said in its filing.
Chrysler’s plans to close the dealerships must still be approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Arthur Gonzalez, who is overseeing the government-led restructuring of the company.
The Obama administration, which has pumped more than $7.2 billion into the tottering automaker, has said it hopes the move Chrysler through bankruptcy quickly by creating a shell company that will be owned by a combination of the government, the United Auto Workers union and Italian carmaker Fiat.
In assessing Chrysler’s viability, the Treasury Department found the automaker could not survive as a stand-alone company. Chrysler had already been in discussions with Fiat about a partnership. The current plan calls for Fiat to assist Chrysler by providing engineering for small and midsized cars.
General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) has said it wants to cut 42% of its dealership base to 3,600 by next year. Fritz Henderson, the GM chief executive, said on Monday that it would soon start notifying dealers as soon as this week.
For the automakers, closing dealerships is a tricky business. For one, Chrysler and GM won’t save substantial amounts of money by closing dealerships, which are independently owned businesses.
At the same time, both GM and Chrysler have no choice but to greatly reduce their dealerships ranks, which have grown far larger than sales demand requires. The goal is a leaner, more profitable, network of sellers.
In ordinary circumstances, automakers’ efforts to close dealerships have been stymied by state laws that protect franchisees. Bankruptcy court judges, however, can override such laws. 
April 29, 2009
Do…
* Respond to the question positively without stating specific amounts. (Examples: “I’m earning in the low 30s.” “As a student, my jobs to this point have been geared toward gaining experience and making money to cover my educational costs.”)
* Mention your desired salary, either saying that salary is negotiable depending upon the position or giving a $3-5,000 range (if you know the market value for the position and for someone with your skills and background). You may also use terms like “competitive” or “open” if you are responding to this question on an application form.
* Know your salary requirements as well as what you hope to make. You shouldn’t mention these in your response to the salary history question, but you need to give this some thought for when you get to the negotiating stage.
* Be prepared to respond to a request for previous salaries in an interview. It can be handled by responding without stating specific amounts. Avoid specific amounts if at all possible.
* Prepare a list of your positions (in reverse chronological order) for your own reference and just in case an employer in which you are very interested is absolutely adamant. (This will not happen often!) The list should include name of each company or organization, your position title, your compensation, and a brief synopsis of your position.
* Research Salaries in Your Field: Look at recent salary surveys, talk to others working in your field, and contact your trade or professional association to find out what other people are paid for doing the same work.
* Be Flexible: When going through a salary negotiation you aren’t likely to get the exact amount of money you want. You will probably have to compromise. The trick is to figure out how much you are willing to compromise and what you will do if your boss doesn’t offer you a salary you find acceptable.
Don’t…
* Include your salary history on your resume. What you did in a job is much more important than what you were paid.
* Look at How Much Money Your Friends in Other Fields Are Making: You may be envious of your friends who are earning more money than you are. If they aren’t working in the same field you shouldn’t make those comparisons.
* Talk About How Much Money You Need: When you are going through salary negotiations, don’t tell your boss (or future boss) that you need to make more money because your bills are high, your house was expensive, or your child is starting college.
April 29, 2009
There’s no worse feeling than when you’re in an interview and the interviewer asks you a question to which you don’t know the answer.
The best way to handle this dreaded debacle is to go into the interview prepared. Familiarize yourself with a few common difficult questions and arm yourself with answers prepared ahead of time.
Check out these tough interview questions and some suggested responses in order to avoid an interview disaster:
Tough question No. 1: “Tell me about yourself.”
This is usually the opening question in an interview and it’s the perfect moment for you to toot your own horn — not to tell your life history. Your answers should be a quick rundown of your qualifications and experience. Talk about your education, work history, recent career experience and future goals.
Suggested answer: “I graduated from University X and since then, I have been working in public relations with an agency where I have generated millions of PR hits for my clients. While I’ve enjoyed working on the agency side, I’m looking to expand my horizons and start doing PR for corporate companies such as this one.”
This is your chance to talk about your experience and your career goals, not to badmouth a former boss or give a laundry list of reasons for your exit. Instead, focus on what you learned in your previous position and how you are ready to use those skills in a new position.
Suggested answer: “The company just wasn’t a good fit for my creativity, but I learned that organizations have distinct personalities just like people do. Now I know where I’ll be a better fit.”
Tough question No. 3: “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Let the employer know that you’re stable and you want to be with this company for the long haul. Keep your aspirations to take over the firm with which you are interviewing, own your own company, retire at 40 or be married with five children to yourself.
Suggested answer: “I want to secure a civil engineering position with a national firm that concentrates on retail development. Ideally, I would like to work for a young company, such as this one, so I can get in on the ground floor and take advantage of all the opportunities a growing firm has to offer.”
Tough question No. 4: “What are your weaknesses?”
The key to answering this age-old question is not to respond literally. Your future employer most likely won’t care if your weak spot is that you can’t cook, nor do they want to hear the generic responses, like you’re “too detail oriented” or “work too hard.”
Respond to this query by identifying areas in your work where you can improve and figure out how they can be assets to a future employer. If you didn’t have the opportunity to develop certain skills at your previous job, explain how eager you are to gain that skill in a new position.
Suggested answer: “In my last position, I wasn’t able to develop my public-speaking skills. I’d really like to be able to work in a place that will help me get better at giving presentations and talking in front of others.”
Tough question No. 5: “Why were you laid off?”
This question will become more common as the economy continues to slow down. It’s a tough question, however, especially because many workers aren’t told exactly why they were laid off. The best way to tackle this question is to answer as honestly as possible.
Suggested answer: “As I’m sure you’re aware, the economy is tough right now and my company felt the effects of it. I was part of a large staff reduction and that’s really all I know. I am confident, however, that it had nothing to do with my job performance, as exemplified by my accomplishments. For example…”
Tough question No. 6: “Tell me about the worst boss you ever had.”
Never, ever talk badly about your past bosses. A potential boss will anticipate that you’ll talk about him or her in the same manner somewhere down the line.
Suggested answer: “While none of my past bosses were awful, there are some who taught me more than others did. I’ve definitely learned what types of management styles I work with the best.”
Tough question No. 7: “How would others describe you?”
You should always be asking for feedback from your colleagues and supervisors in order to gauge your performance; this way, you can honestly answer the question based on their comments. Keep track of the feedback to be able to give to an employer, if asked. Doing so will also help you identify strengths and weaknesses.
Suggested answer: “My former colleagues have said that I’m easy to do business with and that I always hit the ground running with new projects. I have more specific feedback with me, if you’d like to take a look at it.”
Tough question No. 8: “What can you offer me that another person can’t?”
This is when you talk about your record of getting things done. Go into specifics from your résumé and portfolio; show an employer your value and how you’d be an asset.
Suggested answer: “I’m the best person for the job. I know there are other candidates who could fill this position, but my passion for excellence sets me apart from the pack. I am committed to always producing the best results. For example…”
Tough question No. 9: “If you could choose any company to work for, where would you go?”
Never say that you would choose any company other than the one where you are interviewing. Talk about the job and the company for which you are being interviewed.
Suggested answer: “I wouldn’t have applied for this position if I didn’t sincerely want to work with your organization.” Continue with specific examples of why you respect the company with which you are interviewing and why you’ll be a good fit.
Tough question No. 10: “Would you be willing to take a salary cut?”
Salary is a delicate topic. In today’s tough economy though, how much a company can afford to pay you might be the deal breaker in whether or not you are offered a position.
Suggested answer: “I’m making $X now. I understand that the salary range for this position is $XX – $XX. Like most people, I would like to improve on my salary, but I’m more interested in the job itself than the money. I would be open to negotiating a lower starting salary but would hope that we can revisit the subject in a few months after I’ve proved myself to you.”
April 29, 2009
If you are one of the millions who have lost your job, your about to go into foreclosure and you don’t see where your next check is going to come from. Don’t worry or be sad, the world can take everything from you. But it can’t take you joy, unless you let them take it from you. Yes, I am one of the millions of people who have lost a job due the economy melt down of the world. I was let go from a company in Chicago, IL back in January of 2009.
I had already been laid off before with Arthur Andersen, which I worked at for 4yrs. Of course everybody knows what happened to the once giant accounting/auditing firm. Just say the word Eron, and you don’t have to say much after that. I was out of a job for around a year before I landed my next job with a Finance and Trading firm in downtown Chicago.
When you are laid off from you current job, make sure that you go right away to your local unemployment office and file you unemployment claim. GET THERE EARLY AS POSSIBLE! Don’t wait until the afternoon, I went to my local unemployment office early in the morning and there was a line already being formed outside the office building.
Bring you termination letter or letter of disengagement; just in case if they ask for it. Some offices will ask for it, so they can see that you were let go from your job.
Even if you where fired from your job you can still try and get unemployment benefits. You most likely have a get a letter from your job, explaining want was the reasons for them letting you go. Then you can go back to the unemployment office and file a appeal.
Here is a link to the unemployment offices around the country http://unemploymentoffice.net. Here is a link for the one that is in Illinois http://www.ides.state.il.us. If you are not able to get to an office, but have access to a computer with a internet connection, you can also file a unemployment claim online also. DO NOT TRY TO CALL THEM, THEY WILL NEVER ANSWER THE PHONE!
This country needs a whole lot of prayer in order for this economy to get better. In 1Corthianins 10:26, is says “That the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof”. So everybody and everything, the economy, every job being lost and every company closing already belongs to God. This is why it is so important we don’t leave out God in anything that we do.
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