California's "train wreck" a golden opportunity? Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:56pm GMT
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With California facing a $42 billion deficit in the current economic downturn, a glum Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has warned that the Golden State is on the brink of insolvency.
More people have left California than any other U.S. state over the past year, some disenchanted with snarled traffic, scarce jobs and some of the highest taxes in the nation. Add the prospect of still higher taxes and fewer public services, and normally sunny Californians have little to celebrate.
Still, experts say the most populous U.S. state and the world's eighth-largest economy is well placed to rise again and that this crisis could spur major changes in the economy that will pay dividends in the long term.
Abundant natural resources, big ports, access to the Pacific Rim, a large, relatively young work force, entrepreneurial draw and tech-oriented industries augur well for the future, economists and historians say.
"The prophets of doom and gloom are just not looking at the reality of California," said Jerry Nickelsburg, senior economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast.
"The government has created kind of a mess and that's a problem to be solved, but the negatives are actually fairly small. I think you can expect a lot of good out of California," he said.
The typically upbeat Schwarzenegger made international headlines this month when, instead of delivering his usual cheery "state of the state" speech, he issued a short, bleak message about California's roughly $1.5 trillion economy.
"A ROCK UPON OUR CHEST"
"California is in a state of emergency," said the former actor and bodybuilder, whose second term ends next year. "Addressing this emergency is the first and greatest thing we must do for the people. The $42 billion deficit is a rock upon our chest and we cannot breathe until we get it off."
Controller John Chiang then told Californians he would delay sending out $3.7 billion in tax refunds and other payments because the state was running out of money.
The dismal state of the state would have been hard to imagine in California's post-World War Two golden years, when incomes were rising, land was plentiful, homes were affordable and wide-open freeways stretched in all directions.
The good times came to a screeching halt with the 1973 OPEC recession, said Dowell Myers, a professor of urban planning and demography at the University of Southern California, and in some ways they have never really returned.
At the heart of California's problems, economists say, is the government's heavy reliance on personal income taxes, which produces wild swings in revenue as its coffers overflow in good years and dry up in leaner times.
California is a pioneer state famous for its entrepreneurial spirit. But an entrepreneur who might make $2 million in boom times could go bust in a recession.
A big reason for the state's reliance on income taxes is Proposition 13, a voter-approved change to the state Constitution that limits property tax increases and requires any plan to boost taxes to receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the legislature.
The 1978 measure was credited with sparking anti-tax sentiment in other states and assisting Ronald Reagan's election as U.S. president two years later.
Legislators have responded by burdening state residents with some of the highest income and sales taxes in the country.
Economists say the state has long needed to fix that revenue roller-coaster ride and are hopeful that this crisis will force leaders to face the music.
They also place little long-term significance on the number of people moving out, saying it is misleading to compare absolute numbers with other states when California's population is so much larger.
'LONG OVERDUE REASSESSMENT'
Moreover, California's population is actually still growing thanks to immigration and births, and the state's relatively young work force may give it an edge as baby boomers retire.
California's population could hit 60 million by 2050, according to some projections, six times 1950's 10.5 million people and 60 percent more than the current 38 million.
Hard-hit by the mortgage crisis and foreclosures, home prices dropped 35 percent in 2008 in Southern California -- making home ownership realistic for young families in California for the first time in nearly a decade.
The unemployment news has been grim, with the state's jobless rate in December rising to a 14-year high of 9.3 percent, above the national average of 7.2 percent.
The rate is approaching the one posted during the recession in the early 1990s, when California's economy suffered from gutted aerospace payrolls and unemployment rose to nearly 10 percent.
But the state remains a leader in green energy, biotechnology, aerospace and other industries that are expected to fare well in the world economy and create new job markets.
"What people may think is that you can't really solve the problems in California until you totally wreck the train," Myers said. "You have to shake them up, wake them up. The outlook is very hopeful right now because this crisis is forcing a long-overdue reassessment."
Jessica Gould, a 25-year-old graduate student at USC who moved from Atlanta and fell in love with the mild climate, natural beauty, health-conscious lifestyle and anything-goes culture, is optimistic.
"I am hoping we make some changes," Gould said. "(The budget mess) does concern me, to be honest. But you are going to face problems anywhere and there are so many other things I get from living here, I guess it's a small price to pay."
How to Friend Mom, Dad, and the Boss on Facebook...Safely By SARAH PEREZ, ReadWriteWeb
Oh no! Your mom just joined Facebook and what's even worse, she wants to be your friend. More and more people are finding themselves in this situation today and unsure of what to do. Friending mom and dad, the boss, or other work colleagues opens up the details of your private life for the whole world to see - and you might not be entirely comfortable with that. What's to be done?
The Big Question: Should You Bare it All Online?
It's still up for debate how much personal information you should share with others on your Facebook profile. Some people would argue that the time for us to hide behind our masks is over. If we're professional, good employees at work and good sons and daughters at home, it shouldn't matter so much if a friend tags us in a photo which shows us tipping back beers at the weekend party. The fact is, everyone has a personal life and it shouldn't matter who sees it.
Others would say that those are precisely the sorts of photos that make it dangerous to use online social networks like Facebook for both personal and business networking. "Don't friend the boss," they would argue. It's just too risky.
Sharing Some Things, Not Others
The issue isn't really that black and white, though. You may feel it's OK for your colleagues to see some of your Facebook photos (like those from the conference you attended), but not others (like those from the party). You also may be a little uncomfortable with the boss reading your wall posts, especially if your friends have an odd sense of humor at times.
If you're not ready to expose everything about you to anyone who asks to be your online friend, it's time you learned how to use Facebook's friend lists.
A little over a year ago, Facebook launched a new feature called "Friend Lists." With lists, you can create groups of friends on Facebook, separating work from family and close friends. It's simple to use, but it's definitely an underutilized feature. In fact, most of the people who spend their days "Facebooking," never seem to take the time to worry about who's seeing what...until it's too late.
But now, as more older generations are going online and joining social networks, the "Should I Friend Mom/Dad/Boss?" issue is becoming more prevalent than ever.
How To Use Friend Lists
To get started with Facebook Lists, you first need to build one. You can do this from your Friends page. (Click "Friends" in the blue bar at the top). On the left side of the page, click the button "Make a New List." Give it a title.
Now you'll have the option to add your friends to the list. You can either start typing in names one by one or click on "Select Multiple Friends" to add several people to the list all at once. (To add people, just click on their photos.) When you're finished, click the "Save List" button at the bottom.
Once you have some lists created, it's time to figure out who gets to see what. To edit your privacy settings, go to "Settings" at the top-right of the screen next to the search box. When you hover your mouse over the link, you'll see a menu appear; click "Privacy Settings"on this menu. On the following page, click "Profile," the top choice in the list of options.
On the profile privacy page, you have the option of customizing exactly who gets to see what. You can modify the following areas: Profile, Basic Info, Personal Info, Status Updates, Photos Tagged of You, Videos Tagged of You, Friends, Wall Posts, Education Info, and Work Info. If you're unsure of what any of those things are, click the "?" next to the item to read a definition.
Using the drop-down boxes, you can customize who gets to see your info: "Only Friends," "Friends of Friends," or "My Network of Friends." To lock down your profile to friends only, you could set all these to "only friends." But since you have now created specialized lists, you'll want to use these instead.
To do so, click the fourth option from the drop-down box: "Customize." From here, you can add lists of people who should NOT be able to see this part of your profile. For example, if you wanted to block a list of work colleagues or those in your family from seeing your status updates, you could do so here - just type the name of your list in the box "Except these people" and save your changes.
Note: you can also block certain people individually just by typing in their names, but given the ever-growing number of Facebook users, you're probably going to need a Friend List at some point. We recommend biting the bullet and creating your lists now instead of treating everyone as a one-off.
After you've saved your changes, you're done. You'll have your privacy back without having to change the way you and your friends use Facebook. Of course, keep in mind that nothing is foolproof - determined hackers can gain access to your account as can anyone who guesses your password....so maybe you shouldn't use your dog's name.
When lists are finally in place, you can assign new friends to a list right when you're accepting their friend request - just look for the option "Add to Friend List" before you click "Accept."
It may seem like quite a bit of work to set up, but you'll thank yourself for doing this later...like every Monday morning when you go back to work after a great weekend...or the next time you need to borrow money from mom and dad. You get the idea. Better safe than sorry.
WINNING AT WORKING By Nan S. Russell (www.winningatworking.com) --
The New Dance
Poor Pluto. Stripped of its planetary status by the International Astronomical Union and reclassified as a "dwarf planet," two years ago, Pluto's demotion heralds new rules for planet classification. Debate by renowned astronomers from seventy-five countries culminated in the decision to reduce the number of planets to eight "classic" ones.
This reclassification got me thinking. Like a company reorganization or leadership change, the rules were altered. And no matter if you were among scientists advocating for more planets or less, it no longer matters. The decision is rendered. Like it. Don't like it. It's done.
Organizational changes can be like that too. Like Pluto, I've spent career years with "classic" designation, status and access only to be "reclassified" with mergers, acquisitions, downsizing and reorganizations. Confident, comfortable and courageous with a current boss, you must reprove, readjust and reorient to a new one with a different style, focus and rules.
It's happened enough in my career-life to collect a few insights along the way. First, the suddenness is unnerving and often painful. Familiar shifts to unfamiliar and second-nature decisions become second-guessed ones. When the rules change it's uncomfortable.
But, you can't go back. You can't change the outcome. What was true yesterday is gone. So, my second lesson learned the hard way is let it go as quickly as possible. Your future depends on it. Third, recognize you're in a growth spurt. That can be painful, challenging or exhilarating. And while it might not be a growth you'd choose, use your talent to reinvent yourself, find your grounding and contribute in new ways.
You see, if change can happen to something as sure as planets, it will likely happen to us. When it does we can dig in, resist and fight, or after taking a deep breath and regrouping, we can find our courage and take a step forward.
That's what people who are winning at working do. They choose the future over the past, personal growth over fossilization, opportunity over defeat, and contribution over consternation. And as difficult as that is at times to do, people who are winning at working work through their disappointments and wounds, assessing their options, inventing their future and finding their wisdom. Like an African proverb reminds us all, "When the music changes, so does the dance."
Want to be winning at working? Learn the new dance.
(c) 2009 Nan S. Russell. All Rights Reserved. __________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author of Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way (Capital Books; January 2008). Host of "Work Matters with Nan Russell" weekly on webtalkradio.net. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. She is the founder and president of MountainWorks Communications, as well as an author, speaker and consultant.
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A Cover Letter Is Not Expendable By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Q. You are getting ready to apply for a job electronically, and your résumé is ready to go. Do you need to prepare a cover letter? Are they necessary in this day and age?
A. Cover letters are still necessary, and in a competitive market they can give you a serious edge if they are written and presented effectively.
Cover letters are a graceful way to introduce yourself, to convey your personality and to impress a hiring manager with your experience and your writing skills, said Katy Piotrowski, an author of career books and a career counselor based in Fort Collins, Colo. You can also tailor them to a specific company in ways that you cannot with a résumé.
Ms. Piotrowski recently had a job opening at her small company, Career Solutions Group, and she was dismayed when about a quarter of the 200 applicants did not send cover letters. Most were within five years of graduating from college, she said, reflecting a more informal mind-set among younger people.
Q. How should your cover letter be organized, how long should it be, and what should it say?
A. First, do your best to find the decision maker’s name, and use it in the salutation. If you are applying to a blind ad, say “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To the Hiring Manager.” Ms. Piotrowski said she received cover letters that had no salutation at all or began with “Hey there” — not a strong start. If you want to be on the safe side, use a colon after the salutation, although some people now feel it is permissible to use a comma in an e-mail message.
Your cover letter should be short — generally no longer than three or four paragraphs, said Debra Wheatman, a career expert at Vault, a jobs Web site.
In your first paragraph, explain why you are writing — it may be that you are answering an ad, that you were referred to the company through networking, or that you learned that the company is expanding, said Wendy S. Enelow, author of “Cover Letter Magic” and a professional résumé writer in Virginia.
In the middle paragraphs, explain why you are a good candidate, and show that you are knowledgeable about the company. Then convey a clear story about your career, and highlight specific past achievements. This can either be done as a narrative or in bullet points, Ms. Enelow said.
You can also highlight qualities you possess that may not fit the confines of a résumé, Ms. Wheatman said.
She once worked in human resources at Martha Stewart Living, and recalls reviewing applications for a chef in a test kitchen. One woman had a career in manufacturing, but her cover letter described how she had grown up in a family that was passionate about cooking and where she had frequently made meals from scratch. The woman got the job despite her peripheral work experience.
Finish your letter by indicating that you will follow up in the near future (and make good on that promise). Sign off with a “Sincerely,” “Cordially,” “Thank you for your consideration” or similar closer, followed by your name and, if you like, your e-mail address.
Q. Where should your cover letter appear, in an e-mail or in an attachment?
A. You can include your letter in the actual text of your e-mail message or place it above your résumé in an attachment. If you put it in a separate attachment from your résumé, you run the risk that a harried hiring manager will not click on it at all. If you place it in the text of your e-mail message, it should generally be shorter than if you use an attachment, Ms. Enelow said.
Then, if you really want to make an impression, make a hard copy of your cover letter and résumé and send it to the hiring manager by regular mail. Attach a handwritten note that says, “Second submission; I’m very interested,” Ms. Piotrowski said. “I’ve had clients double their rate of interviews simply from doing that,” she said.
Ms. Enelow calls this “double-hitting,” and says she has seen it work remarkably well. She said a senior-level client of hers got an interview and was hired because the hard copy of his cover letter and résumé reached the company president, whereas his electronic application was rejected by someone in human resources because it did not meet certain rigid criteria.
Q. What are some common mistakes in cover letters?
A. A cover letter with typos, misspellings and poor sentence structure may take you out of the running for a job. If you cannot afford to pay someone to review your cover letter and résumé, enlist a friend or a family member with good language skills to do it instead.
Another misguided thing people do is to make the cover letter all about them: “I did this, I’m looking for, I want to ... I, I, I.” Structure your letter so that it stresses the company and what you can do to help it reach its goals, Ms. Piotrowski and others said.
Another danger is including too much information — for example, very specific salary or geographic requirements, Ms. Enelow said. It is also unwise to point out that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description, she said. You can deal with that later, if you get an interview.
Hiring managers are looking for ways to exclude you as they narrow down their applications, she said. Do not give them that ammunition.
What Jobs Will the Stimulus Create? By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
In his first address to Congress, President Barack Obama put his top priority for America’s beleaguered workers in simple terms: “Now is the time to jumpstart job creation.”
The work of reversing the labor economy’s slide will not be so simple. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act seeks to bring timely relief to 11.6 million unemployed Americans and 734,000 discouraged workers -- so called by the Bureau of Labor Statistics because they have given up looking.
The jobs created by the Recovery Act will make a world of difference in the lives of millions, even though it can’t put everyone back to work tomorrow.
“The approximately 3.5 million jobs created or saved will reflect the current distribution of jobs across the economy,” touching all industries, says Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute. Due to the severity of the recession, “that’s not going to fill in the employment gap entirely,” she says. About 3.6 million jobs have already been lost in the recession that began December 2007, according to a February 2009 BLS report, and no one expects the losses to stop anytime soon.
Four strategic sectors will receive money targeted for job creation, either directly or indirectly: energy (459,000 jobs), infrastructure (377,000), education (250,000) and healthcare (244,000), according to a report by Obama administration officials.
And the broader stimulus created by government work, recession relief and tax relief is projected to create even greater numbers of jobs across the economy.
Alternative Energy Jobs Get a Jolt
The stimulus package calls for unprecedented spending on clean energy, including $60 billion in loan guarantees for alternative energy projects such as wind turbines and coal gasification.
The money is sorely needed, because the green sector has been especially hard-hit in the downturn. “Since November, hiring has been in a lockdown,” says Doug Scott, regional managing director for recruitment firm the Mergis Group. “It’s starting to improve, because companies who have the money to make a play are now doing so.”
Engineers and tradespeople should see demand for their services rise when federal funding reaches their prospective employers. “Electrical, electronic and mechanical engineers will transfer their skills the quickest to alternative energy, to work on solar panels and wind turbines, for example,” says Scott. “Technical salespeople will be needed, as will skilled tradespeople to work in installation, infrastructure and field service.”
Learn more about energy-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Construction and Infrastructure Win Major Support
“Job growth from the stimulus will be heavier in industries that have been hit harder,” says Shierholz. “Those industries have the most opportunity for bounce-back.”
Construction, with its free-falling housing sector, desperately needs that bounce. So hardhats and their coworkers should be somewhat reassured to see that Recovery Act infrastructure spending will be measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars, and so-called shovel-ready projects will receive funding as soon as this spring. For example, the infrastructure stimulus will include billions of dollars for public transit, encompassing projects ranging from railway repairs to the purchase of hybrid buses.
Learn more about construction-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Education Gets into the Rebuilding Act
Recovery Act funding for education is projected to create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs, from teaching positions to bricklayers. This may give school officials across the country a breather as they struggle to balance budgets while state and local funding dwindles.
Education spending will include a variety of initiatives, from billons of dollars in school repairs to additional millions for programs for students with learning disabilities.
Learn more about education-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Healthcare Gets a Shot in the Arm
The stimulus package includes many billions of dollars for healthcare, including $21 billion for healthcare information systems and technology.
“The new administration will emphasize capturing information to better deliver pharmaceuticals and healthcare services,” says Jason Hersh, managing partner of Kline Hersh International. “Professionals in medical informatics will be in demand over the coming years. Job seekers who are looking to transition skill sets into this environment should look into healthcare IT,” he says.
Learn more about healthcare-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Millions More Jobs to Be Added Across the Economy
Beyond the four strategic sectors, some 2.3 million jobs are projected via other components of the stimulus package, such as extensions of unemployment benefits, aid to states and tax cuts. These jobs will be born in diverse industries, including retail, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, professional and business services, government, financial, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information technology and services, mining and utilities.
Employment in these areas will likely come online sooner than jobs created in the strategic sectors. “Because it takes time to carry out new spending programs authorized by legislation, we expect the jobs created by spending on infrastructure, education, health and energy to be concentrated in 2010 and 2011” rather than this year, the administration report notes.
Even given this jobs-building program of historic proportions, the rising tide of unemployment is unlikely to reverse itself in the near term. “If we can start adding net jobs in early 2010, we can say the stimulus did its job,” says Shierholz.
Get Ready to Land a Stimulus Job
Whether you are hoping to find a job in one of the four strategic sectors -- energy, education, infrastructure, healthcare -- or one that is indirectly created by the stimulus package, you can take action right now to be ready to stand out as the jobs are posted.
* Research: Narrowing in on the types of jobs you want and are most qualified for will help you keep your job search on task. Check out Monster’s Career Snapshots to learn about different jobs and get insiders’ perspectives on what it is like to work in these fields. This can also help you identify any skills gaps you may have so you can seek the appropriate training. * Update Your Resume: Now that you have some potential career goals in mind, you need to make sure your resume will get you there. Be sure your resume is ready to go with your most up-to-date skills and accomplishments, and consider customizing your resume to the different jobs you plan to apply for. * Keep an Eye on Jobs: As the stimulus begins to have its impact on the economy, the job postings will trickle in. Set up saved job searches now for your different target jobs so that Monster can notify you as they are posted. And look for when Monster’s Keep America Working Tour will come to a city near you, so you can take advantage of the on-site career-building opportunities.
March 29, 2009 Career Couch Lining Up Interviews Is Just the Beginning By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Q. You have had several job interviews at different companies, but still no job offers. Are you doing something wrong?
A. You may not be doing anything wrong. This is a highly competitive job market, and even if you have 9 out of 10 qualifications for a position, an employer may be in a position to find 10 out of 10, said Paul Powers, a management psychologist in Wellesley, Mass., and the author of “Winning Job Interviews.”
Remember that “the essential nature of an active job hunt, while you’re unemployed, is rejection,” Dr. Powers said. “If you’re not getting rejected enough, you’re not working hard enough.”
In fact, your ability to obtain interviews is a sign that you are doing something right — sending out a résumé and cover letter that appeal to hiring managers. And that’s no small feat when hundreds and even thousands of people may be applying for the same job.
That said, you should conduct your own “post-interview review” to see whether there is room for improvement, Dr. Powers said.
(First, of course, make sure that you are washing and combing your hair, dressing appropriately, arriving on time, turning off your cellphone and performing all the other basics of making a good impression.)
Most companies interview the same candidate more than once — sometimes many times. If, on numerous occasions, you have never made it past the first interview, “there’s probably something going on in your interview strategy that’s not leading to that second interview,” said Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, a career management firm in New York.
Q. What could be wrong with your interview strategy?
A. For one thing, you may be sending out brilliant applications for jobs that aren’t a good fit for you, Dr. Powers said. Don’t let a sense of panic cause you to cast your net too wide — it wastes time on both ends.
Even if you are a wonderful candidate, you may be answering questions in a less-than-ideal way. Some people “believe that talking in generalities is the way to go,” Ms. Safani said, but hiring managers usually prefer specifics — especially examples of how you executed a project or solved a problem. Otherwise, you don’t differentiate yourself and you become a mere blur, she said.
In addition to these “stories of success,” candidates need to be able “to communicate in 30 seconds what they’re all about and how they’re going to add value to that organization,” Ms. Safani said.
If you are questioned about your weaknesses, “be authentic without being damaging,” Ms. Safani said. Be ready with an example of a weakness that is not centered on the core competencies of the job you are seeking, she said.
And, of course, be prepared to ask questions yourself — ones that show you have done research about the company. Ms. Safani recommends asking some questions that go beyond the particular job you are applying for, and that cover the direction of the company as a whole.
Q. Looking back, you know that you gave stupid answers to some interview questions. What now?
A. View it as a learning experience and move on, Dr. Powers said. Eventually, it becomes clear that the same 20 or 30 questions tend to be asked, he said, and you can practice your answers to them — perhaps in mock interviews with family, friends or members of a networking group.
It may be a mistake to start out by applying for a job at the company you most want to work for, he said; you may want to practice your interviewing skills at a less-desirable company first.
Q. What if you interviewer is unprepared?
A. First, never assume that the interviewer has read your résumé or even has a copy of it. Always bring extra copies with you.
“If the person’s not prepared, that’s actually an advantage, because it allows you to take control of the interview” and showcase your stories of success, Ms. Safani said.
Take the opportunity to ask questions about the job and the company, and answer even poorly formed questions with enthusiasm and specificity, drawing on the extensive research you have done.
Q. What should you do at the end of the interview?
A. Use the close of the interview to reaffirm that you are interested in the job and are highly qualified for it, Dr. Powers said.
Then ask what the next steps are. Unfortunately, it is common for companies to delay or even halt their hiring plans without letting candidates know, Ms. Safani said; if you don’t hear anything within the time frame specified in your interview, you have a legitimate reason to call the hiring manager. But don’t leave multiple messages; just try to get the person on the phone once — you don’t want to be a pest.
Q. Should you send a thank-you note?
A. Generally, yes. If your main communications have been via e-mail, an e-mailed thank-you note of a few paragraphs — reiterating your qualifications and your interest — is fine, Dr. Powers said. You can also send a thank-you note via regular mail — on better than copy-quality paper, he said. But don’t send a handwritten note unless you have perfect penmanship, he advised.
FYI - we will talk about this in our meeting next week. Ellie
When You're Online Even When You're Not Online April 7, 2009 11:56 PM Posted by Mitch Joel If you never really took two seconds to think about privacy and what all of our lives now look like because of these online channels and platforms, here's a fictional story that may ring true for you… Warren is the Vice President of marketing for a major corporation. He never cared much for online social networks. He joined Facebook to follow his kids, and LinkedIn because someone who worked on his team told him he should - at the very least - have his profile posted there. For the most part, he ignores the invitations, pokes and questions. For his professional development he recognizes the power in these channels, and is well-aware of their capabilities and how it is evolving his day-to-day business. That being said, he still doesn't get why everybody is so crazy over Twitter, even though a growing component of his business line is engaged in some level of customer care using Twitter. Warren would prefer that his professional (and private) life have limited exposure online. You have to believe that most people are like this. You also have to believe that things are changing too fast for anyone to control the content that is out there and being published online. It's 4:00 pm on a Tuesday, and Warren gets a call from an old college friend who happens to be in town with a set of great seats to the baseball game. Warren had already committed to another business function, but figured there would be no harm in blowing it off to hang with an old friend. On the way to his seats, he runs into a client and they have a casual chat. The next day at work, Warren's boss comes into his office and asks how he is feeling. Before Warren can respond, his boss asks, "how was the baseball game?" Without thinking he was doing anything wrong, Warren's client tweeted about how happy he was to run into Warren at the baseball game. These types of incidents are happening more and more with every passing day and as these platforms become more ubiquitous and easier to use. The point of this Blog post was to highlight that while we're all paying attention to what we post (and how we post it), we can't control what others are doing. We all can't walk around with signs around our necks saying, "this in-person experience is not for Blogs, Facebook or Twitter unless we both agree otherwise." And, as funny as that may sound, we are getting closer to a point in time, where everything that we do in public is going to be recorded and published. We might be needing those signs sooner than we think. Privacy is scary when you can't control your own online persona. Whether it's skipping work to grab a flick with friends, or being seen at a party when you told people you would be somewhere else, all of us are going to have to be more self-aware of this shift and change. We're all getting to the point where there may need to be some kind of law or agreement as to what, exactly, is publishable about our lives. For more on this, just take a read through some of the sentiments about Google Maps and their plans for street views. Privacy has always been a huge concern to Marketers and people publishing content online. There may be a bigger question around what we can all do in a world where even if you're not active and online, everything you are doing is online and highly searchable through the stories and publishing of others. Does that scare you? Elizabeth Monaco Training and Career Development Phone: 310-794-0872 Fax: 310-794-0855 UCLA Campus Human Resources www.chr.ucla.edu
UCLA alumna Judy Hernandez offers tips to hold on in the marketplace.
By Judy Hernandez '90
Published Apr 1, 2009 9:00 AM art
Bruin Judy Hernandez offers expert tips for handling the economic crisis.
As we plunge deeper into the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression, knowing how to weather being laid off or downsized and how to revive a career is even more critical than usual, particularly for young professionals. UCLA alumna Judy Hernandez, a sought-after lecturer and consultant on career planning and former director of community at Monster.com, can help you get through it. Hernandez, a past president of the New York Bruins alumni club, offers pointers on how young professionals can hold on — and even rise up — in the marketplace.
Be a goaltender
What is your goal? This is one thing I can't stress enough. I know not everyone is goal-driven, but when it comes to job search and career change, not much can replace it. I've often seen this story referred to in workshops on goal-setting, and I believe the point is illustrated well:
A well-known American long-distance swimmer, Florence Chadwick, attempted to swim 21 miles across the Catalina Channel, from Catalina Island to Point Vicente, on July 4, 1952. After nearly 16 hours of swimming, she was cramping up and couldn't see because of a thick layer of fog. She felt that she couldn't go on and asked to be taken out of the water. She'd had less than a mile to go. Her comment was, "If I could have seen land, I know I could have made it."
If her goal was in sight, she could have made it. Is your goal in sight?
Learn to say no
In addition to being a Bruin, I am a native New Yorker, and after graduation I wanted to get back home. Upon arrival in New York, I decided to combine my search for work with my graduate school aspirations. I knew that even with a degree from UCLA in psychology and history, I would require additional education to point my career path in the right direction. My most specific requirement was that it didn't matter if I worked at a university or at a company, but that one of the benefits of my job had to be a tuition reimbursement benefit. Career Building
Could you use a comprehensive online job search tool? A critique of your résumé? How about online career advice, a virtual career-counseling session and how and when to find career fairs on campus? For an edge in today's job markeet, there's no better resource than UCLA's many career services for alumni. Visit the career center's alumni site for a complete listing of services.
I went to employment and temporary agencies and did research about both higher education institutions and companies that had that benefit. I didn't even consider going on an interview if I knew the benefit wasn't included. If it was unclear, I always asked. It was my most important deal-breaker. I had no problem saying no if they didn't have the benefit.
It is sometimes just as powerful to be confident in saying "No," as having the opportunity to say "Yes." Remember that just getting an offer of a job doesn't mean it's the job for you. And that's true even in a recession.
Redefine "career"
When I first started working, I believed that a career should be defined as a specific profession — doctor, lawyer, etc. Now I think that a career is the sum of the education, work and volunteer experiences you've had from whenever you began working to wherever you are now. When I worked at Monster.com, we referred to careers around the office as "birth to earth."
I've had 14 jobs, from working in a Dairy Queen in San Diego to being a file clerk, assistant cook, recruitment coordinator, teacher's aide, community producer at iVillage.com, director of community at Monster.com and adjunct professor at New York University. And that's just the actual paying jobs. Who would have thought that in my current job, I'd refer to my experience volunteering with Girl Scouts back in college or working at UCLA UniCamp? But I do.
Build your résumé creatively
Experiences that never made it to the résumé offer new and stronger ways to present a job seeker. In general, we have been trained to stress parts of a job on our résumé that were important to the employer at the time we have a job.
I have to remind job seekers frequently that what was important to an employer years ago won't matter to the next employer. What did you get out of the job? How did you excel? What can you offer the new employer that they need? (A great way to show this is to use key words from the job description in your résumé.)
Another great tactic is to always be on the lookout on your job for projects or assignments that add something that you want on your résumé. Volunteering for projects not only builds your résumé, it also makes you look good to the boss.
Protect your job
Volunteering is one way to protect your job. You also can take advantage of any training offered by your employer. You can make sure to meet — and hopefully exceed — any established job performance goals (and if you don't have them, talk with your boss about making some). Of course, even if you do these things, you can't count on them totally protecting your job. In volatile times, it may not even be possible. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Bounce back
I've been laid off a couple times in my career, so I know that it can get you down. I found that once I concentrated on networking with my former colleagues and fellow alumni, eventually I'd get to where I wanted to be. Sometimes it takes time to get back on your feet, but if you are prepared, it'll be easier. Here are some tips:
• Keep a schedule as if you were still working. It's very easy to find yourself in your sweats in front of the TV instead of job-seeking. • Try to keep yourself doing some kind of work. My adjunct position was great in this capacity. • Always work with your network. This has been covered before, so I won't dwell on it. Phone or e-mail someone every day. Just connecting keeps spirits up.
Lighten the load
There is a statue of Atlas in midtown Manhattan that I often think of when talking with my job search and career counseling clients. When you need to make a career change, it often feels like you're bearing the weight of the world upon your shoulders. There are so many expectations, your own and those of your family. I hear many questions about how a specific choice may affect someone's career, or even how their life will turn out in the long term. Additionally, we're in a recession. But for goodness' sake, don't get down on yourself. Remember Atlas!
California's "train wreck" a golden opportunity?
ReplyDeleteMon Jan 26, 2009 2:56pm GMT
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With California facing a $42 billion deficit in the current economic downturn, a glum Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has warned that the Golden State is on the brink of insolvency.
More people have left California than any other U.S. state over the past year, some disenchanted with snarled traffic, scarce jobs and some of the highest taxes in the nation. Add the prospect of still higher taxes and fewer public services, and normally sunny Californians have little to celebrate.
Still, experts say the most populous U.S. state and the world's eighth-largest economy is well placed to rise again and that this crisis could spur major changes in the economy that will pay dividends in the long term.
Abundant natural resources, big ports, access to the Pacific Rim, a large, relatively young work force, entrepreneurial draw and tech-oriented industries augur well for the future, economists and historians say.
"The prophets of doom and gloom are just not looking at the reality of California," said Jerry Nickelsburg, senior economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast.
"The government has created kind of a mess and that's a problem to be solved, but the negatives are actually fairly small. I think you can expect a lot of good out of California," he said.
The typically upbeat Schwarzenegger made international headlines this month when, instead of delivering his usual cheery "state of the state" speech, he issued a short, bleak message about California's roughly $1.5 trillion economy.
"A ROCK UPON OUR CHEST"
"California is in a state of emergency," said the former actor and bodybuilder, whose second term ends next year. "Addressing this emergency is the first and greatest thing we must do for the people. The $42 billion deficit is a rock upon our chest and we cannot breathe until we get it off."
Controller John Chiang then told Californians he would delay sending out $3.7 billion in tax refunds and other payments because the state was running out of money.
The dismal state of the state would have been hard to imagine in California's post-World War Two golden years, when incomes were rising, land was plentiful, homes were affordable and wide-open freeways stretched in all directions.
The good times came to a screeching halt with the 1973 OPEC recession, said Dowell Myers, a professor of urban planning and demography at the University of Southern California, and in some ways they have never really returned.
At the heart of California's problems, economists say, is the government's heavy reliance on personal income taxes, which produces wild swings in revenue as its coffers overflow in good years and dry up in leaner times.
California is a pioneer state famous for its entrepreneurial spirit. But an entrepreneur who might make $2 million in boom times could go bust in a recession.
A big reason for the state's reliance on income taxes is Proposition 13, a voter-approved change to the state Constitution that limits property tax increases and requires any plan to boost taxes to receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the legislature.
The 1978 measure was credited with sparking anti-tax sentiment in other states and assisting Ronald Reagan's election as U.S. president two years later.
Legislators have responded by burdening state residents with some of the highest income and sales taxes in the country.
Economists say the state has long needed to fix that revenue roller-coaster ride and are hopeful that this crisis will force leaders to face the music.
They also place little long-term significance on the number of people moving out, saying it is misleading to compare absolute numbers with other states when California's population is so much larger.
'LONG OVERDUE REASSESSMENT'
Moreover, California's population is actually still growing thanks to immigration and births, and the state's relatively young work force may give it an edge as baby boomers retire.
California's population could hit 60 million by 2050, according to some projections, six times 1950's 10.5 million people and 60 percent more than the current 38 million.
Hard-hit by the mortgage crisis and foreclosures, home prices dropped 35 percent in 2008 in Southern California -- making home ownership realistic for young families in California for the first time in nearly a decade.
The unemployment news has been grim, with the state's jobless rate in December rising to a 14-year high of 9.3 percent, above the national average of 7.2 percent.
The rate is approaching the one posted during the recession in the early 1990s, when California's economy suffered from gutted aerospace payrolls and unemployment rose to nearly 10 percent.
But the state remains a leader in green energy, biotechnology, aerospace and other industries that are expected to fare well in the world economy and create new job markets.
"What people may think is that you can't really solve the problems in California until you totally wreck the train," Myers said. "You have to shake them up, wake them up. The outlook is very hopeful right now because this crisis is forcing a long-overdue reassessment."
Jessica Gould, a 25-year-old graduate student at USC who moved from Atlanta and fell in love with the mild climate, natural beauty, health-conscious lifestyle and anything-goes culture, is optimistic.
"I am hoping we make some changes," Gould said. "(The budget mess) does concern me, to be honest. But you are going to face problems anywhere and there are so many other things I get from living here, I guess it's a small price to pay."
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Xavier Briand)
© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world.
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http://uk.reuters.com/article/burningIssues/idUKTRE50P0ZX20090126
January 30, 2009
ReplyDeleteHow to Friend Mom, Dad, and the Boss on Facebook...Safely
By SARAH PEREZ, ReadWriteWeb
Oh no! Your mom just joined Facebook and what's even worse, she wants to be your friend. More and more people are finding themselves in this situation today and unsure of what to do. Friending mom and dad, the boss, or other work colleagues opens up the details of your private life for the whole world to see - and you might not be entirely comfortable with that. What's to be done?
The Big Question: Should You Bare it All Online?
It's still up for debate how much personal information you should share with others on your Facebook profile. Some people would argue that the time for us to hide behind our masks is over. If we're professional, good employees at work and good sons and daughters at home, it shouldn't matter so much if a friend tags us in a photo which shows us tipping back beers at the weekend party. The fact is, everyone has a personal life and it shouldn't matter who sees it.
Others would say that those are precisely the sorts of photos that make it dangerous to use online social networks like Facebook for both personal and business networking. "Don't friend the boss," they would argue. It's just too risky.
Sharing Some Things, Not Others
The issue isn't really that black and white, though. You may feel it's OK for your colleagues to see some of your Facebook photos (like those from the conference you attended), but not others (like those from the party). You also may be a little uncomfortable with the boss reading your wall posts, especially if your friends have an odd sense of humor at times.
If you're not ready to expose everything about you to anyone who asks to be your online friend, it's time you learned how to use Facebook's friend lists.
A little over a year ago, Facebook launched a new feature called "Friend Lists." With lists, you can create groups of friends on Facebook, separating work from family and close friends. It's simple to use, but it's definitely an underutilized feature. In fact, most of the people who spend their days "Facebooking," never seem to take the time to worry about who's seeing what...until it's too late.
But now, as more older generations are going online and joining social networks, the "Should I Friend Mom/Dad/Boss?" issue is becoming more prevalent than ever.
How To Use Friend Lists
To get started with Facebook Lists, you first need to build one. You can do this from your Friends page. (Click "Friends" in the blue bar at the top). On the left side of the page, click the button "Make a New List." Give it a title.
Now you'll have the option to add your friends to the list. You can either start typing in names one by one or click on "Select Multiple Friends" to add several people to the list all at once. (To add people, just click on their photos.) When you're finished, click the "Save List" button at the bottom.
Once you have some lists created, it's time to figure out who gets to see what. To edit your privacy settings, go to "Settings" at the top-right of the screen next to the search box. When you hover your mouse over the link, you'll see a menu appear; click "Privacy Settings"on this menu. On the following page, click "Profile," the top choice in the list of options.
On the profile privacy page, you have the option of customizing exactly who gets to see what. You can modify the following areas: Profile, Basic Info, Personal Info, Status Updates, Photos Tagged of You, Videos Tagged of You, Friends, Wall Posts, Education Info, and Work Info. If you're unsure of what any of those things are, click the "?" next to the item to read a definition.
Using the drop-down boxes, you can customize who gets to see your info: "Only Friends," "Friends of Friends," or "My Network of Friends." To lock down your profile to friends only, you could set all these to "only friends." But since you have now created specialized lists, you'll want to use these instead.
To do so, click the fourth option from the drop-down box: "Customize." From here, you can add lists of people who should NOT be able to see this part of your profile. For example, if you wanted to block a list of work colleagues or those in your family from seeing your status updates, you could do so here - just type the name of your list in the box "Except these people" and save your changes.
Note: you can also block certain people individually just by typing in their names, but given the ever-growing number of Facebook users, you're probably going to need a Friend List at some point. We recommend biting the bullet and creating your lists now instead of treating everyone as a one-off.
After you've saved your changes, you're done. You'll have your privacy back without having to change the way you and your friends use Facebook. Of course, keep in mind that nothing is foolproof - determined hackers can gain access to your account as can anyone who guesses your password....so maybe you shouldn't use your dog's name.
When lists are finally in place, you can assign new friends to a list right when you're accepting their friend request - just look for the option "Add to Friend List" before you click "Accept."
It may seem like quite a bit of work to set up, but you'll thank yourself for doing this later...like every Monday morning when you go back to work after a great weekend...or the next time you need to borrow money from mom and dad. You get the idea. Better safe than sorry.
Image Credit: canyonjam
Copyright 2009 ReadWriteWeb. All Rights Reserved.
WINNING AT WORKING
ReplyDeleteBy Nan S. Russell (www.winningatworking.com) --
The New Dance
Poor Pluto. Stripped of its planetary status by the International Astronomical Union and reclassified as a "dwarf planet," two years ago, Pluto's demotion heralds new rules for planet classification. Debate by renowned astronomers from seventy-five countries culminated in the decision to reduce the number of planets to eight "classic" ones.
This reclassification got me thinking. Like a company reorganization or leadership change, the rules were altered. And no matter if you were among scientists advocating for more planets or less, it no longer matters. The decision is rendered. Like it. Don't like it. It's done.
Organizational changes can be like that too. Like Pluto, I've spent career years with "classic" designation, status and access only to be "reclassified" with mergers, acquisitions, downsizing and reorganizations. Confident, comfortable and courageous with a current boss, you must reprove, readjust and reorient to a new one with a different style, focus and rules.
It's happened enough in my career-life to collect a few insights along the way. First, the suddenness is unnerving and often painful. Familiar shifts to unfamiliar and second-nature decisions become second-guessed ones. When the rules change it's uncomfortable.
But, you can't go back. You can't change the outcome. What was true yesterday is gone. So, my second lesson learned the hard way is let it go as quickly as possible. Your future depends on it. Third, recognize you're in a growth spurt. That can be painful, challenging or exhilarating. And while it might not be a growth you'd choose, use your talent to reinvent yourself, find your grounding and contribute in new ways.
You see, if change can happen to something as sure as planets, it will likely happen to us. When it does we can dig in, resist and fight, or after taking a deep breath and regrouping, we can find our courage and take a step forward.
That's what people who are winning at working do. They choose the future over the past, personal growth over fossilization, opportunity over defeat, and contribution over consternation. And as difficult as that is at times to do, people who are winning at working work through their disappointments and wounds, assessing their options, inventing their future and finding their wisdom. Like an African proverb reminds us all, "When the music changes, so does the dance."
Want to be winning at working? Learn the new dance.
(c) 2009 Nan S. Russell. All Rights Reserved.
__________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author of Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way (Capital Books; January 2008). Host of "Work Matters with Nan Russell" weekly on webtalkradio.net. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. She is the founder and president of MountainWorks Communications, as well as an author, speaker and consultant.
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A Cover Letter Is Not Expendable
ReplyDeleteBy PHYLLIS KORKKI
Q. You are getting ready to apply for a job electronically, and your résumé is ready to go. Do you need to prepare a cover letter? Are they necessary in this day and age?
A. Cover letters are still necessary, and in a competitive market they can give you a serious edge if they are written and presented effectively.
Cover letters are a graceful way to introduce yourself, to convey your personality and to impress a hiring manager with your experience and your writing skills, said Katy Piotrowski, an author of career books and a career counselor based in Fort Collins, Colo. You can also tailor them to a specific company in ways that you cannot with a résumé.
Ms. Piotrowski recently had a job opening at her small company, Career Solutions Group, and she was dismayed when about a quarter of the 200 applicants did not send cover letters. Most were within five years of graduating from college, she said, reflecting a more informal mind-set among younger people.
Q. How should your cover letter be organized, how long should it be, and what should it say?
A. First, do your best to find the decision maker’s name, and use it in the salutation. If you are applying to a blind ad, say “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To the Hiring Manager.” Ms. Piotrowski said she received cover letters that had no salutation at all or began with “Hey there” — not a strong start. If you want to be on the safe side, use a colon after the salutation, although some people now feel it is permissible to use a comma in an e-mail message.
Your cover letter should be short — generally no longer than three or four paragraphs, said Debra Wheatman, a career expert at Vault, a jobs Web site.
In your first paragraph, explain why you are writing — it may be that you are answering an ad, that you were referred to the company through networking, or that you learned that the company is expanding, said Wendy S. Enelow, author of “Cover Letter Magic” and a professional résumé writer in Virginia.
In the middle paragraphs, explain why you are a good candidate, and show that you are knowledgeable about the company. Then convey a clear story about your career, and highlight specific past achievements. This can either be done as a narrative or in bullet points, Ms. Enelow said.
You can also highlight qualities you possess that may not fit the confines of a résumé, Ms. Wheatman said.
She once worked in human resources at Martha Stewart Living, and recalls reviewing applications for a chef in a test kitchen. One woman had a career in manufacturing, but her cover letter described how she had grown up in a family that was passionate about cooking and where she had frequently made meals from scratch. The woman got the job despite her peripheral work experience.
Finish your letter by indicating that you will follow up in the near future (and make good on that promise). Sign off with a “Sincerely,” “Cordially,” “Thank you for your consideration” or similar closer, followed by your name and, if you like, your e-mail address.
Q. Where should your cover letter appear, in an e-mail or in an attachment?
A. You can include your letter in the actual text of your e-mail message or place it above your résumé in an attachment. If you put it in a separate attachment from your résumé, you run the risk that a harried hiring manager will not click on it at all. If you place it in the text of your e-mail message, it should generally be shorter than if you use an attachment, Ms. Enelow said.
Then, if you really want to make an impression, make a hard copy of your cover letter and résumé and send it to the hiring manager by regular mail. Attach a handwritten note that says, “Second submission; I’m very interested,” Ms. Piotrowski said. “I’ve had clients double their rate of interviews simply from doing that,” she said.
Ms. Enelow calls this “double-hitting,” and says she has seen it work remarkably well. She said a senior-level client of hers got an interview and was hired because the hard copy of his cover letter and résumé reached the company president, whereas his electronic application was rejected by someone in human resources because it did not meet certain rigid criteria.
Q. What are some common mistakes in cover letters?
A. A cover letter with typos, misspellings and poor sentence structure may take you out of the running for a job. If you cannot afford to pay someone to review your cover letter and résumé, enlist a friend or a family member with good language skills to do it instead.
Another misguided thing people do is to make the cover letter all about them: “I did this, I’m looking for, I want to ... I, I, I.” Structure your letter so that it stresses the company and what you can do to help it reach its goals, Ms. Piotrowski and others said.
Another danger is including too much information — for example, very specific salary or geographic requirements, Ms. Enelow said. It is also unwise to point out that you do not meet all the criteria in the job description, she said. You can deal with that later, if you get an interview.
Hiring managers are looking for ways to exclude you as they narrow down their applications, she said. Do not give them that ammunition.
E-mail: ccouch@nytimes.com.
What Jobs Will the Stimulus Create?
ReplyDeleteBy John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
In his first address to Congress, President Barack Obama put his top priority for America’s beleaguered workers in simple terms: “Now is the time to jumpstart job creation.”
The work of reversing the labor economy’s slide will not be so simple. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act seeks to bring timely relief to 11.6 million unemployed Americans and 734,000 discouraged workers -- so called by the Bureau of Labor Statistics because they have given up looking.
The jobs created by the Recovery Act will make a world of difference in the lives of millions, even though it can’t put everyone back to work tomorrow.
“The approximately 3.5 million jobs created or saved will reflect the current distribution of jobs across the economy,” touching all industries, says Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute. Due to the severity of the recession, “that’s not going to fill in the employment gap entirely,” she says. About 3.6 million jobs have already been lost in the recession that began December 2007, according to a February 2009 BLS report, and no one expects the losses to stop anytime soon.
Four strategic sectors will receive money targeted for job creation, either directly or indirectly: energy (459,000 jobs), infrastructure (377,000), education (250,000) and healthcare (244,000), according to a report by Obama administration officials.
And the broader stimulus created by government work, recession relief and tax relief is projected to create even greater numbers of jobs across the economy.
Alternative Energy Jobs Get a Jolt
The stimulus package calls for unprecedented spending on clean energy, including $60 billion in loan guarantees for alternative energy projects such as wind turbines and coal gasification.
The money is sorely needed, because the green sector has been especially hard-hit in the downturn. “Since November, hiring has been in a lockdown,” says Doug Scott, regional managing director for recruitment firm the Mergis Group. “It’s starting to improve, because companies who have the money to make a play are now doing so.”
Engineers and tradespeople should see demand for their services rise when federal funding reaches their prospective employers. “Electrical, electronic and mechanical engineers will transfer their skills the quickest to alternative energy, to work on solar panels and wind turbines, for example,” says Scott. “Technical salespeople will be needed, as will skilled tradespeople to work in installation, infrastructure and field service.”
Learn more about energy-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Construction and Infrastructure Win Major Support
“Job growth from the stimulus will be heavier in industries that have been hit harder,” says Shierholz. “Those industries have the most opportunity for bounce-back.”
Construction, with its free-falling housing sector, desperately needs that bounce. So hardhats and their coworkers should be somewhat reassured to see that Recovery Act infrastructure spending will be measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars, and so-called shovel-ready projects will receive funding as soon as this spring. For example, the infrastructure stimulus will include billions of dollars for public transit, encompassing projects ranging from railway repairs to the purchase of hybrid buses.
Learn more about construction-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Education Gets into the Rebuilding Act
Recovery Act funding for education is projected to create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs, from teaching positions to bricklayers. This may give school officials across the country a breather as they struggle to balance budgets while state and local funding dwindles.
Education spending will include a variety of initiatives, from billons of dollars in school repairs to additional millions for programs for students with learning disabilities.
Learn more about education-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Healthcare Gets a Shot in the Arm
The stimulus package includes many billions of dollars for healthcare, including $21 billion for healthcare information systems and technology.
“The new administration will emphasize capturing information to better deliver pharmaceuticals and healthcare services,” says Jason Hersh, managing partner of Kline Hersh International. “Professionals in medical informatics will be in demand over the coming years. Job seekers who are looking to transition skill sets into this environment should look into healthcare IT,” he says.
Learn more about healthcare-related opportunities and search for jobs.
Millions More Jobs to Be Added Across the Economy
Beyond the four strategic sectors, some 2.3 million jobs are projected via other components of the stimulus package, such as extensions of unemployment benefits, aid to states and tax cuts. These jobs will be born in diverse industries, including retail, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, professional and business services, government, financial, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information technology and services, mining and utilities.
Employment in these areas will likely come online sooner than jobs created in the strategic sectors. “Because it takes time to carry out new spending programs authorized by legislation, we expect the jobs created by spending on infrastructure, education, health and energy to be concentrated in 2010 and 2011” rather than this year, the administration report notes.
Even given this jobs-building program of historic proportions, the rising tide of unemployment is unlikely to reverse itself in the near term. “If we can start adding net jobs in early 2010, we can say the stimulus did its job,” says Shierholz.
Get Ready to Land a Stimulus Job
Whether you are hoping to find a job in one of the four strategic sectors -- energy, education, infrastructure, healthcare -- or one that is indirectly created by the stimulus package, you can take action right now to be ready to stand out as the jobs are posted.
* Research: Narrowing in on the types of jobs you want and are most qualified for will help you keep your job search on task. Check out Monster’s Career Snapshots to learn about different jobs and get insiders’ perspectives on what it is like to work in these fields. This can also help you identify any skills gaps you may have so you can seek the appropriate training.
* Update Your Resume: Now that you have some potential career goals in mind, you need to make sure your resume will get you there. Be sure your resume is ready to go with your most up-to-date skills and accomplishments, and consider customizing your resume to the different jobs you plan to apply for.
* Keep an Eye on Jobs: As the stimulus begins to have its impact on the economy, the job postings will trickle in. Set up saved job searches now for your different target jobs so that Monster can notify you as they are posted. And look for when Monster’s Keep America Working Tour will come to a city near you, so you can take advantage of the on-site career-building opportunities.
March 29, 2009
ReplyDeleteCareer Couch
Lining Up Interviews Is Just the Beginning
By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Q. You have had several job interviews at different companies, but still no job offers. Are you doing something wrong?
A. You may not be doing anything wrong. This is a highly competitive job market, and even if you have 9 out of 10 qualifications for a position, an employer may be in a position to find 10 out of 10, said Paul Powers, a management psychologist in Wellesley, Mass., and the author of “Winning Job Interviews.”
Remember that “the essential nature of an active job hunt, while you’re unemployed, is rejection,” Dr. Powers said. “If you’re not getting rejected enough, you’re not working hard enough.”
In fact, your ability to obtain interviews is a sign that you are doing something right — sending out a résumé and cover letter that appeal to hiring managers. And that’s no small feat when hundreds and even thousands of people may be applying for the same job.
That said, you should conduct your own “post-interview review” to see whether there is room for improvement, Dr. Powers said.
(First, of course, make sure that you are washing and combing your hair, dressing appropriately, arriving on time, turning off your cellphone and performing all the other basics of making a good impression.)
Most companies interview the same candidate more than once — sometimes many times. If, on numerous occasions, you have never made it past the first interview, “there’s probably something going on in your interview strategy that’s not leading to that second interview,” said Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, a career management firm in New York.
Q. What could be wrong with your interview strategy?
A. For one thing, you may be sending out brilliant applications for jobs that aren’t a good fit for you, Dr. Powers said. Don’t let a sense of panic cause you to cast your net too wide — it wastes time on both ends.
Even if you are a wonderful candidate, you may be answering questions in a less-than-ideal way. Some people “believe that talking in generalities is the way to go,” Ms. Safani said, but hiring managers usually prefer specifics — especially examples of how you executed a project or solved a problem. Otherwise, you don’t differentiate yourself and you become a mere blur, she said.
In addition to these “stories of success,” candidates need to be able “to communicate in 30 seconds what they’re all about and how they’re going to add value to that organization,” Ms. Safani said.
If you are questioned about your weaknesses, “be authentic without being damaging,” Ms. Safani said. Be ready with an example of a weakness that is not centered on the core competencies of the job you are seeking, she said.
And, of course, be prepared to ask questions yourself — ones that show you have done research about the company. Ms. Safani recommends asking some questions that go beyond the particular job you are applying for, and that cover the direction of the company as a whole.
Q. Looking back, you know that you gave stupid answers to some interview questions. What now?
A. View it as a learning experience and move on, Dr. Powers said. Eventually, it becomes clear that the same 20 or 30 questions tend to be asked, he said, and you can practice your answers to them — perhaps in mock interviews with family, friends or members of a networking group.
It may be a mistake to start out by applying for a job at the company you most want to work for, he said; you may want to practice your interviewing skills at a less-desirable company first.
Q. What if you interviewer is unprepared?
A. First, never assume that the interviewer has read your résumé or even has a copy of it. Always bring extra copies with you.
“If the person’s not prepared, that’s actually an advantage, because it allows you to take control of the interview” and showcase your stories of success, Ms. Safani said.
Take the opportunity to ask questions about the job and the company, and answer even poorly formed questions with enthusiasm and specificity, drawing on the extensive research you have done.
Q. What should you do at the end of the interview?
A. Use the close of the interview to reaffirm that you are interested in the job and are highly qualified for it, Dr. Powers said.
Then ask what the next steps are. Unfortunately, it is common for companies to delay or even halt their hiring plans without letting candidates know, Ms. Safani said; if you don’t hear anything within the time frame specified in your interview, you have a legitimate reason to call the hiring manager. But don’t leave multiple messages; just try to get the person on the phone once — you don’t want to be a pest.
Q. Should you send a thank-you note?
A. Generally, yes. If your main communications have been via e-mail, an e-mailed thank-you note of a few paragraphs — reiterating your qualifications and your interest — is fine, Dr. Powers said. You can also send a thank-you note via regular mail — on better than copy-quality paper, he said. But don’t send a handwritten note unless you have perfect penmanship, he advised.
FYI - we will talk about this in our meeting next week.
ReplyDeleteEllie
When You're Online Even When You're Not Online
April 7, 2009 11:56 PM
Posted by Mitch Joel
If you never really took two seconds to think about privacy and what all of our lives now look like because of these online channels and platforms, here's a fictional story that may ring true for you…
Warren is the Vice President of marketing for a major corporation. He never cared much for online social networks. He joined Facebook to follow his kids, and LinkedIn because someone who worked on his team told him he should - at the very least - have his profile posted there. For the most part, he ignores the invitations, pokes and questions. For his professional development he recognizes the power in these channels, and is well-aware of their capabilities and how it is evolving his day-to-day business. That being said, he still doesn't get why everybody is so crazy over Twitter, even though a growing component of his business line is engaged in some level of customer care using Twitter. Warren would prefer that his professional (and private) life have limited exposure online.
You have to believe that most people are like this. You also have to believe that things are changing too fast for anyone to control the content that is out there and being published online.
It's 4:00 pm on a Tuesday, and Warren gets a call from an old college friend who happens to be in town with a set of great seats to the baseball game. Warren had already committed to another business function, but figured there would be no harm in blowing it off to hang with an old friend. On the way to his seats, he runs into a client and they have a casual chat. The next day at work, Warren's boss comes into his office and asks how he is feeling. Before Warren can respond, his boss asks, "how was the baseball game?"
Without thinking he was doing anything wrong, Warren's client tweeted about how happy he was to run into Warren at the baseball game.
These types of incidents are happening more and more with every passing day and as these platforms become more ubiquitous and easier to use. The point of this Blog post was to highlight that while we're all paying attention to what we post (and how we post it), we can't control what others are doing. We all can't walk around with signs around our necks saying, "this in-person experience is not for Blogs, Facebook or Twitter unless we both agree otherwise." And, as funny as that may sound, we are getting closer to a point in time, where everything that we do in public is going to be recorded and published. We might be needing those signs sooner than we think.
Privacy is scary when you can't control your own online persona.
Whether it's skipping work to grab a flick with friends, or being seen at a party when you told people you would be somewhere else, all of us are going to have to be more self-aware of this shift and change. We're all getting to the point where there may need to be some kind of law or agreement as to what, exactly, is publishable about our lives. For more on this, just take a read through some of the sentiments about Google Maps and their plans for street views.
Privacy has always been a huge concern to Marketers and people publishing content online. There may be a bigger question around what we can all do in a world where even if you're not active and online, everything you are doing is online and highly searchable through the stories and publishing of others.
Does that scare you?
Elizabeth Monaco
Training and Career Development
Phone: 310-794-0872 Fax: 310-794-0855
UCLA Campus Human Resources
www.chr.ucla.edu
Survivor: Job Market
ReplyDeleteUCLA alumna Judy Hernandez offers tips to hold on in the marketplace.
By Judy Hernandez '90
Published Apr 1, 2009 9:00 AM
art
Bruin Judy Hernandez offers expert tips for handling the economic crisis.
As we plunge deeper into the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression, knowing how to weather being laid off or downsized and how to revive a career is even more critical than usual, particularly for young professionals. UCLA alumna Judy Hernandez, a sought-after lecturer and consultant on career planning and former director of community at Monster.com, can help you get through it. Hernandez, a past president of the New York Bruins alumni club, offers pointers on how young professionals can hold on — and even rise up — in the marketplace.
Be a goaltender
What is your goal? This is one thing I can't stress enough. I know not everyone is goal-driven, but when it comes to job search and career change, not much can replace it. I've often seen this story referred to in workshops on goal-setting, and I believe the point is illustrated well:
A well-known American long-distance swimmer, Florence Chadwick, attempted to swim 21 miles across the Catalina Channel, from Catalina Island to Point Vicente, on July 4, 1952. After nearly 16 hours of swimming, she was cramping up and couldn't see because of a thick layer of fog. She felt that she couldn't go on and asked to be taken out of the water. She'd had less than a mile to go. Her comment was, "If I could have seen land, I know I could have made it."
If her goal was in sight, she could have made it. Is your goal in sight?
Learn to say no
In addition to being a Bruin, I am a native New Yorker, and after graduation I wanted to get back home. Upon arrival in New York, I decided to combine my search for work with my graduate school aspirations. I knew that even with a degree from UCLA in psychology and history, I would require additional education to point my career path in the right direction. My most specific requirement was that it didn't matter if I worked at a university or at a company, but that one of the benefits of my job had to be a tuition reimbursement benefit.
Career Building
Could you use a comprehensive online job search tool? A critique of your résumé? How about online career advice, a virtual career-counseling session and how and when to find career fairs on campus? For an edge in today's job markeet, there's no better resource than UCLA's many career services for alumni. Visit the career center's alumni site for a complete listing of services.
I went to employment and temporary agencies and did research about both higher education institutions and companies that had that benefit. I didn't even consider going on an interview if I knew the benefit wasn't included. If it was unclear, I always asked. It was my most important deal-breaker. I had no problem saying no if they didn't have the benefit.
It is sometimes just as powerful to be confident in saying "No," as having the opportunity to say "Yes." Remember that just getting an offer of a job doesn't mean it's the job for you. And that's true even in a recession.
Redefine "career"
When I first started working, I believed that a career should be defined as a specific profession — doctor, lawyer, etc. Now I think that a career is the sum of the education, work and volunteer experiences you've had from whenever you began working to wherever you are now. When I worked at Monster.com, we referred to careers around the office as "birth to earth."
I've had 14 jobs, from working in a Dairy Queen in San Diego to being a file clerk, assistant cook, recruitment coordinator, teacher's aide, community producer at iVillage.com, director of community at Monster.com and adjunct professor at New York University. And that's just the actual paying jobs. Who would have thought that in my current job, I'd refer to my experience volunteering with Girl Scouts back in college or working at UCLA UniCamp? But I do.
Build your résumé creatively
Experiences that never made it to the résumé offer new and stronger ways to present a job seeker. In general, we have been trained to stress parts of a job on our résumé that were important to the employer at the time we have a job.
I have to remind job seekers frequently that what was important to an employer years ago won't matter to the next employer. What did you get out of the job? How did you excel? What can you offer the new employer that they need? (A great way to show this is to use key words from the job description in your résumé.)
Another great tactic is to always be on the lookout on your job for projects or assignments that add something that you want on your résumé. Volunteering for projects not only builds your résumé, it also makes you look good to the boss.
Protect your job
Volunteering is one way to protect your job. You also can take advantage of any training offered by your employer. You can make sure to meet — and hopefully exceed — any established job performance goals (and if you don't have them, talk with your boss about making some). Of course, even if you do these things, you can't count on them totally protecting your job. In volatile times, it may not even be possible. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
Bounce back
I've been laid off a couple times in my career, so I know that it can get you down. I found that once I concentrated on networking with my former colleagues and fellow alumni, eventually I'd get to where I wanted to be. Sometimes it takes time to get back on your feet, but if you are prepared, it'll be easier. Here are some tips:
• Keep a schedule as if you were still working. It's very easy to find yourself in your sweats in front of the TV instead of job-seeking.
• Try to keep yourself doing some kind of work. My adjunct position was great in this capacity.
• Always work with your network. This has been covered before, so I won't dwell on it. Phone or e-mail someone every day. Just connecting keeps spirits up.
Lighten the load
There is a statue of Atlas in midtown Manhattan that I often think of when talking with my job search and career counseling clients. When you need to make a career change, it often feels like you're bearing the weight of the world upon your shoulders. There are so many expectations, your own and those of your family. I hear many questions about how a specific choice may affect someone's career, or even how their life will turn out in the long term. Additionally, we're in a recession. But for goodness' sake, don't get down on yourself. Remember Atlas!