Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data and reported 190,000 jobs were lost in October. Although that figure means 190,000 people lost their jobs–a reality no one can be pleased about–it is a better figure than the 219,000 jobs lost in September. Look back to a year ago, when the numbers hit 597,000 in November 2008 and only got worse for the next five months. In that regard, the outlook is definitely more positive than it was only a few months ago. The unemployment rate also came out today, and at 10.2 percent it set a record for the highest rate since April 1983.
My co-worker over at The Hiring Site sent me an interesting article this morning about a CEO named Chip Conley posting some questionable photos on his Facebook site. I think it’s going to spark an interesting discussion…
Background: Conley is the CEO and founder of Joie de Vivre, a company that operates a collection of boutique hotels in California. He started the business 22 years ago when he was just out of college. Today, it’s a $230 million company with more than 3,000 employees and 38 properties.
In a recent article on BNet.com, Conley discusses how his PR agency recently set up a Facebook page for him, along with a fan page, to promote his new book.
“I accepted pretty much anyone who “friended” me, including plenty of employees, and gradually I began posting the usual Facebook fodder — links to articles, quick takes on books, emotional missives. My profile picture — a business-casual blazer-and-collared-shirt look — was uploaded by my PR team as well,” Conley said. Continue reading – Should CEOs Post Photos on Facebook?
While catching up on the news yesterday, I read this interesting article on CNN.com. The author, Jessica Dickler, interviews Stephanie Jenkins, who had a background in hotel sales and marketing but now works for a senior living Alzheimer’s community. When she saw jobs in health care were growing while hospitality opportunities were dwindling, she saw the potential for a future career. Continue reading – Would you take a pay cut for job security?
Judi writes: “I am 54, recently divorced and desperately looking for work. I have a lot of job experience, however, I spent more of my adult years raising my children. I have been diligently applying for work for about 12 weeks and have not been offered one position. I’ve adjusted my resume so I don’t apply for jobs I’m not qualified for. At the same time, jobs I am qualified for don’t pay enough to pay my rent. I have to say this is the most frustrating experience I’ve ever endured, as my credit score dips lower and lower because I’m unable to pay even minimum payments on my credit cards.”
Judi,
What you are going through is not uncommon. Countless people have been faced with this same dilemma. People returning to the workforce after an absence have multiple worries: “Will I have to prove myself all over again?” “How do I explain the gap in employment?” “What if I lack the required skills or education?”
It sounds like you are driven and motivated, but right now job seekers need all the help they can get. You want make sure you are looking at all your possibilities … including some you might not have thought of. Here are several things you can do to get your foot in the door or start earning a paycheck while developing skills to add to your resume:
Two days until Halloween! I got the finishing touches to my flapper costume last night; my boss got her “Dharma Initiative” suit in the mail yesterday; my co-worker got her Beddazzler to glam up her “Kim from Real Housewives of Atlanta” costume — it’s all coming together.
Keeping in the Halloween spirit, CareerBuilder thought it would be fun to ask workers about all the scary things we encounter at work — namely, our bosses, our job duties and the workplace itself.
In the survey, 18 percent of workers described their workplace as scary. Some of those people think their workplace is scary because their bosses bear a strong resemblance to famous Halloween characters. When asked which popular characters best reflect their boss’s behavior, workers said the following: Continue reading – Which Halloween Character Is Your Boss Most Like?
Everyone likes work breaks. You like them because they give you, well, a break from your job — they’re a chance to get coffee, update your Facebook status, pay a bill, watch the latest Funny or Die video or smoke a cigarette. Employers like them because downtime has been shown to help productivity, relieve stress and even build camaraderie among employees.
But breaks can be also a point of contention around some workplaces. While you barely can pull yourself away from your desk most days to heat up your Lean Cuisine, your co-worker seems to be constantly ducking out for coffee, stamps or a quick smoke.
The best practice in HR is to give employees an unpaid meal break of 30 minutes or more, per 8 hour shift. Most employers give an additional meal break if the employee has to work 12 hours or more.
In addition, the best practice in most industries is to give workers a 10 to 15 minute break at approximately the mid-point of each 4-hour work segment. Usually this translates into a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon break. Under the federal FLSA or Fair Labor Standards Act, rest breaks of less than 20 minutes must be paid. (Meal breaks that are longer than 20 minutes may be unpaid if the employee is relieved of all duties during this period.)
Which brings us to the subject of smokers and their break times.
Halloween is only a few days away, as the terrifying Rachel pointed out yesterday. Plenty of you probably think, “And?” because you’re not big on dressing up. At least not on the job. Normally I’d be with you. When colleagues chase me around the office on St. Patrick’s Day, threatening to pinch me if I’m not wearing green, I can’t help but feel a little weird. But for Halloween, I support costumes in the workplace. Why? Because any excuse to take casual dress to a new level is OK by me.
I know, I know — most people don’t devote a whole week to celebrating one holiday — except for me. In my book, big occasions just can’t be celebrated in one day. Every September, I have a “birthday week.” When my friends get married, it’s their “wedding week.” And now that Halloween is just 5 short days away, it is most certainly “halloween week.”
To get all of you as excited about Halloween as I am, I thought we could start this week with “spooky jobs” for other Halloween fanatics. The following jobs deal with matters from corpses to violence to death to the supernatural. Fellow Halloween Lovers, consider one of the following 10 spooky jobs: Continue reading – 10 Spooky Jobs
How many social networking profiles do you have? I have five … I think …. but maybe more. The two I use the most are FaceBook (personal) and Twitter (professional). I also have profiles on MySpace, BrightFuse, LinkedIn, Yammer … so that’s six … but I don’t visit them every day and can’t tell you the last time I’ve reviewed my public profiles on those sites.
If you’re job hunting and have a social networking profile (or two, or six), be warned: 45% of hiring managers are looking for you online. Watch this video for tips on how to make sure you are portrayed in the best possible light across the Web.
Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released new data and reported 190,000 jobs were lost in October. Although that figure means 190,000 people lost their jobs–a reality no one can be pleased about–it is a better figure than the 219,000 jobs lost in September. Look back to a year ago, when the numbers hit 597,000 in November 2008 and only got worse for the next five months. In that regard, the outlook is definitely more positive than it was only a few months ago. The unemployment rate also came out today, and at 10.2 percent it set a record for the highest rate since April 1983.
