The Work Buzz

This morning on the bus I couldn’t help but notice the woman across from me as she made a phone call. (Cell phone chatter on the bus is just one of my personal pet peeves.) But just seconds after she started talking, I realized she was having a job interview. Continue reading

Another month, another jobs report and another small step closer to recovery. Here’s the rundown:

In October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 151,000 jobs were added to the economy, surpassing  economists’ expectations of 70,000. The numbers for August and September were also positively adjusted — showing fewer losses than previously reported. Continue reading

This week, a Mercer Workplace Survey revealed seemingly paradoxical findings, as Forbes reports: Workers believe the economy is improving (especially compared to their views three years ago), but they still have serious concerns about their current situation. Specifically, 36 percent of workers fear losing their jobs. Continue reading

As a rule, I hate alarm clocks. But there’s no alarm clock I hate more than the one that goes off on a Monday morning. This morning was no exception and hitting the snooze button was not an option; I had an 8 a.m. Continue reading

One of CareerBuilder’s Facebook fans recently asked us, “Why aren’t I being hired when my résumé is fine and I make an outstanding first impression?” Can you relate?

While it’s easy to point to the obvious – Great Recession, anyone? – it might be time for some good old-fashioned tough love. Continue reading

They say bad news comes in threes, but what about good news?

While the unemployment rate edged up to 9.6 percent, there are a few things that cause us to take a “glass half full” perspective on U.S. employment this month. Continue reading

Does the thought of making small talk make you cringe? Does schmoozing make you feel like a schmuck? Devora Zack, author of “Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed and the Underconnected,” is just like you and has written today’s guest post on this very topic. Continue reading

Have you ever been asked a question in an interview that seems to come out of left field? One that makes you skip a beat and make you want to ask, “Come again?” or, “Are you serious?” Unfortunately, not all interviewers ask the most kosher questions, and it’s easy to become discombobulated. Continue reading

In her new book “What Your Body Says,” Sharon Saylor writes, “The most influential part of communication is your nonverbal. Your nonverbal can actually destroy or produce the results you want, such as inspiring employees to do better work, calming angry customers, creating fans in the marketplace and closing sales.”

And according to a new CareerBuilder survey, your body language can also hurt your chances of landing a job … especially a lack of eye contact. Continue reading

This morning President Obama made a plea to the Senate to extend unemployment benefits to 3 million Americans who will stop receiving them this month. He said it’s the government’s responsibility “to offer emergency assistance to people who desperately need it … to help them make ends meet and support their families even as they’re looking for another job.”

With about five unemployed people per available job and 6.8 million who have been out of work for 27 weeks or more, this seems like a no-brainer at first glance. Continue reading