“Competition for seasonal positions will be intense as the job market is flooded with qualified candidates vying for a smaller number of open positions,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “Employers tell us they are accepting the majority of their seasonal applications during October and November, meaning job seekers need to identify and apply for those opportunities now.”

Because of the weaker economy and expected soft holiday retail sales, employers do not anticipate a robust seasonal hiring period this year. The outlook for seasonal hiring in the fourth quarter of 2009 is projected to be similar to 2008, according to CareerBuilder’s “Seasonal Hiring 2009″ survey of more than 2,900 hiring managers. Eighteen percent of hiring managers plan to take on seasonal workers to meet business needs associated with the holidays and end-of-the-year wrap-ups, on par with 17 percent in 2008.

According to the National Retail Federation, retailers hired an additional 231,000 workers during the 2008 holiday season, a substantial drop from the 618,000 they hired in 2007. During the holidays, while some retailers were hiring seasonal workers, others were shedding full- and part-time jobs from stores and corporate offices. Since January 1, 2008, the retail industry has lost 770,000 jobs.

Here are some of the other results from the CareerBuilder survey:

• 12% of employed workers plan to take on a seasonal job to help make ends meet.
• 44% of hiring managers expect to pay $10 or more per hour and 12 percent expect to pay $16 or more per hour; 34 % of hiring managers plan to pay between $8 and $10 per hour and 20% expect to pay between $6 and $8.
• The most popular positions identified for seasonal recruitment include customer service, retail sales, administrative/clerical, hospitality, shipping/delivery, inventory, technology and accounting/finance.

What’s the good news long-term job seekers? Seasonal positions may prove to be the break job seekers are looking for as 31% of hiring managers indicate they are likely to hire a seasonal worker for a full-time position. Here are some tips if you are seeking seasonal employment:

• Start applying early – 77% of hiring managers do not plan to accept applications for seasonal workers beyond November. Especially in a competitive job market, getting your resume in early will help your chances of securing a position.
• Do your homework – Nearly a quarter of hiring managers say that having no knowledge of the company or products deterred them from hiring a seasonal candidate in the past. Check out the company’s Web site before the interview and familiarize yourself with products, services, press announcements, etc so the hiring manager knows you’re serious about the opportunity.  
• Show enthusiasm – Nearly half of employers say they were turned off by a candidate who lacked enthusiasm during their interview. Convey that you’re excited about the opportunity to contribute to the success of the organization and stay away from saying the primary reason you want the position is for the employee discount.
• Dress the part – If you are interviewing for a job in a retail clothing store, it’s a good idea to show up dressed in an outfit from that store. One-in-ten (11 percent) hiring managers said candidates who interviewed for a job in a competitor’s ensemble were ultimately not considered for the open position.
• Be flexible regarding your schedule – Forty-seven percent of hiring managers said they were turned off by a candidate who refused to work certain hours. Seasonal hours tend to fluctuate; you need to be open and flexible to alternative schedules.
• Use specific keywords – To find the most relevant jobs, search online using the following terms: seasonal, holiday, part-time, temporary and Christmas.

Want to know more? Check out this article on companies hiring this holiday season.

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This past weekend PBS reran the episode “Nurses Needed” of its documentary program Now. Although it originally aired last fall, the facts remain the same. (At the end of the segment, producers do catch up with a featured patient to see how she’s doing one year later.) By 2020, the country could have a shortage of nurses nearing 500,000 or even 1 million.

Look at this study on nursing from the Department of Health and Human Services. In 2000, the amount of full-time equivalent (FTE) licensed nurses was 1,891,000. The demand for FTE licensed nurses was 2,001,500. By 2020, there will be fewer FTE licensed nurses at just 1,808,000. Yet the demand will rise to 2,824,900.

 A lack of nurses can translate into less attention spent with each patient, the program points out, and studies have proven that too many patients per nurse can negatively affect medical care. With fewer nurses in hospitals and other health-care facilities, the amount of patients per nurse will continue to grow. The program also  explains that fewer nurses are choosing to teach due to low salaries, therefore adversely affecting the number of new nurses. And many nurses are choosing to work for pharmaceutical companies because the pay can be substantially higher than hospitals, emergency rooms, clinics and many other health care facilities.

If nursing appeals to you–and it’s not an easy job, so it’s definitely not for everyone–this could be the right time to look into it. The demand for nurses will only increase in the coming decades, so you’ll be in demand. Depending on where you decide to work, wages can vary. Here are some median annual salary figures from CBSalary.com to give you an idea:

• Registered nurse: $66,427
• Intensive care unit (ICU) nurse: $67,548
• Head nurse: $85,967
• Critical care unit (CCU) nurse: $67,016
• Nurse midwife: $98,008
• Home-care nurse: $65,507

(Salaries vary by location, of course. And there are many other nursing options available.)

To watch the episode of Now, click here.

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 There are some jobs, however, that seem tailor-made for those who thrive on stress. And those jobs — and the people who perform them — are some we simply cannot live without.

Watch this video from CBtv to learn more, and tell us below why your stressful job is worth it.

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I did some detective work and found 20 jobs whose entry-level salaries range from $41,000 to $77,000 a year. Compare these to the national mean of $41,231 for all workers and that’s a nice chunk of change for starting out in a new career.

One thing to keep in mind: While there are jobs that pay well at the entry-level, that pay is usually related to education. If you want a high starting salary, you’ll have to do your homework … literally. Certifications, post-secondary education and baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate degrees are usually needed for these jobs.

Here are 20 jobs with high entry-level salaries, according to SalaryExpert.com, which powers CBSalary.com:

1. Athlete Agent
   Industry: Sales 
   Annual salary: $59,879
2. Compensation Analyst
   Industry: Health care 
   Annual salary: $54,568
3. Computer Information Scientist 
   Industry: IT 
   Annual salary: $65,624
4. Developmental Psychologist
   Industry: Health care 
   Annual salary: $45,241
5. e-Commerce Business Analyst 
   Industry: IT 
   Annual salary: $60,022 
6. ERI Specialist 
   Industry: Health care 
   Annual salary: $41,680
7. Hydraulic Engineer 
   Industry: Engineering 
   Annual salary: $60,729
8. Industrial Engineer
   Industry: Engineering 
   Annual salary: $65,600 
9. Industrial Health Engineer 
   Industry: Engineering 
   Annual salary: $54,716
10. Marine Engineering Machinist
    Engineering 
    Annual salary: $58,177
11. MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) 
    Industry: Engineering 
    Annual salary: $71,935
12. Medical Social Researcher
    Industry: Health care 
    Annual salary: $47,594
13. Product Marketing Engineer 
    Industry: Engineering 
    Annual salary: $53,156
14. Sales Engineering Agent
    Industry: Sales 
    Annual salary: $55,693
15. Scientific Artist
    Industry: Health care 
    Annual salary: $43,053
16. Software Developer 
    Industry: IT 
    Annual salary: $77,511
17. Systems Administrator 
    Industry: IT 
    Annual salary: $63,209
18. Systems Analyst Lead 
    Industry: IT 
    Annual salary: $74,518
19. Veterans Service Officer 
    Industry: Health care 
    Annual salary: $44,319
20. Web Developer 
    Industry: IT 
    Annual salary: $66,861

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• Thanks for the (work)buzz kill, NYT.
  Downturn Dims Prospects Even at Top Law Schools
• I’m not sure if I’m surprised by this survey’s findings or not…
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• Hmmm.
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• The financial industry is hiring already. That does surprise me.
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Here’s what you should be reading today:

• Not sure that these sorts of findings really change much, but they’re fun reads, nonetheless.
  Testosterone May Guide Women’s Careers
• Hopefully confidence translates into a better economy.
  Consumers more confident of economy, jobs
• A sad but realistic look at unemployment for some people.
  The Huge Gap Between a Dentist and a Job
• Nice, friendly reminder.
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• Credit problems can be a pain in the plastic, but maybe things aren’t so bad after all.
  Credit trends improve for most credit card issuers
• Further proof that Regis Philbin might save the world.
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• Our past haunts us! DA DA DUN!
  When a Background Check Reveals a Misdemeanor
• Job interviews are often pains in the neck, but some are worse than others.
  Extreme job interviews

See you bright and happy tomorrow, Work Buzzers!

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• A little tough love comin’ atcha.
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• We’re always looking for a silver lining.
  Laid-off workers seize fresh start
• Dress codes really do cause more confusion and anxiety than most any other issue, I think.
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• Of course, to get a silver lining,  you can’t avoid the rain cloud completely.
  Americans working much harder – for less pay

‘Til Wednesday!

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If you want to learn even more about today’s employment outlook, scroll to the bottom of the list for video of CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

Back by popular demand is a list of 15 companies hiring in August, as compiled by Anthony here at TheWorkBuzz. For the complete article, click here.

Acosta
Industry: Sales and marketing
Sample job titles: Retail merchandiser, unit manager, area managers

Adecco Group North America*
Industry: Various (including IT, engineering, finance and accounting, office and administrative, legal, medical and science, government)
Sample job titles: Mortgage processor, accounts payable/receivable manager, mechanical engineer, paralegal, HR manager

Aflac
Industry: Insurance
Sample job titles: Sales representative

Aldi
Industry: Grocery
Sample job titles: Cashier, shift manager, manager trainee

Archer Daniels Midland
Industry: Agriculture/manufacturing
Sample job titles: IT application support specialist, IT support analyst, accountant, turbine specialist, mechanical engineer

AutoZone
Industry: Automotive retail
Sample job titles: Part-time and full-time sales, parts sales manager, store manager, territory sales manager

Cengage Learning
Industry: Publishing
Sample job titles: Sales representative, writer and editor, account manager

Central Payment Corporation
Industry: Credit card processing
Sample job titles: Outside sales representative, account executive, entry-level sales representative

Idearc Media
Industry: Advertising/Media
Sample job titles: Inside media sales consultant, outside media sales consultant

Kool Smiles
Industry: Health care
Sample job titles: Dentist, dental assistant, dental hygienist, office manager

Manpower International, Manpower Professional, Manpower Staffing
Industry: Recruiting/staffing
Sample job titles: Senior level marketing, managing director, staffing specialist

Medical Services of America
Industry: Home healthcare services
Sample job titles: Physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, sales representative

Oceaneering International Inc.
Industry: Engineering
Sample job titles: NDT technician, ROV mechanical and electronic technician, engineer, designer, diver, project manager

Quintiles Transnational
Industry: Pharmaceutical
Sample job titles: Pharmaceutical sales representative, clinical nurse educator

Ross Education
Industry: Post secondary allied health education
Sample job titles: Dental assistant instructor, admissions representative
Want to know more about the most current hiring landscape? Watch this video of CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson on Friday’s Closing Bell on CNBC.

*Note: Adecco is a recruiting and staffing firm looking to fill positions on behalf of other employers across the country and in a variety of fields.

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But here are other stories worth reading:

• We’ll take signs of recovery anywhere we can find ‘em!
  U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Fall More Than Projected
• People helping people–nice story!
  Job seekers are forming groups to lend each other a hand — and support
• Hmm.
  Teller Fired For Foiling Robbery
• We reported on this guy a while back, and he’s still going!
  50 jobs, 50 states: Quest takes man to Brockton

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