So are there any bright spots?

Yes, actually. Health care added 29,000 jobs in October. Temporary employment services had steadily lost jobs in the beginning of the year, but in October they added 34,000 jobs. Companies have the need for more workers, but they’re cautious of adding new permanent employees. If the economy struggles again, they’d prefer to not renew temporary workers’ contracts rather than layoff a group of employees.

Two CareerBuilder.com experts were on TV to discuss the job numbers and the job outlook this morning.

First up, watch CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

And senior career adviser Michael Erwin was on CBS 2 in Chicago. Watch that clip here.

You can also read the detailed, full report from the BLS on its site.

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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.

While meeting with his “cultural ambassadors” — employees who represent each hotel — to create a social media policy for the company, an issue was brought to his attention: His employees were uncomfortable with some of Conley’s Facebook photos.

The controversy: You see, Conley recently attended Burning Man, a weeklong anything-goes festival. Upon his return, he posted six photos on his Facebook page, two of which show him shirtless. In one photo, Conley dons a tutu; in the other, a sarong. In addition to posting these to his page, he also changed his profile picture from a professional shot to one of said shirtless pictures. (See below).

Of choosing this picture, he says:

“I’m just not a blazer kind of guy. I consider myself a rebel. My first book —The Rebel Rules: Daring to Be Yourself in Business — preaches the value of authenticity in business, of being true to yourself. So a few pictures on my Facebook page that show me having a good time? I honestly didn’t give it a second thought.”

His employees, however, did give it a second thought. At the meeting to discuss the company’s social media policy, Conley was told that his young staff members didn’t like seeing their CEO in a tutu. He was also told that staffers were concerned about some of his Twitter updates, in which he expressed anguish over the demise of an eight-year relationship.  Essentially, employees felt that Conley was setting a double standard by creating a social media policy at the company for everyone except him.

Conley doesn’t feel he is violating any policy; he stands by the fact that he is simply being true to himself. Plus, he attests that the social media policy is mainly to protect the guests of his hotels. If a celebrity is staying at one of his hotels as a guest, for example, his staff members aren’t allowed to Tweet about it. When it comes to posting pictures or Tweeting, Conley says it’s case by case, but for the most part, as long as an employee isn’t posting pictures of himself stealing something while wearing the company uniform, it’s considered the employee’s private life.

So, what do you guys think? Should CEOs be held to a different standard than their employees? Should they have the freedom to post whatever photos they want? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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So Jenkins emphasized her strong sales experience and started targeting sales jobs in healt hcare. Immediately, her job search reaped more results. “I started sending my résumé out and I got so much interest in that area,” she said. Her background even worked in her favor, she explained. “Companies were interested in my outside sales experience.”

Three interviews and one job offer later, Jenkins is now a community ambassador for Silverado Senior Living, an Alzheimer’s community in Los Angeles. She uses her experience in sales to promote the senior living center to doctors and other health care providers. “I go out and create awareness and educate the health care community about the senior living center,” she explained.

Jenkins says she makes about 25% less a year than at her previous position but after five months on the job she is “thriving.” The best part is that she’s no longer worried about getting laid off again. To Jenkins, that’s worth more than the $20,000 paycut.

Of course, no single job can be declared 100 percent secure. Yet, looking at the statistics, Jenkins was right to see that health care was on a trajectory most other industries weren’t–especially during that shaky economic period. In her scenario, a career switch was a smart move.

Still, it makes me wonder how many people are willing to take a hit to the bank account if it means knowing you’ll have a steady paycheck? You’re not guaranteed this lower-paying job will last, but it’s a safer bet than other better-paying jobs–and probably better than having no job at all. Kind of that whole “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” business.

For those of you who find yourselves in this situation, here are some questions to ask while you deliberate taking a secure job for less pay:

• Can you survive on the lower income?
  Some money (the new job) is better than no money (unemployment), but are you taking such a steep cut that you can’t feasibly pay any bills anyway?
• If you’ll be struggling to pay bills, can you take a second job?
  Maybe the lower salary almost covers your needs, so a small supplementary income would be ideal. If the new job doesn’t monopolize all your free time, you could possibly get a part-time job to make ends meet.
• Are you positioning yourself as a qualified candidate?
  The entire question of whether or not to make this career move is moot if you don’t market yourself as someone who deserves the job. Job seekers who are switching industries must remember to tailor their cover letters and résumés to the new employers. Your old jargon and job duties might not make sense until you translate them for your new audience.
• Have you researched the career potential of your new job or industry?
  Look at the projections for industries to see if growth is in its future. Also look at what opportunities for growth are available in a specific organization. On an interview, ask about the opportunities or where the previous person in this role moved to. You want to make sure you’re not sacrificing your professional future in any way.

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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:

1. Maximize your cover letter and resume. Your cover letter highlights your key accomplishments and gives you an opportunity to answer any questions about an employment gap. Put your resume into a functional format (click for an example) that highlights your skills instead of a chronological one that lists your jobs starting with the most recent.

2. Network. Join professional networking sites like Brightfuse and LinkedIn. Look for groups to join that reflect your background or job interest. (For example, search the term “mom”.) The more you network, the more likely you are to meet people who are in a similar situation … or who have been in your situation and are now hiring.

3. Stay informed. Stay abreast of new trends, technology and developments in your industry by attending seminars and courses to prove your time off doesn’t put you at a disadvantage. Research the company, job or industry BEFORE you apply to a job and incorporate that information into each cover letter.

4. Remain open to all possibilities, even if the job title, salary and benefits may not be exactly what you were seeking. Holiday hiring season is in full swing. Try searching using the terms “seasonal” or “holiday.” Even though there are fewer openings this year and these jobs are typically temporary, there are employers who extend permanent offers to seasonal staff. Or consider direct sales like Avon, Stella and Dot or Wine Shop at Home.

5. Work with a professional. Recruiters at staffing firms like Robert Half and Kelly Services have their fingers on the pulse of the job market and work with employers to fill all types of jobs. They can also provide useful feedback on your resume and interview skills.

Click on these links for some additional articles that might be helpful to you:

It’s been 10 years since my last job search
http://www.primecb.com/its-been-10-years-since-my-last-job-searchwhat-do-i-do/?siteid=cbworkbuzz

Worried about gaps on your resume?
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1911-Cover-Letters-Resumes-Worried-About-the-Gaps-on-Your-Résumé/?siteid=cbworkbuzz

Dealing with gaps in your resume and cover letter
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-1111-Cover-Letters-Resumes-Dealing-With-Gaps-in-Your-Resume-and-Cover-Letter/?siteid=cbworkbuzz

Can you relate to Judith’s story? What advice would you give her?

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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:

• Glenda the Good Witch, liked and respected by all – 20 percent
• The Wolf Man, is fine one minute, howling the next – 11 percent
• The Invisible Man, never around – 10 percent
• Casper the Friendly Ghost, eager to help, but often misunderstood – 9 percent
• Dracula, constantly sucking the life right out of you – 6 percent
• Wicked Witch of the West, always acting conniving and sending out minions to do his/her dirty work – 5 percent
• The Mummy, slow-moving and has an ancient thought process – 4 percent
• Grim Reaper, constantly delivers bad news and inspires fear among workers – 3 percent
• Frankenstein, green with envy – 1 percent

In addition to spooky bosses, when asked what the scariest part of their job was, workers reported the following fear-inducing activities:

• Workload – 18 percent
• Performance reviews – 9 percent
• Tight deadlines – 9 percent
• Hours worked – 8 percent
• Their boss or supervisor – 7 percent
• Sitting through meetings – 6 percent

What about you? Which Halloween character is your boss like, and why? What’s the scariest part of your job?

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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.

What’s fair and what’s not? Here’s what the Labor Law Center’s Human Resource blog says: 

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.

It’s one thing if you are using break time as stated above, but what if you are taking four breaks a day or one break an hour? I’m not saying all smokers do that, but there are many non-smokers who complain about this. What are they supposed to do if they don’t relax with a nicotine fix? Aren’t they entitled to the same break time as smokers?

Hard-hitting reporter Pat Tomasulo, sports anchor for WGN TV’s morning news in Chicago, recently took a look at this very topic. Watch here as he takes his own version of “smoke breaks” — he might be on to something.

What do you think? Tell us below; no login required.

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So, in that spirit, here are some ideas for workplace Halloween costumes. If you have any of your own, please chime in!

• A Day Off — Using black lettering, write October 30, 2009 or November 1, 2009 on an orange shirt. When people ask what you are, say, “A day off!”
• Happy Hour — Wrap a tie around your head and carry around an empty (yes, empty) martini glass with you throughout the day. At 5 p.m., scream, “Happy hour!”
• Pink Slip — No one ever wants to be served the dreaded pink slip at work. Wear a pink slip over your work clothes and chase your co-workers.
• Running Late — Show up to the office with messy hair and disheveled clothes with your pajamas showing underneath.
• Vending Machine — Dress in black and fasten snacks to yourself with the cost of each item displayed. To be really evil, place an “out of order” sign on the real vending machine and charge your co-workers for your snacks. When they pay, make sure you throw their snacks on the ground as the vending machine does.
• Office Gossip — Make up fun stories about your co-workers. Fasten the stories to yourself and put the name of your favorite tabloid magazine or gossip blog on a hat. Hang around the water cooler and invite people to read the latest news.
  
• Headhunter — Carry a mannequin or doll head around with you, holding it by the hair.
• Post-it Note — Wear all yellow. When people say “trick or treat” at your cube, pass out real Post-it notes.
• Red Tape — Buy red tape and tape it all over your clothes and cubicle. When people ask what you are, make them cut through some red tape to get the answer.
• Leftover — Wrap yourself in aluminum foil and give yourself an aluminum swan hat. Place a sign on your chest that says, “Anything left after 4 p.m. on Friday will be thrown away!”
  

Here are some ideas that take a bit more work, but are even more unique:

• Missing Person — Wear all white and use poster board to make a hat that resembles a milk carton. On another piece of poster board, place a picture of an employee who recently left the company and label them missing.
• Floating Holiday — Dress as your favorite holiday icon (Santa, Easter Bunny, Leprechaun, etc.) Place cotton around your shoes to look like clouds.
• Boss or Co-worker — Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…but keep it fun. This could veer into passive aggressive territory.
• Suggestion Box — Take a large cardboard box and fasten rope so you can wear it like a barrel. Write “suggestions” on the box and take the slips of paper with your co-workers’ suggestions. Make sure to respond to them by the end of the day.

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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:

Coroner
Why it’s spooky: Coroners observe corpses and investigate the cause, time and manner of death, mostly when it happens under unusual circumstances.
Scary salary: $41,123

Ghost hunter
Why it’s spooky: Ghost hunters use scientific tools to measure and collect evidence of paranormal activity in areas that are said to be haunted. Teams of these people are called paranormal investigation teams.
Scary salary: N/A

Mystery fiction writer
Why it’s spooky: Mystery writers need the creative mind to develop scary plots, suspenseful story lines and twisted characters to comprise compelling novels for their readers.
Scary salary: $57,335

Mortician
Why it’s spooky: Morticians (also known as undertakers or funeral directors) oversee all funeral arrangements for the deceased, including details of body preparation for viewing and preparing the body itself.
Scary salary: $57,247

Witch doctor
Why it’s spooky: Witch doctors are healers through magic and witchcraft. They believe illnesses and injuries are caused by magic and witchcraft and so they are best treated that way.
Scary salary: N/A

Embalmer
Why it’s spooky: Embalmers prepare corpses for burial or cremation by washing, drying and disinfecting the body; releasing excess air from the lungs; draining blood from the circulatory system and replacing it with embalming fluid and applying cosmetics to create a more lifelike appearance.
Scary salary: $46,564

Crime scene cleanup
Why it’s spooky: Crime scene cleaning crews sanitize and clean the aftermaths of crimes on all levels, from murders to domestic violence.
Scary salary: N/A

Grave digger/Cemetery worker
Why it’s spooky: Grave diggers work in cemeteries digging graves before funerals, often times working late into the night or early morning hours. Cemetery workers assist in the upkeep of grave and memorial sites.
Scary salary: $37,505 for grave diggers

Obituary writer
Why it’s spooky: Obituary writers are responsible for writing summaries of the lives of the deceased for such publications as newspapers, magazines and Web sites.
Scary salary: $41,516 for newspaper writers

Crematorium technician
Why it’s spooky: These technicians incinerate corpses and collect the ashes to give to family and loved ones.
Scary salary: $70,294 for managers

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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.

Tell us: Have you ever had a hiring manager or boss ask you about something he or she found on your online profile? (No registration needed to comment below. )

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