The Work Buzz » News and trends

Companies hiring this week

Debra Auerbach — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:05:59 +0000

The most recent regional and state employment and unemployment summary from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in April, 37 states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, five states posted rate increases, and eight states had no change. In comparison, in March, 30 states recorded unemployment rate decreases, eight states posted rate increases, and 12 states and the District of Columbia had no change. With more states reporting unemployment decreases, it appears that the economy is continuing to move in the right direction.

No matter where you live, here are 10 companies hiring workers across the country.

1. Advanced Technology Services
Industry: Manufacturing services/factory maintenance
Sample job titles: CNC-maintenance technician, planner/scheduler, reliability engineer, site manager

2. CenturyLink
Industry: Telecommunications
Sample job titles: Customer care, sales engineer, account executive, network engineer

3. eHealthInsurance Services Inc.
Industry: Insurance/e-commerce
Sample job titles: Sales, information technology, human resources, marketing, customer service

4. Moorehead Communications Inc.
Industry: Wireless retail
Sample job titles: Bilingual human resource generalist/manager, experienced PC and IT service desk technician, satellite installation technician, PT satellite call center sales representative

5. Patterson Logistics Services Inc.
Industry: Health care
Sample job titles: Order filler, receiver, inventory control

6. TeleTech
Industry: BPO/customer care
Sample job titles: Customer service representative, .Net developer

7. Titlemax
Industry: Consumer services
Sample job titles: Store manager, district manager, bilingual customer service representative, commercial construction field estimator, customer service representative, general manager trainee, store manager trainee, regional manager

8. U.S. Bank
Industry: Banking
Sample job titles: Branch manager, banker, information security incident response specialist, commercial banking relationship manager, mortgage processor, mortgage loan officer

9. Visiting Angels
Industry: Home health care
Sample job titles: Caregiver/companion, certified nursing assistant, home health aide, scheduler, registered nurse

10. Yale New Haven Health System
Industry: Health care
Sample job titles: Patient safety coordinator, Web developer, application specialist, network engineer, Web architect, imaging tech, nurse practitioner

America’s in-demand jobs: Account executive

Justin Thompson — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:00:50 +0000

Last week we profiled financial analysts, one of the six most in-demand jobs in the U.S., according to information from CareerBuilder’s database. Today we’re highlighting another in-demand job: account executives. People with these jobs maintain client relationships and keep a book of business, executing transactional relationships from beginning to end.

Individuals in this role are usually self-motivated and can work in various industries across different disciplines within a company, although they are often aligned with sales. According to CareerBuilder’s Supply & Demand Portal, the average national salary is $85,000, and the top cities hiring for these positions are New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Check out all the account executive positions we have on CareerBuilder today!

Watch the video below for more details:

Take a look at the infographic below for additional data:

‘The Intouchables’ contest: Tell us about your interview experience

Anthony Balderrama — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:47:41 +0000

On Friday, May 25, the highly lauded French film “The Intouchables” makes its way to the U.S. after a successful overseas run. The film tells the story of Phillipe, a wealthy quadriplegic man who is looking for a full-time caretaker. He ultimately hires Driss, who has a criminal past and doesn’t want the position or even think he’s actually in the running for it. That indifference to the position is evident in his demeanor during the interview. He wears a hoodie, gives curt answers and doesn’t exhibit all those positive body language tips we recommend. He’s basically the opposite of the ideal job seeker you usually strive to be.

Yet, he gets the job. Phillipe has seen a parade of identical applicants who all have the same educational background, personality and lack of chemistry he needs in a caretaker. He sees something special in Driss, or at least he hopes he sees it. Of course, Phillipe has his doubters who don’t think Driss can do the job. Driss accepts the role and, since we are talking about a movie, the two men form a unique and entertaining friendship. Meanwhile everyone around them is bewildered by the success of their relationship.

“The Intouchables” got us thinking that we’ve all probably been in situations somewhat similar to Driss. Maybe not exactly like him, but close enough that we can relate. Either we went on a job interview just to get the practice but suddenly found ourselves intrigued by the role, or maybe we were eager for a role even though everyone told us we didn’t have a shot. Either way, we’ve been on that side of the interviewer’s desk before, and it’s not always fun.

Together with The Weinstein Company (which produced the film), we want to hear your story and give away a $250 Visa gift card. Answer one of the following three questions in our comments section below, and we’ll select a winner from the responses.

a. Have you ever taken a job you weren’t sure about, only to end up loving it? Tell us about it.

b. What was the most fun/strangest/most unusual interview experience you ever had?

c. Tell us about a time when you took a job that no one thought you could do.

Share your story with us, and hopefully you’ll win the contest. Good luck!

CONTEST DETAILS:

Entries will be accepted from 12:00 a.m. CST on Monday, May 21, 2012 until 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, May 27, 2012. Each account may only submit one answer for consideration; subsequent entries will not be considered. Spam responses will not be considered. The winner will be picked at random and notified via email the week of May 27, 2012. Please read the full list of official contest rules and regulations.

Are businesses prepared for a disaster?

Anthony Balderrama — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:43 +0000

Grade-school students often welcome tornado and fire drills as unexpected escapes from class. Every few months, students practice what to do in case of an emergency, and for a few minutes they get to chat with friends and maybe even skip a test. Hopefully they never actually encounter a real fire or tornado, but it is the school’s responsibility to ensure that everyone knows what to do should one occur.

As adults who spend most of our days at work instead of school, we don’t always have that same level of preparation. A new CareerBuilder survey on disaster preparedness finds that many companies do have some form of a disaster-recovery plan, but many aren’t ready for the variety of crises that could come their way. Check out the infographic below to see if companies are as prepared for a cyber attack as they are for a fire.

Summer job forecast: Partly cloudy, with improving hiring conditions

Debra Auerbach — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:08 +0000

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, many workers yearn to leave the constraints of their office or cubicle and enjoy the outdoors. But if you’re unemployed during the summer, chances are you’d be happy to trade in the mild temperatures for the office environment.

Summer job seekers, you’re in luck. Hiring conditions are steadily improving, according to CareerBuilder’s annual Summer Job Forecast. The survey found that 29 percent of U.S. employers plan to hire workers this summer, up from 21 percent in 2011 and an average of 22 percent over the past four years.

Hot industries for hiring
Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, says that confidence is up among the employers most closely associated with summer hiring. The manufacturing sector leads the way, with 45 percent of employers planning to add summer workers. The other industries that are expected to have high levels of seasonal hiring include:

Hospitality — 44 percent
Retail — 34 percent
Finance — 31 percent

The customer service, office support, information technology, research, engineering and sales sectors are also predicting summer hiring spikes.

Summertime salary
What compensation should seasonal workers expect this summer? When asked what they plan to pay seasonal hires, employers gave the following responses:

More than $16 per hour — 20 percent
$10 or more per hour — 64 percent
$8 to $10 per hour — 29 percent

Summer temps could last all year long
Many job seekers would be happy to take a temporary job during the summer, and if it leads to a full-time position, all the better. Seventy-one percent of employers hiring this summer said they’ll be considering some hires for permanent positions. In fact, 39 percent of employers said they’re less likely to hire someone who isn’t interested in working beyond summer.

“A majority of employers told us they consider a summer position an extended job interview,” Rasmussen says. “The forecast is also a strong indicator that the job market will continue to strengthen as we come closer to the second half of 2012.”

Haven’t started looking for seasonal work yet? It’s not too late. Thirty-eight percent of companies typically complete summer hiring in May, and 19 percent will hire in June and beyond. So whether you’re a recent college graduate, an unemployed job seeker or someone who has left the workforce but is considering a comeback, you can expect to enjoy a sunnier summer job season.

America’s in-demand jobs: Financial analyst

Justin Thompson — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:07 +0000

Last week we profiled health-care case managers, one of the six most in-demand jobs in the U.S., according to information from CareerBuilder’s database. Today we’re highlighting another in-demand job: financial analysts. People with these jobs provide guidance on investment decisions for businesses. They assess performance of investments and help decide what moves the company should make when it comes to a portfolio.

These workers are often employed at banks, insurance companies or securities firms. According to CareerBuilder’s Supply & Demand Portal, the average national salary is $65,500, and the top cities hiring for these positions are New York, Chicago and Boston.

Watch the video below for more details:

And if you’d rather see it as a snazzy infographic, we have that, too:

Check out all the financial analyst positions we have on CareerBuilder today!