Employment

4 Careers Where Knowing How to Interpret Data Is Crucial

April 17, 2018 by Guest Contributor

Many different industries utilize data in order to understand the information that they’re receiving. The skill of interpreting data is really considered more of a soft skill. Here are some careers in which it’s crucial to be able to understand the data trends.

Business Analyst

The role of a business analyst is to take all of the information available and formulate a business plan. This form of data interpretation is more commonly referred to as Business Intelligence (BI). Most companies have some form of BI or another. There are many different types of industries in which having this skill set will come in handy. You don’t have to be limited in your choices if you decide to go into business analytics.

Healthcare Industry

The healthcare industry is another big player when it comes to data interpretation. Companies like MedPro Systems can help hospitals gather their data more effectively by creating a dispute resolution management system. This type of system would track open payments and any other type of dispute at the hospital. Administrators are more likely to routinely look at this type of information if it is well organized and easily quantifiable. You may be interested in pursuing a career path in healthcare.

Software Engineer

There is a growing industry in which software engineers are developing artificial intelligence. This is sometimes referred to as a career in machine learning. Traditionally, AI companies focus their research on reasoning, knowledge representation, planning, learning, natural language processing, perception and the ability to move and manipulate objects. The point is to teach your software program to better adapt to the world around it. There are other applications in which [Read more…] about 4 Careers Where Knowing How to Interpret Data Is Crucial

Tips for Getting Ahead of the Competition in a Tough Job Market

April 9, 2018 by Guest Contributor

These days, with so much uncertainty in many industries and global markets, as well as more people switching careers regularly, you often end up having a big pool of candidates to compete against when it comes time to find a new role. This can be particularly difficult when your local job market is declining, or when your industry is being disrupted. When this happens, you need to know how to shine, and stand out brightly from your competition. Read on for some key ways to go about this today.

Have a Stand-Out Resume

One of the key components of a strong application is your resume. This is usually the first thing HR managers or business owners see, so it really needs to show, within a few seconds, why you’re worth learning about further. You want a document that people will stop to read thoroughly, instead of just skimming before moving on to the next person’s.

There are numerous elements involved in putting together a CV that stands out. Make sure you use helpful formatting, for one. Readers have limited time, so won’t spend long on each document to begin with. As such, you must make your resume scannable (e.g. broken up into bite-size pieces of information instead of big blocks), and put the most important information first so it’s quickly evident that you have some of the skills and experience required.

Always tailor your resume to the position you want to land and the company you want to work for too. While you’ll have a template document to use as the basis, don’t keep sending out the same document to every potential employer – the jobs will likely be different in some capacity, plus the recruiters will be looking for different things. Read the job ad carefully for clues, and research firms so you get an understanding of how they work and what qualities they may want in their team members. Be sure to include any appropriate “Buzzwords” contained in advertisement you’re responding to in your resume.

Remember it’s not about [Read more…] about Tips for Getting Ahead of the Competition in a Tough Job Market

March Employment Tops 147 Million

April 7, 2018 by Tim McMahon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their monthly employment survey results for the month of March on Friday April 6^th .

According to the BLS the Seasonally Adjusted U-3 Unemployment Rate is unchanged for the 6^th month in a row. So from October through March the Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment rate has been 4.1%. This month the unadjusted U-3 was also 4.1%.

Many Experts consider this to be the new “Full Employment” level i.e. everyone who wants a job has found one however with the Labor Force Participation rate still well below the average that is debatable. See Is the U.S. Really at “Full Employment”? for more information.

Key March Employment and Unemployment Numbers

Adjusted U-3 Unemployment- 4.1% unchanged since October.
Unadjusted U-3 Unemployment- 4.1% down from 4.4% February.
Unadjusted U-6 Unemployment- 8.1% down from 8.6% in February.
Employment 147,332 million up from 146.667 million in February and 145.473 million in January but down from 148.346 million in December and 148.526 million in November.
Gallup has discontinued publishing U-6 & U-3 numbers.

See Current Unemployment Chart for more info.

Employment by Sector

The employment “bubble chart” gives us a good representation of how each sector of the economy is doing (employment wise). As we can see from the chart below three sectors are to the left of the zero line this month indicating that all other sectors gained employees in March except Construction which lost -15,000 employees, Retail which lost -4,400 employees, and “Other Services” which lost -1,000 employees on a “Seasonally Adjusted” basis.

The biggest gainer was Professional and Business Services (bubble furthest to the right) which added 33,000 jobs, followed by Education and Health Services which gained 25,000 jobs and Manufacturing which gained 22,000 jobs on top of last months 31,000 manufacturing jobs gained. Average weekly earnings for all industries increased from $922.88 to $925.29.

(See the table below the chart for average weekly earnings and other details.)

How to read this chart:

Bubbles location on the chart tell us two things:

Change in Employment Levels over the most recent month.
Average Weekly earnings.
The further to the right the bubble the larger the increase in the number of jobs.
The higher up on the chart the larger the average salary.

Bubble Size tells us:

Total Employment for the sector.
Larger bubbles mean more people are employed in that sector.

Employment and Average Weekly Earnings by Industry for All Employees

March 2018, Seasonally Adjusted

Industry	Monthly Increase	Average Weekly Earnings	Employment Level
Total Private Employment	102,000	$925.29	125,904,000
Mining and Logging	8,000	$1,501.44	722,000
Construction	-15,000	$1,153.66	7,150,000
Manufacturing	22,000	$1,098.57	12,632,000
Wholesale trade	11,400	$1,178.97	5,967,300
Retail trade	-4,400	$576.58	15,915,900
Transportation and Warehousing	9,800	$942.35	5,279,300
Utilities	4,000	$1,674.74	559,000
Information	2,000	$1,410.43	2,760,000
Financial Activities	2,000	$1,297.20	8,546,000
Professional and Business Services	33,000	$1,162.42	20,803,000
Education and Health Services	25,000	$882.38	23,483,000
Leisure and Hospitality	5,000	$412.64	16,256,000
Other Services	-1,000	$770.31	5,830,000

U-6 Unemployment

Looking at the broader measure of Unemployment which includes discouraged workers, we see that the U-6 unemployment rate fell from 8.9% in January to 8.6% in February and fell further to 8.1% in March.

See Unadjusted U-6 unemployment for more info.

Employment

Over the last month, the actual number of people working (not seasonally adjusted) has increased by 665,000 jobs in March. The BLS Commissioner said:“ Nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 103,000 in March, following a large gain in February (+326,000)…

Over the month, job gains occurred in manufacturing, health care, and mining… Manufacturing employment rose by 22,000… Employment in health care increased by 22,000 in March and has grown by 304,000 over the year…. Mining employment rose by 9,000… Employment in professional and business services continued to trend up in March (+33,000). Over the year, employment in the industry has increased by 502,000, with gains distributed across most of the component industries.” [Read more…] about March Employment Tops 147 Million

5 Career Choices That Can Lead to Financial Stability

March 19, 2018 by Tim McMahon

When looking for a career to pursue, finding one that can provide you with a comfortable living should at least be part of your consideration. For those that are looking for a job that pays well, here are five different career choices and paths that could help you achieve financial stability.

Medical Field

While the medical field has been impacted by changes in the insurance agency and a variety of other factors, it still provides great earning potential. For those that are willing to put in the work that comes with medical school and residency, becoming a physician or surgeon can be a great option. Physicians routinely earn over $200,000 per year and surgeons earn well over $300,000 per year. Other healthcare occupations that you might consider are: Athletic Trainers $45,630/yr and only require a Bachelor’s Degree. Dental Hygienists $72,910/yr Associates Degree, Diagnostic Medical Sonographers $64,280/yr. Associates Degree, Dietitians and Nutritionists $58,920/yr. Bachelor’s degree, Occupational Therapists $81,910/yr. Master’s degree. See the Bureau of Labor Statistics full list of Medical/Healthcare Professions.

Accounting

Another career path that could provide you with [Read more…] about 5 Career Choices That Can Lead to Financial Stability

6 Ways to Streamline Your Job Hunt

March 16, 2018 by Guest Contributor

Searching for a new job can be overwhelming, especially when the search for a job stretches on for a long time. Between preparing your resume, crafting cover letters, and jumping through interview hoops, embarking on a job search can be one of the most frazzling and anxiety-ridden parts of modern adult life.

If you’re on the hunt for a new job, or facing the prospect of embarking on a job hunt, use these tips to streamline the search. This will not only make your job search more manageable, but could hopefully shorten the duration as well.

1) Treat a Job Search as Your New Full Time Job

You must treat finding a job as if it were your full time job. So you need a place to work where you can concentrate without distractions. Along the same lines you need to work full time hours. When you get laid off it is too easy to get into the habit of staying up late and then “sleeping in”. If you are going to be successful you need to be organized and spend your “work hours” creating a resume ( and then constantly tweaking it), seeking out potential employers, submitting resumes, interviewing and following up.

2) Be Selective

You should definitely apply to any job you feel you’re qualified for, but you only have so much time and energy to devote to job searching, so don’t waste any of it by applying for jobs you know you have no chance of even being interviewed for. Be realistic, but don’t sell yourself short, either. If you’re missing one or two of the qualifications asked for in the job posting, you might still have a chance of getting an interview, because companies know they may not find a candidate with all of the experience and skills they’re looking for. But if you’re missing several of the company’s desired qualifications, move on to the next job.

Apply this strategy to interviewing, too, so you don’t waste your time interviewing for a job that pays significantly less than your desired salary, offers fewer opportunities for advancement, or is otherwise not advanced enough for your skill set. Be honest when interviewers ask about your desired salary range, and if they don’t ask, don’t be afraid to ask the salary range during an initial phone screening. This might put off some employers, but most will understand that you need a certain salary or certain benefits and don’t want to waste theirs or your time by interviewing for a position that can’t compensate you as you require.

3) Use Your Network

Many people get jobs through [Read more…] about 6 Ways to Streamline Your Job Hunt

February Employment UP – Unemployment Down

March 10, 2018 by Tim McMahon

On Friday March 9^th the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their monthly employment survey results for the month of February.

According to the BLS the Seasonally Adjusted U-3 Unemployment Rate for February is unchanged for the 5th month in a row. That’s right from October through February the Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment rate has been 4.1%.

This is a very low level and we really don’t expect it to get too much lower.

Key February Employment and Unemployment Numbers

Adjusted U-3 Unemployment- 4.1% unchanged since October.
Unadjusted U-3 Unemployment- 4.4% down from 4.5% January.
Unadjusted U-6 Unemployment- 8.6% down from 8.9% in January.
Employment 146.696 million up from 145.473 million in January but down from 148.346 million in December and 148.526 million in November.
Gallup has discontinued publishing U-6 & U-3 numbers.

See Current Unemployment Chart for more info.

Employment by Sector

The employment “bubble chart” gives us a good representation of how each sector of the economy is doing (employment wise). As we can see from the chart below the only sector to the left of the zero line is Information meaning that all other sectors gained employees in February except information which lost -12,000 employees on a “Seasonally Adjusted” basis.

The biggest gainer was construction (bubble furthest to the right) which added 61,000 jobs, followed by Retail Trade which gained 50,300 jobs and Professional and Business Services which gained 50,000 jobs even manufacturing gained 31,000 jobs. (See the table below the chart for average weekly earnings and other details.)

How to read this chart:

Bubbles location on the chart tell us two things:

Change in Employment Levels over the most recent month.
Average Weekly earnings.
The further to the right the bubble the larger the increase in the number of jobs.
The higher up on the chart the larger the average salary.

Bubble Size tells us:

Total Employment for the sector.
Larger bubbles mean more people are employed in that sector.

Employment and Average Weekly Earnings by Industry for All Employees

February 2018, Seasonally Adjusted

Industry	Monthly Increase	Average Weekly Earnings	Employment Level
Total Private Employment	287,000	$922.88	125,819,000
Mining and Logging	8,000	$1,485.78	713,000
Construction	61,000	$1,158.17	7,173,000
Manufacturing	31,000	$1,100.03	12,614,000
Wholesale trade	5,800	$1,185.12	5,956,200
Retail trade	50,300	$572.55	15,926,200
Transportation and Warehousing	15,400	$940.60	5,263,400
Utilities	1,200	$1,658.82	553,400
Information	-12,000	$1,418.40	2,748,000
Financial Activities	28,000	$1,290.81	8,547,000
Professional and Business Services	50,000	$1,161.30	20,760,000
Education and Health Services	23,000	$882.75	23,466,000
Leisure and Hospitality	16,000	$410.81	16,262,000
Other Services	10,000	$768.73	5,837,000

U-6 Unemployment

Looking at the broader measure of Unemployment which includes discouraged workers, we see that the U-6 unemployment rate fell from 10.1% in January to 9.5% in 2017 and from 8.9% to 8.6% in 2018.

From the table at the left we can also see that U-6 unemployment went from 9.2% in October 2016 to 7.6% in 2017.

Similarly it fell from 9.0% in November 2016 to 7.7% in 2017 and from 9.1% in December 2016 to 8.0% in 2017.

See Unadjusted U-6 unemployment for more info.

Employment

Over the last month, the actual number of people working (not seasonally adjusted) has increased by [Read more…] about February Employment UP – Unemployment Down

4 Educational Paths for Those Interested in Career Leadership Roles

March 6, 2018 by Guest Contributor

There are many educational pathways if you’re interested in being a leader in your industry. They only real qualification is that you’re passionate about what you want to do. Here are some pathways for you consider to get you into a leadership position.

Training and Development Manager

Training is a vital part of all industries. As a training manager, you would develop the programs that educate those entering your industry. Many training managers play a significant role in developing their current workforce’s skills. This allows employees to move up within the company. You would also be tasked with managing the budget of your department. Having a background in adult education would be beneficial to get you on the path to becoming a training manager. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “The median annual wage for training and development managers was $105,830 in May 2016. Employment of training and development managers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Job prospects should be favorable due to the constant need for workplace training and education.”

Attend Nursing School

Nursing is a demanding career that has many rewards. If you are currently working in another field, [Read more…] about 4 Educational Paths for Those Interested in Career Leadership Roles

Work Got You Down? 4 Steps to Making a Career Change

February 20, 2018 by Tim McMahon

If you are not enjoying the work you do, it’s harder to be productive as the minutes drag by… feeling like hours. Are you miserable in your current profession and want a change? Perhaps you want to earn more money or move your career to the next level. A career change might sound daunting, but in the long run can be worth it. These four steps will get you started on the path to a career change.

Research Possible Careers

Some people already have a new career in mind. It might be something they have always wanted to do or related to a field that has interested them for years. However, most people still need to narrow down their list to just one. Research is vital when considering a new career because you want to make sure you are choosing the right one. One of the best places to research new career options is the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Look up how many people work in the profession, whether the industry is going to grow or shrink, and even the job turnover rate.

Job Shadowing or Information Gathering

Once you have done your proper research, it is important to learn as much about the career field as possible. You can arrange to interview those you already know work in the industry, or you can even reach out to people who have worked in it before. Social media is a great way to meet possible interviewees. You might even be able to [Read more…] about Work Got You Down? 4 Steps to Making a Career Change

Hard Day’s Work: 4 Ways to Prepare for Working a Construction Job

February 7, 2018 by Tim McMahon

Working a construction job is a great way to apply your skills, stay fit, and enjoy a solid income. But it can also be dangerous if you aren’t properly prepared. Here are a few easy preparations, so you can be sure that the time you give to your trade will be safe, worthwhile and effective.

Have the Right Gear

A construction site offers a unique set of physical characteristics that require the right gear to effectively accommodate. For you, this may mean a pair of steel-toed boots to protect your feet, a hard hat to protect your head, or rain gear to ensure you stay dry and comfortable in case it starts raining. An interesting quote from Ben’s Cleaner Sales says “When your job requires you and your employees to work with pressure washers or outside during the rain, you want quality rain equipment to keep you dry. When you are dry and comfortable, you are more productive… Plus, most of our rain gear is brightly colored and equipped with reflective stripes for safety.” So it is important to remember that when the weather is bad visibility is also lower, so the addition of bright colors and reflective materials can also improve your safety.

You must keep in mind that you may be exposed to the elements up to your entire workday, so you need to dress to ensure you remain comfortable if that ends up being the case. If it’s cold, dress in layers so you can shed layers as you heat up while performing work. If it’s warm, wear clothing that will wick sweat away from your body so you don’t end up with wet, uncomfortable clothes all day. Two critical pieces of personal equipment you should have are construction boots and a reflective vest. Simply by wearing these to a construction site you show the job foreman that you are serious and ready to work.

Study up

If this is your first time working in the construction industry, being able to understand what’s being asked from you, right from the start, will help you reach greater heights in the industry. Know specific terminology that is used in your field, and understand how to use the tools of your specific trade. Two certifications that you can easily get are your OSHA 10 certification and your “Flagman” certification as you’ll see in this video these two certifications will take you a total of 14 hours to get and will go a long way toward getting your foot in the door of the construction industry.

Over time you will certainly improve in all these areas through daily exposure and hands-on learning, but if you don’t know much when you show up to a job site, the learning curve is going to be difficult and potentially dangerous.

Get Enough Sleep

Since your safety and the safety of others on the job site depend on [Read more…] about Hard Day’s Work: 4 Ways to Prepare for Working a Construction Job

January Unemployment Almost “Record Setting”

February 3, 2018 by Tim McMahon

January Unemployment is almost record setting… but not for the reason you might think.

On Friday February 2^nd the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their monthly employment survey results for the month of January. According to the BLS the Seasonally Adjusted U-3 Unemployment Rate for January is unchanged for the almost record setting 4th month in a row. That’s right from October through January the Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment rate has been 4.1%. This is a very low level and we really don’t expect it to get too much lower but the interesting part is that the unadjusted U-3 was 3.9% from October through December (resulting in the adjusted rate being 4.1%) but then in January the unadjusted rate jumped to 4.5% (a 0.6% increase) and the adjusted U-3 remained the same at 4.1%. This is because typically January sees an uptick in unemployment as all the seasonal employees get laid-off. So we would expect some sort of uptick in unadjusted unemployment rate. But because the Seasonally Adjusted U3 was unchanged for the month the current increase in the unadjusted U-3 was actually no greater or less than normal. See Current Unemployment Chart for more info.

U-6 Unemployment

Over the same period, Unadjusted U-6 unemployment which is a broader measure of Unemployment including discouraged workers, climbed steadily.

It was 7.6% in October, then 7.7% in November, then 8.0% in December, and finally 8.9% in January.

This is still significantly better than a year ago when in November 2016 Unadjusted U-6 was 9% and had climbed to 10.1% by January 2017.

See Unadjusted U-6 unemployment for more info.

Employment

Over the last month, the actual number of people working (not seasonally adjusted) has decreased by [Read more…] about January Unemployment Almost “Record Setting”