Employment

5 Things Employers Wish You Knew Before Applying For a Job

May 20, 2016 by Guest Contributor

Some maintain there has never been a wider gulf between employers and job candidates than there is right now. While this is debatable, there can be no doubt job hunting in the 21st century bears little to no resemblance to the job hunts of the previous century. The potential for misunderstanding between manager and future employee is high, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some things employers would like their candidates to know.

Honesty is Still the Best Policy

Employers want the best people in the right jobs. To make sure that happens, they need [Read more…] about 5 Things Employers Wish You Knew Before Applying For a Job

Six Careers for Natural Leaders

May 18, 2016 by Tim McMahon

When choosing a career, it is important that you consider both your interests and strengths. Certain careers are better suited toward people that are naturally strong leaders. If you take the time and consideration to choose carefully, you will be more likely to enjoy what you do and excel at it.

Nurse

We often think of the primary characteristic of a nurse to be compassion but although it may not be obvious at first glance, it is highly beneficial for nurses to also be good leaders, have strong personalities and excellent organizational skills. They often have to keep track of many patients and pay close attention to detail. They have to be effective communicators with patients, their families, doctors, and other supporting staff. And on occasion they need to be forceful in order to ensure the best care for their patients.

Teacher

Teachers are charged with [Read more…] about Six Careers for Natural Leaders

Finding the Right Career Path with Your University Skills

May 18, 2016 by Guest Contributor

Your university experience provided you with tangible work, knowledge, and skills you can use when applying for a job. If you took lab courses, add that experience to your resume as proof of your abilities to follow instructions and achieve results. Any research you did in school can help you secure a job that requires an ability to analyze and dissect information, which is most work. Your major can have a large impact on the job you ultimately choose. Use these tips for finding the right career for your skills and degree.

Skills to Be a Diplomat

Diplomats have to work with a variety of people and be respectful of other cultures as they travel. Many college degrees prepare you with these skills since you’ve likely had to work with people from several different backgrounds.
Courses in subjects like Anthropology and Sociology help you to get a better understanding of other belief systems and values as well. Most any college degree can qualify you for work as a diplomat in the Department of State.

According to the Department of State website, “As a Civil Service employee, you’ll [Read more…] about Finding the Right Career Path with Your University Skills

BLS Monthly Employment Report for April

May 6, 2016 by Tim McMahon

The US economy added 160,000 “seasonally adjusted” jobs in April, the lowest figure in the last seven months. The adjusted U-3 unemployment rate remained steady at 5%. The Unadjusted U-3 fell to 4.7% while the Unadjusted U-6 fell to 9.3% from 9.9% last month.
On a seasonally adjusted basis employment has fallen while on a non-adjusted basis the actual number of non-farm employed has increased from 142.887 Million to 143.944 million for a net increase of 1,057,000 jobs but since April traditionally sees a large increase in seasonal workers the seasonally adjusted number says that we were only 160,000 jobs better than what we would expect if there were zero jobs growth.

Labor Force Participation Rate

The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is the percentage of the Labor Force that is currently either looking for a job or actually has one. So even though it sounds like it is talking about how many people are working it actually is the percentage who “want to work”. As of April this stands at 62.8%. This rate has been steadily falling for a number of years and has reached levels not seen since the 1970’s.

Since the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures unemployment as the percentage of the labor force that can’t find work as people stop looking for work they fall out of the labor force and are no longer counted. Thus the unemployment rate can fall even though no new jobs have been created.

Long Term Labor Force Participation Rate

As we can see from the above chart the LFPR peaked in the late 1990’s and fell during the recession from 2000 through 2004. From 2004 through 2007 it leveled off but then the “Great Recession” hit and the LFPR has fallen pretty steadily since. And even though we are supposed to be in a recovery the LFPR continues to fall although there was a bit of an up tick at the end of 2015 and early 2016, April’s LFPR is lower than March’s.

Some people wrongly assume that the LFPR is falling due to retiring baby-boomers. This premise however has been proven false. See Record Low LFPR which shows the LFPR by age group since 1999. The biggest declines occur in the younger ages while those above age 60 actually show a higher percentage are working. For instance, in 1999 only 24% of those age 65-69 were working but according to the BLS in 2015 30.8% of those age 65-69 were working.

Gallup “Good Jobs” Index

Gallup’s “Good Jobs” Index is their version of the LFPR it is calculated as a percentage of the total population rather than limiting it to the “work force”. So although the percentage is lower it is a better indicator of the actual situation since it is not subject to fudging through simply redefining who is in the “work force”. Gallup says 44.9% of the total adult population is in the “Good Jobs” Index i.e. has a full-time job. This does not mean that they are employed at their full capacity or that they are earning a “decent wage” simply that they are employed full-time. Gallup defines a full-time as 30+ hours per week for an employer who provides a regular paycheck. This is up from 44.5% last month confirming the seasonal increase in employment mentioned above.

March Jobs Data

April 2, 2016 by Tim McMahon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their employment data for the month of March 2016. The adjusted U-3 unemployment rate was 5.0% up from 4.9% in February. The unadjusted U-3 unemployment rate was 5.1% while the Gallup survey says the unadjusted U-3 was actually a full 1% higher at 6.1%. See: Unemployment Rate Chart

U-6 Unemployment

The BLS says the broader U-6 unemployment rate that includes short term “discouraged workers” was 9.9% while Gallup says the rate is really 14.4%.

Meanwhile, according to [Read more…] about March Jobs Data

Oil Jobs Lost: 250,000 And Counting, Texas Likely To See Massive Layoffs Soon

December 4, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Crude oil just capped off a third straight week of declines, as WTI nears the $40 per barrel threshold. Goldman Sachs is once again raising the possibility of oil dipping into the $20s per barrel.

That spells more pain for the energy sector. Many companies have already slashed spending and culled their payrolls, but the total number of job losses continues to climb.

According to Graves & Co., an industry consultant, oil and gas companies have laid off more than 250,000 workers around the world, a tally that will rise if oil prices remain in the dumps.

“I was surprised it’s gotten this far,” Graves & Co.’s John Graves told Bloomberg in an interview. In an eye-catching statistic that highlights [Read more…] about Oil Jobs Lost: 250,000 And Counting, Texas Likely To See Massive Layoffs Soon

The Gig Economy Is the New Normal

November 19, 2015 by John Mauldin

By John Mauldin

An already-confusing employment environment grew even more complicated this past week. Many readers responded to my “Crime in the Jobs Report” letter with their own stories. Some confirmed what I wrote, while others disputed it. Some of the stories I read from readers who are stuck far from where they want to be in this job market were very moving. I think everyone agrees the labor outlook is uncertain. I sense a lot of nervousness, even from those who have secure jobs that pay well. In today’s letter, I’m going to respond to some of the observations and data that came in this week on employment.

As we will see, we have a right to be nervous. Big changes in the employment world are happening, and we don’t yet know how they will affect us individually. Analysts like me can say we’ll muddle through, but we must remember that not everyone will muddle at the same pace.

We will also take a look today at a growing new phenomenon: the gig economy.

Employers Want Gray Hair?

We talked last week about employers’ reluctance to hire older workers. Reader Steve Lange from Denver pointed me to a ZeroHedge article that questions this premise.

If you look at the BLS age breakdown for new jobs (Table A-9), you’ll see that workers aged 55 and over accounted for virtually all of October’s strong gains. That group added 378,000 jobs last month.

Meanwhile, the number of workers aged 25-54 actually declined by 35,000. That’s supposed to be “prime working age,” so any decline should ring alarm bells. And the numbers are more alarming if

5 Unusual Freelance Jobs

November 19, 2015 by Guest Contributor

In the new gig economy, the key to successful freelancing is having a variety of profit centers. Whether you choose to have several projects in one field, or work in a variety of fields, having an arsenal of freelance options will keep you successfully self-employed.

Here are 5 unusual freelance jobs that you can explore, or mix and match for extra cash.

Podcasting

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the podcast serial, podcasting has exploded as a way to communicate. These days, many businesses and individuals want to get into that game. If you have some technical chops, a great freelancing gig would be to offer your services as a podcasting engineer. You could both set up and instruct a client or you can be a weekly regular.

Blog Food Stylist and Photographer

Nowadays, the key to a successful blog or website are the photos. Clients are in need of someone who can come in and help create a visual brand for their food blog. If you have a knack for making a table look inviting, are able to make food look scrumptious on a plate and have the love and talent to create photographs of it all, this may be for you.

Truck for Hire

People are always looking to move things from place to place. Whether it is produce, merchandise, vehicles, small buildings or even just hauling trash to the dump. There are many options for freelancers to purchase a used truck and start their own hauling business. If you are hauling trash locally you won’t need more than a small truck. But, if you are considering hauling large loads locally or cross country you might consider starting with a used tractor trailer from a company like Arrow Truck Sales.

Professional Instagrammer

Instagram is the fastest growing form of social media in the city, and many companies like, airlines, media organizations, municipalities, tourist authorities, and other groups use it to post current photos. These companies need freelancers to take photos of landmarks, new installations, special events, and other points of interest.

E-Learning

E-Learning is the hottest trend. Learning about a new app, system, upgrade can help you create your own course. If you want to find clients looking to convert their material into an E-Course, E-Learning is a profit center that has not yet realized its potential.

The key to successful self-employment now is having a variety of gigs. Whether they are all related, or all different, mixing and matching unique profit centers will give you many options to realize your career dreams. Most importantly, your unique skills will always make getting up for work exciting and challenging.

Six Unexpected Payoffs of Having a Sales Job

October 1, 2015 by Tim McMahon

In an age where companies must use a wide range of different marketing tactics to compete, the salesman has somewhat of a bad reputation. While many salespeople are helpful professionals, many people think of the aggressive telemarketer or the high-pressure car salesman when they picture what it looks like to work in sales. In actuality, sales jobs can be extremely lucrative and the experience attained can offer professionals an extreme advantage in the job market. Here are six payoffs you might not expect to have when you start a career in sales.

Rewards Go Beyond Just Commissions

Whenever you take a job, you expect to be paid as long as you are performing. Most people know that the top-selling professionals who are working for the right company can earn serious coin by hitting their targets. While a good salary and fair commissions are important, you need to look beyond the money. Many companies will offer their top salespeople company cars, bonuses, cruises, trips for conferences, and other perks that will make life in and out of the office more [Read more…] about Six Unexpected Payoffs of Having a Sales Job

Six of the Most Dangerous Jobs in America

September 23, 2015 by Guest Contributor

Most people know they will be safe when they arrive at work, but that’s not the case for everyone. In order to keep a highly productive society, some of us have to do the extra hard and dangerous jobs. While there are dozens of jobs with some level of danger, these six often pose the most threat to worker safety.

Pilot

There are a variety of different jobs for pilots from flying small private planes in the bush to flying large jumbo jets from city to city. There is always going to be [Read more…] about Six of the Most Dangerous Jobs in America