The Number One Factor in Obtaining a Job
In skimming through my RSS feeds earlier today, I saw a blog post titled something to the effect of “the most important aspect of the job search” (I’m paraphrasing – I don’t remember exactly). Without actually reading that post, I start thinking about what, exactly, IS the most important element in obtaining a new job. So I thought. And thought some more. And then I realized…I don’t even know what the ONE most important element is. It’s a cliche to say that “it’s hard to narrow it down to just one thing,” but maybe that cliche exists because the statement… [Continue Reading]
Logistics Jobs Remain Strong
In the wake of what can only be called a financial disaster that began in earnest roughly one year ago, it was no surprise that the overall employment picture in this country took a nosedive. Of course, some career areas were more affected than others – working in real estate or financial services, for example, would have been particularly tough on all but the most established professionals. One area that saw only a minor downward blip on the trend graph, however, was the logistics industry. Now, that could be misleading, because the logistics field is one that really spans a… [Continue Reading]
Networking Concept Flogged to Death, but for a Reason
If you read anything about the job search process, career management, etc., you’ve undoubtedly heard the advice to “network.” It’s pretty much the one thing that every single person in the industry agrees on – you have to network to most effectively manage your career. I read a recent blog post entitled “Networking, networking, networking” and wondered – why only three iterations? OK, Ok, I didn’t really think that, but I could have, right? I mean, if you want to sum up the entire job search process in a few phrases, one of them would certainly have to include networking,… [Continue Reading]
Some New Stuff in the Job Search World
First off, I always hesitate to label anything as “merely” job search when I write about anything that Jason Alba is doing. It’s funny, because I work sqarely in the job search space. I own job boards. People search for and apply to jobs on them. But Jason, you see, is about “career management,” and that’s a bigger topic (and a bigger undertaking). Now, of course, on the blog here I’ll occasionally delve into that larger and not-mutually-exclusive topic of career management. Primarily, however, we’re all about the job search here. Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I… [Continue Reading]
JibberJobber Still “the” Career Management Tool
Having made my way (virtually) around the job search/career management/employment space online, I’ve come into casual contact with a number of job boarders, recruiters, employment bloggers and others. But what struck me several years ago as a unique concept – an online “career management” tool – remains of interest even as other unique networking and job search tools are growing up on the Web each day. Jason Alba, the creator of JibberJobber, is an interesting story himself. Having found himself without a job, then subsequently registering disgust (or at least disenchantment) with the job search process, Jason redefined how he… [Continue Reading]
Aerospace Jobs Very Popular of Late
In viewing some job trends lately, I’ve noticed that the increase in aerospace jobs has been pretty consistent. A spike early in the year in 2009 gave way to a decline during the spring and summer, but prior to that the growth, according to trend reporting from SimplyHired, was at 16% over January, 2008. While the aerospace industry is largely one offering high-end positions, there are occasional entry-level employment opportunities as well, mostly on the floor of aerospace manufacturing companies. Generally, however, entry to the field requires either very specific skills, as in the instance of aircraft mechanic jobs, or… [Continue Reading]
Worse to be “Job Insecure” Than Unemployed
In an article I read on LiveScience yesterday, an interesting point was made. Namely, that insecurity regarding one’s employment situation is worse for one’s health than actual unemployment. From the study: Based on how participants rated their own physical and mental health, we found that people who were persistently concerned about losing their jobs reported significantly worse overall health in both studies and were more depressed in one of the studies than those who had actually lost and regained their jobs recently Upon reading this I found myself thinking…”you know, that actually makes sense.” You see, the sense of impending… [Continue Reading]