Networking Online

Meeting new colleagues and getting referrals has never been easier thanks to some new Web sites that allow you to network virtually, on the Internet.

A networking Web site works like this:

1. You register and setup your personal page.

2. Invite your friends/colleagues to join.

3. Get connected to their friends and friends of those friends.

4. Use those connections to find work at companies that interest you

Since offline networking is very time consuming, sites such as Linkedin.com and Ryze.com are helping job seekers extend their contact lists quickly and easily. They've kind of become the dating sites of the business world. They offer job seekers a fabulous opportunity to expand their network.

Some sites allow you to contact only those in your network, while others let you search the entire database by company, location, college, etc.

At Ryze.com for example, 29-year-old Dave Donnelly of San Diego, California joined the site after several months of fruitless job searching. He searched the site for people working at nearby companies he was targeting in his search. After sending out several introductory e-mails, he got a response from a man working at WebEx, a local conferencing software company. That man passed his résumé on to human resources, and two weeks later Dave was hired.
With that one instant stamp of approval from an employee of the company, Dave had moved to the head of the line. The man who referred him got a $1500 referral fee from the company. It was a perfect match.

Many hiring managers have taken notice of this recent trend and begun actively recruiting on networking sites. For them, it's a matter of finding quality applicants while avoiding the randomness of other recruiting methods.

Even Monster.com, the popular online job board is getting in to the act. They just launched their own new service called "Monster Networking."

Here is a list of business networking sites;

Affinity Engines, Appiir*, Business Parc, BusinessPartnerships.ca*, Contact Network, Doostang*, ecademy, eConozco, Eliyon, EntreMate, eXtremeNetworking.biz*, Friendly Favors, GoingProfessional, Growth Company, I'm Not From Here, InterAction, ITmob, ItsNotWhatYouKnow, Join Network PLUS, LLC, Kickstart-Connect*, Konnects, LinkedIn, Link Silicon Valley, matcheroo, Mediabistro, Monster Networking, NetMiner, Netmodular Community, Networking For Professionals, Online Business Networking Resource, Open Business Club (openBC), OrderGenerator, PeopleThatClick*, Point Relevance, Polypol, PowerMingle, RealContacts, ReferNet, Reunion, Ryze, SelectMinds, Senior Management Network*, Shortcut, Silicon Valley Pipeline, Spoke Software, Sullivan Executive Networking Community, Tacit - ActiveNet, TENG, Viaduc*, Visible Path, WisdomBuilder, Zerendipity Networks, Zerodegrees.

Do Americans Have American Idol Syndrome?

Nan Russell thinks so. She's not my relative but I must agree with her recent post about ego-centric workers who think they deserve to be the next American Idol.

She writes...

I like Simon, one of three judges on American Idol. I find his feedback refreshingly honest. And while his words startle me with their ego wounding potential, the traditional feel-good, let-you-down-easy, sugar-coated feedback is not much of a gift. It's hard to tell someone they're not good enough and their dreams are not going to happen, at least in this venue. But not telling them is no gift either. Some contestants rise to the challenges he throws at them. Some don't. And, some can't. Which one are you?

Continued >>

Catastrophic Job Hunting Flubs

By Scott Reeves of Forbes.com

NEW YORK - Here are the first three paragraphs from one of the worst cover letters ever:

I always dreamed of motivating a football crowd and bringing home a team victory. One evening late in my freshman year of high school, I had the chance to prove it. As I sat eagerly on the edge of my auditorium chair, I thought about winning. There were 108 young women competing for a spot on the [Central High] School varsity cheerleading squad. Only eight of us would win.

Four months later, I achieved my goal. Standing on the football field, I studied all the anxious faces peering down at me. My adrenaline flowed as I began cheering. Working the audience, I chanted spiritedly. My energy surged as the fans' enthusiasm accelerated. Minutes later, I had the crowd on their feet cheering the Eagles on to victory. In the end, the box score read Eagles 14, Wildcats 10. As a senior professional, I have spent 17 years motivating the crowd, inspiring wins and leading. My strongest assets include selling prospective clients, producing new company revenue, creating innovative market strategies and exceeding objectives.

The moral of this brilliant mix of pom-poms and capitalism: "Don't try to be cute," says Scott Simmons, vice president at Crist Associates in Chicago. "Maintain your focus--you're hunting for a job, not reliving your past."

Click here for full article >>

The Importance of References

Kudos to Shelley over at Wired&Hired for her post today on the importance of getting your references in order. I'd even go a step further and get quotes from them to put on your résumé.

More Vertical Job Search: JobSeekUSA

Jobseekusa.com began beta-testing their new vertical job-search technology yesterday; and according to their press release, “Jobseekusa.com has developed the world’s first job-search engine to use Natural Language Processing to retrieve millions of fresh job listings nationwide.”

My question is do we really need another one of these sites?

It seems to me that Indeed and SimplyHired have cornered the market as far as vertical job search sites go. JobSeekUSA claims that they will be different by offering a natural language search engine. But to me, job searching online is not really served well by natural search queries. Job searching is more precise. For instance, on their site JobSeekUSA give this search as an example:

"Need a Programmer Job in Dallas Texas"

To me this seems much less efficient than typing this phrase:

"Programmer Dallas TX"

As a jobseeker I would rather use a site like Indeed & SimplyHired. They are easy to use and offer more value to their users. Given their head start in this market I don't see JobSeekUSA gaining much traction.

Fort McMurray, Alberta Canada: The Hottest Job Market on the Planet

Do you know where Fort McMurray, Alberta is?

Most people don't. But if you are looking for the next great job market – this is the place to be! Last Sunday 60 Minutes did a piece on this oil boom town that’s a must see for oil investors and job seekers.

What’s holding them back is labor — the shortage of it. Brian Jean says another 100,000 people are needed in Fort McMurray. That’s why one oil company has built a runway to fly workers daily from civilization to Fort McMurray. But why would anyone want to come work in a place where temperatures plummet to 40 below and the sun sets shortly after it rises in the long winter? Well, perhaps because the oil companies pay some of the highest salaries in North America. Take Josh Lichti, who says he could be making $120,000 by the time he is 22. "It’s amazing," he says.

You can read the full transcript of the story here >>

Layoffs are back - time for Plan B

Yesterday New England's largest grocer, Stop & Shop, announced it's closing down a distribution center in North Haven, CT leaving 850 soon-to-be laid off people. And the same day Ford Motor Co., announced 25,000-30,000 layoffs this year. Combined with GM's recent news about 30,000 layoffs that's a lot of people who will be hurting.

Unfortunately for America this kind of scenario is becoming all too familiar. The workers at Stop & Shop were said to be in shock, many feel they were "deceived". "Stunned and furious" were some of the other adjectives used to described these hard working employees, many of whom had worked there for over 20 years.

But I was not as surprised as the people who work there. You see, the American economy is under going a profound change in the way it works. Unfortunately many Americans have yet to discover this fact.

Gone are the days when you will work for the same employer for 20 years and collect a pension to retire early.

There is no company loyalty anymore. Workers are just an expense to be reduced at the company's leisure.

I don't mean to sound harsh but that's the way it is today. Every worker, particularly those who have been at one employer for many years or who work in an industry that is shrinking, need a backup plan. You need to think about your next job, before you leave your current one.

You must become your own career manager because no one else will. That means being prepared at all times.

- Have your resume constantly updated and ready to go at a moments notice.

- Brush up on the latest job hunting skills (reading this blog regularly will help)

- Stop specializing...todays worker must have multiple skills for today's job market.

- Always be learning. Learn whatever new skills you can on the job. Volunteer for new projects.

- Learn on your own... the internet is a vast resource for everything you need.

Everyone needs a (career) Plan B.

Try a Micro Résumé

Who said a résumé had to fit on an 8 ½ by 11-inch sheet of paper? Certainly not the founders of the Cubicle Card Company, a maker of promotional trading cards for your job search. Simply upload a picture of yourself, and fill in the online form with your objective, skills, employment history, personal profile and education.

View a sample Cubicle Card.

The "job cards" are perfect for passing out at job fairs, giving to people you interview with or contacts that network for you. They are also great for attaching to your regular résumé or as a follow- up with a thank you note.

Check them out at www.cubicle-cards.com.

Internet generation realizing a downside to growing up online

Steven Silvers calls them The Transparent Generation. In his recent post he laments about how our younger generation of kids who grew up with the internet may now be regretting some of their online habits. I have to agree. Just as the resume is no place to list personal information such as marital status and hobbies, the internet is now part of the job search process. Anything you dont want employers to know should not be posted online. Job seekers must keep things professional at all times.

Here's what he writes...

They're the first true children of the hyperconnected information age, and they were using the Internet before they could write cursive. Now they're starting to graduate college, ready to launch their careers as responsible, tax-paying young adults.

And many of them are waking up to a nagging concern about their online trail of screw-the-establishment web sites, embarrassing party photos, gushy poetry blogs and message board diatribes - all created way before they ever thought they might be Googled by a potential boss.

"For nearly the last decade my personal thoughts and feelings have been registered on the internet," an intern candidate wrote to me recently. "I have to wonder, do I need to start avoiding message boards I've posted on for years for the sake of an organization I'll belong to?"

It depends on the content and context, of course. But what he and his generation are coming to realize is that their use of the Internet to socialize and explore their innermost selves has created a transparent, permanent record by which complete strangers are making decisions about their future.

Read his full post >>

The Genesis of Jobseeking: No Reply At All

The lyrics to the Genesis song "No Reply at ALL" ring true for almost every job seeker...

Talk to me, you never talk to me.
Ooh, it seems that I can speak.
But I can hear my voice shouting out.
But there’s no reply at all.
Look at me, you never look at me,
Ooh, I’ve been sitting, staring, seems so long.
But you’re looking through me
Like I wasn’t here at all.
No reply, there’s no reply at all.

What I'm talking about of curse is the proverbial "Black hole" of applying for jobs by email. Liz Ryan, a writer for Business Week, just wrote an article and basically apologized for the entire HR community. She believes that the behavior of companies towards job seekers is a shame since they mainly dont give job seekers any feedback.

Secrets of the Job Hunt Posts Now Available by Email

Readers of this blog can now get email alerts everytime a new posting is published. Just enter your email address in the form to the right and get the latest tips, tricks and tactics of today's job hunter in your inbox.

Attention Jobseekers: Indeed just got more useful

Indeed.com has added a Job Search Plug-in for Google Desktop Search

If you use Google Desktop Search, you can track your Indeed job searches using our Job Search Plug-in for Google Desktop Sidebar. Once you’ve installed the plug-in, just enter your search query and location, and matching jobs will automatically appear in your sidebar as we find them.

Online job hunting just gets more efficient every day. Nice work guys!

Use a web site to expose your brand

A personal Web site is a great way to market yourself, particularly if you work in the computer or graphic design industries. With it, you can really expand on parts of your résumé that don't fit on a sheet of paper. It's a great way to publish samples of your work, to share your views on industry topics and to provide more detailed information on your skills and experience. In addition, it allows recruiters to find you via search engines!

The basic structure of your site should follow your résumé's outline. Try and reserve a web address that includes your name (i.e. johnsmith.com).

Brandego is one company that helps executives build their own web presence. Check out some of their work to see how powerful a personal web site can be.

According to their web site: "Brandego™ is the essential career-management solution for executives, senior managers and solopreneurs in a competitive, global marketplace. Brandego will help you differentiate and market yourself through our leading-edge combination of personal branding and sophisticated Web portfolios and career blogs."

Job-seekers need another pair of eyes to scan their applications for errors

Just saw this on the wires. These job seekers never surprise me anymore.

Tucson, Arizona Published: 01.15.2006
advertisementHiring managers expect applicants to submit clean résumés and cover letters. Presumably, candidates have had ample time to review them for accuracy and style. Spelling or punctuation errors in a timed skills test can be attributed to deadline pressure, but job seekers have much longer to make sure application materials are perfect.

COVER LETTER: "Driven, Dedicated and determined."

Very driven and dedicated, and it seems a little less determined.
Make good use of the time you have to check — and double-check — all aspects of your documents: grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling and formatting. The following individuals could have used another set of eyes before hitting "send."

COVER LETTER: "I'm a hard-wroking PR associate."
Please wrok a little harder on your proofreading.

"EXPERIENCE: Assistant for PAL (Police Activates League)."

You say activates, I say activities ...

Personal information has no place on a résumé or in a cover letter unless it relates directly to the position. Remember, as a job seeker you must demonstrate to a potential employer the value you can bring to the company through your professional experience and skills. You want to show hiring managers how you can contribute, not garner sympathy. The following candidate started off on the right foot by emphasizing his flexibility but then went too far:

COVER LETTER: "I'm willing to relocate for the right offer. I'm unattached, have no alimony, no luggage, and am starting fresh."

You'll need luggage to relocate.

"EXPERIENCE: Perfumed duties such as accounts receivable, accounts payable and data entry."

The sweet smell of success!

And, finally, when stating your work history, include only the positions in which you were employed more than four weeks, unlike this next job seeker.

"EXPERIENCE: I was only there two days, so I don't think it matters."

You're right.

● Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of the staffing firm Robert Half International Inc., is the author of "Managing Your Career For Dummies" and "Job Hunting For Dummies." For more Resumania, visit www.resumania.com.

See what the recruiter sees

If you've ever jobhunted online than no doubt you have applied for a job using one of those Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) on a company website. Typically the larger the company, the more likely it is that they will utilize one of these systems.

When you submit your resume and other information to them they usually rank you according to your answers and the keywords found in your resume. Below is an example of a sample ranking for a job. Note how the candidates are ranked via a percentage. You can also see that there are literally hundreds of candidates for this job as evidenced by the page links above the results. Imagine if you were on page 40! Talk about being buried.



My point in showing you this is that there are certain rules to follow when applying on a company website. These rules will help move you up in the rankings you see above.

1. Apply to only the jobs you are qualified for. Dont use their site to apply to every job you see.

2. Use the same language they use in the job description. Dont assume the industry jargon you use will be understood.

3. Don't leave blank answers. Answer every question truthfully.

4. Make sure you spell check everything.

5. Mention your best skills up front so the software flags it as the most recent.

6. If you've been referred by an employee there, be sure to mention it.

How to Position Yourself in the Job Market

Positioning: This classic marketing term is perhaps the single most important element of your job search marketing campaign. Positioning yourself means identifying how employers see you as a potential employee. The key questions to ask yourself are: What makes me different from the other job seekers? How will I improve the company? How will I increase its profits?

If you do not come up with your own answers to these questions, then the employer has no idea how hiring you will benefit them. This is perhaps the number one mistake I see in job seekers today. They have no idea how to position themselves in the marketplace. Their résumés are merely a listing of jobs rather than a list of accomplishments. In interviews, their responses are dull and convey no relationship to the job in question.

Here's a couple of examples to help you create your own positioning statement.

Example Positioning Statement for a Technical Support Specialist

"My value to [ insert company name] is my five years of information technology experience. I am adept at technical support and troubleshooting computer problems. My technical knowledge will help reduce call waiting times and improve the image of your technical support center."

Example Positioning Statement for a Sales Manager

"I will increase your revenues by mentoring your sales staff in effective selling techniques and by forging relationships with key decision makers in your target market."

I also like the way the writers over at AdvantageResumes.com position their clients. Check out these resume samples for executives. Look at this example. Notice how instead of the traditional "summary", they break out the first page into BRAND, ROI and VALUE statements.

The BRAND statement is particulary powerful;

"A visionary and ethical rainmaker, I propel triple-digit advances in growth and revenue through the conception and building of new businesses and new products. When I build a business I do what I say and I do it the right way - without micromanaging - to deliver spectacular results and winning teams."

Wow! That is the way to sell yourself.

The Best & Worst Careers for 2006

Marty Nemko over at US News & World Report has just written about the best and worst jobs for this year. It provides an interesting look at what's hot and what's not. If you're a career changer, check it out.

He writes...

In contrast, my job ratings are based on both objective and subjective criteria. The objective information is gleaned largely from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, known informally as the OOH (www.bls.gov/oco). The subjective info is a distillation of what I've learned from my confidential discussions with 2,400 clients, plus countless conversations outside the office. I have always been fascinated by people's work, so for decades, I've been asking people—at parties, in supermarket lines, everywhere–to tell me about their jobs.

Of course, a career that is excellent for one person is poor for another, but I believe valid generalizations can be made. Please also remember that my recommendations are based on a relatively small number of interviews. This guide should be but one data point in a thorough effort to choose a career. At the end of each profile, I've listed additional resources, such as a link to more details on that career in the OOH, other useful websites, or a book that I believe would offer insights. It's also helpful to do informational interviews with people in the field that interests you, and to shadow them for a day if you can. Thorough research, a bit of real-world feedback, and a brief test-drive should take the guesswork out of finding the right career.

~ Excellent careers for 2006
~ Good careers for 2006
~ Fair careers for 2006
~ Poor careers for 2006

Be a Job Search Geek

99% of job seekers are all the same. They write the same cover letters and submit the same kind of resumes. They job hunt in the traditional ways.

The other 1% are people like this.

Alexandre Guéniot (from France) is a job seeker for the 21st century. Rather than sending out his resume the regular way he put it online in the form of this flash presentation. Using his computer and graphic skills he created a unique and interesting way to showcase his skills. Word spread about his project and now his flash resume has been viewed over 1 million times online. Eventually he was hired at Microsoft and now lives in Redmond, Washington.

Now I realize most of you reading this don't have the types of skills to do something similar, but my point in writing about him is that today's job seeker must learn stand out in a crowd. Whether you are a computer programmer or an administrative assistant, you must differentiate yourself to potential employers. Do something different...be creative...think outside the box.

Those who do, will get the jobs they want.

Email Job Search Netiquette

Despite email sometimes being a black hole for job seekers résumés, it is still the dominant method for applying online. Here are some tips that will help you master email as a form of job hunting and improve your chances of getting noticed.

Tip #1: Don't apply for jobs with your work email address! If you are still using your work email to apply for jobs it's probably not a good idea. Not only is it a misuse of company resources, it's a good way to get caught looking for a job by your current employer. People get fired for less. Plus, prospective employers will not look favorably on this.

Tip #2: Get an email account from an email provider. Some are paid and some are free. The most professional thing is to have an email account at a domain you own. This gives you complete control over your domain name, looks more impressive and gives you a permanent email address. GoDaddy.com, for example, offers low cost domain names with email accounts. They even offer users a free blog with every domain. Try a domain that incorporates your name.

Tip #3: Choose the right username! Many job seekers use email addresses that are just not professional. When choosing a username, you've got to consider how it makes you look. Email addresses used for professional purposes should not be cute, crude or even personal. Names like partygal, golferdude, yankeesfan or nyengineer are not appropriate or effective for applicants. Plus, it makes it very difficult for a recruiter to find your name when looking through an inbox. It's much better if you actually have a username that is close to your actual name. For instance Joe.Smith@ or JoeSmith@.

Tip #4: Send yourself an email! A good practice is to put yourself in the recruiter's shoes. So once you choose your username, send an email to yourself at another account. Observe how it appears in your inbox. Check your email signature, your name in the FROM line, etc. Make sure that all elements look professional.

Tip #5: Avoid the spam filters. Avoid numbers in your e-mail address otherwise it may be seen as spam tracking code. Send e-mail as Plain Text. Creating colorful fonts and backgrounds in your e-mail program usually means it will be seen as HTML coding which may trigger spam filters. Avoid words like "Free" in the subject line. Avoid using punctuation such as exclamation marks in the subject line. Finally, do not send your résumé as an attachment unless told to by the employer. Just copy and paste your plain text résumé version into the body of the e-mail. You can always send a hard copy via U.S. Mail if needed.

Tip #6: It's important to craft your own personal signature at the bottom of each email you send out. All e-mail programs let you create a standard signature which serves as your marketing and contact information. Keep it short and consistent with the job you are seeking. Using a signature like the one below will give you a more professional image.

Sample Signature

John Miller
Customer Service Specialist
Phone: (222)111-3333
E-mail: jmiller17@aol.com

Free teleseminar: CAREER: 7 Steps to Find Your Perfect Career

I'm always on the lookout for ways job seekers can better themselves. Here's one from LinkedIn "U" that should be worth a try... they periodically have free career related TeleSeminars open to anyone.

7 Steps to Find Your Perfect Career
Speaker Dr. Margot B. Weinstein
Thursday January 19 1pm CT
Visit http://LinkedInU.com

Dr. Margot B. Weinstein's prescription for happiness: First, find your unique talents and your passions. Next, learn from stories of how others in your field became successful. Then, work hard to perfect your talents while enjoying your journey. And last, teach your journey to help others find their way.

Which tech skills won’t be outsourced in ’06?

According to this article from Computer World there is still life in the tech job market...kudos to Lisa Langsdorf, one of my readers for giving me a heads up.

Skills Scope
Developers, security experts and project managers will be hot properties this year.

News Story by Thomas Hoffman

JANUARY 02, 2006 (COMPUTERWORLD) - Whether you're looking for a job or looking to fill one, expect hiring to heat up this year, driven by small but consistent gains in IT budgets. And if you're a job seeker with the right skills, this could be your big year.
Despite the notion that hordes of U.S. IT jobs are being sent offshore, in reality, less than 5% of the 10 million people who make up the U.S. IT job market had been displaced by foreign workers through 2004, says Scot Melland, president and CEO of Dice Inc., a New York-based online jobs service. The numbers of jobs posted on Dice.com from January through September for developers, project managers and help desk technicians rose 40%, 47% and 45%, respectively, compared with the same period in 2004, says Melland.

In fact, an exclusive Computerworld survey revealed that two of the top four skills IT executives will hire for in the coming year are perennially linked with outsourcing, namely, application development (ranked first) and IT help desk skills (ranked fourth). Information security skills ranked second, and project management came in third.

Here's what staffing experts have to say about the demand in these hot skills areas.

1. Desperate For Developers

There's a lot of talk about developer jobs being sent overseas, but "most of the stuff that's going offshore is low-level coding jobs," says Craig Symons, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Mass.

Continued >>

TheLadders.com to offer free job search webinars

TheLadders.com has designed SeekWeek 2006 to provide job seekers with valuable knowledge and information to help them manage their job search more effectively. This series of Webinars will guide attendees through the brave new world of online recruiting and help them discover ways to distinguish themselves from other job applicants.

I encourage ALL job seekers to tune in. After all, it's free.

January is the season to hunt

It's January and that means only one thing - Job Hunting season is open!

I urge all jobhunters to improve their job search skills by starting here. (link now fixed)

The Perfect Labor Storm?

I came across this info about trends for 2006. Here is one guys opinion on the labor market. See if you agree.

Author-workforce expert Ira S. Wolfe is calling 2006 "The Perfect Labor Storm".

Wolfe, founder and president of Success Performance Solutions, recalls six years ago when he first warned about skilled worker shortages. “I received many comments like “interesting” and “thought-provoking,” he recalls, “but many executives and business owners chose to ignore the warning.”

Today, stories about skilled worker shortages is front-page news and time to fill open critical positions is growing longer and longer. “The Perfect Labor Storm,” Wolfe contends, “is no longer just a forecast for the future but an imminent threat for the present.” Wolfe offers highlights of a few stories he believes will dominate the news in 2006 and beyond.

A Shrinking WorkforceThe number of U.S. workers between ages 55 and 64 will grow 51 percent to 25 million by 2012, meaning the fastest-growing portion of the work force is the one at most risk of retiring soon. At the same time, the number of workers between ages 35 and 44 is expected to shrink by 7 percent.

New Skills RequiredWhile many workers continue to use skills learned in an Industrial age, consumer demands have changed. Jobs now require skills for service and knowledge, not manual labor. In 1955, 40.5 percent of the U.S. workforce was engaging in manufacturing, construction, and mining. By the end of 2005, those industries employed only 15.8 percent of the workforce. Service-producing industry sent paychecks to 41.8 percent of workers.

Is Education The Answer?Many point to better education as the solution. But education has its own problems. Today's workforce is the most educated in the world. That is all about to change. U.S. high school students are getting their lunches eaten when it comes to math and science scores compared to the most advanced economies of Europe and Asia.

No Industry Left BehindNearly every industry is predicting severe employee shortages, including manufacturing. Despite over 2 million layoffs, 500,000 vacancies exist for manufacturing jobs. Why? The available worker, including the employed, doesn’t have the right skills. The same forecast holds for healthcare, construction and technology.

Ticking time bombs: health care and pensions For the first time in history retirees are living longer after retirements then they worked for the company or paid into social security. Many organizations including the government are facing huge funding shortfalls. The rules about retirement haven’t kept up with life expectancy. As a result, public pension and health benefits for the elderly are on track to double while at the same time the old-age dependency ratio (nonworking older person per workers) will double.

Living Longer Costs Money The health care consumption level of a 70-year-old far exceeds the consumption level of a 30 year old. By one estimate, the average elderly American consumes 37 percent more than the average worker. As a result, Americans will be expected to pay more for their own health care and more for their dependents through more out-of-pocket payments and increased tax bills required to fund public supported health care.

Consumer-Driven Health Care Shifting responsibility for health care to the consumer may be the right thing to do but employers and the government are asking a lot when lay people are expected to shop for a provider, decide when to seek care, wait weeks or months to get an appointment, juggle the appointment time with the demands of working, and navigate a complex system of bills and payments. At least 77 million people in the U.S. -- or two out of every five adults -- have a hard time paying for medical bills or have accrued debt as a result of health care expenses. Two-thirds of people, which includes many workers, with a medical bill or debt trouble go without care because of cost. Meanwhile their health deteriorates. Minor ailments become severe and chronic conditions evolve into acute emergencies.

More than Pocket ChangeLosing experienced workers is only part of the problem. Replacing them comes with a high cost. At a time when the cost of doing business is rising and profits are squeezed, the average "cost-to-hire" and "time-to-fill" in 2005 was $7,123 and 37 days, respectively. The number goes up exponentially when recruiting and hiring knowledge workers. (Source: 2005 SHRM Human Capital Benchmarking Study)

Wolfe says, “this combination of an aging population and a shrinking workforce will increase the pressure to reduce pensions, delay retirement, increase outsourcing and open up immigration.”

For more information, visit http://www.perfectlaborstorm.com.

3 Ideas to Re-Vitalize Your Résumé

The arrival of the new year brings us into "job hunting" season. Many of you will be updating your resume's and I thought I would share three simple tips to give your CV a new look.

1. Add Quotes.
Placing quotes from previous bosses, colleagues or from yourpreviousu performance evaluations is a great way to add value to your resume just add a column on the left or right side and place four or five positive quotes. Call the section "Excerpts from performance evaluations" or ""What my colleagues say about me"

2. Add Logos.
Graphics on a resume should really be minimalized but one trend I've been seeing lately is the addition of company logos. Logos area subtle way to add credibility to your experience. From a hiring manager's perspective it's comforting to see an IBM logo or GE logo next to your accomplishments in that job.

3. Change Your Resumé Subheads.
Rather than writing the standard "Summary of Qualifications", try something like this;

What I offer the XYZ Corporation as your new Marketing Manager

Instead of saying "Work Experience" say this;

Relevant Work History and Examples of Contributions to My Employer

Rather than saying "Computer Skills" change that section to this;

IT Knowledge That Supports Your Operations

Three Industries PoisedFor Job Growth in 2006

Found this on CareerJournal.com...

Resolved to find a new job this year? Consider focusing your efforts on companies in the health-care, biosciences or technology industries. Recruiters and economists say these fields will lead the nation in new-job creation in 2006.

Here are some U.S. job-growth projections for 2006 from research firm Moody's Economy.com:

~ Hospitals: 100,000, up 2.4% from 2005
~ Physicians' offices: 86,000, up 4%
~ Computer-systems-design and related service companies: 81,000, up 6.8%
~ Biotech companies, a subset of the bioscience industry: 20,000, up 2.7%

Read the full article >>