During the course of training or secondary educations some organizations – companies, firms as well as major non-profit organizations of great status and reputation will offer campus interviews to graduating students in such fields as engineering, electronics, business management, law accounting, computer information systems and marketing. In addition such “on campus” interviews are also afforded at many major technical schools in similar and matching fields and endeavors.

The hardest point for many, in terms of their careers, and the progress of their careers is to get their “foot into the door”. Even if you do not necessarily like the job, the company or organization- the value of these jobs is that they will do just that – get you started in your field of choice. What is most important is the contacts and networking you will be able to do. The hardest part so to speak is “to get your first job”.

Once you are in that position of employment several factors will work into play: first of all you will make valuable contacts within your industry. In a sense you never know who that you meet, when working and interacting within your job and career that can help you. One contact, in your network and daily interactions can lead to other useful contacts. It’s an organic process. Secondly, even if the firm or organization is not your first choice, for employment or career, you are in a position to prove yourself within that community. After all most jobs are not filled by applications and job postings. Most jobs are filled from within – by personal referrals and reputations and of course by the industry “grapevine”. By being employed, rather than not employed or “still looking”, you will be considered more valuable by other prospective employers. After all you are valuable enough that employer number one is paying you x salary. If employer number 2 wishes to hire you away – you not only have proven yourself, but in addition the second employer will have to pay you more, either in actual cash , benefits , a better job , or some other form of reward, in order to steal you away and hire you. Lastly by working in a job, rather than not being employed, most employers will fund various specialized courses and training, that you may not well not be able to afford, or may not be available to yourself.

Most on-campus interviews are prearranged interviews, and the techniques used varied, depending on the organization. They are usually structured interviews, but several styles may be used, including the “stress interview”, the “tell me about yourself interview”, and the panel interview styles.

Campus interviews are generally scheduled through a school or institution’s career services office or department. The schedule is closely observed, and the interviewer is forced to evaluate each candidate more quickly than standard interview procedures. It is said that in such scenarios the average interview time is between 20 and 30 minutes.

If you are lucky enough to be chosen and interviewed in such a setting and format what should you consider and stress during these meetings? First of all you should keep your remarks as concise and to the point as possible. You will find that most of the interviewers are professionally trained. They have been trained for this purpose and will know how to guide applicants through the fact finding process. It is best to let the interviewer take the lead. Go with the flow and format of the interview and its dynamic processes. Your job is to respond as concisely as possible without omitting pertinent information about your qualifications.

After all it may well lead to your first job in your chosen career and field of endeavors.

Shaun Stevens

http://www.winnipegjobshark.com
http://www.jerkbossesihaveknown.com
http://www.albertajobshark.com

Author: Shaun Stevens

In many countries around the globe, people are born into their station in life and hence their professions. It is unnecessary for them to plan a career as they are expected to perform one specific job their entire lives. These cultures do not consider personal growth or the possibility of choosing ones profession.

America, on the other hand, was built on self-reinvention, and todays economy demands it. Those born before 1946 are less likely to have changed careers or even worked for more than one employer during their lifetimes.

Today, many employees outlive the lifespan of the companies they work for, and the average worker can now expect to have at least three or more careers, with up to six different positions within each of those careers.

Hardly a week goes by without hearing of corporate takeovers, mergers and corporate downsizing. As a result, thousands of seasoned employees are facing burnout from increased responsibilities or being laid-off and replaced with younger, lower-paid employees. Many are looking for a different means of earning a livelihood.

For the first time in history, employees must learn to manage themselves and take responsibility for their own employment. Even the word career is taking on new meaning, as a new generation of employees is moving in and out of multiple careers during their lifetimes.

Keep in mind that a career change is not the same as job advancement within a specific career. Most are either lateral or a step down in income until you gain experience and expertise in your new career. Be prepared to downsize your lifestyle.

Think of choosing a new career as an opportunity to bring a fresh outlook and revitalization to your life, as new experiences will stimulate your thought processes.

The most importance part of selecting a new career is also the most obvious, . . . deciding on what you want to do. Often this is a natural offshoot of a previous occupation(s). Reinventing yourself often involves a unique merging of your old talents with your new skill set.

Begin by making an honest assessment of your skills, interests and experiences and ask yourself:

- What would I do if money were no object?

- What did I love to do as a child?

- What activity do I do so intently that I don’t notice time passing?

- What do I feel passionately about?

- What do I value the most?

- What are my strengths?

- What are my transferable skills?

- What kind and how much education will I need to make this change?

Most people find fulfillment by doing what theyre good at. By evaluating your skills, interests, strengths and desires you will be able to see a connection between what it is that you value and what you excel at. These are the building blocks that you can turn into a new career.

While your new career is still in the planning stages, you can gain valuable information by:

- Attending professional meetings and informal gatherings.

- Networking.

- Joining an online career discussion group.

- Asking questions.

You are likely to need some additional education in order to begin a successful new career, start by improving the skills you already have. Sometimes, learning a few new software programs is simply all it will require. Should you choose to return to college, learning new skills is much easier when you are motivated to begin a new life.

Once you have chosen the kind of work you wish to pursue and acquired the necessary education, be sure to edit your resume to reflect your strengths and skills in this area.

Dont be surprised if your job search lasts a little longer than usual. Concentrate on companies that are seeking people with your reworked skill set and eventually youll find an employer who will value the knowledge and experience you gained from your previous career(s).

It is vital today, more than ever, to remain versatile to stay employed. A successful career will evolve over a lifetime if you are continuously open to new possibilities. You must constantly seek opportunities for self-improvement and professional growth in order to be prepared for your next reinvention.

Author: Mary Carroll

Simply like working with your family – that is what Home Depot is all about. Home Depot was established several years ago. It is considered a recently established retailer with about $73 billion income since it started. At this time there are about 370,000 workers at Home Depot. You can be one of them and look into the different Home Depot employment opportunities.

There are five major categories in the said company where you can choose Home Depot employment opportunities.

1. Management jobs.

If you have what it takes to be a manager then consider yourself under this Home Depot employment opportunities category. Most testimonials from managers consider management jobs an arduous task. Yet with apt preparedness, organization, and ingenuity, you will be able to surpass any difficulties. Most importantly, to be successful in a manager’s job, you need to work out on your people skills.

2. Jobs in Information Technology.

If information technologist (IT) is your choice for Home Depot employment opportunities you are required to handle programming, management of database, engineering, internet and other IT tasks. Most individuals who handle IT jobs find the work stimulating since it concerns problem solving and being able to handle up-to-date computer gadgets.

3. Jobs in the retail department.

Home Depot employment opportunities under this category have sales assistants, store managers, store operators, and at times personal shopper. If you will be in the retail department, you will be directly dealing with the customers. Hence, it is needed that you portray a pleasant and accommodating attitude.

4. Sales Job.

Sales can make or break your business. For sales to go higher, you must be able to meet what the customer’s needs. This is your job in the sales department. You are to come up with strategies in order for your customers to attain satisfaction and later on develop loyalty to your products and/or services.

5. Jobs in the marketing department.

The main duty of the marketing personnel is to evaluate how the recent and predictable market conditions for the products and/or services affect the goals of the company. Such duty requires you to have an analytical way of thinking.

Your opportunity to advance your career is high when you possess the qualities of a good working individual. On top of that, there are specific educational standards you must meet if you want to go up higher. Most managerial positions require a degree higher than the undergraduate. Some, on the other hand, gives out relevant trainings to boost your performance. It’s up to you to find the most suitable of Home Depot employment opportunities [http://employment2u.com/opportunities] to fulfill your potential.

Author: David Yui
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News

Are you searching for a career field that is challenging, interesting, and needs qualified workers? Before you decide which path to choose, take a few minutes to consider five of the most in-demand careers areas. These areas are, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), going to experience high growth and demand for workers over the next ten years.

1. Education and health services

The BLS estimates that between now and the year 2014, fully 30% of all jobs created in the U.S. will come from the healthcare and educational services arena. Examples of specific careers that are included in this employment sector are:

* Registered nurse

* Medical assistant

* Radiology technician

* Medical imaging

* Social services

* Childcare

* Teaching

* Educational support

Healthcare in particular is already experiencing an extreme shortage of qualified workers, and the problem will only get worse as time goes by. Anyone who chooses a career in healthcare is likely to have excellent employment opportunities well into the future.

2. Professional and business services

This area encompasses many career choices that cover a wide range of professional and business functions. Among the careers that fall into this category are:

* Business administration

* Employment services

* Computer systems design

* System administration

* Cyber security

* Management consulting

* Technical consulting

The main driver for this sector is the increasing complexity of doing business in the modern world. The integration of business and technology will continue to explode, creating many opportunities for people who want to manage or support such integration efforts.

3. Information

We live in the age of information, and the demand is increasing for workers who can develop, run and support the information economy. Careers in this category include:

* Software publishing

* Internet publishing

* Internet broadcasting

* Internet service providers

* Web search portals

* Data processing and analysis

* Telecommunications technicians

* Wireless services

* Broadband internet services

The information sector is not about to shrink, as our world becomes increasingly information-dependent. A good option to consider is any career that contributes to the development, operation and innovation of information technology and services.

4. Leisure and hospitality

The combination of population growth and increasing affluence means U.S. demand for leisure and hospitality services will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. A wide variety of careers fit into this category, including:

* Recreation planning

* Fitness training

* Gambling and other amusement-related positions

* Food services

* Hotel management

* Travel planning

Leisure and hospitality is one category that holds a great deal of promise for anyone who chooses to pursue career options in its many fields and disciplines.

5. Trade, transportation and utilities

This category as a whole will show strong growth over the next ten years, but it is a bit of a mixed bag when you take a closer look. Some specific segments within this category are projected to decline in demand over time, so it is important to understand which careers hold the most promise. Careers that are projected to increase in demand include:

* Truck transportation services

* Warehousing services

* On-demand transport

* Retail services

* Water engineers

* Water and sewage operations

* Waste remediation management

As business continues to focus on improving efficiency through better management of inventory and transportation activities, the role of the trucking industry and inventory control/storage management will increase. The emphasis will continue to be on just in time manufacture, transportation and delivery of goods.

Putting it all together

Choosing a career field that will be in demand in the years to come is an important process. There are many sources of information on projected demand for different industries and career fields, so you should do some research and consult multiple resources. Be cautious, though, about the resources that you select because some are reputable and others are not. In general, projections and information from government and business organizations are more likely to be accurate than projections and information from a job search engine or a web site promoting the sale of its career building products and services.

When it comes to selecting a career, it is well worth the time and effort it takes to research, gather information and talk to career experts across a variety of industries.

Copyright by LOCALJOBS.COM

Author: Brian Bowman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

In our work with senior executives, it is not uncommon to hear the following:

I cannot afford to retire at age 65. My Business School roommate was able to retire at 45. I must be a failure.

I cant find a full-time job. I can only make money doing interim work or consulting work. I must be a failure.

Welcome to the world of short job tenure and long middle age.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SHORT JOB TENURE AND LONG MIDDLE AGE.

These individual complaints are but symptoms of two larger social trends impacting all developed countries. The first trend is a shortening of traditional job tenure in line with the collapsing time frame for product life cycles, and corporate life cycles. Technology has been a driver behind the speeding up of our lives, including the speeding of what economists call creative destruction.

At the same time job tenure is getting shorter, life span is increasing. You can thank the same technological thinking that has also contributed to the lowering of your job tenure. The average life span within industrial societies has increase 12 years since social security was adopted. It is important, however, to remember that this additional 12 years is not an additional 12 years of old age. It is an elongation of middle age. Thriving in a world of short job tenure/long middle age requires career and strategic maneuverability. As an individual and as a business leader, the symbol for this maneuverability is Lou Gerstner:

Lew Gerstner was a partner at a leading LBO firm. He joined IBM as its CEO at a time when it had one hundred days of cash left and had just lost $8.1 Billion. People were writing-off IBM as a has been organization. In an engineering driven company, he admitted that he was technically incompetent. And yet, he moved IBM from a hardware-oriented company to a maneuverable global player focusing on IP and professional services.

SURVEY OBJECTIVES.

We interviewed 50 executives who have been successful in managing their careers in a world of short job tenure and long middle age. Most of them were CEOs or reported directly to CEOs. Success was defined as financial and emotional satisfaction with both consulting and employment phases of their professional lives. What have we learned?

FREE AGENCY IS BOTH TRUE AND MISLEADING.

In the last ten years of the 20th century, Economists like Robert Reich and popular business magazines like BUSINESS 2.0 began to write about Free Agent Nation: Under a free agent model, executives have careers that resemble professional sports stars. Free agents smoothly shifting from one major league team to another major league team through the work of third parties. In the sports and entertainment sectors, these third parties are called Agents. In the world of business, these people are called retained search executives.

Professional sports players represent an elite segment of the general population. And even within this elite group, only the top 10-15% of this elite can count on the Free Agent model to work in their favor.

What happens to the other 85 percent?

When their contracts with one major league team are not renewed, it is the beginning of the end of their professional sports career. It may also mean the start of a new profession. Even for the elite within the sports elite, Free Agency is true for only a limited time.

The concept is similar in business but it is not openly discussed.

Free Agency says that winners smoothly move from full time job to full time job with the help of recruiters. Senior Executives are an elite group within the business world. But within this world, Executive Recruiters prefer to work with what they call A Players. This is the elite within the elite. A Players have a performance record, a public reputation, and a chronological age that is desired by company clients. Even A Players will find recruiters will stop working for them when they reach a certain age.

What happens to the vast majority of executives, who are elite but are not A Players or are former A Players?

The notion of moving from a good corporate job to Temporary Help as a consultant or an interim executive can feel humiliating if you adopt a Free Agency Model of career management.

The career reality we see within elite executives is a constant traversing from full-time assignments or W-2 relationships to project assignments or 1099 relationships. And then back again. Failure to grasp the realities of the marketplace can make life even more painful. Consider the case of Jack:

Jack was CFO of a company in a declining industry. A larger player acquired Jacks company and he received a one-year severance agreement as part of his exit package.

Jack spent the first nine months aggressively networking for a full-time CFO job in his geographic area, while making it clear that a full-time CFO position requiring relocation would be a second choice. By month ten, Jack became concerned about his family cash flow situation, and began looking for interim CFO assignments or project consulting assignments.

Jack found hi network unresponsive and the reason was obvious. Jack had clearly signaled early in his job search that Project Assignments were not on his original career agenda. Jacks network reasonably concluded that he had failed to achieve his goals and was now desperate.

Jack is now approaching month 24 without either employment assignments or project assignments.

**

We work with executives like Jack every day. His story is both unhappy and common. It need not have ended this way. Jack needed to understand and accept that his career may have begun as an employee but it would most certainly end as a consultant. Nor did he understand that a lifetime of work does not involve managing a single career comprised of a series of corporate jobs.

Think of your clients as managing two distinct careers. One career focuses on employment assignments and the other focuses on project assignments.

Our mission as career consultants is to teach leaders what we know about managing these two careers so that they will be successful at both.

CLIMBING CORPORATE LADDERS

A second dysfunctional model links career advancement with the analogy of climbing ladders. This analogy may be viable for large companies with a sophisticated approach to management development. But most companies we work with adopt a Just in Time approach to leadership:

When we need a new leader we will find the person best qualified as quickly as possible. We will take this to retained search and ask for the best qualified candidates within the company or outside the company.

Most in-house executives correctly assume a recruiting bias for hiring outside the company rather than promoting from within. Few companies groom executives for higher-level positions, thus promoting an in-house person is sometimes as much a leap of faith hiring an outside person. The in-house person, however, may come with a track record of faults and political enemies. Rakesh Khurana has written about the tendency of Boards to hire outsiders rather than select insiders.

The successful people we interviewed do not think in terms of ladders. They think in terms of traversing the careers of their professional lives. The skiing term of traversing means moving from a straight line to a zigzag pattern along different terrain. During your Alpine ski run you may traverse over ice patches, powder snow, or come up against moguls.

Moving up a ladder requires steady discipline and persistence in the face of obstacles.

Traversing requires also requires discipline combined with maneuverability.

Ladder climbing was a great metaphor for career management for industrial-based economies of the mid 20th Century. Traversing careers is a more appropriate metaphor for the first quarter of the 21st century.

Lets get back to the example of Jack.

Jack needed to understand and accept that his career may have begun as an employee but it would most certainly end as a consultant.

Jacks career would not be a single career comprised of a series of corporate jobs. It is more like managing two criss-cross careers one focusing on employment assignments and the other focusing on project assignments.

This is what we call traversing careers as opposed to managing A career.

Here are three lessons we have learned from these careers masters: traverse with your edge, master affiliation needs, and traverse between provincial/cosmopolitan knowledge:

LESSON #1: TRAVERSE WITH YOUR EDGE:

In traversing on skis, you lead with your ski edge. Your edge gives you maneuverability. In career traversing you lead with your skills edge. Your edge gives you maneuverability through different terrain. James is an example of one of our 50 executives:

After receiving his MBA from Columbia University, James went into banking. Various assignments at Mellon Bank and Bank of America eventually led to James being hired as President/CEO of an Oregon bank. In 1990, James bank was acquired and he was without employment, so James created a one-person consulting firm, whose initial focus was on what James called credit dependent companies. Using his personal relationships with West Coast bank presidents, James was able to negotiate settlements so that both sides could have something of value.

By 1994, the recession had lifted, and one of James clients came to him for consulting assistance. One consulting opportunity led to an offer to become Chief Operating Officer. His assignment was to double the size of this medical products distribution company and then sell the company to a national player in the industry during a time when rollups were attractive IPOs.

This assignment was completed within eighteen months. Once again James opened his consulting practice. One of his clients was a nonprofit organization. This consulting assignment brought him exposure to new areas like fund raising and working with agencies in Washington, DC. This assignment was completed after two years. The contacts James developed brought him to the notice of a Board member of a non-profit company in his town. James was offered the position of Chief Executive Officer for an Oregon human services organization with a budget of $265 Million and its impact is felt state wide.

James has been a bank president, a distribution company COO, and a nonprofit CEO. Between these Employment Assignments, there has been a constant theme of Project Assignment work that leads him to the next Employment Assignment.

James has had many job titles and in many different industries. But he always leads with his edge. What is James edge?

Here is what James says:

I have centered my professional life on one strong theme: I solve financial/organizational problems from a perspective of a banker. Had I identified myself as a banker, my goose would have been cooked as the banking industry continued its consolidation. Instead I have worked with medical products, retail companies, construction companies, a giftware company, and health care products.

It has been fun, a real learning experience. But my core identity remains the same. That never changes.

Again, the concept is in career traversing you lead with your edge and that gives you maneuverability to move over different terrains. Notice how he does not define his edge as a functional or industry expertise?

—

Ted is another career traversing executive who has defined his professional edge.

Ted began his IT career working with a variety of large corporations, beginning with EDS, the global IT outsourcing firm and Honeywell. Five years later, he moved to Monchik Weber, a consulting firm. His success as a consultant in an assignment involving ocean cargo issues led to an opportunity to become CIO for a company in the ocean freight transportation industry. Five years later, he was once again consulting. But the consulting assignment helped him gain credibility in the financial services sector. Ted is now CIO for a global financial services company.

In commenting on his professional life, Ted finds himself a solid constant in a series of ever-changing Employment Assignments and Project Assignments:

My skills are coaching and developing people in technical environments. Internal or external, I use the same tools. I just apply those tools in different way.

Notice how both executives define themselves more broadly than their industry or functional labels of the moment. In a world of short job tenure/long middle age, industry or function can change. Think of Lou Gerstner. But there needs to be a solid core self-definition for stability in a professional world that constantly changes.

LESSON #2: MASTER AFFILIATION NEEDS

Affiliation is the desire to be part of a group that is larger than you. Beyond the pain not having a regular income, lack of colleagues or not being part of a team is the most difficult issue our clients deal with during the external phase of the executive assignments..

Moderate needs for affiliation are ideal for senior executives in the employment assignment phase. You should enjoy being part of a team.

When traversing into the project assignment phase of your career, even moderate affiliation needs can be dysfunctional: your value to your client is objectivity. Constant angling to figure out ways of remaining as a permanent guest detracts from that value.

Where can you get those affiliation needs met if they are not going to be met by your next employer?

Guilds or professional associations are work-related reference groups outside the corporation. These reference groups focus on functions, industry, or specific problems/opportunities. For example:

Functional: Financial Executives International, Young Presidents Organization, The Executive Committee, Society for Human Resource Management, Turnaround Management Association, California Association of Radiologists, Society for Information Management, American Marketing Association.

Industry: Massachusetts Hospital Association, California Biotech Council, National Association of Manufacturers, Florida Orange Growers Association, Georgia Medical Association, Institute for Management Consulting, Society for Professional Consulting.

Problem/Opportunity: SENG, Association for Corporate Growth, MIT Enterprise Forum, Senior Executive Networking Group, Harvard Business School Alumni Association, American Chamber of Commerce in Berlin.

LESSON #3 TRAVERSE BETWEEN PROVINCIAL AND COSMOPOLITAN KNOWLEDGE

In the Employment Assignment trajectory, leaders are hired to manage the work of others. Moving up the corporate career ladder often means leaving behind technical mastery in favor of leadership mastery that could apply in any organization. We call these skills cosmopolitan skills. Lou Gerstner took over IBM without skills as an electronics engineer or appropriate background in IBMs technology foundation. George Marshall moved from being a soldier to running the Department of Defense to being Secretary of State to being the President of the American Red Cross. He was a master of the cosmopolitan skills of management and this allowed him to maneuver. On the other hand, Project Assignment professionals are often hired because of their specific substantive content knowledge. This specific type of specific knowledge is called provincial knowledge. Ted is a careers master and knows how to manage the interplay between cosmopolitan and provincial knowledge:

I am already thinking ahead to the next move in my career. And that will probably be a consulting position. It is important to keep my technical skills sharp. I am planning to take a course in a technical area. Youve got to stay sharp. Taking the courses also helps shape the external perception others have of me. I want to be flexible. I am 54. It is important to build a perception that I am not stuck in a mold. Taking courses is one way to do that. Right now I am taking a course on a specific applications program at a local community college. But two years ago I was in the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School talking Big Company Strategy. Its important to do both.

Note that Ted understands that his current Employment Assignment will set the stage for his next Project Assignment.

EXHILARATION AND TERROR

You may have begun your career as an employee. You most certainly will end it as a consultant. In between, you will criss-cross the Employment and Assignment trajectories. This criss-cross is what we call careers management. Each trajectory has different rules. Fail to master these rules at your peril.

The cases of James and Ted illustrate a combination of flexibility with discipline. That mixture of flexibility and discipline is not unlike skiing down a mountain in a criss-cross mode, as you navigate through different types of snow and different terrain.

The payoff of skiing with flexibility and discipline are the simultaneous emotions of exhilaration and terror. Careers management also provides those same emotions. As James says:

If you only focus on what is expected of you in your job, your ability is restricted to the next run in the ladder. The trick is to learn how to rapidly change ladders!

The upside of this exhilaration and terror is the closest thing to job security most executives will know in the 21st Century: the security of knowing you know how to sell successful generate income as a consultant. Consider the case of Larry Gibson:

Larry Gibson was Chief HR Officer with Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan. Prior to that he was head of HR for a division of Motorola. For the past three years he has been earning an income in Project Assignments:

My life as a consultant has broadened my professional perspective and given me a broader industry expertise. This makes me more marketable. I enjoy consulting. I know how to make a living at it. If a full-time job opportunity came, Id certainly look at the opportunity. But it would have to go over a higher hurdle before I would sign on.

###
REFERENCES

Laurence J. Stybel & Maryanne Peabody. The Right Way to Be Fired. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW, July-August, 2001,pp. 87-95.

John J. Davis & Associates. Quoted in EXECUTIVE RECRUITER NEWS. 24,4,2002, p.1.

Adecco. Adecco Survey Exposes Perceptions and Misperceptions About Temporary Employment. Melville, N.Y.Adecco, 2002

Author: Larry Stybel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The current minimum wage in the United States of America is $5.15 per hour and some believe it should be much higher. In fact the city of Chicago wanted to mandate that the employment wages could not go less than $10 per hour and some agreed. Recently the United States Congress and the United States Senate voted on a minimum-wage bill, which they did not pass.

Now each side of the aisle is blaming the other side for not allowing the minimum-wage law to pass. However from a free market standpoint the minimum wage should be zero dollars per hour. Yes, you heard me right the minimum wage should be zero. In other words there should be no minimum-wage law and that is the truth about minimum wage. With unemployment rates hovering between 4.6% and 5% we simply do not need a minimum-wage law.

If an employer does not pay the minimum wage in those employees will find work elsewhere and therefore competition will dictate price. Those employers who pay more dollars per hour will end up with the best workers and those that don’t will get the worst workers. Smart companies will want the best workers and therefore pay the most money and that solves that problem we do not need any more laws. Makes sense right? Now then consider all this in 2006 when discussing minimum wage theory.

Author: Lance Winslow
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Those who have ever indulged in finding the work knows that getting the right employment opportunity is a rarity. It starts a leisurely activity where in you search through the newspaper advertisements but slowly this search goes on for weeks and weeks without giving the right break. Though applying online sounds viable but it has over the period of time as become a common practice. After applying for greatest employment opportunity, there comes a long wait for the reply from full in anxiety. The people wait and wait and ponders when they would receive a call.

This wait in between can be a testing times for the individuals. Hoping around from one employment opportunity to next time is really tiring and discouraging. But one can do a lot of good if he fills in the gap with productive measures during this wait and this will surely increase the individual’s chances of getting hired. An individual may either sit idle in between the gaps or the other option is to take the help of career counselor or career centre to hone the interviewing skill and brush up the resume. This will be reflected in the next interview when one will display confidence and focus during the interview and this will be surely taken note of by the employer.

The career centre or the counselor can also help to locate the employment opportunity that cannot be found anywhere else. The companies usually advertise online or in newspaper but these career centre or career counselor establish associations with the companies that give them inside information of the openings on varied positions existing in local companies. Thus it gives individuals a chance to display new skills they have learned during the time in the interview. Even if the interview is not successful one time or the job seems misfit the same skills can be tried and put into use in the the next scheduled interview.

Though the wait for right employment opportunity is tiring but it is important for an individual to keep himself busy in other useful things and a person should always carry a positive attitude. This will help him to keep him on level. One failure in the employment opportunity doesn’t mean that it will lead to another failure. One should try to fit in the job which matches his skill. The misfit job will again force an individual to look for another employment opportunity. But mean time a person can take a temporary job and wait for the some bigger openings. This job is usually something a person will not mind quitting once the position they’ve been waiting for opens up.

Author: Abhishek Agarwal
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Canada is facing a major shortage of skilled workers that is quickly becoming critical. Because most Canadians can easily come in to the United States to work, sometimes earning higher wages, the estimated deficit of employment Canada may reach is projected to be as many as one million affected jobs by the end of the next decade.

It’s not just the high-tech industries that are suffering: it’s everything from construction to banking to food service employment. Canada is feeling the shortage in numerous sectors and legislation has been introduced to encourage immigration to Canada to help secure the needed labor pool.

If you are interested in working in Canada, there are several options available for gaining employment. Canada offers both a temporary Visa with a work permit or permanent citizenship. The work permit, also known as an employment authorization or EA, requires the employer to show that the job could not be filled with a Canadian. The Human Resource Development Center then certifies the job for a foreign worker. It can be difficult to use an employment authorization to obtain employment. Canada has relaxed its employment authorization rules for the areas of technology (software and IT workers). They also have more relaxed rules for members of Youth Exchange and for spouses of temporary workers.

While Canada has typically had a “Canadians First” mentality when it comes to making decisions about foreign workers, the increased labor deficiency will eventually change the government’s perspective, hopefully in the near future. Specific markets with identified shortages already have special programs that allow for faster employment. Canada facilitates entry into the country for individuals who can help meet the needs for the areas with the direst shortages.

Globalization is also a factor in employment. Canada is recognizing the need to have more fluid borders to permit qualified people to move to the country. Because Canada is a younger country, immigration is one of the foundations of economic growth. While immigration has a positive impact on employment, Canada must face the challenges of having many different customs, traditions, and cultures.

If you are considering relocating in your search for employment, Canada requires that you demonstrate some kind of tie to the country, whether it be a permanent or temporary job offer or some other tie. Once working in Canada, you will enjoy having access to the superior education system as well as the phenomenal medical services.

Author: Gordon Petten
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

University graduates are still sought after, which makes a degree in this difficult financial climate worth its weight in gold. Graduate positions have actually increased over the last year, during the recession, and this is leading companies promoting their HR policies of capturing the best minds straight from university.

Jobs in IT, accounting, mechanical engineering, bio sciences are particularly impressive for the graduate as firms in these sectors offer high salaries and many graduate services that announce jobs, like MilkRound will advertise all of these particular jobs. Some jobs are obviously with companies that could feel the pain of the credit crunch but with any gain of experience, you will become immediately more employable even if the worst does happen to you.

Obviously qualifications and skills will get you so far, but with many graduates applying for the same jobs, how can you set yourself apart and differently then the rest? Well the answer is in your character traits, and making them visible to the recruiter. An attitude of enthusiasm, self- motivation and determination will go a long way in any job interview, some companies who offer jobs at entry level, will make a decision based on this alone!

Obviously verbal and writing skills are a necessity and having problem solving skills and being a team player will also endear you to the employer. It is also important to apply for jobs that you are skilled to do. Obviously jobs with 40k salaries look great and you’d love to be on that one, but you need to stay realistic and gain experience in your first few years after university, so apply for jobs you are happy to do.

If you have a Masters degree of an even higher education award then larger businesses in certain sectors may head hunt you, this is certainly true in the past in the banking, insurance and retail management positions. If you have just a bachelors degree then there are many opportunities out there but it will take you longer to get there!

Author: Marie Warren
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

For many years, the business world has been asking higher education to meet their needs of developing future knowledge workers who are self-leaders that take responsibility for their actions and have solid decision making and problem solving skills. An article in the Newsweek’s November 13, 2006 issue indicates that higher education has yet to hear this decades long message.

In this article, a recent graduate of an Ivy League School, shared her experiences that she lacked the fundamentals from completing a W-2 to how to rent an apartment. What was interesting was that she noted that she was not alone. According to her article, she referenced a recent study of career employment (source not cited) that hundreds of employers found new college graduates “woefully unprepared” for the job market.

For years education from K-13 has focused on learning or the acquisition of knowledge, but has miserably failed on performance or the application of knowledge. Universities or higher education continue this tradition and the 21st century is reaping the results unprepared workers who are highly intelligent, but cant negotiate themselves out of a cardboard box.

The University of Michigan Annual Recruiting Trends has documented the needs of employers for over 30 years. In its 2002 report, employers want graduates who have a passion for the position along with a total package including:

• Verbal communication skills
• Written communication skills
• Leadership
• Teamwork
• Computer skills
• Work ethics
• Integrity

Dr. Carol Di-Amico in her research Workforce 2020 indicated that employers looked for the following when hiring experienced workers:

Given that many employers are looking for skill sets that are not currently being taught at the higher academic levels and probably not at the high school levels for those not immediately attending college suggests that these institutions of learning are indeed setting many young people up to fail. This would not be such a tragedy if they were not collecting thousands of dollars.

Finally, the author of this article in Newsweek believed that she invested her dollars to better advance her thinking abilities. She further wrote that her thinking was limited to the academic world and failed to transfer into the real world. Yet, it is those same professors in the academic world who insist that those in the business world where profits and losses are both earned and measured on a daily basis do not understand how to think and that education cannot be viewed as a business. This attitude is great if you are not accountable for securing results. Until education realizes its purpose is to successfully complete the next learning sequence (that means the graduates are gainfully employed in their field of expertise for at least one year) where personal and business leadership is highly developed along with all those interpersonal skills necessary for success, this young person’s experience will be multiplied by thousands more and our nation will continue to suffer.

Author: Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether youre a mother or father, can be very difficult. Add the burden of having to be out of the home for 40+ hours per week to work and raising a child at the same time can be nearly impossible. This article describes ten careers you can train for that will give you the money to support your child and the time to be there for them.

These careers all take less than two years to complete training for, some take only six months. They all offer flexible work schedules with above average pay. Best of all, with a certificate or associates degree, it will be easy to find a job.

Healthcare careers

Jobs in healthcare are in great demand right now. The largest generation in the American population is aging and retiring from the workforce. Increased life spans are placing a huge burden on the healthcare industry. While hospitals and their 24 hour operation offer the most employment flexibility, there are health care positions that dont take place in a hospital. Home care positions also offer scheduling flexibility.

Nursing 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $33,970 annually.

Dental Hygiene 1 & 2 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $17.37 hourly.

X-ray technician – 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $27,190 annually.

Medical Assistant 1 & 2 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $17,640 annually.

Medical Coding – 2 year program. Approximate starting wage: $16,460 annually.

Creative careers

These creative careers are also in great demand. Employers typically offer standard hours, but many people employed in these fields are able to work from home. Others open their own businesses and can work later at night or otherwise exercise more control on when they work.

Graphic Designer – 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $21,860 annually.

Desktop Publisher – 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $18,670 annually.

Web Designer – 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $33,970 annually.

Help Desk Analyst – 1, 2 & 4 year programs. Approximate starting wage: $23,060 annually.

Bonus Career

If you like working with technology and dont want to sit behind a desk all day, youll be surprised how lucrative this career can be.

Machinist 10 -14 month programs. Approximate starting wage: $9.57 hourly. (This wage is deceptively low. New machinists are making much more due to a sudden upturn in demand.)

Learn how you can train for one of these careers here. www.top-colleges.com.

Author: Max Stein
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In this day and age it can become increasingly difficult to even get your foot in the door and get an interview; once youve accomplished that you will want to make sure you continue to put your best foot forward and nail the interview as well. Unfortunately, as great as their skills, experience and education are; the interview is where many people lose a job opportunity to their competition. Understanding what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in an interview are critical to receiving a job offer.

Tip # 1 Dress appropriately. If you dont take the time and effort to wear appropriate clothing to the interview, you will lose the job before you even get a chance to explain why you are the best candidate. What you wear to the interview will greatly depend upon the industry or field for which you are applying. Any office related position will require that you wear clothing that is no more casual than a button up shirt, slacks and tie for men and either a nice slacks/skirt and blouse combo for ladies or a dress/suit. Only under rare circumstances would you need to wear anything more casual and this generally includes fields such as transportation, construction, mechanics, etc. Additionally, clothing should be conservative and preferably reflect neutral tones. Avoid excessive jewelry. Dont go overboard on the use of cologne or perfume. Many people suffer from allergies and the last thing you want to do is cause your prospective employer an allergy attack.

Tip #2 Go to the interview alone. There is absolutely no reason for anyone else to attend the interview with you and this includes parents, children as well as spouses and significant others. If you are having a friend or relative drive you to the interview, politely ask them to wait outside for you. If for some reason, you are unable to obtain childcare for the time of your interview, phone ahead and politely ask to reschedule. While this is not the best way to start off your relationship with the employer, it is a much better option than taking your child with you.

Tip #3 Pace your conversation during the interview. There is a fine line between not talking enough and talking too much. Answer questions directly, elaborate when necessary but dont ramble.

Tip #4 Make sure you are polite to everyone you meet while you are waiting for your interview. This is extremely important because 1. These people may be your future co-workers and 2. You never know who has the boss ear and will report your rude behavior or unseemly conduct once youre out the door.

Tip #5 Arrive early. If your interview is scheduled for 1:00 pm; make sure you are there no later than 12:30 pm. It is quite common for employers to ask candidates to complete applications and other paperwork prior to their interview, whether they specify this when they schedule the interview with you or not.

Tip #6 Make sure you are prepared for the interview. This means that you have both practiced for the interview and have brought along all materials that you may need for any circumstance. (pens, pencils, notepad, extra copies of your resume, etc.) Also make sure you have copies of your drivers license and Social Security card in case the employer needs to make copies for future employment records.

Tip #7 Be honest! This cannot be emphasized enough. Employers many times move in the same social circles and there is a very good chance that if you fib during an interview you will be found out sooner or later. Even if you have already been hired, lying on an application or during an interview is grounds for dismissal with most companies.

Tip # 8 Dont smoke or chew tobacco just before or during your interview. Also remember to spit out gum, if you chew it. Additionally, if you do smoke, remember to spritz yourself with light cologne or perfume before you meet with the employer as well as pop in a breath mint.

Tip # 9 Turn off your cell phone and pager prior to your interview. There is nothing more insulting to an employer or disrupting during an interview to have a cell phone or page continue to ring/beep. Let your voice mail catch any incoming calls.

Tip #10 Be enthusiastic! Let the employer know how interested you are in the position and what a great job you can do.

Author: Roger Clark
Article Source: EzineArticles.com