November 26, 2008

Wednesday is Survey Results Day
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 10:48 AM

Every Wednesday on Boston.com/Jobs, we put up a new reader survey. Sometimes they are silly, sometimes they are serious, and sometimes they are a little of both.

Anyway, the poll results are always interesting, but tend to get lost on the site a bit. So I'll try and post each previous week's poll results here when a new poll goes up each Wednesday.

Last week, we asked readers to choose an answer that best described their cubicle or workspace. Here are the results:

Looks like a pretty good difference in degrees of cleanliness among our readers. Although there probably aren't too many people who can match the disastrous office messes from our Office Space Makeover finalists. Check out the photos, especially for our winner, Mary Hughes' Canton office.

Be sure to vote in this week's survey, where we ask: Will the economy impact your holiday vacation schedule?

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November 24, 2008

Some companies are hiring
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 2:41 PM

The following article originally appeared in the Business News Updates blog.

By Todd Wallack, Globe staff

The Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development, a quasi-governmental group charged with helping recruit companies to the state, plans tomorrow to recognize some Massachusetts companies that have recently added new jobs.

The honorees include Evergreen Solar Inc., Shire Pharmaceuticals plc, Aspect Software Inc., Electrochem Inc. and Solutia Inc. Julia Tanen, a publicist for the awards, said nine of the 15 companies scheduled to be recognized are manufacturers.

Barry Bluestone, professor of political economy at Northeastern University and a co-author of a recent study on manufacturing commissioned by the Boston Foundation, said the awards underscore the fact that manufacturing remains a key part of the Massachusetts economy, even though it is perceived to be disappearing. The Boston Foundation report projected manufacturing in the state would decline to 268,000 jobs by 2016, down from 289,600 last month.

Over the past year, the number of manufacturing jobs in the state has declined by 4,400 or 1.5 percent, according to a report last week by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.

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November 17, 2008

Job search tips list-o-rama
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 10:42 AM

Sunday's Globe had a story by reporter Robert Gavin that painted a pretty depressing picture of the Massachusetts job market. It chronicled the futile job searches of two very qualified workers who had been laid off.

It's no surprise that it's an extremely bad time to be looking for a job. With unemployment continuing to rise as layoff announcements become a daily event, there are many more applicants for much fewer jobs. The competition for available jobs is as tough as it's ever been.

But we're not here to lament. Along with the boom in unemployment has been an equal rise in the amount of advice for those battling through this tough job market. Here are a few checklists for those looking for every bit of job search advice they can get their hands on.

First, Messmer, chairman and CEO of staffing firm Robert Half International, offers the following 10 tips for job seekers:

1. Step outside your comfort zone. Avoid limiting your search to your current industry or field. Identify your transferable skills and experiences, and communicate them to prospective employers.
2. Minimize work history gaps. If you are unable to find a position right away, consider temporary assignments, internships and part-time opportunities, all of which can potentially lead to a full-time role.
3. Be flexible. Remain open to all possibilities, even if the job title, salary and benefits may not be exactly what you hoped for. Once you get your foot in the door, you will have a chance to prove yourself.
4. Find jobs before they're advertised. Read your local business journals and newspapers to identify companies that are hiring or expanding, and send them your resume.
5. Cast a wide 'net.' General job boards can be useful, but don’t forget industry and trade association websites, which may have more targeted career opportunities.
6. Network -- online and off. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job, whether in-person or using professional networking websites.
7. Manage your digital footprint. Think your friends are the only people who viewed those less-than-professional vacation photos you posted online? Think again. With a few mouse clicks, potential employers can dig up information about you on blogs, personal websites and personal networking site profiles. Make sure you do a thorough self-search and take any necessary corrective action.
8. Customize. Tailor your resume and cover letter for each opportunity. Employers want to see why you’re the right person for their job.
9. Enhance your marketability. Find out what skills are most in-demand and take steps to give yourself an edge in these areas. Focus on sharpening both functional and interpersonal skills.
10. Meet with a recruiter. Staffing executives can be your eyes and ears in the job market. Recruiters also provide useful feedback on your resume and interview skills, and help you locate full-time and temporary jobs.

An article in the new career mentoring site Gotta Mentor, which just launched its beta version, also offers job search tips in a bad economy, this time focusing on what recent college graduates and those looking for entry-level work can do to increase their employment chances:

• Think global. Despite what is happening in the U.S. economy, there will continue to be growth abroad. If you do not have a global perspective, which includes language skills and an understanding of how to do business in different cultures, you will limit your opportunities
• Consider the opportunities in which you will learn the most and develop transferable skills. Now is the time to plan for your future. Employers are increasingly looking for people that can hit the ground running. In this economy, don’t take the best sounding job, take the job where you will have the most responsibility and develop skills
• Reach out to alumni in areas of interest to you. They can be sources for job leads and industry insight that makes you look smart in an interview
• Don't be picky. Cast a wide net. In a down market you want to focus on getting experience. Once you're in the door, it will be much easier to move around
• Get a mentor or two. Engage people you know and trust to help you in your job search and interview prep.

There have also been a number of advice pieces in the Globe and on Boston.com in recent days and weeks. Here is a quick list of links.

• 7 steps to take after being laid off

• 10 ways to adapt to the job market in a down economy

• 8 steps to turn your job search into a business plan

Are you fearful of being laid off? What steps have you taken to prepare for the worst? What advice would you give to those who have been laid off? Share your thoughts in our discussion forum.

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November 12, 2008

A brutal year for holiday employment
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 10:14 AM

I wrote about this last month but it looks like the prognostications that the holiday hiring season would be a brutal one were right on.

A story by the Associated Press paints a particularly gloomy picture for those who rely on work in retail or other seasonal business -- as well those who are now looking for any kind of work due to losing their jobs. From the article:

The odds of landing a part-time job at department store operator Bealls Outlet Stores Inc. this holiday season are slimmer than getting into Harvard: It's one out of every 45.

From department stores and convenience chains to call centers, managers who only a year ago had to scramble to fill holiday jobs are seeing a surge in the number of seasoned applicants - many of them laid off in other sectors and desperate for a way to pay the bills.

The flood of job seekers comes even as the retail industry drastically cuts back on holiday hiring because of the drop-off in consumer spending, and the applicants - who differ from the usual pool, teens or stay-at-home moms looking for extra spending money - reflect the nation's fast-deteriorating job market.

"I thought it was going to be pretty easy, but I am not the only one looking for a job. There are thousands of us going for the same thing," said Kimberly Caparo of Chesterfield, Mich., who has applied for part-time jobs at Toys "R" Us Inc., Home Depot Inc., and Lowe's Cos. Inc. in recent weeks since she and her husband were laid off by auto industry supplier American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc.

A companion piece by the AP has some of the numbers associated with holiday employment, as well as a gloomy prediction for the post-holiday season:

Holiday hiring: Seasonal hiring is expected to be well below the levels of a year ago. A survey of 1,000 managers by SnagAJob.com found that on average, each plans to hire 3.7 seasonal employees - down from 5.6 last year. A survey of 20 retailers by management consultants Hay Group reported that in September, 75 percent were planning to hire the same number of seasonal workers from a year ago. In November, that figure fell to 53 percent, while 26 percent planned to hire 5 to 15 percent fewer workers.

Post-holiday opportunities: Even those who find holiday jobs folding sweaters or ringing a cash register may not be able to rely on them after the holiday season, since more stores are expected to file for bankruptcy. That's expected to further push up the overall unemployment rate, which could climb to 8 or 8.5 percent by the end of next year.

Are you trying to find a second job this holiday season? The Globe wants to hear from people who have applied to work in retail or in service to earn extra income this holiday season. Are you having trouble finding a second job? Or are there lots of offers out there?

Contact Globe reporter Jenn Abelson at abelson@globe.com to share your story.

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November 9, 2008

The Job Doc online
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 11:18 AM

Globe readers: You may have noticed that the weekly Job Doc was not in your Sunday paper. Unfortunately, because of space constraints in the Sunday Money & Careers section, the Joc Doc will no longer be appearing in print. However, it will live on right here at Boston.com/jobs.

Starting some time next month, the Job Doc will become a blog on Boston.com, and our career experts will continue to answer all of your employment-realted questions. Hopefully, it will become a much better experience for readers online than it was as a once-a-week article.

Until the new blog debuts, we will provide the Job Doc columns that we have in the queue. This week, there are three reader questions and three useful answers from Job Doc Roni F. Noland.

Here are this week's Job Doc entries:

• Work-related injury leads to loss of job

• Should hourly worker get paid for travel time?

• Are post-interview thank-you notes mandatory?

And, as always, if you have questions for our Job Docs, you can e-mail them to jobdoc@globe.com.

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November 4, 2008

Construction job fair Wednesday
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 3:45 PM

This article originally appeared in the Globe's Business News Updates blog.

The state's director of apprentice training is planning to attend a job fair focused on the construction industry; the job fair is scheduled for tomorrow evening in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston.

The "Construction & Property Management and Maintenance Career Fair" will feature discussions on the job requirements and training opportunities as well as tips on upgrading skills, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said in a press release.

The fair is scheduled to take place Nov. 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at English High School at 144 McBride St. near the Orange Line MBTA stop at Green Street, the executive office said.

Plans call for David Wallace, the director of the Labor and Workforce Department's apprentice training program, to join representatives from local trade union apprenticeship programs and potential employers.

One host of the job fair is the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. For more information, please call the JPNDC at 617-522-2424, extension 274.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)

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Is the downturn affecting your company?
Posted by Jesse Nunes at 10:04 AM

Because the down economy is forcing many employers to lay off workers, it's a tense time for many in the Bay State and beyond.

Globe reporter Robert Weisman is looking to hear from employees who are worried about the stability of their companies and their jobs.

What, if anything, has your employer told you about how the financial crisis and the slowing economy will impact your organization? Do you feel your employer has been communicating effectively or keeping you in the dark?

E-mail Robert Weisman at weisman@globe.com.

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