News and Advice

No cyber skills? No need to apply till you do
Ernestine Brookins long dreamed of becoming a paralegal. But first, the 64-year-old Hudson resident had to speed up her typing and master the intricacies of Microsoft Office. (By Megan McKee, Boston Globe)

Set your resume apart in recruiters’ crowded e-mail inboxes
Q. Is there a way to get people to actually read the cover letters I send? Why do companies ask us to send e-mail with a cover letter and resume? Do people even read their e-mail anymore? I spend a lot of time on tailoring my e-mails. Does it matter? (By Elaine Varelas, Boston Globe)

400 Lynn hospital workers join SEIU
More than 400 healthcare workers at Union Hospital in Lynn have voted to join Service Employees International Union, Local 1199. (By Sean Sposito, Boston Globe)

New jobless claims go below 600,000
WASHINGTON - Even though new claims for jobless benefits fell more than expected last week, dipping below 600,000 for the first time since early January, the number of Americans seeking this safety net points to an economy that is still very weak. (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)

Defunct temp agency settles bias suit
A defunct North Carolina-based employment agency has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a sex-discrimination lawsuit filed by a federal agency in Boston. (By Associated Press, Boston Globe)

Laid off, but not laid out: Volunteering boosts workers’ spirits and skills
When Marya Wolfman was laid off in January from her job at Monster Worldwide, the parent company of the job search site Monster.com, she decided to use some of the time to work on writing her science fiction novel. But that alone didn’t fill the void she felt when she lost her job. (By Calvin Hennick, Boston Globe)

Job openings in US remain at record low
WASHINGTON - Job openings in the United States remained at a record low level in May, indicating that while employers have slowed the pace of layoffs they are still hesitant to add staff. (By Courtney Schlisserman, Boston Globe)

Cape Cod firm, lab partner in hopes of creating business opportunities
Regional Technology Development Corp. of Cape Cod is teaming up with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole to promote and create a market for the laboratory’s work. The goal is to translate scientific discoveries into business opportunities. (By Erin Ailworth, Boston Globe)

Tight market makes job seekers ever more creative
At a time when one job posting can attract hundreds of applicants, the unemployed are doing everything they can to stand out. There’s the man who walked the streets of Manhattan wearing a sandwich board that read: “MIT Grad for Hire.’’ A Connecticut woman rented a billboard along Interstate 95 to advertise her eagerness to land a job. A Hopkinton ... (By Katie Johnston Chase, Boston Globe)

Summer jobs are just a mirage for many Boston teens
Teens in the city’s low-income families long for summer - but not to laze about on the beach or take trips to far-off destinations. When July comes, they want a job. (By Meghan Irons, Boston Globe)