Jobless claims have historically peaked six to 10 weeks before recessions end, according to a report by Goldman Sachs. http://bit.ly/O5dSv "But the latest report shows job losses remain high. The four-week average of claims, which smoothes out volatility, dropped slightly to 646,750, about 12,000 below the peak in early April. Goldman Sachs economists have said a decline of 30,000 to 40,000 in the four-week average is needed to signal a peak."
For survival, many people take whatever job they can get. It's a good strategy to pay the rent. But for true job security, it's important to find the ideal job for you right now -- a traditional job or entrepreneurial position that considers your needs for income, opportunity, creativity, feasibility, flexibility, stability and longevity.
Imagine if there was a scoring model that could help you create the ideal job for you this month. There is. It's called the Green Light Scoring Model and it's available through The Graduate Group. www.graduategroup.com For only $30, including tax and shipping, you can truly discover the ideal job for you right now. (Career experts, contact me about a free PDF to make your own copies on site for your customers. Buy 25 copies in one order to The Graduate Group and receive a PDF to make an unlimited number of additional copies.)
SPECIAL NOTICE: Are you a Kaplan University student? Join me May 4 for a one-hour presentation on hot job resources. I'll be answering your questions live.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
A Bright Spot in a Dark Economy
The weather in my home town this week was an awful lot like the news about the economy. First it was sunny and lovely. Two days later we had hail that looked like snow as it covered the ground. The next day, we had snow -- big white flakes the size of quarters -- for several hours. A day later it was cool but not cold, followed by today which offered up full sun and 75 degrees. I took a chance and moved my topsy-turvy back outside from over my kitchen sink. But I covered the tomato plants tonight, because no one seems to have any idea what's going on with our silly weather that's all over the map.
It's a snapshot of what we've all experienced with the economy for the past year. The stock market was down, way down in early March. Now it's back up but job loss is still a concern and housing starts are down. People are saving more, spending less, and no one can figure out why gas prices are climbing at the pump when the barrel rate is at a record low.
An unlikely star emerged this week to offer up an unexpected bright spot in a dark economy. Her name is Susan Boyle and her audition on Britain's Got Talent is the biggest thing on YouTube. Indeed she has the voice of an angel, but I don't think that's why she's a worldwide hit. I think she's a hit because we all feel like she looks -- ordinary and imperfect. And yet inside of her is something so unbelievably beautiful that it pushes her to the front of the line.
This economy and the state of the job market have brought out the Susan Boyle in each of us. And for those in desperate need of inspiration (and jobs!), her voice may have offered up just enough encouragement to help keep going. (Not to mention the fact that the words of “I Dreamed a Dream” describe exactly how a lot of people are feeling.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmbJzH93NU Is it possible that while we stood up and cheered for her, on some level we were also cheering for ourselves?
How long will this economic winter last? Will it snow again just when we think spring should be well under way? Maybe it will. But like a candle in the dark, even those most uncertain of what tomorrow holds next can for one brief moment, stop and listen to the music, and feel somewhat assured that despite the odds, there is hope, there is light, there is music -- and if Susan Boyle can captivate the world, we too can find a talent or two to share.
For job resources you can depend on, Creating Job Security Resource Guide is available for $8.95 at www.Amazon.com. To discover the absolute ideal career for you right now, Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-In-One Workbook is available at www.graduategroup.com. Follow us on Twitter @ Job_Security.
It's a snapshot of what we've all experienced with the economy for the past year. The stock market was down, way down in early March. Now it's back up but job loss is still a concern and housing starts are down. People are saving more, spending less, and no one can figure out why gas prices are climbing at the pump when the barrel rate is at a record low.
An unlikely star emerged this week to offer up an unexpected bright spot in a dark economy. Her name is Susan Boyle and her audition on Britain's Got Talent is the biggest thing on YouTube. Indeed she has the voice of an angel, but I don't think that's why she's a worldwide hit. I think she's a hit because we all feel like she looks -- ordinary and imperfect. And yet inside of her is something so unbelievably beautiful that it pushes her to the front of the line.
This economy and the state of the job market have brought out the Susan Boyle in each of us. And for those in desperate need of inspiration (and jobs!), her voice may have offered up just enough encouragement to help keep going. (Not to mention the fact that the words of “I Dreamed a Dream” describe exactly how a lot of people are feeling.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmbJzH93NU Is it possible that while we stood up and cheered for her, on some level we were also cheering for ourselves?
How long will this economic winter last? Will it snow again just when we think spring should be well under way? Maybe it will. But like a candle in the dark, even those most uncertain of what tomorrow holds next can for one brief moment, stop and listen to the music, and feel somewhat assured that despite the odds, there is hope, there is light, there is music -- and if Susan Boyle can captivate the world, we too can find a talent or two to share.
For job resources you can depend on, Creating Job Security Resource Guide is available for $8.95 at www.Amazon.com. To discover the absolute ideal career for you right now, Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-In-One Workbook is available at www.graduategroup.com. Follow us on Twitter @ Job_Security.
Friday, April 10, 2009
A Cacophony of Job News
I’m in the business of helping people create their own job security -- whether by finding a position that’s right for them or seeing a need and finding an entrepreneurial way to fill it. As part of my passion, I read a lot of job and economic news. I study trends and analyze economic data. I work with people one-on-one and sometimes in groups.
But even I am finding myself overwhelmed by the loud banging cacophony (noise!) that is being sometimes carelessly thrown around from a lot of voices -- some of them with very little to say. If I’m overwhelmed imagine what the poor man or woman who just wants to support their family is feeling.
And the messages are mixed. Tonight on CNN alone, there were two jobs-related stories right beside each other. One was about how President Obama feels upbeat about a glimmer of hope beginning to shine into the economy and job market. (Easy to say when you have your job guaranteed for four more years, and a roof over your head.) The other was about overcrowed job fairs across the US, and the many people who are turned away. I wonder how much hope the 10,000 people who showed up for a Job Fair in New Hampshire felt -- especially those who had to be turned away.
In a down market, many people are so desperate to find a job, they sometimes open themselves up to a position that isn’t necessarily a good fit for them. Take healthcare for example. The news about healthcare as an industry is consistent. The number of jobs in healthcare is growing. But not everyone makes a good nurse. Not everyone makes a good caregiver. It is a special job that requires targeted skills and a personality dedicated to compassion for patients who aren’t always at their best.
One of my clients is a regional hospital. I love working in healthcare. It’s rewarding even for those of us with non-clinical positions. I have the incredible opportunity to meet patients and share their stories of struggle and ultimately success -- of overcoming disease, surgeries, and other ailments that somehow compromised their ability to function without the help of a skilled physician and his/her staff. But my job wouldn’t be for everyone. Sometimes, what patients -- even those with a success story -- need most is to have someone just sit and listen. They want to walk away and feel heard. They want to know that someone from the hospital that helped them sees them as a person first and a patient second.
What’s most important for you, and for every job seeker out there, is not to listen to the news or to the trends economists are telling you. What’s most important is to undergo a thorough assessment of how you can best use your skills and talents to make a living -- and to make a life.
You are an individual, with special skills, talents and gifts that are completely unique to you. If you’re ready to explore those skills, talents and gifts, the Green Light Scoring Model located in the easy-to-use guide Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-In-One Workbook, can help you. Learn more today at www.graduategroup.com.
But even I am finding myself overwhelmed by the loud banging cacophony (noise!) that is being sometimes carelessly thrown around from a lot of voices -- some of them with very little to say. If I’m overwhelmed imagine what the poor man or woman who just wants to support their family is feeling.
And the messages are mixed. Tonight on CNN alone, there were two jobs-related stories right beside each other. One was about how President Obama feels upbeat about a glimmer of hope beginning to shine into the economy and job market. (Easy to say when you have your job guaranteed for four more years, and a roof over your head.) The other was about overcrowed job fairs across the US, and the many people who are turned away. I wonder how much hope the 10,000 people who showed up for a Job Fair in New Hampshire felt -- especially those who had to be turned away.
In a down market, many people are so desperate to find a job, they sometimes open themselves up to a position that isn’t necessarily a good fit for them. Take healthcare for example. The news about healthcare as an industry is consistent. The number of jobs in healthcare is growing. But not everyone makes a good nurse. Not everyone makes a good caregiver. It is a special job that requires targeted skills and a personality dedicated to compassion for patients who aren’t always at their best.
One of my clients is a regional hospital. I love working in healthcare. It’s rewarding even for those of us with non-clinical positions. I have the incredible opportunity to meet patients and share their stories of struggle and ultimately success -- of overcoming disease, surgeries, and other ailments that somehow compromised their ability to function without the help of a skilled physician and his/her staff. But my job wouldn’t be for everyone. Sometimes, what patients -- even those with a success story -- need most is to have someone just sit and listen. They want to walk away and feel heard. They want to know that someone from the hospital that helped them sees them as a person first and a patient second.
What’s most important for you, and for every job seeker out there, is not to listen to the news or to the trends economists are telling you. What’s most important is to undergo a thorough assessment of how you can best use your skills and talents to make a living -- and to make a life.
You are an individual, with special skills, talents and gifts that are completely unique to you. If you’re ready to explore those skills, talents and gifts, the Green Light Scoring Model located in the easy-to-use guide Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-In-One Workbook, can help you. Learn more today at www.graduategroup.com.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Preparing for a Job Apocalypse
Is the economy really as bad as the media would have you believe? For some, it is worse. More than 4 million jobs have disappeared since the recession began in December 2007. And with the rate of job losses accelerating, people are beginning to ask where recession ends and depression begins. This world economic downturn is already in its 15th month, making it longer than all but two downturns since World War II. And, as if that is not enough, the Dow seems to be in free fall, and one in eight American homeowners is in foreclosure or behind on payments. It’s not out of the question why some are wondering if we are headed for a worldwide job apocalypse.
The world is not going to have a job apocalypse, although it is possible that more services will be exchanged in the form of trade than at any time in recent history. The reality is that there are way too many people who need too many products and services for a true job apocalypse to set in.
But to achieve some peace of mind, imagine for a moment that you lost your job tomorrow and you weren’t able to find a similar position for one year. Leading economists are suggesting a recovery could be a year away.
What would you do to survive? If you are wise, and among a single-digit percent of Americans, you have a safety net. Financial planners have been preaching just such a plan for years. If you are fortunate, you will receive unemployment compensation that covers at least your basic expenses. But if you are like most people, you will be faced with the immediate need to re-evaluate your skills, talents and the things you can do to come up with a set of real service options you can offer those in need of services -- those with the funds to hire your help.
The value of considering a job apocalypse is not to induce massive fear and chaos. Worry never solved a single world problem. But expecting a break-down in the status quo and preparing for a job loss before it happens, can help you sleep better whether you lose your job or not. People who have a plan B or even a plan C don’t have to fret about the future, because regardless of what the future holds, they have a plan. Do you have a plan?
The best way to go about creating a plan is to engage a methodical approach to listing and then considering your options. First list all of your skills, talents, hobbies, and the things you or others have noticed you’re good at. For each skill or activity you have listed, write down three or four jobs in which you’d use that skill -- in other words, three or four ways you could use your skills to make money or create a job for yourself. Once you have a list of 20 or 30 jobs you could actually perform using your skills, hobbies, talents and experience, determine which ones might be best suited to your life right now.
Ultimately, whether you find yourself jobless or not, you are not without options. You are not with possibilities. And you are not without hope. And no matter what happens within the domestic or world economy, when you have options, possibilities and hope, you can easily develop a plan.
If you could benefit from a step-by-step approach that walked you through what can otherwise be a frightening process of discovering how to create your own job security, Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-In-One Workbook is available at www.graduategroup.com for $30 including tax and shipping. It’s a really inexpensive investment in your future job security. If you already know what you want to do but just need the resources to help you get there, Creating Job Security Resource Guide is available for $8.95 at www.amazon.com.
The world is not going to have a job apocalypse, although it is possible that more services will be exchanged in the form of trade than at any time in recent history. The reality is that there are way too many people who need too many products and services for a true job apocalypse to set in.
But to achieve some peace of mind, imagine for a moment that you lost your job tomorrow and you weren’t able to find a similar position for one year. Leading economists are suggesting a recovery could be a year away.
What would you do to survive? If you are wise, and among a single-digit percent of Americans, you have a safety net. Financial planners have been preaching just such a plan for years. If you are fortunate, you will receive unemployment compensation that covers at least your basic expenses. But if you are like most people, you will be faced with the immediate need to re-evaluate your skills, talents and the things you can do to come up with a set of real service options you can offer those in need of services -- those with the funds to hire your help.
The value of considering a job apocalypse is not to induce massive fear and chaos. Worry never solved a single world problem. But expecting a break-down in the status quo and preparing for a job loss before it happens, can help you sleep better whether you lose your job or not. People who have a plan B or even a plan C don’t have to fret about the future, because regardless of what the future holds, they have a plan. Do you have a plan?
The best way to go about creating a plan is to engage a methodical approach to listing and then considering your options. First list all of your skills, talents, hobbies, and the things you or others have noticed you’re good at. For each skill or activity you have listed, write down three or four jobs in which you’d use that skill -- in other words, three or four ways you could use your skills to make money or create a job for yourself. Once you have a list of 20 or 30 jobs you could actually perform using your skills, hobbies, talents and experience, determine which ones might be best suited to your life right now.
Ultimately, whether you find yourself jobless or not, you are not without options. You are not with possibilities. And you are not without hope. And no matter what happens within the domestic or world economy, when you have options, possibilities and hope, you can easily develop a plan.
If you could benefit from a step-by-step approach that walked you through what can otherwise be a frightening process of discovering how to create your own job security, Creating Job Security, The 2009 All-In-One Workbook is available at www.graduategroup.com for $30 including tax and shipping. It’s a really inexpensive investment in your future job security. If you already know what you want to do but just need the resources to help you get there, Creating Job Security Resource Guide is available for $8.95 at www.amazon.com.
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