By: Brenda Bryant
While analysts and economists may disagree on the solution to an economic recession, they all agree that job creation and wage rates play a critical role in economic growth. You may be inclined to believe the issue today is a lack of jobs, citing job cuts and layoffs as support. However, the winners of the Nobel prize in economics for 2010 disagree–it may be a lack of proper job training.
Peter Diamond, Dale Mortensen and Christopher Pissarides shared the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their work on wage formation through search markets. Professor Diamond is known for his conclusion that higher levels of unemployment insurance can actually lead to job creation, a point hotly debated by politicians. Mortensen and Pissarides are well known for their work in finding a negative relationship between the number of jobs and the level of unemployment.
Applicants Lacking Job Skills Training
These three economists have developed theories which explain how so many people can be unemployed with a large number of job openings on the market. Put together, their work suggests the issue is not lack of jobs, but lack of an efficient market to match employers with the right employee. This is especially the case in terms of skill set. Recruiters and temp agencies believe the issue is not a lack of jobs, but a lack of qualified candidates.
Doug Beabout, CPC, of The Douglas Howard Group believes the skills gap will only grow in the future. “There will be between six and eight million jobs open by 2013, and that’s just representing the jobs that exist right now, with no growth in the economy taken into account,” said Beabout. He continues, “There will not be people in our population who can do these jobs.”
Skill Sets that Can Make You More Competitive
The Pacific Northwest, Texas, Arizona, Silicon Valley and the Mid-Atlantic regions all cite a lack of employees with the right skill set. Those employees lucky enough to have this coveted skill set are paid higher salaries and receive higher bonuses. It is not surprising that the coveted skill set revolves around technology.
In 2010, the Global Knowledge/TechRepublic 2010 Salary Survey conducted a survey of key decision makers. They listed Windows administration, network administration and security as the primary desired skill-set. Database managers for Oracle, IBM and Sybase are also in high demand and the demand for those in mobile and web application development continues to grow.
From a broader perspective, organizations are looking for project management skills, experience in health care technology and management, software engineers, virtualization or data storage experience and business analysis.
Business analysis includes strategy and organizational behavior, project or work place transition specialists and implementation strategists. Business analysts with business process improvement experience are also highly sought after.
Who Gets the Bonus?
A recent survey by Mercer suggests employers plan on sharing built up cash reserves on their current employees rather than hiring additional employees. The survey, which has been conducted for more than two decades, includes responses from more than 1,100 employers and includes the pay of more than 12 million employees.
On average, employers plan on increasing base pay by 3 percent in 2012, with the top performing employees expecting to see an increase by an average of 4.8 percent. Many employees are doing the work of two or three people after layoffs and these raises give top talent a reason to stay.
Furthermore, and even more disturbing for the average employee, is the gap between top and average talent. Employers are investing more money in on the job training programs for top talent, which enables these lucky few to focus on career growth rather than job protection. The practice is known as segmentation or differentiation.
The only way for the average employee to close the gap is to invest in their own, self-made, job skills training program. The challenge is figuring out which skill-sets have the highest utility; that is, pay the most, for the shortest amount of training.
By: Keri Goodfriend
Whether your kids have started school, you’re tired of pinching pennies, or you want more intellectual stimulation than furry red monsters can provide, you know internally when you are ready to work full-time again because your inner voice says, “I’ve gotta get back out there!”
The road back to the Land of Getting Paid can be fraught with worry and self-doubt about whether you “still got it,” but with proper preparation for your job search, you’ll have the confidence needed to land the perfect job.
Preparing yourself to return to the workforce starts way before you’re ready to send out your resume. Turn the focus on yourself to get mentally, emotionally, and physically ready for the career-seeking mission ahead.
1. Clear the Fog
Reading material in your career field will refresh your memory on common practices and workplace jargon that has been replaced with Mommy-ese and the parental fog that set in soon after the birth of your child. Search online for professional magazines and websites in your career field that have trends and hot topics to help you get up-to-date on what’s happening in your workforce.
2. Sharpen the Ax
While my tech-savvy skills have dulled over the years from lack of use, mommyhood is not to blame for my current inability to insert a formula on a spreadsheet or prepare a PowerPoint presentation. Upgrades are. Microsoft is several versions beyond where it was when I packed up my things, so if I were to try to jump in right where I left off, well, I’d sink quickly.
Luckily, finding courses to help you learn or refresh your computer skills is not too difficult. Local libraries often offer a variety of computer courses, as do community colleges. There are also online tutorials and courses available on the web.
3. Socialize and Network
One of the advantages of living in the age of Facebook is the opportunity to find and network with many friends and coworkers whom you otherwise would have long since forgotten. Reach out to old coworkers, and let them know that you’re ready to jump back into the workforce. Chat with them about their workplace, and the issues they are facing. This can help you get the scoop from someone on the inside!
4. Dress the Part
Do yourself a favor and try on any old suit or outfit that you’d consider wearing to a job interview way before the day of the event. Your body may not be the same pre-kids body, and while you may be able to suck it in for the duration of an interview, you don’t need that added stress while in the spotlight. Don’t make yourself uncomfortable by wearing ill-fitting clothes.
If you are lucky enough to fit into your old work duds, kudos! However, still pull them out and take them to the dry cleaner. That line of dust that has collected on the jacket shoulders and pant creases while in the closet isn’t the first impression you want your prospective employer to have.
5. Mind the Gap
You might be concerned that any employer who looks at your resume may look at your giant employment gap and never call you back. This is not the case, but you do want to present yourself in the best light, so choosing an appropriate resume format is key.
A combination resume focuses on your strengths and accomplishments without calling attention to the dates of employment. This doesn’t mean you are hiding the fact that you’ve been unemployed, just putting your best foot forward.
A combination resume also provides an appropriate place to list the skills and experience you’ve gained outside of the workforce from volunteer and community leadership opportunities, as well as managing your household: maintenance, planning, scheduling, budgeting, teaching, organizing, etc. Get my point?
6. Play with Your Words
Play the part of a critical editor and think about whether your words sound enthusiastic, motivated, and driven. If not, rewrite. You have two pages at most to convince your future boss that you’re the one, so pick your words wisely.
Each statement on your resume should start with an action word such as “created,” “directed,” “supervised,” or “organized.” Once you find a promising job listing, revise the resume. You want your resume to address as many of the job qualifications as possible listed in the ad. If the employer is seeking someone with experience in administrative duties, then you want to share an experience you have “compiling,” “filing,” “organizing,” “scheduling,” etc.
Make it as easy as possible for the employer to see the relevant skills. If he or she has to work hard to determine how your experience might translate into a possible fit for the position, your resume will end up in the circular file, rather than the interview pile.
7. Proceed with Due Diligence
With your resume and cover letter sent, you’re halfway there, but your work is not done. You already know why they should want you, but why should you want them? You’d be doing a disservice to yourself to blindly accept a job without researching comparable salaries, companies, employee benefits, or job growth opportunities.
If you cannot find the answers you are looking for, then bring them to the interview. While the supervisor is looking to find a good fit for the position, it’s also his responsibility to sell you on his organization. Engaging in this kind of conversation during the interview shows the supervisor that you’ve done your homework, and are invested in committing to this organization.
While the decision to re-enter the workforce can be difficult, the process of finding the perfect job does not have to be. Recognizing your skills and abilities, and properly marketing them, will make the path back to full-time employment a smooth one.
by: Doug Stites
In a recent education and economy survey conducted by Kaplan, “tough times drive adults to return to the classroom.”
Peter Smith, senior vice president for academic strategies and development at Kaplan Higher Education, found that 83 percent of U.S. adults think the nation is falling behind other countries economically.
Seventy-one percent believe the nation can improve its standing if more people earn college degrees.
We continue to hear complaints about skills gaps when it comes to hiring. What is more concerning, though, is the lack of career management.
The best way to manage your career is to first prioritize your education.
A job in any given industry may not be the same type of job it was five or even 10 years ago. While you may have experience within a particular industry, the skills required for that job may have changed in recent years.
Technology advances and we are left behind when we don’t change with them.
Skill sets require upgrades and continuous management, which is why we must constantly be in the know about current job and skill requirements.
The Education and Economy survey indicated 91 percent of U.S. adults “feel finishing a degree, seeking a higher degree or continuing education makes someone more attractive to potential employers.”
Control the controllables. This means that you can put your future in your own hands by taking the steps needed to have a career and promising future.
While there are a lot of things you cannot control, your career does not have to be one of them. If you really want to be out in the job field, contributing to your local economy, then you will do everything possible to obtain these goals.
Part of the necessity in achieving this is furthering your education.
With a lower supply and higher demand when it comes to the workforce, competition is unavoidable. An education could be that one determining factor that helps you land a job. A certification in a particular skill or an advanced degree will boost your candidacy, allowing you to stand out among other potential employees.
A bachelor’s degree can earn you 90 percent more than a high school graduate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Take control of your own future by advancing your education level.
A stable lifestyle starts with a valued education.
Dave Allen
How many people make it to adulthood and regret giving up the creative pursuits of their youth? Hobbies of all kinds, from piano playing to painting with watercolors, often go by the wayside upon entering the working world; it gets harder to find time to practice, of course, and those lessons that tuition money once paid for no longer look so affordable.
Upon entering the working world and beginning your career search, though, don’t shy away from making your creative endeavors a part of the package. Even if you never dance ballet or pick up the oboe ever again, there’s a place for non-traditional skills on your resume and in your job search.
Skills in the arts can be an eye-catching item—listed under “Other Interests,” perhaps—because you never know if a former musician or current aficionado might reading your resume. But skills you’ve gained as a performer or creator can be valuable in the working world, too. A tour with a choir or dance company could be presented as significant abroad experience, for example. If performing or other creative work makes up a considerable part of your career experience—say you spent a year or two after school playing as a musician on cruise ships—it can be a main item on your resume.
Studied ballet or other choreographed dance? You’re teachable! Led a section of a band or orchestra? That certainly builds leadership skills. Take and develop art photographs? You have an eye for detail and are comfortable with step-by-step processes.
The skills needed to succeed in the modern workplace don’t only come from hours spent at internships or in the classroom. They can come from anywhere, and it’s worth making the ones that don’t fit the typical mold part of a creative and considered job search.
If you are not currently working, but know you want to return to the workforce, it’s important to keep up with your “vocational vocabulary.”
By: Sina Kniseley
Staff at Maryland’s Professional Outplacement Assistance Center (POAC) in Columbia often tell seminar attendees to maintain their “vocational vocabulary” – the vocabulary relevant to people in their profession.
POAC works with unemployed people who are in a professional, executive, technical, managerial, or scientific occupation to help them find a job. POAC is run by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s Division of Workforce Development. Services are free for Maryland residents.
If you are at home, you start talking about painting projects, or childcare issues, Steve Gallison, POAC’s Director said at a recent seminar. To stay marketable you need to maintain your knowledge about what is happening in your industry. You can also use time at home to explore new career options or enhance skills.
Crofton resident Lisa Benitez used her time at home to make herself more marketable. Benitez has a bachelor’s degree in communications. After graduating college, she worked at a television station and then was a college admissions and student services staff member.
After Benitez had her first son, she choose to stay home. “My goal was to go back to work when my second son was in school full-time,” Benitez said. So she returned to college on the evenings and weekends to earn her master’s degree and teaching certification.
“The smartest thing I ever did was to go back to school early,” Benitez said. “If I had waited until [my sons] were in school, I would have needed two years before I could start working,” she said.
Some people may choose to stay at home, but others may be in a forced unemployment situation. Regardless of the reason you are at home, the following tips can help you maintain your vocational vocabulary if you plan to return to the workforce.
- Stay active in a professional society – Professional societies will often waive fees for members who are unemployed. Read society publications and participate in online forums or groups. Attend society events – it’s a great way to network and expand your professional contacts while keeping current.
- Volunteer – Volunteering is another way to network and keep your skills fresh. Benitez volunteered regularly in her son’s school. The staff knew she had her teaching certification and she was very familiar with school operations. When a long-term substitute was needed, the staff asked Benitez if she would be interested. She said yes. She eventually was offered a full-time position.
- Take a class – Funding may be available if you want to transition to a new career or update your skills. Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation offers training to qualified individuals. If you do not qualify for aid through AAWDC, other funds may be available. Benitez received two scholarships from state delegates. “I would strongly encourage people to look for scholarships. There are scholarships for continuing education – they are not just for high school students.” she said.
- Use social media – Create a LinkedIn profile and become active in online groups pertinent to your industry.
Networking is a great way to keep up with industry news. Go to lunch with an old colleague, or make a point to call them just to chat, Gallison said. Keep your knowledge current.