Older workers face long, frustrating job search
By Allison Linn / Senior writer / msnbc.com msnbc.com
updated 6/3/2010
After more than three decades in the restaurant and hotel industry, Ron Pierson didn’t think he’d have trouble getting a job when he found himself without work in February 2008.
But in the more than two years since he lost his job, Pierson, 55, has applied for hundreds of positions, ranging from management all the way down to busboy openings he hopes will give him a foot in the door.
He’s had a few interviews but no job offers. While he believes the economy has played the largest role in his inability to land a job, he also suspects that his years of experience may be hurting his prospects.
“I feel that the employers were willing to hire someone basically half my age,” he said.
(snip)
Higher salaries, other factors
Experts say there are a number of reasons that older people may have a harder time finding work.
Older workers may be more experienced but less knowledgeable in the latest trends or technology skills. Employers also may be worried about spending time and money investing in workers who might leave for a better position or simply retire sooner than younger workers. A worker who is 55 might command a higher salary than someone a decade or two younger but not have much more experience in pertinent areas.
The current economy, in which hundreds of candidates apply for any job opening, also is giving employers the luxury of being extremely picky.
READ MORE ABOUT OLDER WORKERS FINDING JOBS...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37448682/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
NEED A JOB? THE TRADES NEED YOU!
Rattled job seekers turning to the trades
Future looks bright as government begins to pour money into infrastructure
By Eve Tahmincioglu / msnbc.com contributor
Sun., April 4, 2010
Lisa Szymanski, 45, recently enrolled in an apprenticeship program in Portland, Ore., with her sights on becoming a carpenter.
Until recently, she was making her living in graphic arts, but the work has dried up and she decided to try something new.
“As long as you know how to use a hammer, someone will pay you a few bucks to do something,” she said. “You can’t outsource this kind of work. You can’t call India to get a carpenter.”
For the last few decades, the prevailing wisdom among many has been that you have to go to college and get an office job in order to make it in the technological workplace of the future. But today, many workers, rattled by the recession and wondering if their desk jobs will ever come back, are turning to trades that require more hands-on, dirty work — everything from carpentry to plumbing.
(snip)
The Department of Labor projects jobs such as plumbers will jump 15 percent through 2018; electricians by 12 percent; and carpenters by nearly 13 percent.
READ: LOOK FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TRADES...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36122189/ns/business-careers/
Future looks bright as government begins to pour money into infrastructure
By Eve Tahmincioglu / msnbc.com contributor
Sun., April 4, 2010
Lisa Szymanski, 45, recently enrolled in an apprenticeship program in Portland, Ore., with her sights on becoming a carpenter.
Until recently, she was making her living in graphic arts, but the work has dried up and she decided to try something new.
“As long as you know how to use a hammer, someone will pay you a few bucks to do something,” she said. “You can’t outsource this kind of work. You can’t call India to get a carpenter.”
For the last few decades, the prevailing wisdom among many has been that you have to go to college and get an office job in order to make it in the technological workplace of the future. But today, many workers, rattled by the recession and wondering if their desk jobs will ever come back, are turning to trades that require more hands-on, dirty work — everything from carpentry to plumbing.
(snip)
The Department of Labor projects jobs such as plumbers will jump 15 percent through 2018; electricians by 12 percent; and carpenters by nearly 13 percent.
READ: LOOK FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TRADES...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36122189/ns/business-careers/
Saturday, January 23, 2010
YOUR RESUME: 10 WORTHLESS THINGS NOT TO TELL
10 Things to Leave Off Your Résumé
By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer
Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ
Everybody knows that in most situations, less is more -- your accessories, eating habits and especially your résumé.
Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out résumés with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information like your hobbies, interests or how many grandchildren you have. Just stick to the basics and you're good to go.
Here are 10 things to leave off your résumé and why:
1. Your picture... Why to leave it off:
Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun. Not only are your looks irrelevant to your potential as an employee, but you're putting employers in a bad spot. If they have a picture of you and choose not to hire you, it's possible that you could come back with a discrimination lawsuit. In most cases, they'll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.
2. Interest and hobbies... Why to leave them off:
Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. If you want to show how your passion for art would be asset to a graphic design position, that's one thing. But telling employer that you love to skydive on an actuary application is another. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.
IMPORTANT: READ WHAT TO LEAVE OFF OF YOUR RESUME...http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2175-Cover-Letters-Resumes-10-Things-to-Leave-Off-Your-R%c3%a9sum%c3%a9/?sc_extcmp=JS_2175_advice&SiteId=cbmsn42175&catid=CL
By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer
Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBwriterRZ
Everybody knows that in most situations, less is more -- your accessories, eating habits and especially your résumé.
Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out résumés with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information like your hobbies, interests or how many grandchildren you have. Just stick to the basics and you're good to go.
Here are 10 things to leave off your résumé and why:
1. Your picture... Why to leave it off:
Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun. Not only are your looks irrelevant to your potential as an employee, but you're putting employers in a bad spot. If they have a picture of you and choose not to hire you, it's possible that you could come back with a discrimination lawsuit. In most cases, they'll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.
2. Interest and hobbies... Why to leave them off:
Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. If you want to show how your passion for art would be asset to a graphic design position, that's one thing. But telling employer that you love to skydive on an actuary application is another. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.
IMPORTANT: READ WHAT TO LEAVE OFF OF YOUR RESUME...http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2175-Cover-Letters-Resumes-10-Things-to-Leave-Off-Your-R%c3%a9sum%c3%a9/?sc_extcmp=JS_2175_advice&SiteId=cbmsn42175&catid=CL
Sunday, January 10, 2010
UNEMPLOYED: GRAB NEW JOB, LOWER PAY
For the Unemployed, New Job Often Means a Pay Cut
Sunday, January 10, 2010 / Associated Press
Unemployed for nearly a year, David Becker was relieved to land a new job in information technology last summer.
The offer carried a price, though: It was a lower-rung job than the one Becker had lost. He had to uproot his family from Wisconsin to Nevada. And, like many formerly jobless people who find work these days, Becker is now paid far less than before — $25,000 less.
It's one of the bleak realities of the economic recovery: Even as more employers are starting to hire, the new jobs typically pay less than the ones that were lost.
In the government's data, a job is a job. More jobs point to a growing economy. But to people who used to earn $60,000, a new $40,000 job means they'll spend less — and contribute less to the recovery.
"In most cases, it means a subdued expansion, for sure," said Marisa Di Natale, director at Moody's Economy.com.
Worse for those affected, people hired at lower wages in a tight job market tend to lag behind their peers for years, sometimes decades. For example, workers laid off during the 1981-82 recession earned 20 percent less than people who remained in a job — even 20 years after they were rehired, a Columbia University study found. The study examined pay for white- and blue-collar workers, managers and hourly workers.
(snip)
The first jobs to emerge from a recession typically aren't well-paying ones, says Till Marco von Wachter, a Columbia economics professor. Companies delay hiring for higher-paying jobs, in particular, until they're confident the recovery will last, he says.
READ: LEARN MORE ABOUT JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED...http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582699,00.html?test=latestnews
Sunday, January 10, 2010 / Associated Press
Unemployed for nearly a year, David Becker was relieved to land a new job in information technology last summer.
The offer carried a price, though: It was a lower-rung job than the one Becker had lost. He had to uproot his family from Wisconsin to Nevada. And, like many formerly jobless people who find work these days, Becker is now paid far less than before — $25,000 less.
It's one of the bleak realities of the economic recovery: Even as more employers are starting to hire, the new jobs typically pay less than the ones that were lost.
In the government's data, a job is a job. More jobs point to a growing economy. But to people who used to earn $60,000, a new $40,000 job means they'll spend less — and contribute less to the recovery.
"In most cases, it means a subdued expansion, for sure," said Marisa Di Natale, director at Moody's Economy.com.
Worse for those affected, people hired at lower wages in a tight job market tend to lag behind their peers for years, sometimes decades. For example, workers laid off during the 1981-82 recession earned 20 percent less than people who remained in a job — even 20 years after they were rehired, a Columbia University study found. The study examined pay for white- and blue-collar workers, managers and hourly workers.
(snip)
The first jobs to emerge from a recession typically aren't well-paying ones, says Till Marco von Wachter, a Columbia economics professor. Companies delay hiring for higher-paying jobs, in particular, until they're confident the recovery will last, he says.
READ: LEARN MORE ABOUT JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED...http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582699,00.html?test=latestnews
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