Teen Job Market Posts Huge Gains – 13.2% More Employed

As teenagers prepare to head back to school over the next couple of weeks, more will be doing so with a little extra money in their pockets thanks to a stronger summer job market.

Employment among 16- to 19-year-olds grew by a total of 1,087,000 from May through July, according to the latest analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs data by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.  This summer’s job gains are up 13.2 percent from a year ago, when employment among teens grew by only 960,000, the fewest since 1949.

While the teen summer job market improved significantly from the anemic hiring activity in 2010, net employment gains still failed to match the 1,163,000 teen jobs added in 2009 and the 1,154,000 in 2008.  This summer’s job gains were well below pre-recession levels when, from 2004 through 2007, teen employment grew by an average of 1,674,000 jobs between May and July.

The teen summer job market might have been stronger had employers not scaled back the pace of hiring in July.  Only 302,000 net new jobs were found by 16- to 19-year-olds in July, which was down significantly from 2010, when a late summer hiring burst led to the creation of 457,000 new jobs for teens in July.  Between 2000 and 2010, July employment gains for teens averaged nearly 462,000, making the latest reading even more surprising.

“The drop-off in July employment gains among teens corresponded with a sudden increase in uncertainty about the strength of the economic recovery and subsequent decline in consumer confidence, stemming in part from the protracted debate in Washington over raising the debt limit,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

“The debt ceiling resolution did not accomplish much when it comes to solving the long-term deficit problem.  The only thing the latest down-to-the wire, political gamesmanship really achieved was to further erode the public’s confidence in Washington’s ability to address the nation’s most pressing issues impacting economic growth and job creation.

“For business owners and store managers deciding whether to hire more workers in late June and early July, the growing uncertainty made the decision not to hire that much easier,” said Challenger.

50 Jobs for People With Lots of Facebook Friends

Last Friday August 5, 2011, a nationwide contest kicked off on Facebook to find enthusiastic individuals with a lot of social influence on the web. The question has been asked “Do you have what it takes?” Now it can be proven: contestants post their video in this contest, get more votes than the rest. Those in the top 50 will land the job. Have more friends? Get more votes. This is a contest of not only who has the most friends, but who has the most influence. Management says “If that’s you, then you will be one of our new Marketing Directors, simple as that”.

The contest asks contests to make an imaginative commercial for the penny auction site Woozol.com, and the top 50 winners will receive an offer from the site to become Regional Marketing Directors. These Marketing Directors will be instrumental in the successful launch of the site. They will be paid to help promote the brand, both online and within their regional markets. They may be asked to participate in local sporting events or conventions for instance, or perhaps promote entries through Facebook and Twitter. They will also be consulted for ideas and opinions on the marketing efforts for the site leading up to (and beyond) the launch of Woozol.com on October 1 of this year. They will be instrumental in the success of future promotions such as upcoming holidays etc.

The regional marketing director position is all about brand engagement with Woozol. When a winner accepts the position, they will be employed and paid by Woozol to be ambassadors for the company. By offering this position to the top 50 entrants, Woozol is giving every entrant the chance to make money and get in on the ground floor with an exciting new brand.

Woozol.com is a penny auction site that is being designed from the ground up for social media integration, and feels that this contest reflects their strong belief that the new forms of communication created by social media are the best way to create an open and engaging website. That is why they have launched their first marketing efforts through Facebook, at http://www.facebook.com/woozolpage.

College Student Pays Tuition By Purchasing Alcohol

A sour economy and rising tuition bills have forced college students to get creative when it comes to making their tuition bills. One student has found a way to pay the bills by doubling on the weekend as undercover liquor store auditor and is sharing a list of companies that are hiring on his blog, The Penny Hoarder.

Meet Kyle Taylor. He is a 24 year old blogger and student at the University of South Florida. In between classes he travels the state of Florida posing as a customer at popular liquor and grocery stores. Even though he is old enough to buy alcohol, his job is to test cashiers by seeing if they are following state law, which requires stores to check the I.D. of anyone who looks under the age of forty.

Undercover auditors are usually police officers, but Taylor holds no formal training and is hired directly by the store’s management team. Their hope is to catch complacent cashiers before the police do, because the penalties of non-compliance can include hefty fines and possible loss of their liquor licenses.

Taylor often audits 50 or more stores in a weekend and its not uncommon for several of the stores to get busted. Regardless of the audit’s outcome, he is paid anywhere from $10–$50 per location for his time and follow-up report

So who’s hiring? Taylor’s blog, The Penny Hoarder, has just released a list of companies that are hiring students to go undercover nationwide. Students must be younger than 28 in order to participate.Â

Number of Workers Living Paycheck-to-Paycheck Decreases to Pre-Recession Levels

As the U.S. keeps a close eye on the stock market; CareerBuilder’s survey shows the financial situation for some households is improving. Forty-two percent of workers say they usually or always live paycheck to paycheck, an improvement from 43 percent in 2010 and in line with levels seen back in 2007.

The number of workers who have missed a bill payment has decreased year-over-year; one-in-five (20 percent) say they have missed payments on bills in the last year, slightly improved from 22 percent at this time last year. This is according to a new nationwide survey of more than 5,200 workers by CareerBuilder that was conducted from May 18 to June 3, 2011.

Workers making six figures are seeing improvements as well. Fourteen percent of workers making six figures say they live paycheck to paycheck, down from 17 percent in 2010. Less than one-in-ten (6 percent) reported they can’t make ends meet every month, an improvement from 8 percent last year.

Female workers continue to struggle more with their personal finances than their male counterparts. Forty-six percent of female workers and 38 percent of male workers say they live paycheck to paycheck. Nearly one quarter (24 percent) of female workers say they have missed a bill payment over the last 12 months, higher than male workers at 17 percent.

“A better employment picture in the U.S. has brought more steady incomes into households and workers are paying much closer attention to spending decisions and savings,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “The majority of U.S. workers (72 percent) reported they are more fiscally responsible since the recession and have made a variety of changes to their living and spending habits.”

While being fiscally responsible may mean having to do without, workers said they would absolutely not give up the following regardless of their financial concerns:

· Internet connection – 56 percent

· Driving – 46 percent

· Mobile phone – 42 percent

· Cable TV – 27 percent

· Going out to eat – 11 percent

Some workers are making ends meet by dipping into their long-term savings. More than one-in-five (21 percent) workers say they have reduced their 401(k) contributions and/or personal savings in the last year to get by. Others aren’t contributing to long-term savings at all, as one-third (34 percent) state that they do not participate in any programs such as 401(k), IRAs or retirement plans. Nearly two-in-ten workers making six figures have reduced their contributions to savings and 401(k) programs each month (17%) and 9 percent don’t participate in a 401(k) program or other personal savings plan.

Haefner offers the following tips for riding out the economic downturn and preparing for the future:

Look at your expenses under a microscope – Takeout coffee, restaurant lunches and other common everyday expenses can make a dent in your checking account. Create a spreadsheet to analyze what you spend each month, and once you can see where your money goes, you can more easily see where you can cut back.

Put an amount away, even if it is small – Regardless of the amount, set aside money each month for your short and long-term savings. If you have trouble remembering or fitting savings into your budget, try setting up an automatic deposit into a savings account.

Savings may be right under your nose – Talk to your HR department about how you can make the most of the benefits at your organization. Find out if your company offers discounts to stores or for other services, and ask about how you can make sure you’ve selected the right benefits plans for your budget.

Marketing Terminology That You Should Know Prior To Going For a Job

After having multiple interns to help me with my marketing, I could say that most college graduates will go into the business world with a significant lack of understanding of the important facets that shape marketing today.

Therefore, I have listed some marketing definitions every aspiring marketing professional should know prior to graduating college and entering the job market:

1. SEO – I know this definition is very simplistic, however an understanding of SEO is not usually commonplace among college students. I can attest to three interns who, upon being asked the definition of SEO, gave an answer such as, “we learned something like that… I think.”

Search engine optimization or (if you want to go by the acronym SEO) is the foundation of online marketing in the year 2011 and, most likely it will be just as important when we are 80 years old, barring some bizarre upheaval in the way the world uses the internet.

In a nutshell, search engine optimization is the studying of search engine algorithms to determine how to rank highly when people search specific keyword phrases. The end goal is to get incoming leads and minimize the number of cold-calls that a firm has to make.

If someone tells you that search engine optimization is not important, ask them how the second page is, because the economy is always better on the first page of Google.

2. Landing Pages – Landing pages are separate pages on the website, constructed to highlight one or two keyword phrases for Google. Usually, you cannot get to these pages from the site’s homepage as, unless a very nuanced writer authored them, the pages are typically unnaturally written, stuffed with keyword phrases so that they resemble a spam email more than an informative page. Landing pages are a facet of marketing that the aspiring marketing professional will have to learn early, simply because being able to style a webpage, yet still keyword stuff it, takes a significant amount of skill.

The aforementioned topic could probably be a book in and of itself. Luckily for me, I have enough content to last me a while.

3. Ezine websites – Ezine sites are article websites that cater to the nonprofessional writer and allow the general public to publish articles on topics of their choice. There are many advantageous reasons to write for these publications. One main factor is to get your name ranking highly in Google search terms, as most hiring companies, upon recruiting a marketing professional, will Google the applicant’s name.

Additionally, writing for the sites will force the reader to become an expert in the topic, thereby not only helping them to get the job, but to excel in the position after obtaining the offer.

4. Google Analytics – Google Analytics is a web-based software that tells the marketing professional, among many other things, how many visitors (both unique and returning) are coming to a particular website on any given day. The program also covers the amount of time each visitor is staying on the website and the subsequent bounce rate of that particular site. Google Analytics will tell the viewer what keywords are most popular in leading to visits on the website, as well as what pages the visitor lands on, and which webpages are most popular.

5. PageRank – PageRank is a numeric value given by Google that aims to quantify how important a particular website is in the eyes of the search engine. PageRank is judged on a number basis between 1 and 10, 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. There are many factors that go into the PageRank that a particular website is given, and most believe that there is little correlation between the PageRank of a website and where it ranks amongst particular Google search terms.

New Generation More Career-Minded Than Ever

For many of today’s high school and college students, finding a career is not just about earning a fat paycheck.  They also want career satisfaction.  From the results of a survey done by CPP, Inc., these students are not only thinking about their careers, but how what they learn in the classroom can assist them in planning for the careers they want to obtain.  As a result, they will not only be motivated to learn as students but also motivated to help their future employers succeed.

 

Here are some survey results:

· Are career-minded

· constantly or frequently thinking about their future career

· 12% think about their career only occasionally

· Not a single respondent reported rarely or never thinking about it

· Feel careers should be personally fulfilling

· 80% believe a career should be something that brings enjoyment and fulfillment to their life

· 72% want a career that aligns with their passion

· 53% believe their career will play a role in defining them as an individual

· Don’t believe their parents have this privilege

· 57% said their parents either like what they do, but suspect they’d rather do something else or don’t like what they do, but feel they need to do it for the money (as compared to 25% who believe their parents love what they do)

· Connect career success with enjoyment of work

· 78% believe they will achieve the most success in a career for which they have a passion

· When identifying specific motivators for successful people, the largest group of respondents (58%) believe enjoyment of the work itself as the primary motivator for career success over money and a desire for power, influence, and respect among other choices

· See their studies as steps to career fulfillment and success

· The majority (55%) believe that knowing their ideal career path will improve their college performance

· For specifics on what motivates them to study, the largest group of respondents (27%) cited interest in the subject as their primary motivator compared to only 9% who cited getting into a good college

· Gain clarity about their career direction from assessments

· 72% reported they were more enthusiastic about their future career after taking CPP’s Strong Interest Inventory assessment

· 85% said they became aware of more appealing career options after reviewing their assessment results

· 50% reported that knowing their results made them more likely to study

You can view the full survey at: https://www.cpp.com/pdfs/iStartStrong_survey_report_final.pdf.

Infographic Details the Differences Between College and the “Real World”

College graduates should expect some changes as they journey out into the workforce.

OnlineDegrees.com and its sub-domain, The Degree360 have announced the launch of the “It’s a Wonderful Student Life” infographic, emphasizing the dissimilarities between the lives of students and professionals. The infographic comes after a survey by the National Associate of Colleges and Employers (NACE) revealed that employers are likely to hire 19 percent more college grads this year.

“There are so many things that vary among the professional and student worlds, “said Michael Stearns, spokesperson for OnlineDegrees.com. “And while our infographic covers fun topics, we want our users to know that although they work hard during college, the professional world will likely present them with new and different challenges.”

The results of the NACE survey also draw attention to the fact that on average, at least 20 applications are submitted for every open position. This reinforces the competition in the job market at the entry level, especially because only 56 percent of last year’s graduates secured jobs within a year. As college graduates continuously search for jobs, it is important they understand that there is a huge shift that happens when they enter the work world. The infographic points out several variances between students and professionals including sleep habits, wardrobe and appearance, vacation time and income that can be useful. For example, 23 percent of students have one to three tattoos, while in the workplace, appearance is the number one characteristic associated with unprofessionalism.

“We hope that this infographic and the other articles on our site will help recent college grads gain professional insight and eventually land a job,” said Stearns. “We know it’s tough, but we are dedicated to helping our users.”

To find more information on this infographic, education news and up-to-date information on career trends, visit The Degree360 on OnlineDegrees.com as well as the OnlineDegrees on Facebook and Twitter.

OnlineDegrees.com is a leading education resource focused on connecting thousands of visitors with the information they seek about online education and degree programs. Site visitors can easily research schools and connect with the providers of the career training they needed to succeed.

Don’€™t Let This Happen to You

When it is time for your interview, please don’t make the mistakes that apparently some others have made.  Wow!

There are many ways to stand out in a job interview, but bringing an exotic bird instead of a briefcase to the meeting probably isn’t the best option. Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing firm, frequently conducts surveys of hiring managers and workers, asking them to recount the biggest interview blunders they’ve witnessed or heard of. The following examples represent the most memorable mistakes collected from these polls over the years:

· A job applicant came in for an interview with a cockatoo on his shoulder.

· The candidate sent his sister to interview in his place.

· One candidate sang all of her responses to interview questions.

· When asked by the hiring manager if he had any questions for him, the candidate replied by telling a knock-knock joke.

· One candidate handcuffed himself to the desk during the interview.

Although these blunders are extreme, even small mistakes during the job interview can cause professionals to miss out on opportunities. To help applicants put their best foot forward, a series of light-hearted videos were launched depicting interviews that have gone awry.  The videos, along with tips for avoiding common blunders, can be found at www.roberthalf.com/dont-let-this-happen-to-you.

“For most job candidates, an interview mistake is subtle—for example, they may appear unenthusiastic or too nervous to let their personalities shine through,” explained Brett Good, a senior district president for Robert Half. “Job seekers should remember hiring managers aren’t just assessing their qualifications but also looking for signs of outstanding people skills and good judgment.”

People skills—or lack thereof—got the following job seekers into trouble:

· When asked by the hiring manager why she was leaving her current job, the applicant said, “My manager is a jerk. All managers are jerks.”

· I interviewed someone who had a jawbreaker in her mouth during the entire interview.

Putting the cart before the horse by issuing demands about salary, benefits or perks is an unwise move. These applicants should have focused on the employer’s needs:

· One individual said we had nice benefits, which was good because he was going to need to take a lot of leave in the next year.

· The applicant told me he really was not interested in the position, but he liked that we allowed for a lot of time off.

Hiring managers appreciate authenticity, but common sense should prevail. These job hopefuls were a bit too candid:

· An individual applied for a customer service job, and when asked what he might not like about the job, he said, “dealing with people.”

· One prospect told me all of the reasons he shouldn’t be hired.

· The candidate said she would really prefer a job offer from our competitor.

If nothing else, employers expect interviewees to dress professionally. While the right attire alone won’t seal the deal, the wrong outfit can sink your chances. Here are a few examples of what not to wear:

· An applicant wore the uniform from his former employer.

· The candidate arrived in a cat suit.

· A person came to the interview in pajamas with slippers.

Finally, exhibiting dishonesty is the ultimate interview error:

· After being complimented on his choice of college and the GPA he achieved, the candidate replied, “I’m glad that got your attention. I didn’t really go there.”

Here is some advice on avoiding four common interview mistakes:

1. Going on and on and on — While you certainly don’t want to give a series of one-word responses, be careful not to ramble; be thorough, yet succinct. Don’t over-answer or attempt to fill dead air between questions.




2. Poor “posturing” — It’s not just what you say but how you say it. Slouching, constantly shifting in your chair, crossing your arms or wearing a tense expression can signal nervousness or disinterest.




3. Ranting and raving — It’s important to be tactful and diplomatic. Criticizing former employers only makes you look bad. Even a mildly sarcastic quip can raise red flags. When in doubt, take the high road.




4. Throwing in the towel — Don’t act dejected if you feel the interview is going poorly. If you fumble a response, maintain your composure and move on. Showing that you can swiftly recover after a setback might actually work in your favor.

Job Search Tips: Soapbox Job Search

“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.” – Mark Twain

In my last job, there was this one woman who worked for me who always had the 30 minute answer to a 30 second question. Even worse, god forbid you sent an email to her asking a question, her answer would be War and Peace. Not only that, but she would attach spreadsheets as support that were so long and complicated that sometimes they looked like the plans for the Space Shuttle.

Anyway, everybody has something to say, some useful and some not.

The same is true for job search (both on the receiving end and the giving end). Some of the information is useful and lots is not. There must be thousands of job related websites (mine included), many have really useful information and lots do not. The trick is to know when to keep it short and when to pour it on.

That leads me to one of today’s topics – the Elevator Speech. I’ve also listed a few interesting career sites for your review.

Interesting Job Search Resources:

• CareerDigital – This site’s tag line says it all – “Career Insights and Advice”. It has an easy to read design, with the main content center page. The site aggregates a number of career related sites in one place, with four featured articles at the top of the page. This is followed by a list of additional articles continuing down center page. Do you prefer to read by topic? No problem, the left hand side of the page topics by concepts, tools (like LinkedIn), type (company, blog, etc.), Organizations, Industries and more. The right hand side of the page has featured sites where you can click directly to the content of that site (embedded in the Career Digital format).

• NY Creative Interns – This site is a great resource for anyone looking for an internship or articles about internships. The left hand side of the page has featured articles (and you can click for older posts at the bottom of the page).

• eBossWatch – This is a really neat site, the tag line alone is enough to make you visit the site (Nobody should have to work for a jerk). Who hasn’t had that problem? There are three main sections at the top of the page (America’s Worst Boss, Rate Your Boss and Sex Harassment Registry). You can even search for your boss OR if you are looking for a new job, check out the people you are interviewing with.

Elevator Speech:

• The Elevator Speech is the Swiss Army Knife of Job-Search Tools This article, by Quintessential Careers, offers a comprehensive review of the topic with background/history, several suggested formats, the different situations where an Elevator Speech is useful as well as several examples. There are lots of embedded links to related topics. While you are there, also take a look at some of the related tools on the top left hand side of the page.

• How to Design an Elevator Speech – This article is posted on lifecareerplan.com and a good overview and three examples followed by how to start your speech. There are related job search resources at the top of the page as well as a number of links on the left hand side of the page.

• Job Search Marketing Toolkit Your Elevator Speech – From yours truly, I start with a “what if” story to set the stage. There are three links to related elevator speech sites as well as a few other links.

Good luck in your search.

Author: CareerAlley

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Tips for Branding Yourself in an Interview

Your personal brand is an essential component in helping you stand out in any aspect of your job search. Defining yourself as a professional is just as crucial in your resume and cover letter as it is in your interview.

But how can you go about branding yourself in your interview? Here are some tips that, with a little practice and a lot of confidence, could help you share your personal brand in a way that will make you unforgettable to your interviewers.

Summarize Yourself in Three Words

It’s likely that you will be asked the statement, “Tell me about yourself.” during an interview. A great way to use this opportunity to brand yourself is to say you can summarize yourself in three words—then choose words that not just describe your talents and skills but actually brand you as a professional.

Share Your Personal Philosophy

Another way to brand yourself in an interview is to share your motto or personal theme for living life. It’s always great if growth and self-motivation are incorporated, but ultimately, you want this statement to be something that truly represents who you are and want to be personally and professionally.

Expand on a Testimonial or Recommendation

If someone has given an amazing testimonial that is listed on your resume or your LinkedIn page, consider sharing and then expanding upon it by explaining that your mission is to continue the same work ethic with your passion for the field you love as your guide.

Many job seekers make statements like “I am a hard worker,” or “I really want to grow in this field,” during their interview, which are fine. But to truly stand out, consider incorporating your personal brand. This could help make you the most memorable candidate in the bunch.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

Guest Author: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.
Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com