Video: What Motivates Us to Work? Constant Progress and Sense of Purpose, Not Money or Joy.

What motivates us to work? Contrary to conventional wisdom, it isn’t just money. But it’s not exactly joy either. It seems that most of us thrive by making constant progress and feeling a sense of purpose. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely presents two eye-opening experiments that reveal our unexpected and nuanced attitudes toward meaning in our work.

It’s become increasingly obvious that the dismal science of economics is not as firmly grounded in actual behavior as was once supposed. In “Predictably Irrational,” Dan Ariely tells us why. Continue Reading

Making Opportunites in the Middle of Nowhere

No matter where you live, you can either find or create opportunities for yourself.  The following post shares tips that can help.

There are 50 states in the United States of America and every single state has a small town inside it that can be difficult to find professional work experience in. Luckily no matter where you are, there are several ways to find work experience in every place you may live. Here are a few

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Making Opportunites in the Middle of Nowhere

32% of Employers Hiring College Grads for Jobs Once Reserved for High School Grads

Brent Rasmussen of Careerbuilder

Need another reason to stay in school after high school and get a degree from a one-, two-, or four-year college or university?

A recent survey illustrates just how important higher education has become to employers in virtually every industry. Employers have historically looked for educated labor to fill high skill positions but now more and more report that they’re also demanding post-secondary degrees from candidates who wish to fill lower skill jobs as well. Thirty-two percent of hiring managers and human resource professionals said they are hiring more employees with college degrees for positions that were historically held by high school graduates. While this trend is most prevalent among financial services organizations, it spans across various industries: Continue Reading

1.8 Million 2013 Four-Year College Grads Entering Improving Job Market

John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

With college seniors around the nation returning to their respective campuses following spring break recess, many will undoubtedly turn their attention to their impending graduation and the search for their first post-collegiate job.  A new analysis of the entry-level job market estimates that while the job market continues to strengthen for college graduates, the environment remains highly competitive, which may force some to pursue unexpected career paths.

In its annual college graduate job-market outlook, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. says this year’s crop of 1.8 million bachelor’s degree recipients will be able to take advantage of the 36 consecutive months of private-sector employment growth that has occurred since the jobs recovery began in earnest in March 2010.

“Job creation has been slow, but it has been steady.  Over the past 14 months, private payrolls have grown by an average of 190,000 new workers per month.  There are a growing number of opportunities for job seekers, but the search definitely requires an aggressive approach.  This is especially true for new graduates, who are likely to have less real-world experience to point to in job interviews,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Continue Reading

How Volunteering Abroad Helps with College Admissions

Volunteers passing out food to people. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Experience is one of the most valuable assets you will have when it comes to preparing yourself for your future. In fact, certain types of experience – like volunteering abroad – can make a big difference when you apply to college. Admissions officers are looking for well-rounded students, and volunteering abroad is one way to show the depth of your character. Continue Reading

Video: How to Get a Job After College Graduation

I recently was interviewed via Skype by Jordie Kern of 1 Degree Hire, which is a resource for first-time job seekers. More specifically, 1 Degree Hire is a 21-day step-by-step program designed to make recent graduates more marketable, better understand what employers want, and give those grads an edge over others who are competing for the same jobs.

The 1 Degree Hire system includes 21 days of intense preparation through a series of eBooks and MP3 audio downloads. Members also enjoy a personal consultation, resume and portfolio critique, e-mail support, and weekly webinars. In addition, they get insider access to an extensive video library of interviews with some of the nation’s most powerful CEOs and human resource professionals, who reveal what they look for in a candidate and what key questions they typically ask in an interview.

Jordie and I talked about CollegeRecruiter.com and what recent college graduates should do in order to increase their chances of being hired. Listen in: Continue Reading

Securing a graduate role in Financial Services

Bank lender shaking hands with customer. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Financial services’ as a career choice can be difficult to define. One organisation’s financial services position constitutes another’s banking and investment role, meaning the variety of graduate jobs available defies easy clarification. The higher levels of remuneration at most financial organisations means that jobs are more sought after by graduates, but in the current climate of redundancies at many of the leading investment banks, securing a graduate role is becoming increasingly difficult. In this blog post, we discuss 3 key pointers for graduates looking to secure a role within financial services. Continue Reading

Five Career Predictions for 2013

In the following post, Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti offers five career predictions for 2013 that identify workplace trends and job opportunities.

1.     Six sectors will offer on-ramps to career growth

Six career areas provide a snapshot of the new economy: business services, education, healthcare, IT, nonprofits, and manufacturing. Healthcare, the fastest-growing sector in the nation, offers obvious opportunities, but less intuitive choices such as nonprofits—which will need a projected 80,000 senior managers a year by 2016—also offer attractive prospects. Continue Reading

Recruiter’s Advice: 5 Things Employers Look for in Entry-Level Job Candidates

Dunya Carter

A fresh graduate is always intimidated when going in for his or her first real job interview, and many feel that no matter what they apply for they are woefully unprepared and unqualified – especially in this economy, when even jobs advertised as entry level are apparently seeking years of experience. But regardless of how many flourishes are requested in the help wanted ad, many employers are really looking for a few basic things for entry level positions, and all of them are more than attainable for the new worker. Continue Reading

#1 Professional Goal for 2013 Is Developing New Skills

Nicole Williams, LinkedIn career expert

Long after all of the presents have been unwrapped and the ball has dropped, a lot of attention is paid to resolutions — the most common ones being losing weight and drinking less — that most people won’t keep past the middle of January. LinkedIn surveyed more than 7,100 professionals around the world and found that 74 percent of people globally made a professional goal for 2012, and of that number, fifty-six percent of those professionals said that they actually achieved their goal last year. In the United States specifically, 70 percent of people made a professional goal for 2012, and 56 percent of those people succeeded at accomplishing that goal.

Here are the top five professional goals people in the U.S. said they want to achieve in 2013: Continue Reading