The women’s 5-step guide to get noticed at work

Women working together on a business project. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

We’ve all heard the old chestnut: Part of the reason why women don’t earn as much as men is that they simply don’t ask for raises as often. As it turns out, that’s just not true. New research by nonprofit business group Catalyst has found that women ask for raises just as much as men. Continue Reading

4 Reasons Why Employers Must Encourage Telecommuting

Why should employers allow employees to work from home?  The following post has four good reasons.

2.5% of the U.S. employee workforce (3.1 million people, not including the self-employed or unpaid volunteers) considers home their primary place of work. it is also estimated that 20 to 30 million Americans work from home at least one day a week.-According to an analysis byTeleworkResearchNetwork.com Attract and Retain Employees

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4 Reasons Why Employers Must Encourage Telecommuting

College Computing Capers: Learn the Ropes, Keep Info Safe

College students using a lab computer. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

You’ve gotten your obligatory set of pots and pans, hand-me-down furniture from your uncle Pete, and that one last oil change before you hit the road. It’s time to head off to school (or pack your kids up to move out). Melancholy tears mix with excitement as the realization that you’re about to enter the “real world” hits.

The real world, in all its mysterious splendor, can offer as much reward as it does annoyance. In the digital era there’s even more to learn and be concerned about as you embark on your journey. Everything from buying the right tablet to keeping your work and information safe is a factor. When it comes to preparing yourself for the best possible experience, make sure you factor in the most savvy tech practices. 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

Just Got My Masters in Communications: What Now?

Communication in digital form. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Effective communication is the key to accomplishing goals in every industry. Individuals with an online degree in communications are in high demand because they’ve been trained to execute tasks that help organizations reach their objectives. If you’re stuck at a stand-still after completing a graduate program in this field of study, take a look at some career options that could help you make good use of your degree. Continue Reading

8 Emerging Careers from 2012

Sharon Jones of Career Thought Leaders

Data science, geospatial technology, homeland security, and entertainment technology are some of the new and emerging occupations I blogged about last year:

1. Data science

Big Data staff analyze user behavior in unstructured data (e.g. web clicks, audio, video, blogs, forums, search terms) to make content appealing and profitable. From fanalytics (think Moneyball) to Presidential election and Hurricane Sandy predictions, data analytics skills are hot.

Job titles: data management analyst, data engineer, data scientist, statistical analyst, analytics architect, clinical data analyst, business intelligence analyst Continue Reading

Online Learning: It’s Value to Enhancing Education

These days, education has begun a transition from the classroom to online.  While students might prefer being taught one way or the other, the following infographic shows some benefits to online learning. Continue Reading

Cool College Majors: Liberal Arts with an Edge for Emerging Occupations

Sharon Jones of Career Thought Leaders

Can you imagine designing websites for CBS prime time shows such as CSI and Survivor or holding the title of ‘Game Guru’ at AOL? 

Would you like to evaluate global threats such as terrorism, cyber-crime, or human trafficking for agencies such as the CIA or FBI?

If you are fascinated by liberal arts subjects (e.g. graphic arts, geography, history, foreign languages) but concerned about finding a job, score major marketability through liberal arts with an edge.

Some interdisciplinary college majors prepare you for new and emerging occupations. These academic programs may make you especially attractive to employers due to a shortage of qualified applicants. Continue Reading

3 Ways to Make Your Resume Look Brilliant

If you’re a recent college graduate, you’re probably looking for work.

According to data conducted for The Associated Press, half of young college graduates in 2012 were unemployed or underemployed. This issue could be compounded if recent graduates don’t have enough experience to get a job in their fields, which brings us back to that classic conundrum: You can’t find a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job. Continue Reading

4 Ways to Customize Your Resume Based on the Job Posting

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez of Great Resumes Fast

I’m sure you’ve heard me say before that it’s critically important to customize your resume when applying for positions—especially to online job postings. Hundreds of candidates apply to positions posted on job boards, and employers have become very savvy at weeding out those candidates who are not qualified. Or who at least do not appear to be qualified because of what is or is not (in most cases) on their resume. So I’m going to share some tips for making key adjustments to your resume to target it exactly for the position based on the job advertisement. Continue Reading