While it generally is difficult to point to any given area of the country or any particular industry where hiring is strong, those in the field of biotech are in a much better position than those employed in other industries.There is also an expectation among many analysts - both of the U.S. employment market in general and the biotech field in particular - that the Spring will bring another bump in this highly-technical field.

Article by, Matt and courtesy of Insourced blog

Because I'm a bigger fan of sunshine and warmth than I am of snow and cold, I figure things must be bad for anyone to want to move to North Dakota. Beautiful as it may be, the winters are inhospitable to say the least. That's why it surprised me to learn that many of the people who found jobs there were living in their cars, motels or with new acquaintances. They're the lucky ones. The less fortunate are both jobless and homeless because they moved to North Dakota in search of jobs only to discover that they were unqualified for any of the available opportunities.

Oregon Senate Bill 1045 would prevent most employers from using a prospective candidate's credit history into pre-employment screening, promotion or other employment-related decisions. According to The Oregonian "[the] bill would continue to allow businesses to look into an applicant's criminal and employment history and do other background checks. And certain employers could continue to consider credit histories, such as banks, law enforcement agencies and other businesses that can show credit checks are necessary to evaluate candidates for specific positions.

The proposal will be reviewed by Governor Ted Kulongski and is expected to pass. Oregon is among the states with the highest unemployment rates in the country and is well-known for its liberal policies and practices. Opponents are stating that this law would be anti-business by limiting the information employers can use to make an informed hiring decision.

If the law is passed, Oregon would join Hawaii and Washington as the only states that limit the use of credit reports.

We anticipate that NAPBS will advocate on behalf of employers on this issue and will keep you posted. We are, of course, opposed to this bill. As long as credit reports are used legally and without discrimination, employers should have the ability to exercise the rights granted under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Article by, Nick Fishman and courtesy of EmployeescreenIQ

For people in the Pittsburgh area, there are three resources that could prove helpful.

Careerlink Pittsburgh - Careerlink Pittsburgh is part of PA Careerlink, a state run agency. Careerlink Pittsburgh is a great resource for someone who doesn't have a computer at home. People can go to Careerlink to use the computers for job searching. They can also make use of free telephones to call potential employers to schedule or followup on interviews.

What I really like about Careerlink are the classes they offer. Job seekers who need skills like Microsoft Word or Excel to qualify for the jobs they want can sign up for one of the many classes Careerlink offers each month. Although they're not free, people who are currently unemployed get a reduced rate. I took one of these classes so I know they're small and the teachers are patient. If paying even as little as $10 for a computer class is too much, Carnegie Library offers classes for free.

ICF International partners with government and commercial clients to deliver professional services and technology solutions in various markets like energy and climate change, infrastructure, health, and several others. They offer entry level job opportunities like the research assistant position they recently posted to CollegeRecruiter.com. To qualify for this kind of job, candidates must have a bachelor's degree in toxicology, environmental science, biology, chemistry, environmental engineering, or a related subject, quantitative and qualitative research skills, excellent written and oral communications skills, an ability to work under strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment, and 0-2 years' experience.

The Institute for Women's Policy Research offers summer research internships . The internships, which are ten weeks long, begin in May or June and end in July or August. Research interns assist with literature reviews and data collection, design charts, graphs and tables, answer phones, and file documents. Interested students should be organized, have experience with statistics, economics and social science through coursework, and interested in women's issues.

Haliburton, one of the world's largest providers of products and services to the energy industry, has an opening for an entry level chemistry lab technician in Evansville. This is a full-time position where the successful candidate will learn the chemical hygiene plan and current Health, Safety and Environmental laboratory safety standards, conduct prototype or laboratory tests according to form, and learn the basics of equipment building and environmental testing.

College Pro Painters, the most successful student painting company in North America is currently accepting applications in Cheyenne for their management internship program. Summer internships begin in May and end in August. College Pro interns run their own businesses in their own hometowns, they will be managed and coached on management, leadership, accountability, problem solving, scheduling, customer service, goal setting and review; learn how to build teams and set expectations; manage the cash flow of their enterprises, achieve profit goals, and balance the books; and develop their "own the neighborhood" campaigns, learn how to conduct estimates and improve their selling skills. Interested students should be organized, hard working and independent.

One of the many opportunities entry level job seekers might want to consider is with Time Warner Cable in Milwaukee. Time Warner is advertising for an order entry manager. Interested candidates should have either a Bachelor of Arts degree or two or three years of experience or a combination of education and experience. Order entry managers oversee order entry supervisors and agents, ensure accurate staff scheduling, motivate and provide billing system technical support to staff, among other duties.

Schneider National, a leading provider of transportation, logistics and related services serves over 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies and offers the broadest portfolio of services in the industry. They are offering a finance/accounting internship in Green Bay. A Schneider finance/accounting intern in the corporate accounting department provides support in the monthly closing and account reconciliation process and completes financial and other surveys received from various government agencies. Interested students must be majoring in accounting or finance, have good academic standing and available to work 16-20 hours during school and full time during breaks.

Rite Aid Corporation is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains, with more than 4,900 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia. They often post opportunities like the shift supervisor position in Charleston that they posted to CollegeRecruiter.com in December 2009. To qualify for such a position, candidates must have at least a two-year degree along with a minimum of one year's experience in customer service, retail, restaurant or food service, "preferably at the supervisory level."

Northwest Marketing is the leading direct marketing company that focuses on using innovative marketing strategies to create and build names for their clients. This Seattle based company offers internships in marketing, advertising and sales for students and recent graduates who are ambitious self-starters with great communications skills and entrepreneurial spirits.

Sherwin-Williams Company, the largest producer of paints and coatings in the U.S., has offered internship opportunities such as the part-time, paid internship opportunity in Charleston they posted to CollegeRecruiter.com in mid-January. This type of internship is for anyone interested in the retail or wholesale industry. Interested candidates must be enrolled in an accredited four-year college or university, have a valid driver's license, be eligible to work in the U.S., be willing to work flexible schedules, including evenings and weekends. Leadership ability and experience in customer service or sales are required.

For example, Siemens Energy, Inc., in Roosevelt, is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. They are currently looking for a wind service technician. Candidates need to have at least a high school diploma, must be able to work flexible schedules, have basic training within the iron and metal industry. Training in the electrical industry, too, is a plus. Excellent customer service and communications skills are also required.

Amentra, Inc., a wholly owned, independently operated subsidiary of Red Hat, is a business and technology consulting firm that prides itself on stepping away from the pack and helping clients achieve significant business productivity results by deploying the best of breed technology with a mentoring methodology. They currently have an opening for an entry level software development consultant in Richmond. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering or mathematics and have solid experience in OO design, Java, VB.NET, C++ and/or C#.