Online job search tools for techs:Help choosing job boards

fter my article about job search engines, I learned of a few more specifically for techs. They're listed below. Even better, there's a job board chooser that reviews them and helps you pick a good one. Enjoy!


Job Board Chooser
JobBoardReviews.com : Reviews job boards and helps you pick the right one for you.

Job Boards

AuthenticJobs.com : Listings of companies looking for full-time and freelance web designers.
FreshWebJobs.com : Full-time and freelance Web developer jobs.
Gladoo.com : Focusing on jobs in India in the technology fields.
Krop.com : Creative and technology job listings.
Elance.com : Focus on freelance work related to graphics, web design, and content creation.

Online job search tools: Search Management

ne of the really hard things about a job search that goes on for more than a couple of days is managing the huge amount of information you generate and receive.

If you're hitting this job search pavement running:

• You research employers, managers, potential colleagues.
• You send out networking emails, tweets, blog posts.
• You create or have a professional create a resume and letter that you tailor for each application.
• You use it to apply online, by email, occasionally in person.
• You meet people at networking events.
• You follow up on EVERYTHING.

Now, who was that guy you met at last month's Business After Hours? You know, the one who said he knew what's- her-name? You wrote it down on the back of his business card. Have you washed that shirt?

If that's what's happening, you need a search management tool. Some people are fine using Outlook, OneNote, or even a three-ring binder once they realize they can't count on their memory in a project this size.

Most of us need significantly more help. Here are a few ideas:

JibberJobber.com : Online management for your job search and career. Jason Alba, of "I'm on LinkedIn, Now What?" fame, created a search management system when he found himself suddenly without a job. He's made it available free for the rest of us at JibberJobber.com.Organize and manage your job search. Track personal and professional relationships. Track target companies. Track jobs you apply to.
And when you land your great job, it turns into your professional relationship management tool. You can subscribe to more features for $5 per month and premium features for $9.95 per month.

CareerShift.com won the 2009 Career Innovator Award at the Career Directors International Conference.
Search, select and store online job listings and get up-to-date contact information, including e-mail addresses, for millions of companies. Access in-depth information about contacts and companies posting jobs.  Record, save and store your correspondence history records automatically. Create personal marketing campaigns, including unlimited resumes and cover letters easily, and save them to access, print or e-mail. Manage your confidential CareerShift account securely from any computer 24/7, to update and maintain your organized and recorded job search. The site offers a free 24-hour trial, then $29.95 per month with a 10% discount if you buy a three-month subscription.

Worksolver.com :  Organize your web of people, companies, files, job postings and activities. Find the six degrees of separation between your contacts or uncover hidden opportunities by using Worksolver’s tree-like representation of your network. It offers contact grouping, keyword searching, ratings and rankings, report and entity printing as well as direct linking to websites and e-mail. Driving directions are coming soon. There is a 30-day free trial. Three months of service is $24.95, and six months is $39.95.

Who's Hiring Techs as of 12/28/09?

ho's Hiring Techs is drawn from a weekly survey by Phil Rosenberg of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 12/28/09.

Total Job Openings

The business services and  telecommunications verticals are again among the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards. Overall advertised openings were down a bit this week because of the holiday, however.

Topping the business service firms are  IBM, Accenture, CSC, and SAIC, partially due to support of federal government and DOD contracts. Telecommunications continued strong hiring, led by AT&T and Verizon.
Raytheon remained among top hiring defense companies.

Total Job Openings by direct advertisers

1. IBM
2. AT&T
3. Raytheon
4. Accenture
5. Verizon Wireless
6. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
7. SAIC
8. Apex Systems

Job Openings Added This Week:

The Business Services and Telecommunications verticals are among the top industries with new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards added during the past seven days.

Business Services continued heavy hiring with IBM, SAIC, and Accenture among the top employers. Telecommunications remained strong for two months straight with AT&T and Verizon continuing as employment advertisers.

Job Openings added by direct advertisers

1. IBM
2. AT&T
3. SAIC
4. Accenture
5. Apex Systems
6. Juniper Networks
7. Cisco 

Source: Recareered

Online job search tools for techs: Job search engines

irst, let me say I'm not a fan of job boards. However, like most things, it's not that they're inherently bad. It's just that most people put more emphasis and faith in them than they deserve.

I don't recommend broadcasting your resume. In some fields (and tech is one), you can quickly become a commodity that loses its value as shelf life extends. For example, in some managers' minds the scenario goes, "Hmmm. I've seen that resume up here for two months now. Wonder what the problem is there."

If you're going to broadcast your resume, do it as narrowly as possible. Have a reason for everywhere you send it. And use the .pdf version so it will not be searched as easily.

Now, search engines are another story. They are our friends. Use them for looking at job descriptions, narrowing down searches to a geographic or career category, or just plain looking around to see what's out there. Here is a list of those I like -- and some I don't -- for job seekers. If you have a favorite that isn't listed here, by all means, add it to the comments so we can have a more comprehensive list.

Recommended Job Search Engines

Dice.com.......................Niche search engine for techs. Browse by location or job title. Search returned relevant positions but not as many as Indeed.com and Recruit.net.

Indeed.com..................My favorite job aggregator. Enter your search terms, and Indeed will send you daily alerts on new positions gathered from job boards. Free.

Juju.com....................... Surprisingly simple and effective job search engine. Many relevant and timely positions.

Recruit.net..................Millions of jobs from all around the world. Search by keywords and location. Use advanced search for more relevant search returns.

Try it on

CareerBuilder.com.........This used to be my least favorite search engine.  No matter what I searched on, I'd get work at home schemes and insurance sales, hundreds of them. It took more time to find an adequate job description than it did to get the job. Well, maybe not, but you get the idea. I tried it again for this article, and behold, a clean search! I can't say I spent a day experimenting, so use it with caution. But do give it a try and let me know how it works for you.

Not recommended

LinkUp.com.................Job aggregator that monitors thousands of employers websites.Tells when job was posted and verified. Loose interpretation of search terms. For example, "IT Operations" category search returned positions of IT Operations Tech at Qwest that matched term. However, it also returned positions of Surgical Technician (veterinary technician and animal husbandry duties) and Mine Operations Technician (end-dump trucks, front-end loaders, dozers, and graders).

HotJobs.Yahoo.com...........Returned only one result with same parameters as above engines. Does have email alerts.

Monster.com.........................Returned only five results with same parameters as above engines.

If you want to pay

WorkTree.com............Claims to be the largest job search engine. Sign up and pay $57 to $77 monthly for access to browsable categories including government jobs and Fortune 1000 companies. Offers free email newsletter.

Who's Hiring Techs as of of 12/21/09?

usiness services and telecommunications are among the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards.

Who's Hiring Techs is drawn from a weekly survey by Phil Rosenberg of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week.

Business Service firms, IBM, Accenture, CSC, and SAIC continue to be in the top hiring firms, partially due to support of federal government and DOD contracts. Defense companies remained top hiring firms led by Raytheon and others. Telecommunications continued strong hiring, with AT&T, and Verizon still strong on hiring.

Total Job Openings
Based on surveys of US job advertisements in the top job board aggregators, the following technology companies added the most job openings:

1. IBM
2. AT&T
3. Raytheon
4. Accenture
5. Verizon Wireless
6. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
7. SAIC

Job Openings Added This Week

Business Services and Telecommunications are also among the top industries with new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards added during the past seven days.

Business Services continued heavy hiring with IBM, SAIC, and Accenture all in the top employers.

Telecommunications remained strong with AT&T and Verizon continuing their long stay as top employers. Defense continued heavy hiring with Raytheon included in the top new employment advertisers this week.

Banking continued strong for a second week with JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Fifth Third all made the top 40.

Job Openings added this week by direct advertisers (Recruiters & Staffing Companies not included):

1. IBM
2. SAIC
3. AT&T
4. Raytheon
5. Accenture
6. SunGard
7. Apex Systems
8. Juniper Networks

Source: Recareered

Secrets to applying for a federal job

n Dec. 16, I mentioned that there were LOTS of federal jobs available in the technology sector.

One look at USAJobs is enough to intimidate the most creative and detail-oriented among us. It's just so much information, so many rules, and can leave a candidate with an uneasy feeling that you might not have clicked all of the links, seen all of the requirements, or answered all of the questions. And that's before you've started writing anything.

So, here are a few secrets to make the federal application process a bit smoother.

1. Pick one of the openings you found on USAJobs. Note the OPEN PERIOD category in the top right quadrant of the screen. Make sure the ending date is at least one week away from today's date. Unless you want to lose sleep, that is the least amount of time I recommend spending on a federal application.


2. Print everything. Starting with the Overview tab that shows the job announcement number, start printing pages. Even if you don't think you'll need it, even if you know the stuff, even if it looks like the same words you saw on another page, print it. Now, go on to the other tabs: Duties, Qualifications & Evaluations, Benefits, Other Info, and How to Apply. Print the main screen, click on every link, and print everything you find. Collate the pages by tabs.

3. Keep everything together. Put the paperwork in a folder or better yet, punch and file all of the pages in a 3-ring binder with a tabbed divider labeled with the job title. Add tabbed dividers as you find more jobs for which you want to apply. Even if you normally read everything on-screen, you're going to want hard copies of this.

4. Read every page and gather requirements. When you find one, copy and paste it to a Word document or text editor. Pay special attention to the ones that aren't necessarily contained in a section labeled "Requirements." For example, this statement appears in the job summary of a job I'm examining:
Applicants must provide transcripts if there is a Basic Requirement stating that a college degree or minimum college credits in a specialty field is required."
That's a requirement, but if you look for it in a requirements category, you may not see it.

5. Follow directions: Federal job announcements are highly detailed and require attention to specifics. For example, in the same announcement example, this paragraph appears:
PART-TIME OR UNPAID EXPERIENCE: Credit will be given for appropriate unpaid work on the same basis for paid experience. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. To receive credit for such experience, you must indicate clearly the nature of the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.

This means that in the example, you can include experience you might not think of using on a resume. For someone re-entering a career field or changing careers, this can be exactly the opportunity to grab.

6. Put together the pieces: Some job announcements appear to be puzzles you have to spread out on the table and put together. When you begin a puzzle by separating the border pieces from the inside pieces, you are identifying placement. In the job search announcement, that can take the form of knowing what to look for. In the example, this paragraph appears:

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
To determine if you are among the best qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the qualification questionnaire. ... Your qualifications will be based on the following competencies:
* Skill in extensive and high-level writing and editing for various audiences.
* Ability to develop written products that articulate complex program and research findings.
* Ability to coordinate and maintain relationships with various and diverse groups.
* Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

The thing is that the supporting documentation and qualification questionnaire mentioned don't appear in the "How You Will Be Evaluated paragraph. Some people miss that entirely and as a result, their application is rejected.

So, where is this qualification questionnaire? You have to look. In this example, it is on the How to Apply tab. If you choose to apply electronically, which is optimal in almost all cases and required in some, there will likely be an Online Questionnaire link or list.

The mindset to have when applying for a federal position is one of literal interpretation and extreme detail orientation. Here are some related hints:

• Provide more detailed information than you would on a civilian resume.
• Make sure all information is relevant to the position for which you are applying.
• Answer as many questions as possible with concrete evidence of your skills and knowledge.
• Include all positions held but provide only relevant information within them.
• Provide a comprehensive skills list at the beginning of the resume.
• Determine the information requested in the online application fields and create your answers in a text document. When your information is complete and proofread, copy and paste it into the appropriate fields.

Who's Firing Techs for the week ending 12/18/09

itney Bowes topped the layoff list this week. They announced up to 3,000 staff cuts over their worldwide operations, with many taking place in their Stamford, CT, headquarters.

Who's Firing Techs is drawn from a weekly survey by  Phil Rosenberg of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs for the week.

The Business Services and Telecommunications sectors are among those announcing (or rumored to be announcing) layoffs announced this week.

Technology organizations announcing or rumoring layoffs for week ended 12/18/09:

Pitney Bowes Inc, Stamford CT and various locations (up to 3,000)
AT&T, Various FL (461)
AECOM, Albany GA (300)
Verari Systems, San Diego CA (approx 200)
SCEA (Sony Computer Entertainment American), Foster City CA (100)
SPX Dielectric, Raymond ME (31)

Source: Recareered

Put this forecast in your Christmas stocking

he coming new year has significant promise for employees, according to Joyce Gioia, who published the Herman Trend Alert's 2010 Workforce/Workplace Forecast on Dec. 16, 2009. Gioia is a strategic business futurist, Certified Management Consultant, author, and professional speaker.

She predicts:
1. Workforce cutbacks and re-engineering will continue into 2010: She recognizes that this may be the last straw for the 54 percent of today's employees who are ready to jump as soon as the economy improves.
2. Shortages of certain skill sets will become more acute: High-demand workers will be empowered to demand more flexibility in their work schedules, environment, etc.
3. Employees will find their innovative ideas embraced as a reward to recognize their value.
4. Fear and apprehension continue to reduce productivity: A significant percentage of employees continue to worry about the future. These negative feelings will persist, unless addressed with transparency.
5. You will have more varieties of health-care cost-cutting strategies available - such as onsite clinics and health coaches, for example: For some candidates, this will be the deciding factor of employment.
6. Focus on engagement will replace the focus on retention: Employers recognize that with engagement comes not only retention, but greater productivity and profitability.
7. Attention to succession planning will increase: Around the globe, we see an increasing attention to succession planning and management. Unfortunately, the issue of succession preparation has not kept pace and will be felt in 2010 when Baby Boomer retirements combine with the lack of trained people to become a critical problem.
8. You may be paid more for your experience: Organizations that did not take the opportunity presented by this business slowdown to send their people for more training will have to pay more to hire trained, experienced people.
9. Beware that some rewards programs may disappear: Some employers will eliminate reward programs, misunderstanding Dan Pink's new book, Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us: This ill-advised shift will cause significant, negative, unintended consequences.
10. Burned out employees will begin leaving employers: Over 80 percent of today's employees feel overworked and under-appreciated. Too many organizations have survived and maintained some level of profitability by over-loading their long-term employees. Once we begin to see positive job growth in the second half of 2010, some employees will feel confident enough to leave their companies.
11. Older workers can expect unprecedented accommodation: The exodus of their long-term employees will challenge some employers to get the work done, without resorting to hiring expensive contract help or paying high fees to recruiters. Enlightened employers will mine the rolls of their retired workers and hire them back on a part-time, temporary, or seasonal basis. These seasoned professionals will be welcomed back, in spite of the fact that they will dictate their own terms.

Better news about tech jobs growth if you can wait

our tech job is going to look safer in the next decade - finally!

Even with unemployment at 10%, some industries like professional service and health care will grow in the years ahead, according to a report released Dec. 10 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and reported by CNN.com.

Professional/business services and health care/social assistance are expected to have the largest employment growth from 2008 to 2018, the Labor Department said.

Professional and business services will add 4.2 million jobs over that 10-year period while health care will increase its employment by 4 million.

Within professional and business services, consulting, computer systems design and employment services will have the most growth.

In the health care and social assistance industry, the top gainers are home health care, services for the elderly and those with disabilities, nursing care facilities and employment in offices of physicians.

Shift toward services continues
Meanwhile, the long-term shift of employment from the goods producing to the service-producing sector is expected to continue.

Within the goods-producing sector, the largest declines will be among manufacturers of semiconductors, with a loss of 146,000 jobs, and motor vehicle parts, which is expected to lose 101,000 jobs.

By 2018, the goods-producing sector is expected to account for only 12.9% of total jobs, down from 14.2% in 2008. Alternatively, the service-producing sector will account for 78.8% of total jobs, up from 77.2% in 2008.

The Labor Department's projections also show an aging and more racially and ethnically diverse labor force in the years ahead.

Altogether, total employment is projected to increase by 15.3 million, or 10.1%, during the 2008-18 period, the Labor Department said. Projections are updated every two years.

Where the tech jobs are

ust in case you thought all the tech jobs had gone away, here's a place where they hang out every day. Thousands of them. A virtual herd inhabiting the vast employment savannahs.

They're government jobs, and they're an easy find.

Visit USAJobs and click on USAJobs First Stop. Create your account, and go hunting! You can save and organize your searches in the system.

Here are some of the technology and engineering positions and their numbers by which they are categorized:

• 0332 Computer Operator
  
• 1550 Computer Scientist
• 0334 Computer Specialist
• 2204 Computer Technician (DoD)
• 1710 Educational and Vocational Training Specialist
• 2608 Electronic Digital Computer Mechanic
• 2601 Electronic Equipment Installer
• 2606 Electronic Industrial Controls Mechanic
• 2610 Electronic Integrated Systems Mechanic
• 2602 Electronic Measurement Equipment Mechanic
• 2604 Electronics Mechanic
• 0861 Engineer, Aerospace
• 0890 Engineer, Agriculture
• 0858 Engineer, Biomedical
• 0893 Engineer, Chemical
• 0810 Engineer, Civil
• 0854 Engineer, Computers
• 0850 Engineer, Electrical
• 0855 Engineer, Electronic
• 0819 Engineer, Environmental
• 0804 Engineer, Fire Prevention
• 0801 Engineer, General
• 0896 Engineer, Industrial
• 0806 Engineer, Materials
• 0830 Engineer, Mechanical
• 0880 Engineer, Mining
• 0840 Engineer, Nuclear
• 0881 Engineer, Petroleum
• 0803 Engineer, Safety
• 0800 Engineering and Architecture
• 0392 General Telecommunications
• 2200 Information Technology
• 2210 Information Technology Management Specialist
• 0343 Management and Program Analyst
• 1515 Operations Research Analyst
• 1910 Quality Assurance Specialist
• 1412 Technical Information Specialist
• 2186 Technical Systems Program Manage

When you find a job description, pay particular attention to the closing date. They're serious about them.

We'll talk later about the actual application. For now, just look around and enjoy how many jobs there are to choose among, for a change.

Who's Firing Techs as of 12/11/09?

Who's Firing is drawn from a weekly survey by Phil Rosenberg of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs.

The Technology sector was among those with the most layoffs announced and rumored this week. Others were in the Education, Government, Aerospace, Finance, Energy, and Manufacturing sectors. Technology's big staffing losses were at Sun Microsystems.

Organizations announcing or rumored layoffs for week ended 12/11/09:
Sun Microsystems, Various CA (353)
Verizon Wireless, Longview TX (181)
RJE Telecom, Brewster NY (100)
Comcast, Manchester NH (77)
Assurant Solutions, Wayne PA (69)
CenterPoint Teleservices, Eliot ME (60)
Harmonix, Cambridge MA (39)


Source: www.recareered.blogspot.com

Tech job recovery

nfoworld published predictions Friday that IT jobs creation and hiring will be low-key until midyear, based on Foote Partners research analysts' opinions. Even the recent economic upturns won't boost IT hiring overall until late 2010, and more likely 2011. "Expect the length of the tail on this staffing lag to be much longer than previous economic recoveries," said the Foote Partners' report.

I really thought that jobs would be coming back more quickly than that. Let's hope they're the doom and gloom prognosticators.

Just in case they're more right than wrong, how do we position for a continued hiring pall? The report says companies are focusing on their needs for employees with very specific skills. That means:

• Training will continue to be a valuable commodity.
• Outsourcing and offshoring will be used.
• Managed services will continue to be important in company plans.

Any way you can take advantage of any of those points will be a plus on your resume and in your job search.

Who's Firing Techs?

ho's Firing Techs is drawn from a weekly survey by Phil Rosenberg of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs. This edition is for the weeks ended 11/27/09 and 12/4/09.

The technology sector largely escaped the chopping block recently, as top layoffs announced and rumored were in the Retail, Defense, Tobacco, Manufacturing, Government, and Health Care sectors.

Technology organizations announcing or rumored layoffs for weeks ended 11/27/09 and 12/4/09:

Progress Software, Bedford MA (225+)
Visteon, Indianapolis IN (187)
Gamesa USA, Ebensburg PA (141)
Avid Technology Inc, Tewksbury MA (120)
GTECH Corp, Providence RI & various (80)
Vulcan, Seattle WA (50)

Who's Hiring Techs as of Dec. 7?

ho's Hiring Techs is drawn from a weekly survey by Phil Rosenberg of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week.

Business services and telecommunications are among the top industries currently hiring, based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards.

Business Service firms IBM, Accenture, CSC, and SAIC continue to be in the top hiring firms, partially supporting federal government and DOD contracts.

Telecommunications continued strong hiring, with AT&T and Verizon advertising heavily for employees.

Defense companies remained top hiring firms, but their numbers are starting to decrease, led by Raytheon.

Technology companies increasing job openings

1. IBM
2. AT&T
3. Raytheon
4. Accenture
5. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
6. SAIC
7. Verizon Wireless

New job postings

Business Services and Telecommunications are also among the top technology industries with new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards added during the past seven days.

Defense continued heavy hiring with  Raytheon included in the top new employment advertisers this week. AT&T continued to hire in the Telcom vertical, and Verizon returned to the top 40 this week.

Technology companies with new job postings

1. IBM
2. AT&T
3. SAIC
4. Raytheon
5. Accenture
6. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
7. Verizon Wireless

Source

The three things to bring to the negotiating table

y client has been invited to interview for a network technician job. He's not quite done with his CCNA, so that's a wonderful thing. The catch is it's about 70 minutes from his home where his wife owns a business. He lives in a place where winters mean blizzards and bad roads. Can he afford to commute or rent a studio apartment to reduce driving time and in case of storms?

He needs to find three pieces of information to be prepared to negotiate:

1. His personal wants and requirements.
2. The range the company will pay or what the former employee was earning.
3. The average salary paid in the geographical area where you plan to work.

First, he gets out the household budget and figures out the minimum he will accept. This process should also define and prioritize the benefits he needs and wants and what he is willing to negotiate away.

Second, if there is no salary range listed on the job posting, he calls the company's HR Department and asks what the salary range is for the job. If they say there is none, or it depends on experience, he asks what the current employee in that position earns. If that is not forthcoming, as well, he networks his way to someone else in the company who may know or can find out.

Third, he determines what the average salary is in the company's geographic area. The best place to look for that is www.Indeed.com. On the main page, he clicks the salaries link in the upper left corner of the screen. He fills in the search fields and scrolls down to see the average salary, national salary trend, and average salaries of jobs with related titles (with links back to those jobs).

Other places to search include:
• http://online.onetcenter.org/
• Compensation.BLR.com (offers free trial)
• Salary.com
• www.payscale.com
• Library Resources

Research companies and job search specialists are also available to complete research. They often require completion of a form or a phone interview to define the desired position.

Who's hiring techs as of 11/30/09

ho's Hiring Techs excerpts information about technology hiring from a weekly survey by Philip Rosenberg of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 11/30/09.

This week, Business Services and Telecommunications are among the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards.

Telecommunications continued strong hiring, with AT&T, and Verizon advertising heavily for employees.

Business Service firms, IBM, Accenture, CSC, and SAIC continue to be in the top hiring firms, partially largely supporting federal government and DOD contracts.

The following technology companies added the most job openings:

IBM
AT&T
Raytheon
Accenture
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
SAIC
Verizon Wireless


Technology Job Openings Added This Week:

Business Services and Telecommunications also led the list of new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards added during the past seven days.

Business Services made a strong comeback this week, led by IBM, SAIC, and Accenture. AT&T continued to hire in the Telcom vertical, though Verizon dropped off this week.

Defense continued heavy hiring with Raytheon included in the top new employment advertisers this week.

Tech Job Openings added this week by direct advertisers (Recruiters & Staffing Companies not included):

IBM
AT&T
SAIC
Raytheon
Accenture

Download help for the pain in your neck

re too many hours in front of the monitor making your neck tense? Are you carrying that nasty deadline on your shoulders days after you beat it? Is working in someone else's chair giving you a pain in your back?

Visit Exerciseminder.com and download their little reminder. Every half hour, it pops up a window in the lower right-hand corner of your screen showing a simple exercise and how many times to repeat it. The whole thing takes less than a minute and keeps my muscles from turning into rocks.

I like the one that says get up and walk somewhere to find a drink of water. I count walking and drinking as my two favorite exercises.

Survey predicts IT hiringto increase a bit in January

esterday, InformationWeek forecast a 3% increase in IT hiring in early 2010. Not exactly cause for bells to ring and angels to appear, but at least it's going in the right direction. Traditional positions in networking, security, and application development lead the list of in-demand skills.


The 3% is a net increase considering 7% of CIOs responding to the Robert Half Technology survey expect staff additions while 4% expect reductions. 

The greatest hiring activity is anticipated from the East North-Central Region (Chicago-centered) and the South Atlantic Region (Washington, D.C. to Florida). 


The health services sector is likely to be a bright spot, needing IT talent to help facilities convert to electronic medical records.

Google those job search scammers

've been getting reports of sites that may not have the job seekers' best interests at heart.

I suggest before spending any time or money on a job search assistance site to run this quick Google search:

site name + scam + ripoff

If there are problems, you'll find plenty of interesting (and heated) reading.

Have you seen IT hiring from federal stimulus?

o you have an IT position in a company that has received federal stimulus dollars? I'd love to hear from you.

The reason I'm wondering is the recent report in Infoworld that only 21 IT jobs have been created or saved through $26 million in federal spending at technology companies nationwide. I waded through a bit of the data at recovery.gov to see if I could follow the money, but it would take days to recreate the trail.

So, I'm thinking I'd rather hear the stories from you.

• Did your company receive stimulus dollars and hire (or not lay off) IT employees? 
• Did you get new hardware instead? 
• Is your company one of those in line for funds but still waiting?
• Does this Infoworld article reflect your experience? 
• What's really happening out there? 

Geek gadgets galore

f you're still recovering from Thanksgiving and you managed to avoid Black Friday, maybe it's time for some shopping for your favorite geek or for your own wish list.

Take a peek at Infoworld's 2009 Geek Gadget Gift Guide. I'm pretty sure that Acer tablet is going to be on my list!

Is your target company stock forecast to yield 30% in coming year?

If you have any cash left after today's Black Friday shopping spree, here's something to consider. Find out if your target company (or those in your mutual fund) is among those named in The Wall Street Transcript's  new publication, TWST Investing Strategies Report, released today and offering a review of the IT Services sector.

The Wall Street Transcript provides commentary and insight for investors and researchers through verbatim interviews with CEOs and research analysts. This Report contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts, and Money Managers. It's pricey at $175, but director and C-level job seekers may find the perspective on the industry valuable. Please note that neither TWST.com nor I provide investment advice.

You can read an excerpt of one conversation with Alexander J. Roepers, President and Portfolio Manager of Atlantic Investment Management, Inc. AIM is a $1.5 billion global Registered Investment Advisor, with offices in New York and Tokyo.

The remainder of this 55 page TWST Investing Strategies Report can be immediately viewed by purchasing online. or by calling (212) 952-743.

Just for today, give thankfulness a try

If you're in the middle of a long and difficult job search, or if you're hanging on to a job you hate, it's hard to want to be thankful.

Try it anyway, just for today.

One of the paths to thankfulness is empathy. Try this on:

• Your boss is the biggest jerk you've ever met. There's a saying among my HR pals: People never leave jobs; they leave supervisors. Know that you have plenty of company. Know that many supervisors and managers have never been trained for that role. They were simply the best (or worst) at their last job, so someone in their great wisdom made them a manager. They may be at least as frustrated as you are.  Just for today, decide that you aren't the victim, but they are.

Try thinking about what you'd be thankful for if this awful thing hadn't happened:

• You were laid off six months ago, and you've been looking for a job ever since. I mean really looking. Your family is depending on you; your mortgage is depending on you; your retirement is depending on you. This is the most stress you've ever felt, and it's feeling heavier every day. Just for today, think of something other than your anxiety and responsibilities. If you are able to enjoy a nice meal with loved ones, feel the joy they bring. If you are healthy enough to go outside and throw a football around, feel your body move and your breath fill you with life. If you still have your home, notice how it surrounds you with warmth and safety.
  

Try being thankful for the good things that will happen soon:

• Every cycle has a beginning and end. A project has a lifecycle. Good things end. Bad things end. Just for today, think ahead to the way your life will be when this crisis has ended. Leave the worries behind, just for today. Think about the new job you will have and how it will feel to shake your new employer's hand as you accept their generous offer. Imagine your excitement as you walk to your desk on your first day. Think of your thankfulness when you start your first project. Spend a day there instead of worrying about what isn't happening.
  

All of these are steps along the way to gratitude, which is different from thankfulness, my friend and transformational consultant Jodee Bock said yesterday. She is absolutely right. Thankfulness is a response to a specific event. I am thankful that my pecan pie turned out. I am thankful that my husband vacuumed and dusted yesterday.

Gratitude, on the other hand, is the state of being. If I live in gratitude, my life looks and feels different. When I look for things to be thankful for, I begin to feel constant gratitude. When I am grateful, my life attracts more good for which to be thankful. Look at that, another cycle.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Align your life with your values

My friends and family tease me about being the most organized person on the planet. I have honed Outlook to a fine science. I carry my to-do and calendar with me in my smartphone. Technology is my friend. I generally get where I am supposed to be on time and with the materials I need. (OK, there was that one meeting...).

I have been humbled, and I'm really excited about connecting my organizational skills to the core of my life, reducing stress and being more inspired, productive, and proactive. I spent all weekend at a seminar named LifeWoRx by Design led by Don Cote and sponsored by my friend Jodee Bock from Bock's Office Transformational Consulting.

The take-home was the continuing process of connecting my core values to my everyday actions. I was good at making my list, prioritizing and getting things done. I had connected those actions to the needs of my business, clients, and myself. What I hadn't done was to take that big step back and define what was important in my life now.

Don's program is based on Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. If you haven't read this book, click on the title and order it now. Then, take Don's course. Think and Grow Rich outlines the process of setting goals based on our values and true desires. LifeWoRx by Design takes it further. Don calls it paint-by-numbers Think and Grow Rich. He's right.

In the three days since the seminar, I have further clarified my values and goals, taken steps toward reaching them, connected them to my everyday commitments and actions, and understood more about how to keep doing that.

That's the real secret. Everyone has come home and shelved the three-ring binder or stayed excited until the reality of another work week squeezed it out of you. This seminar shows you how to keep using the process. Don has made the inspiration and commitments difficult to abandon and impossible to forget.

Who's hiring techs

Who's Hiring is a weekly survey of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 11/23/09.

Total Job Openings
Business Services remain among the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards. SAIC, IBM, Accenture, and CSC Deloitte continue to be in the top hiring firms, partiallysupporting federal government and DOD contracts. Raytheon was among firms leading defense hiring.

Total Job Openings by direct advertisers (Recruiters and Staffing Companies not included):

SAIC
AT&T
Raytheon
IBM
Accenture
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Sun Microsystems
Verizon Wireless
Quest Diagnostics

Job Openings Added This Week
Telecommunications was among the top industries with new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards added during the past seven days.

Defense continued heavy hiring with Raytheon included in the top new employment advertisers this week. Consulting firms companies continue to expand with SAIC, Accenture, and IBM as top hiring business service firms.

Job Openings Added this week by direct advertisers (Recruiters and Staffing Companies not included):

AT&T
SAIC
Raytheon
RadioShack
Accenture (Corp.)
Verizon Wireless
IBM
Apex Systems
Quest Diagnostics

Who's firing techs this week?

Top tech layoffs were announced and rumored for the week ending 11/13/09 in the Telecommunications, Technology, and Business Services sectors. Inclusion in this list does not mean the entire industry is circling the drain as the "Who's Hiring Techs" list of 11/09/09 included some of the same sectors.

For those considering government positions, federal hiring is on the rise, but a number of state and local governments have continued to cut back over the past month.

Technology companies announcing significant layoffs this week included AOL, Electronic Arts, Applied Materials, Adobe, First Data, and Sun Microsystems.

Telecommuncations companies cut jobs as Sprint Nextel, and Nortel announced layoffs, even while Sprint's competitors have been on the top hiring lists for the past six weeks or more.

Technology organizations announcing or rumored layoffs (and the number of workers affected) during the week ended 11/13/09:

Sprint Nextel, National (2,000-2,500)
Electronic Arts, (1,500)
Applied Materials, Santa Clara Ca (1,300 – 1,500)
AOL, NYC (up to 1,000)
Adobe Systems, San Jose CA (680)
Relational LLC, Rolling Meadows IL (118)
First Data, International (250)
Current TV, San Fransisco CA (80)
Sitel, Longview TX (270)
Sun Microsystems, Broomfield CO (128)
Nortel Networks, Richardson TX (56)
Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Clark Summit PA (64)
Serco, Inc., Warrendale PA (93)(118)
Sykes Enterprises Inc, Milton-Freewater OR (336)

Source: Who's Firing is a weekly survey of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs for the week by Recareered.

Who's hiring techs this week?

Despite the recession, these technology companies are expanding, as documented for the week of 11/16/09.

Top Tech Hiring Companies
Business Services and Telecommunications verticals remain among industries hiring, based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards.

Business Services firms IBM, SAIC, and CSC continue to be in the top tech hiring firms, largely supporting federal government and DOD contracts. Raytheon was the technology firm among those leading Defense hiring. Other top technology hiring companies included HP and Sun Microsystems.

In the survey, the following companies topped the technology hiring numbers:
IBM
AT&T
SAIC
Raytheon
Verizon Wireless
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
HP
Sun Microsystems
Quest Diagnostics

Job Openings Added This Week
The Business Services and Telecommunication verticals are also among the top industries with new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards during the past seven days.

Defense continued heavy hiring with Raytheon included in the top new employment advertisers. Consulting firms further expanded with IBM, SAIC, and CSC continuing to hire.

Technology firms adding job opening ads this week(Recruiters and Staffing Companies not included):
IBM
AT&T
SAIC
Raytheon
RadioShack
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Hewlett Packard
Apex Systems

Source: Who's Hiring is a weekly survey by Recareered of companies showing the highest hiring activity.

Passion and the right job: Which comes first?

 Here's a little exchange from one of my Linked In groups:

Information Technology: Networking, Forum and Jobs

Kathy A. Walton  PMP, an IT Project Manager, asked:

 "Do you need to have a passion
before you can find the right job?"

In this career search we always seem to hear that we need to "follow your passion". For example, if your passion is to bake cupcakes and feed your friends, maybe you should look into opening a bakery.

What if it's really the opposite? What if my passion regarding the "right" job doesn't fit this model?

My passion is to love the job I have. I should like going to work almost as much as I like going away from work. Within that I can do all sorts of things, and I can do a great job! I could be entirely happy baking cupcakes as long as it supports my family and the people are nice. I can thoroughly enjoy being a project manager and putting in new infrastructure because I like to see that something that I am responsible for is completed successfully. I could love being a farmer or cowboy (cowgirl?) because it always smells so good outside and I think horses are magnificant.

So do I really have to define a passion and then find a job to meet that, or can I be passionate that I find a job that I really like doing, whatever the definition of that is? I think I can.

Here's my answer (I love it so much 
because I get to talk about passion to IT folks):

Wherever it is written that the secret to happiness is to find the positive energy and passion in whatever you are doing has your picture next to it, Kathy. Brava!

Unfortunately, many - I would venture to say most - of us have not reached your advanced state of peace and presence. We are still searching for something that engages our passion to give meaning and purpose to our lives.

When we find that object of our passion, that cupcake kitchen, all too often, we make excuses for why we can't do it.

•  It doesn't make enough money; the economy is bad.
•  It's not practical; nobody is buying cupcakes.
• Everybody else is satisfied being a project manager; we should be, too.
• Nobody else loves to bake cupcakes; we will be judged as not fitting into
• the world we fought so long to fit.
  

Rather than follow our passion or become passionate about our existing path, we stay on the path that has produced halfway happiness. Our performance level drops because we realize this is not our passion or we are not willing to give what is necessary to become passionate about our current position. Perhaps, we receive negative feedback which stokes the lukewarm coals of resentment. We burn out because it takes an enormous amount of energy to perform a job for which we lack passion.

Change is hard, but it is often in the difficulty that we learn about ourselves and our world. Recognizing our passion is an art that takes incalculable self knowledge. Following it takes even more courage. Understanding that it lies in accepting and loving our current circumstances is the ultimate challenge.

This week's top tech hirers

The Business Services, Defense, and Telecommunications verticals remain among the top technical industries currently hiring based on a survey by reCareered of active job advertisements from the nations’ top job boards.

Business Service firms IBM, SAIC,and CSC are among top hiring firms – SAIC is largely supporting federal government and DOD contracts. Raytheon, Northrop are among those leading Defense hiring. Based on surveys of US job advertisements in the top job board aggregators, the following tech companies added the most job openings:

(Total Tech Job Openings by direct advertisers. Recruiters and Staffing Companies not included):

1. IBM
2. SAIC
3. AT&T
4. Raytheon
5. Verizon Wireless
6. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
7. HP
8. Sun Microsystems

Tech Job Openings Added This Week

Telecommunication verticals are among the top industries with new job ads based on a survey of recent advertisements from the nations’ top job boards. Consulting firms companies continue to expand with IBM and SAIC continuing to hire, joined by Accenture.

These companies began heavy job advertisements this week:  Avanade (A Joint Venture between Accenture and Microsoft), Oracle, and HP.

Tech Job Openings Added this week by direct advertisers (Recruiters and Staffing Companies not included):
1. IBM
2. SAIC
3. AT&T
4. Raytheon
5. US Air Force
6. RadioShack
7. Avanade Inc.
8. Oracle
9. Hewlett Packard

Beyond bitly

If you've run out of room trying to send more than one link -- even if they're itly bitly links -- on Twitter or another social network (and who hasn't?) here's a bunching tool that does it for you.
Bunch those links!

NY, MN job seekers got algorithm

The state of New York is looking for ways to reduce the time the unemployed spend looking for jobs, and it's turning to a mathematical formula for help.

The state's Department of Labor is touting the new tool as a major leap forward in the search for jobs. The formula is designed to direct resumes to the employers most likely to make a hire.

So far, Minnesota is the only other state to use this kind of fancy math to try to connect workers with jobs. There are no hard data, but a spokesperson for the state says the program has been working well.

If this is just a faster, gentler job board, I'm not impressed. If it can actually come up with positions people would not otherwise find or consider, then I'm ready to notice. How about it, Minnesota? How's it working for ya?

Read the rest on NPR

Technology Hirings this week

Based on surveys of US job advertisements in the top job board aggregators, the following companies added the most job openings:
Job Openings by direct advertisers (not recruiters and staffing companies):

1. IBM
2. AT&T
3. SAIC
4. Raytheon
5. Verizon Wireless
6. Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
7. HP
8. Sun Microsystems

Another company directly advertising job openings this week is General Dynamics Information Technology.

Source: recareered.blogspot.com

Search all the job boards with one click

See if this makes your job board search easier.

Search All Job Boards

This link will take you to a Google page where you fill in the name of the position you want.
Click the button.
Apply.

Intel unleashes "IT Manager 3: Unseen Forces"

Watch the Trailer. Play the game.

Control your emails, but be found when you want to be

You're in meetings all day, but you're expecting an email from the other organization's HR department about your interview appointment. You know it's coming, just not when. It's not cool to check your phone every time you receive an email. You don't want your assistant to know about it. An autoresponse doesn't cover it. Hmmm.

Now there's a way you can get only the emails you want. AwayFind (www.awayfind.com/) lets you filter out the emails you can take care of later so you receive only those you designate as urgent.

Think about it. Almost like vacation.

Check out This New Job Search Tool

If you spend a significant part of your day wondering the name of the person you talked with yesterday or if you've made that follow-up call, here's a solution for you to consider.

Job Hunt Express (jobhuntexpress.com) is the newest job search management software to help you maintain your job search records. There's a free 10-day trial (http://www.jobhuntexpress.com/freetrial.html) and best of all, a job jokes blog. (http://www.jobhuntexpress.com/job-jokes-blog.html).

Check it out, and if you buy, let me know how you like it.

Monstrous Bullying

Monster.com features a basic explanation of workplace bullying in their two-part series, Workplace Bullying: What Can You Do? Start reading it here:

It's hard to pinpoint how it started. Maybe it was when you saw your manager's assistant noting those rare occasions when you came in 10 minutes late. Or maybe it was the time the boss half-jokingly trashed your performance -- in front of her higher-up.

There now seems no end to your tormentor's campaign of psychological harassment and personal and professional destruction -- aimed squarely at you. The nitpicking, the demeaning comments, the misleading digs and full-blown lies have all come together to exact their intended effect: to make you quit or get fired.

This is the ugly picture of bullying in the American workplace, painted by workers who describe themselves as targets and by the professionals who advocate for them. "My supervisor would take my case files to inspect them, and then write me up at the end of the day because the files weren't complete," says a former employee of a California social-service nonprofit. "He undermined me all around, which is not what a good supervisor does."

Read more

Workplace Bullying and the Murder of Annie Le

I want to share with you excerpts from a letter I received from Katherine Hermes (pictured at right), a faculty member at Central Connecticut State University.

Katherine writes:

"Annie Le, a Yale graduate student who worked in a lab, was the co-worker of her alleged killer, Ray Clark. Clark reportedly sent emails to her berating her for her lack of proper protocol concerning the lab's mice. Workplace bullies inflict this kind of petty tyranny upon targets every day. It is not every day that they murder their targets, as Ray Clark is charged with doing. ( newsday.com)

" Newsnet5.com recently reported a former college athlete in Connecticut has alleged that his coach made him drink blood in front of teammates. While there are racial overtones to this incident, it is also an instance of bullying. Like Annie Le, the student athlete hovers between "school" (bullying is banned by law in Connecticut schools from K through 12) and work (there are no workplace bullying laws).

"In that college/work space, the opportunities for bullying are rife. So much depends on one's performance and compliance, from scholarships to housing to careers, that targets are naturally reluctant to speak out."

Thank you, Katherine for that succinct description of the difficulties inherent in workplace bullying.

In Connecticut, graduate student workers or student athletes who have been bullied are encouraged to write to their state legislators, asking them to include in the Healthy Workplace Bill provisions for protecting those who are also the employees of their colleges or are holding some sort of contract for services rendered.

Most other states do not have this option as there is no Healthy Workplace Bill. However, the Workplace Bullying Institute is working toward passage of a Healthy Workplace Bill in every state.

Research done by the Workplace Bullying Institute and Zogby polls reveal 37% of the American workforce has experienced bullying at some time. Please join the Workplace Bullying Institute in work toward passing the bill in your state.

Workplace Bullying Goes to School

Sioux City District First in Nation with Bullying Prevention Program for Adults

Schools and student bullying are a September tradition. However, this year, there is a new twist. The Sioux City (Iowa) Community School District (SCCSD) is taking bold steps to prevent bullying among teachers, staff and administrators. They are first district in the nation to launch an anti-bullying program for adult employees, according to Dr. Gary Namie, founder of the Workplace Bullying Institute.

Interested school district administrators are invited to call 360-656-6603.

The Workplace Bullying Institute is consultant to the District with its nearly 2,000 employees and 28 schools. Through its consulting firm, Work Doctor, Inc., the WBI founders adapted their Blueprint for Workplace Bullying Prevention designed for corporate use to fit the public school district as employer. Work Doctor was the first consulting firm in the U.S. to directly design organizational solutions for workplace bullying.

Read more

My favorite search engine is everyone else's favorite, too

Alison Doyle reveals that my favorite search engine has leaped ahead of the pack in her article, "Indeed tops the job charts."

You can try it out on the Resources page of this Web site.

The thing I like best about it is that it does all of the work for me. Say I'm looking for a sales position in Minneapolis and Sioux Falls, SD. I fill in that information (zip code(s) and position), and Indeed will email me the results of that search every day.

Beware of firms asking big bucksfor job search assistance

Even - maybe especially - in times of economic uncertainty, predators abound. This recent New York Times story gives some clues about who they are - and aren't. Be sure to look through the reader comments. The article author recommends using resume services and career coaches.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/us/17career.html?_r=1

Alumni Contacts Aid Job Search

Here's a resource we don't always remember if we're out of college more than a few years:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/fashion/02alumni.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2

Create Your Online Business Card

At Business Card 2, you create your own business card, a quick and easy profile you can send, link to, or display on a site. Here's mine:

http://workwritecareercoach.businesscard2.com/

Create a job search tool by promoting your skills and accomplishments on your Business Card 2.
Start here:

http://businesscard2.com

Looking for the lies

Here's the real "Lie to Me" guy: http://www.paulekman.com/. I'm fascinated with the idea of seeing these microexpressions. The short and sweet training is only $20. Check it out.

Only the Employed Need Apply

White Chocolate Grill

Bobby Fitzgerald prefers to hire
the already employed even though
he gets two dozen or more unsolicited
résumés each day at his White Chocolate Grill.

With unemployment at 9.4% and rising, it’s a buyer’s market for employers that are hiring.

Dana Mattoli at Wall Street Journal Careers talked with some of the many employers who are bypassing the jobless to target those still working, reasoning that these survivors are the top performers.

Even a recruiter said many of his clients would rather look at "passive candidates," those not actively seeking a job because they have one already.

This practice assumes that hanging onto a job assures one's quality, aptitude, and leadership. I disagree heartily. Most of us can think of the person who was still in the office after 25 lame, unproductive, and in most cases whining, years. We don't know why they're still there. Do they have something on the boss, we speculate?

Probably not. They just forgot -- or refused -- to stay home when they quit. And someone else didn't notice.

On the other hand, I've known and worked with plenty of energized, engaged, and productive people who have had departments disappear beneath their feet, a job description change, or a merger move their job to St. Louis.

No, not all the best people are working, and not all of those unemployed are second stringers.

You can contribute to Millennials employment survey

A researcher who is concerned about the very high rate of unemployment among the Millennials (17.8%) is looking for people to contribute to her research.

Consultant Stacey Randall is conducting original research called "The Impact of the Recession on the Millennial Generation." She is looking for people under 30 who were laid off in 2008 or 2009.

The impact she is researching carries some alarming statistics:

• Unemployment among young Americans is nearly 9 points higher than the national average.
• Two-thirds of college students graduate with over $20,000 in debt, twice as much as a decade ago.

If you are or know of a Millennial who has been laid off since January 2008, please visit www.surveymonkey.com/recessionsurvey.

Women bullying Women

By MICKEY MEECE
New York Times

Published: May 9, 2009

Yelling, scheming and sabotaging: all are tell-tale signs that a bully is at work, laying traps for employees at every pass.

Peter DaSilva for The New York Times

Kent Kaufman and Laura Stek, right,
of the Growth and Leadership Center,
coach Cleo Lepori-Costello, left,
a vice president at a Silicon Valley
software company,
on communication skills.

During this downturn, as stress levels rise, workplace researchers say, bullies are likely to sharpen their elbows and ratchet up their attacks.

It’s probably no surprise that most of these bullies are men, as a survey by the Workplace Bullying Institute, an advocacy group, makes clear. But a good 40 percent of bullies are women. And at least the male bullies take an egalitarian approach, mowing down men and women pretty much in equal measure. The women appear to prefer their own kind, choosing other women as targets more than 70 percent of the time.

In the name of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem, what is going on here?

Read full article.

What to do when nothing works

I just received an email from a client who has been job hunting for about a month and has made about 100 applications for jobs in another state. He's doing everything right. He's networking; he's narrowing his search and contacting companies of his choice to talk about how he might fit into their plans; he holds an excellent interview and has boatloads of confidence. He's an absolutely wonderful find for anyone in his industry.

So, what's going wrong? He's being turned down for positions he qualifies for, and even some he over-qualifies for.

Here are my recommendations:

1. Work more through your contacts: When you ask someone to recommend you, don't stop with a good word or a letter of endorsement. Ask them to put you in contact with someone they actually know at the company.

2. Give first: The heart of networking is its mutuality. When you contact people, ask what you can do to help them. Be ready to give and give first. Yes, you are looking for a job, but you are also and foremost looking to fill a need. This attitude alone can put you at the top of an employer's list.

3. Be persistent: If one thing with that person doesn't work out, ask them about other opportunities in their department, other departments, and other companies.

4. Recheck your list: Who have you thought of contacting that you haven't contacted yet? We often forget to make a contact or leave one out because it's a little uncomfortable. Find another way to make the contact that's more comfortable.

5. Maintain contacts you have: It's best if you've maintained communications with everyone you've ever met throughout the years, but few of us are that good. So, forgive yourself for not being an ubernetworker and start contacting people.

6. Do it again: Recontact the people you've called already and see if anything has turned up since you talked with them.

7. Develop more contacts. This is especially difficult with a long-distance job search, but there are ways around it. Go through your address book. I have relatives or friends in nearly every state. You probably do, too. In most cases, people will welcome the opportunity to help you.

8. Work your online social networks: Do more with contacting people through Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. There are usually groups you can find on Facebook, for example, that allow you to learn more about people there and perhaps find a friend or friend of a friend who can put you in direct contact with the right person. If you don't know much about these networks, read Jason Alba's book, I'm on LinkedIn, Now What?

9. Take off! Plan a trip to your target city to follow up with people face to face.

10. Get a pep talk: Find at least one person who encourages you, whether it is your career coach, your spouse, your best friend, or a job club.

When you're done with step 10, start over at step 1. This is the most sure-fire way to land a job in this economy or any other. Talk with your people, and make more people your people.

Which Muppet am I?

I know, I know, I haven't been back for awhile. I've been doing more friending and following; call it research. I'm still trying to integrate my networks and -- still -- not understanding which Muppet I am has to do with how social networks will help with a job search.

In one sense, I get Twitter more than I get Facebook, although as a writer, I have yet to cotton to the 140-character limit. I think of it as haiku, but then, it takes me three hours to write one tweet. That's not going to happen, even in my picky, resume-perfect world. The part I get is that I can follow people's projects and days and concerns. I like that. I like knowing what my friends and colleagues are up to.

Here's a good article that says what Twitter's about better than I can: Twitter Quitters Just Don't Get It.

The part I don't get is the games and quizzes in Facebook, particularly when I can't finish them without asking three more friends to do the same thing. Well, I get the marketing angle. That's how I find out the quiz exists: Rody takes it and Patrick comments about it. They're married. Now, my husband and I email and text each other all the time, but it's more like a to-do list. "Remember to pick up milk." "Here's the address of that place I told you about." "Are you going to be home for dinner?" These two have conversations. It's very sweet.

But I'm not looking for a way to connect with my husband. I want to know how this is going to help someone make contacts they need to make to find their dream job.

Could I be overthinking this? (Like that's never happened. )

Facebook is for giggles and finding out goofy "facts" to give us all something to talk about when we don't know each other well enough to have something in common. Or for keeping in touch with the groups of friends and family we're far away from. So, if we're "friends," keep sending the quiz scores. One of these days, I'll get around to taking a few and revealing my true Muppet nature.

How's the Terrain?

The buzz in managementland is that Dr. Spencer Johnson's new book, Peaks and Valleys, is a gotta have.

The author of No. 1 bestsellers Who Moved My Cheese?, The Present,
and The One Minute Manager, has the street creds to get away with a subtitle like Making Good and Bad Times Work For You -- At Work and In Life. He tells how to get through tough times sooner
and make good times enjoyable and longer.

Here's the link to the book on Amazon.com and the synopsis:

Peaks and Valleys is a story of a young man who lives unhappily in a valley until he meets an old man who lives on a peak, and it changes his work and life forever.

Initially, the young man does not realize he is talking with one of the most peaceful and successful people in the world. However, through a series of conversations and experiences that occur up on peaks and down in valleys, the young man comes to make some startling discoveries.

Eventually, he comes to understand how he can use the old man's remarkable principles and practical tools in good and bad times and becomes more calm and successful himself.

Now you can take a similar journey through the story and use what you find to your advantage in your own work and life.

UND management students learn about bullying at work

Yesterday, I caught up with Brett Rinke after teaching a couple of classes with Dr. Patrick Schultz in the Management Department of UND's College of Business and Public Administration. The classes were about workplace bullying, and coincidentally, Brett had just used an article in a presentation he had done about bullying. (I know Brett from the Northeast Dakota Area Human Resources Association, the local affiliate of the national Society of Human Resources Managers. He is president of UND's student affiliate of SHRM.

I am so pleased that the word is getting out more and more about workplace bullying, especially in a business school that educates our next generation of managers, directors, and C-levels. (If you're interested in hearing more, contact me at 218.399.1010 or jeri@workwrite.biz.)

The short version of the article Brett gave me is that a new study reveals bullying is causing more damage to employees than sexual harassment.

"Employees who experienced bullying, incivility or interpersonal conflict were more likely to quit their jobs, have lower well-being, be less satisfied with their jobs and have less satisfying relationships with their bosses than employees who were sexually harassed, the researchers found."

Here's the whole article:


Problem of Workplace Bullying Demands Attention, Researchers Say

By Rita Zeidner
3/31/2008

Workplace bullying appears to inflict more harm on employees than sexual harassment, according to a new peer-reviewed study.

“As sexual harassment becomes less acceptable in society, organizations may be more attuned to helping victims, who may therefore find it easier to cope,” said lead author M. Sandy Hershcovis, Ph.D., of the University of Manitoba. “In contrast, non-violent forms of workplace aggression such as incivility and bullying are not illegal, leaving victims to fend for themselves.”

Herschcovis presented her findings at the Seventh International Conference on Work, Stress and Health, co-sponsored by the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology.

Hershcovis and co-author Julian Barling, Ph.D., of Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, reviewed 110 studies conducted over 21 years that compared the consequences of employees’ experience of sexual harassment and workplace aggression. Specifically, the authors looked at the effect on job, co-worker and supervisor satisfaction, workers’ stress, anger and anxiety levels as well as workers’ mental and physical health. Job turnover and emotional ties to the job were also compared.

The authors distinguished among different forms of workplace aggression. Incivility included rudeness and discourteous verbal and non-verbal behaviors. Bullying included persistently criticizing employees’ work; yelling; repeatedly reminding employees of mistakes; spreading gossip or lies; ignoring or excluding workers; and insulting employees’ habits, attitudes or private life. Interpersonal conflict included behaviors that involved hostility, verbal aggression and angry exchanges.

Both bullying and sexual harassment can create negative work environments and unhealthy consequences for employees, but the researchers found that workplace aggression has more severe consequences. Employees who experienced bullying, incivility or interpersonal conflict were more likely to quit their jobs, have lower well-being, be less satisfied with their jobs and have less satisfying relationships with their bosses than employees who were sexually harassed, the researchers found.

Furthermore, bullied employees reported more job stress, less job commitment and higher levels of anger and anxiety. No differences were found between employees experiencing either type of mistreatment on how satisfied they were with their co-workers or with their work.

“Bullying is often more subtle, and may include behaviors that do not appear obvious to others,” said Hershcovis. “For instance, how does an employee report to their boss that they have been excluded from lunch? Or that they are being ignored by a co-worker? The insidious nature of these behaviors makes them difficult to deal with and sanction.”

From a total of 128 samples that were used, 46 included subjects who experienced sexual harassment, 86 experienced workplace aggression and six experienced both. Sample sizes ranged from 1,491 to 53,470 people. Participants ranged from 18 to 65 years old. The work aggression samples included men and women. The sexual harassment samples examined primarily women because, Hershcovis said, past research has shown that men interpret and respond differently to the behaviors that women perceive as sexual harassment.

Rita Zeidner is manager of the new SHRM Online Employee Relations Focus Area.
The Focus Area was launched in early March 2008.

Solving homelessness takes more than a job

Steven Samra, who had been homeless until 2000, takes us through the steps and obstacles to getting and keeping a job while homeless.

"If only they'd get a job, they wouldn't be homeless anymore."

You've thought it before. Perhaps you've even muttered it a few times. But however pervasive this "common-sense" rationale for ending homelessness might be, "getting a job" is just not that simple for a homeless person.

Before we even get to the point of being able to afford a home as an employed and "productive member of society," let's talk a moment about what simply trying to get a job actually entails for the typical homeless person: (Read the rest of Steve's story here.)

Keep the Change

In AAUW last week, I heard about an old enemy and a new friend.

The old enemy is the "Pay Gap." I remember wearing 59 cents buttons back in the day when we talked about the Equal Rights Amendment. I'd lost track of the number since then. It's 78. That's the number of cents the average college-educated U.S. woman earns to the average college-educated U.S. man's 100 cents.

Men start their careers with a slight earnings edge over women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Intelligence Report, January 2009. The difference eventually mushrooms to an average of more than $20,000 per year. Here's the spread:

Age National Average Salary

15-24 Women: $23,357
Men: $26,100

25-44 Women: $42,558
Men: $55,286

45-64 Women: $44,808
Men: $67,040

Closer to home, Minnesota ranks 14th among the 50 states and North Dakota 46th in pay equity between the median annual earnings of men and women with a college degree or higher, according to an AAUW Educational Foundation analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, 2005, 2006, and 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement for Median Earnings and Educational Attainment.

In Minnesota, median annual earnings for men stood at $63,000 and for women at $49,000 between 2004 and 2006. In North Dakota, median annual income for men was $51,000 and for women $41,000 during the same time period.

That gave Minnesota an "earnings gap" of 77 percent and ranking of 20 among states. North Dakota had a gap of 79 percent and a ranking of 11. The national average is 78 percent.

In Minnesota, 32 percent of women and 35 percent of men had a four-year college degree, ranking 8th highest among the 50 states. North Dakota had 28 percent of both women and men with four-year degrees, ranking 18th. The national percentage is 29 percent of men and 27 percent of women.

The New Friend

My new friend is the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182/H.R. 12). The National Women's Law Center fact sheet offers a list of ways in which the bill would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act.

In the U.S. House, it was introduced January 2009 by then-Senator Hillary Clinton and Rep. Rosa DeLauro to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The bill expands damages under the Equal Pay Act and amends its very broad fourth affirmative defense. In addition, the Paycheck Fairness Act calls for a study of data collected by the EEOC and proposes voluntary guidelines to show employers how to evaluate jobs with the goal of eliminating unfair disparities. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on January 9, 2009.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) co-sponsored this bill in the Senate, where it remains. You can track it at OpenCongress.

Want your voice heard? Send a postcard to Congress through AAUW's "Keep the Change" initiative. You don't need to be a member of AAUW to send one.

Another Opportunity
A friend told me she had applied for a position with a package delivery service and had passed all of their tests. She was the only woman in the testing group and as such thought she would be hired on the basis of minority status. She was told she was not hired because the job was given to a man with a family to support. Unfortunately, this incident was not back in the dark ages, but only a few years ago.

So, we have 24 cents to go for pay, along with a long road to correct heartland attitudes about women as breadwinners.

Read "A New Push for Equal Pay" from Parade Magazine.
Here's a quiz to see just how much you know about pay equity.