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Allow unemployed to go to school & collect benefits
Abridged: Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- During a statement following a government report that put the unemployment rate at 8.9%. The highest in 25 years. President Obama announced a plan that would allow recipients of unemployment benefits to keep those benefits while attending college and other education or training programs. President Barack Obama says he wants unemployment insurance to become a steppingstone for future work by making it easier to enroll in school or job training.
Whether that happens will depend on the willingness of states and colleges to change the rules. Under current rules, people typically lose any unemployment benefits if they enroll in school. This has the effect of making it impossible for most of these people to seek retraining. So most have no choice but to forget retraining and remain in the job market. And this has the effect of relegating most of these people to lower paying jobs than they were laid off from.
The President said he wants to change what he calls "senseless rules" that prevent out-of-work Americans from being trained for the industries of tomorrow. Despite a drop in the number of lay-offs in April, 539,000 from well over 600,000 the previous month, we have long way to go before we can put this recession behind us. The gears of our economic engine do seem to be slowly turning once again.
Now is the time to refocus job goals
Abridged: Boston Globe
BOSTON, MA -- At a time when it seems no one is safe from layoffs, can you find job security? Perhaps lifetime employment is nonexistent in some traditional fields, but job placement experts say other careers hold more promise. The key is to identify growing and emerging industries, such as healthcare, life sciences, technology, alternative energy, and higher education. Job seekers have to adapt their skills to fit the needs of those industries.
By not focusing on the job title, you open yourself up to new opportunities and may be able to transfer your skills to a completely different industry. As job seekers explore new industries, they also must adapt their search techniques, job placement specialists say. A few years ago skilled workers could post their resume on one job search website like Monster.com, get 10 calls from employers, and land a job in no time. But not anymore.
The times have changed. Now you need to post your resume on several job boards and career niche websites, as well as online networking sites like LinkedIn.com. In addition, job seekers need to turn the gloom and doom of a layoff into a positive outlook. Rather than panicking, try looking at unemployment as a time of possibility and growth.
Niche job boards & websites your resume should be on!
Staff Writer, The Career News
LOS ANGELES, CA -- There are hundreds of sites where you can post your resume online. Some sites, like CareerBuilder, let you upload an existing resume with the click of a button. On other sites you can cut and paste or use a resume building wizard. Start with the top job sites like Job.com, CareerBuilder, Monster and Dice as well as the mid-size and smaller job boards. Then keep track of where you've posted your resume and make a list of your login names and passwords.
Or if you are interested in saving time, use a service that will post your resume for you. Resume Rabbit, for example, instantly posts your resume to over 85 of the top job boards and career sites, including the ones listed above.
You'll get a personal online posting report with login information for each site so you can update your resume and apply directly to job postings. They also provide confidentiality and spam protection services. To instantly make your resume available to 1.5 million employers & recruiters daily, follow this link.
Creating a captivating cover letter with style
Courtney Pike, JobBound.com
CHICAGO, IL -- How many recruiting directors do you think actually read your cover letter? If your cover letter is written like most job seekers, then no one is reading it!
Most cover letters are long and boring; they are basically a prose version of your resume. The key to creating a captivating cover letter is to make it short, sweet, and catchy. Cover letters should be targeted to the company and addressed to the recruiting director by name. You should tell your unique story and highlight a qualification that sets you apart from the other candidates. First, you need to grab the recruiting director's attention with a compelling first sentence.
Think of your cover letter as a teaser advertisement for your resume. If your cover letter is impressive, then you will receive greater consideration of your resume and your candidacy. It's not easy to stand out in the job search, but if your cover letter showcases your solid communication skills and unique qualifications, then you will move to the front of the crowd.
Cover letter secrets that land you more interviews!
Staff Writer, The Career News
LOS ANGELES, CA -- A perfectly-written cover letter can be more important to your job search than your resume! What most people don't realize is that a cover letter is really a sales letter. It's your personal advertisement, your first impression, your grand introduction. Additionally a brilliantly worded cover letter is the easiest way to assure your resume is the one, amongst a stack of resumes, that actually gets read. The best part is, practically no one understands this fact. So having a great cover letter is almost like having an unfair advantage.
As a matter of fact, the vast majority of your competition simply "throws" together any old cover letter just so they have something to attach to their average resume. As a result, most cover letters do nothing to land the job interview. In fact, hiring managers often make a decision to interview from a well written cover letter alone -- before even reading a resume.
Wouldn't you love to have a cover letter written with the flair of an advertising executive? If so, we recommend a simple program that helps you quickly and easily crank out a killer cover letter that is guaranteed-to keep your phone ringing. With a click-of-a-button, fill in the blanks and in just 3.5 minutes out pops a brilliantly worded and perfectly crafted cover letter - 100% customized for you. Why not get your phone ringing with job interviews and employment offers - without writing one word, just go to Amazing-Cover-Letters.
Stimulus act benefits for the unemployed
Abridged: Monster
LOS ANGELES, CA -- A number of provisions to help the unemployed are included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Here's a list of some of the major benefits. Offerings vary greatly by state, so check with your local unemployment office to find out what exactly is available to you.
Increased Unemployment Benefits: new temporary federal compensation program suggests states up the unemployment benefit $25 per week. COBRA Changes: a new COBRA subsidy, available to individuals who were covered under their prior employer's health insurance plan and were involuntarily terminated from employment. Eligible individuals will now only be required to pay 35% of the COBRA premium instead of the full amount Assistance for Older Workers: Older workers may benefit from an additional $120 million earmarked for the Senior Community Service Employment Program. The program helps unemployed, low-income workers aged 55-plus get training.
Part-Time Work: Prior to the ARRA's passage, unemployed workers in 28 states who were looking for part-time work were not eligible for unemployment benefits. Under the new Act, states qualify for federal dollars if they modernize their unemployment compensation systems. Tax Break: a tax break for unemployed workers, exempting the first $2,400 of their 2009 unemployment benefits from taxation. Previously, the entire amount received could be taxed.
Search for full & part time jobs - all in one place!
Staff Writer, The Career News
LOS ANGELES, CA -- With a new service called MyJobHunter, you can search all top job boards and niche career sites at once & apply to all matching jobs with one click. Just enter your search criteria, review the matching jobs and select the ones you want. Then, click a single button and you'll instantly apply to all selected jobs with your resume and cover letter (without having to log into each job site separately).
Click another button and you can automate the whole process! MyJobHunter can remember what you searched for, search for it again each day, and AUTOMATICALLY APPLY FOR YOU to new jobs matching your criteria. Review jobs in advance or put searching & applying on auto-pilot. The choice is yours.
You'll also get an application history report that makes follow-up a breeze! It shows the jobs you were applied to, full job descriptions, employer contact info, and application dates. You can even add personal notes to each job! This service is proven to reduce hours of job searching and resume submitting to just minutes. Simply upload your resume, enter your job search criteria and let MyJobHunter take it from there. For more information visit MyJobHunter.
How to ace your job interview
Abridged: Jonathan Alpert Blog
NEW YORK, NY -- View interviews as an opportunity to practice and hone your skill. Look the interviewer in the eyes and show conviction, confidence, and enthusiasm. Avoid such phrases as "I think" or "I feel." Answer questions about your skills by providing examples from your experience. Prospective employers rely on this information to make predictions about how you'll perform at their company. This will show interviewers that you know how to strategize and put plans into action - far more convincing than offering vague answers.
If asked about weaknesses, share minor things that are fixable and offer what you're doing to improve. You might say: "In the past I've spread myself too thin; however, I'm currently enrolled in a time management course to learn efficiency." Keep a positive tone and never bad-mouth previous companies or supervisors.
Putting yourself in the position of the interviewer will help with certain questions. For example, when asked, "How would colleagues describe you?" think what type of employee you'd want. Trustworthy, diligent, and reliable are a few sure bets. Close the interview by asking if they have concerns they'd like to address, ask for the job, thank them, and set a follow-up date.
Little known secret for your next job interview!
Staff Writer, The Career News
LOS ANGELES, CA -- Diligent job seekers spend hours creating resumes & cover letters, searching through job postings, reviewing classifieds and networking -- all in order to get an interview. Yet most of them don't spend nearly enough time learning what to do when they get one! And with the job market as competitive as it is, you just can't afford to blow an interview.
The skills needed to do the job and the skills needed to get the job are two completely separate things. Even in today's competitive job market, the most qualified person rarely gets the job. Additionally, interviews are harder to get than before. When the job market was booming it took an average of 3 interviews to get 1 job offer. Now it takes 17. The key is have a great interview, where the interviewer actually pictures you doing the job.
If you want to be that person, there's a little known secret you can put together for your next interview that literally forces the interviewer to picture you filling the position, and to visualize actually hiring you -- asap. Using this method guarantees you'll stand out from the crowd and shoot straight to the top of the "must hire" list. For more information, follow this link. |
