Out Of Work? No Good Jobs On the Horizon? Consider a Survival Job!

In this tough employment environment, there are literally millions of laid off workers who simply haven’t been able to find a good-paying job in their field. Finding a new job can be especially hard for older workers, or people who’ve been unemployed for more than twelve months.

If you find yourself in this situation, and you’re getting to your wits end (not to mention the end of your savings or severance package), you might consider taking a so-called “survival job” while you wait for the economy to improve, or a new opportunity in your field.

Many people who’ve lost work in this Great Recession find themselves “overqualified” or “overeducated” for the jobs they’re applying for, which can be a tough pill to swallow for anyone who put in the years and spent the thousands of dollars necessary to earn a bachelors or post-graduate degree.

The hard reality for some, is that jobs in their previous line of work might not be coming back. In today’s rapidly-changing global economy, new technologies can wipe out entire industries in just a few years. Imagine being a VCR repairman right now, for example, or an employee at a photo lab.

And so the challenge in this situation is finding work that will pay the bills, and not drive you crazy in the process. You might consider taking a temp job, or working two part-time jobs as a way of creating that necessary income stream. Self-employment is another option, and with the Internet there are a wide range of home-based businesses you could go into with minimal experience and start-up costs.

There are also many offline businesses you could start from home, such as a landscaping business, petsitting, housekeeping, or assisting an elderly or disabled person by running errands, cooking, or helping with their housework. You could become a consultant, and share your years of knowledge while earning a good income at the same time.

Another option, if your job skills and experience can be applied  toward a continuing education course, is to become an instructor at a trade school or community college. This can also be a great way of networking and meeting new people in your field, and could even lead to a full-time position down the road.

You might also consider becoming a substitute teacher as a way of earning income while you wait for more permanent employment. Many school districts around the country are in dire need of good substitute teachers, and typically the certification requirements for subs are far less stringent than for those of full-time teachers. And who knows, if you find that you enjoy teaching, you could always go back to school and take the necessary courses in order to become a full-time teacher yourself.

Other survival jobs including becoming a taxi driver, a barber or hair stylist, or working as a cashier or clerk in a big box retail store like Target or Home Depot. Catering companies are almost always looking for workers. Or if you like to drive, you could get a CDL license and become a truck driver, either locally or doing longer-haul routes around the country.

Some additional survival job tips

• Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity to come along: think of a survival job as a bridge, as something to help pay your expenses while you wait for better prospects. It doesn’t have to be your “dream job,” and you might have to swallow your pride and take a job you wouldn’t have imagined yourself doing a year or two ago.

• Be flexible: you’ll need to have some flexibilty in some of these survival jobs. You might be working odd hours, or you might have to work two part-time jobs in order to make ends meet through this tough period of unemployment.

• Be willing to learn and grow: you might need to change your way of thinking about things, and be open to learning new things and moving in new directions. Who knows, your survival job might just lead you into an entirely new career, or business opportunity that you’ll find more lucrative and rewarding than your previous career.

• Don’t get discouraged: try to keep a positive attitude, and sense of humor about your situation. After all, being underemployed is better than being unemployed, and if you keep your eyes open, the opportunity you’ve been waiting for will usually come along eventually. As the old saying goes, you only fail when you give up and stop trying.

Top 5 Employment Sectors Expecting Strong Job Growth in 2013

If you’ve been unemployed for any length of time, or you’ve just graduated from college, or you’re “underemployed” and working at something that barely pays a living wage, I don’t need to tell you that it’s a rough job market out there.

We’ve been living through one of the worst employment environments since the great depression, with millions of people listed as having been out of work for 12 months or longer. Some workers have had to take temp or part-time jobs, while others have dropped out of the labor force entirely.

Some unemployed workers have had to move back in with their parents just to survive. And many recent college graduates have been unable to find entry-level employment in their field of choice, and so have had to take lesser jobs, or go back to school to earn a graduate degree.

But it’s not all doom and gloom

Even in this tough climate, there are signs of improvement in the economy in general, and the job market in particular. The economy has been averaging about 150,000+ new private-sector jobs every month, which isn’t great, but is still a sign of employment growth as we head into 2013. And overall unemployment has dipped below 8% for the first time since the Great Recession hit in 2008.

Some sectors are showing especially strong growth numbers, including health care and retail, two industries that never really seemed to be affected by the recession. Other strong sectors including manufacturing, office workers, science and technology, and more.

Skilled and semi-skilled workers are also finding employment outside of these sectors, in areas such as construction, the hospitality industry, environmental engineering, the hospitality industry, security, and more.

So if you’re out of work, or underemployed and looking for something better, there are rays of hope on the horizon, especially if you have the right skills, or are willing to go back to school to learn new skills. The following is my list of the top 5 job growth sectors for 2013:

Sector #1: Healthcare

The health care industry has been the top employment sector for years now, and is expected to stay strong as the baby-boomers get older and the US population ages overall. The aging population, coupled with sedentary lifestyles and a high obesity rate among adults, is creating a huge demand for medical services of all types.

And it’s not just doctors and nurses who are in demand. There’s also an urgent need for more physical therapists, pharmacists and pharmacy techs, nursing assistants, fitness instructors, dental hygienists and dentists, nursing home and assisted living specialists, and more.

So opportunities abound in this sector. The good news is that many of these occupations don’t require a four-year college degree, and some don’t require a degree at all.

Sector #2: Retail Sales

Retail sales is another sector that’s showing strong growth, as consumer confidence improves and people are spending more than in the previous couple of years. Buyers these days are especially looking for bargains, and discount retail is showing especially strong growth.

This despite the rise in online sales in recent years. Many people simply like to get out and actually see and touch the items they’re looking to buy, and they prefer speaking to a knowledgeable salesperson who can answer their questions.

There are also good opportunities in selling high-ticket items like cars and consumer electronics, especially if you’re willing to become an expert in your field. Some of these retail sectors also pay high commissions, which can make this sector one of the better-paying opportunities out there.

Sector #3: Information Technology

Despite the dot.com meltdown several years ago, there is still strong demand for professionals in the Information Technology sector. Only purchasing from sites like Amazon.com and Ebay have grown at double-digit rates in recent years as more people become comfortable with buying their goods online. And the big social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have people spending more and more time on the Internet.

There’s also been a shift to digital in a wide-range of government and private-sector industries, as the “paper office” of the Twentieth-Century continues to disappear.  Almost every business and government agency has a website these days, and with mobile devices like tablets and smartphones growing in popularity, there’s expected to be strong demand in the IT sector for many years to come.

Sector #4: Science and Engineering

Skilled workers in the science and engineering fields will continue to have good job prospects into 2013 and beyond. The US is projecting a shortage in these areas in the future, as the country graduates fewer scientists and engineers than other industrialized countries like Japan and China.

These are also employment areas that are harder to outsource, as they normally require the worker to be present. Areas in this sector that are expecting strong growth include biology, environmental engineering, nano-technology, electrical and mechanical engineering, aerospace sciences and more.

Sector #5:  Manufacturing & Industrial

Many employers in the manufacturing and industrial sector report that they want to hire and expand their operations, but they continually have trouble finding workers with the necessary skills. These type of jobs can include mechanics, machinists and machine operators, assembly line workers, technicians, laborers, and truck and delivery drivers.

These are blue collar jobs that pay well, usually don’t require a college degree, and some companies are willing to hire workers with no skills or experience and train them from the ground up. Trade schools and community colleges also have programs to teach the skills necessary to land a job in this sector.

The Job Outlook For 2013 Points To Steady Growth

According to The National Association of Colleges and Employers website, the US will experience a steady increase in job demand in 2013, and college degrees will play an increasing factor in new hires as well.

That’s good news if you’re graduating next near. According to recent NACE job outlook surveys, employers plan on hiring almost  15% more new colleges graduates from the Class of 2013, then they did from the Class of 2012.

Some industries and sectors are expecting more job growth than others. For example, employers are expecting double-digit hiring increases in such industries as finance, real estate, professional services, electronics and computer manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals.

Other areas of growth, and degrees that employers will be looking for, include bachelor-level degrees in areas like business, engineering, marketing and computer science.

Another finding in the survey indicated that while singing bonuses for new hires are expected to climb in 2013, overall salaries are not expected to rise as quickly, with slightly more than 50 percent of employers planning to increase starting salaries of bachelor’s degree graduates.

One item on the horizon that could throw a wrench into this optimistic job outlook for 2013 is if the country rolls off the so-called “Fiscal Cliff” on Jan 1. If lawmakers in Washington can’t reach a deal before then, tax rates will go up on all taxpayers in the US,. There are also billions of dollars in spending cuts that will take effect as well, including deep cuts in defense spending.

Most economists agree that this could send the economy back into recession at some point in 2013, and thousands of workers will lose their jobs in the defense sector alone. If we do fall back into a recession, then many companies will stop hiring in an effort to save money and “ride out the storm” until the economy starts growing again.

Another option that wouldn’t inflict as much damage to the economy is if the US does go over the fiscal cliff, lawmakers in Washington could then strike a deal where they lower tax rates on the middle class, and come up with spending cuts that wouldn’t have as much negative impact on employment and job growth during the new year.

That might be the best-case scenario at this point, and something to hope for as you’re celebrating with friends and family on New Year’s Eve.

Create a professional CV by following these simple steps

Constructing a great CV is a crucial step in getting noticed by employers and for an interview whether it is for cleaner jobs , security jobs , construction jobs or any type of job it does not matter. A CV is one of the main things in your job hunting arsenal that you can use to really sell your skills to any recruitment agency or potential employer. These people have never met you before and know nothing about you so getting your CV right including the presentation is very important. Here are some tips to help you construct a great CV?

Your CV should not really go over 2 pages. To begin writing a CV the very first peice of information which should always be at the beginning is your full name, address and telephone numbers plus your email address if you have one. Do not forget to include your Linkedin profile URL also if you have one. Linkedin is a professional network and you can include your job history and also get recommendations from colleagues which are online so the exposure can be phenomenal.

After your initial contact details construct 5 or 6 sentences in a box like structure to really sell yourself and your achievements in relation to the employment you are looking for. Following this part display a short list of bullet points giving your key skills you have and try and keep it in relation to the job you are looking for. This allows you to put your main skills across really quickly as in general potential employers will not take a great deal of time looking at your CV before they either call you in for an intereview or decide not to proceed with your application. Make the best use of the first quarter of your CV as this is a very short space of time.

You will then need to list your job history down. Begin by bolding the employer name, the position you held and dates you worked for them, from and to. In a bullet point list put down all your achievements in the job. Talk about the skills you have and things you have done, but make sure you do not bend the truth.

At the end remmember to write down the school and university you went to and what qualifications to acquired. You may also put down your interests and what you like to do in your spare time. Ensure you check all the spelling and grammer, this is of course very important but often overlooked. Following these hints and tips you will be able to create a fantastic CV you will be proud of.

A New Job – Get A Good Start

You will be a bit nervous but also very excited when you start new jobs , which is a totally natural feeling. You will be getting to grips with new processes and meeting lots of new people. You would have already met your new boss probably at the interview stage. You may have been given a tour of your department so you will have a bit of an idea of what to expect but there will be some unknowns.

Day 1 will probably be a complete blur by the end of the day as you take time to absorb everything. You will more than likely have info overload. It will be like going to school or college on your first day and there will be many uncertainties but this will ease with time. You have a brand new team to integrate with and find out how processes work and who does what and this is no different whether it is retail jobs or sales jobs

Usually one of the first things you will do is to meet HR who will go through things like working hours, holiday time, sickness reporting and more. A company handbook should contain all the information you need, you should make time to go over this. It will be required for you to go through company procedures, HR which are important so you should take note of these.

Getting to grips with your computer, setting up your workspace and getting all the things you need on the stationary front it a must. Making sure your computer works and you have access to everything you need like a checklist so you can raise any issues straight away so it can be dealt with promptly. This will improve efficiency going forward.

Most of the time you would have an introduction to the company and spend some time with other teams and departments. Finding out how your team fits into the overall organisation mechanics is very interesting and will help you understand your role better and even come up with ideas and suggestions to put forward. Your aim is to do well in your new role and be very successful.

Some Resume And Job Interviewing Tips

If you’ve been thinking about changing careers, you’ve got a lot of company. As a matter of fact, a lot of people are unhappy with their current job, and are searching for a new start. For some, this might mean a return to school. For others, a career transition could be as easy as sending out their resume.

Unfortunately, the job hunting skills you may have learned in school probably don’t apply in today’s job market. From online job searching to interviewing, many of the rules have changed. Don’t be caught with an “objective statement” on your CV or interrupting the interviewer with questions you could have researched on the web before hand. And make sure your resume is up to date before you show up at your interview.

It’s a good idea to never boast or exaggerate on our resume. Always be truthful and list your objectives, skills, professional history, education, and knowledge. Another option if you don’t have the time or skills require to create a great resume is to hire the services of a professional resume writer.

Writing a resume is actually a process of selling yourself to a prospective employer. Unfortunately, your self worth sometimes takes a beating when you lose a job. You need to brush any negative thoughts aside and focus instead on your many accomplishments. After all, when you’re unemployed, your task is learning how to take charge and sell yourself. Another tip is to look after your appearance before that important job interview.

Make sure and dress your best for your interview. Just remember that first impressions do last, so the way an applicant looks could make or break the interview. Employers have been known to give a verdict on job applicants based solely on how they were dressed during the first interview.

Never be negative when asked about your previous managers and employers. Always maintain eye contact with the interviewer. You want to appear relaxed during the interview, gesturing appropriately as you speak, then resting your hands comfortably in your lap. Speak at adequate levels and avoid monotone voice patterns, and avoid drifting off at the end of sentences.

How To Develop An Effective Three Minute Elevator Pitch

What’s an Elevator Pitch? Quite simply, a brief presentation designed to seize the eye of recent prospects in a succinct yet complete manner

No one seems to recollect who first coined the time period “elevator speech,” however I know it’s been around a very long time and I am often asked to help design speeches for clients.

An elevator speech is a brief presentation that you may deliver to somebody in an elevator as it travels from high to backside or vice versa. It have to be compelling in addition to descriptive. It ought to comprise such punch that the other individual would love to buy from you. Of course, you should utilize this in methods apart from travelling in an elevator.

When cold calling, it is a good suggestion to have your pitch ready. When the client meets you in reception, deliver the elevator speech with enthusiasm and he or she is much more likely to agree to allocate time to you. On the phone, you should utilize this to acquire an appointment. You could need to use it in a sales letter the place you introduce your organization to the prospect. For individuals who attend trade exhibits, have your elevator speech ready for folks as they approach your stand.

An elevator speech ought to meet these standards:

o Maintain it transient, lengthy sufficient to persuade, however brief sufficient to hold the other individual’s attention.

o Be articulate, use the appropriate tone and velocity so that you do not rush the message.

o Make it sincere, the client must really feel you’re a reputable source.

o Be enthusiastic, use acceptable excitement when telling your story. Consumers take their leads from salespeople. Enthusiasm is infectious and in case you are not obsessed with your merchandise/services or your organization, change jobs!!!

And it ought to reply these questions:

Who are we?

What will we do?

To whom will we promote?

What makes us unique?

How will we convey value to our clients?

An elevator speech may sound like this: “My identify is John Brown and I work for Packaging R’us, a world chief in packaging technology. Our twenty European technical sales and repair centres specialise in serving to many Times Top 1000 corporations solve their largest handling, packaging and delivery headaches. Our product lines embody packaging tools and delivery supplies. Our customised solutions enhance production uptime and thru-put. Our clients tell us that we stand out because of our troubleshooting experience, drawback-solving creativity, and quality solutions. Final 12 months, we received the Packaging Affiliation Buyer Satisfaction Award.”

Alex is a dog lover and couldn’t think about herself without canines. He offers more helpful information on dog obedience training, dog behavior problem and dog training e book critiques that you could be taught in the comfort of your own home on his website. You’re welcome to reprint this article should you preserve the content and dwell link intact.

Business Debts – Information & Advice

Finding your business in debt is an unfortunate position to be in, but there are steps you can take to manage the situation and regain control of your finances. One option you can take is an informal arrangement to try and turn around your business fortunes. This is when you take steps to bring your debt under control, such as by selling off assets, focusing on core product sales and reducing your costs. You can then negotiate informal arrangements with creditors to pay them back.

If an informal arrangement isnt an option but your main problem is with irregular cash flow as opposed to structural issues, then you should investigate a company voluntary arrangement. This means that your creditors wont be able to take further action against you as its legally-binding. It involves constructing an agreement with your creditors so you can manage your outgoings while paying back your money over an extended period. Your interest and other charges will be frozen to make your debt more manageable.

If your business is insolvent and a CVA isnt an option, you may have to look at administration. The Enterprise Act 2002 has made it easier to do this. It will protect you from your creditors while the business is reorganized and the administrators will investigate ways you can once more make a profit. The resulting plan is then put to your creditors once the business is considered to be viable, meaning that the company should emerge from administration in a stronger position.

If you have a major creditor who has security over a large part of your assets (such as a bank), then you may have to look at Company Administrative Receivership. This is when an insolvency practitioner will help you put the company into a state of insolvency to protect the creditors and your directors. They can help you continue trading while steps are taken to sell off the business or otherwise recoup the necessary funds through the enhancement of asset values to pay off the major creditors.

Probably the biggest step to take for any company struggling with debt is liquidation, a process which often follows administration or receivership. This can often lead to company directors being disqualified from acting in similar roles. There are two types of liquidation: Voluntary Liquidation, which is instigated by company directors, and compulsory liquidation, which generally follows a court petition by either the company itself or its creditors. The companys assets are taken and distributed among the creditors according to their legal entitlement and priority.

Find Out More : www.realbusinessrecovery.co.uk

Win by recruiting for part time jobs

When looking to fill for your next office vacancy, try not to start by assuming that every role needs to be a full time one. You could save your company money by being more flexible, so read on to find out more about the benefits of posting part time jobs.

As an alternative way of thinking, try this approach before writing up your job description and posting an ad: Consider the work tasks that need to be completed in the role and how much time it should take to complete these tasks. It’s plausible that the daily tasks could be done in a half days work, making part time staff more cost effective.

Wins for employers posting part-time jobs:

• Its a great way to cut costs in areas where you don’t need full time office workers
• You can increase the number of potential recruits applying for the job and improve staff retention by offering family friendly hours of work
• Customers can see that you value a diverse work-force and an ethical employment policy
• Recruiting for part time jobs will allow for recruiting highly skilled or experienced employees on a part time basis when you might not be able to afford them on a full time basis
• Make your company more flexible, with a part-time workforce you can respond to market pressures by adjusting your employees’ time tables to have more workers during peak times or even extend your opening hours

Recruitment, induction and training costs are not affected by recruiting for part time jobs, unless you are recruiting two part time employees to meet the needs of a single full time job. You may do this when recruiting new staff for a job-share, which has a host of other pros and cons.

You can list part time job ads on SimplyOfficeJobs for the best return on your recruitment investment.

Legal Processes for getting your Trade Licensed as a Women’s Business Enterprise

A women’s business enterprise, in the terms of the government authorities, means an individual enterprise that is specifically owned or operated by a lady. In case of a public company, about 51 % of the overall stocks must be possessed by a woman. Any kind of women-owned trade is eligible to acquire funds and financial loans. An outside party plays no role in validating this information that a specific organization is female owned however, if a lady wants, she can have her business sanctioned as a certified woman-owned business, from the municipality.

As per the recent America Census records, about twenty percent of the total girls were involved in such home-based business, until 2002. Nonetheless, this information significantly improved in 2008 where, at least 48% of all the companies were run by average women. At present, in case you are managing a home-based business and you are a female who owns such business, you may easily get it authorized from the National Association of Women’s Business Owners Corp. (NWBOC) or Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

To have your enterprise sanctioned as a certified woman-owned business, you’ll need to sign up to NWBOC, along with the required paperwork. The submitted records must declare that the organization is solely owned, set up and maintained by girls. Additionally, women must be 51% stock holders in such cases. You can send partnership agreement contracts, incorporation reports and country DBA for acquiring the certification.

Further, the NWBOC authority gets the application together with the submitted papers. Next, they check that who’s the legal owner of this company and as soon as this verification process is over and the paperwork is completely inspected, a site inspector is sent to your office to monitor your everyday operations. He verifies the other details of the women’s business enterprise and, sends in his final report.

As soon as the NWBOC professionals have fulfilled all the formalities, they’ll write a letter to the company owner, telling them whether their enterprise has been approved as a certified woman-owned business or not. If they’ve rejected the application, they’ll point out a valid reason why this enterprise has not been legalized.

Now, given that you are aware of all the legal formalities regarding this enterprise, I am confident that you will be able to get your trade legalized. In case you wish to get money for a women’s business enterprise, you may contact WomenBiz, Women’s Office of Small Business Association (WOSBA) and other organizations for assistance!