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Is the Economy Causing an Increased Demand for Part-Time Workers?

In times of economic recession, not only does the unemployment rate increase dramatically, but the underemployment rate is drastically affected as well.  Unfortunately, there are many workers who would like the opportunity to work full-time, but settled for a part-time because they were unable to find a full-time job or their employer recently cut their hours. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of involuntary part-time workers increased by 3.4 million over the past 12 months.

There is a large financial motivation for employers to hire part-time workers, which is likely the reason why there is an increasing demand for part-time workers.  By making the decision to hire more part-time employees or reducing full-time employees down to part-time, employers are not obligated to cover benefits, saving the company valuable money.

What industries are currently hiring part-time employees?

There are many industries and roles that are more likely to experience an increase in demand for part-time positions in an economic downturn.  Industries that typically hire on a consulting or outsourcing basis, such as IT, Accounting & Finance and Human Resources, will increase their part-time hiring strategy to reduce the risk associated with hiring full-time talent.

How to Address Facebook in the Workplace

With the geometric growth in networking sites like Facebook (as well as Myspace), companies are struggling to understand how this trend is impacting the workplace.  Some companies who feel that Facebook is a waste of the company's time have even tried to ban access to Facebook from work. I have seen reports that over 40% of the companies in the US ban access to Facebook from their computers (although that number may not seem that high but it is pretty significant nonetheless).

So is your company doing the right thing?  Probably not.

Facebook can be compared to the telephone or email in that all of these are all means of communication that have the potential to serve as a valuable tool for companies.  But, as with any other privilege in the workplace, these tools can sometimes be abused.  I remember when email became widely available for employees.  Many companies did not understand the value and how it could increase employee productivity.  As a result, some companies tried unsuccessful to restrict access to email.  Needless to say, it did not take long for these companies to see the error in their ways.  I guess time will only tell if history repeats itself and companies begin to see the same value with Facebook as they do with email.

Real Ways to De-Stress Your Job Search

It's true that job hunting is no easy task.  It can be overwhelming and sometimes stressful to balance job searching with everything else going on in your life.  Learning how to effectively manage stress is a key component to a successful job search.  If you are currently looking for a job and feeling stressed out, it could make you appear desperate to potential employers.  Here are a few steps you can take to help reduce unnecessary stress, automate your job search and ultimately shorten your job hunt.

• Get Organized. When searching for a job, there is no excuse for added stress due to clutter and disorganization.  It is important to make sure all of your important documents such as your resume, certifications, and proof of identification are easily accessible.  Don’t forget to keep your schedule handy and to make sure your workspace is clutter free.  Being organized allows you to take charge of your job search and helps relieve the pressure when preparing for upcoming interviews or phone calls with employers.

IT Hiring Trend: Temporary vs. Full-time Workers

Although the decision can vary widely by each employer, hiring temporary or contract workers has become a common practice in the IT industry. Employers often seek to engage consultants on a temporary basis in place of hiring full-time employees because their demand for specialized skills and expertise can change depending on each company project. 

Many times, the hourly compensation rate for a temporary worker or consultant can exceed that of a full-time employee; however the employer does not have to provide fringe benefits and can easily let the temporary worker go once the project is completed.  This gives employers a low-risk solution to adding new staff members to their business, especially in a down economy when most companies are hesitant to invest heavily in new talent.

Top 20 Best Job Search Sites

PC Magazine recently published a list of the Top 20 Best Job Search Sites.  According to PC Magazine, there are many great online resources available online to help job seekers find work.  Among these top sites, job seekers can determine what approach to job searching works best for them.

A site such as Beyond.com, which includes a network of thousands of top-tier industry and local websites, offers the quality of a niche site combined with the power of a large general job board. Other sites, like Indeed, simply aggregate material from all other sites, while sites like TheLadders make you pay to take advantage of their high-paying job services.

Listed below is PC Magazine’s Top 20 Best Job Search Sites:

Stable Demand for Sales Jobs Provides Hope for Sales Professionals and New College Graduates

The recent recession has caused a decline in jobs across many industries, creating a pool of highly qualified talent not seen in years. Many businesses are taking advantage of these candidates to fill sales positions that offer high-reward and low-risk to the company. This trend has allowed the sales sector to remain strong, experiencing a 9.63 percent increase in the number of sales jobs posted to SalesJobs.net, a Beyond.com career community, in January 2009 compared to December 2008.

According to SalesJobs.net, in Q4 2008 the top positions for sales jobs were Sales Manager (67.96 percent), Pharmaceutical Sales Representative (14.56 percent) and Cashier (5.44 percent), with the top cities for jobs ranked as Houston, New York and Chicago. Of the sales jobs posted in Q4 2008, 67.3 percent were looking for a candidate with less than one year of experience and 63.4 percent required at least a four-year degree, which provides hope to college graduates entering the work force in the next few months. 

With the increased quantity and quality of competition in the job market — SalesJobs.net reported a 27 percent increase in sales professionals looking for a job over the past year — listed below are a few steps from the Sales Survival Guide that professionals can take to stand out from other candidates to land their next job.

It's Time To Invest in Yourself!

The job market is more competitive than ever.  While many job seekers are taking time to find their niche to stand out from fellow professionals, others are simply looking for ways to fill a gap in their resume.  In a way, uncertain times can offer opportunities that some wouldn’t take advantage of under normal circumstances.  Many professionals are not only becoming freelance consultants and starting their own businesses, but are even taking the steps towards continuing their education to invest in their future. 

If you have considered going back to school but put the idea out of your mind because of financial concerns, it is important that you know that even in a down economy there is financial assistance to be found.  If you are considering going back to school, take a moment to review the following ways to help you manage your student loans and avoid debt:

1. Seek Affordable Schools: There are a lot of schools out there that can be affordable choices. When determining which school you want to attend, keep in mind that state public universities with a good academic record will most likely be your best value.  Private schools can be much pricier and leave you with several dollars in loans to pay back upon graduation. 

2. Check Your Credit Score:  Before you apply for a student loan, get a free credit report to ensure that you do not encounter any surprises along the way.  By preparing ahead of time, you will increase your chances of securing the loan that you desire to invest in your future.

3. Research Your Loan Options:  The average student graduates school with $19,000 in student loans according to msn.com. Therefore, it is important that you do the right level of research to determine which type of loan has the best rate.  Be sure that you read all of the fine print as some student loans will only provide you with finances for a specific period of time. 

4. Create a Budget Plan:  When you receive your loan, make sure it will last you throughout the term of your education and is properly budgeted to pay for necessities, such as classes, books and even housing.  It is important to be realistic and not overextend yourself in order to prevent financial pressures in the months and years to come.

5. Maximize Your Income:  Even though you may be in school there are still ways to earn income. Consider part-time employment, internships, or co-op programs.  You can also consider night school, so that you have your daytime hours available for interviews and full time employment if the right job comes along.

While finances are a top concern when considering going back to school, remember that you are taking the time to invest in yourself, learn new skills and increase your market value to potential employers.

Team Brainstorming: The Key to Business Success

A team approach to brainstorming can be very beneficial to any organization. First, it helps to level the playing field and discourage dominating personalities, which can often times influence or restrict the ideas of the other participants.  Secondly, the process helps increase the level of participation among ALL group members by ensuring that everyone has a role in contributing to the meeting. Last, but not least, it allows all members to participate regardless of level of experience or tenure with the company. 

Listed below are 5 steps on how to implement an effective team brainstorming technique.  This technique was derived from Agile Software development, a philosophy and process that focuses on increasing workplace productivity and quality.
 
Step 1: Who wants to lead? The first step in applying this philosophy is to designate an individual to facilitate the session and ensure that the philosophy is carried out appropriately to achieve the desired outcome of the meeting.