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The Top 50 Places to Find a Job & The Top 50 Places to Make a Hire [Infographic]

The best places to find a job may not be as obvious as you think - and the same goes for candidates. See where the jobs and job seekers really are.

This Beyond.com employment data report analyzes where the jobs are and where the candidates are compared with Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Civilian Labor Numbers for the same time period.  We've also examined job posting data in relation to the where the candidates are to show what types of jobs employers are recruiting for and what types of jobs candidates are searching for. Download the PDF.

Q&A With Beyond.com CEO: Retailers Opening on Thanksgiving for "Black Thursday"

With Black Friday approaching, the talk of big box retailers opening on Thanksgiving Day has been a hot topic.  The team at Employment Metrix chatted with Rich Milgram, CEO of Beyond.com, The Career Network to understand his thoughts on the topic, besides his concern that the concept of Thanksgiving dinner could disappaer with shoppers feeling the need to lineup even earlier.  Here’s what he had to say:

EM: Is it fair to make employees work on Thanksgiving? Why or why not?

RM: No, it’s not fair to demand that employees work on Thanksgiving. If working on Thanksgiving is tied to an employee’s year-end compensation or tenure then that is morally wrong. However, these large retailers understand that the success of their business is based on the relationships they have with their employees and with that being said they should make decisions with their employees in mind.

Overtime pay shouldn’t be in question when it comes to employees working on Thanksgiving.  Companies that do not pay overtime should be in question.

EM:  What does this say about the changing mindset of big box retailers? 

RM: This says less about the retailer and more about society as a whole. Target, Sears, Kmart, and others are all doing what they need to do maximize sales and profits. Our democratic society yields opportunity for large corporations to take unique actions that will help grow businesses, however there are times when those actions will challenge societal morals…it’s a fine line.

EM: What's the psychological impact on employees?

RM: There will be pressure, whether it’s inflicted by the corporation or self-inflicted by the employees to work when they wouldn’t normally.  It is important to remember that downtime away from work is necessary for everyone.  The holiday season is stressful enough and retailers need to understand that they can cause undue stress to their employees and if that does happen, that can backfire.

EM: Does this spell the end of holiday days off as we know it for retail employees?

RM: I seem to recall Labor Day specials and Memorial Day sales. Overtime this change has been more and more accepted and expected. Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day have always been considered sacred, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.

EM: Which retail positions are in the highest demand and where?

RM: The top job titles that were posted to Beyond.com, The Career Network in third quarter of 2012 in the retail industry were for Assistant Store Managers, Shift Supervisors, and Sales Associates.

The most retail jobs are located in large metros like New York, DC, LA, Dallas, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Detroit.

Thanks Rich for the insightful chat!

Poor Communication Stands Between Veterans and Jobs

For too long veterans have been struggling to find work and it’s not because they lack the skills required to get the job done. There’s a disconnect between civilian skills and military training. The unemployment rate for veterans remains at 10 percent, despite the numerous advertisements that highlight the value military training will bring to a service member when it’s time to enter the civilian workforce.

The national unemployment rate is at 7.9 percent, so why is it so much higher for our veterans? Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families make great sacrifices in order to serve our Nation and we owe it to them to help them successfully transition into the civilian labor market when their service comes to an end. A common issue many veterans face when they come home is that they are forced to go through redundant training to do jobs they were already doing in the military. But, if someone can perform a job in the stressful environment of a warzone, can they not do it in a safe one? And why does the civilian labor market not recognize the training that our veterans bring to the table?

The other night, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart highlighted this issue. Jon Stewart conducted mock job interviews with two army medics to see if they’d qualify for positions as a nursing assistant and a school nurse. When the first medic revealed that she didn’t have a BS in nursing and did not take the national counsel licensing exam, Stewart asked her to share an example of why she’d qualify for such a position despite not having these two requirements. Staff Sergeant Meg Mitcham then went on to share a heroic story, “We were driving down the road and a bomb went off, and a bunch of people got injured. So I used the resources I had at time to stabilize three different patients at the same time, stop bleeding, call in a medevac request, and ensure that they were kept alive until they reached a higher echelon of care in country."

Now, Mitcham has left the army and is looking for a job, but is having a hard time finding a position she’s trained for, although she is more than qualified. Despite her performance on the battlefield, her resume probably won’t even be considered. How is this even possible?

We at Beyond.com surveyed more than 1,700 professionals earlier in the year and we learned that poor communication often stands between a candidate and a job. Professionals say that HR managers and candidates communicate differently and that’s what’s happening to our veterans too.

There’s a communications gap that both veterans and hiring managers are experiencing. Hiring managers need to do a better job of recognizing and understanding military training and veterans need to do a better job of translating the skills they acquired in the military into everyday civilian tasks.

Now yes, this is easier said than done, but here are some tips to help hiring managers and veterans bridge the gap.

For Veterans:

1. Market Your Military Training for the Civilian Workplace. While you may have had a very specific job in the military, you need to inventory the skills you gained to understand what skills are marketable in the civilian workplace.
   
   
2. Ditch the Military Jargon. Military resumes tend to run on the long side, they’re also sometimes too broad in focus and full of military jargon. The acronyms used in the military are completely lost on civilian hiring managers. While your resume may sound fancy, your resume probably won’t be read because few people understand it, so abandon the military lingo.
   
   
3. Find the Civilian Equivalent. While you may have had a fancy title in the military, like Supply Sergeant do some research to find out what that translates to in the civilian world. Spoiler alert: it’s Supply Manager or Logistics Manager.
   
   
4. Highlight Your Military Skills in your Career Summary. Start your resume with a career summary that shows what you can offer to an employer by explaining how you can transfer your military training into the position you’re applying for. When you craft this statement, remember not to use military jargon.
   
   
5. Don’t Pack Your Resume With Unrelated Information. If there are items on your resume that have to do with your military service that don’t relate to the job you’re applying for, don’t include them, this may include awards. It’s okay to include awards where appropriate, but there’s no need to list all of the awards you received.

With Veterans Day coming up, companies will have vets in mind as they evaluate candidates. So now’s the time to update your resumes (and portfolios).

For Hiring Managers:

1. Don’t Discount Military Experience. While a former serviceman might not have all the requirements for the position you’re trying to fill. Many veterans are trained to do the job you’re hiring for, they might just lack the formal certifications a civilian may have. Hopefully in the future things will get easier for both civilian hiring managers and veterans thanks to an initiative for service members to earn civilian-equivalent occupational credentials and licenses. This way vets won’t have to go through hours of duplicate training efforts.
   
   
2. Hire an Employee with A Global Outlook. Many veterans are quite knowledgeable when it comes to international trends that impact the economy. If your organization would benefit from someone that has a knack for understanding global trends, consider hiring a veteran. This might not be a skill they list on their resume or portfolio, but it’s usually an added bonus that comes with the hiring of a former service member.
   
   
3. Invite Vets On Your Team to Participate in the Hiring Process. If you already have veterans on your team, get them involved in the hiring process. A former serviceperson applying for a position with your organization may have a stronger connection with a fellow veteran. Plus, the vet on your team can act as an interpreter, to help the hiring manger better understand the candidate’s military training and experiences.
   
   
4. Make an Effort to Understand Where Veterans Are Coming From. Transitioning from military life to civilian life isn’t something that happens overnight. Hiring managers should keep this in mind. When interviewing or reviewing a veteran’s resume do a little research to understand what this person did while they were serving our country. Doing a little legwork will go a long way.
   
   
5. Consider All Candidate Qualifications. In some cases where a vet might not have all the requirements to do the job, consider the other qualities that they bring to the table like the ability to work well on a team, the ability to lead, respect for procedures, and of course integrity, valor, and pride.

This is something to keep in mind, not just around Veterans Day—when someone lists military service on their resume, know that you have the opportunity to hire a hero. To search veteran resumes visit Beyond.com, The Career Network at www.Beyond.com.