EmploymentMetrix.com

Finding a Job is All About Location, Location, Location

In anticipation of Beyond.com’s Q3 Trends Report being released, we thought that we’d whet your appetite with some highlights from the report—particularly regarding the location of jobs. 

Find out:

• Top 10 States for Hiring.
• Industries with the most opportunities.
• And Top 5 cities for each top hiring industry.

Download the “Where The Jobs Are" [INFOGRAPHIC] Now

 

Tips to Avoid Crossing The Line in Social Recruiting

This week we have a guest blogger, Kyle Lagunas, the HR Analyst at Software Advice–a company that conducts human resources and applicant tracking software comparisons.

When it comes to using social media websites for recruiting - what we call social recruiting - how far is too far? Beyond learning the hard way what works and what doesn’t, there are some best practices emerging to help recruiters know when they’ve pushed the proverbial envelope too far. And hiring professionals are discovering a new line of recruiting applications and tools built into applicant tracking software to help them rise above the same old hashtag to better identify, connect with and place viable candidates.

For all their good intentions, many folks using social media in their recruiting efforts are running into the same issues. Here are the top three:

• Spamming job posts. Want to render your social recruiting efforts ineffective? Spamming people with your job opportunities is a surefire way to do just that. The key to social recruiting is to be social and engaging. Share industry news and articles of interest, exchange personal messages, etc.
  
  
• Prying rather than researching. Some positions require a flawless social media presence. For the rest, you shouldn’t be digging too deeply into their profiles. Screening should be focused on general impressions of candidates to see if they would fit within your company culture.
  
  
• Penalizing candidates for level of access. It’s not unusual for candidates to deny recruiters access to their Facebook profile, inviting them to connect via LinkedIn instead. Many people use Facebook for personal, rather than professional networking - especially in Generation Y. Don’t write off candidates for showing a bit of backbone and managing their public image - it’s hardly something to penalize.

Lessons Learned from the Trenches

Some people are experiencing more success in social recruiting than others, and have picked up a few tricks worth sharing. Carolyn Betts, CEO of Betts Recruiting, is one such person, and was recently featured in a New York Times article, for leveraging social media to grow her recruiting success. She and I chatted last week, and she shared some lessons she’s learned from the trenches.

• Focus on strategy. You won’t be able to make the most of social media if you’re going into it blindly. You need to have a plan for how you want to accomplish your goals. Betts suggests starting with one social media site, familiarizing yourself with it, then growing your presence gradually.
  
  
• Have realistic expectations. When you consider the industry you’re in and the position you’re hiring for, are your deal-breakers realistic? You need to determine upfront how much weight you are giving a candidate’s social media presence.
  
  
• Leverage the right apps and tools. Many successful social recruiters know that in order to make the most of your social recruiting efforts, you need to leverage the right tools. Why go it alone when there are applications with built-in best practices for recruiting more effectively?

Software Expanding Recruiters’ Reach

Human resources software is growing to help recruiters make use of social media in their hiring strategy. But before recruiters can fully harness these helpful tools, they must determine whether or not they are in the right social media playground.

According to a recent study, approximately 85 percent of U.S. companies used LinkedIn for recruiting last year, though only 30 percent of active job seekers are on LinkedIn. As such, many recruiters are finding LinkedIn a bit overcrowded. Where are the candidates? The large majority of them are on Facebook.

Because the data recruiters are looking for is a little harder to find on Facebook, however, many miss the sourcing opportunity this vast network provides. Fortunately, there are third-party software developers devising methods to put actionable candidate information into the hands of recruiters quickly and efficiently. Some of these recruiting solutions are standalone applications that leverage recruiters’ networks. Others - like Bullhorn Reach - are applications designed specifically for automating social recruiting.

For further reading, check out Kyle's HR blog at: http://blog.softwareadvice.com/articles/hr/social-recruiting-how-far-is-too-far-010271/

If You Don’t Factor Mobile Into Your Recruitment Plan You’re Making a HUGE Mistake

Sometimes when I’m in a public place—riding a train, walking down the street, or even sitting in a restaurant, I love to observe how many people are engrossed in their cell phones.  And I will tell you I’m no different. 

My Smartphone is my lifeline, I don’t leave home without it—I don’t even leave a room in my home without it (but don’t tell my mother that, because then she’ll wonder why I don’t ALWAYS answer the phone when she calls).

But I have become so addicted attached to my phone that I do EVERYTHING on it, from paying bills, checking movie times—and buying movie tickets, sending emails, playing Words With Friends (I recently discovered that “Nachos” is not an acceptable word—I know I was shocked too!), to reading my favorite blog, EmploymentMetrix (shameless plug!).  So with so much reliance on our Smartphones and unfortunately a large number of people out of work, it is little surprise that job searching and recruitment has gone mobile—in a big way!

Mobile job search apps are BOOMING and the number of candidates searching for jobs on their mobile devices has skyrocketed by more than 100% in the last year alone. So if you’re an HR Pro that has yet to factor in mobile into your recruitment plan, you’re making a BIG mistake.

Check out the latest infographic from Beyond.com—it shows that more than 77% of job seekers use mobile job search apps.  Job Seekers use these apps to quickly react to new job postings, discreetly search for jobs, and simply the freedom it allows them to search for jobs anytime from anywhere.  Potential candidates are no longer tied down to their home computer to search and apply for jobs, now they can do it on their commute to work, while they’re waiting in the doctor’s office, or even waiting for that barista to make their favorite tasty beverage.   So if you have yet to jump on the mobile bandwagon you’re going to be left behind—that goes for HR pros and job seekers alike!

U.S. Job Creation Stagnant in August, Yet Some Industries Maintain Strong Hiring Activity

 Beyond.com’s First Infographic Analyzes Key Challenges and Positive Trends for the Job Market

Beyond.com, today released its first Employment Data Report, which provides a timely assessment of recent economic and political events that have had an impact on the employment world. Released in conjunction with Beyond’s recently released Second Quarter 2011 Career Trend Analysis Report, this first Employment Data Report examines job posting volume from January 2011 to August 2011, compared with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) unemployment rates.

The Employment Data Report explores the possibility that the U.S. could face a double dip recession and considers the role of political events and economic instability on the job market. After an encouraging start to the year, unemployment numbers have continued to rise as the economy failed to add as many jobs as expected in June and July. During that same period, the nation’s economy has been threatened by a debt crisis and the subsequent Standard & Poor’s (S&P) credit downgrade.

In spite of the obvious challenges, the Employment Data Report notes some industries that increased hiring activity in the second quarter, including Healthcare, Sales & Sales Management, Merchandising, Purchasing & Management and Information Technology. The report also highlights some new job titles that have emerged, particularly in the IT and Environmental fields, as a result of new technologies and demands.

“Ahead of President Obama’s speech addressing the jobs crisis on Thursday, many are already fearing that we’re headed toward another recession, fueled even more by last week’s Department of Labor report indicating that job creation was at halt in August,” said Rich Milgram, CEO at Beyond.com. “While these fears are real, there are still some bright spots in the employment market and our data pinpoints industries and specific careers that job seekers should have on their radar to ensure they’re taking advantage of the opportunities and growth sectors that are out there today.”


To view the complete Infographic for September 2011, please visit http://about.beyond.com/infographics/employment-data-report-september-2011.

The Benefits of Searching for Jobs and Candidates via Mobile

Beyond.com CEO, Rich Milgram recently had the opportunity to create a guest post on the HR blog, Recruiting Trends on the topic of mobile recruitment strategies for both employers and job seekers. With the trend of mobile phones to do everything but make phone calls, this post further examines the benefits of searching for jobs and candidates through mobile devices.

Read the full post.

Beyond.com Identifies Emerging Jobs Despite Fears of Double Dip Recession

Quarterly Trends Report Finds Positive Indicators in Uncertain Economic Times

Beyond.com, a Career Network focused on helping people grow and succeed, today released its Second Quarter 2011 Career Trend Analysis Report which provides an in-depth look at the latest job market trends. While the U.S. economy continues to pose uncertainty, Beyond.com is reporting a positive outlook with the emergence of new job titles and growth sectors in a year over year comparison of Career Network data.

The Beyond.com Career Trend Analysis Report, which gathers information across thousands of top-tier industry and local career sites, indicates that five job titles have shown a noticeable and steady uptick in job postings, spanning primarily across two industries: Green and Technology. While both industries have remained steady over the past year overall, some specific positions stand out amongst the others in providing an increase of opportunities for job seekers.  

 According to the report, the emerging job titles include:

• Green Consultant Jobs
  • With an average salary of $60,000, this position can take on a variety of different roles, from helping organizations evaluate and improve internal environmental processes to aiding in the implementation of green strategies. Nationally, green jobs employ 2.7 million people, according to a report by The Brookings Institution. Green Consultants will continue to be in demand as more and more businesses look to these experts to help establish environmental best practices. 

• Eco-Friendly Freelance Writer Jobs
  • With many people turning to magazines and news outlets for tips and information about green and eco-friendly living, writers with knowledge of the green market are becoming more sought after. Further, with many publications unable to take on full-time staff, a freelance position is often the best route to establish yourself and continue to practice your skill. As a freelancer making an average of $60,000 a year, this job often provides more flexible hours which can be a nice perk for some professionals.

• Genius – Apple Store Jobs
  • The “Genius” position has presented more job opportunities over the past year for the similar reasons as an iPhone Developer – growing adoption of the iPhone along with the iPad, iPod and other Apple products. As people are using these products, there is more need for customer service and technical support. This position typically requires working in an Apple store and has an average salary of $41,000. Responsibilities include helping customers resolve issues and conducting hardware and software troubleshooting.

• iPhone Developer Jobs
  • With the increasing popularity and adoption of the iPhone – particularly with availability now across multiple mobile carriers – it is no surprise that the growth of job openings for iPhone Developers is on the rise. This position with an average salary of $95,000 typically requires working for a specific mobile company and is responsible for all frameworks and mobile technologies to make new applications successful.

• Silverlight Developer Jobs
  • Developers are in demand across the technology industry. However Silverlight developers in particular are seeing a rise in job opportunities due to an increase in consumers’ streaming of TV shows and movies on their computers. At an average of $104,000 a year, qualifications for this position include expertise in creating software solutions for enterprises and in building rich internet applications using Microsoft technologies.

“It’s no secret that the U.S. economy is currently facing financial worries and the unemployment rate remains high, yet at the same time it’s important to recognize that some markets are still thriving and providing opportunities to job seekers and professionals within those industries,” said Rich Milgram, CEO at Beyond.com. “For job seekers in either the green sector or technology industry or those looking to enter these fields, there are options available when you know what to look for. By identifying these specific job titles, job seekers can modify their search and apply their expertise to these specific positions in an effort to not only secure a job but establish themselves in a healthy sector.”  

 To view the complete Career Trend Analysis Report and Industry Essentials Reports for second quarter 2011, please visit http://about.beyond.com/statistics.

What Does the U.S. Credit Downgrade Mean for U.S. Jobs?

So the debt ceiling has been raised and America’s credit has been downgraded, so how does that impact jobs?

This is a hot topic of discussion at the moment, but many of us might not fully understand what it all means, so for those of you who need a crash course—here is high level way to understand how the credit downgrade can affect you and jobs in the United States. 

As everything is interdependent—the raising of the debt ceiling has in turn downgraded the U.S. credit which in turn will increase the interest rates that the United States will pay on the national debt, which in turn will result in higher borrowing costs for all of us (i.e. business credit lines, mortgages, student loans, and credit cards rates) which in turn can instill fear that any interest increase will slow the economy and mean less demand for workers, bringing about layoffs and increasing the risk of a double dip recession. 

For those of you who are like me—visual learners click on the image below:

Other influencers? The downgrade adds to the worry that has already been instilled based on the fact that the government said our economic growth was far weaker in the first half of 2011 than economist had initially expected.  So have employers stopped hiring?  Well according to the soon to be released Beyond.com Q2 Trends Report (this is a sneak peak) when comparing Q1 to Q2 there was an increase in the number of fulltime jobs posted—which is promising.

So should we be worried?  Well there are a lot of things up in the air at the moment, so it is hard to say. After all this is the first time in history that the U.S. lost its triple-A debt rating, however a better than expected jobs report that was released on Friday is keeping people calm. 

Also, according to Beyond.com, CEO Rich Milgram, who acknowledges that while we saw a modest uptick in jobs for July, part of what is currently impacting job growth is the fact that many people forget about the woes of the world and go on summer vacation (even stay-cations)—that goes for the people who are doing the hiring and the people who are looking.

Facebook: An Intern’s Tragic Downfall

The Intern Overview: Part 5

Being an intern can be confusing, especially in a world of social media.  Let me explain…

I recently came across an article titled “Facebook Got Me Fired” and being somewhat new to the professional workforce the titled got my attention.  The article talked about an intern that requested time off (on Halloween) due to a family emergency, however later that evening a picture emerged on Facebook of said intern at a Halloween party obviously not tending to a family emergency—long story short, the intern was fired.  That got me thinking—1. I would NEVER do such a thing and 2. I wonder how much of my Facebook account is exposed to the world.

After all, the days of Facebook being a college thing are long gone, in fact according to Boston University Professor Kabrina Chang, 72 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds have a Facebook page and 40 percent of people over 40 do too. 

So in this week’s post I wanted to focus on how an intern’s Facebook page can come back to bite them.  While my Facebook page was created for a fun social reason, I am coming to the realization that it might be time to start pulling on the reins and increasing my privacy settings—this must be what it’s like to become an adult—when Facebook goes from fun to…less fun.

When transitioning into becoming a candidate in the job market, I always knew it was sort of an unwritten code that you should either disable your Facebook account or at the very least make sure it is on the most private settings possible, but honestly I didn’t think I was there yet, but Miss Halloween has me thinking otherwise.

Chang also reported that 85 percent of businesses do not have policies for guiding employee online behavior. But think of it this way, if you are an intern—someone has given you the opportunity to join their organization, learn their business, and represent their brand—so do you think your manager or their clients really want to see pictures of you at a party?

So all of you interns out there, be smart about what you post (if you don’t want your Mom to see it you probably don’t want your boss to see it either) and show your superiors why you should hold a position in their firm.  And as for you managers of interns out there, let your mentees in on the secret of the privacy settings on Facebook, after all—you don’t just have to teach us how to file, pull data, and make coffee.  Who knows, this whole Facebook thing might be the most useful piece of information we take away from the job.

More than 25 Million Professionals use Beyond.com to improve their Careers

The Beyond.com Career Network surpasses 25 Million members, offers powerful new communication tools and rewards members with free premium subscription.

Beyond.com, Inc., the premier Career Network^TM focused on helping people grow and succeed, announced today it has exceeded the 25 million member milestone.  The Beyond.com Career Network allows professionals to showcase their talents, find the best job opportunities and efficiently manage their career with a personalized online Career Portfolio^TM.

As Beyond.com continues to hit new benchmarks, it is also undertaking a site redesign, with the first of many new tools now live and available. Overall, visitors will experience an easy-to-navigate interface guiding them through job search functions, networking features, statistics and social and industry research – integrated with powerful communication tools that keep members informed 24/7. With more than 70 unique career channels and 3,000 focused sites, the Beyond.com Career Network is extremely effective in connecting and cultivating personal relationships specifically around an individual’s career growth.

“Career growth and success are top-of-mind for business professionals.  In today’s competitive job market, professionals need to be well-informed, organized and stand out from the crowd.  We are thrilled at Beyond.com to offer business professionals a Career Network where they can focus on improving themselves, their current position are their career options,” said Rich Milgram, CEO of Beyond.com.  “We are also excited to offer every member a free subscription to our premium online Career Portfolio, which spotlights each person through a powerful, personalized web site that showcases their talents.”

Beyond.com is exhibiting at the upcoming SHRM 2011 Annual Conference in Las Vegas on June 26 – 29.

Need a Job? NYC is the Place to Be, says Beyond.com

Beyond.com, Inc., the world’s largest network of niche career communities, today released its First Quarter 2011 Career Trend Analysis Report, which identifies the top metropolitan regions for jobs, ranking New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island as number one with the highest percentage of online job postings and offering the best opportunity for employment amongst job seekers. In a region-by-region comparison, the job posting trends data is representative of the percentage across metropolitan regions and is adjusted by population.

According to the Beyond.com quarterly trends report, which gathers information across thousands of top-tier industry and local career sites, the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island region yielded the most online job postings, with more than 14 percent of jobs across all regions. The top three industries for jobs in this metro area include Healthcare & Medical, Accounting & Finance and Information Technology, respectively. Across all U.S. metropolitan regions, the Healthcare & Medical industry was reported as the number one generator of jobs, lending more widespread options for professionals in this industry. The top seven metro regions for overall online job postings are:

1) New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island (14.2 percent)



2) Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County (12.5 percent)

3) Chicago-Gary-Kenosha (8.95 percent)

4) San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose (8.91 percent)

5) Dallas-Fort Worth (7.07 percent)

6) Washington-Baltimore (6.63 percent)

7) Atlanta (5.66 percent)

 

The top 15 major metropolitan areas within the United States, the majority of the regions experienced a position shift from the previous quarter. Over the past quarter, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island and Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County remained steady holding the top two positions, while the majority of other metropolitan regions experienced a position shift. The Chicago-Gary-Kenosha metro area experienced an uptick in job postings, elevating its ranking to the number three spot.

“While there has been impressive job growth in the New York area it is important to note that overall there has been job growth throughout the country,” said Rich Milgram, CEO at Beyond.com. “For those searching for jobs, they should be aware that many organizations are adopting new policies by offering telecommuting options and shortened work week schedules in an effort to attract and hire the best possible candidates – so job seekers should be open to all opportunities regardless of location. As for the increase in jobs we’ve experienced, we hope that this growth continues throughout the summer as it would be a positive sign for the economy.”

To view the complete Career Trend Analysis Report and Industry Outlook Reports for first quarter 2011, please visit http://about.beyond.com/statistics.