Where are the jobs? Education and health services, that’s where.
“Where exactly are these jobs you keep talking about?”
That is one of the questions we frequently receive here at The Work Buzz. And we do our best to point you in the right direction. Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics made locating these open positions a simpler task by releasing the current January Job Openings and Labor Turnover Report.
It’s a lengthy release, so we’ll just give you some of the highlights.
- On the last day of January, there were 2.7 million job openings
- The job openings rate increased to 2.1 percent, which is the highest it’s been since February of last year
- Over the 12-month period ending in January, 48.4 million workers gained employment and 52.4 million workers separated from their jobs (a figure that includes both layoffs and resignations). Therefore the period saw a loss of 4 million workers.
Which industries have the most job openings?
The most opportunities exist in education and health services, where you can 620,000 positions were open at the end of January. In the same month 520,000 were hired into this industry, suggesting that employers are actively trying to get people onboard as soon as possible.
Professional and business services have the second highest amount of openings with 508,000. Trade, transportation and utilities come in third, with a respectable 482,000 available positions.
And perhaps the best news:
The layoffs and discharges rate fell over the year in many industries, including construction, durable goods manufacturing, nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale trade, information, finance and insurance, real estate and rental and leasing, and other services. Regionally, the rate fell over the year in 3 of the 4 regions—Midwest, Northeast, and South. The layoffs and discharges rate did not rise over the year in any industry or region.
Not only are jobs waiting for the right candidate (you!), but industries aren’t laying off and discharging workers at the same rates as last year. I think we all want some good news, so we’ll take it.
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Talk to The Work Buzz! Contest: Ask us a question about interviews
Hello, everyone-
As our last post said, we’re holding a contest where we ask you to submit your questions based on that week’s topic. We’ll choose one person’s question to answer and then send him or her a copy of Career Building, which will bring you hours of joy for the rest of your life. It’s a contest that’s fun and informative — what more could you want?
This week’s topic is interviewing. We want to know what questions you have about interviewing. We’ll pick a unique question that we haven’t tackled before and that we think other job seekers or professionals are wondering about, too.
If you want to see a list of interview questions we’ve already answered over the history of The Work Buzz, look here.
Remember, for this week’s topic, submit your comments to this post by 11.59 p.m. CST. We’ll answer the question on Friday and notify the winner via e-mail to send him or her the book, so make sure you provide a valid e-mail addres to us. (Refer to the previous post to read the rules and regulations.)
So, readers, let’s hear your questions about interviews!
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/interviews/contest-interviews/
February job numbers redux
We’ve been a little crazed here at TheWorkBuzz lately and just realized the day has passed without posting our regular breakdown of the BLS’s monthly unemployment numbers. Luckily, our colleagues at TheHiringSite.com have already written about that very subject so we’ll refer you to their post.
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/employment-trends/february-job-numbers-redux/
House Passes Jobs Bill
After a lot of sound and even more fury, the House of Representatives finally passed a $15 billion jobs bill. (Yes, billion.) The bill has been debated, criticized, lauded, feared, analyzed and everything else you can possibly do to a bill. The final vote was 217-201.
Some critics (in the House and in the general population) feel the bill is unnecessary. Others think it doesn’t do enough. Many observers feel it’s close but not perfect. And some people actually like it. What’s all the fuss about? Well, here are some of the highlights of the bill to give you an idea of what the Senate needs to approve next week before anything else happens (via AP):
The $100 billion-plus bill would extend unemployment assistance, revive a bevy of expired tax breaks, help states with soaring Medicaid costs and prevent doctors from having to absorb big cuts in Medicare payments. The popular initiatives are traditionally extended on a bipartisan basis for brief periods of time, which hides their long-term costs.
First, [the jobs bill] would exempt businesses hiring the unemployed from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December and give them an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year.
Second, it would extend highway and mass transit programs through the end of the year and pump in $20 billion for the spring construction season. The money would make up for lower-than-expected gasoline tax revenues.
You’ll be hearing more about this in the coming days, weeks and months. If you love it or hate it, I think we can all agree that hopefully positive results will come from this.
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/current-affairs/house-passes-jobs-bill/
Workers consider their jobs ideal. No, seriously.
Try to have a conversation about your job without complaining about your boss or griping about the little things just eat at your nerves. Like peanut butter and jelly or Ricky and Lucy, work and complaints belong together. Due to the nature of my job, I see a lot of data about workers and job satisfaction. More often than not workers have a list of grievances to address with their employers. Factor in the recent recession, which burdened many workers with extra responsibility after layoffs, and you’ve got one disgruntled workforce.
Or so I thought.
Color me foolish upon reading that 70 percent of workers consider their current jobs ideal, according to a new Gallup Daily survey. Seventy. Seven. Zero. Maybe I’m naïve but that number surprised me.
Not surprising, however, is the correlation between income and viewing a job as ideal. Of workers who earn $12,000 or less, only 57 percent think they work in a job that is ideal for them. For workers earning $120,000 or more, the number jumps to 77 percent.
Workers in certain industries are also much more likely to consider their jobs ideal than others. For example, business owners, farmers and professionals (think of doctors, lawyers, teachers and the like) think they’re in an ideal position with 87, 82 and 79 percent respectively. This shouldn’t be surprising, I suppose. If you’re a business owner, you actively began your own venture, so chances are the job is the direct result of your efforts. Professionals often go to school and train for several years, so they’ve been preparing for this position. However, service, clerical and manufacturing workers had the lowest views of being in ideal workplaces, as they all hovered near 60 percent.
Age factors into the equation of ideals, too. If you’re 18-29 years old, only 52 percent of you think your current job is deal. But if you’re 50-65 years old, then 78 percent of you are in an ideal job. Again, not surprising. At the start of your career, you’re trying to accrue experience and probably don’t have the professional capital to land the job of your dreams. By the time you’re nearing retirement, hopefully you’ve been able to work toward the job you’ve always wanted or that best suits you.
I recommend reading all the survey results because there are a lot of ways to slice the data and see different patterns. It’s also interesting to think that, even now, when employees are struggling to get their work done because they’re doing the jobs of several people in this economy, more than half of all demographics view their jobs as ideal. Overall, people with jobs are doing what they think is right for them.
So how about you—what’s the ideal job for you? Are you in one? Did you previously have one? If you’re looking for one, what are the qualifications necessary to make it ideal? Let us know!
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Millennials: Too optimistic about their careers?
Millennials get a lot of attention these days. For some strange reason everyone seems to be fascinated with the current crop of young workers. Maybe we’re all taking Whitney Houston too seriously when she sings that the children are our future. Regardless, you can’t pick up a newspaper or blog (including this one) without reading about the exotic culture of the 18-29 crowd. These professional newcomers are revolutionizing the workplace … or so we’re told.
A new study from the Pew Research Center looks at what makes Millennials different from the 30 and older crowd. The study looks at all aspects of this generation’s characteristics, from their politics to their views on family responsibility. Although no study can define every member of a group, these results show a generational consensus on many issues.
According to the study, Millennials are experiencing economic hardships due to the recession, but their attitudes don’t reflect it.
About two-thirds of Millennials (68 percent) say they are not earning enough money to live the kind of life they want. However, within that group the vast majority (88 percent) say they expect to earn enough in the future to live the good life. That is significantly higher than the percentage of Gen Xers (76 percent) or Baby Boomers (46 percent) who share this hopeful view.
You might think that this optimism is curious, especially considering what they’re up against. After all, the economy hasn’t been great for anyone, much less for young people who haven’t had time to accumulate a financial safety net. Yet, the survey points out, the optimism might not be entirely unfounded:
Time is on their side. When the jobs return, the survey results suggest these young people will be prepared. Millennials appear to be on track to becoming the most educated generation in America’s history. Millennials have not yet matched the educational attainment of Gen Xers. So far, 19% are college graduates compared with 35 percent of Gen Xers.”
The study goes on to talk about a lot of stuff — and it’s interesting to see not only what Millennials say but how they compare to past generations. It’s worth a thorough reading.
We’ve mentioned here before and in articles that this generation loves technology, embraces collaboration and expects to climb the professional ladder faster than past generations. We know this (and the study goes into more detail). We are dealing with a group of professionals who have an impressive amount of education but many obstacles in their way, so no rules exist on what they should expect.
Looking at this study, do you think Millennials have a reason to be optimistic or would you caution them to be less hopeful? Are you one of these Millennials?
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/employment-trends/millennial-optimism/
Interview mistakes you wish you could take back
When I look back at pictures of myself from years ago — specifically the 1980s — I cringe. The jeans, the ill-fitting shirts, the hair gel. At the time I thought I looked cool and no one told me otherwise. Alas, the pictures do not lie. I have the same feelings about my earliest job interviews, where I thought I was smooth and polished. I was actually a fumbling mess. I remember telling an interviewer that, no, I didn’t know anything about the company.
Looking at a recent CareerBuilder survey, I suppose many other job seekers share the same face-in-the-palm level of embarrassment about some of their missteps. For the survey, employers were asked to name some of the most notable interview mistakes they’ve witnessed, and they gave some whoppers. As outrageous as some of these missteps are, I’m sure we’ve all had interviews we wish we could take back. The professional equivalent of acid-washed jeans, if you will.
Here are some of the most entertaining responses:
- Candidate wore a business suit with flip flops.
- Candidate asked if the interviewer wanted to meet for a drink after.
- Candidate had applied for an accounting job, yet said he was “bad at managing money.”
- Candidate recited poetry.
- Candidate applying for a customer service job said “I don’t really like working with people.”
- Candidate used Dungeons and Dragons as an example of teamwork.
- Candidate filed fingernails.
Even if you haven’t exhibited interview behavior on this level, you might have still left an unfavorable impression behind. According to employers, these are the most common mistakes candidates make during interviews:
- Dressing inappropriately
- Appearing disinterested
- Speaking negatively about a current or previous employer
- Appearing arrogant
- Answering a cell phone or texting during the interview
- Not providing specific answers
- Not asking good questions
In the full release, vice president of human resources Rosemary Haefner offers several tips on how to avoid being the candidate who is singled out for strange behavior. Perhaps the most important piece of advice she gives is to practice. The more prepared you are, the less likely you are to ramble or say something you’ll eventually regret. Read the rest of the release for more tips and examples of interview faux pas.
So how about it, readers–who else can admit to some embarrassing interview behavior? Surely I’m not the only one.
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/career-advice/interview-mistakes-you-wish-you-could-take-back/
Some workplace news for the day
We try to discuss current workplace topics as much as possible, but we can’t possibly keep up with every news item that comes out. So here’s a quick rundown of some noteworthy workplace-related items worth reading:
- Panel OKs lower pay for young workers (in Arizona)
- Highlights of Senate jobs bill
- How to decline Facebook friends without offence
- Workplace bullying: How common is it?
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/current-affairs/some-workplace-news-for-the-day/
The challenges of a May-December workplace
The standard workplace looks very different than it did a few generations ago. Technology alone has revolutionized the way most organizations function. Look beyond the contemporary furniture and laptops to see another difference: your boss. Gone is the image of your manager or boss as a curmudgeon with an ill-fitting short-sleeved, button-up, yellowing shirt with an askew tie. Today’s bosses look very different, and not just because they can wear jeans on casual Fridays.
According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 43 percent of workers 35 and older currently work for someone younger than them. For workers 45 and older, the figure climbs to 53 percent. And for the 55 and up group, the number leaps to 69 percent. While you can still think of many complaints to lob at your boss, the old standbys of “he should’ve retired 10 years ago” or “she’s been in the industry so long she’s lost her edge” are passé. Today’s bosses are young and far from retirement.
When asked if reporting to a younger boss was difficult, young workers expressed the most trouble. Here is the breakdown of workers who find taking orders from a younger boss difficult:
- 16 percent of workers 25-34
- 13 percent of workers 35-44
- 7 percent of workers 45-54
- 5 percent of workers 55 and older
What’s the problem and what can you do about it?
Are you one of these workers whose boss has fewer candles on the cake? If so, these complaints might sound familiar to you.
- “They act like they know more than me when they don’t”
- “They act like they’re entitled and didn’t earn their position”
- “They play favorites with younger workers”
Experts over at PrimeCB, a site dedicated to career opportunities and guidance for mature workers, stress the importance of working together. We are talking about your career, after all, so ignoring your troubles won’t make life easier. Here are some of PrimeCB’s tips:
Understand others’ point of view: You and your boss are coming from different points of views. You don’t necessarily share experience, education or work history. Neither of you is wrong—just different. So try to be open to the other person’s approach.
Adapt your communication: Whether you’re interacting with your boss, co-worker or direct report, you should always be mindful of what communication style is most effective. Many (though not all) younger workers favor new technology to communicate, such as IM and e-mail. Some older workers (though, again, not all) prefer to talk face-to-face or at least pick up the phone. Both parties should work to make communication go as smoothly as possible.
Keep an open mind:Neither you nor your boss is inherently right (or wrong) because of your age and work history, or lack thereof. Approach each other as two professionals and base all judgments on performance. Making assumptions about your boss because he looks like a high schooler or she’s the same age as your daughter doesn’t do you any favors.
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Jobs for people who love to talk
Oprah, Letterman, Leno, Chelsea (and Conan, once upon a time)—they all earn pretty paychecks talking. Sure, Oprah oversees a multimedia empire and Leno has his comedy career, but their primary jobs are hosting talking shows and gabbing with guests. They all have the same career — basically chitchatting in front of the world. That’s the entertainment world, though, and most of us aren’t paid to be that verbal.
I’ve known office workers whose draconian bosses actually reprimanded them for talking too much. Not for job performance problems or deadline issues. No, they were good workers—they just got in trouble for talking … as if they were first-graders during a schoolassembly. Oy.
Not everyone likes to gab, so a quiet workplace doesn’t bother some people. But for workers who can’t keep their lips sealed, silence is torturous. To help those of us who thrive on jibber jabber, here are six careers you might want to consider. These jobs require more skills and education than just the ability to gab, but talking plays an important role that will make your day that much better:
Nurses
You can’t possibly list every responsibility nurses have. Whether in an emergency room, physician’s office or a number of other settings, nurses are working one-on-one with patients, ensuring tests are ordered, updating charts and staying calm. Patients who are sick or about to undergo surgeryare often temperamental, nervous or just having a good old-fashioned freakout. The best nurses stay on task while talking to patients, whether finding out more information about their malady or just trying to keep everyone calm. Here, the gift of gab can be a patient’s dream.
Emergency dispatchers
Dispatchers obviously rely on their speaking skills to find out information about the emergency, so that’s a no-brainer. Among their multitasking skills, a knack for conversation is just as important as the ability to extract and report information. In emergency situations, people (e.g., witnesses, victims) get unnerved and often frantic. Dispatchers maintain conversations with the callers until help arrives, and that’s no easy task as they have to be calm and think quickly under stress.
Salespersons
If you’re going to sell anything — a pair of jeans, a car, a business plan — words are your best friends. Anyone who works in sales has to know when being aggressive is appropriate and when toning it down is better. Not every technique works every time, so understanding how to most effectively talk to the customer is a skill not everyone is blessed with.
Dentists
I know I’m not the only person who has been at a dental appointment, wearing the fashionable paper bib and protective glasses, while the dentist chips away at my teeth and asks how my job is. Luckily, most dentists have the good sense to time their questions when I’m about to get a break from all the oral construction going on so I can respond. Good dentists know how to fill the silence of a dental visit without peppering the patient with questions he or she can’t answer. At the same time, they understand that we don’t want to hear 30 minutes of personal ramblings while we’re a captive audience (with a numb mouth).
Hairstylists
For many people, hairstylists are the human equivalent of a Leatherman knife — you know the kind that is basically a pocket-size MacGyver. Hairstylists serve as some clients’ stylists (of course), as well as confidantes and therapists. While they’re clipping hair and mixing dyes, stylists are forming bonds with their clients as they discuss their lives and jobs. Anyone who’s experienced an awkwardly silent haircut knows how strange it is to be inches from the person holding the scissors and looking at you in the mirror, and yet you have nothing to say to each other for the full hour.
Perhaps most important for the stylist is the ability to communicate what he or she will be doing to the client. If the client asks for a trim and the stylist says, “Sure, we can do that,” then proceeds to chop off six inches … well, that’s not good. Effective communication benefits them both (and probably leads to a better tip).
News reporters
News reporters, as far as the public is concerned, are just talking heads, but they do more than just stand in a hurricane and tell you that, yep, it’s wet and windy. Reportersare interviewing people, both in taped segments and on air, and you don’t want a mumbling, incoherent mess doing that job. Amazing news goes unnoticed if the reporter’s speaking abilities are subpar, so their talking prowess needs to be as outstanding as their investigative skills. You want someone who can talk on camera as if he or she is talking to you one-on-one, and that’s not easy.
If you’re a talker and have found a way to earn a paycheck, let us know. We know there are more jobs out there that other chatty readers would love to know about.
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Source: http://www.theworkbuzz.com/careers/jobs-for-people-who-love-to-talk/