Career and job-search news, trends, and scoops for job-seekers,
compiled by the staff of Quintessential Careers.
December 28, 2004
The job picture for college grads in 2005 should be the best in years...
Two recent studies both point to a better employment picture for college
grads -- across all careers and industries.
In the first study -- of 582 companies conducted by Collegiate Employment
Research Institute at Michigan State University -- results show that companies plan to
expand hiring of grads by 20 percent over last year.
In the second study -- by the National Association of Colleges and Employers --
found that employers expect to increase their college hiring by 13.1 percent from last year --
and that the top ten majors in demand will be accounting, electrical engineering, mechanical
engineering, business administration/management, economics/finance, computer science,
computer engineering, marketing/marketing management, chemical engineering, and
information systems.
Stronger hiring is seen as we look toward the first quarter of 2005...
U.S. employers plan to ring in the new year with strong hiring activity, according
to the seasonally adjusted results of the latest Manpower Employment Outlook
Survey, conducted quarterly by Manpower Inc.
Of the 16,000 U.S. employers that were surveyed:
24 percent of companies said they anticipate an increase in hiring during the first quarter
59 percent said they foresee no change in first-quarter hiring
10 percent of employers said they were planning to decrease their staff (down from 13% a year earlier)
7 percent are unsure of hiring plans
When seasonal variations are removed from the data, the outlook for the first three
months of 2005 reveals that employer confidence is expected to inch upward
from last quarter and improve greatly from a year ago.
December 17, 2004
In the on-going job story of 2004, the job market rebounded strongly from last week's declines.
The yo-yo effect continues.
U.S. jobless claims posted their sharpest decline in three years last week to 317,000 -- a much sharper decline than
expected -- to their lowest level since July, according to the Department of Labor.
In other job-search news, the latest issue of the Career Doctor Q&A column is now published
on Quintessential Careers. Go to the
December 17 Career Doctor.
December 13, 2004
In the on-going job story of 2004, more mixed signals as unemployment claims went up last week --
unexpectedly -- to 357,000 according to the U.S. Labor Department.
Analysts had expected first-time claims for state unemployment benefits to fall to 335,000 from
349,000 the previous week.
Instead, unemployment claims have risen two weeks in a row -- and to the highest level since
late September.
These numbers are typical of the employment picture of 2004 -- sometimes looking like job
creation is picking up steam, only to see if falter in the next period.
If you're looking for employment, it simply means you must keep focused and keep trying
your best to find employment -- and be prepared for a potentially long search.
December 10, 2004
Are you one of the vast majority of workers who are looking for new employment?
According to the 2004 U.S. Job Recovery and Retention Survey released yesterday by the Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM) and CareerJournal.com, an amazing 75 percent of all workers are
looking for new employment opportunities.
The top three reasons employees say they are looking to leave their current positions,
according to the survey, are:
Better compensation elsewhere (43 percent)
Better career opportunities (32 percent)
Dissatisfaction with opportunities at current job (22 percent)
More specifically, the survey found that 35 percent of employees said they are actively job searching,
and another 40 percent are passively searching. Nearly half of the employed respondents said they
would step up their job-seeking efforts as the job market improves.
And don't discount the value and importance of networking; it should
not be an actively done solely when you are actively seeking a job.
Learn more in this section of Quintessential Careers:
The Art of Career and
Job-Search Networking.
December 8, 2004
A new study continues to show the importance of communications skills for job-seekers who want to succeed.
Corporations spend as much as $3 billion annually to improve the writing skills of their workers,
and poorly written job applications are often tossed out immediately, according to a recent survey.
The survey of 120 human resources directors found that two-thirds of salaried workers
depend upon their writing skills, and an inability to write can severely limit workers as they
try to climb into supervisory and management jobs.
The survey was conducted by the National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools and Colleges
Read more historical information about the value of writing skills in this
article on the Quintessential Careers Network:
The Importance of
Good Writing Skills.
December 3, 2004
New job creation in the U.S. slowed dramatically in November, the Labor Department
reported on Friday.
Only about two-thirds of the projected 180,000 new jobs were created. The 112,000
new jobs created were the weakest since July, and followed downgrades of the
number of jobs created in both September and October.
Manufacturing and retail sectors lost jobs in November, with manufacturing losing
5,000 jobs and retail about 16,000 jobs.
December 1, 2004
Don't stop job-hunting just because it's the holidays. Contrary to popular belief,
the holidays are a good time to build and strengthen your network -- and to actively
search for job opportunities.
According to the experts at leading career services company
Lee Hecht Harrison,
while many who are looking for work tend to become depressed at this time of the
year, they should instead view the holiday season with a positive attitude as a
time ripe with opportunity.
If you're ready to get into the spirit of things and capitalize on the many
opportunities the season has to offer, here are four tips from Lee Hecht Harrison:
Set measurable goals: Decide how many networking contacts you will make
during the season, how many meetings you will set up with hiring managers, etc.
Attend holiday gatherings: Now is not the time to stay at home alone!
Holiday parties can provide valuable opportunities to network.
Volunteer your time: While there are opportunities to volunteer all year long,
many charitable organizations need extra help during the holidays.
Send holiday cards to companies you've recently interviewed with: It's a
great way to follow up and remind them that you are still open to meeting with
them. Keep the cards simple and secular, avoiding overt religious themes.
Job Stuff, A Blog for Your Career, from Stephen Harris.
Stephen's blog is a great resource for those job-seekers who find yourselves in transition, searching for guidance
and reassurance.
The Occupational Adventure Blog, from
Curt Rosengren, a Passion Catalyst. Curt's blog is great for finding encouraging ideas (and resources) for moving forward with your career... a career
that lights your fire.
TrueCareers Career Blog, from the career and job site
dedicated to professional and college-educated job-seekers... where they say you get the real scoop on how to get the job you want faster --
with insider tips and more.
