Career and job-search news, trends, and scoops for job-seekers,
compiled by the staff of Quintessential Careers.
August 27, 2007
The Monster.com scare should be a reminder to all job-seekers about protecting your identity online.
If you have not heard, it was recently disclosed that con artists had hacked into Monster.com,
and, pretending to be recruiters with jobs, contacting unaware job-seekers, sending malicious
spyware to their computers -- and possibly building an inventory of personal information for
future identify theft. One server was found to have the personal information of millions of
people.
And it's not just Monster.com and other job-boards, but job-seekers should be careful how
much information you post on any site -- job board, networking site, social site. And,
of course, when you receive an email, treat it carefully -- no matter how official it looks.
August 22, 2007
Are there more bad bosses than ever? Possibly, but one thing is certain: both bosses
and workers are more stressed and overworked than ever before.
In an interview I did today with MSNBC, I talked a bit about bad bosses, but unfortunately
ran out of time. So, for you all, here are my thoughts on the rise of bad bosses.
The workforce itself is not what it used to be. Bosses are overworked (some might even
go as far as to say overwhelmed) and workers are stressed out, struggling to find
work-life balance and hoping for some level of job security.
I believe bosses have not necessarily gotten worse over the years, but corporate
cultures and general working conditions have changed for the worse.
Evidence that supports the argument that bosses are worse:
Corporate cultures have changed over the years from valuing workers to
devaluing them – or at least lessening their values.
Downsizing over the last two decades have caused much flatter organizations,
leading to fewer steps to management, which generally means more people are
becoming managers with little or no experience.
Downsizing has also led to more highly stressed and overworked employees --
bosses and workers -- which can lead to bad situations. A large percentage of
workers report being unsatisfied with their jobs.
Many organizations have made cuts in training that might help new bosses learn how to manage.
Short-term focus on profitability means promoting people who might be big
money-makers or cost-cutters, but who have no people skills and lack any supervisory experience.
Generation issues -- younger bosses dealing with older workers tends to
create friction AND younger workers with much higher expectations and demands,
pampered by their baby boomer parents.
Evidence that supports the argument that bosses are no worse:
There are simply more awareness and less acceptance of bad bosses than in the past.
There are more outlets to vent -- especially the Internet -- than ever before --
and more people willing to do so.
Popular culture -- comic strips, tv shows, movies -- love to make fun of bad bosses.
It’s easy just to blame unhappiness on poor boss than on oneself.
Organizations should be more receptive to making changes -- bad bosses lead
to lower productivity, lower job satisfaction, more absenteeism,
higher healthcare costs, and more departures as people quit.
Worst situations are with lower skilled workers who feel stuck --
because of skill level going to have a harder time finding new employment
and so just take the abuse -- and perhaps pass it on, sadly, in their home
environments where they have more power.
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose last week, a further
sign of a struggling labor market.
According to a report released today by the Labor Department , new applications filed for unemployment
insurance increased by a seasonally adjusted 7,000 to 316,000 for the week ending August 4 -- considerably
higher than experts had been predicting.
The increase left jobless claims at their highest point since late June.
The number of people continuing to collect unemployment benefits went up by 39,000 to
2.6 million for the work week ending July 28,
August 4, 2007
Unemployment in the U.S. rises to highest level in six months, as employers add fewer jobs.
According to a report released by the Labor Department, new job creation slowed
considerably in July... Employers increased payrolls by only 92,000 last month, the lowest amount
in a single month since February.
Employers who cut jobs included construction companies, factories, retailers, and the government.
Employment in healthcare, education, professional and business services,
architecture and engineering, and hospitality increased.
The new employment picture was weaker than economists expected, as they were forecasting employers to
add about 135,000 jobs in July -- and for the unemployment rate to hold steady at 4.5 percent.
What do these statistics mean for you? It means, depending on your occupation, you
may find it more difficult to find a new job -- it may take longer, and, in certain
situations, you may need to consider expanding your skills/training to increase
your marketability.
A new study reveals that a majority of working moms think part-time work is the ideal for raising a family,
while stay-at-home moms think their situation is the ideal.
The study, conducted of around 500 working and at-home mothers with children under age 18
by the Pew Research Center, found some very interesting results -- especially when compared
to a similar study from 1997.
In the 2007 study, 60 percent of the full-time working mothers said the ideal situation
would be working part-time -- up from 48 percent a decade ago. About 20 percent said full-time
would be ideal -- down from 32 percent in 1997. Basically unchanged was the response no working at all.
For at-home moms, the change from 1997 to 2007 reveals a dramatic shift to not working outside the home.
Only 16 percent said the ideal would be a full-time job, 33 percent said a part-time job, and 48 percent
said not working.
One of the inevitable questions that arise from studies like this one deals with the
on-going struggle of career ambitions and quality parenting. It also lends itself to
work-life balance issues.
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.
Blue Sky Resumes Blog, from career
expert Louise Fletcher, a general career and job-search blog that covers all aspects of the job-hunt.
