Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
Job-hunting tips from the August 5, 2002 issue of
QuintZine.
A report entitled "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere:
The Changing Face of Work," sponsored by the Positively
Broadband Campaign, found that 54 percent of Americans
think that telecommuting would improve the quality of
their lives. Among those who commute an hour or more a day,
this view jumped to 66 percent. The report also found that
43 percent of respondents indicated that they would be a
better spouse or parent if they were able to telecommute.
Forty-six percent said their quality of work would improve.
The survey also found that workers have concerns about
telecommuting, with 20 percent of respondents feared that
they would not have enough contact with their fellow workers if
they telecommuted. The new report follows a survey last year that
found that 80 percent of telecommuters said that they are more
satisfied with their jobs, are more productive and feel more
loyal to their employers. Three-quarters of at-home teleworkers
reported a major increase in productivity and work quality.
Reports Business Week: From now to 2010, the
number of jobs in the U.S. is expected to rise by 15 percent
-- that's roughly 22 million -- to a total of 168 million,
according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics projections.
The technology and health-care fields are expected
to be the biggest sources of growth. Software engineering
jobs, for example, are expected to grow by 95 percent by 2010.
Because the aging population will require more care, other growth
positions will include occupational therapists, registered nurses,
dental hygienists, and pharmacists.
Jobs on the shrinking side include those for farmers, ranchers,
and agricultural managers, and automation is expected to keep
taking jobs away from humans in other fields. Other occupations
where jobs will disappear include brokerage clerks, couriers,
fishers, and repairers of home-entertainment electronics.
Interested in a home-based Internet business?
Web consultant Clarence Phelps offers this advice:
"When building an online business, there are a few
basic things that every business owner must take into
consideration:
The Web site design must be simple,
interactive, and easy to use.
The site must have built-in software so the
business owner has control of its look and design
without having to pay a programmer $75 an hour
for updates and changes.
The site must be enabled with e-commerce
for simple on-line transactions.
The site must provide statistical tracking,
for database management and direct marketing.
Sales, invoice, accounting, and revenue tracking
software should be implemented for running the
business's infrastructure.
Auto-responders are necessary for following
up with site visitors and potential customers."
Recruiting Trends reports that a survey of 600
job-seekers by TrueCareers.com, a career and recruiting
service from Sallie Mae, finds that 64 percent of respondents
report changing careers or exploring other fields because of
stalled hiring in their current profession. Some 39 percent
of individuals have relocated or are contemplating moving to
a different area in search of work. And half of the respondents
who are currently employed reported being concerned that
they might lose their jobs as a result of the poor economy.
"Unemployed job-seekers frustrated by today's economy are
either using the opportunity to try something new, or they
are being forced to make compromises such as relocating or
changing careers or industries in order to get back on their
feet financially," says TrueCareers CEO Michael A. Caggiano.
Remote job interviews are catching on as employers try to cut costs amid the economic
slowdown and reduced travel after the Sept. 11 attacks,
reports Stephanie Armour USA TODAY. "Virtual interviews
are in vogue with the rise in videoconferencing," Armour
writes, "and employers also are turning to phone and computer
screenings. The use of alternative interviewing formats,
which once had been derided as overhyped, is finding a
receptive audience amid the recession, experts say.
For example, between 10 percent and 15 percent of
first interviews at bioscience firm AstraZeneca
are being conducted via videoconferencing. Officials
expect that number to rise as hiring continues
because of company expansions in sales."
A report entitled "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere:
The Changing Face of Work," sponsored by the Positively
Broadband Campaign, found that 54 percent of Americans
think that telecommuting would improve the quality of
their lives. Among those who commute an hour or more a day,
this view jumped to 66 percent. The report also found that
43 percent of respondents indicated that they would be a
better spouse or parent if they were able to telecommute.
Forty-six percent said their quality of work would improve.
The survey also found that workers have concerns about
telecommuting, with 20 percent of respondents feared that
they would not have enough contact with their fellow workers if
they telecommuted. The new report follows a survey last year that
found that 80 percent of telecommuters said that they are more
satisfied with their jobs, are more productive and feel more
loyal to their employers. Three-quarters of at-home teleworkers
reported a major increase in productivity and work quality.
