Fuel is the second largest expense in the transportation industry, right behind good old labor costs. With the seemingly endless rising of oil and gas prices, how does this affect one of the county’s most important industries?

For one, it has opened the eyes of many big shots to alternative fuel solutions. Not to say, there is going to be a full on switch anytime soon, but at least there is visibility for the future.

According to Truckline.com:

After years of paying some of the highest diesel fuel prices on record, interest in renewable fuels is gaining momentum. Motor carriers are beginning to embrace high-quality biodiesel in low percentage blends in efforts to extend the nation’s fuel supply. At the same time, the industry is transitioning to ultra low sulfur fuel to support the next generation of diesel engines designed to reduce emissions.

Sounds like a great start to me!

With a very exciting Driver’s Job Fair coming to Tampa on Saturday, April 12^th, we hope that the industry is taking the right steps to ensure that one of the nation’s largest growing industries will stand tall in the coming years.

If you have any input as to how the trucking and transportation industry can make changes/improvements to the fuel situation, please join the conversation in the comments. If you have any questions about the Careers in Gear Driver’s Job Fair, or would like to attend, have a booth or sponsor, please email me at greg.rollett@employmentguide.com.

Happy hunting Tampa!

Greg Rollett

Finding, selecting and applying for the right college or university is an important and sometimes tough assignment that many high school students and their parents have to face. It involves letter writing, telephoning, research, weighing alternatives, and plain hard thinking. What you need to be aware of is going into to college with the mindset to focus on your goals and succeeding them.


A good beginning in selecting a college is to make a list of objectives, both educational and personal. High school courses need to be planned early with college entrance requirements in mind. The purpose is not to make decisions about a course of study that may turn out to be premature, but to keep the options open until such decisions can be made. The areas of educational and personal interest that you will most frequently cite as important in selecting a college include the following:

- Location (state, city, region) - Type of institution (two-year community college, four-year university, etc.) - Enrollment by sex - Religious affiliation, if any - Enrollment size - Academic calendar Campus environment - Majors or course offerings - Housing (on-campus, off-campus) - Cost - Financial aid - Student activities - Athletics - General academic reputation - Social life - Entrance requirements - Teaching reputation or ability of faculty

Obviously, not all of these items will be of high priority, but using them as a checklist helps to specify the range of choices. Although you may want to make changes or modifications in the list as you review colleges, it is important not to eliminate any of these areas until you know which are essential and which are not. Even then, it is quite possible that no college will meet all of your needs. So if you are thinking about college be sure to research different schools and find out everything you need to know as it pertains to what you are interested in and what different groups you may want to join. For more information about finding the right college or thinking about college, please visit: http://www.education.com/

Looking for a new job?

If so, you have a problem, right? You want to find work.

Would you like to solve that problem and get hired faster?

Good. That's what this column will help you do.

Wait - stop.

You've just read 39 words and all I've done is ask a few questions. You've just proven how engaging and powerful questions can be.

Now, if you want to find out how three engaging and rather unusual questions could give you the answers you need to find your next job fast, keep reading...

1) What jobs are really out there?
Before investing precious time in a job search, wouldn't it be great to know exactly what the demand for your skills is right now, so you head off in the right direction?

Well, you can. And it's easy to do.

Just visit EmploymentGuide.com and play with search terms to get a sense for what employers are looking for.

Example: Searching for "design" at EmploymentGuide.com turned up 61 job openings in Florida; "web design" found 3 openings; and "graphic design" also brought back 3 job listings -- quite a bit less than the first search.

Knowing the demand for specific jobs will help you speak the language employers want to hear. In the example above, I would use "design" in my resumes, cover letters, and networking conversations, because that's the phrase employers seem to be looking for in that sector.

Note: For a more accurate idea of what's out there, multiply the number of jobs you find online by four, because only about 15-25% of job openings are ever advertised.

2) Are you being active or productive in your job search?
A wise man once said, "Never confuse activity with productivity."

Do you feel like you're getting a lot done every day, yet you're not getting calls from employers? If so, your activity is not productive, is it?

To fix this, get a piece of paper and write down everything you've done in this job search -- and the last two before it -- the produced a face-to-face meeting with a hiring authority. That's the goal of your efforts, after all. We'll call these "A" job-search activities. They are productive.

Then, write down everything else you've done in your search that didn't produce a meeting, such as picking up the dry cleaning, visiting ESPN.com, deleting spam, etc. You get the idea. These are "B" job-search activities. They are not productive.

You can guess what's coming next, right?

Starting tomorrow, spend as much time as possible doing "A" activities, and stop doing "B" activities altogether. The upsurge in real productivity you enjoy may astonish you.

3) How could you get others to find job leads for you?
The most successful people multiply their efforts by using teams and systems to get more done each day. Think Tom Sawyer painting that fence.

You can do this, too. Here's how:

* Teams: Who's on your job-search board of directors? Don't have a board? For shame. All you have to do is ask 4 or 5 friends to meet every 2 weeks for lunch or coffee. Give them regular progress reports, ask for their input, hold yourself accountable -- and get hired faster.

* Systems: Do you have an organized way of managing every job lead, from start to finish, until it either turns into an interview or is ruled out? No? More shame for you.

Never rely on memory or your email inbox to keep track of this stuff -- names, dates and other details will get lost, and jobs will slip through your fingers like gold dust.

Instead, you need a system. It could be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet or a box of 3x5 cards, or as robust as the contact management software from ACT, GoldMine or JibberJobber.com.

Until next time, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others. His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at www.TheSimpleJobSearch.com.

I grew up in a military family. Both of my grandfathers served in World War II in different branches and capacities. My father was in the Air Force, and my brother is currently in the Navy. I'm pretty much the norm here in Hampton Roads. We're home to just about every major branch of the US Military, and are known for our large military population due to the number of bases we host.

Just like my father and my brother, many people aren't quite sure what to do when they're able to let their hair down (literally) after leaving the military. You could be like my dad and grow a moustache* immediately. (That one didn't last long...) Or you could assimilate into the masses. Your time in the military is sure to have given you many skills that employers look for in new recruits - including higher management positions.

Here are some tips for veterans entering the workforce:

1. Lead the attack. You've been taught the values of reliability, ethics and leadership during your time in the military. Use that to your advantage by stressing your teamwork experience and your ability to lead.

2. Search and destroy. Your time in the military undoubtedly gave you unparalleled experience in many different fields. Many of those experiences can be translated into civilian jobs. Took a recruiting course? Use that experience to search job boards for HR positions.

3. Let your hair down. Literally. The military is super strict (and a bit behind the times) fashion-wise. The business world is a little more relaxed. Grow your hair out. Invest in some more comfortable pants.

Once you've settled in, start your job search. Here are some ideas from Military.com.

Top 25 Jobs for Veterans in 2008:

1) Network systems and data communications analyst
2) Personal and home care aides
3) Home health aides
4) Computer software engineers, applications
5) Veterinary technologists and technicians
6) Personal financial advisors
7) Medical assistants
8) Veterinarians
9) Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
10) Financial analysts
11) Social and human service assistants
12) Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators
13) Physical therapist assistants
14) Forensic science technicians
15) Dental hygienists
16) Mental health counselors
17) Mental health and substance abuse social workers
18) Dental assistants
19) Computer systems analysts
20) Database administrators
21) Computer software engineers, systems software
22) Gaming and Sports book writers and runners
23) Environmental science and protection technicians, including health
24) Physical therapists
25) Physician assistants



*Tom Selleck is not my father; but if he were, that'd be really, really cool.

With famous performers such as Shaggy, Wyclef Jean, Pitbull, La India, and Menudo drawing over 1 million attendees, Employment Guide had a great time at Calle Ocho 2008. We had our Sales Rep, Maureen, promoting our sponsors (dancing up a storm!). We all had a great time meeting great people and even Rafael Eduardo from FM 105.5 EXITO was hanging out with us at our booth! There was Kid Zone that had paint ball shooting, water rides, and slides; FUN for the whole family!

We're having a JOB FAIR next week Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at the Cobb Galleria from 10am-2pm. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to meet and greet with future employers!If you can't make this event, don't worry. The Employment Guide will be hosting two more Job Fairs this upcoming year. Check below for upcoming Job Fairs. Also, below is the list of companies that will be attending the Spring Diversity Job Fair also if you are interested in registering, the deadline is tomorrow March 21, 2008. Please give our office a call (800) 272-3452 and the Office Manager will direct you to a Sales Representative.

Companies:

• Strayer University
• Bank of America
• Krystal's
• United States Secret Service
• AARP
• Dept of Labor
• Comcast
• Scott's Lawn Service
• Aviation Institute of Maintenance
• Javelin Technical Training
• Cherokee County Sheriff's Dept
• Primerica
• Laurus Technical Institute
• Hands on Atlanta
• And many more........

Atlanta Upcoming Job Fairs:

Careers In Gear /America's Driving Force- April 26, 2008

Fox Theatre - June 10, 2008

Cobb Galleria-August 26, 2008

Here at the Employment Guide, we have a plethora of products for job seekers to take advantage of when they are in the position to search for a new career, part-time job, continuing education, and even work at home experiences.

Whether you are picking up a paper, using online job boards, signing up to social networks, blogging, watching videos or coming out to hiring events and job fairs, the goal is almost always the same: Get your foot in the door for an initial interview in the attempt to land a new job.

So if the end goal is the same, how do you get there? Frankly it doesn’t really matter as long as you do get there. Now some jobs and employers use certain types of media and advertisements, and you may miss their message if you are not looking in all the right places. However, there are great opportunities for employment in any medium that suits you. That is the key and employers are starting to realize it.

With the development and continuing growth of Web 2.0 technologies, companies are realizing that their message needs to come across in as many mediums as possible to attract the quality job seekers that are needed to fill their vacancies.

At the end of the day, the tools you use depend on you! That is the one great advantage we have here at the Employment Guide. We can offer you the chance to see great hourly and skilled positions at your convenience, in the medium that works for you.

The opportunities are out there for you to explore. It is up to you to make that call, polish up the resume and make a solid first impression at the interview. We can only offer the tools to get you excited about a career change.

Happy hunting Tampa!

P.S. Careers in Gear Presents the Driver’s Job Fair April 12th! Click here for more info!

-Greg Rollett

The Pittsburgh area’s next big Diversity Job fair will be on April 1st at the Mellon Arena from 10:30AM to 3:00PM. The job fair is free and open to the general public. No registration is required. Enter at gate 10. We suggest if you drive to park in the east parking lot on the Center Avenue side of the arena (all day parking is just $6.00). With over 35 companies and career training schools in attendance, job seekers will find hundreds of local Pittsburgh job opportunities and information on dozens of career raining opportunities.

It is highly suggested that all job seekers brings a supply of resumes (10 or more) and to remember that how they dress will greatly influence their chances of employment success.

This job fair is the first Diversity Job Fair in Pittsburgh to be held in collaboration with The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation Work Search and the Allegheny county Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Companies attending are letting it be know they are equal opportunity employers looking for the most qualified candidates regardless of race, age or veteran status.

The companies in attendance so far include:

AARP Foundation Work Search
Academy of Court Reporting
Advance Auto Parts
Aldi Foods
Allied Barton Security Services
All-State Career School
Aramark Mellon Arena
Army National Guard
CCAC
CCAC/MOST
Commute Info
EchoStar / Dish Network
Giant Eagle
Goodwill
Home Depot
Kaplan School
Leeds
Mainstay Life Services
Market District
Medmark
New Century Careers
OK Grocery
OSI
Parkvale Bank
Pennsylvania State Police
SMG Management
Sunrise Assisted Living
Transitional Services
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
US Postal
Venturi Staffing Services
Verizon Wireless
Allegheny County Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Waddell & Reed Financial Services
Five Star Quality Care (Nursing)
CVS Pharmacy
Everest Institute
Art Institute of Pittsburgh
Novum Pharmaceutical Research
Carniegie Mellon University Facilities Management Department
Enterprise Rent A Car
McDonald's
And More!

It's almost that time of year again, when newly graduating seniors hit the job market in search of a paycheck.

I don't know about you, but everything I know about job hunting I learned after college. Like how to network and write an effective resume, for example.

So, to give you graduating seniors a leg up, I interviewed two career experts to uncover 5 ways for new grads to find a job faster. This is the stuff I wish they taught in school...

1) Cast a wide net
"In a declining economy such as we face now, you have to expand your options. If you've looked only at large corporations, start looking at small businesses, non-profits, universities, government jobs -- a huge area of job growth -- and other types of employers," advises Lindsey Pollak, Author of "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World."

Often, jobs at smaller and non-profit organizations are harder to find, requiring more networking on your part. However, you'll face less competition from other job hunters who are not willing to put in the effort.

2) Persist without being a pest
Follow-up is one of the most important elements of any successful job search, especially for new grads lacking traditional experience. "'No' may really mean 'not right now,'" says Pollak. "Getting a job is often about timing, so stay on employers' radar screens. But instead of saying, 'Hi, I'm just calling to follow up,' try to add value in each communication, and only follow up once every two weeks or so."

One way to add value is to use Google Alerts (Google.com/alerts) to stay current on industry news and trends. The service is free and emails you daily updates of the latest Google results (blogs, news, etc.) based on the topics you choose. Then, presto! You have a valid excuse to email or call employers about the relevant articles you find online.

3) Get experience -- any way you can
Employers today expect -- and in many cases demand -- that you have hands-on work experience when you graduate from college, according to Peter Vogt, author of "Career Wisdom for College Students: Insights You Won't Get in Class, on the Internet, or from Your Parents."

"If you don't have the right experience, you need to get some, be it through a post-graduation internship, working for a temporary staffing agency, or perhaps even volunteering," says Vogt.

While this may come as a nasty surprise, particularly if you've spent four years and five or six figures getting a degree, it might be necessary, especially if the economy continues to slow down. So you should have a Plan B that includes temping, interning or volunteer work. Some sites to check out are Net-Temps.com, Kellyservices.com, Manpower.com and Volunteermatch.org.

4) Your resume probably stinks -- fix it
This unpleasant fact comes from my own experience reading hundreds of resumes from new grads over the years. To be specific, there are two things missing from most entry-level resumes: focus and results.

First, to give your resume focus, include an Objective at the top, with a specific job title. If you can't focus on one job, tell readers the three skills you want to use (not 5 or 11). You must do the thinking for the reader and make it clear exactly what you want to do.

For free resume-writing help, send your resume to 5 people and ask them if they can figure out what job you want. If they can't, employers can't. Revise as necessary.

Second, to give your resume results, add up all the time or money you saved or made in every position you've held since high school -- paid or unpaid. Then, include those totals in your resume and put them up front, where they can't be missed.

Wrong example: "Duties included, but were not limited to, filing, faxing, answering phones and greeting clients as receptionist."

Right example: "Saved 24 staff hours per month ($2,880 per year) by devising new filing system while handling receptionist's duties."

5) Get used to competition
Many new grads overlook or ignore this obvious fact, according to Vogt.

"As a student, you were graded on your efforts alone. If you scored 90 percent on a test, you got an A -- no matter how anyone else did. As a job hunter, employers grade you against your peers. Suddenly, a performance that might otherwise have earned an A might earn you an F -- failure to get hired -- because another candidate did just a little better," says Vogt.

To compete in today's job market, start with your mindset. Whether you're writing resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, or out there networking, keep reminding yourself that good enough is... not. According to Vogt, "Your #1 job-search thought at all times must be this: How can I outdo my peers?"

Kevin Donlin is creator of TheSimpleJobSearch.com. Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 11,000 people. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio and others. His free report, The Simple Job Search Manifesto, is found at www.TheSimpleJobSearch.com.

My aunt has a Myspace. My grandfather searches for old high school and military chums on Google. Some of my friends' pets even have their own social networking profiles. As more and more job seekers create their online profiles, how can you be sure that your one wild night or fraternity days don't bring your job search to a screeching hault? By following these five simple guidelines, you can be sure that your online personality doesn't betray your professional image.

1. Research. Odds are you aren't the only one in your circle that's using social networking. Many of your friends probably also have profiles, and unbeknownst to you may be leaking unwanted information about you to the online world. It's a good idea to "google" yourself on occasion and keep up with what's being said about you on the internet. While some employers might not go the extra mile to search for you on Myspace or Facebook, Googling you takes far less time and is an easy way to check for digital dirt.

2. Moderate. Most social networking sites utilize commenting systems, or testimonials. Sure, they're fun. But your comments could play a huge part in the way your prospective employer perceives your personality. To avoid having negative comments made about you, or even too revealing ones about what you did last night, try utilizing the approval option, or simply hiding your comments from public view. Phrases like, "We should call in sick more often!" will not help you in your job search.

3. Dress for the job you want. It's an important part of social networking to inclue a picture on your profile. And now with the mass use of digital cameras and cellphone cameras, it's easier than ever to have snapshots from just about every moment of your life. But again, the wrong image can leave a very stale taste in your prospective employer's mouth. Avoid posting too revealing pictures, or pictures from parties that may give the viewer the wrong impression.

4. Choose your friends wisely. Just as you don't want to post pictures of yourself in compromising situations or other unprofessional settings, being seemingly connected to an endless string of bikini-clad women isn't your most attractive asset to the employer.

5. Avoid negative blogging. Blogging can be an extremely fun and useful tool. However, you should avoid blogging about employers (past and present) and specific people. You never know who your prospective employer may know, and speaking negatively about someone, whether they're an integral part of your new job or not, could effectively deep-six your efforts.

By following these simple guidelines, you can safely use social networking to further your job search and career. Be sure to search for social networking sites that best fit your needs. For example, if you're in the medical profession, check out HealthCareerWeb.com and join MedCom, your ultimate resource for medical forums, jobs, and advice. What kind of success have you had with social networking as a job seeker?

All that hard work sending out resumés has finally paid off, and you’ve been called in for a face-to-face job interview. Congratulations! This is an important next step in your job search. It’s also your only chance to make a lasting first impression.
On the day of your interview, sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach are to be expected. But you can reduce your stress level by knowing some common mistakes that interviewees make — and avoiding them.

Here are 10 of the most common mistakes people make on job interviews:

Not taking the interview seriously. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the interview is just a formality. Even if all of the preliminaries have gone well, don’t be cavalier and start imagining how you’ll start spending your new salary. The biggest error you can make is to assume that, because you’ve gotten this far, the job is in the bag.
Dressing down. How you present yourself during your initial meeting with a potential employer is very important, and your physical appearance can speak volumes to someone who is meeting you for the first time. Even if you know that the firm allows employees to wear jeans, don’t sabotage yourself by showing up to the interview in casual clothing. Err on the side of conservative and show up in neat, professional clothing; a business suit is your best and safest bet.
Not showing why you’re the best choice. Be familiar with the job description of the position for which you’re interviewing so that you can illustrate how your experience, abilities, and strengths are in line with the company’s needs. Many potential employers want to know why they should hire you specifically. Make it clear to them.
Being too modest. Failing to talk yourself up during an interview is one of the most self-defeating mistakes that you can make. This is not the time for humility, so sing your praises! Don’t be afraid to talk up everything that you’ve accomplished, whether in school or in previous companies. This is your time to shine.
Talking too much. Be careful not to talk over the interviewer. This meeting should be a two-way conversation, and many interviewees cover up their nervousness by blathering. Sit calmly, listen carefully, and answer questions thoughtfully.
Focusing on the funds. Don’t talk money too soon into the interview. To focus on your salary requirements and previous salary history right off the bat may cause you to reveal too much. While the topic of salary will certainly come up, follow the interviewer’s lead. He or she may be saving that topic for a later conversation.
Trash talking. Even if you hated your former boss or felt that you were treated unfairly by your previous employer, a job interview is not the place to launch into a litany of complaints. Don’t go there. If you were laid off or fired from a previous position, be prepared with an explanation that puts a positive spin on the circumstances.
Failing to ask questions. Your resume may be impressive on paper, but employers also appreciate a candidate who can ask several intelligent questions during an interview. Prepare at least 3 or 4 questions in advance to ask the interviewer. Interviews are an exchange of information, and not having questions to ask can reveal a lack of preparation.
Lack of enthusiasm. This is your first and sometimes only chance to showcase your personality. Don’t walk in announcing your bad day. Be polite and upbeat. Show your enthusiasm for both the job and the opportunity to interview for it. And don’t forget to thank the person at the end of the interview!
Forgetting the follow-up. Make sure to send a handwritten thank-you note or polite email to the interviewer expressing gratitude for his or her time and consideration. And while you don’t want to call the company every day, a phone call to check in a week after the interview is perfectly acceptable.

To find out more information about common mistakes please visit www.todayshospitalist.com/

To learn about information about this topic search for common mistakes and there you will find more details.

Happy Friday Tampa. As the week comes to a close, I wanted to continue to share some of the new features on the shiny new EmploymentGuide.com®. On Tuesday we got into employer videos, which are a great showcase for a company to get their message across to you the job seeker. It puts a visual to the text in their postings and gives you an opportunity to see how life would be like at a particular company.

Today I wanted to touch on the new Job Seeker Application and Profile process that went live with the EmploymentGuide.com® site redesign. The old application was admittedly long and not very fun for you as a job seeker. The new process has been simplified to get to the core of an application and what an employer wants to see when viewing your profile.

Here is the first page:

These are your basic questions. Please answer them thoroughly and be sure to create a username and password that you will be able to remember. Your e-mail and phone number must be valid in order for employers to contact you, so please be sue to be careful and accurate.

Page 2 looks like this:

This is the section to paste past work experience and education history. Please be as informative as possible. Employers are looking at this profile to gather all the information they need in order to qualify you for their available position. Be sure if it is relevant, that it is listed.

I would suggest that it is in your best interest to upload or paste your resume into this profile. Most employers weed out applicants that do not have a resume attached to the profile.

After hitting continue, you are prompted with a confirmation screen. Ensure that everything you entered is correct and you are well on your way to finding a great new opportunity from the Employment Guide®.

Happy hunting Tampa and we’ll see you on Monday!

Greg Rollett

P.S. Careers in Gear Driver's Job Fair is coming April 12th at the Florida Fairgrounds. Click this link for more info!

On February 23rd, 2008, we launched the brand new look of EmploymentGuide.com. The new look is meant to enhance user functionality, provide better advertising and focus on recruitment videos - a growing trend among job boards.



"The new video center and streamlined application process simplify the job seeker experience. The combination of videos with job postings allows employers to better tell their company story. It also allows job applicants to prescreen themselves, improving the response quality for the employer," said Jeff Littlejohn, vice president and general manager of The Employment Guide.

We even got a bit of buzz from Joel Cheezman, author of Cheezhead, "a daily chronicle of how the Internet and technology are shaping human resources and how organizations can attract the talent needed to thrive in tomorrow's economy." Thanks, Cheezhead!

Have you checked out the new look? Visit EmploymentGuide.com today!

My generation has a bad rap. The 21-30-somethings of the world have a reputation for being brazen, lazy, unmotivated, selfish and demanding in the work place... and loud. (The loud part may be true.) A recent survey conducted in November 2007 by leadership training and research organization Leadership IQ indicated that workers aged 21-30 were the least satisfied with their jobs out of 11,244 employees from 872 different organizations.* Who was happiest with their jobs? Workers aged 61-70 - as workers grow older, Leadership IQ claims, their job satisfaction seems to be more consistent.

The survey, explains Leadership IQ, seems to indicate that the difference between these two statistics may be Generation Y's need for praise - a pat on the head for a job well done - and the Boomer generation's desire for clear direction, rather than praise to motivate them.

These results were pulled from questions ranging from whether the employee would recommend their company as a good place to work, to if their boss inspired them. And according to the survey, "6 out of 10 younger workers are actively demotivated because their boss won't give them the one thing they really care about," says Mark Murphy, chairman and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Leadership IQ.

Is this an issue unique to Generation Y? The survey would have you believe so. However, the need for appreciation and recognition is a very basic human need - Maslow (in 1943 with his hierarchy of human needs study) and Herzberg (in 1959 with his job satisfaction study) identified this. Leadership IQ's study seems to indicate that there is a lack of praise among employers and employees in the workplace, rather than just indicating that Generation Y is particularly needy. A Gallup poll, which reinforces this conclusion, indicated that 60 percent of American workers in 2007 claimed they had received no praise or recognition through the course of the year - and that spanned the age groups.

Of course, there are vast differences between Generation Y and the Baby Boomers. Families are much smaller now than they were several years ago - often only consisting of one or two children. This has allowed the family environment to be much more contained and focused than would have been possible with 3 or more children. Consequently, my generation has been given much more attention, not just by parents, but by teachers, coaches, colleagues and friends. Social change has allowed older generations the ability to consult with Generation Y, not simply raise them. My brother and I always had a say in where we went on vacation - something that was a bit unheard of in past generations.

The reality is that a happy workforce will equate to a much healthier company in the long run - no matter what generation you're talking about. Generation Y may need a bit more nudging, but gold stars don't need to be reserved for the kids. If one of your coworkers did a good job on something, don't be afraid to let them know - your company will thank you in the long run.

So what about you? Do you receive enough praise and recognition in the workplace?

*Source: Reuters, Want to motivate Generation Y? Try praise, attention. November 29, 2007.

Graduation is coming and - for most college seniors - that means the transition to the work world. If you're one of them, have decided what you want to do, and need help in making this transition, follow these five key elements of an effective job-search strategy:

1) Assess Your Job-Related Skills.
How well do you communicate, verbally and in writing? Do you perform your best by yourself or as part of a team? Do you have a stellar track record of meeting school and work deadlines? How well do you organize and prioritize your work? What computer skills do you have that others might not?

Employers want to know if you can perform the specific tasks that are part of a job. They also want to know how well you can fit in with the rest of the staff. That's why communication and organizational skills are important, as well as - in most cases - how well you perform within a team or group.

2) Start Writing a Resume.
Begin by drafting an Objective. For instance:

Objective: To build upon a solid marketing education and hands-on experience by landing a challenging position on the marketing team of a well established, dynamic organization that values creativity, energy, and commitment to excellence.

Then, detail your educational background, emphasizing coursework related to the type of job you want. Next, describe any relevant work experience (paid or volunteer) you have had, especially internships.

A word about grade-point averages: If your overall GPA is impressive (higher than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale), include it on your resume. If it's not-so-impressive, mention only the GPA for your major subjects (assuming it's higher than the overall).

3) Network Online and Offline.
Build, cultivate, and grow an online network via LinkedIn, Facebook, or similar online networking sites (And take down those compromising photos of you from that frat party).

Don't be shy about letting people know your career intentions post-graduation. You never know if someone you meet - or even a not-so-close relative - might work with someone who knows someone who... you get the idea.

At the same time, be willing to help others find jobs by passing along their names to someone you know. That's the beauty of networking: It's a two-way street where everyone can help everyone else.

4) Practice Your Interviewing Skills.
A good interview is a give-and-take conversation, not a one-sided inquisition. You should ask as many questions as you answer. This sends a clear message that you want to learn more about the job and company to determine whether it would be the right move for you.

5) Get to Know the Folks at Your School's Career Center.
It's crazy not to use this free resource. If you haven't done so yet, make an appointment. It's there specifically to help students prepare for the move into the professional world.

If you're a college senior, how are you handling the coming transition? What advice can you share about it or what perplexes you the most?

© 2004-2008 Pongo Software, LLC. All rights reserved.

Rick Saia, a Certified Professional Resume Writer, is a Web Content Writer for PongoResume. He has many years of work experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and high-tech journals and as a research analyst.

Hello Tampa! We have been away for a little while but now we are back in action. There have been some great things happening over here and we are exploding with digital technology. If you have visited the EmploymentGuide.com in the last 10 days you might have noticed a face lift. Below is a snapshot of the new home page.


A few new features have been rolled out. As the week progresses I will be going into detail on how they affect you, the job seeker, optimize your job search. Today I wanted to get into employer videos. This has been a key focus for us at the Employment Guide. However, online video is not just a recruitment topic as many of you already know. In December of last year there were over 10 billion videos viewed online. 1/3 of these video were from Google properties (YouTube and Google Video). The demand has never been higher and now we are vying for a piece of your attention span

What is great about our Employer Videos is that they are not only featured in our brand new 'Video Center' they are also viewable in all of the allifiated job postings. You will know that a posting has a video when you see this:


Our feature video of the week comes to you courtesy of RaceTrac. Check it out and let me know what you think!

RaceTrac Recruitment Video

Happy hunting Tampa!

April 5, 2008 - Roadmasters Truck Driver Job Fair (more info ASAP)


-Greg Rollett

Harold Miller, President of Future Strategies, LLC, and author of Pittsburgh’s Future wrote an excellent article for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette recently explaining why the Pittsburgh area is still offering good opportunities to job seekers even though the job growth rate is considered anemic.

Mr. Miller writes:

Over the past several years, the Pittsburgh Region has had one of the slowest rates of employment growth among major U.S. metro areas. Does that mean young people need to look elsewhere to find a job?

Fortunately, the answer is “no.” You might be surprised by how much hiring goes on in the Pittsburgh region despite the slow growth. In 2006, while total regional employment grew by only 5,000, there were over 624,000 new hires by employers in the region, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. (This does not include people promoted to a different job with the same employer, or those returning to work after a temporary layoff or unpaid leave.)

That’s not a mistake – there were over six hundred thousand jobs for which new people were hired. How can that be? Because a similar number of people also left jobs during the course of the year. Some retired. Many were laid off or fired. But most left voluntarily to find better or different employment. Nationally, the majority (58%) of separations are voluntary quits, rather than layoffs, discharges, or retirements.

A regional labor market is like a very large game of musical chairs – at the end of each month or year, the total number of jobs may not have changed very much, but a huge amount of movement has happened in between.

Nationally, employers reported that just over 3% of their jobs were open each month during 2006. That means that in the Pittsburgh Region, with over 1,100,000 total jobs, there will likely be over 33,000 job openings at any point in time.

Many of the job hirings are temporary. People are hired in retail stores during the holiday shopping season, in amusement parks in the summer, on short-term construction projects, etc. But even if you look at what are called “stable jobs” (a job that lasts at least one quarter), there were over 350,000 new hires in the Pittsburgh Region during 2006.

What kinds of jobs are these? About one-third are in retail stores, restaurants, bars, and hotels. Many of those are part-time jobs, and the wages are, on average, very low. But if you exclude those industries, you find that in 2006, nearly 250,000 people got new jobs paying an average of $30,000 per year, in sectors ranging from health care to finance.

And many jobs were filled at much higher wages. For example, there were over 25,000 people hired in corporate headquarters, R&D centers, law firms, and other professional firms in 2006, at an average salary of almost $45,000. (Some people may take multiple part-time jobs or change jobs multiple times during the year, so there is some double-counting in these numbers.)

Even though the total number of manufacturing jobs in the Pittsburgh Region declined slightly in 2006, there were almost 25,000 new hires in manufacturing that year, at an average monthly wage of $3,000 ($36,000 annually). And many of our manufacturers are reporting difficulties filling vacant jobs, so there are probably more job openings than the number of hires would suggest.

Are young people getting any of these jobs? Yes. Thousands of them, in fact. During 2006, nearly 40,000 stable jobs were filled with men and women ages 22-24. For example, 1,800 22-24 year olds were hired in manufacturing, at an average wage of over $25,000, and 2,500 were hired in professional, scientific, and technical services firms, at an average salary of $28,000.

And if you think there are more job opportunities for young people in fast growth regions, think again. For example, although Austin, Texas created over six times as many net new jobs as Pittsburgh in 2006, more 22-24 year olds found jobs in high-paying industries here than in Austin.

Does this mean that slow job growth in Pittsburgh isn’t a problem? Hardly. We can’t increase our population if we don’t increase total jobs, and we can’t support big-city amenities like our arts and cultural organizations, airport, etc. without a growing population base.

But while we’re working to make the region more competitive for business growth, let’s spread the word that there are thousands of good job opportunities here right now.