Today, the Federal Minimum Wage increased from $6.55 to $7.25. Based on much of the chatter on the web, there seem to be two distinct sides on this issue. 

 

1) The Jobseekers

 

Now, as you would imagine (or maybe you are currently employed at the minimum wage) those whose paycheck is affected by this are extremely happy. Based on a full-time 40 hour workweek, that represents almost a $1,500 yearly pay increase. This can be quite a lifesaver for many of the 4.5 million estimated minimum wage hourly workers. 

 

2) Employers

 

For many employers, this mandate couldn't have come at a worse time. Profits in many sectors are being squeezed due to the recession. Also, many employers are now facing a dilemma with their usual summer hiring since their payroll is now considerably higher than expected. 

 

Whichever category you fall in, EmploymentGuide.com has solutions for you. For jobseekers, find the nearest Putting America Back to Work job fair near you and talk to employers that are ready to hire. For employers, visit our Employer Center and find out how EmploymentGuide.com can meet all your hiring needs. 

 

Just some light food for thought as we head into this weekend. TGIF!

 

 

I just spent the morning reviewing several hundred emails from job seekers across the country, looking for common frustrations among people looking for work.

 

As you might imagine, many things are bugging many job seekers in this economy.

 

But I boiled them down to four prominent job-search frustrations.

 

Here they are, with suggested solutions. 

 

Which ones apply to you?

 

 

Frustration #1: “I submit my resume for a posted job and never hear back from employers. Did they even read my resume?”

 

Solution: Here are three ways to make sure your resume is received and read.

 

1) Call the employer after applying.
Obviously, you can’t do this if you’re blasting resumes out by the dozens each week, so pick and choose carefully which employers you apply to. The smaller the employer, the more likely you are to connect with a hiring authority by phone.

 

2) Hand-deliver your resume.
This method really works, as I’ve written about before. People who get interviewed and hired after hand-delivering their resumes do the following: 

• • they dress professionally;
• • ask the receptionist if they can personally give their resume to the hiring manager;
• • if refused, they politely request a meeting at a later date;
• • leave a copy of their resume with the receptionist;
• • call or visit again until they get a meeting.

 

When you visit a company to drop off your resume, be ready to interview on the spot, if you meet the hiring manager in the lobby -- it has happened!

 

3) Mail your resume.
Nowhere is it written that you cannot mail a resume after submitting it online. With a little sleuthing on the employer’s web site and/or Google, you can find the name of your potential boss and their mailing address. Still unsure? Call the employer and ask! 

 

 

Frustration #2: “I’m over-qualified for most positions I apply for.”

 

Solution: First, know that employers may fear your getting bored in a role dealing with budgets in the thousands of dollars, if you’ve worked with millions of dollars before, for example. 

 

And employers may fret that you'll leave as soon as a better job turns up.

 

To allay those fears, use your cover letter to highlight your record of long-term employment, if you have one. You can also offer to sign an agreement outlining a minimum stay in a new job.

 

Also, understand that "over-qualified" can mean "too expensive" for some employers, who fear being able to match your salary demands.

 

So, explain in your resume and cover letter that someone with your experience can save or earn significant amounts of money. Then, prove it with specific dollars and figures. Ideally, you will show employers that hiring you is like buying money at a discount -- you can earn or save multiples of every dollar you get paid in salary.

 

 

Frustration #3: “Recruiters and headhunters don’t call me back.”

 

Solution: Lower your expectations. Unless you already have a solid relationship with one, now is not the best time to expect callbacks from recruiters.

 

There reasons are many in this recession, according to Mark J. Haluska, Founder & Executive Director, Real Time NetWork (www.rtnetwork.net).

 

“Most recruiters have a glut of candidates and they’re besieged with unsolicited resumes to fill a dwindling number of assignments. So, before a recruiter ever thinks of calling you, they comb through their database of candidates, looking for someone they know is a proven winner,” says Haluska.

 

Should you follow up with a recruiter, to make sure they got your resume?

 

Perhaps.

 

“You could make a call every couple weeks, if only to leave a voicemail. That should eventually result in contact with the recruiter.” But, be on your best behavior and avoid letting any frustration show; otherwise, “your resume will end up in the shredder,” says Haluska.

 

 

Frustration #4: “I have no time for networking.”

 

Solution: You have time for eating and sleeping. Why? Because they are necessary for survival.

 

Without a job, you will have no food to eat or roof to sleep under. 

 

So make time to network. Even if you have to eat or sleep less for a few weeks … or watch less TV or relax less on weekends. You can always catch up on that later.

 

 

Kevin Donlin is contributing co-author of “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.” Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. For a free Guerrilla Job Search audio CD, visit MyNewJobHunt.com 

Recent BLS.gov reports show the unemployment rate is at an astronomical 9.5% for the June 2009. This may be just another statistic for those lucky to have a job. However, for those left without a job, it's a poignant reminder that they join the ranks of millions of Americans affected by harsh economic times. 

 

Fortunately, there are still industries thriving and are projected to continue to thrive in the next couple of years. These industries include healthcare, transportation and insurance. Even MORE fortunate for jobseekers (and readers of The Spot Blog!) is that EmploymentGuide.com and its subsidiary websites offer employment opportunities in these three fields. Try:

 

-CareersinGear.com for transportation/mechanic jobs

 

-HealthCareerWeb.com for health care jobs

 

-EmploymentGuide.com for hourly employment, including opportunities with insurance companies

 

Now for those of you who maybe don't qualify for positions in these industries, now is a great time to go (or go back) to school. TheEducationGuide.com is a great place to find schools in your area that will give you the edge when interviewing for jobs. 

 

So don't let this recession get you down! Let the EmploymentGuide.com team help lead you to your next job!

Many people do their best to keep their social life separate from their professional life. In many cases this is a good practice, but with the strong emergence of social networking on the Internet, this practice may not be the most prudent.

 

Here's a little background on the largest social networking site, Facebook, and one of the fastest growing, Twitter:

Facebook started out as a place where college students could interact, post pictures and create event invitations. It became stereotyped as a site where college students, many of whom were away from their parents for the first time, could express themselves with their peers without supervision. This soon changed as Facebook then became open to the entire public. With this change also came more functionality and more uses to the site for people of all ages.

 

Twitter on the other hand has gained popularity within the last two years and continues to grow. The site emerged out of consumers wanting information quickly and concisely. Twitter has become a favorite among celebrities and politicians that want to connect with their followers without sacrificing their privacy.

 

Fast-forward to today, and these two sites not only provide a great avenue for connecting with friends, but also finding a job! What better way to network with people from all over the world than through a social network? Now, this doesn't mean you should try to add friends randomly, but rather use contacts you already have to make connections with other people.

EmploymentGuide.com has made it even easier to make connections through social media. Become a fan of EmplomentGuide.com on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter in order to keep up with the latest from EmploymentGuide.com. Also, while there you?ll be able to connect with other people all across the country and discuss employment related topics. Who knows - maybe you?ll meet someone who could use an employee like you!

CONSUMER PRICE INDEX FOR HOUSTON-GALVESTON-BRAZORIA: APRIL 2009

Area Price Rise Led by Higher Clothing Costs

 

Prices in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria metropolitan area rose 0.9 percent during

March and April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that higher clothing prices were the largest

single factor in the two-month advance, although several other categories were also major

contributors. During the year ended in April 2009, total prices rose just 0.5 percent – primarily

due to a sharp decline in gasoline costs. These data are based on the Consumer Price Index for

All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

Apparel prices increased 8.9 percent in March and April, the sharpest two-month increase

since January and February 2005. Large gains often occur at this time of year as new spring and

summer lines are introduced; the latest two-month movement compared to a 5.6-percent increase

March and April 2007. During the current period, higher prices were noted for a variety of

clothing items including women's sportswear, women's footwear, and men's shirts and sweaters.

Despite the magnitude of the recent increase, the cost of apparel fell 3.8 percent over the year.

The index for other goods and services climbed 4.3 percent in March and April, the

sharpest rise since the two months ended in February 2007. The current increase was largely the

result of sharply higher prices for cigarettes and tobacco products. During the last 12 months,

the cost of other goods and services advanced 5.7 percent, due primarily to higher tobacco costs.

The transportation index rose 1.0 percent in March and April following a 3.6-percent rise

in the first two months of the year. Higher gasoline prices accounted for nearly all of the

increase as they registered a 9.8-percent hike during the two-month period. The average price

for a gallon of gasoline in the Houston area stood at $2.073 in April. Charges for car and truck

rentals also rose during the bimonthly period while declines were noted for new car prices. Over

the year, total transportation costs fell 15.4 percent mainly as a result of a 39.3-percent annual

drop in gasoline prices.

While the housing index rose a relatively modest 0.4 percent during March and April, it

was another major contributor to the overall CPI rise. The increase was primarily due to higher

costs for shelter as owners’ equivalent rent (homeowners’ costs) increased 1.1 percent and rent

of a primary residence (renters’ costs) rose 0.6 percent. Prices for household furnishings and

operations also advanced, up 0.4 percent. In contrast, the index for household energy fell 0.5

percent during the two-month period reflective of a 0.6-percent decrease in electricity charges

and no change in natural gas service costs. On an annual basis, electricity prices were up 20.5

percent while natural gas costs rose 1.0 percent. Combined with a 7.2-percent yearly price rise

for household furnishings and operations as well as a 5.4-percent increase in shelter costs, the

housing index rose 7.0 percent over the year.

 

Read the full article: http://www.bls.gov/ro6/fax/cpi_hou.pdf

Today’s corporate world is tasked with adjusting their business to cope with the current economic recession. The U.S. Government is handing billion dollar bailouts to some of the largest corporations in America. Unemployment is at its highest point in years (although recent reports are promising.) With all these obstacles, where does this leave the jobseeker?

Well to answer that, you’ll need to think about the basis on which you market yourself as a jobseeker. The two most important aspects of your resume should be your relevant education and applicable skills to the jobs you’re applying for. Now, for those that are unemployed, you may find that your education level and skill set don’t measure up to where they need to be. EmploymentGuide.com has a fix for that!

Career education affords jobseekers the opportunity to enhance not only their job skills, but also their education level. This can be critical, especially in a recession, because employers don’t care whether you have a million degrees − they want to know that you can perform the job you were hired for.

Consider these professions:

-Cosmetology
-Medical Assistant
-Computer Systems Specialist

Each of these professions requires a combination of both certifications and skills in order to be considered a viable candidate. A course of study from a career education program will give you the skills as well as the credentials to qualify for the career bailout you’ve been looking for.

Let the Education Guide help you reach your learning (and earning) potential with a career education school.

EmploymentGuide.com, a division of Dominion Enterprises, has launched a nationwide job fair series, "Putting America Back to Work," that aims to help 10,000 Americans find jobs. Based on The Employment Guide's already successful job fair series, this new series invites companies with immediate hiring needs to participate. The job fairs are free and open to all job seekers.

Detroit's EmploymentGuide.com along with Fox 2 News are partnering to sponsor the third of five events in the Metro Detroit area during 2009. The June 17th event will be held from 9am-1:30pm at the Lawrence Tech university Campus at 21000 W. Ten Mile Rd. in Southfield, Michigan.

"More than 1077 job offers were made at our first two job fair events this year in Detroit! With numbers like that, we are confident that we will ultimately put at least 10,000 Americans back to work. By doing so, we hope to provide economic solutions to our communities and to job seekers," said Sean Carney, Senior Account Executive of The Employment Guide and EmploymentGuide.com.

The current economic situation has caused dramatic business changes and a nearly-unprecedented level of layoffs. However, many businesses in health care, sales, customer service, accounting/finance/insurance, retail, food service, banking and consumer goods are making structural changes to adapt to the economic climate, and are hiring both part-time and full-time workers on a national scale.

Adding to the success of this new job fair series is support from associations interested in supporting their members including: the AARP Foundation, Michigan Jobs and Career Portal, Detroit Workforce Development, Veteran Employment Specialist, LDS Employment Services, Lawrence Tech University and Resume Wonders

Important Highlights of the Detroit event are:


- Currently over 75 companies registered to recruit 2100 Employees.


- Early Morning Seminar presented by Fox 2 News Career Coach Therese Boldt. We receive consistent feedback from attendees that the morning seminar, which begins at 8:15a.m. Prior to the 9a.m. opening of the career fair, is an inspiring session that offers useful tips on advancing your career. It's an ideal way to begin your day, especially since you'll head straight into the career fair before it opens to the public.


- LDS Employment Services and Resume Wonders will be available to help critique your all important resume for free! (This important vehicle's purpose is to get the interview)


- Michigan Jobs and Career Portal will have laptop computers available with on-site instructors to provide in depth navigation of their website.


- Detroit Worksite Development will provide information about current programs and employment opportunities in the Metro Detroit area.


- AARP will have member information about the benefits of joining their organization.


- Veteran Employment Specialist will be available to answer questions and provide information for Veterans.

Companies will be recruiting for:
Sales/Sales Management Trainees, Branch Managers, Sales Management, Direct Sales Reps, Sales Supervisors, Sales Managers, Experienced Technical Installers, Office Managers, Call Center Positions, Independent Financial Service Reps, Mortgage Loan Officers, On site host, Future Sales Reps, Outside Sales Reps, Franchise Owners, Appointment setters, Managers, Registered Nurses, Rehabilitation Assistants/Direct Care, Certified Nursing Assistants, Assistant Store Managers, Financial Advisors, Insurance Agents, Financial Service Reps & Managers, Advertising, Marketing, Light Industrial Staffing, Cashiers, Freight, Specialty Sales, Retail Managers, Restaurant Managers, In Home Sales, Truck Drivers, Welders, Meat Packers, Hi-Lo Drivers, Manufacturing Supervisors, Assemblers

For a list of current companies or to pre-register, visit EmploymentGuide.com's Job Fair Center.

The Job Fair will be held in the

Ridler Field House

Lawrence Tech. University

Wednesday June 17, 2009

9am-1:30pm.

The entrance to Lawrence Tech is 21000 West 10 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI 48075. Just west of the Lodge Freeway. Follow the signs to the Ridler Field House on campus.

Listed below are the events to the "Putting America Back to Work" Job Fair Series. For a complete list of the more than 50 job fairs currently scheduled visit the Job Fair Center.



6/17/09 Detroit "Putting America Back to Work" Job Fair Series, Southfield, MI

6/17/09 Putting America Back to Work in Salt Lake City, UT

6/23/09 Putting America Back to Work, Dayton, OH

6/23/09 Putting America Back to Work in Chicago, IL

6/23/09 Putting America Back to Work Pomona, CA

6/24/09 Putting America Back to Work, Cincinnati, OH

6/24/09 Putting America Back To Work Job Fair Series, St. Louis, MO

6/24/09 Putting America Back to Work in Indianapolis, IN

6/30/09 Putting Americans Back To Work, San Jose, CA

7/21/09 Putting Baltimore Back to Work, Baltimore, MD

7/28/09 Putting America Back to Work in Dallas, TX

As everyone seems to be going mobile, we here at EmploymentGuide.com want to show jobseekers how easy it is to search our database of jobs on your phone. So, we’ve created this guide to accessing EmploymentGuide.com using various models of mobile phones.

Blackberry (applicable to most models): First, access your phone’s browser. Then you’ll want to hit the “Menu” key (aka the Blackberry symbol) and place your cursor in the Address bar at the top of the screen. Finally, type in www.employmentguide.com and you’ll be taken to the homepage. If you scroll down just a bit, you will be able to access all of the features offered by EmploymentGuide.com, including a keyword job search.

Apple iPhone: From the iPhone start screen simply access the Safari web browser. Then go to “New Page” where you can then type in www.employmentguide.com. Once there, you’ll see the Employment Guide site just as if you were browsing using a home computer. You’ll notice the keyword and location job search feature conveniently located at the top of the page.

G1:  From the main screen, access the browser. Then, press the “Menu” button and select the “Go” option. You’ll then be able to type in www.employmentguide.com and have access to the job keyword and location search at the top of the page.

Now, for those of you with e-mail synced to your phone, be sure to sign up for Job Alerts to have instant notification of new, local jobs in your industry sent directly to your phone.

Don’t have e-mail synced with your mobile device? No problem! All you have to do is check your e-mail inbox to find your Job Alert e-mails.


Are you signed up to receive Job Alerts?

If you're anything like me, you woke up this past Monday to realize that this work week is ending with a three day weekend to celebrate Memorial Day. Thoughts of hot dogs & hamburgers (or their veggie alternatives, if that's your thing), swimming pools and beaches and cookouts went dancing through your head even before you clocked in to start the week! But, just because you're getting ready for the party, doesn't mean you should throw your job search on the backburner, next to the grilled zucchini that almost never gets eaten. Memorial Day cookouts and parties are perfect opportunities to do some good ol' fashioned networking and person-to-person job searching!

 

Not sure what I mean? Here's some tips to help make your Memorial Day fun and fruitful.

 

Carry along copies of your resume to cookouts and parties.

Especially if these cookouts are being thrown by your friends or they're neighborhood mixers, you're likely to run into people who may be able to tell you about jobs in their particular companies. Having your resume on-hand is a great way to get the word out about who you are to these companies without ever stepping foot into their office! Pack it into your picnic basket next to a cool fruit salad, or brownies, and you're not even going out of your way to make sure you're stlil on the job search even on a holiday!

 

Network, network, network.

I'm not telling you to be all-business on a holiday; in fact, you should be sure to take time out from your job search on your three-day weekend. But if you're there, and they're there, you may as well throw your name into the mix, right? Meet new people at every party you go to. Make sure to remind a few friends that you're looking for a job. Chances are they'll be able to point you out to at least one person at the cookout who is a great contact for you to add to your list!

 

Have fun!

Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to recharge and get your summer started. It's also a great time to get your creative juices flowing to dive back into the job search. Be sure to pack plenty of sun screen, keep hydrated and most of all - have fun! When you're happy, you're more likely to be productive. You're not a robot, so take time to relax, breathe and let good things come to you!

 

Be sure to check out one of our "Putting America Back to Work" job fairs this summer, too! We've got 58 exciting job fairs scheduled between now and November 10th. Stop by one in your city and see why The Employment Guide® is Your Guide!

It's been said that the best new ideas are the best old ideas.

In other words, there's no need to reinvent the wheel in your job search if others before you have found ways to succeed.

What if I told you there was a success "system," invented by Benjamin Franklin in the 1730s, that helped create millionaires in the 1930s, when unemployment stood at 25%?

Do you think it might help you find a job faster today, with unemployment at less than 9%?

If you're interested, I'll describe this system, which can make sure you stay on track and do more of the right things each day, getting you hired faster for the job you want.

You'll need two items: a small notebook and a pencil. An Excel spreadsheet is a very helpful third component, but don't let the lack of one stop you from getting started.

What are you going to do?

Track, analyze, and improve how you spend your time every working day.

Because your time is your life. Do the right things with your time, and you'll get the right results in your life. In your case, the result you seek is a new job.

Here are the 5 simple steps to this ingenious system ...

1) Carry a small pocket notebook around from the time you wake up until you stop your job-search efforts in the evening.

2) Record how you spend your time in increments of 5 minutes. Examples:

    6:00-6:25     Wake, exercise
    6:25-6:45     Breakfast
    6:45-7:00     Shower
    7:00-7:30     Watch TV news
    7:30-8:10     Answer e-mails
    8:10-9:30     Search online for job listings

3) Each evening, add up the minutes you spent on each activity and organize them into three categories: Productive, Personal, and Wasted.

Productive time is anything that produces job leads. Examples: calling friends to network, meeting other job seekers to help each other, interviewing employees of your target employer to learn about the corporate culture, etc.

Personal time is anything spent on yourself and not your job search. Examples: eating, running errands, exercise breaks, etc.

Wasted time is anything that served no useful purpose. Examples: checking sports scores, idle chatter, checking e-mail every 15 minutes, etc.

Add up your time in these three areas on a sheet of paper or use an Excel spreadsheet.

4) At the end of the week, analyze your efforts. Here's where you'll get insights that can change your life.

Example: When I first tracked my time, I found I had spent 360 minutes in one week reading and answering e-mail. That works out to 24 hours -- one full day of life -- every month pecking away at email. Unacceptable.

So I resolved to check e-mail only twice a day. And I easily cut that time down to 240 minutes, saving two hours a week and 8 hours per month. Better.

But I never would have known where I was wasting time had I not tracked each day in detail.

Tip: After speaking to thousands of job seekers over the years, here's where you're probably wasting time each day:

• Checking e-mail several times an hour. Twice a day is enough -- morning and late afternoon. Anyone who really wants to reach you will call.
• Doing personal errands or chores. Running to the store for milk or mowing the lawn won't get you hired. Only meeting with hiring authorities will get you hired.
• Failure to network. Networking is like exercise: You have to do it every day to produce results. Block off at least two hours a day for calling people and being useful to them while reminding them of your job search.

5) Finally, commit to taking more productive actions each day, fewer personal ones, and none at all that are wasteful. Will you succeed perfectly? No. Will you improve simply by observing your efforts? Yes.


This system has its roots in "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin," in which Franklin described tracking his time daily in a notebook, with the goal of adopting 13 virtues as new habits.

You'll also find a variant of it in chapters 3 and 19 of "The Success System That Never Fails," by W. Clement Stone, who started amassing a fortune selling life insurance during the Great Depression.

Now, if scribbling in a notebook every few minutes and reviewing your day every evening seems onerous, don't worry. It gets easier as you go, thanks to this fact of physics: It takes more energy to overcome inertia and get moving from a standstill (your old habits) than to maintain that movement (your new habit of tracking time).

Try this system for 21 days. You will be pleasantly shocked at how much more efficient you become in all that you do, starting with your job search.


Kevin Donlin is contributing co-author of "Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0." Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. For a free Guerrilla Job Search audio CD, visit MyNewJobHunt.com.