Career Chat

On the one hand, we hear of over 9% unemployment rate; on the other hand, we hear employers complain that they can’t fill their jobs. What’s going on?

According to Thomas L. Friedman, Op-Ed Columnist for the New York Times in his article “The Start-Up of You,” employers are all looking for the same kind of people with critical skills who can add value and have the ability to adapt quickly as the market changes.

Whatever you may be thinking when you apply for a job today, you can be sure the employer is asking this: Can this person add value every hour, every day — more than a worker in India, a robot or a computer? Can he or she help my company adapt by not only doing the job today but also reinventing the job for tomorrow? And can he or she adapt with all the change, so my company can adapt and export more into the fastest-growing global markets?

Read the article.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) just released results of their hiring projections for students graduating this spring… and the good news is that employers are planning to hire 19.3% more new college grads in 2010-11 than they did in 2009-10. Last fall, a similar survey had projected only 13.5%.

The summary of the survey’s results includes skills and qualities employers are seeking in candidates. Verbal skills are ranked as number one; other high-ranking qualitiies include the ability to make decisions and solve problems, and the ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work.

Read other highlites of the NACE hiring survey at Job Outlook: Hiring up 19.3 Percent This Year

Ever think about all of the different types of internet marketing careers? Graphic design, web design, product advertising, web hosting, forum posting, and article writing are some of the potential careers you may wish to explore.

Learn more about this possible careers in internet marketing in JobsJournal.com’s recent posting “An Emerging Career as an Internet Marketer”.

Under30CEO recently polled its readership to determine the top 10 U.S. cities for young entrepreneurs based on the best resources, schools, events, climate and social scene. New York was rated top city, and Chicago came in 6th. They liked our beaches, but didn’t care for our “Windy City” nickname.

Take a look at the other cities making the list at Top 10 Cities for Young Entrepreneurs in 2010.

TechRepublic’s Career Blog has a rather interesting item “Techie seeks non-profit job: How to be a big, misunderstood fish in a small pond” about potential difficulties posed in switching from a for-profit corporate IT position to a non-profit. In her blog, Toni Bowers notes:

Trends in social entrepreneurship and skills-based volunteering, inspired by boomers who want more from work than wages and worry, are motivating greater numbers of corporate employees – even techies – to consider careers in the non-profit sector.

If you’re a techie who has bravely tuned into your wild inner longing for social change, no longer satisfied in hunting down bugs for dollars, you may be tempted to follow the scent to freedom. But making the transition from corporate to charity can be a rough one – akin to stepping back in time 20 years.

While this blog is aimed at people in IT switching from the corporate world to the world of non-profits, I’m sure others in different careers face some of the same types of issues and would benefit from Toni’s tips.
Take a look: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/career/?p=2666&tag=content;leftCol

Ever wonder exactly what employers are looking for in the current tight job market? The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) polled employers and found that verbal communication skills topped the list of “soft” skills they are seeking in new college grads. Other “soft” skills rated highly by employers were strong work ethic, teamwork skills, analytical skills and initiative.

Interestingly, when asked how satisfied they were that new college graduates could deliver on key skills, employer response was mixed. They reported being “very satisfied” with the teamwork and analytical skills of new college graduates, but verbal communication skills, initiative, and a strong work ethic all fell below that level, with ratings hovering between “somewhat” and “very satisfied.”

In addition to these skills, surveyed employers also rated nine other skills/qualities as
“very important” to “extremely important”, with GPA requirements and internship or other work experience topping the list.

Other skills included strong work ethic, teeamwork skills, analytical skills and initiative.

Interested in a possible green career involving sustainability?

I guess I’ve tended to think of sustainable farming as something new. I just read an interesting article about Planter’s long history of sustainable farming, and their project to share their knowledge with cashew farmers in Africa. Take a look at SmartPlanet’s article “Mr. Peanut Goes to Africa.”

We just had an information session from the Student Conservation Association (SCA) who has amazing expense-paid internships in a wide variety of fields.

As a history nut, I was particularly drawn to their “Cultural Interpreter” and “Historical Educator” internships, as those at archeological sites. Oh, and then there were ones for GIS and GPS…..and so on. Interns work with agencies such as the National Park Service, National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other state or local agencies.

And not only are the internships expense paid opportunities, they also offer a lot of other benefits. Check them out at thesca.org.

Seems like every career or job search newsletter I receive this time of year reminds me that the Christmas holidays are NOT the time to put your job search on hold. Having received yet another reminder this week, I thought I would share the advice.

What other time of the year do you run into so many old friends, relatives, and others you haven’t seen since last December? And I’ll bet every one of them asks the same questions: What are you up to? Do you have a job? What kind of job are you looking for? Hummmm…. Sounds like maybe your potential networking speaking, perhaps?

Why not be prepared to give them great answers to their questions?

I will be graduating in May with my bachelor’s degree in English, and I am hoping to find a position in publishing. Right now, I’m trying to find someone who works in McGraw Hill or another publishing company to learn more about the industry. Do you know of anyone who has connections to the publishing industry? What advice do you have for me?

Brush off your elevator speech for all those holiday parties! Don’t just hang out with friends and the eggnog. Introduce yourself to other guests, and start a conversation. A great way is with a compliment to the guest or the host of the party. Remember, networking isn’t asking for a job – it’s asking for contacts, advice, and other help. It is also a two-way street, so be prepared to listen. While you won’t want to be passing your resume around at a party, you may want to bring business cards, or a least a notebook and pen to write down contact information and advice. Try to leave each party with a few new contacts. As always, be sure to follow up after the party!

Jobs don’t go away just because it is the end of the year. In fact, many companies have fiscal years that end with the calendar year and any approved jobs that they have may need to be filled by the end of their fiscal year or they risk needing to get re-approval.

Have you been too busy to have your resume critiqued? Want to meet with a career advisor for job search advice? The Career Development Center will be open much of the holiday break. Just call our office at 773-508-7716 to set up an appointment with a career advisor.

I’m sure that as a job seeker, you’ve often been told to use the professional networking site LinkedIn. Perhaps you played around with it, had a bit of success… or maybe not. Anyway, I just came across a great article on using LinkedIn for a job search, 9 Tips to Use LinkedIn to Help You Get Your Ideal Job on Gotta Mentor’s website. Check it out!

Tip 4 suggests that you join your School Group on LinkedIn – just search for the very active Loyola Alumni Group. And while you’re at the GottaMentor site, check out their other great articles for job seekers.