MSU Alumni Association ::.. Career Services eNewsletter

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Previous issues of Job Market Trends eNews are displayed below:

Michigan State University
Job Market Trends eNews, August 6, 2007

Welcome to the August issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

MSU alumni with resumes posted with Alumni Career Services receive this eNews to help with their job campaigning efforts. Employers with jobs posted in the job listings database receive this newsletter to keep them abreast of trends in the job market. Thank you for choosing MSU Alumni Career Services as your preferred internet-based employment resource.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Post a RESUME

Search JOB LISTINGS DATABASE

SUBSCRIBE to Job Postings

Get a RESUME CRITIQUE

Use JOB CAMPAIGNING TOOLKIT

JOIN MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)

Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)

View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com

Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you'll be a success." -- Albert Schweitzer, Humanitarian

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Climbs to a Six-Year High

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had dipped in June, rebounded in July. The Index now stands at 112.6 (1985=100), up from 105.3 in June. The Present Situation Index increased to 139.2 from 129.9 in June. The Expectations Index rose to 94.8 from 88.8. An improvement in business conditions and the job market has lifted consumers' spirits in July. The Present Situation Index is also at a near six-year high (August 2001 144.5). Looking ahead, consumers are more upbeat about short-term economic prospects, mainly the result of a decline in the number of pessimists, not an increase in the number of optimists. This rebound in confidence suggests economic activity may gather a little momentum in the coming months. More here.

Employment Increases in July, Unemployment Rate Remains Low, Earnings Up

Nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend up in July (+92,000), and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.6 percent. Over the first 7 months of 2007, job growth has averaged 136,000 per month, compared with an average monthly gain of 189,000 in 2006.

Average hourly earnings for private production and non-supervisory workers increased by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, in July to $17.45. This increase follows 7-cent gains in May and June. Over the year, average hourly earnings were up by 3.9 percent. More here.

Are 401(k) overseers doing their jobs?

By law, and on paper, companies that offer a 401(k) plan should have in place an investment committee. By law, and on paper, those investment committees should have in place criteria by which they will choose which mutual funds to offer employees. And they should have in place criteria by which they will keep or toss mutual funds from the menu being offered employees. More here.

Tame Email Beast by Giving It a Rest

Who doesn't like complaining about email? It's the computer technology that we can't live without, but which also seems to be doing a good job of ruining people's lives. AOL, which helped popularize email in the first place, has done yearly studies of email usage, studies that confirm the technology has, for many people, become an addiction. For example, a growing number of office workers plan their vacations around whether they will have access to email. It takes guts and leverage and some confidence in your career to be able to unplug from email. Hat's off to someone who does that, but you have to know the field you're in and the state of your career than you're in. More here.

Appeal of early retirement fades, and industries take note

Listen to the legendary Jack Welch, retired CEO of General Electric, on the sexy subject of retirement: "People don't want to sit on the beach just because they've hit 70. They're too vibrant. They want action: 70 is the new 55." Welch himself is 72 and keeps up an incandescent schedule of producing business best-sellers, giving high-fee speeches and consulting. Of course, not all of us can be as energetic and talented as Jack Welch, but more and more Americans are following his path in retirement. Increasingly, after we hit 62 or 65, we seek action -- not necessarily in full-time jobs, but in part-time work. More here

How Do You Tell Your Boss A Pay Raise Wasn't Adequate?
Employers need to see people are willing to take on more responsibility and not expect something different in their agreement around money. But you probably aren't right to keep quiet now. Employees frequently need to approach their managers when they feel underpaid due to new circumstances. Your best approach is likely to sit down with your boss to talk about it. The last thing you want to happen is to hand in your resignation and find out that your manager was working out a way to pay you more but you just didn't know. A promotional salary increase may be justified, but understand that for individual contributors who move into management raises typically range from 10% to 15% of base salary. If your recent raise was within this range, your company may not be willing to pay you more at this time. More here.

Four Signs Your Job Is In Jeopardy

Is your job on the chopping block? It's a very real possibility. Americans under the age of 30 stand a 90% chance of getting canned at least once over the next 20 years, reports CareerBuilder.com, a Web site for job hunters. But how do you know when your time has come? More here

When Your Boss Is Always Breathing Down Your Neck

The relationship with a boss may seem different. After all, you probably don't share much personal information with her beyond that you're going to be late because you have a doctor's appointment. But because you spend so much time together in a tight space, you're likely to concentrate a large amount of your thoughts and energy on her. If you have a bad relationship, often even the smallest thing she does can make you angry with her. More here.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

Employers, Post Job Listings!

Registration is needed the first time you access this website so you can select a User Name and Password. This service is FREE to prospective employers. After registering, you may login with your User Name and Password, and then post your own job listings. In addition you can review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; search resumes of MSU alumni for outstanding job applicants, and enter job listings directly onto the website using word processing formats. REGISTER on the employer website.

Jobs@msualum.com

Send job listings to jobs@msualum.com if you DO NOT WANT to review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; or search for resumes of MSU alumni. However, it is most advantageous to post your own job listings. It is quick, easy, and not very time-consuming at all.

Did You Find A Job?

MSU alumni, let us know when you find a job, so we remove your resume from the Resume Database on the Alumni Career Services website. Give us your new organization name, city and state, and job title of your new position for our records. You may reply to this message. Thanks much!

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

To subscribe to this FREE Job Market Trends eNews publication, send a message SUBSCRIBE JOBMARKET to LISTSERV@MAIL2.ALUMNI.MSU.EDU To unsubscribe, send a message SIGNOFF JOBMARKET to LISTSERV@MAIL2.ALUMNI.MSU.EDU

Michigan State University

Job Market Trends eNews, June 13, 2007

Welcome to the June issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

MSU alumni with resumes posted with Alumni Career Services receive this eNews to help with their job campaigning efforts. Employers with jobs posted in the job listings database receive this newsletter to keep them abreast of trends in the job market. Thank you for choosing MSU Alumni Career Services as your preferred internet-based employment resource.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Post a RESUME

Search JOB LISTINGS DATABASE

SUBSCRIBE to Job Postings

Get a RESUME CRITIQUE

Use JOB CAMPAIGNING TOOLKIT

JOIN MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)

Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)

View EMPLOYER TOOLKIT

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com

Phone: 517-355-7698

90 Second Survey, Help the MSU Alumni Association

Please take 90 seconds or less to complete the MSU Alumni Association survey. Your opinion is very important. More here.

Thought for Success

“The second and perhaps greater hazard is that individuals don’t know what they don’t know and, worse yet, don’t know that they don’t know.” – Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Improves In May

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased in April, bounced back in May. The Index now stands at 108.0 (1985=100), up from 106.3 in April. The Present Situation Index increased to 136.1 from 133.5 in April. The Expectations Index edged up to 89.2 from 88.2. More here.

Employment Increases In May, But Increase Below Last Year

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 157,000 in May to 137.8 million. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent. Job growth continued in a number of service- providing industries, while employment declined in manufacturing. In the first 5 months of 2007, payroll job growth averaged 133,000 per month, compared with 189,000 per month in 2006. Average hourly earnings for private production and non- supervisory workers rose by 6 cents (0.3 percent) to $17.30 in May. Over the year, average hourly earnings increased by 3.8 percent. More here.

The Elevator Speech is the Swiss Army Knife of Job-Search Tools

By now the Elevator Speech is a fairly well-known tool, not only for job-seekers but for organizations and individuals with products and services to sell. Whatever the exact origin, the Elevator Speech is an exceptionally useful and versatile tool in numerous situations. More here.

Updating Your Resume: Create a Historical Perspective

The basis of every good resume is a full and complete history. If you have not already done so, take the time to create an historical perspective by listing everything you have ever done - volunteer or paid. Include the duration of the job or activity, the time basis (full time, and percentage of full time), and the major duties - as well as the traditional who, when and where. Someplace you should also identify the major skills you used as you performed the duties. Everyone should maintain an historical resume that shows all the information mentioned above. Over time, your historical resume can fill several pages. To find more information on an historical resume, click here. Once your historical resume is updated, you should prepare your one-page job campaigning resume. You never know when you will need to start a job campaign…internal or external. Members of the MSU Alumni Association can receive a FREE resume and cover letter critique. Compared to outside resume writers who charge an average of $150 per resume and cover letter, the price of membership in the MSU alumni Association is peanuts. MSU alumni and friends can join.

Ensure a Newly Created Job Has Staying Power

More job seekers could find themselves in freshly created positions as companies revamp operations to cope with expanding markets, takeovers or financial crises. This high-risk situation "stresses people's emotional and psychological resources," says Rebecca Schalm, an industrial psychologist at RHR International, an executive-coaching firm. More here.

What to Ask Yourself About Retirement

When it comes to planning for retirement, most people focus first on money: Am I saving enough? Is my nest egg big enough? Yes, a healthy savings account is important for later life. But unless you have a good idea about what you want to do in retirement -- how you plan to fill your days and what your new lifestyle might cost -- questions about the size and adequacy of your nest egg are premature. Here are some steps for individuals to take when figuring out the life they want to lead in their 50s and beyond. More here.

Rise of Midlevel Professionals

Physician assistants constitute a rapidly expanding category of professionals that is like a warrant officer in the armed forces -- somewhere between an enlisted man and an officer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that physician assistants are the fourth fastest-growing profession in the country. They are going into fields that require less paperwork and shorter hours than the 60 per week that have become the norm in many fields. Small wonder then that talented people are choosing to become paralegals instead of lawyers, electricians instead of electrical engineers, bookkeepers instead of accountants, opticians instead of ophthalmologists. More here.

Hiring Plans Hold Steady

Company hiring plans for the third quarter remain unchanged from the second quarter, halting a slow decline in hiring plans over the previous year, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. Eighteen percent of firms surveyed said they'll be hiring in the upcoming third quarter, the same portion who said they intended to hire in the second quarter, according to the Manpower report. More here.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

Employers, Post Job Listings!

Jobs@msualum.com

Send job listings to jobs@msualum.com if you must, but then you cannot review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; or search resumes for outstanding MSU alumni. It is most advantageous to post your own job listings; it is quick, easy, and not time-consuming at all.

Did You Find A Job?

MSU alumni and friends, let us know when you find a job, so we remove your resume from the Resume Database on the Alumni Career Services website. Give us your new organization name, city and state, and job title of your new position for our records. You may reply to this message. Thanks much!

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

Thank you for thinking of Michigan State University alumni and friends when hiring new employees! Go Green!

Michigan State University
Job Market Trends eNews, May 7, 2007

Welcome to the May issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

MSU alumni with resumes posted with Alumni Career Services receive this eNews to help with their job campaigning efforts. Employers with jobs posted in the job listings database receive this newsletter to keep them abreast of trends in the job market. Thank you for choosing MSU Alumni Career Services as your preferred internet-based employment resource.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)
Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)
View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com
Phone: 517-355-7698

90 Second Survey, Help the MSU Alumni Association

Please take 90 seconds or less to take the MSU Alumni Association’s survey. Your opinion is very important. More here.

Thought for Success

“When one door closes, another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell, inventor

Spartan Business Card - Networking Directory

A new service of Alumni Career Services is the perfect networking resource for job campaigning and for business development. Let other Spartans know where you work and what you do. Post your business information here. This is a new benefit of Alumni Association membership. Not a Member? Join Online. Search the Spartan Business Directory by keyword (i.e. individual name, company name, position, etc.), location (city and state), and business type. Post your card here.

Eroding Expectations Continue Consumer Confidence Decline in April

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased in March, retreated further in April. The Index now stands at 104.0 (1985=100), down from 108.2 in March. The Present Situation Index decreased to 131.3 from 138.5 in March. The Expectations Index declined to 85.8 from 87.9. Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: "Unlike the decline in March, which was solely the result of apprehension about the short-term outlook, this month's decline was a combination of weakening expectations and a less favorable assessment of present-day conditions. Rising prices at the gas pump continue to play a key role in dampening consumers' short-term expectations. The decline in the Present Situation Index — the first decline in six months — warrants monitoring in the months ahead, as further declines would suggest a softening in growth." More here.

April Unemployment Rate Remained Unchanged

Nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 88,000 in April to 137.7 million. In the first 4 months of 2007, payroll job growth averaged 129,000 per month, down from 189,000 per month in 2006. In April, job gains continued in some service-providing industries, while employment fell in retail trade and manufacturing. The unemployment rate, at 4.5 percent, was essentially unchanged over the month and has ranged from 4.4 to 4.6 percent since last September. Average hourly earnings for private production and nonsupervisory workers rose by 4 cents to $17.25 in April. Over the year, average hourly earnings increased by 3.7 percent, down from the recent high of 4.3 percent in December. More here.

An M.B.A. Is Not Enough

An M.B.A. provides the strong general education that an executive needs but it does not teach the skills needed in the day-to-day operation of a business, according to a survey of international executives. Only 20% of the executives surveyed said that an M.B.A. prepares people to deal with the real-life challenges that a manager must face, according to the survey of 133 top executives at firms in the U.S., U.K., France and Germany by Egon Zehnder International, an executive search firm. Among the executives surveyed, 40% hold an M.B.A. themselves. More here.

The Art of Showing Pure Incompetence

Strategic incompetence is not about having a strategy that fails, but a failure that succeeds. It almost always works to deflect work one does not want to do -- without ever having to admit it. For junior staffers, it is a way of attaining power through powerlessness. For managers, it can juice their status by pretending to be incapable of lowly tasks. In all cases, it is a ritualistic charade. The only thing the person claiming not to understand really does not understand is that the victim ultimately stuck with the work sees through the false incompetence. More here.

Employers Flexible, But Workers Still Leave Vacation On Table: Survey

A survey of 2,082 workers by Hudson, a recruitment-services provider, indicates that employers seem to appreciate the need for flexibility when it comes to extra personal time. More than three-quarters of the survey's respondents rated their employers favorably when it comes to allowing them extra time for personal matters, while 80% said their bosses are very or somewhat accepting if they need to stay home sick. Despite the favorable view on employers, more than half of the respondents said they do not use all of their vacation time, with 30% indicating that they use less than half of their allotted personal time. More here.

How To Make A Graceful Job Exit

Gone are the days of starting a career with one company and staying with it for 30 years or more. Today's workplace is more fluid then ever; according to the Bureau of Labor, 20-somethings change jobs every 18 months, while a 2004 U.S. job recovery and retention survey concluded that 75% of all workers are looking for a new job. But just because everyone is doing it does not mean they are doing it right. If you get a new job, it is crucial that you leave your old one gracefully -- for both your colleagues and your career. You may cross paths professionally with co-workers again, and you also do not want to tarnish your reputation as an honest, upright colleague. More here.

Read This and Weep: Crying At Work Gains Acceptance

Crying at work has long been seen as verboten. But there's evidence that a growing number of workers, especially those in their 20s and 30s, see it differently. Some think it is old-fashioned to hide your emotions. Others are quick to cry over negative feedback. And many find themselves at odds with managers who grew up with a more repressive definition of professional conduct. More here.

Start Your New Job Right

You made it past the multiple rounds of interviews, background checks and countless hoops. Congratulations -- you got the job! So now what? Many employees forget that the real hard work begins after they start a new job, not in the steps it took to get it. Yes, you have sufficiently wowed your future employers so they decided to hire you. But it is important to make a solid first impression on the job and assure them that they did not make a mistake. Martin Yate, professional development counselor and author of "Knock 'Em Dead: The Ultimate Job Seeker's Guide," says there are several things to keep in mind when starting at a new company. More here.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

Employers, Post Job Listings!

Jobs@msualum.com

Did You Find A Job?

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

Michigan State University

Job Market Trends eNews, April 12, 2007

Welcome to the April issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

MSU alumni with resumes posted with Alumni Career Services receive this eNews to help with their job campaigning efforts. Employers with jobs posted in the job listings database receive this newsletter to keep them abreast of trends in the job market. Thank you for choosing MSU Alumni Career Services as your preferred internet-based employment resource.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)
Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)
View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com

Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

“Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens, author

Spartan Business Card - Networking Directory

Networking Opportunity. This new service of Alumni Career Services is the perfect networking resource for job campaigning and for business development. Let other Spartans know where you work and what you do. ADD your business information here. This is a new benefit of Alumni Association membership. Not a Member? Join Online. Search the Spartan Business Directory by keyword (i.e. individual name, company name, position, etc.), location (city and state), and business type. Post your card here.

Eroding Expectations Cause a Retreat In Consumer Confidence Index

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased in February, retreated in March. The Index now stands at 107.2 (1985=100), down from 111.2 in February. The Expectations Index declined to 86.9 from 93.8. The Present Situation Index increased slightly to 137.6 from 137.1 in February. Consumers' overall assessment of present-day conditions was little changed in March. Those claiming conditions are "good" dipped to 28.3 percent from 28.7 percent. Those saying conditions are "bad" was virtually unchanged at 14.9 percent.

Labor market conditions remain mixed. Consumers saying jobs are "hard to get" increased to 19.1 percent from 17.9 percent. Those claiming jobs are "plentiful," however, increased to 30.5 percent from 27.8 percent in February. This series now stands at a five-and-a-half year high (August 2001, 33.6 percent). More here.

March Unemployment Rate Remained Unchanged

Nonfarm payroll employment grew by 180,000 to 137.6 million in March. The unemployment rate, at 4.4 percent, was essentially unchanged. Construction employment rose sharply over the month; retail trade and health care also added jobs. Average hourly earnings increased by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent. Average hourly earnings for private production and nonsupervisory workers rose by 6 cents to $17.22 in March. Over the year, average hourly earnings increased by 4.0 percent. The number of unemployed persons, 6.7 million, was little changed in March. The unemployment rate, at 4.4 percent, has been in a narrow range of 4.4 to 4.6 percent since last September. In March, the number of persons unemployed less than 5 weeks fell by 273,000 to 2.3 million. More here.

Top 10 positions for which employers seek workers

Sales representatives, teachers and mechanics are the top three jobs for which employers are struggling to find workers, according to a survey released Thursday by Manpower Inc. Overall, 41% of firms surveyed said they're struggling to find qualified workers for at least one position, according to the survey of 2,400 U.S. firms. The survey asked each company, "Are you having difficulty filling jobs due to lack of available talent?" If they said yes, the survey asked, "What is the one job you are having the most difficulty filling?" Sales representatives topped the list. That category includes retail sales and business-to-business sales, but not telemarketers, said Melanie Holmes, vice president of corporate affairs at Manpower, in a telephone interview. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics "projects that an additional 736,000 retail sales people and an additional 187,000 sales representatives are going to be required by 2014," she said. Teachers, the No. 2 job most in need of filling in the survey, includes elementary and post-secondary teachers, she said, noting the BLS projects an additional need for 524,000 post-secondary teachers and 265,000 elementary-school teachers by 2014. More Here.

If your 401(k) includes your company's stock, a rollover may be a bad move

When employees who own company stock in their 401(k) or profit-sharing plan retire or leave their employer, they have to become experts in evaluating what to do with that money. That means learning about "net unrealized appreciation" or NUA. Thanks in large part to the Enron fiasco, fewer workers invest a large chunk of their 401(k) in their own company's stock. The portion of participants' savings invested in company stock has dropped steadily over the years, to 13% in 2005 from 19% in 1996. But that 13% still represents a huge chunk of money for many 401(k) participants. And it represents a crash course in NUA. Not surprisingly, flunking the course can be expensive. What's more, flunking the course seems almost a certainty. "The average person doesn't have a shot at understanding this," says Mark Cortazzo, senior partner with MACRO Consulting Group. At present, workers leaving their company have four options, according to Robert Keebler, a partner with Virchow, Krause & Company, who wrote a brief on the subject for MFS.

More here.

Five Signals That You May Be a Workaholic

In the age of the BlackBerry, laptop and cell phone, distinguishing between workaholics and people just doing what's expected in their jobs can be difficult. A workaholic is addicted to working, devoting excessive hours to a job and sometimes becoming anxious when unable to do so, says Dr. Robinson, a psychotherapist in Asheville, N.C., who treats workaholics and other addicts. More here.

What Job Seekers Can Gain From Blogs About Recruiting

The blogosphere has become a virtual career center for job hunters seeking advice.

In recent years, scores of blogs on various topics related to recruiting have cropped up. Most are written by human-resources professionals, career experts, executive-search consultants and recruiting-technology gurus. Some of the blogs also have job ads from employers. Here's a sampling of blogs about recruiting and what job hunters can learn from reading them. More here.

Being Helpful Is the Secret To Business Networking

For some people, networking is almost as important as breathing. The more events they attend and the more people they meet, the happier they are. For others, it's as painful as pulling toenails. Networking needn't be painful, and it's something that builds on itself. People want to be helpful, and once you start making contacts, relationships can grow exponentially. The first thing to realize is that networking is simply seeking and sharing information with others. By making this one of your goals, your boss is saying you'll be a more effective employee if you connect with more people. More Here

Do I Have to Admit I'm Job-Hunting?

Be fair to yourself by seeing this as an opportunity for both you and the company to benefit. Once we step outside of the box and consider the ways in which we can take all of our ethical responsibilities into account, it becomes easier to find the best possible solution. You are at a crossroads in your professional life, and you might use this opportunity to explore with your boss what is bothering you and how your concerns could be addressed in a way that would be advantageous to you and the company. Let's also assume that even if your boss never made clear that he expects you to tell him about your desire to move on, the ethical principle of fairness suggests that your boss may very well be entitled to know about your wish to leave. You might understandably fear retaliation from your boss if you are truthful now. How could it be the case, then, that ethics requires putting your company's interests above your own? Can loyalty truly require jeopardizing oneself? More here.

But I deserved that promotion!

So your employer hired an outside candidate for that big job you wanted? Here's why and what to do next. Recruiting-industry research shows that, when competing against outsiders for a bigger job, only about one-third of internal candidates win. John Salveson, a principal at headhunting firm Salveson Stetson Group says there are several reasons why companies launch external searches even when they have strong candidates already on the payroll. More here.

FREE Employer Toolkit for Successful Recruiting

A new FREE resource is available to employers from MSU Alumni Career Services. Readers of Job Market Trends eNews can receive the Toolkit by simply emailing a request to Alumni Career Services.

FREE Job Campaigning Toolkit
A FREE job campaigning resource is available to job seekers as well. Readers of Job Market Trends eNews, MSU alumni, and friends of Michigan State University can receive the Toolkit by simply emailing a request to Alumni Career Services.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

Employers, Post Job Listings!

Jobs@msualum.com

Did You Find A Job?

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

Michigan State University
Job Market Trends eNews, March 5, 2007

Welcome to the March issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Post a RESUME

Search JOB LISTINGS DATABASE

SUBSCRIBE to Job Postings

Get a RESUME CRITIQUE

Use JOB CAMPAIGNING TOOLKIT

JOIN MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)

Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)

View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com

Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

“The longer you wait to decide what you want to do, the more time you’re wasting. It’s up to you to want something so badly that your passion shows through in your actions. Your actions, not your words, will do the shouting for you.” – Derek Jeter, baseball player

Spartan Business - Networking Directory

Networking Opportunity. This new service of Alumni Career Services is the perfect networking resource for job campaigning and for business development. Let other Spartans know where you work and what you do. ADD your business information here. This is a new benefit of Alumni Association membership. Not a Member? Join Online. Search the Spartan Business Directory by keyword (i.e. individual name, company name, position, etc.), location (city and state), and business type. Post your card here.

Consumer Confidence Remains at Five Year High In February

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had marginally increased in January, improved in February. The Index now stands at 112.5 (1985=100), up from 110.2 in January. The Present Situation Index increased to 139.0 from 133.9. The Expectations Index edged up slightly to 94.8 from 94.4 last month. Says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center: "Consumer Confidence now stands at a five-and-a-half year high (August 2001, 114.0), as improving present-day business conditions and an easing in the proportion of consumers claiming jobs are hard to get have combined to lift consumers' spirits.” More here.

FREE Employer Toolkit for Successful Recruiting

A new FREE resource is available to employers from MSU Alumni Career Services. Readers of Job Market Trends eNews can receive the Toolkit by simply emailing a request to Alumni Career Services.

FREE Job Campaigning Toolkit
A FREE job campaigning resource is available to job seekers as well. Readers of Job Market Trends eNews, MSU alumni, and friends of Michigan State University can receive the Toolkit by simply emailing a request to Alumni Career Services.

Identity Theft Still Top Consumer Worry: FTC

For the seventh straight year, identity-theft complaints were at the top of list of consumer complaints in 2006, the Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday. About 36% of all complaints received by the FTC were related to identity theft. This was much higher percentage than the next complaint categories involving shop-at-home catalogs and sweepstakes, which both received 7% of complaints. More here

Employees Choose Phone Over Email

In the beginning there was spam, and the world saw that it was bad, including Stephen Jukuri. But he has changed his mind. "I love it," he gushes. "I can get rid of it. Delete. Delete. Delete." What craters Mr. Jukuri's day is deciding if, when and how to respond to his normal email. "Now that anyone can email me about anything, they seem to," he says. "Every single 'Forward' I've ever gotten fits into that category." That's why the telephone is looking ever better these days. "If Bill Gates invented the telephone and Alexander Graham Bell invented email," notes Dennis Fluegel, a retired senior project manager, "we would all be saying, 'You should get one of these telephones, you can actually talk to someone, hear what they are saying, and you don't have to use a keyboard!' " More here

What's the Best Way to Pick A Career Counselor or Coach?

The process of finding a career coach or counselor is the same as that for finding any other professional, such as a dentist or personal trainer. Consider what you need or hope to accomplish and then do research to locate someone who's qualified to address your issues.

Career counselors usually specialize in helping clients determine appropriate career paths or with their overall job-search strategy. Coaches might focus more on helping to achieve a career goal or improving a specific skill, such as interviewing. More here

When You're Expected to Stay Late At the Expense of Your Home Life

My job is destroying my family life. I'm working 60-hour weeks with no bonus or extra pay. Days off are full of constant emails and calls from work. Although management tells us to take compensatory time off, we're regarded as uncommitted when we do. I've tried to talk to management about the problem but nothing happens. More here

Women Outpace Men In Number of New Jobs
Women took on slightly more than half of U.S. jobs created in the first part of the decade and made gains in securing the most lucrative openings. Women posted a net increase of 1.7 million jobs paying above the median salary, while men gained a net increase of just over 220,000 of such positions, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report for the years 2000-2005. More here

Labor Market Is Strong, But There Are Signs That Small Cracks Are Developing

The headlines in the past month have been troubling. "Chrysler to fire 13,000." "Kodak says pink slips will hit 30,000." "Hershey to kiss 1,500 workers goodbye." Layoff announcements certainly get a lot of attention, both on Wall Street and on the production lines. Sometimes it seems as if no one's job is safe as the corporate world relentlessly transforms itself with mergers, restructurings, bankruptcies and constant cost-cutting. "I'd say there's nothing to worry about at all" right now, said Richard DeKaser, chief economist for National City Bank in Cleveland. He noted that layoffs reported by Challenger averaged just 70,000 a month in 2006. "They are scary low," compared with the height of layoffs in 2001 and 2002, when more than twice as many layoffs were announced each month. As evidence of underlying strength, the national unemployment rate was 4.6% in January, not much higher than the cyclical low of 4.4%. The jobless rate is so low; in fact, that the Federal Reserve is more worried about an acceleration of wages leading to higher prices than it is about a growth slowdown. More here

Seven Tips to Transition to a New Career

Whether you're in an industry that's desperately seeking workers or one that's continually announcing layoffs, you've likely toyed with thoughts of dropping everything to follow your dream career. But making that leap is often difficult. For some workers, now might be a good time to consider a switch. The national unemployment rate was 4.6% in January and 2.1% for those with a college degree according to the U.S. Labor Department. The employment picture "really gives job seekers a cushion that doesn't always exist," said John Challenger, chief executive of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "There is a lot of demand right now for skilled workers" in many industries, he said. If the job change you make doesn't work out, you're not necessarily facing a dire job market, he said.

More here

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

Employers, Post Job Listings!

Registration is needed the first time you access this website so you can select a User Name and Password. This service is FREE to prospective employers. After registering, you may login with your User Name and Password, and then post your own job listings. In addition you can review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; search resumes of MSU alumni for outstanding job applicants, and enter job listings directly onto the website using word processing formats. REGISTER on the employer website.

Jobs@msualum.com

Send job listings to jobs@msualum.com if you DO NOT WANT to review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; or search for resumes of MSU alumni. However, it is most advantageous to post your own job listings. It is quick, easy, and not very time-consuming at all.

Did You Find A Job?

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

To subscribe to this FREE Job Market Trends eNews publication, send a message SUBSCRIBE JOBMARKET to LISTSERV@MAIL2.ALUMNI.MSU.EDU To unsubscribe, send a message SIGNOFF JOBMARKET to LISTSERV@MAIL2.ALUMNI.MSU.EDU

Michigan State University
Job Market Trends eNews, February 8, 2007

Welcome to the February issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

MSU alumni with resumes posted with Alumni Career Services receive this eNews to help with their job campaigning efforts. Employers with jobs posted in the job listings database receive this newsletter to keep them abreast of trends in the job market. Thank you for choosing MSU Alumni Career Services as your preferred internet-based employment resource.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Post a RESUME

Search JOB LISTINGS DATABASE

SUBSCRIBE to Job Postings

Get a RESUME CRITIQUE

Use JOB CAMPAIGNING TOOLKIT

JOIN MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)

Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)

View EMPLOYER TOOLKIT FOR SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com

Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. IF you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett, investor

Spartan Business - Networking Directory

Payroll Employment Rose for January
Payroll employment through the United States increased by 111,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.6 percent. Payroll employment rose by 196,000 in November and by 206,000 in December (as revised). Average hourly earnings for private production and nonsupervisory workers increased by 3 cents in January to $17.09, a gain of 0.2 percent. Over the year, average hourly earnings rose by 4.0 percent. More here.

Consumer Confidence Inches to Five Year High In January

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had improved in December, edged up slightly in January. The Index now stands at 110.3 (1985=100), up from 110.0 in December. The Present Situation Index increased to 133.9 from 130.5. The Expectations Index, however, declined to 94.5 from 96.3 last month. "This month's slight increase in confidence was solely the result of an improvement in the Present Situation Index, fueled primarily by a more favorable job market," says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. "Looking ahead, however, consumers are not as optimistic as they were in December. All in all, the Index suggests a moderate improvement in the pace of growth in early 2007." More here.

How to Succeed in 2007
Business 2.0 Magazine asked 50 of the best and the brightest business leaders how they do what they do so well. Embedded in the 50 short takes on the website are some pearls of wisdom that might propel your career to new heights in 2007. More here .

Smart Salary Negotiation Strategies Can Make You Rich

The biggest salary increases almost always come from changing jobs and companies. These increases can be 20–30% higher than the old job. Some of my clients have seen 40–50% increases, and a few clients actually doubled their salaries. Lately, I find employers are open to negotiating salaries and are paying more than ever. More here.

Rise of False Deadline Means The Truly Urgent May Be Late
In many offices, setting false deadlines has became as chronic as breaking them. False deadlines are just that: moving little bars around. There are certainly legitimate reasons to impose early deadlines. Some people have never met one they didn't bust, for example. And certain office archetypes, such as people whose work won't turn out right until the ninth iteration, can invite early deadlines that aren't necessarily false but seem that way. Sometimes the difficulty of predicting workflow can make deadlines seem earlier in retrospect than they needed to be. More here.

Tips for Safeguarding Your Online Reputation

The Web could hurt your job prospects, according to a 2006 ExecuNet survey of 100 executive recruiters. About 35% of respondents said they eliminated a candidate based on information found online, up from around 26% a year earlier. Among the reasons cited for eliminating candidates: misstated academic qualifications, odd personal habits, legal proceedings against a former employer and a suspended driver's license. More here.

When an Employee Brings on the Waterworks

When did it become OK for women to cry in the office? When I, a baby boomer, was coming up, no "professional" was ever allowed to cry. But when I recently completed employee reviews, two employees burst into tears. Both received glowing feedback overall, but lost it when I mentioned one small point needing improvement. Does this mark some sort of generational change? More here.

Nearly Half of Workers Mull Job Change

Of respondents to a CNNMoney.com online poll, 49 percent expect to find a new position in the coming year, whether through job search or promotion. In an online poll created as part of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For coverage, CNNMoney asked readers "Do you expect to change jobs soon?" and found that many people were on the hunt. Of the respondents, 21 percent indicated they were already job-hunting, while 21 percent said they would start looking sometime this year. Seven percent expected to be promoted in 2007. Of respondents, 42 percent said they were happy where they were. And eight percent were "not sure." Over 11,000 respondents answered the questions. More here.

FREE Employer Toolkit for Successful Recruiting

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

Employers: Post Job Listings Here!
Registration is needed the first time you access this website so you can select a User Name and Password. This service is FREE to prospective employers. After registering, you may login with your User Name and Password, and then post your own job listings. In addition you can review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; search resumes of MSU alumni for outstanding job applicants, and enter job listings directly onto the website using word processing formats. REGISTER on the employer website.

Jobs@msualum.com

Send job listings to jobs@msualum.com if you DO NOT WANT to review, edit, or delete your own job listings; extend or reduce job posting deadlines; or search for resumes of MSU alumni. However, it is most advantageous that you post your own job listings. It is quick, easy, and not very time-consuming at all.

Did You Find A Job?
MSU alumni, let us know when you find a job, so we may remove your resume from the Resume Database on the Alumni Career Services website. Give us your new organization name, city and state, and job title of your new position for our records. You may reply to this message. Thanks much!

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.
Director, Alumni Career Services
MSU Alumni Association
242 Spartan Way
East Lansing, MI 48824-2005
Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265
Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

Michigan State University
Job Market Trends eNews, January 8, 2007

Welcome to the January issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Post a RESUME

Search JOB LISTINGS DATABASE

SUBSCRIBE to Job Postings

Get a RESUME CRITIQUE

Use JOB CAMPAIGNING TOOLKIT

JOIN MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)

Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)

View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com

Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average person, you are just not cut out for positions at the top. – J. C. Penney

Payroll Employment Rose for December

Payroll employment rose by 167,000 in December, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5 percent. In 2006, payroll employment increased by 1.8 million, or an average of 153,000 per month. In December, average hourly earnings increased by 8 cents, or 0.5 percent. Over the year, average hourly earnings rose by 4.2 percent. More here.

Consumer Confidence Improves In December

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which was virtually unchanged in November, improved in December. The Index now stands at 109.0 (1985=100), up from 105.3 in November. The Present Situation Index increased to 129.9 from 125.4. The Expectations Index improved to 95.1 from 91.9 last month. Consumers' overall assessment of present-day conditions was more upbeat than in November. Those claiming conditions are "bad" decreased to 14.6 percent from 16.2 percent. Those saying conditions are "good," however, edged down to 27.2 percent from 27.5 percent. Labor market conditions also improved from last month. Consumers saying jobs are "hard to get" declined to 21.2 percent from 22.1 percent. Those claiming jobs are "plentiful" increased to 26.9 percent from 25.7 percent in November. More here.

MSU Career Fairs

This is just a quick reminder of the Career Fair opportunities this spring. Please pass this information along to MSU students and alumni. For more information on all the events or to review the list of organizations attending each event, go to www.careernetwork.msu.edu and click on Career Events/Recruiting Calendar.

Diversity Career Fair

Thursday, January 18, 2007

6:00-8:00 p.m.

Kellogg Center-entire main level

This year's event is bigger than ever with 150 employers from a wide variety of industries. This event is open to all students, all majors, all colleges and alumni are invited to attend. More Career Fairs here.

When to Disclose Your Social Security Number

Question: A couple of prospective employers are asking that I provide them with my social security number on their applications for employment, but because of identity theft, I do not feel comfortable doing this. Should I do it?

Answer: Until you receive an offer of employment or are into the final stages of negotiating a final job offer, do not provide your social security number. During interviews, it is legal to ask if you have the legal right to work in the United States. After you are hired, an employer may legally request: A copy of your birth certificate, your marital status (married or single only), proof of citizenship, a photograph, physical examination and drug testing, and a copy of your social security card.

First Things First by Stephen R. Covey, Ph.D.

What are the first things in your life? One good way to answer that question is by asking other questions: "What is unique about me? What are my unique gifts? What is it that I can do that no one else can do? For instance, who else can be a father to your child? A grandparent to your grandchildren? Who else can teach your students? Who else can lead your company? Who else can be a mother to your baby? In a sense, we all have our "babies," meaning some demanding new project or product. Each of us has unique talents and capabilities and an important work to do in life. The tragedy is that our unique contribution is often never made because the important "first things" in our lives are choked out by other urgent things. More here.

Be A Trustworthy Co-Worker To Make It To The Top

Winning friends may not be the way to influence people -- at least not at work. A new national survey concludes that employees aren't looking for fun and friends in the workplace. What they really want is trust. More here.

Companies Strive to Find True Stars for Raises, Bonus

New research indicates that workers from low-level service employees up through the executive ranks can once again expect only moderate raises in base pay for the coming year. In a survey of 227 midsize and large employers to be released today, Philadelphia based Mercer Human Resource Consulting found that companies expect to dole out average annual pay raises for 2007 of 3.6% to 3.7%. More here.

Eight Resolutions to Enhance Your Career

Careers are easy to neglect. If the paychecks keep coming and the boss is tolerable, most people get into a routine and direct their attention elsewhere. While that's an adequate way to put bread on the table, it probably won't win you any big raises or promotions. So, whether you're hoping to stay at your current employer or thinking you'll move to another firm at some point, here are eight job resolutions to help you jumpstart your career in 2007. More here.

A Recruiter of Recruiters

Executive-search professionals are on the hunt for their own kind. Demand for recruiters has grown amid the improving U.S. economy and is expected to continue to rise through the first half of 2007, says Janet Jones-Parker, managing director of Jones-Parker/Starr, a Chapel Hill, N.C., search firm. Ms. Jones-Parker recently discussed the job-market prospects for executive-search professionals with CareerJournal.com. More here.

Business Week's Business Book Best-Seller List

The list is based on a survey of chain and independent booksellers that carry a broad selection of books on economics, management, sales and marketing, small business, investing, personal finance, and careers. Well over 1,000 retail outlets nationwide are represented. Current rankings are based on a weighted analysis of unit sales in November. Titles on the Best-Seller list for more than two years appear as Long-Running Best-Sellers. More here.

Should I 'fess Up to Lying on My Résumé?

Last year I applied for a prestigious job with a major company and was accepted. I'm now up for a performance review, and I'm troubled by something I did to get the job: I lied on my résumé. It wasn't a big lie, but it was definitely an "untruth." Specifically, I said that I had a double major in business and philosophy. I thought it would make me look well-rounded. In fact, I took only a few philosophy courses so it's not as though I completely made it up. But it didn't amount to a second major. More here.

FREE Career Planning and Job Campaigning Toolkit

A FREE resource available to the readers of Michigan State University Alumni Career Services Job Market Trends eNews; simply email your request to Alumni Career Services.

New Feature: Networking Events

Networking events are announced in each edition when they are scheduled. The event must be open to all MSU alumni and be of general interest to most readers. Local Alumni Club events are welcome. Information must be submitted to Dr. Scheetz six (6) weeks prior to the event. The event information must include location, date, time, target audience, and a contact for further information.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

New Job Listings Needed!

Additional job listings are needed to help MSU alumni find new employment opportunities. If your organization has job openings, please post your own job listings at Add a Job or submit your job listings in email messages or as email attachments to jobs@msualum.com so our office can post them.

Did You Find A Job?

MSU alumni, let us know when you find a job, so we may remove your resume from the Resume Database at www.msualum.com Give us your new organization name, city and state, and job title of your new position for our records. You may reply to this message. Thanks much!

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

To subscribe to this FREE Job Market Trends eNews publication, send a message SUBSCRIBE JOBMARKET to LISTSERV@MAIL2.ALUMNI.MSU.EDU to unsubscribe, send SIGNOFF JOBMARKET to LISTSERV@MAIL2.ALUMNI.MSU.EDU

Michigan State University

Job Market Trends eNews, December 11, 2006

Welcome to the December issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)
Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)
View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com
Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you." -- Dale Carnegie

Employment Report for November

Payroll employment rose by 132,000 in November, and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.5 percent. The November employment gain followed increases of 203,000 in September and 79,000 in October (as revised). Average hourly earnings for private production and nonsupervisory workers increased 3 cents in November to $16.94, a gain of 0.2 percent. Over the year, average hourly earnings rose by 4.1 percent. More here.

Consumer Confidence Declines Again In November

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which edged down in October, declined further in November. The Index now stands at 102.9 (1985=100), down from 105.1 in October. The Present Situation Index decreased to 123.6 from 125.1. The Expectations Index declined to 89.2 from 91.9 last month. "A tighter labor market and a more guarded short-term outlook have combined to curb consumers' confidence in November," says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. "Despite this retreat in confidence, the overall level of confidence remains favorable and continues to suggest that the economy will expand throughout the first half of next year." More here.

Moral Compassing by Stephen R. Covey

Principles are proven, enduring guidelines for human conduct. Certain principles govern human effectiveness. The six major world religions all teach the same basic core beliefs - such principles as "you reap what you sow" and "actions are more important than words." I find global consensus around what "true north" principles are. These are not difficult to detect. They are objective, basic, unarguable: "You can't have trust without being trustworthy" and "You can't talk yourself out of a problem you behave yourself into." More

Personal Career Mission Statement

The business world is always attaching itself to the latest "in" topics and buzzwords. In the '80s everyone was talking about the "paradigm shift" and in the '90s, it was "re-engineering." In the new millennium, every company, large and small, has developed a company mission statement. Now they are asking job applicants to develop a personal career focus, so take the time to prepare your personal career mission statement. Not because it is the "in" thing to do, but because it will help you when crystallizing your vision of who you are and where you want to go in your career. Limit the length of your career mission statement; keep it short. Begin with, "My personal career mission is . . . " and finish with qualifying words and phrases to describe your mission. More here.

Networking Strategies For Shy Professionals

If you're a reserved person, losing a job may feel like your worst nightmare coming true. Like anyone else, you'll likely have financial worries during your transition. But your problems won't stop there. To land a new position quickly, you need to do what every shy person hates most: talking to people you don't know. Unlike extroverts, you aren't energized by contact with others. Frankly, you prefer being alone. And the idea of getting in touch with complete strangers gives you the chills. More Here

For Learning-Impaired Adults, Hardest Part of a Job Is Keeping It

As the growing number of students diagnosed with learning disorders such as dyslexia, ADD and cognitive processing impairments enter the work force, some say they are experiencing serial firings and layoffs. While no one measures firings among workers with learning disorders, several attorneys said complaints about it are on the rise. The pattern also calls for a new, more proactive strategy for communicating about learning disorders on the job. More Here

Five Common Scams That Target Job Hunters

Job-related scams can be easy to avoid if you know how to spot them. Paid work is the bait for schemes targeting job hunters designed to appropriate their identity, steal their money and dupe them into helping commit crimes, says Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, a public interest research group in San Diego. The scams typically are pitched as work-at-home or other employment opportunities and are advertised by email or on job boards, despite many sites' efforts to remove postings that seem suspect. Those who fall for these traps may find themselves in financial or legal difficulties. More Here

Cool Newsletters and Resources

Robin Ryan, nationally recognized career coach Visit Robin’s web site

Tom Peters, best seller author and change agent Visit Tom’s web site

Stephen Covey, PhD, best selling author & change agent Visit Dr. Covey’s site

Taking Some of the Dread Out of Performance Reviews

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a computer program that could remove some of the hassle of the annual employee performance review? This kind of help is a lot closer than many managers realize. New software promises to make the annual performance review easier and faster, while assuring top executives that employees are being rated consistently on skills and objectives that are in line with overall corporate goals. The tools, usually part of a suite of performance-related applications, can coach bosses through the appraisal process, help them calculate scores and offer tips for writing reviews. At the same time, they provide reports on who has and who hasn't completed their reviews, along with a full picture of the capabilities, experience and accomplishments of the entire work force. More Here

'Tis The Season To Go To Office Holiday Parties. Beware!

Don't treat your office gala like just any other shindig. It may be held after hours or off-site, but you're still in a work setting, surrounded by your co-workers and bosses. Inappropriate behavior is sure to be noticed, and it could hurt your career. More Here

FREE Career Planning and Job Campaigning Toolkit

A FREE resource available to the readers of Michigan State University Alumni Career Services Job Market Trends eNew; Simply email your request to Alumni Career Services.

A Recruiter's View: Five Myths About Holiday Job Hunting

the misconception that nobody hires in December is common, as is the poor advice that "you might as well take the month off." It may seem counterintuitive, but the opposite is true. December can be one of the busiest hiring months of the year. Holiday job-search myths have been around for a long time and are repeated like mantras. Like other myths, they're fantasies that shatter when scrutinized. More Here

New Feature of Job Market Trends

networking events will be announced in each edition. The event must be open to all readers and be of general interest to most readers. Local Alumni Club events are welcome. Information must be submitted to Dr. Scheetz six (6) weeks prior to the event. The event information must include location, date, time, target audience, and a contact for further information.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

New Job Listings Needed!

Did You Find A Job?

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

Michigan State University

Job Market Trends eNews, November 3, 2006

Welcome to the November issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

Employers/Recruiters:

Search RESUME DATABASE (FREE)
Post JOB LISTINGS (FREE)
View EMPLOYER RESOURCES

Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com
Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

"Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat." -- Theodore Roosevelt

Employment Report for October

Employment rose in October and the unemployment rate declined to 4.4 percent. The number of nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 92,000 in October, following gains of 148,000 in September and 230,000 in August (as revised). Average hourly earnings increased 6 cents, or 0.4 percent. Over the year, average hourly earnings were up 3.9 percent. More here.

Consumer Confidence Edges Down In October

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which increased in September, edged down in October. The Index now stands at 105.4 (1985=100), down from 105.9 in September. The Present Situation Index decreased to 124.7 from 128.3. The Expectations Index rose to 92.6 from 91.0 last month. Consumers' assessment of present-day conditions was less favorable in October than in September. Those claiming conditions are "bad" rose to 17.1 percent from 15.6 percent. Those claiming conditions are "good," however, increased to 28.1 percent from 27.3 percent. More here.

How to Handle a Spotty Work History
In today's economy, you need to carefully present your experience to avoid being seen as unstable. Start by evaluating your situation and determining how bad it really is. If you are panicking about two months of unemployment back in 1984, your job search will probably not be affected. However, if you are dealing with recent periods of unemployment extending for months or even years, you will need to start strategizing. More here

Job-hop your way to the top

Gone are the days of joining a company after college and staying with it for a promotion-filled 40-year career. Today, more and more companies are seeking talent from outside their own pools, and tenure at one organization is rare. If you want to make it to the top of the corporate ladder, job-hopping may actually be the only way to get there, according to Curtis J. Crawford, author of the new book Corporate Rise: The X Principles of Extreme Personal Leadership. "Companies are looking for people who have broad experiences and people who can capture knowledge, absorb it quickly and advance into other positions," says Crawford. More here

The Boss Puts The iPod to Work

People used to hide their iPods from their bosses, if they used them in the office at all. Now the bosses are passing them out to their employees. Companies from health-care suppliers to fast-food chains are handing out free iPods so that employees can download audio and video files of CEO announcements, training courses and sales seminars. The trend, which follows the widespread adoption of the BlackBerry, threatens to further blur the increasingly fuzzy line between work and leisure time. More here

Is a Job Move Worth It? How to Weigh Your Options

Moving for a job, especially when you're just starting out, can be the springboard that launches your career. But weigh your options carefully. Where you move is just as important for your happiness as the job you move for, many career managers and recruitment professionals say.

Think about what your career prospects will be five years from now if you take (or don't take) the position. A new job, especially if it requires relocation, "should mean greater opportunity coming in the door and greater opportunity looking at that five-year horizon," says Brian Sullivan, head of Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm based in New York. More here

How to Look for a Job When You Already Have One

The #1 reason people change jobs is not money. Feeling under appreciated in a job that lacks any personal satisfaction is what motivates most people to move on. You’ll spend about 11,000 days working over your lifetime, and I believe they should be rewarding and happy ones in which you are paid what you are worth. Contrary to public opinion – you cannot compartmentalize your life. Your career, your family, your hobbies, even your socializing all impact your well being interconnectively. So if you’re unhappy at work those feelings spill over into your home life too. More here

Brand You

What do you want to be known for? What is unique about you? What is the special value you provide to your team and organization? In the new world of work cultivating your individual brand, your “saleable distinction” is not optional. If those you work with don’t appreciate what’s unique and valuable about you, you won’t be around for long. As Tom says, “Be distinct or be extinct!” More here

New Feature of Job Market Trends

Major networking events will be announced in each edition. The event must be open to all readers and be of general interest to most readers. Information must be submitted to Dr. Scheetz six (6) weeks prior to the event. The event information must include location, date, time, target audience, and contact for further information.

MSU Alumni Association of Metro Chicago, November 8th, 1 North Wacker Building, contact Phil Kuhn for further information.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, and colleagues. Thank you.

NEW JOB LISTINGS NEEDED!

DID YOU FIND A JOB?

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

Michigan State University

Job Market Trends eNews, October 18, 2006

Welcome to the October issue of Job Market Trends eNews. A variety of articles will keep you updated on the job market tendencies from both the employer’s perspective and from the job hunter’s viewpoint. As always, your comments and suggestions are at all times welcomed by email to MSU Alumni Career Services. Thank you for making this newsletter an outstanding success.

For the latest online edition of Job Market Trends eNews, click here.

MSU Alumni/Job Seekers:

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Contact Alumni Career Services Today!

E-mail: careers@msualum.com
Phone: 517-355-7698

Thought for Success

"I always remember an epitaph which is in the cemetery at Tombstone, Arizona. It says: “Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damnedest.” I think that is the greatest epitaph a man can have – When he gives everything that is in him to do the job he has before him. That is all you can ask of him and that is what I have tried to do." – Harry Truman, 33rd US President

New Enhanced Alumni Career Services Website!

Visit the new enhanced Alumni Career Services website soon to test it! Employers can add, edit, or delete job listings; extend or reduce job listing deadlines; search resumes of MSU alumni for applicants that match their interests; and enter job listings using word processing formats. MSU alumni/job seekers can post, edit, and delete their own resumes; add multiple resumes; subscribe for job listings received in multiple job categories; and enter resumes using word processing formats. Visit this website soon.

Employment Report for September

Nonfarm payroll employment held steady in September (+51,000), and the unemployment rate, at 4.6 percent, was essentially unchanged. Payroll employment had increased by 188,000 in August and by 123,000 in July, as revised. Most major labor market indicators from the household survey showed little or no change in September. Both the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons were essentially unchanged at 4.6 percent and 6.9 million, respectively. More here.

Consumer Confidence Posts Increase for September

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which decreased sharply in August, posted a gain in September. The Index now stands at 104.5 (1985=100), up from 100.2 in August. The Present Situation Index increased to 127.7 from 123.9. The Expectations Index rose to 89.0 from 84.4 last month. Consumers' appraisal of ongoing economic conditions improved in September. Those claiming conditions are "good" increased to 27.4 percent from 26.2 percent. Those claiming conditions are "bad" eased to 15.4 percent from 16.6 percent. More here.

Salary Negotiation Secrets That Work

Have you ever wondered exactly how someone negotiates an excellent compensation package? You've heard the success stories - individuals who talk employers into giving them thousands more. Salary negotiation is a game - a sophisticated game - but a game nonetheless. You too can acquire the salary or benefits you most desire if you engage these strategies in your next salary discussions. More here.

Acing a Dicey Interview Question: Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

It is one of the most common interview questions -- and one of the toughest to answer. Flubbing risks harm your candidacy. Do not think you are exempt if you are still employed. You may be asked: "Why do you want to leave your current position?" As employees change jobs more often, hiring managers are increasingly concerned about reasons for employees leaving jobs. "A lot of employers are realizing it's very expensive to have 'mishires,'" says Paul Falcone, author of "96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire." More here.

Offer-and-Acceptance Etiquette

Recruiters and job seekers can reach an agreement more quickly and more comfortably by employing a technique called a "supposal." Here's how you accomplish the task. Late in the interviewing process, you offer a "supposal." A supposal is a conversation that goes this way: "We like you, and it seems that you like us. Suppose we were to make you an offer. What would it have to look like, in order for you to accept?" If you get the supposal stuff behind you before making an offer, then the offer conversation will be short and anticlimactic. The candidate will say something like: "Yep, that's pretty much what we talked about. Sounds great on the phone -- let's get it on paper, and I'll look it over." If you, the hiring manager or HR person, can't take that as an acceptance, you might be too tightly wound. More here.

How Good As A Boss Are You?

To start with the most basic question: What makes a good boss, in the eyes of employees? All of the research consistently shows that people in general have three goals at work. First is fairness. They want to feel that they're being recognized and rewarded fairly for what they contribute. Second is achievement. Employees want to be proud of their organization and of their place in it. And third, camaraderie, meaning good working relationships and a sense of belonging to a team. If these three goals are met, you have enthusiastic employees. The trouble is, in most companies, morale among new hires is high and then, by about the six-month point, it has dropped sharply. Management has destroyed it. More here

A Friend Is Someone Who Senses How To Sign Off an Email

Practiced recollectors and Bartlett's groupies have been around forever, speaking through the mouths of other great men and women when the moment warrants it. But email has given new lift to the tendency. In the flavorless workplace vernacular, where people seem to talk about business in a way that they only suspect it should sound, adages can entertain, intrigue, inspire or personalize the sender more than the mundane text of many emails. But sometimes what is sent differs significantly from what is received, which can more or less be characterized as personal badvertising, or opinions never sought. Management consultant Bill Casey thinks email signatures can be either sappy, "like a feathery pompom on the end of your pen" or at best clever. But "like a vase of fresh flowers, they start to smell bad in a few days," he says. More here.

Please forward copies of this eNews to interested MSU alumni, friends, employers you know, and colleagues. Thank you.

NEW JOB LISTINGS NEEDED!

DID YOU FIND A JOB?

MSU alumni, let us know when you find a job, so we may remove your resume from the Resume Database of MSU Alumni Career Services. Give us your new organization name, city and state, and job title of your new position for our records. You may reply to this message. Thanks much!

If we may provide additional assistance with your job campaigning or personnel recruitment efforts, please let us know. GO GREEN!!

Contact: L. Patrick Scheetz, Ph.D.

Director, Alumni Career Services

MSU Alumni Association

242 Spartan Way

East Lansing, MI 48824-2005

Tele: (517) 355-7698 · Fax: (517) 355-5265

Email: careers@msualum.com · Web page: MSU Alumni Career Services

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