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Other Paths,
Different Training... |
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[...]
Whether everyone in college needs to be there is not a new question; the subject has been hashed out in books and dissertations for years. But the economic crisis has sharpened
that focus, as financially struggling states cut aid to higher education.
Among those calling for such alternatives are the economists Richard K. Vedder of Ohio University and Robert I. Lerman of American University, the political scientist Charles
Murray, and James E. Rosenbaum, an education professor at Northwestern. They would steer some students toward intensive, short-term vocational and career training, through
expanded high school programs and corporate apprenticeships.
"It is true that we need more nanosurgeons than we did 10 to 15 years ago," said Professor Vedder, founder of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity,
a research nonprofit in Washington. "But the numbers are still relatively small compared to the numbers of nurses' aides we're going to need. We will need hundreds of thousands of them
over the next decade."
And much of their training, he added, might be feasible outside the college setting.
College degrees are simply not necessary for many jobs. Of the 30 jobs projected to grow at the fastest rate over the next decade in the United States, only seven typically
require a bachelor's degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Among the top 10 growing job categories, two require college degrees: accounting (a bachelor's) and postsecondary teachers (a doctorate). But this growth is expected to
be dwarfed by the need for registered nurses, home health aides, customer service representatives and store clerks. None of those jobs require a bachelor's degree.
Professor Vedder likes to ask why 15 percent of mail carriers have bachelor's degrees, according to a 1999 federal study.
"Some of them could have bought a house for what they spent on their education," he said.
Professor Lerman, the American University economist, said some high school graduates would be better served by being taught how to behave and communicate in the workplace.
Such skills are ranked among the most desired — even ahead of educational attainment — in many surveys of employers. In one 2008 survey of more than 2,000 businesses in Washington
State, employers said entry-level workers appeared to be most deficient in being able to "solve problems and make decisions," "resolve conflict and negotiate," "cooperate with
others" and "listen actively."
Yet despite the need, vocational programs, which might teach such skills, have been one casualty in the push for national education standards, which has been focused on preparing
students for college.
"The health field is an obvious case where the manpower situation is less than ideal," he said. "I would try to work with some of the major employers to develop these kinds of
programs to yield mastery in jobs that do demand high expertise."
"Some of the people coming out of those apprenticeships are in more demand than college graduates," he said, "because they've actually managed things in the workplace." [...] {Read more] | |
[...]
How to Use LinkedIn
Guy Kawasaki's Ten Ways to Use
Linked In provides good insight into how to increase the value of LinkedIn.
One example is "Increasing your visibility, because by adding connections, you
increase the likelihood that people will see your profile first when they're
searching for someone to hire or do business with."
One way to improve visibility is to enhance your profile. Take a look at
Guy's profile's Extreme
Makeover to see what a difference a few changes can make.
Speaking of connections - the more the better. Guy's blog notes that "People
with more than twenty connections are thirty-four times more likely to be
approached with a job opportunity than people with less than five."
How to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job - Or Have a Job Find You
- Create a Profile
Create a detailed profile on LinkedIn, including
employment (current and past), education, industry, and web sites.
- Consider a Photo
You can add a photo (a headshot is recommended or
upload a larger photo and edit it) to your LinkedIn profile. Note that it must
be a small photo - no larger than 80x80 pixels.
- Keywords and Skills
Include all your resume keywords and skills in
your profile, so your profile will be found.
- Build Your Network.
Connect with other members and build your
network. The more connections you have, the more opportunities you have, with
one caveat from Kay Luo, "Connect to people you know and trust or have a
business relationship with, no need to go crazy and connect with everyone."
- Get Recommendations.
Recommendations from people you have worked with
carry a lot of weight.
- Search Jobs
Use the job search section to find job listings.
- Use Answers
The Answers section of LinkedIn is a good way to
increase your visibility. Respond to questions, and ask a question if you need
information or assistance.
- Stay Connected
Use LinkedIn Mobile
(m.linkedin.com) to view profiles, invite new connections, and access to
LinkedIn Answers from your phone. [...]
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Last Modified: 5 January 2010 |
Job Search — Tools & Info
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and the U.S. |
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Second Career is a new program that helps recently laid-off,
unemployed workers get long-term training for high-demand jobs in their communities. | |
Canada's green Environmental Jobs Site. That's something we've taken to heart since we started
building WorkCabin.ca in the fall of 2007. At WorkCabin.ca, we didn't want to be just another jobs site that slaps the word 'green' or 'environmental' on a service,
slogan or job category.
Being an Environmental Jobs Site is our No. 1 focus. That's what makes us original and different from anything else in Canada (it's why we call ourselves Canada's first
dedicated Environmental Jobs Site). Environmental jobs get our full attention. We don't operate our service as an offshoot of something else or bury a job board as a
secondary component. [...] [Read More] |
Expert, Practical Advice for Working at Home
This book is for the bummed out, burned out, and stressed out professional, stay-at-home parent, or retiring boomer who dreams of a home-based job or business, but doesn't know how
to make that dream a reality. Unlike the many "change-your-life" books that promise much and deliver little — Undress4Success provides expert, practical advice about: 1) what home-based
jobs are available, what talents they require, what they pay, who's hiring, and how to land one; 2) how to use the Web to search for work-at-home jobs and business opportunities without
being scammed; 3) how to turn professional talents into a freelance business; and 4) how to convince an employer to adopt a telecommuting program. Based on interviews with dozens of
employers, home-based employees, successful freelancers, and leading telework researchers, this book shows readers the way home. |
Reinventing Yourself — Finding a New Career
|
Time To Get Out of Your Cubicle?
Joe Lamacchia is a forty-three-year-old father of five and owner of a two million dollar landscaping company in Newton, Massachusetts. Having never gone to college himself, he is hoping
to change the prevailing mindset that to be successful, you need a college education. He has been interviewed on NPR and quoted in The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald,
and The San Francisco Chronicle. He speaks at high school assemblies and veterans' groups. Blue Collar and Proud of It gives you the information you need to pursue a
stable, enjoyable, well-paying job—one that makes a difference every day in your community. Whether you're just out of high school, have been a victim of downsizing, or are looking for a new direction, Lamacchia explains all the options, outlines the necessary training,
and delivers true stories of people who have made their own way in the blue-collar world. Discover a wealth of opportunities, including:
• carpentry • machinery • roofing
• electricians • truck drivers • green construction
• Broadband technicians • welding • ironworkers
• solar panel installation • water conservation
He began his website, BlueCollarandProudofIt.com, to provide resources and support for anyone looking into blue collar jobs. |
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U.S. | Canada
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Canada - Training and Careers
[jobsetc.gc.ca — Service Canada]
Guides Canadians through the process of looking for work. Search popular federal government and private sector job databases. Free registration enable you to receive new job postings daily by email. Site provides a
Resume Builder (build up to 5 resumes) and enables you to apply online for Federal Government jobs. "iQuizzes" help you to gain insight into types of jobs and ways of learning that best suit you.
Canadian Newspaper "Help Wanted" Ads
A recent addition to the HRDC Web site, featuring employment ads from more than 50 Canadian newspapers in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Northern Canada. View
an interactive map of Canada.
Canjobs.com Network was created to provide a place where
employees could meet employers on the Internet. Canjobs.com was conceived, designed and developed by VentureLabour.com Inc., aims
to be the leading Canadian-only recruitment site by providing the most comprehensive list of high quality Canadian job postings,
delivered by targeted branding to specific, regional, Canadian audience, and by providing community oriented recruitment
services such as discussion forums, online job preparation tools, links to training, books, and online resources.
Careerjet
Careerjet is a job search engine that maps the huge selection of job offerings available on the Internet in one extensive database,
referencing job pages from company, recruitment agency, and large specialist recruitment sites. Users are redirected to the original
job listing. Essentially, Careerjet acts as traffic driver to those sites.
CareerOwl
www.CareerOwl.ca is a nonprofit employment information and e-recruiting site founded by Canadian university professors to help jobseekers and employers connect, conveniently and
directly. The service is open to all, but has special features to facilitate recruiting for the highly qualified. Jobseekers pay nothing and retain full control over their information.
All campus, volunteer, co-op and student internship jobs can be posted for free by calling 1-877-OWL-POST (1-877-695-7678) to arrange for this. Employers pay $25 per regular 8-week
Canadian job ad, posted as widely or selectively as the employer chooses. Foreign jobs can also be posted, but cost more.
Cool Jobs Canada
Cool Jobs Canada is the largest site for Tourism/Hospitality jobs/careers in Canada. 100s of jobs/careers from across Canada. View jobs/resumes: FREE.
Driverlink
Find hundreds of truck driving jobs across Canada and the U.S. Whether you're looking to work as a company driver or a contract as an
owner operator, check here. From Flatbeds, Reefers, and Dry Vans to Super B's, Tankers and Heavy Hauling - driver recruiters at over
550 carriers have posted driving jobs - local, short haul, long haul, domestic and International positions. Take 5 minutes to complete
your resume on-line and gain access to a whole new world of truck driving careers.
Engineering Central
Searching for engineering job listings in the United States? Or perhaps you're an employer in search of qualified engineers? Engineering Central
posts jobs and resumes for chemical, civil, electrical,
industrial, manufacturing and mechanical engineers.
See the entry level job listings, or browse Main Job Bank.
IT-Careers.ca
Internet job boards aren't the only - or even the best - way to find work. Many companies post pertinent information online, on a "careers" page. IT-Careers.ca enables you to search
alphabetical lists of IT companies, each presented with a brief description and link to the career or main page of the company Web site. You can also search companies by location (Toronto,
Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, St. John's, Halifax, Winnipeg, Quebec, Fredericton and Moncton), by company name, and by job. Français
IT Job Universe
IT Job Universe Canada is a FREE online resource for IT professionals seeking employment, and tech savvy companies looking for qualified employees. Sponsored by ITworldcanada.com
Job Bank
Job Bank is the largest, web-based network of job postings available to
Canadians that employers can use to advertise work opportunities free of
charge. Job Bank provides access to over 46,000 jobs at any one time, with up
to 2,000 new jobs posted every day.
Jobbind
Jobbind.com is a job search engine that provides a direct link between job seekers and the hiring companies. Jobbind aggregates
jobs posted by thousands of multi-national companies in more than 100 countries. Jobbind ensures its high quality job search by
only collecting jobs that are posted directly by companies on their career sites, and does not aggregate jobs from job boards,
newspapers, or other similar sources.
JobSpider
Job search engine, free job posting, free resume posting - U.S. and Canada. Job search engine offers a unique job classified
system and free resume posting. Career search by category or keyword for thousands of full time jobs, part time jobs, and
summer jobs. Help wanted web site allows internet free job postings and search resume.
Monster.ca
Free for job seekers, Monster.ca is a lifelong career network they can use to expand their careers. It provides continuous access to the most progressive companies, as well as interactive, personalized tools to make the process effective and convenient. Monster.ca offers
job seekers the ability to perform job searches based on approximately 25,000 Canadian jobs and more than 1 million jobs worldwide.
workinfonet.ca
A national partnership of provincial and territorial Web sites dealing with career planning, learning and employment information.
Working.com
Job Search Engine. Working is the most comprehensive listing of jobs in Canada. Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Atlantic Canada.
Workopolis
Described as Canada's leading provider of Internet recruitment and job search solutions, Workopolis offers more than 31,000 jobs on a daily basis. The site provides search by
keyword, date, category, industry, city and province, plus many useful resources including an archive search, Ask an Advisor, Expert Views, answers to questions on emigrating to and settling in Canada, finding basic corporate information,
and student jobs. An excellent "fast track" resource for jobs in Biotech/Pharma, Engineering, HR, Marketing, Production, Science, Trades, Technology and more. Workopolis has locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Southwestern
Ontario, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax.
Yahoo! HotJobs Canada
Find your dream job! Search for jobs, post your resume, compare salaries and find career advice and research. Thousands of new jobs listed daily.
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Writing your Resume |
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Answering the Question: "What Will You Do for Me?"
After forty years of training managers to interview and hire the best employees, Oscar Adler uncovered a common mistake applicants make during the interview process: They focus on themselves
when they should be focusing on the interviewer. Behind every question, the interviewer wants to know one thing-"What can you do for me?" This step-by-step guide explains exactly how to answer
that question. Using the same tried-and-true techniques that have proven incredibly successful for top sales professionals, you'll be able to
- Recognize and address each interviewer's needs;
- Play up your skills by turning them into benefits;
- Maximize your references and referrals;
- Prepare for a variety of interview situations; and
- Prove that you're perfect for the job!
With the worksheets, self-assessment tests and exercises, tables, and checklists in this book, you can face any interviewer with confidence as you sell them the greatest product in the
world: Yourself. |
The Job Interview
Have you been lucky enough to land a job interview or two, but can't seem to bridge the gap between getting an interview and getting a job offer? What's going on?
"Candidates sabotage the interview too often, and with such consistency," says Lorne Epstein, the author of You're Hired! Interview Skills to Get the Job."
"You throw your interview away when you don't pay attention to the details."
Check out these 13 ways job-seekers misfire during the interview process — both during and after.
Being unprepared for the phone interview
Many companies use a phone interview to screen candidates. Paul Bailo, the author of The Official Phone Interview Handbook, advises: "Don't use a cell phone. They can have poor sound quality and the possibility
of a dropped call. Watch your 'um's and 'ah's. They're verbal spacers, and especially awkward over the phone." Also, dress for success for your interview, even though you won't be seen. It will give you a professional
edge, not an I'm-relaxing-in-my-PJ's mindset.
Lateness
"Being on time is easy. Being late is exhausting and time-consuming," says Epstein. He advises that "on time" means 15 minutes before you are scheduled.
Being rude to the receptionist
Most people wouldn't think of the receptionist as an interviewer, but it's fairly common that the receptionist will report back to the hiring manager how candidates behaved in the waiting area," says career
coach Cheryl Palmer. Behave in the waiting area as if the hirer's eyes are on you; they likely are.
Not doing research
Ronald Kaufman, the author of Anatomy of Success, says many candidates shoot themselves in
the foot by not getting to know the company they're interviewing for. "Research the company website, their values, their products, their industry, competitors, top management, and, if it's
public, the stock price," he advises. "The goal is to prove you are looking for a career with this company versus just a job."
Leaving your cell phone on
"Having your phone ring during an interview can make you look unprofessional, especially if you have a loud ring tone with music the interviewer may not appreciate," says Palmer.
Inappropriate attire
"A female applicant wore a tube top, with her chest resting on my desk," says Michael Hayes, of Momentum Specialized Staffing. When in doubt, dress up, not down.
Not watching your mouth
Career coach Michael Coritsidis lists three unexpected ways people can sabotage their job search during the interview: "Bad breath, coffee breath, cigarette breath."
A messy briefcase
"Everything creates an impression, and a briefcase filled with 'stuff' creates a negative one," says Kaufman. "Only have in your briefcase what you need for each interview."
One thing to always bring: an extra resume. It's handy for reference. Use LiveCareer Resume Builder for step-by-step help with creating an impressive resume.
Bringing baggage from your last job
"If people talk negatively about a previous employer or team member, and their energy feels more negative about their last job than positive about their future with us, my mind is made up. They are
not a good fit," says Sally Strebel, a cofounder of Page.ly WordPress hosting.
Not closing the deal
"So many candidates participate in amazing interviews, but when they walk away the interviewer is unsure whether the candidate really wanted the job," says Bailo. "You must close the deal: Ask for the job!"
Neglecting to send a thank-you note
Many job seekers don't realize the importance of a prompt thank-you note as a follow-up after an interview. Executive career coach Jane Cranston recommends sending your note by mail, not email. It's more formal,
and more appropriate for the circumstances. Whether my email or by post, send a note within 24 hours. Make sure it is personalized and restates your high level of interest in the job.
Bemoaning your failures on social media
"If you've been turned down for a job, it's so easy to express frustration by venting on Twitter, Facebook, or email," says career specialist Chandlee Bryan. "Don't say anything online that you'll regret later.
Vent with a trusted friend or relative instead."
Drugs
"Some candidates feel like they are untouchable or invincible, and that recreational drugs of a certain type won't show up in test results," says Lizandra Vega, the author of The Image of Success. Hayes recently
had a candidate try to use dog urine for a drug test. "Surprise! He's having puppies!" he says.
Stop interfering with your ability to move from interview to job offer. By avoiding these interview pitfalls, the perfect job can be yours.
If you're still looking for the ideal career, but haven't found it yet, take a free career interest test to find the best career matches for you.
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Exercise due care on social networking sites...
When a small consulting company in Chicago was looking to hire a summer intern this month, the company's president
went online to check on a promising candidate who had just graduated from the University of Illinois.
At Facebook, a popular social networking site, the executive found the candidate's Web page with this description
of his interests: "smokin' blunts" (cigars hollowed out and stuffed with marijuana), shooting people and obsessive
sex, all described in vivid slang.
It did not matter that the student was clearly posturing. He was done.
"A lot of it makes me think, 'What kind of judgment does this person have?'" said the company president, Brad Karsh.
Many companies that recruit on college campuses have been using search engines like Google and Yahoo to conduct background
checks on seniors looking for their first job. And now, college career counselors and other experts say, some recruiters are
looking up applicants on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Xanga and Friendster...
[Read more] |
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A non-profit community organiza-
tion providing free programs and services for low-income Ottawa residents to fight financial exploi-
tation and indebtedness. |
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Job Services, Training, Coaching, Instruction
(Ottawa) |
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Gartner Says
Work Will Change |
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Egham, UK, August 4, 2010 — The world of today is dramatically different from 20 years ago and with the lines between work and non-work already badly frayed, Gartner, Inc. predicts that
the nature of work will witness 10 key changes through 2020. Organizations will need to plan for increasingly chaotic environments that are out of their direct control, and adaptation must
involve adjusting to all 10 of the trends.
"Work will become less routine, characterized by increased volatility, hyperconnectedness, 'swarming' and more," said Tom Austin, vice president and Gartner fellow. By 2015, 40 percent or more
of an organization's work will be ‘non-routine', up from 25 percent in 2010. "People will swarm more often and work solo less. They'll work with others with whom they have few links, and teams
will include people outside the control of the organization," he added. "In addition, simulation, visualisation and unification technologies, working across yottabytes of data per second, will
demand an emphasis on new perceptual skills." [...]
1.
De-routinization of Work
The core value that people add is not in the processes that can be automated, but in non-routine processes, uniquely human, analytical or interactive contributions that result in words such as
discovery, innovation, teaming, leading, selling and learning. Non-routine skills are those we cannot automate. For example, we cannot automate the process of selling a life insurance policy to
a skeptical buyer, but we can use automation tools to augment the selling process.
2.
Work Swarms
Swarming is a work style characterized by a flurry of collective activity by anyone and everyone conceivably available and able to add value. Gartner identifies two phenomena
within the collective activity; Teaming (instead of solo performances) will be valued and rewarded more and occur more frequently and a new form of teaming, which Gartner calls swarming,
to distinguish it from more historical teaming models, is emerging. Teams have historically consisted of people who have worked together before and who know each other reasonably well,
often working in the same organization and for the same manager. Swarms form quickly, attacking a problem or opportunity and then quickly dissipating. Swarming is an agile response to
an observed increase in ad hoc action requirements, as ad hoc activities continue to displace structured, bureaucratic situations.
3.
Weak Links
In swarms, if individuals know each other at all, it may be just barely, via weak links. Weak links are the cues people can pick up from people who know the people they have to work with. They
are indirect indicators and rely, in part, on the confidence others have in their knowledge of people. Navigating one's own personal, professional and social networks helps people develop and
exploit both strong and weak links and that, in turn, will be crucial to surviving and exploiting swarms for business benefit.
4.
Working With the Collective
There are informal groups of people, outside the direct control of the organization, who can impact the success or failure of the organization. These informal groups are bound together by
a common interest, a fad or a historical accident, as described by Gartner as "the collective." Smart business executives discern how to live in a business ecosystem they cannot control;
one they can only influence. The influence process requires understanding the collectives that potentially influence their organization, as well as the key people in those external groups. [...]
5.
Work Sketch-Ups
Most non-routine processes will also be highly informal. It is very important that organizations try to capture the criteria used in making decisions but, at least for now, Gartner does not
expect most non-routine processes to follow meaningful standard patterns. Over time, we believe that work patterns for more non-routine work will emerge, justifying a light-handed approach
to collecting activity information, but it will take years before a real return on investment for this effort is visible. In the meantime, the process models for most non-routine processes will
remain simple "sketch-ups," created on the fly.
6.
Spontaneous Work
This property is also implied in Gartner's description of work swarms. Spontaneity implies more than reactive activity, for example, to the emergence of new patterns. It also contains proactive
work such as seeking out new opportunities and creating new designs and models.
7.
Simulation and Experimentation
Active engagement with simulated environments (virtual environments), which are similar to technologies depicted in the film Minority Report, will come to replace drilling into cells in spreadsheets.
This suggests the use of n-dimensional virtual representations of all different sorts of data. The contents of the simulated environment will be assembled by agent technologies that determine what
materials go together based on watching people work with this content. People will interact with the data and actively manipulate various parameters reshaping the world they're looking at.
8.
Pattern Sensitivity
Gartner has published a major line of research on Pattern-Based Strategy. The business world is becoming more volatile, affording people working off of linear models based on past performance
far less visibility into the future than ever before. Gartner expects to see a significant growth in the number of organizations that create groups specifically charged with detecting divergent
emerging patterns, evaluating those patterns, developing various scenarios for how the disruption might play out and proposing to senior executives new ways of exploiting (or protecting the
organization from) the changes to which they are now more sensitive.
9.
Hyperconnected
Hyperconnectedness is a property of most organizations, existing within networks of networks, unable to completely control any of them. While key supply chain elements, for example,
may be "under contract," there is no guarantee it will perform properly, not even if the supply chain is in-house. Hyperconnectedness will lead to a push for more work to occur in both
formal and informal relationships across enterprise boundaries, and that has implications for how people work and how IT supports or augments that work.
10.
My Place
[...T]he employee will still have a "place" where they work. Many will have neither a company-provided physical office nor a desk, and their work will increasingly happen 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. In this work environment, the lines between personal, professional, social and family matters, along with organization subjects, will disappear. Individuals, of course,
need to manage the complexity created by overlapping demands, whether from the new world of work or from external (non-work-related) phenomena. Those that cannot manage the underlying
"expectation and interrupt overloads" will suffer performance deficits as these overloads force individuals to operate in an over-stimulated (information-overload) state.
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