Teen & College Student Struggle to find Summer Jobs

Posted on July 3, 2008
Filed Under job search | Leave a Comment

The economy is affecting the summer job market because those seeking employment are now competing for summer jobs. I spoke with a job seeker in Port St. Lucie, Florida who said “ironically, the parents are competing with their children for summer jobs.”

If you are looking for summer job ideas, here is a recent article I read called “10 Summer Jobs You Probably Overlooked and Why You Should Reconsider”

My advice for job seekers, whether summer job or permanent, is to stay positive, be tenacious in your job search, keep looking up, and it has to turn around.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

Need a Job… Go to Church!

Posted on June 19, 2008
Filed Under job search, jobs ministry | Leave a Comment

While I do recommend praying for that perfect job, that’s not what this article is about. I was watching the news last night and saw a story on how tough the job market is here is Arizona - not unlike much of the US. It featured a woman who had been in her field for over 20 years and for the first time was having trouble finding a job. The true story, however, was how a local church had put together a “jobs ministry” to help parishioners and others in the community find job resources and network. I recalled one that my former church in Virginia had which seemed to have great results.

SO, if you are looking for a job in this challenging market check to see if your any local churches have a jobs ministry.  Most of them are open to the public and do not require you to be a member, nor do they push “religion” on you.  If you don’t know of any churches, you can do a search for “jobs ministry, your city” or “churches, jobs ministry, your city”.

And it won’t hurt to say a prayer while you’re there :-)

Happy Hunting!

10 Hot Jobs Starting at 50K - Are You Qualified?

Posted on June 18, 2008
Filed Under Hot Jobs, Job Requirements, Job Training | Leave a Comment

Yahoo / HotJobs recently listed 10 “Hot Jobs” that start out at over $50K.  As I looked through the list, I realized that the best group to read this info were high school or college students because many of them require not only college degrees, but some require advanced education.  That’s not to leave the rest of us out, but sometimes getting advanced education can be a challenge once you reach a certain point in life (although alway worth it).  The good news is that a few them, and one in particular), are reach for nearly anyone with passion, drive, and zeal.

Here are the recommended or required courses of education for the Yahoo Top 10 Hot Jobs.  Use the following key to decipher the educational requirements:

1. Investment Banking Analyst.
Minimum: Associate Degree / On Job Training
Standard: Degree
Ideal: MBA

2. Business Analyst, Computer Software.
Minimum: Associate Degree / On Job Training / Specialized Computer Training
Standard: Degree (Business, Computer Information Systems) or Specialized Computer Training
Ideal: Masters Level Degree

3. Forensic Computer Analyst.
Minimum: Associate Degree / On Job Training
Standard: Degree (Forensics, Computer Science)
Ideal: Masters Level Degree

4. Junior Associate Attorney.
Minimum: Juris Doctorate (JD)
Standard: Juris Doctorate
Ideal: JD w/ MBA or other advanced degree

5. Physical Therapist.
Minimum: Associate Degree / Specialized Training / Licensing
Standard: Degree / Licensing
Ideal: Advanced Degree & Licensing

6. Nurse Practitioner.
Minimum: Master Level NP Training
Standard: BSN/MSN + Master Level NP Training
Ideal: Additional Advanced Training

7. Electrical Engineer.
Minimum: Associate Degree / On Job Training - VERY RARE
Standard: Electrical Engineering Degree
Ideal: MS / Phd in Electrical Engineering

8. Software Engineer.
Minimum: Associate Degree / On Job Training / Specialized Computer Training
Standard: Degree
Ideal: Masters Level Degree

9. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative.
Minimum: Associate Degree / On Job Training
Standard: Degree
Ideal: MBA

** This is the most practically available job in the Yahoo / HotJobs list for an individual with a non-specific degree or training.  Here is a career guide that shows you how to break into the lucrative pharmaceutical sales industry.

10. Veterinarian.
Minimum: Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Standard: Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine
Ideal: DVM plus MBA or Phd

So there you have it - lots of great jobs, with lots of requirements. If you’ve got the skills, you’re in good hands, if not, check out #9… or you could always go back to school and get the skills.  Who knows, I just might do that myself.

keep looking »