60 Minutes: A Jobs Program for Workers “Trapped in Unemployment”

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60 Minutes, Economy, Job description, Older workers, Unemployed, Unemployment, Unemployment benefits, Work

Posted by: Mitchell Hirsch on Feb 21, 2012, www.unemployedworkers.org

The CBS News program ’60 Minutes’ this week featured a powerful segment on the crisis of long-term unemployment, focusing on the Connecticut-based jobs initiative for those who have exhausted unemployment benefits called ‘Platform to Employment.’

We were among the first to promote this promising initiative on our blog last summer prior to the initial ‘Platform to Employment’ (P2E) program launch.

Earlier this month, the WorkPlace, Inc. announced it had received a $200,000 grant from the AARP Foundation to help support P2E efforts to recruit and assist workers over 50 years of age, who make up a high proportion of those exhausting unemployment insurance benefits among the long-term unemployed.

Measures Aim to End Bias Against Long-Term Jobless

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Economy, Employers, Employment, Older workers, Unemployed, Unemployment, Work

By SHELLY BANJO, www.wsj.com

More than a dozen states are considering legislation to make it illegal for companies to discriminate against the unemployed.

State lawmakers say they see the bias turning up in a nation with an 8.3% unemployment rate: Companies that explicitly advertise that they won’t hire someone who isn’t currently employed.

The proposals from Connecticut to California range in scope from banning advertisements that require current employment to allowing unsuccessful job candidates to sue businesses under the same discrimination laws that apply to bias on the basis of religion, race, gender or national origin.

The efforts come as the percent of the long-term unemployed—people looking for work for more than six months—has consistently topped 40% since December 2009, when it broke that threshold for the first time since 1948, the year such data began being collected.

Job interviewing, to the extreme

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After interview, Career, Employment, Interviews, Job hunting, Job interview, job opportunities, JobSearch, Unemployed, Work

Some firms are using offbeat interview practices to get a real-time look at how   prospects tackle problems, think on their feet and work as part of a team.

By Tiffany Hsu, www.latimes.com, February 19, 2012

Danielle Bemoras showed up for her job interview with a social networking company prepared for some tough questions. Instead, she found herself in the middle of a psychology experiment.

The company had invited a fellow job seeker to the dinner meeting in Chicago, looking to see how the rivals would handle the pressure of a joint interview.Awkward? No question. But Bemoras just rolled with it. She avoided alcohol to keep her head clear. She skipped the sushi to prevent chopsticks mishaps. And rather than try to upstage her competitor, she was respectful and collegial.

Great Resource for Laid Off Workers – MySkillsMyFuture.org

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Career, Employment, jobs, JobSearch, Resume, Unemployed, Work

MySkillsMyFuture.org – is a free resource sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.  The purpose of this website is to help laid-off workers and other career changers explore occupations similar to their current skills and knowledge. Users can identify occupations, learn more about suggested matches, locate local training programs, and/or apply for jobs.  To learn more about services on this website, please go to http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org.

The Best Industries for Starting a Business Right Now

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Career, entrepreneur, job opportunities, Start a business, Unemployed, Work

Article from www.inc.com

Candy

How sweet it is. Even in a recession, candy has been a luxury that many people can still afford. “Chocolate is a comfort food,” says Dan Johnson, owner of Choco-Logo in Buffalo, New York, which has seen retail sales rise 30 percent since last year. The confectionery industry, as a whole, grew 3.7 percent during the 52-week period ending April 19, according to the National Confectioners Association, which is pretty good considering so many industries are flat or declining. Historically, experts say, candy is one of the most recession-resistant industries and many of today’s classic brands, including Snickers, Tootsie Pops, and 3 Musketeers, all launched during the darkest days of the Great Depression, between 1930 and 1932.

iPhone Apps

Apple launched its App Store last summer, creating a whole new burgeoning industry in the process. Sales of apps in the first month topped $30 million, leading Steve Jobs to predict that the marketplace would be worth $1 billion some day. To date, companies have produced more than 30,000 applications, ranging from games such as Tap Tap Revenge to apartment-hunting help to tools for finding out the name of a song; in all, Apple has processed more than a billion downloads. To capitalize on the trend, venture-capital firms such as Kleiner Perkins have begun investing in app producers; the venerable Sand Hill Road firm has earmarked $100 million for the market.

Great Resource for the Unemployed: Career One-stop

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Advice, Arbor, Career One-stop, Economy, Financial help, Gas card, groceries, Help, Interviews, jobs, Unemployed, Unemployment, Work

If you are currently unemployed, Career One-Stop is a great place to go to for help.

Career One-Stop is sponsored by the U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration and was established by law under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA, P.L. 105-220).  The central component of all One-Stop centers is a labor exchange system that is universally accessible to job seekers and employers. This labor exchange system is undertaken by the U.S. Employment Service (ES) which was first established by the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933.  There are offices located all over the country.

For Jobless, Little Hope of Restoring Better Days

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Advice, Career, Employers, Interviews, jobs, Unemployed, Unemployment, Work

By MOTOKO RICH, NY Times – Published: December 1, 2011

People across the working spectrum suffered job losses in recent years: bricklayers and bookkeepers as well as workers in manufacturing and marketing.

But only a select few workers have fully regained their footing during the slow recovery.

Katie O’Brien Mowery is one of the lucky ones. After losing her job in the marketing department of a luxury resort in Santa Barbara, Calif., in early 2010, she eventually found a position with better benefits and the promise of a brighter future.

Facebook teams with U.S. to help the unemployed find jobs

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Career, Economy, Facebook, Interviews, jobs, LinkedIn, Resume, United States Department of Labor, Work

Posted on October 21, 2011 By Jessica Guynn, Los Angeles Times

The social-networking site will work with the Labor Department to create a central location for employment services for Facebook users. Professional networking site LinkedIn doesn’t see it as a competitive threat.

 

Facebook Inc. has struck a partnership with the U.S. Labor Department to help the unemployed find jobs.

Job Seekers Turn to Facebook for Job Hunting

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Employment, Facebook, Job hunting, jobs, Jobvite, LinkedIn, Recruiting, Resume, Social network, Work

Article by John Zappe Nov 16, 2011, 8:00 am ET from Recruiting Intelligence website ere.net.

Facebook is emerging as the leading social network when it comes to job hunting. By a margin approaching 2-to-1, job seekers credit Facebook with helping them get their current job.

LinkedIn ran a distant second, with 46 percent of job seekers attributing their job to that business-oriented network. Twitter, the short messaging network, got a thumbs-up for its job help from 36 percent.

Letters of Reference/Recommendation

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Advice, After interview, Career, Economy, Employers, Interviews, job opportunities, jobs, Letter of Recommendation, Letter of Reference, Recommendation, Reference, Resume, Unemployed, Work

A reference letter, also known as a “letter of recommendation”, is a document that can be very helpful to use for your job search.

The purpose of the reference letter is to emphasize on the candidate’s key points and instill a sense of confidence about the candidate’s abilities.

As potential employers read your letters of reference, they look to discover specific descriptions and examples illustrating your potential to make a difference within the company.