Career Resources and Advice for Experienced Workers

Joe Turner, the “Job Search Guy”

As the current credit crisis continues to deepen, global markets are reeling, prompting the universal question, “When will it end?” Since no one knows the answer, we soldier on with the knowledge that it will end sometime.

According to Brian Sullivan, the CEO of the executive search firm CTPartners, “Hiring will be especially competitive and selective in 2009.” In its recently released 2009 annual list of hot executive jobs, he indicated that there will be a shift away from volume hiring to a more strategic hiring approach for senior executives in 2009 as the continued credit crisis grips world markets. “Opportunities still exist for talented individuals with innovative ideas,” Sullivan adds.

So what does this mean for those executives who are chosen to interview for these senior-level positions? Since the competition has increased, there is less room for the usual mistakes that senior-level candidates typically make in these interviews.

As a candidate, you will typically interview and need to pass muster with a higher number of interviewers, at all levels. According to Dave Knutson, a senior retained search recruiter and owner of the Knutson Group in Phoenix, most senior-level candidates make the mistake of brushing off the individual and group interviews with the midlevel employees. They apparently think these interviews are less important than the “real” meeting with the CEO and upper management team.

Knutson warns this is a big mistake, as the midlevel players will have more input on the final choice than candidates often think. He advises all senior-level candidates to get themselves up to speed on the company, its stats and other details, especially for the midlevel meeting with the managers and directors. You will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge of the company for which you are interviewing.

An even bigger problem is the “Presidential Pitfall.” This is based on years of observation from Neil McNulty, principal recruiter with the McNulty Management Group, a military placement and career management group out of Norfolk, Va. McNulty noted that too often, senior candidates walk into an interview cautious and reserved, and try to “act presidential.” As a result, they are not paying attention to what the person who would be their boss is looking for in an employee.

McNulty has seen dozens of senior-level candidates make this major mistake. While they may be highly accomplished, they walk into an interview expecting the company to recruit them rather than feeling the need to sell themselves to the employer.

As McNulty sees it, the big mistake high-level candidates make is that they don’t want to appear hungry. They want to appear “presidential,” as he calls it. That means they don’t want to lower themselves to ask about needs.

McNulty says many of his senior-level interviewees have done a poor job of determining what the employer needs. They have failed to demonstrate how experience from their own past can address those needs. If you don’t hit those hot buttons, you won’t get hired.

Too many high-end executives are acting as if this is still the “go-go” ’80s and ’90s. They act with the attitude that the company needs them rather than the opposite reality. The truth is that this dynamic seldom works, as it is the rare individual today who has that unique ability or skill set that the company must absolutely acquire.

This takes us to the core of the problem: High-level candidates often seem to have a hard time selling themselves. The advice from Knutson is to get over this, and ask for the job. This is especially necessary in today’s depressing economic climate. In the words of McNulty, “You gotta sell during the interview or you won’t get hired.”

As a recruiter, Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. Author of “Job Search Secrets Unlocked” and “Paycheck 911,” Turner has been interviewed on radio talk shows and offers free insider job-search secrets at: http://www.jobchangesecrets.com.

10 ways to live with a job you can’t escape

Rachel Zupek, PrimeCB.com writer

Irwin Henry works at a “boutique” public relations firm in lower Manhattan, which he likes to call “Mom and Pop plus Three.” (The staff includes three full-time employees and the two owners.)

The firm, which used to win awards and serve numerous clients, has diminished to just five customers — a number that the owners insist cannot increase because the company “can’t handle being that large again.” As a result, there are constant financial concerns, paychecks are late or handwritten, and in December 2008, there was an across-the-board salary reduction.

“The general demeanor of paranoia, a crushing lack of people skills and business acumen on the part of the owner, make for a sinking ship that I’ve been trying to escape for quite some time,” Henry says.

But, he can’t. Though he’s been job hunting for something outside of PR for the past year, he hasn’t heard a peep in three months; any industry he’s interested in is on a hiring freeze. To compensate, Henry is waiting tables as a fallback position in case things get worse at his current job.

Henry is definitely not alone in his misery. Thirty percent of workers are dissatisfied in their current positions, according to the 2009 Job Forecast by CareerBuilder.com. Given the current state of the economy and job market, however, many workers are willing to stay in a situation they hate for fear that they won’t be able to find another job at all.

Megyn Kelly, 22, is one of these people. Technically labeled an “intern” at her Washington, D.C.-based firm, Kelly is paid a stipend below minimum wage and is ineligible for health-care benefits. Though she is miserable in her work, she says fear keeps her grounded.

“Having spent three months after graduation searching for a job, I was lucky to find this one in a field I was remotely interested in. I was hired in September [2008] and was only planning to stay through the end of the year,” she says. “I just can’t leave this job. Who knows when I’ll find another?”

The trepidation of not knowing when or if you’ll find another job is not the only reason people are staying in so-called job prison. Workers are also scared of losing valuable assets like benefits.

When Rose Strong worked as a customer service representative for a national health insurance company, her partner, an auctioneer for a small firm, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Though she made great money, her partner’s employer couldn’t afford health insurance for its employees. As a result, Strong had to stay in her stressful job for the health benefits — and in the meantime, she developed an anxiety and panic disorder due to the extreme expectations of her employer.

“The job itself was simply horrible. Stressful isn’t even the word to describe it,” Strong says. “But, it offered domestic partnership benefits. I couldn’t leave the job or my partner wouldn’t have health insurance. Not every employer offers this benefit … [it was] a major issue for someone who has had cancer.”

The flip side
Though many people feel as though they are “stuck” in their jobs, others don’t buy it. Dorothy Tannahill Moran, a life coach, says she has “never signed up for the notion that you have no options out of a bad job, even in a bad environment.”

Others argue that with so many out of work, people should be happy they have a job at all. And, if they are unhappy, they should stop complaining and do something about it. Despite the economy and the tightening job market, 60 percent of workers are planning to change jobs, according to CareerBuilder.com’s job forecast.

“If [workers] choose to stay [in a job they hate], they should know that this is their choice,” says Kathy Wensel, author of “Freedom Is … A Book/Journal with a Twist.” “Be happy where [you] are because you have benefits and a paycheck.”

Making the most of it
Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, either way you are right.” Translation: The more you think you have no choices, the more you will have no choices.

Whether you’re bored, dissatisfied or scared to leave your job because of the economy, there are things you can do to make work tolerable until something new comes up:

Here are 10 tips from career experts on how to escape job prison:

1. Be realistic
Many experts advise not to quit your job without another one on hand because you are lucky to have one, even if you hate it. But Darcy Eikenberg, president and CEO of Coach Darcy LLC, says you shouldn’t buy into the myth that no jobs are out there. “Stuck is just a perception, not a reality,” she says. “You’re never really stuck until there are no more options, and you’ll never know what the options are until you start exploring them.”

2. Change your attitude
Look at your job as the launching pad to your next position instead of as a hindrance. “You’ll only be able to give it your best if you can convince yourself of the value it offers your life,” says Debra Yergen, author of “Creating Job Security Resource Guide.” It pays the rent, gives you benefits, allows you to meet new people and enables you to enhance your skills.

3. Discover the hidden opportunities
“There is something you prefer to do and you do it really well. Define it, do it successfully and make sure it is something you do better than anyone else; it is your value-added insurance,” says Gladys Kartin, career strategist.

4. Find the good in it
When work isn’t going well, it’s easy to dwell on the parts of the job you don’t like. “At some point in time, a person probably liked his job and those are the things he should focus on. Whether it was a task, a co-worker, a meeting or a training session, try to nurture those parts of the job and find ways to incorporate them more into your daily routine,” suggests human resource specialist Sharlyn Lauby.

5. Figure out what you don’t like
If you’re stuck in a job hate, the most important thing to do is identify why you hate the job. Once you do that, you’ll see what’s missing that could help you better tolerate the situation. You don’t want to repeat this cycle in your next position, says Caela Farren, author of “Who’s Running Your Career?”

6. Focus on the aspects you like — even if it’s just a paycheck
“There is opportunity in every adversity and if you don’t see that, you will most likely re-create another dead-end job,” says Dr. Nancy Irwin, speaker and author. Write down a list of the things you do enjoy about it and find ways to do more of those things. There has to be something about the job that you like, or used to like, otherwise you wouldn’t have accepted the job in the first place.

7. Invest in yourself
Go to night school to pursue your passion. Hire a life coach; take a class; pursue your hobbies. “No economy will ever be able to drain the value of investments you make in strengthening your talents and abilities,” Eikenberg says.

8. Network
“You’re probably not the only person who hates his or her job, and you’re probably not the first person to have bailed,” says Martha Finney, author of “Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss.” “All those people who you once worked with and who are now out there in a variety of companies in your community or industry, you have multiple networks now to thoroughly explore.”

9. Seek out cross-training opportunities
Many workers want to change jobs because they aren’t challenged anymore; finding new prospects fixes that. “Learning new skills or technologies, meeting new people and facing new challenges [are great ways] to keep your mind off the fact that you aren’t in love with your job,” says Lauren Milligan of ResuMayDay.com.

10. Volunteer
Find out about opportunities at your company where you can donate your time. “Is there a task force that is looking for assistance? Is there a committee to improve something? Request to be on it. By engaging in something that excites you, your mood will change and you might even get a different job within that company,” says Kate Nasser, a people-skills coach.

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for PrimeCB.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Rachel Zupek, PrimeCB.com writer

It happens all the time.

An employee marches into her boss’s office demanding a raise. A college graduate looks forward to a high starting salary because he “deserves” one. A job seeker researches the average salary for a position she’s interested in, expecting to automatically be offered something in the same arena.

Although salary information is one of the most important aspects of finding a new job, it’s also the most under-researched. Unfortunately, with so many salary resources out there, there is always conflicting information and people who always disagree with, or don’t understand, the information presented.

What you, the job seeker, must understand is that the information provided to you via salary information sites should merely be a starting point in your research. What you find as the average salary for a position doesn’t guarantee that is what you will earn; there are too many other factors that come into play.

To help understand how you can analyze the salary information you find online and apply it to your situation, we’ve brought in compensation expert Jim Brennan, senior associate with the ERI Economic Research Institute, to help.

Q: How do starting salaries compare to median or average salaries?
Starting salaries are usually the lowest amount employers will pay for work, Brennan says. Companies expect new hires to know less about a new position, so they typically start them lower than someone with an established track record.

“Employers generally take care to assure that entry starting rates match the hiring-market requirement and that new folks will start at a lower salary than veteran job peers,” he says.

Median salaries are the amount in the center between the lowest and highest compensation. If workers in an organization are paid $30,000, $45,000 and $50,000, the median salary at that company would be $45,000.

Average salaries are the product of the sum total of all the salaries, divided by the number of observations. With the above figures, for example, the average salary would be $41,666.

“Median salaries are better measures of ‘normal’ pay, being central values. Averages can swing wildly with the addition of extremely high or low values to the group,” Brennan says. “No matter how high the high, or how low the low, the median is still the middle.”

Q: How does my experience play a role in my compensation?
All else being equal, people with more years of experience at a company generally make more. Experience at the company where you currently work generally trumps experience elsewhere, Brennan says.

If you’re new in a position, expect to be paid near the bottom of the scale; if you’re a seasoned veteran who can hit the ground running, you’ll warrant a salary that exceeds the entry rate.

Q: What exactly is cost of living and how will it affect my salary?
Cost of living is what you spend; a salary is what you earn. Your cost of living influences how much your salary will buy. Many workers assume that their employer is required to compensate for their cost of living. If you live in an expensive city, you’ll be paid accordingly, right?

“Employers are too smart to base your pay on your expenses; if they did, everyone’s pay would be different and we’d all spend like crazy and watch our salaries increase accordingly,” Brennan says. “Employers don’t care what you spend or how much it costs, as long as you are willing to work for the salary they offer.”

Brennan says that companies pay what they do because the open market requires a competitive rate. Their “market” for workers is usually defined as commuting distance. Since many people don’t live within walking distance of their workplaces, the cost of living where they work is different from where they live.

Ideally, we work where salaries are high and live where prices are low.

Q: How does education play a role in my salary?
“The role that education level plays in your salary depends on the nature of the job and the relevance of your education,” Brennan says. “More formal education or advanced credentials in the specific field of work or occupational area will carry some weight in starting-salary offers.”

A telemarketing candidate with a degree in communications, for example, would justify a higher starting salary because she would be productive immediately versus an applicant who would need training. If the same candidate applied as a suicide-prevention-line counselor, her communications degree might only meet the minimum requirements and therefore, she would probably earn less than an applicant with a master’s degree in clinical psychology, Brennan says.

Q: How are wages and salaries set and how do they vary by organization?
Wages and salaries are set according to a unique blend of external market competitiveness and internal equity considerations at each employer, Brennan says. Every organization has its own way of paying people, and many variables — such as organization revenue size, number of employees, profitability, pay history, corporate culture, geographic location, competitive labor analysis, benefits and perks, and ease of commute — are factors.*

“Every enterprise has to compete in an open market for human talent. They all have to pay enough to attract, retain and motivate competent workers,” Brennan says. “Those who pay too low fail to attract or retain decent workers and must either raise their entry salary or do without new hires. Those who pay too high will have long lines of applicants for every opening, but they better be much more profitable or more efficient than their competition or they may spend themselves out of business.

“Despite the basic truth that everyone pays according to what the market requires, no two entities pay exactly the same. Beyond the minimum starting rate, employers all vary in their practices, even for similar organizations of the same size within the same city and in the same industry,” Brennan says. “No two will agree on exactly what their ‘competitive market’ is for all jobs, how it is defined or what their target pay should be. Once an employer has paid enough to hire someone, the cash paid above that amount is totally up to the entity. Pay always reflects a particular employer policy on the intended role of salary within their mix of total compensation elements, of which base salary is merely one.”

Q: What is total compensation?
Compensation is more than base pay. If a high-paying job comes with miserable duties, no benefits or unsafe working conditions, you’re probably better off in a job you like, getting paid less, with generous benefits, Brennan says.

Elements of your total compensation include*:

· Base pay (quoted in hourly, weekly, monthly or annual figures)

· Bonus pay (including individual performance programs, profit sharing, etc.)

· Premium pay (including hazard pay, geographic differential pay, holiday pay, shift differentials, etc.)

· Benefits (medical, dental, life insurance, payment for time not worked, tuition reimbursement, retirement plans, etc.)

Remember that compensation is only one part of the package when determining whether or not to accept a job. Hopefully, this will give you a starting point on knowing what you’re worth.

“People don’t work for bread alone, but the bread still better be right,” he says.

*Information from SalaryExpert.com

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Rachel Zupek, PrimeCB.com writer

For the first time in history, there are four different generations working side-by-side on the job. Each one has its own attitudes, perceptions and values, which can make it challenging for people from different generations to co-exist in the workplace.

When you’re the youngest worker on the team, for example, older workers might not take you seriously. You could be viewed as a child who doesn’t know as much, and who doesn’t have enough experience or business acumen to succeed. If you’re the oldest worker on the team, however, people might view you as old-fashioned and not “up with times,” or they might take your input as you trying to push ideas on them.

“It’s hard on the ego for baby boomers to have a younger boss,” says Christine Hassler, a life coach, professional speaker and author. “Their parents taught them that seniority comes with age … having to answer to a younger boss goes against the model they subscribed to. Not only are boomers often embarrassed and angry that they are answering to someone their child’s age, they do not know how to relate to or connect with their boss and/or co-workers, which only makes them feel more separate.”

Here, several workers of all ages, experiences and points of view filled in the blank on what happens when your boss is younger than you:

When your boss is younger than you …

Rachel Zupek, PrimeCB.com writer

Twenty years ago, you may have been hard pressed to find a company that employed women or minorities in senior management positions, if at all. Today, you’d be less likely to find otherwise: 28 percent of employers have more than five women in senior management positions and 18 percent of employers have more than five people of an ethnic minority in senior management positions, according to a 2008 CareerBuilder.com diversity survey.

Diversity can have a considerable influence on how your organization is perceived by others, and as a result, more and more companies are making diversity a core value or a business imperative. Including diversity programs can help increase an organization’s success, have a positive impact on workplace culture and help improve relationships with clients and customers.

On his company’s Web site, Kenneth D. Lewis, chief executive officer at Bank of America, says, “Our commitment to diversity is a commitment to individuals and to the team. It’s about creating an environment in which all associates can fulfill their potential without artificial barriers, and in which the team is made stronger by the diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of individuals. It’s about giving all of us — individually and together — the best possible chance to succeed.”

To help promote diversity within the workplace, organizations are offering a variety of programs and events, according to the CareerBuilder.com survey:

- Diversity training for employees (31 percent)

- Surveys and focus groups to see how employees perceive diversity in the company and solutions to enhance that perception (15 percent)

- Various support and mentoring groups for diverse segments of the work force (14 percent)

- Diversity council to promote diversity within the workplace (14 percent)

- Diversity Day or other events celebrating diversity (12 percent)

- Employee incentives to promote diversity (7 percent)

To recognize the companies that go above and beyond in their efforts to incorporate diversity into their workplace culture, Black Enterprise magazine annually identifies 40 companies that surpass others in one or more categories: supplier diversity, senior management, board involvement and employee base. In 2008, BE also focused its report on companies that have retained and developed diverse executive talent.

Here are the 40 Best Companies for Diversity in 2008, according to BE magazine*:

Aetna Inc., Hartford, Conn.
Business: Insurance
Diversity fact**: As of March 2008, approximately 31 percent of Aetna’s 35,000 employees were people of color and 76 percent were women.

Aflac Inc., Columbus, Ga.
Business: Insurance
Diversity fact: Women account for nearly 70 percent of Aflac’s entire work force.

American Express Co., New York
Business: Financial services
Diversity fact: American Express offers employee networks for different minorities, genders and sexual orientations. Participants engage in educational activities including job fairs and cultural events; they also act as liaisons to management and to the community.

Aramark Corp., Philadelphia
Business: Food and facilities management services
Diversity fact: Aramark has a diversity component called Kaleidoscope, which focuses on retaining, developing and recruiting a diverse, high-performing team to meet the needs of clients and customers.

AT&T, San Antonio
Business: Telecommunications provider
Diversity fact: Today, AT&T’s 50-state work force is 44 percent female and 39 percent people of color.

Bank of America, Charlotte, N.C.
Business: Financial services
Diversity fact: In 2007, 49 percent of Bank of America officials and managers were women and 25 percent were a minority.

Burger King Holdings, Miami
Business: Food services
Diversity fact: African-American entrepreneurs conduct more than $100 million in business with the Burger King system.

Chrysler LLC, Auburn Hills, Mich.
Business: Automotive
Diversity fact: Kim Harris Jones was recently named Chrysler’s first female officer and senior vice president, corporate controller and auditor. She is the company’s second African-American officer as well as its highest-ranking African-American female.

Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta
Business: Beverages
Diversity fact: Coca-Cola ranked No. 4 on DiversityInc.’s 2007 “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” and performed well in two categories: Top 10 Companies for Recruitment and Retention (No. 5) and Top 10 Companies for Asian-Americans (No. 6).

Comcast Corp., Philadelphia
Business: Cable and communications
Diversity fact: Comcast has been named to BE’s diversity list two years in a row; it’s also been recognized by other publications such as Diversity MBA Magazine’s “Top 50 Companies for Diverse Managers” (2008).

Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y.
Business: Imaging
Diversity fact: Kodak got a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index because of its policies that support gay employees.

Exelon Corp., Chicago
Business: Utilities
Diversity fact: Exelon was voted the best company for diverse graduates by Diversity Edge Magazine. The list provides undergraduate and graduate students direction as they decided where they want to launch their careers.

Fannie Mae, Washington, D.C.
Business: Financial services
Diversity fact: In 2008, Fannie Mae received many awards for its commitment to diversity. Recognitions included the No. 12 “Best Company to Work for in America” by Latina Style magazine and a ranking as one of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” by Working Mother magazine.

FedEx Corp., Memphis, Tenn.
Business: Package delivery
Diversity fact: FedEx has been recognized by Fortune as one of the “50 Best Companies for Minorities.”

General Mills Inc., Minneapolis
Business: Consumer packaged goods
Diversity fact: General Mills is approaching half a billion dollars in purchases from minority- and women-owned businesses, with more than 50 percent growth from fiscal year 2005 to 2007.

General Motors Corp., Detroit
Business: Automotive
Diversity fact: GM works with more than 200 certified minority- and female-owned companies.

IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y.
Business: Computer hardware and software
Diversity fact: In 2008, 25 percent of IBM’s total work force consisted of minorities, including 18.4 percent of officials and management.

Johnson Controls Inc., Milwaukee
Business: Automotive systems and building control
Diversity fact: Johnson Controls sponsored two recent national conventions for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich.
Business: Consumer packaged goods
Diversity fact: To develop its recruiting efforts, Kellogg has partnerships with the Society of Women Engineers, Network of Executive Women, Black MBA, Hispanic MBA and the National Sales Network.

Marriott International Inc., Washington, D.C.
Business: Lodging
Diversity fact: Of the college students Marriott recruited in 2007, more than 32 percent were minorities. Of the new managers hired that year, 30 percent were minorities and 52 percent were women.

McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, Ill.
Business: Food services
Diversity fact: McDonald’s has many employee networks, including but not limited to McDonald’s African American Council, Women’s Leadership Network, and Gays, Lesbians and Allies at McDonald’s.

MGM Mirage, Las Vegas
Business: Hotels, casinos and resorts
Diversity fact: In 2007, the Mirage introduced a diversity best-practices series, which sponsors guest speakers and talks among company diversity councils and leaders.

Pepco Holdings Inc., Washington, D.C.
Business: Utilities
Diversity fact: Pepco’s supplier diversity has been recognized by DiversityInc., Veterans Business Journal, Women’s Enterprise USA Magazine, Fortune, AARP and the Asian American Business Roundtable.

Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., Somers, N.Y.
Business: Beverage distribution
Diversity fact: PBG employees have completed more than 300,000 hours of diversity training in the past 20 years to learn about the importance of diversity at every level of the company.

PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, N.Y.
Business: Convenience foods and beverages
Diversity fact: In 2006, PepsiCo surpassed $1 billion in spending with minority and women vendors.

PG&E Corp., San Francisco
Business: Utilities
Diversity fact: PG&E achieved its highest level of diversity spending at $598.8 million in 2007.

Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, Conn.
Business: Business communications
Diversity fact: Pitney Bowes trains its employees on diversity through media like new employee orientations, an annual diversity festival, diversity communications and an online diversity training curriculum.

Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati
Business: Consumer packaged goods
Diversity fact: P&G has one of the oldest supplier diversity programs in the United States, spending more than $1.5 billion across nearly 2,000 minority- and women-owned suppliers.

Ryder System Inc., Miami
Business: Transportation
Diversity fact: Ryder has consistently been included in Hispanic magazine’s list of 100 companies that provide the most opportunities for Hispanics in areas of recruitment, scholarships and minority supplier programs.

Sempra Energy, San Diego
Business: Utilities
Diversity fact: Sempra has been listed among the top five of Fortune magazine’s “America’s 50 Best Companies for Minorities” since 1998.

Sodexo USA, Gaithersburg, Md.
Business: Food and facilities management services
Diversity fact: Rohini Anand, senior vice president and chief diversity officer of Sodexho, was named to Diversity Edge Magazine’s 2007 Top 20 Diversity Champions List.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, N.Y.
Business: Lodging
Diversity fact: Starwood has established a diversity council made up of senior leaders to improve the diversity.

State Farm Insurance Co., Bloomington, Ill.
Business: Insurance
Diversity fact: Since LATINA Style 50 magazine began its diversity survey 11 years ago, State Farm has been recognized as one of the “Top 50 Best Companies for Latinas to Work.”

TIAA-CREF, New York
Business: Financial services
Diversity fact: TIAA-CREF’s commitment to workplace diversity has been recognized consistently in studies published by Fortune, Working Mother and Hispanic magazine.

Toyota Motor North America Inc., New York
Business: Automotive
Diversity fact: The total number of minority-owned Toyota dealerships has increased by 30 percent since 2001.

United Parcel Service Inc., Atlanta
Business: Packaging
Diversity fact: African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Pacific Americans and other minorities make up 35 percent of UPS´ 348,400 employees in the United States.

Verizon Communications Inc., Washington, D.C.
Business: Telecommunications
Diversity fact: Verizon’s work force is 59 percent women and 35 percent minorities; the top management positions are 30 percent women and 17 percent minorities.

WGL Holdings Inc., Washington, D.C.
Business: Public utility holding
Diversity fact: WGL Holdings has been named in BE’s Best Companies for Diversity for the past two consecutive years.

Xerox Corp., Stamford, Conn.
Business: Computer and office equipment
Diversity fact: Xerox placed fifth in “Best of the Best for Women & Diversity,” a special report produced by Diversity Best Practices and the Business Women’s Network.

Yum! Brands Inc., Louisville, Ky.
Business: Food service
Diversity fact: Yum! owns such brands as KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W and Long John Silver’s. About 70 percent of the associates at Yum! are Hispanic, African-American and/or Asian. Minorities and women made up 64 percent of its external management hires and 41 percent of internal management promotions in 2007.

* The magazine examined 1,000 publicly traded companies and 50 leading global companies with major U.S. operations. As with the previous survey, four key areas — suppliers, senior management, work force and corporate board diversity — factored into the measurement of each company’s diversity practices.

**All diversity facts are according to each company’s Web site or press releases.

Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues

Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com writer

You can feel a little directionless during a job hunt. At times, the questions seem to outnumber the answers 2-to-1.

Do I need to wear a suit? Do I need to send a thank-you note? What is my biggest weakness? How do I give a good handshake? The stress can be overwhelming. One question that still pesters job seekers, especially as job hunting increasingly takes place online, is whether or not a cover letter is still necessary. On the one hand, a cover letter is a traditional component of the searching process and omitting one feels weird. But time is valuable during a job hunt and wasting time on something nobody will read is aggravating.

So are cover letters a waste of time or an overlooked attention grabber?

Overwhelmingly, hiring managers and human resources personnel view cover letters as a necessity in the job hunt.

How a cover letter helps you

When you submit an application or résumé to an employer, you probably haven’t spoken at length with the hiring manager. Therefore your papers are one needle in a huge haystack of applicants. Your goal is to set yourself apart as quickly as possible and not to give the hiring manager any reason to dismiss you from consideration; a cover letter can help you achieve that goal.

“Employers need to know you know how to communicate in writing,” says Sue Thompson, a personal coach and corporate trainer. “Your résumé may have been done professionally or using a template, and you may have done a good job of proofreading. But a cover letter shows you have the ability to put sentences together and sound like a halfway intelligent person. It will reveal whether your education has any merit: Are words spelled properly? Is the grammar correct? Is the punctuation appropriate?”

You can look at the cover letter as a way to persuade the hiring manager to consider you for the job. Or, if fear is a better motivator, think about the lack of a cover letter, or one written poorly, as a strike against you.

“You can be the smartest person within 100 miles, and maybe the right person for the job, but you will knock yourself right out of the running with a poor cover letter. You make the recruiter’s job easier when they see a poorly written, poorly proofread cover letter. They can discard your résumé and move on,” Thompson adds.

The need to craft a strong cover letter cannot be stressed enough, however. When you gave your parents homemade birthday cards as a child, they lovingly accepted them because it’s the thought that counts. That’s not the case with cover letters, so your typos and sloppy presentation are detrimental, not endearing.

Connect the dots

Job coach and former recruiter Judi Perkins wants job seekers to understand the role of a well-written cover letter. “When they’re written correctly, they’re extremely effective, because they’re a sales tool.” And the secret to this sales tool is taking a two-pronged approach to the cover letter.

“The first part: The key is that [cover letters] need to be focused on what the buyer — the hiring company — wants,” Perkins says. This means you need to look at the ad and see what it’s asking for because that’s what the employer is looking for, too. “The ad tells you, explicitly, what that company wants.

“But here’s the second part — the kicker — that no one else even teaches (and even professional sales people don’t do): bridge the benefit back to the company; spell out the benefit of hiring you.”

Simply put, you know what the company wants and you know what you can offer — your résumé is a list of your accomplishments, after all. So Perkins suggests you just connect the dots for your readers.

“It forces them to visualize the effect of you in the business as an employee. They’re not going to take this step themselves — there are too many résumés to go through. Spell everything out for them and it gives you a distinct leg up over all the other vastly ineffective cover letters that they receive.”

The new cover letter

Job hunting has changed quite a bit since the advent of the Internet, as many of today’s job seekers have probably never applied for a job via the mail. This means that the practice of placing a cover letter and résumé in an envelope and mailing it is antiquated for many companies. But does that mean you have to write an e-mail to the employer and attach both the cover letter and résumé, or do you skip the cover letter when applying online?

“The growing prevalence of applying via e-mail or through an organization’s Web site is making cover letters obsolete in most industries,” according to Wes Henricksen, president of Seize the A, an academic consulting organization. “That does not mean that the ability to write a cover letter has become obsolete. Instead, it means the rules have changed. The new ‘cover letter’ is often a shorter two-paragraph message in the body of an e-mail. Although this new ‘cover e-mail’ is shorter and less formal, its content is no less important than that of a traditional cover letter. Style, spelling, grammar and professionalism are all still vitally important.”

What employers think

You know how a good cover letter can work to your advantage, but what if you don’t submit one? Are you doomed? For some employers, such as Angela Ruggiero, yes. She’s an adviser for Stanton Communications’ internship program. As a new graduate, she didn’t bother with a cover letter, and now she realizes her mistake.

“I see red flags when there is no cover letter along with a résumé,” Ruggiero says. “The absence of cover letters translates to me that the candidate is lazy and is sending résumés in masses, rather than customizing or personalizing to each individual company of interest.”

While the absence of a cover letter might land you in the rejected pile, the inclusion of one could keep you at the top of the short-list. “Sometimes a person’s cover letter drives me to call a candidate for an interview over another who may have had qualifications that were just as impressive.”

You could save yourself some time and not write a cover letter, which has a decent shot of hurting your job prospects. Or you could devote the time to write a thorough but brief letter that at worst isn’t read and at best lands you a job. Not a tough call.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com writer

“Where is this relationship going?” is a question that can mean several things for a romance. It can signal demise or it can reignite long-lost passion. Whatever the outcome, asking it means you’re taking control of things.

Your career isn’t exactly like having a significant other, but some of the same rules apply. Coasting through your professional life without asking any questions of yourself or taking into account your ambitions can limit what you achieve. And it doesn’t matter if you’re at your first job or you’re about to retire, you should always be thinking about where you are and what you want out of your job.

With that in mind, we put together some suggestions for workers at every stage of their careers. Many issues you face as a high school student aren’t the same as what you’ll face midcareer. But you’ll also notice that some advice is relevant to you no matter what your age is. So here are some topics to think about as you navigate your career when …

… you’re still in high school:

Pick a job that doesn’t interfere with school. First jobs can teach you about the value of work and earning a paycheck, but the real benefit is learning how to balance personal and work lives. At this age, you should be more focused on getting your education and a diploma than on climbing the corporate ladder.

Take your job seriously. Don’t become a teenage workaholic, but don’t shirk your responsibilities, either. Show up on time, perform your tasks and treat your boss with respect. It never hurts to have a good reference and a boss willing to have you back, maybe during your summer breaks during college or full-time when starting your career.

… you’re still in college:

Find a job that relates to your major or your interests. Working and going to school isn’t easy, and you’ll be even less inclined to enjoy your job if it bores you. While you may not find your dream job right now, any opportunity to see if you enjoy working in your ideal industry is a good learning experience.

Look for internships. Now is a prime opportunity to get experience that can build into a full-time job after graduation, and it’s also the one time in your life when you can live very cheaply. Internships don’t often pay well or anything at all, but they often count for course credit and always build your résumé, so take advantage of them while you can.

Start job hunting a semester (or more) before graduation. Every May, the job market is flooded with new graduates ready and eager to find work. If you start sending out résumés, going on interviews and networking ahead of your classmates, you can have a job lined up before you even get your diploma. You can really enjoy walking across that stage even more when you’ve already accepted an offer.

Remember that you’re a working student. Although a lot changes from high school to college, some things stay the same, namely, the need to remain focused on school and taking the job seriously. Don’t forget to study for an exam because of work. (And don’t forget to show up for work because you were having too much fun.)

… you’re at your first “grown-up” job:
Learn from others. You’re a sophisticated, likable person with great ideas; you’re also the newbie. Don’t be afraid to speak up and contribute to the team, but remember that you have a lot to learn from colleagues and your boss. They can teach you what to do and what not to do at that particular company and in the professional world.

Look for a good foundation. For the average worker, an entry-level job does not mark the beginning of a lifelong relationship with that particular employer. You’re likely to have several jobs throughout your career, so don’t look at a first job as if you’re going to be there forever. Look for a job that interests you, offers networking opportunities and, most importantly, lets you develop skills that will help you down the road.

Don’t burn your bridges. When you move on to a new job, do not e-mail your boss with a diatribe about what an incompetent fool she is. Don’t tell your colleague how sorry you feel for him because he’s still stuck in that prison of a company. Peaceful partings can ensure you have good references and a good reputation. (This advice is good for everyone, regardless of age.)

… you’re in the middle of your career:

Assess your life goals. For a second, forget about your career and think about what you want your life to be, both now and in the future. Are you on track to achieve what you want? This isn’t just about a work/life balance, but also an opportunity to see if your job situation helps you achieve the personal goals and lifestyle you want.

Take stock of your professional worth. Midcareer is a vague period because it comes at different points for many people and not everyone’s professional life progresses at the same pace. So, this period isn’t about your specific age as it is about the status of your career.

At this stage, you’ve had at least one job, if not several, and are accruing experience and expertise in a field. Ask yourself what your résumé would look like if you were to job hunt right now. What are your strongest skills? Where do you need improvement? What career opportunities would be available to you? Now is the time for you to decide if you need to change directions or if you’re happy with your situation.

… you can retire:

Decide what you want your golden years to look like. The template of what retirement should look like is long gone. Today, mature workers are taking different paths when it comes to their careers, and you can decide what works best for you.

Because people are living longer, many older workers have no desire to leave the work force and spend another 10 or 20 years at home. Instead, some are scaling back to part-time jobs with their current employers. They still get a paycheck and the company retains their expertise. Others are switching professions entirely and venturing into their dream jobs now that they have the time and money to do so.

Decide what you need to have the life you want: Some mature workers can’t afford to leave their full-time jobs, even if they wanted to, due to financial needs. As you get older, you have to plan for the cost of health care, medicine and other living expenses, none of which is cheap. Deciding what your future looks like should account for your ideal situation and inevitable factors.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com writer

Wouldn’t a sabbatical from work be nice? An extended break to finally accomplish all those things on your to-do list: travel, go hiking, renovate the house, read the classics.

If you find yourself unemployed, very often the silver lining is that you have the time to do all those things you never could while working. But as many job seekers soon discover, lack of income and the need for a new job can hinder your recreational activities. After all, do you want to spend your savings on a trip to Europe if you don’t have a job lined up?

If you’re a job seeker, you can find yourself struggling to balance the demands of finding a new job and being tempted by your newfound free time. When you’re checking job postings earlier than you ever showed up to the office, it dawns on you that a job search is its own full-time gig.

Why is it a full-time job?
You know job hunting is serious business, but just how long does it take to post a résumé online and make a few calls to your professional contacts? Not long, but stopping there would be a mistake. Today’s job hunt is a combination of old-fashioned footwork, online brand building and reaching out to the right people, as Debbie Withers has learned.

She was a marketing director before she took some time off in 1997 to be a full-time mother. As her kids grew up, she began a freelance writing career and did marketing consultation. Her youngest child is about to be in middle school and she thinks it’s the right time to renew her career outside of the home.

“What I’ve discovered is that it really is who you know,” Withers says. As a job seeker who was out of the professional world for a while, Withers has to overcome the image that she wasn’t getting any relevant work done during her freelance years. Not to mention the fact that her time off began once she moved from Virginia, where she had many contacts and a solid reputation. “Unfortunately, since I didn’t work full-time [here] in the Atlanta market, I don’t have the business contacts I had in the cities where I was a marketing director; no one in my current sphere saw me in that high-profile position.”

Since beginning her job hunt, Withers says three things have stood out to her:

1. Connections matter
One of the other mothers at a play group was married to a cameraman in a broadcast company where she wanted to work. Although the company wasn’t in a position to hire her right then, she did get the contact information for a hiring manager. When the company is hiring again, she has a direct line to the right person.

2. Don’t waste any opportunity to sit down with someone
One of Withers’ acquaintances passed her résumé along to a colleague in the marketing department of her company. She was able to sit down with the marketing person and present her portfolio. Although the company was in a hiring freeze, Withers says she doesn’t see it as a wasted opportunity.
“At least now I’ve met the corporate contact face to face, and although they’re not advertising openings, she’ll be more likely to think of me when they need someone.”

3. Give your résumé to the right people
Withers asked one of her former employers to be a reference and forwarded her résumé. A few weeks later, that employer introduced her to a business associate who is hiring for a position she has experience in. She doesn’t know whether or not she’ll get the job, but she’s glad to know she has someone helping her find employment opportunities.

Technology’s role
By now you know that technological advances have benefits and plenty of disadvantages. Your cell phone can save your life during an emergency, but it can also ruin your evening at the symphony with an ill-timed ring. Social networking sites have had a similar effect on job hunting.

Sites like Facebook, BrightFuse and Twitter allow you to connect to old friends, potential employers, past clients and other people who might offer career opportunities. But combine the sheer volume of social networking sites and the ever shrinking shelf life of timeliness — you haven’t updated your Facebook status in over two hours? — and you can’t walk away from the computer for too long. Michael Durwin, who was recently laid off because of the economy, is experiencing the full-time demands of a job search.

“I’m as busy, if not more busy, tweaking my personal brand, hunting down new freelance clients and job hunting,” he says. With his wife expecting their first child in a month, Durwin thought the layoff would give him plenty of time to do some work around the house that he’s been putting off. He was mistaken. “I’m constantly trolling through job sites, joining new ones, reaching out to contacts, hunting down client contact info [and] updating my blog and Twitter feeds.”

Of course, you might not mind the need for constant updates when you consider how visible you’re making your job hunt. Sure, all of your contacts on these sites can see your information, but depending on your network settings, people in your same city or alumni network can, too. More sets of eyes are coming across your availability for a job.

Time is money
The ability to stay connected can help your job hunt, but it can also add a sense of guilt to your daily life. Every free minute you spend relaxing can feel like a career opportunity slipping away — a feeling Meghan Schinderle recently discovered.

“I was prepared to treat looking for a job like a job,” Schinderle says. “I prepared to dedicate long hours to it and to put time and effort into searching and networking. What I was not prepared for was the feeling of guilt I would have for the times that I am not doing it — and the feeling that I must be glued to my laptop working towards finding a job at all times. This is unhealthy, to say the least.”

To maintain good mental health, Schinderle is taking a step back from her obsessive behavior. She’s trying to take advantage of the free time she has, while still looking for a job.

“I am running at the beach in the mornings and cooking dinner with my boyfriend at night. I am going to the gym and running errands in the middle of the day or going to the museum right by my house,” she says. “I am doing all the things that people who do have jobs wish they could. It’s great to dedicate a significant amount of time to job hunting, but you have to get away from it for a little while every day or it will consume you and then depress you.”

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com

Wedding vows are supposed to be sweet proclamations of two people’s love for each other. In reality, they’re a series of tumultuous tests.

“Of course you’ll love me when I’m rich, but how about when I’m poor? When sick? Every single day until we’re both dead? OK, deal.”

Luckily, you take no such vow when you accept a job. Sure, you stick with it through the bad times (when you have to pick up your boss’s dry cleaning) and through the poor times (when you know you deserve a bigger paycheck). And even if you really enjoy your work, you have your limits, and crossing the state line might be one of them.

Would you relocate for a job if the opportunity presents itself? Seeing as the current economy is forcing employers to shake things up, we’re seeing departments reorganized and people shifted around. As a result, you might find your boss (or a separate employer) wooing you to a new city with the lure of a new job. It’s tempting to go with your knee-jerk reaction, but such an important decision requires plenty of research. If you decide to uproot your life for a job, you want to make sure you’re happy with the result.

1. What is the entire cost of the move itself?

First, you should find out if your employer is going to cover any or all of the moving costs. That can be a deciding factor for you.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but moving, like buying a home or car, has a hefty amount of hidden costs. The price tag of the move isn’t only the fee for renting a truck or hiring movers. Little things add up, like boxes, cushioning and packing tape. If you’re moving out of an apartment, will you get back your security deposit before you put one down on the new place? Or, if you sell your stuff and intend to buy new furnishings when you move, consider the size of your new place — a larger place requires more furniture.

Hint: Save your receipts. You might be able to write off some job-related moving expenses come tax season, so keep track of what you spend.

2. What is the comprehensive cost-of-living adjustment?

You can find some great cost-of-living calculators online that factor in taxes and general living expenses, but your debit card will notice a bigger difference than any estimator can give. Will you be driving to your new job (therefore taking into consideration the time spent on commuting and the cost of gas, maintenance in a new climate and insurance) or taking public transportation? Do you have a weather-appropriate wardrobe for the new location? Are you leaving a place where you can stock up at big-box retailers and moving to a place that doesn’t have as many low-cost stores? Of course, you can also find that your move is going to make your daily expenses cheaper, so doing all the research could bring you good news.

3. When is your last day on the old job and your first day of the new one?

Timing means a lot during a long-distance job switch. You don’t want the dates to be so far apart that you’re strapped for cash in the midst of an expensive move. Conversely, you probably want a little breathing room between the day you arrive and unpack everything and the day you start. For your own sanity, consult a calendar when you’re coordinating your resignation, first day on the job and first day of your lease.

4. What are your career opportunities in this new city?

The potential benefits of relocating must be significant, otherwise you probably wouldn’t give relocating serious consideration. But play devil’s advocate for a moment and think about what you’ll do if you get laid off or hate the job and want to quit. Assuming you won’t have the funds to move back immediately, will you have other career opportunities to keep you happy? For example, teaching positions might be plentiful in metropolitan areas, but in a smaller town you might not have a lot of choices. Investigate the city’s job market to help your decision.

5. What does saying ‘no’ to the relocation mean for your career?

Jobs that require a big move often indicate a promotion or some type of advancement, which makes them so appealing. But you can have legitimate reasons for not wanting to accept it, which means you now have to weigh the repercussions of this decision. If your boss offered you the position, do you damage your future with the company by declining it?

6. If you’re switching employers, what are your career opportunities at the new company?

When you accept any new job, you hope it aligns with your long-term goals. No one wants to take a job that they know they’ll outgrow in a few months. Because this is especially true when you’re relocating, ask your new boss all the right questions. Find out why the last person left and what opportunities for promotion you have. You don’t want to leave one dead-end job for another.

7. Do you want to move?

You can think of hundreds of reasons why moving would be fun or why staying is the smart thing to do. Ultimately it comes down to whether or not you’re open to making the move. Whether or not you (and possibly your family) want to live in a new place can outweigh any other factors. Relocation can help your career, but you want to be able to give an enthusiastic “yes” when you accept the offer.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Forget all the talk about the recession and the economy — well, at least try for a minute. Think about what you want in a career. On any given day you probably would like to have most or all of the following:

· Good pay

· Opportunity for career growth

· A stable industry

· High demand for your work

Everyone would like to be compensated fairly and all workers want the chance climb the professional ladder. Plus, if you know your services are sought after, you can feel confident that you won’t be out of a job in the foreseeable future.

In tough economic times, this kind of job sounds like a fantasy. But it’s a reality for the health-care industry. Unlike many fields, health care can’t be outsourced — unless you want to go overseas to fix your sprained ankle. With a growing population that’s living longer, the need for medical personnel continues to rise.

Another attractive aspect of working in health care is that education requirements for various positions range from a high school diploma with some training to advanced medical degrees combined with extensive training.

If you’re considering a job in health care, here are 13 jobs that you might want to consider, along with their projected employment growth and mean annual wage, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Emergency medical technicians and paramedics respond to emergency calls as instructed by dispatchers. They arrive on the scene to address medical emergencies, which can require on-site treatment or transportation to a hospital.
2006 employment: 201,000*
Projected 2016 employment: 240,000
Mean annual wage: $30,870

Police, fire and ambulance dispatchers answer 911 calls and decide what emergency personnel, such as paramedics or firefighters, need to respond to the situation.
2006 employment: 99,000
Projected 2016 employment: 113,000
Mean annual wage: $34,060

Chiropractors treat patients who suffer from pain or conditions associated with their muscles and bones, most often the spine.
2006 employment: 53,000
Projected 2016 employment: 60,000
Mean annual wage: $81,390

Dental hygienists perform examinations on patients’ teeth and gums and assess overall dental health. They often prepare records and reports on patients for the dentist.
2006 employment: 167,000
Projected 2016 employment: 217,000
Mean annual wage: $64,910

Dental assistants prepare the patient before meeting with the dentist and also prepare materials for the dentist to use during the appointment. They are not licensed to perform any dental procedures.
2006 employment: 280,000
Projected 2016 employment: 362,000
Mean annual wage: $32,280

Dentists treat patients for conditions concerning their teeth and gums. They also perform routine checkups for patients in order to prevent any dental problems.
2006 employment: 136,000
Projected 2016 employment: 149,000
Mean annual wage: $147,010

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons perform surgery on a patient’s jaw or mouth. For many people, the first time they see an oral surgeon is for problems with wisdom teeth.
2006 employment: 7,700
Projected 2016 employment: 8,400
Mean annual wage: $178,440

Orthodontists treat patients who need braces or retainers to straighten their teeth.
2006 employment: 9,200
Projected 2016 employment: 10,000
Mean annual wage: $185,340

Nursing aides, orderlies and attendants work in hospitals or health-care facilities, helping patients perform routine tasks such as walking, bathing or eating.
2006 employment: 1,447,000
Projected 2016 employment: 1.71 million
Mean annual wage: $23,920

Home health aides work with patients who are living at home and provide assistance with everyday tasks, such as eating and bathing. They also help patients follow doctor’s instructions for routine exercise.
2006 employment: 787,000
Projected 2016 employment: 1.17 million
Mean annual wage: $20,850

Optometrists check the visual health of a patient. They prescribe glasses or contacts and treat eye diseases or other conditions.
2006 employment: 33,000
Projected 2016 employment: 36,000
Mean annual wage: $101,840

Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturers produce medications that have been created by scientists and medical experts. They ensure that medication passes all the necessary tests for human consumption as decided by government guidelines.
2006 employment: 292,000
Projected 2016 employment: 361,204
Mean annual wage: n/a

Registered nurses help patients by treating their conditions or ailments and teaching them how to properly care for themselves. They work in a variety of medical care facilities, including hospitals and clinics.
2006 employment: 2.5 million
Projected 2016 employment: 3.1 million
Mean annual wage: $62,480

*Salary data and employment projections based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed on Jan. 19, 2009.

Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.