Career Resources and Advice for Experienced Workers

By Rachel Zupek, PrimeCB.com writer

Growing up, summer was associated with sunshine, barbecues, swimming pools, vacations, boating and lazy days.

Eventually, summer became more than a vacation; it evolved into time spent between work and play. As I grew up and became more responsible, the inevitable summer job was imminent.

And so were born the summers of working at ice cream shops, summer camps and retail clothing stores to earn a quick buck (and make my parents proud).

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At first, workers who survived layoffs within their companies felt relief, grateful and reassured to have their jobs. But, according to a new survey by CareerBuilder, those feelings quickly turned to stress and burn out.

Thirty percent of layoff survivors feel burned out, according to the survey of more than 4,400 workers nationwide. Forty-seven percent of workers reported they have taken on more responsibility because of a layoff within their organization and 37 percent said they are handling the work of two people.

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Vacation season is finally here. With Memorial Day weekend upon us, people are officially starting to plan and take their summer vacations — or are they?

Thirty-five percent of workers say they haven’t gone on or aren’t planning to take a vacation in 2009; 71 percent of those indicate it is because they just can’t afford it, according CareerBuilder’s annual vacation survey. Additionally, close to one-in-five workers indicate that they are either afraid of losing their jobs if they go on vacation or feel guilty being away from the office. The survey was conducted from February 20 through March 11, 2009 among more than 4,400 workers.

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CareerBuilder is looking to you to make its next Super Bowl ad … and will give you $100,000 to do it!

That’s right. CareerBuilder is looking to job seekers to create its next TV spot because, after all, who knows job search better than the job seekers themselves?

If you win, CareerBuilder will produce your ad, send you on a trip for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the commercial and air it during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. Oh, and did we mention the $100,000 “paycheck”? Or the $50,000 runner-up prize?

All you have to do is go to http://www.hiremytvad.com/ and submit a 25-second video of your idea. Applications will be judged on: creativity, originality, entertainment value, performance level, humor and alignment with the CareerBuilder brand.

Want to know more? Check out the story in today’s Wall Street Journal and go to http://www.hiremytvad.com/ for full details and to enter.

By Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder and CEO of The Act•1 Group

In my role as CEO, I continue to be a key sales executive for my organization. One of the things that I have noticed over the last couple of years is that the people I’m meeting with, who are making significant financial and procurement decisions for their organizations, are getting younger and younger.

Some of my friends speak of how intimidated they feel when interviewing with managers who are 20 years younger than they are and in this economy, more and more of us are working longer than we originally thought we would. So, how does one manage the interaction and interviewing processes today?

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As the next round of graduates prepare to enter the tough job market, they find someselves among some unlikely company: Their parents.

I was reading an article this morning on The Root, by a columnist named Sam Fulwood. Mr. Fulwood talks about his daughter Amanda’s graduation this upcoming weekend and how he’s always dreamt of the moment when he “could look through teary eyes at her toothy smile and send her off to find a career and make her way in the world.”

What he didn’t imagine was trying to make his way along with her. Mr. Fulwood goes on to talk about how their joint job search has made for an unexpected yet memorable journey as they help and support each other in their hunt for work.

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By Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Would you rather have two jobs or one?

Now, I realize that reactions will probably fall into two categories:

1. “In this economy I’d be happy if I could find one job!”

2. “I barely have time to do one job, let alone two.”

Both good points, but they also bring up two reasons many workers are choosing two jobs over one: the economy and time.

For many job seekers, a full-time, permanent position is an ideal solution to their job woes, but the economic situation has put many employers on a hiring freeze. Even if they want and need full-time employees, they don’t have the budgets to bring someone on board. They’re turning to an alternative solution: part-time (and possibly temporary) positions.

If you’re averse to the 9-to-5 grind that monopolizes your weekdays, part-time jobs can offer you the flexibility you need. Today, plenty of people are doing this and they’re finding it a better alternative than being unemployed or stuck in a job they hate.

Survival strategy

Scott Rutt works two jobs, although they’re technically classified as full-time positions. In today’s economy, he takes comfort in having at least one job to rely on if he loses the other.

“I split my time between a business intelligence software company by day and a major financial reporting Web site by night,” Rutt says. “I’ve found it very beneficial since both companies have downsized in recent months. I was able to avoid the layoff in both cases, but took a lot of comfort in knowing that I’d still be able to at least make the mortgage.”

Aside from financial security, two jobs can also offer you the comfort of a smooth transition into a new field or business venture. You can’t always land a full-time job in a new industry, but with a second job, part-time job you have the flexibility to try new things. This is especially true if you want to be an independent worker or start your own business.

“This is a great opportunity for people who have ambitions of being their own business to take advantage,” says Jill Lazar of Everything Events, an event-planning company. “If you can’t find a full-time job right away, contract your work out to small businesses that can’t afford to hire someone full time.” She runs her own small business and works as an event planner. Her partner does the same.

“She enjoys both the security of the job and still receives health benefits, yet gets to be in business for herself as well. Sounds like the best of both worlds,” Lazar says.

Flexibility
If you’re supposed to clock in at 9 a.m. and clock out at 5 p.m. (or later), your personal life and obligations have to be squeezed into weekday evenings and weekends. While that may be fine for many workers, it’s not simple for everyone. Life doesn’t always work around your 40-hour schedule.

Heidi Waterfield has two part-time jobs at SFBags.com and Square Two Designs, both as communications director, and she finds the flexibility refreshing. This includes the freedom to concentrate on the more pressing job of the moment.

“I can also focus my efforts on the job that is at that time most in need of my time,” she says. “Sometimes when both jobs heat up, it gets pretty busy, but I’m gaining many more new skills by having two jobs than I would by having only one of them.”

Her latter point is also worth thinking about from a job-seeking perspective. In a competitive job market, you want to outshine the other candidates. A work history that proves you’re the ultimate multitasker and allows you to acquire new skills faster than other job seekers? Not too shabby.

You can expect find more employers open to these types of opportunities, says Robbie Kellman Baxter, a strategy consultant for consulting firm Peninsula Strategies.

“One of the great things about this down turn is that companies are getting serious about flexible work. It’s in their interest and the employee’s interest,” she says. Employers need help but don’t have the financial freedom to hire whomever they want and job seekers need a paycheck and a job that’s suitable for their lifestyles.

“Two part-time jobs? Three part-time jobs? Short-term roles? Remote? It’s all fair game,” Baxter says. “Everyone is thinking more creatively and flexibly about their careers. Most jobs can incorporate flexibility around the scope of your role, the distribution of the hours you work, the location of work and the duration of your role.”

If you feel like your current situation isn’t working for you as well as it could, finding part-time work might be the way to solve your problem.

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.

By Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com writer

Despite what you might tell your boss, you’ve shopped online at work. Whether you say it only happened during your lunch break (yeah, right) or admit that it took an entire morning, everyone’s killed some time doing some damage on the bank account. The Monday after Thanksgiving? Your boss is lucky if you even opened your work e-mail before noon. While that’s not acceptable, it’s normal behavior.

But have you ever shopped for a job at work? And do you think it’s ever OK?

Not the smartest move
You don’t need to be a genius to know looking for a job while at your current gig is a bad move. But it happens a lot, and employers aren’t oblivious to it.

Peter Thomas*, who works in a public relations agency, fired an employee for excessive job hunting on the clock. The employee’s productivity took a noticeable decline, so he began to monitor her computer habits. Turns out her job search took up more time than her actual job. Not surprisingly, this violated the employment agreement.

“If you want to get fired, by all means job hunt, but your work computer is 100 percent the property of the company for which you work,” the employer cautions. “So even if you are doing the searching at home, best to do so on your personal [home computer]. If your company has monitoring software on your computer, it will record your activity whether you are at work or at home.”

You should also consider the repercussions that being terminated for job shopping can have on you, at least in some cases. For one thing, you might not be due unemployment because you violated your contract. Plus, you’re setting yourself up for a sullied reputation.

“If your employer sees you are job searching, even if just because of casual curiosity, it sends the message that you wish to leave your current employer, and it could cause them to include you in planned layoffs for which you may have never been considered before,” Thomas says.

Susan Solovic , CEO of small business news and advice site SBTV.com, agrees with this assessment. She’s willing to concede that employees can spend some time job hunting if they’ve already received notice that they’re being laid off, as long as they don’t abuse the situation. But just wanting to get away is not acceptable.

“Spending time looking for another job, while still employed is really stealing from the company,” Solovic reminds job seekers. “You are stealing the time you should be working for them, searching for someplace else to go. In this case, wait until you get home and use your home computer and your personal time to do your job shopping.”

But…
Some people still job hunt at work. They know it’s dangerous, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the risks for them.

One worker, Eileen*, knew she wasn’t fulfilling her job duties in her previous position, but she was so unhappy she didn’t care.

“I was miserable at my last job and it is safe to say I spent 90 percent of my day looking for another job in those last few months I was there. I was sending at least 10 résumés a day,” she says.

As much as you might empathize with her position, devoting your workday to a job hunt can put you in an awkward position, says Judi Perkins, also known as The How-To Job Coach. For one thing, you might leave evidence of your job search lying around the office, either as a discarded fax or a misdirected e-mail. Or you’ll be unable to give your attention to your future employer.

“If there’s any verbal interaction, such as inquiring about a position, or to whom the résumé should go, you can easily be transferred unknowingly to the hiring authority,” Perkins warns. “Under the circumstances, you’d want to make the most of the fortuitous connection, but since you’re at work, you’ll be anything but comfortable with doing so. And then there’s the obvious, someone in your office might overhear you.”

Really, just don’t do it
Unless you’re willing to suffer the many consequences that come with looking for work behind your employer’s back (or right under your employer’s nose, to be more accurate), you should just wait until you clock out. Put the situation in perspective so you don’t make a rash decision, says Elizabeth Freedman, author of “Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the Workplace Without Hanging Yourself.”

“When your job is miserable or your company is on the brink of collapse, a decision to conduct a job search on the job may seem like the right one — but don’t let tough times cloud your judgment. Eventually, this recession will pass, and you want your reputation and ethics still intact.”

If you’re still tempted, Freedman advises you to consider the following before revising your résumé at work:

By Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com writer

You’re special.

Your mom and dad told you. Your Little League coach told you. You tell yourself in the mirror every morning.

Anyone who encounters you must recognize what a unique snowflake you are, right?

Maybe, but not necessarily. If you’re looking for a job, don’t assume the hiring manager is going to look at your cover letter and think, “This job candidate is The One.” That could happen, but you should do all you can to make that realization occur.

In the interest of spreading the word about your unparalleled qualifications and stunning personality, we’ve compiled some questions you should ask yourself at each stage of the job-hunting process. Some of these questions can apply to each stage.

When writing the résumé
Q. What about my education sets me apart?
A. Although degrees are more common than they once were, not each one is created equal. Most programs have enough freedom built in to them to allow students to customize their courses. The combination of your major and minor or your courses can give you a background that no one else has.

Q. Do I care about all of this?
A. This résumé is about you, so you probably have more interest in it than the average employer, but if you’re bored, everyone else will be, too. If your attempt to show how unique you are results in a dense list of your jobs and skills that make the page look like one huge block of text, you’re probably not focusing enough. Keep details short, informative and, above all else, relevant. Your paper route in junior high doesn’t matter if you’re 25 and have a college degree.

Your GPA, awards and recognition are good examples of items that do set you apart. They won’t land you the job by themselves, but they are additional assets that can differentiate you from the next résumé in the stack.

When writing your cover letter
Q. What’s implied on the résumé but not explicitly stated?
A. Have someone else read your résumé and explain your strong points to you. If you don’t hear something you were expecting, figure out why. You might think your extensive work history painted a clear picture for readers, but it might not. The cover letter is your chance to connect the dots and (eloquently) tell the hiring manger, “Hey, look what I have to offer!”

Maybe your internship with an employer was more involved and relevant to the position you’re seeking than the résumé suggests. Go into details and prove why that experience matters to this job.

Q. Does this sound like me or like Janet Q. Jobseeker?
A. Professionalism is key in a cover letter, but so is your personality. Now is not the time to be a comedian, but if your cover letter could have been written by any other applicant and been about any other applicant, then it’s not special. As a result, the employer won’t think you’re special.

If you have extensive knowledge of the industry, have a contact at the company or possess strong communication skills, don’t be afraid to let it shine through.

When interviewing
Q. Would I hire me?
A. An interview is basically an extended, interactive form of this question. If you get an interview the employer thinks you fit the job requirements, but whether or not you’re the perfect candidate is still in question. In addition to elaborating on your skills, only one thing can make or break you at this point: your personality.

Your personality is unique to you, so don’t be scared to let it show. As with the cover letter, don’t be so casual that you come off as unprofessional, but now is the time to show your sense of humor and your interpersonal communication skills. Fading into the background will only help you be forgotten.

Q. What is the one thing I want the hiring manager know about?
A. Hiring managers don’t know you, so they’re probably asking you the same questions they asked other candidates. If you want to prove that you’re a three-dimensional person who exists beyond undergrad business courses, have an actual dialogue. A hiring manager doesn’t need you to echo everything he or she already read about you.

The time you helped your group tackle a problem during a brainstorming session? The interesting marketing book you just read that has given you some new ideas? Let these facts out if they’re relevant to the conversation.

Q. Why do I want to work here?
A. Interviewers often ask this question of candidates, and candidates have learned to come armed with a response. But do you know why you want to work there or do you just know what you want them to think?

Everyone wants to be hired so they can get a paycheck, add another line to their résumé and move up the chain. Do you want to transition into a new industry? Do you think you can bring a fresh perspective to the company (without sounding arrogant)? Does the position sound like the one you’ve been preparing for and you have the experience to show for it? You need to know the answer and believe it before you walk into the interview.

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.

By Rachel Zupek, PrimeCB.com writer

After many long months of snow, slush, sleet and subzero temperatures, spring is finally here.

And all you can do is watch it from your window.

What you would give to be outside, enjoying the weather and all it has to offer. (Or maybe you would just give anything to be anywhere other than where you are right now…)

Whichever is the case, we got to thinking about jobs that would be great to have this spring season. Keep in mind, no scientific method was used in the making of this list, but we’ve got some pretty valid reasoning. Here are 10 jobs that are ideal for spring and why:

1. Sportswriter
Sure, sports take place year round, but for me, spring is when some of the most exciting sporting events go down. Exhibit A: March Madness basketball games. Exhibit B: Major league baseball spring training and season openers. Exhibit C: NHL playoffs. Exhibit D: NBA playoffs and draft picks. Exhibit E: The Masters golf tournament. Sportswriters can take their pick making predictions, following games or analyzing who is going to be the next Tiger Woods.
Education: College degree, preferably in communications, journalism or English
Annual salary*: $36,994

2. Florist
April showers bring May flowers, after all. Springtime means blooming flowers, weddings and generosity (aka, bouquets of roses “just because”). Florists will stay occupied during this busy season, while enjoying the budding blossoms that have been buried all winter.
Education: High school diploma
Annual salary: $33,859

3. Meteorologist
Spring might be the most inconsistent season for weather. It might snow for a week in April, for example, and be 80 degrees the next. The week after that it rains every day, there are multiple tornados and the next day it feels like fall. The constantly changing forecast would fascinate anyone who studies weather for a living.
Education: A bachelor’s degree in meteorology or atmospheric science
Annual salary: $67,004

4. Landscaping worker
It’s growing season! Snow is off the ground and grass, trees and flowers are ready to be planted and fertilized. Lawns need to be mowed, weeds pulled and trees trimmed, all of which add up to a lot of time outside, doing what landscapers do best.
Education: No minimum educational requirement, though most states require licensing or certification for workers who apply pesticides.
Annual salary: $23,980

5. Construction worker
What’s better than being outside all day working on your latest project? It seems like constructing a house or building would be much more enjoyable in nice weather than in the freezing cold and snow.
Education: Most positions have no specific educational qualifications, but apprenticeships are encouraged and require a high school diploma or equivalent.
Annual salary: $31,781

6. Fashion buyer
Springtime is synonymous with fashion. Buyers get to shop through all of the new spring lines and buy clothes that have color, flowers and designs for our favorite retail shops — a far cry from the black and gray turtlenecks and tweed we’ve been sporting all winter.
Education: Requirements vary depending on the organization, but large stores and distributors prefer applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree program with a business emphasis.
Annual salary: $50,796

7. College admissions counselor
As high school students graduate, college admissions counselors keep themselves busy recruiting, evaluating and admitting students to their college or university.
Education: A bachelor’s degree in any field usually is acceptable, and most eventually obtain advanced degrees in college student affairs, counseling or higher education administration.
Annual salary: $98,796

8. Pest control worker
Many rodents, insects and other pests hide out during the winter but as the weather starts to turn, all bets are off. Though it might not be the most glamorous job in the world, pests come out of the woodwork in the spring, so to speak, which ensures a more steady workload for pest control workers.
Education: High school diploma and certification
Annual salary: $28,056

9. Housekeeper
There’s nothing like a little spring cleaning to kick off the new season. Households around the globe will be seeking housekeepers and cleaning services to help them get rid of the dust bunnies that have been hibernating in the corners all winter.
Education: No education requirements
Annual salary: $19,619

10. Vendor
Springtime means baseball season, which means hot dogs, cold beer, cotton candy and frozen lemonade. It would sure be nice to spend the day at my local baseball stadium, providing simple pleasures to the fans while watching my favorite team.
Education: On-the-job training
Annual salary: $19,876

*U.S. national average salary figures based on data from CBsalary.com, powered by 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.