Work-from-home jobs on the rise

Clark Howard reports:

You are going to find more opportunities to work full-time or part-time from your home in the years to come. It’s known in the industry as having a “remote workplace.” Some employers, of course, won’t consider it at all. Others are at the other extreme and will do everything they can to encourage people to work from their homes. Companies that jump into the trend with both feet have come up with solid procedures to monitor your work and save tons of money with work-at-home programs. Sun Microsystems has about half of its workforce at home now and has saved $300 million a year as a result. The company doesn’t need office space, computer or phones, so it saves a ton of money. Another technology company, Agilent, has closed 50 U.S. sales offices and reduced their cost by 60 percent. About 12 percent of U.S. workers are now working remotely, and as many as 40 percent are expected to work at least part-time from home in the next few years. Everyone benefits. So, what’s the disadvantage of working from home? You may end up working too much. And, showing your face around the boss and other people at work is always advantageous. But the new mantra in the workplace seems to be: "If you want to keep them, let them go."

via ClarkHoward.com

More call-center jobs coming home

This could be some great news to anyone who wants to work from home!

Chron.com | More call-center jobs coming home

via e-mail

the WORKING PODCAST

From the about page:

WELCOME to the only podcast dedicated to the pain of working. We're on the Web for 3 reasons:

1. Inform: We're bringing you two exclusive features you can't get anywhere else! Word-of-Mouth Job Listings expose positions that are so fresh, they HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN POSTED YET. Plus, Salary Reveals tell you where they work and what they're making.
2. Entertain: Unparalleled show features shed light on the mundane and the ludicrous. The Routine exposes office pet peeves that we all can relate to. The Commuter Corner is uncensored rants about traveling to and from work. Cube Talk is a collection of random things heard 'round the office. Plus, Boss Bashing!
Unite: It's your show, we just put it out there! Our podcast is unique because you build the show. Your e-mails and phone calls are essential. After all, who hates work more than YOU?

the WORKING PODCAST

Update: Get That Job was mentioned in episode 34 of the Working Podcast. Download it and head over to the 9:22 mark. Thanks for the mention, Andrew!

Wired News: No Longer Safe for Work: Blogs

Wired News: No Longer Safe for Work: Blogs

Word Verification for Comments

I just turned on word verification for the comments. I noticed a couple pieces of comment spam garbage.

The lowest paying jobs out there

Money isn't everything in job satisfaction - you should do what you love. From ClarkHoward.com, consumer warrior Clark Howard provides a list of the jobs that pay the least: clarkhoward.com: Clarchives clarkhoward - Clarchives August 22, 2005

Brand Autopsy: A Radical Careering Preview

Talk about proactively taking control of your career:

"Radical Truth 19: Being in a crap job isn't your fault. Staying in a crap job is."

Brand Autopsy: A Radical Careering Preview

Boredom vs. Overwork

ClarkHoward.com reports:

Have you ever worked at a job where you watched the clock the whole day? Years ago, Clark worked as a bill collector for IBM and he was bored out of his mind. His stimulation came when he went to school at night, something IBM graciously paid for. It’s still going on, according to recent several stories and surveys. People who are bored at work have a lower satisfaction with work than those who are overworked. More than half of people are bored at work, but those people are much less happy with their jobs than the half who are overworked. If you’re at a job where you’re just passing the time, it’s not fair to you or your employer.

The Job Files: Job Tools, Tips, Articles and Strategies for Today's Jobseeker

The Job Files: Job Tools, Tips, Articles and Strategies for Today's Jobseeker

Tip of the Day - join a jobs networking group

This is the group I joined in Boulder Colorado. Do a general search in Yahoo Groups to find one in your area.
Yahoo! Groups : BoulderNet Calendar

Three Things Every Recruiter Looks For In A Resume

There are three things every recruiter looks for in a resume:

- Focus
- Core competencies or transferable skills
- Accomplishments

If your resume lacks any of these crucial elements, then you are probably not capturing the attention you deserve, and you are missing out on important interview opportunities.


read more

[crossposted to Jobfiler.com]

Financial hiring to slow, but local IT job market heating up

The Cincinnati Business Courier reports on a recent study of Chiefl Financial Officers in the Greater Cincinnati area indicates that while the accounting and finance job markeet in the area may be slowing down, the local IT job market may be heating up. See the article for more details.

The Buzz Report: Five reasons social networking doesn't work - CNET.com

The Buzz Report: Five reasons social networking doesn't work - CNET.com

crossposted to Jobfiler

Cover Letter Secrets: Secret Tip For Emergency Situations

Address your cover letter to the recipient by name...

If the name is unavailable, use one of the greetings in Example #2 and add this personal note.

Please Note: I'm sorry for this impersonal greeting on my cover letter. I was unable to get your name online. However, I look forward to the opportunity to meet you in person so I can address you by name and discuss this job opening. I am highly interested in working for {company name}.


CrossRoads Newsletter and Career Development Center: "care"

Creating Passionate Users - Hire Different

Another post I saw on DayPop that I want to revisit:

Creating Passionate Users: Hire Different

Hiring is Obsolete

I just saw this on DayPop's Top 40 and wanted to link to it so that I can check it out later.

Hiring is Obsolete

Companies starting 'no fault' attendance programs

This comes to us from the folks at ClarkHoward.com:

Clark usually has trouble with his voice this time of year because of allergies to the pollen in the air. He has missed no work because of it and feels very lucky because of that. He is also grateful for the fact that, when he is sick, his employer understands and gives him a day to rest. But many employers are not so generous these days. According to the Chicago Tribune, the trend in corporate America is to punish workers for taking sick days. The companies participating in these “no fault attendance programs” give points or demerits for taking sick days. And if you get too many, you could be suspended or even fired. Arriving late to work is also penalized with points. Some banks and utility companies have these policies, and they claim that it eliminates favoritism and judgment on the part of supervisors and managers. Yes, some people deserve to be penalized for calling in sick when they are not. But these companies are punishing everyone for the behavior of a few. And, sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone is truly “sick” or not. Clark’s solution is to eliminate sick pay all together and just allow employees a certain number of days off each year.

via Clark Howard Show Notes Monday, April 25

Whistle While You Work

If you're not happy at your job - a recent HotJobs story says that a lot of us are (see U.S. Job Satisfaction Keeps Falling) - you may want to look for volunteer opportunities, according to this story from Yahoo! HotJobs:

"As people get more involved, they feel good about what they're doing," said Lance Hunsinger, president and CEO of Cariten Healthcare. "You find it builds a lot of teamwork and employee morale. You do see when people are happier they work more efficiently and more productively. It's good for the company. As employees get happier about being part of an organization, turnover drops."

via Whistle While You Work ; Companies Find Employees Who Do Community Service Through Their Jobs Are Happier, More Productive

Why women leave I.T.

Tech Tipsheet points to an article that considers why women leave I.T..

Workforce Investment Act Reforms Discussed

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine. L. Chao Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee on Workforce Investment Act Reforms

Straight from the U.S. Newswire press release:

WASHINGTON, April 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao testified today before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on the need to include the Administration's reforms in reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998.

"The President wants to make sure that job training programs are successfully training people for better jobs," said Secretary Chao. "WIA Plus will help more workers find good jobs by making sure that less is spent on the bureaucracy and more resources are devoted to helping people learn new skills." Chao added.

The Administration's reforms would create a flexible, integrated system which includes:

• Strong state leadership
• Effective execution at the local level
• The ability to customize solutions to meet the needs of local workers and employers

President Bush's Job Training Reform Proposal contains these principles that underlie the proposed reforms:

• Giving state and local communities maximum flexibility to design a workforce investment system that meets their needs
• Greater accountability to set increasingly rigorous annual performance milestones over a period of ten years for every person who receives federally-funded training in a job
• Spending more workforce investment system resources on actual worker training instead of process and bureaucracy
• Creating a more effective governance structure by enhancing the role of states and local officials -- the workforce investment system is currently administered with too much micro-management at the federal level
• Strengthening the One-Stop Career Center system -- these centers are the foundation of the workforce investment system but funding for the operation of these centers is uncertain in many local areas
• Enhancing individual choice through Innovation Training Accounts -- these accounts will allow individual workers to create their own customized training program, using a broad range of public and private training resources.

The United States has one of the highest growth rates of any industrialized country, growing at an annualized rate of 4 percent in 2004 and creating 3.1 million new jobs since June 2003. The average American worker will hold an average of 9 jobs between the ages of 18-34. That means learning must be a lifelong pursuit. Reforming our nation's job training system is essential to providing workers with opportunities to continually upgrade their skills.

Let the discussion begin.