6 Jobs For a Secure Future

Posted on January 18, 2012 by meghan_ntroduction

Though it can be said the economy is on an upswing, it’s still a touch time to find work. And even if you do have work there are no guarantees that something won’t happen to the job you’re in.

Enter Laurence Shatkin’s new book 150 Best Jobs for a Secure Future. In his new book he talks about jobs that may offer just a tad bit more security than others. “During economic downturns, these fields tend not to shed workers as much as other fields do, and the overall outlook for employment in these fields is good to excellent,” Shatkin said.

So before you consider which field to search for work in consider this list of the six most secure fields and the most secure job in each, according to Shatkin’s book:

Computer Systems Design – Software Developers, Systems Software
- Annual earnings: $92,130
- Percent growth: 57.4
- Annual openings: 6,120

Educational Services – Administrative Services Managers
- Annual earnings: $74,970
- Percent growth: 19.3
- Annual openings: 3,430

Government – Social Scientists and Related Workers
- Annual earnings: $76,120
- Percent growth: 19.3
- Annual openings: 860

Health Care – Physicians and Surgeons
- Annual earnings: $153,970
- Percent growth: 26
- Annual openings: 29,480

Repair and Maintenance – Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Annual earnings: $40,140
- Percent growth: 19.1
- Annual openings: 650

Utilities – Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
- Annual earnings: $66,270
- Percent growth: 10.3
- Annual openings: 410

Avoiding the Black Hole When Job Hunting

Posted on December 21, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

One of the biggest complaints coming from people looking for work is the proverbial black hole that exists in today’s job market. You know the one. The black hole that your resume falls into and is never heard from again? Hiring managers, HR reps and Recruiters alike all have an increasing habit of not responding too the many resumes they receive for job openings.

While this can probably be attributed to the countless qualified men and women applying for jobs it doesn’t exactly mean that common etiquette should be tossed out the window. And it certainly doesn’t help ease the already frustrated job seeker who waits eagerly to hear about another job that they had applied for.

There are a few ways to work around and handle the black hole of job hunting. Always remember to keep looking! Don’t set your sights on one great sounding job. These days with so many people looking for work no matter how perfect you may be for the job there’s always the possibility you may not hear back.

Be sure to follow up with email, phone calls or even an old fashioned letter. Those these won’t guarantee you get a response it can sometimes help.

Don’t rely only on traditional recruiting and job ads. We’ve talked about before the importance of building a network, now is the time to use it! Take advantage of the network you’ve built online on the following websites and social networks.

Facebook/Twitter: You’d be amazed at how much of a response you can get from your Facebook friends. Put the word out on both networks and let your friends know your looking. There’s a good chance you could right skate in the back door into a great new job.
LinkedIn: Their job search feature is getting better everyday. And what sets their job search apart from the rest is the fact that they let you know how well your network is connected to the jobs you find. Say your searching for a Customer Service position and you search your area and find some. LinkedIn will then tell you who in your LinkedIn network works for those companies or is connected to someone who works at them. All the technology of a great job search engine with the bonus of cutting out the middleman and connecting you with someone who can get you in the front door.
Ntroduction: Right here at Ntroduction we are all about cutting out the middleman and skipping the whole black hole theory all together. Taking advantage of the services we provide here, you can go straight to the hiring manager yourself face to face and get the job you deserve. Forget the recruiters and answering anonymous job ad after job ad. Get your foot in the door the old fashioned way, face-to-face.

Don’t forget to connect with other friends who are on the hunt as well. Work together to help each other out. Make a list of friends who you know are also looking for work and in what field they’re looking and ask them to do the same. That way when you come across something or know someone who is hiring for a position they may be suited for you can connect them and vice versa.

In these still uncertain times the best weapon you have in the fight to find work is actual face time with the people doing the hiring.

Social Networking and What it Can do For You

Posted on November 21, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

There are dozens of social networks out there and all of them have something to offer you. Though each and every one of these social networking can vary to some extreme degrees there is one thing they all have in common. They are all there to help you build a network. Networks not only help rebuild old friendships but nurture new ones. And that goes for connections related to your line of work as well.

One of the greatest parts of having a large social network is how strong and how much it can help you when you least expect it. One of the most important things to remember about building a social network is that it doesn’t grow over night. So it’s important to work at it everyday. You never know when someone in your network is going to come across a job or an opportunity tailor made just for you. And you never know when you may suddenly find yourself out of work and needing to tap into your network to find another job.

Here are four social network sites that you should be actively building a network on.

LinkedIn – This has become one of the go-to sites for professional networking. If you want to stay in synch with folks in your industry or the industry you’d like to break into. With the opportunity to get recommendations from colleagues you find that the stronger your network is the more of an edge you’ll have when performing a job search on LinkedIn. The Q&A section and groups give you other opportunities to network with other people in your field of interest as well.
Facebook – No surprise here. Facebook gives you a much more conversational and casual atmosphere than LinkedIn. It also gives you a broader opportunity to connect with both online friends as well as real life friends. I’ve seen people do everything from sell furniture, get animals to finding work by posting things on Facebook. As people get to know each other on Facebook they create more and more opportunities to open doors for one another when new opportunity arises.
Twitter – Many people consider themselves either Facebook people or Twitter people. But in reality they compliment each other quite well. Twitter is probably the best place to meet new people. And with the ever growing search functions and hash tag system you are really able to comb the world for news and opportunities relating to just about anything. The conversations move fast but the networks built can be tight and help you just when you need them the most.
Ning – Ning networks are do-it-yourself social networks that anyone can create for any topic they have an interest in. GovLoop & Twittermoms are two of the most heavily populated sites that have connected people in thousands of ways. From GovLoop has sprouted job opportunities, conferences, connections, and a much smaller world for Government employees across the country. Sites like “jobs in Social Media” among hundred of others provide numerous opportunities to connect with anyone in any industry.

Four Tips on Following Up After a Resume Submission

Posted on October 24, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

So you’ve gotten out there and search the Internet or your community for the perfect job, and found it. You crafted the perfect cover letter and your resume is updated ready to show you in the best possible light. You take a deep breath and click send.

Now what?

As competition for jobs continues to run rampant, its important to keep in mind that sometimes you may to go a little further then simply clicking send and letting the chips fall where they may. You may have to get a little persistent to make sure your resume ends up at the top of the pile. Here are a few tips for following up and following through after you’ve sent in your resume for a job.

Resume Received – Unless the job ad specifically says “We will be accepting applicants until such & such date” or “We will be contacting applicants by such & such date” (In which case wait until such and such date comes and goes before doing this) feel free to send an email to ensure that your resume was received in the first place. Who knows how many resumes end up lost in cyberspace or sent to the wrong person or department and never make it where they are supposed to go. By sending an email that reiterates your excitement about the job and inquires for confirmation that your résumé was received, it keeps your name fresh in the mind of the possible employer. Having your name and interest in the job reinforced just may give you an extra edge when they start pouring through the tons of résumé that were also sent in. Not to mention if something did happen to your résumé, it gives you the chance tor resend promptly.
Thank You Notes – Not all companies do this, but many will send you a message saying that your resume had been received and that they will be contacting you within a certain amount of time. Regarding the position. If the email an auto-reply then you are not meant to respond. But if the email came from a legit email address then feel free to shoot a Thank You email for the confirmation. And take the opportunity to once again reiterate your excitement over the position.
Check the Status – “Checking the status” of your application is the professional way of asking, “What’s up?” Unless given a specific timetable, give it a week or so then send another email. Once again reinforce your interest and excitement about the job and ask what the status is of your application.
Make the Call – If enough time has gone by forget about the email and call the company to inquire about the position. Sometimes the process of hiring a new person can get put on the back shelf if another project suddenly take precedence. Taking the time to call could once again help keep your name fresh when they do dive in to the hiring process. And if they’ve already hired somebody at least you’ll know and can move on to another job.

As long as you keep the communication persistent without stalking the company, following up will rarely ever cost you a job. All it can do is help you get it by showing not only your interest but also that when you want something you go for it. These are two qualities that will easily push you to the front of the line of applicants. Good luck!

The Top 10 Best and Worst Places to Look For Work in 2011

Posted on September 27, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

It’s not exactly a secret that right now is not the best time to be looking for a job. No matter what field your searching within. But have you ever stopped to wonder if possibly the area in which you live poses more of challenge then other metro areas in the country? That could very well be according to the job search engine Juju.com a leading search engine.

Juju recently updates their Job Search Difficulty Index, which measures the difficulty of finding employment in major cities around the country. According to Juju.com, “The Index was calculated by dividing the number of unemployed workers in each metro area, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), by the number of jobs in Juju’s comprehensive index of millions of online jobs in the United States, which is compiled and updated continuously from thousands of employer career portals, recruiter websites, and job boards all over the Internet.”

Location plays a huge part in a successful and serious job search. Thinking outside the box and looking at the place YOUR searching for a job can make a big difference.

The 2011 Top 10 “Least Difficult” Metro Areas to Find a Job
1.   Washington, DC
2.   San Jose, CA
3.   New York, NY
4.   Baltimore, MD
5.   Hartford, CT
6.   Boston, MA
7.   Cleveland, OH
8.   Salt Lake City, UT
9.   Austin, TX
10.   Milwaukee, WI

The 201 Top 10 “Most Difficult” Metro Areas to Find a Job

1.   Las Vegas, NV
2.   Miami, FL
3.   Riverside, CA
4.   Los Angeles, CA
5.   Detroit, MI
6.   Sacramento, CA
7.   St. Louis, MO
8.   Portland, OR
9.   Buffalo, NY

10. Memphis, TN