Is Change Good?

My laptop computer sounded like a thrashing machine and refused to compute, I have purchase a new Toshiba Satellite Laptop with Windows 7 installed. I am adjusting and dealing with the differences.


This change in my life made me think about job seekers and perhaps employees. Maybe change is good. If your job seeking strategy is not working, perhaps you should change your job search strategies. If you are unhappy with your work, perhaps you should seek another vocation.


Please share with readers of this blog your experiences with life changes.


Thanks! Glyn

Good News for Older Workers

In The Dallas Morning News Sunday, April 25, 2010, issue, an article “Older Workers Likely to Have Edge as Job Market Rebounds” on page 29A by Ruth Mantell of MarketWatch suggests that older workers are in a good position to get jobs. Older workers may have a great deal of experience in the hiring organization’s industry; and therefore, they will be fast starters.


Older job seekers should stress their experience and willingness to get tasks done with little or no supervision. As an older worker who has successfully found employment, please share your experience with readers of this blog.


Thanks! Glyn (An older worker – teaching the young.)

Returning to Work

The Dallas Morning News Sunday, April 18, 2010, issue, Jobs Section beginning of page 1J provides advice primarily for ladies – moms returning to work and wardrobe suggestions.


Resume writing can be a bit tricky if one has been out of the workforce for several years. How do you explain to a potential employer what you have been doing and that now you are ready to return to work? My advice is the old adage “honesty is the best policy”. If you have been in school, raising children, taking care of relatives, and/or doing volunteer work, you should describe your activities. Further, you need to answer three questions: first, why are you returning to work now, second, how can you immediately contribute to the hiring organization, and third, why should they hire you. Hopefully sincere responses to these questions will position you to compete for job openings.


Please share your experience with others in finding employment after being out of the workforce for a lengthy period.


Thanks! Glyn

Income Tax Day 2010

Today is the day when we all must pay our share of the cost of our Federal Government. For readers that are unemployed, I would think that you would be happy to pay some Federal Income Tax based on your employment. Of course, we all want the benefits and protection provided by our government; however, the distribution of our taxes by the Congress and President is problematic. Who should pay, who should receive, what services should be provided our citizens and our foreign friends, and what wars should we fight? Will the continuation of unemployment payments result in the unemployed getting jobs or will it delay their employment?


Please share thoughts about tax day with others in this blog.


Thanks! Glyn

How We’re Making It Work

In The Dallas Morning News Sunday, April 11, 2010, issue, the Parade Magazine insert contains a wealth of advice for job seekers. I encourage all readers of this blog to read this issue of Parade. “How We’re Making It Work” on page 4 by George Anders describes with examples how Americans are inventing new strategies to weather the recession. For example, when Marybeth Purvis' property-sales job was eliminated, she dodged unemployment by becoming a community college teacher. Here are some key points made in the article:


1. Developing New Skills: to improve their job prospects, millions of people are heading back to school for more training.


2. Finding “Safe” Jobs: Education and health care added about 320,000 jobs in the past 12 months.


3. Hunkering Down: Many of tighten family budgets, renegotiating mortgage, and reduce expenses such as satellite TV.


4. Working Part Time: More than 26 million people are working part time. I teach courses at the University of Phoenix.


5. Starting A Business: Each year 500,000 Americans start their own businesses. As a volunteer for SCORE, Counselors for Small Business, I encourage you to visit our website, www.score.org and call for appointment to meet and discuss your ideas with an experienced counselor for free!


Please share with other job seekers how you are making it work.


Thanks! Glyn

Improve Your Interviewing Skills

The Dallas Morning News in an article on page 1J in its April 4, 2010, issue, “Job Seekers Should Improve Interview Skills” by Amy Winter, Creators Syndicate, listed the following examples of poor interviewing skills:


1. Candidate wore a business suit with flip-flops


2. Candidate asked if the interviewer wanted to meet for a drink after the interview


3. Candidate had applied for an accounting job, yet said he was bad at managing money


4. Candidate ate food in the employee break room after the interview


5. Candidate recited poetry


6. Candidate applying for a customer services job said, ‘I don’t really like working with people’


7. Candidate had to go immediately to get his dog that had gotten loose in the parking lot


8. Candidate looked at the ceiling during the interview


9. Candidate used ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ as an example of teamwork


10. Candidate filed fingernails


I am sure that no readers of this blog have used any of the above actions during a job interview.


Please share any humorous actions that you may have seen exhibited by a job interviewer.


Thanks! Glyn

Tax Breaks for Job Seekers

The Dallas Morning News in an article on page 9A in its April 6, 2010, issue, “People Who Suffered Job, Pay Cuts May Get A Break If They Know How to Claim it” by Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, perhaps belatedly, discusses some possible tax saving tips for job seekers.


1. Tax payers can exclude up to $2,400 of unemployment compensation from taxable income.


2. Job seekers may be able to deduct job search expenses unless they are looking for their first job. However, such expenses must be larger than 2 percent of adjusted gross income.


3. Job seekers may qualify for Earned Income Credit with earnings less than set income limits.


Some of above deductions apply only to 2009 income; however, I suggest that you maintain good records of your 2010 job search expenses. Who knows what tax deductions may be enacted by Congress.


Please share your tax savings ideas in this blog.


Thanks! Glyn

A Journal to Asia – Part 7

We spent an exciting three days in Beijing visiting such sites as Tian An Men Square, The Forbidden City, The Palace Museum, Temple of Haven, The Great Wall, the Marble Boat and many others. Unfortunately, the weather was very cold and rain the day we visited the Great Wall so our views were limited. The guide pointed to the Bird’s Nest in the Olympic Village, but we could only see a vague image of it. Having grown weary the Chinese food, I enjoyed lunch at the Blacked Eyed Pea yesterday.


With respect to employment, I had interesting discussions with our guides. One guide had a bachelor’s degree from China and an MBA from Australia with a major in finance. I asked him why he was not seeking employment with one of the many financial institutions operating in Beijing. He simply said that he wanted to improve his English and work with people. He did not comment on his salary which I assume is augmented by tips. Because of the importance of tourism in China, I believe that being a tour guide is a very important position.


Education in China includes a mandatory six years of elementary school and three years of optional middle school. Entry in the high school requires a student to pass entrance exams. Further, entry into universities is also competitive with entrance exams. Citizens must pay a portion of the tuition for high school and universities.


Since this is my last blog on our Asian trip, I will return to providing hopefully helpful hints to job seekers.


Thanks! Glyn