Goodbye 2013 - Hello 2014

Does a departing 2013 leave you with undone tasks?   Are there friends that you have neglected or ignored?  Did you postpone activities that may have improved your life? Well, the beginning of a new year is a great time to do the undone and begin something new.

For job seekers, I encourage you to immediately define your work objectives and develop a job search strategy focused on obtaining meaningful employment.  My blogs and many, many other sources including the Internet are sources of information that will enable you.

For other readers of this blog, I encourage you share your knowledge and experience with job seekers by commenting in this blog or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Happy New Year 2014 to everyone!

Thanks, Glyn

Bad News for Long-Term Unemployed

The Dallas Morning News, December 25, 2013, edition has two articles dealing with long-term unemployed.   First on page 2D, an article by Michael Kanell from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Long-term unemployed find it harder to get hired than newly jobless”, cites statistics and anecdotal examples which support this claim.  Hiring companies frequently ask “Why hasn’t someone else hired this person?”  Or perhaps they wonder if the applicant still has the capability to perform.  There is some good news, however.

Another article on the same page, “At a Glance Red Flags” also by Michael Kanell, gives some advice to smart job-seekers trying to avoid giving a company reasons to toss out his/her application.  Here are his suggestions:

1.   One red flag is being out of work for a long time.  To reduce the time gaps in a resume, one should include any activities during the job gap.  For example, volunteer work at local NFP organizations should be mentioned.

2.   The No. 1 piece of advice to applicants is to read the job description. It is a good idea to fine-tune your resume to include experience and training that fit with the job being sought.

3.   Many job-seekers complain of throwing scores or even hundreds of applications into the web. A suggestion by Elizabeth Gill, owner of an Atlanta franchise of Express Employment Professionals is that job-seekers should aggressive make connections through social media, friends, and neighbors.  Does the term “networking” come to mind?

Please share your suggestions to assist the long-term unemployed find jobs by commenting in this blog or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Thanks, Glyn

Seasonal Jobs

I know that it is getting late in the Christmas season; however, there are many organizations seeking seasonal workers.  The good news is that many of the seasonal hires may convert to permanent jobs.

Cheryl Casone of Fox Business cable channel posts jobs on her website    -  http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2013/12/17/hired/ lists a number of job openings from organizations she has contacted.  Here are a few of our recommended companies:

FedEx -  http://fedex.hodesiq.com/careers/job_search.aspx?Locale=en&User_ID=

Sterling Jewelers - http://www.sterlingcareers.com/

ToysRUs - http://www.toysrusinc.com/careers/

Domino Pizza - http://www.dominosbiz.com/Biz-Public-EN/Site+Content/Secondary/Careers/

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/gp/jobs/ref=gw_m_b_careers

Container Store - http://www.containerstore.com/careers/index.html

H  & R Block - http://www.hrblock.com/career/

David Bridal - http://www.davidsbridal.com/OnlineHelp_help-company-info?leftNav=true#careers

Limited Brands - http://careers.lb.com/

Please share contact information for other organizations that are hiring with others by commenting in this blog or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Thanks, Glyn

10 Best Places for Veterans to find Jobs

As a USAA member, I receive the USAA Magazine, and the Winter 2013 issue on page 10 contains a very interesting article about the best cities in the U.S. for veterans to find jobs.  I am thinking that if these cities are the best places for vets to find jobs perhaps it is true for other job seekers as well.  Here they are:

1.    Houston – Population 5.9 million, unemployment rate 6.1 percent, recent job growth 2.6 percent.  Houston offers a vibrant economy and jobs and industries that best fit the skills of transitioning military members.

2.    Dallas – Population 4.4 million, unemployment rate 6.2 percent, recent job growth 2.9 percent.  Job growth stayed healthy over the last year, while average home prices remained at an attractive $124,000.

3.    Minneapolis – Population 3.3 million, Unemployment rate 5.3 percent, recent job growth 1.7 percent. Careers in education and health care are particularly here.

4.    Oklahoma City – Population 1.2 million, Unemployment rate 4.6 percent, recent job growth 1.7 percent.  The Oklahoma City metro area has the lowest cost of living on the list. As a state capital, Oklahoma City benefits from government employment opportunities.

5.    Austin – Population 1.7 million, unemployment rate 5.3 percent, recent job growth 3.4 percent.  Austin is the state capital and home of The University of Texas and many high tech companies

6.    Norfolk – Population 1.7 million, unemployment rate 5.7 percent, recent job growth 1.7 percent.  The largest concentration of military bases and facilities and is home to sites for NASA and the Commerce, Veterans Affairs,Transportation and Energy Departments.

7.    Tampa – Population 2.8 million, unemployment 6.9 percent, recent job growth 4 percent.  Home prices are a low $107,000 and area’s job growth ties for the highest among the 10 cities listed here.

8.    Salt Lake City – Population 1.2 million, Unemployment rate 4.5 percent, recent job growth 4 percent.  Salt Lake City has the lowest unemployment rate with the greatest job growth over the last 12 months. 

9.    Orlando – Population 2.1 million, unemployment rate 6.6 percent, recent job growth 2.5 percent.  Orlando has the lowest median home prices and given its proximity to many major attractions and theme parks, it has a large leisure and hospitality industry.

10. Fort Lauderdale – Population 1.8 million, unemployment rate 5.7 percent, recent job growth 3.1 percent. The cost of living well below the national average while the economy shows strong job growth. The proximity to the Atlantic Ocean drives the two major industries: marine commerce and tourism.

Please share with readers of this blog if this information is helpful to your job search by posting your comments or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Thanks, Glyn

December 7, 1941- A Day to Remember

Do you remember this tragic day?  I was only 4 years old so I cannot recall any specific events, but I found this article from the American Thinker, December 7, 2013, edition:

It's been 72 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, but for survivors, the events of that day are seared into their memory, making the experience fresh and vital.

This is important because the number of those who lived through the attack gets smaller every anniversary.

Each of us probably has some tie to that black day of American history, to Pearl Harbor, although the lines may be faint and the chances of tracing it directly dim with each year.

On the day Japanese bombers struck the battleships lined up like sitting ducks in Pearl Harbor, my then 16-year-old father was hunting on the farm on Sunshine Bottom (a narrow strip of Missouri River valley just south of the South Dakota line).

"I came home about dark and Dad told me the news," my father said.

Eventually, he would join the other 16 million Americans who served in World War II.

On that same day about a hundred miles or so away, my then 12-year-old mother looked up to see her mother react to the announcer over the battery-powered radio in the sitting room. She remembers my grandma running in tears to the field to tell my grandpa.

And just like the terrible news delivered to so many other American families throughout the way - 416,837 killed or missing - it hit close to home.

The Pearl Harbor disaster was one of the first truly national tragedies. The technology of radio helped spread the news so that within hours, virtually everyone in America knew what happened. That sense of sharing stood us in good stead as the tremendous sacrifices demanded by victory were borne with remarkable equanimity.

It was a different America then:

My family's connections back to the war that defined the "Greatest Generation" in Tom Brokaw's phrase don't carry with them remarkable and harrowing tales, although I believe the evidence of valor is implicit. The tales may be there, in shadows of history or memory, I don't know.

But that's OK, for these are my connections to great events.

What I think is important is for each of us to remember the sacrifices great and small that the "Greatest Generation" made, and to honor those who served then and in each of the other times the country has called.

We owe them to never forget.

We are losing 2,000 World War II veterans every day. By remembering Pearl Harbor, we grant each of those who pass on a little bit of immortality. They, and their accomplishments will remain alive as long as we keep faith with history and remember them.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/12/never_forget_december_7_1941.html#ixzz2mu0mJHbX 
Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook

I hope that you will find these words thought-provoking and make you appreciative of the ones who were there on that fateful day.

Please share with readers of this blog your thoughts about December 7, 1941, by posting your comments in this blog or emailing me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Thanks, Glyn

Post-Military Career Transition

Many individuals departing from the U.S. military are having difficultly adjusting to civilian life and finding meaningful employment. Fortunately, there are many sources to assist with this transition.

As contained in my book on page 178, it is recommended that service veterans emphasize their special qualities including:

·        A disciplined approach to work

·        An ability to work as part of a team

·        Respect and integrity

·        Problem-solving skills

·        An ability to perform under pressure

·        Communication skills

Further, as discussed in the book is American Corporate Partners (http://www.acp-usa.org/), a nonprofit organization based in New York City dedicated to helping recently separated members of the armed services transition to the corporate environment.

An article the December 1, 2013, issue of The Dallas Morning News, “Making A Smooth Transition to a Post-Military Career” on page 1J by Brandpoint describes the website TAONLINE, http://www.taonline.com/skills-translator/, as an example of translator tools that relates MOS codes to civilian occupations.

The U.S. Department of Labor hosts a Transitional Assistance Program, http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/tap/ , that provides soon-to-be discharged or retired service members helpful educational and workshops on job searches, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing techniques, as well as decisions that need to be made relating to career choices.

Please share with readers of this blog your suggested sources of assistance for ex-military seeking employment.  You can post your comments in this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com.

Thanks, Glyn