Arlene Schwartz Personalized Résumé Service JobFinder Blog

IT Jobs Available at The J.M. Smucker Company

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:01:00 +0000

If you are looking for an IT job with a successful, growing company you can check out smuckerscareers.com. They are interested in filling the following positions:

Applications Developer - Oracle HR / Payroll
User Support Analyst
Applications Developer - Sales and Marketing
Applications Developer - Supply Chain / Order Management
Applications Developer / Analyst - Enterprise Business Intelligence
Lead System Administrator - Infrastructure
Senior Siebel Developer

A Bachelor's degree and experience is required.

Good News - Green Manufacturing Jobs in Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:46:00 +0000

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, recently announced that they have have signed a world-wide licensing agreement to mass produce and market Argonne’s patented composite cathode materials to manufacturers of advanced lithium-ion batteries.

The agreement includes a proposal for the the construction of a world manufacturing plant in Elyria, Ohio that will create hundreds of high paying green jobs. When completed, the facility is expected to be the largest cathode material production facility in North America.

The impact of such a facility is anticipated to be significant as the facility construction and staffing will have a positive economic impact for Ohio and will attract further businesses to North America.

Should You Put Your Photo on Linkedin and Other Sites

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:23:00 +0000

I have been thinking about the risks vs. benefits of a photo on online networking sites when you are looking for a job. It is illegal for an employer to hire you based on your age, race, ethnicity, or religion but I keep thinking about Susan Boyle. Susan has the most beautiful voice and I have listened to her more than once on You Tube. She shocked everyone on Britain's Got Talent because she wasn't young and beautiful. Once she was heard, she won over the crowd. But before she started singing, the audience was laughing at her. It was awful.

So, do you really need to put a picture on your LinkedIn site in order to connect with others? I don't know the answer. If you do upload a photo, I think it should be a professional looking head shot. Contrary to what you may think, many employers are still pretty conservative.

If you have any ideas about putting photos on the Internet make a comment or send me an e-mail at aresume@roadrunner.com

Top 10 Best Metros for Business and Careers

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:20:00 +0000

View the complete list at Forbes Best Places for Business and Careers

Avoid Fluff Words on Your Resume

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:59:00 +0000

Employers and recruiters see so many resumes with fluff or meaningless words that these words really turn them off. Some words to avoid on your resume are:

Visionary
Insightful
Inspirational
Interface
Innovative
Impact
Synergy
Synchronize
Thought Leader
Scalability
Buy-in
Drill down
Utilize

Remove responsible for and duties included from your resume and from your interview vocabulary. Employers don't want to know these things, they want to know what you accomplished. If you know your resume well and can expound on the statements in the resume using numbers and percentages to show how you benefited your previous employers and the value that you added to their companies, you will ace the interview.

Remove the fluff and add the substance to your resume, and your will optimize your chances of getting the interview, doing well at it, and being offered the job.

For more information and to newly added audio tips visit http://www.aresumes.net/

Audio Added to My Website

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Thu, 21 May 2009 19:12:00 +0000

I have just added an audio welcome to the Home page of my website and plan to add audio tips that coincide with different subjects on many of the pages of the website. I think this will enhance the benefits of visiting my website and make it more interesting to anyone who visits.

If you have something about which you would like me to create an audio tip, please e-mail me at aresume@roadrunner.com or call me at 330-666-5858.

To hear my welcome, visit http://www.aresumes.net. Any suggestions you may provide will be greatly appreciated.

How to Get Started on Linked-In

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:21:00 +0000

You are invited to join me on Linked-In.com.

After creating an account and logging in, the first thing to do is start completing your profile.
1. From the homepage, click on Profile on the left side of page, which will bring you to your profile. Each section has an edit button.
2. Edit the Basic Info – name, professional heading, location, and industry.
3. Complete the Experience and Education with your top line info.
4. Complete the Summary with a short blurb or “elevator pitch” about yourself or your business. This is a quick way for users to understand your goals.
5. Edit your Public Profile URL. You can edit that last section to be your name or business or other phrase that would be easy for hiring managers and/or business prospects to understand.
You can copy this URL into your cover letters and résumé so others can access your LinkedIn profile as a supplement to your résumé and job application. This is a useful tool and shows prospective employers that you are Internet literate.

Do Later!
1. Use your current résumé as a reference to add more details to Experience and Education.
2. Add a photo; it helps people recognize you.
3. Add a link to your website, if you have one.
4. Follow LinkedIn’s suggestions to further complete your profile, such as getting recommendations from former associates or employers.

Now people on LinkedIn can find you. You’ll get invitations from current and former colleagues and classmates.

Visit and join http://www.linked-in.com/ to help you network online, but continue to network by phone and in person.

Congratulations Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:30:00 +0000

I watched the Preakness with great anxiety, remembering how horrible I felt when Barbaro was injured. At that time, I vowed I would never watch another horserace. But I watched the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness this year and was happy to see Mine That Bird, a long shot (50-1) owned and trained by "cowboys" from New Mexico, and Rachel Alexandra, a filly racing against the boys, win races and achieve beyond expectations. These beautiful horses had the drive and desire to repeatedly accomplish great things. I looked at them and thought about how proud they must feel, and I just hope that their owners won't push them to the point of injury. Mine That Bird and Rachel Alexandra can be an inspiration to you. When others may doubt what you can do, you can say I can and will do it, and then you can show them.

Quantifying Accomplishments

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Often job seekers find it difficult to quantify their accomplishments. It is very important not to lie or embellish on your resume and in your interviews. The best way to ensure your accuracy in quanitfying accomplishments is by maintaining a journal, notebook, or word document file as the events happen. Each time you have a problem, challenge, or situation, write down what is was, what you did to resolve it, and what the benefit of it was using numbers and percentages. Armed with this written documentation you will be much more confident in writing your resume and interviewing.

www.aresumes.net

Personal / Executive Branding

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:31:00 +0000

My clients and I have developed effective tools to help them explore job opportunities for over 15 years that are today being called executive / personal branding. Don't let the terms throw you. If you can tell your story by providing the employer with the following information you have an "executive brand:"

What are you most proud of having accomplished in every position held ?
How have you benefited your employers - quantify increasing productivity; accuracy, efficiency, accountability; reducing costs; ensuring profits?
What problems, challenges, situations have you faced; what did you do to deal with the problem, challenge, or situation; and what was the benefit of what you did for the employer and client (PAR, CAR, SAR statements)?
What are your greatest strengths / skills.
If you could find a job anywhere, what would it be, where would it be, and for whom would it be - what is your ideal job?
Why should an employer select you over the other candidates he interviews for the position?

If you clearly and concisely answer all of the above questions, you and a potential employer will know who you are and what you can do for them.

If your resume includes your specific story with statements of your verifiable accomplishments including numbers and percentages, your resume will be used as a guideline for your interview. If you know your resume well and can expound on every statement on it, you will ace the interview. If you send a handwritten thank you note, in addition to an e-mail, you will enhance your chances of getting the job offer.

Having said all that, in a recession with so many jobs being lost, you may have to take a job that is less than ideal. You can keep looking, but the reality is that food on the table and a roof over your head may be more important right now than finding your ideal job.

http://www.aresumes.net/

How to Find a Job Today

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:52:00 +0000

There is a lot of buzz on the Internet about using web resumes, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.com for job-finding. A very good friend of mine who works in the outplacement industry suggests that old fashioned job searches - networking with people you know and making telephone calls and face-to-face visits - are still the most effective methods of finding jobs. Of the newer online methods, LinkedIn seems to be the best. Her recommendation is to use the best methods during the day and then supplement the search by using the newer methods at nights.

I listened to a recent podcast with 2 recruiters recently, and they said that the old fashioned methods are still working the best. When you consider that only 2-5% of all jobs are being found through the Internet and 45%-70% of all jobs are being found through networking, it puts it in perspective.

Don't spend too much time spinning your wheels on the Internet, talk with people, exude energy and enthusiasm for what you do, let them see the unique contributions and value that you will add to their organization, and you will find a job.

Although many people are saying there are no jobs out there, my clients are finding positions.

For more information and a schedule to help you with your job search, visit http://www.aresumes.net/

Over 1 Million Jobs Lost This Year

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:17:00 +0000

The economy has cut over 1 million jobs so far this year, according to the Department of Labor, and first-time filings for unemployment insurance increased 542,000 in the past week - the highest since July 1992. The numerous reports of corporate job slashing in November are a sign that the labor market won't start to recover any time soon.

Unemployment forecasts have risen as the economic outlook for 2009 continues to worsen.

The Federal Reserve Tuesday said it predicts the unemployment rate will remain around 6.5% for the remainder of 2008, and will rise up to 7.6% in 2009. But that's a far cry from the jobless rate forecast of 9% for next year with further increases in 2010 that Goldman Sachs released Friday.

More job cut announcements are likely on the way. U.S. automakers say they are on the verge of collapse, retailers are expected to have a miserable holiday season and financial institutions continue to struggle in the midst of a credit crisis.

But even if the economy begins to improve in the second half of 2009 as some economists predict, unemployment could still continue to rise. Typically job losses continue for many months after the economy begins to pull out of a recession, with unemployment rates peaking as much as a year after the recession hits its trough.

In an attempt to heal the ailing job market, President-elect Barack Obama has repeatedly stated his support for another economic stimulus package in the form of tax rebates to consumers, states and municipalities. The proposal has gained traction in Congress, with hopes that consumer spending and aid to governments will help boost the economy.

But Obama won't take office until January, and signed legislation could be a long way off. In the meantime, experts say the labor market will continue to struggle.

You need to be prepared for the possibility of a job loss no matter what industry you are in or what position you hold. Update your resume using numbers and percentages to quantify accomplishments, keep building your network, explore your options while still employed (you are more marketable), anf be willing to assist others in finding a job.

For help in preparing for a job search visit Arlene Schwartz Personalized Resume Service

Hungry Children in U.S. Increases by 50% in One Year

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:31:00 +0000

How can a country like the United States of America allow its children to go hungry. It is amazing and upsetting to me, and I hope to everyone, that the incidence of hunger in children in the United States was up 50% in 2007 and almost 700,000 children went hungry in the United States at some point in 2007. It is predicted that because of the economic downturn the numbers will increase in 2008.

If you are able to donate to local food banks and local and national organizations that feed the hungry, please consider helping. Noone should have to go hungry, especially our children.

Healthiest City in U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:28:00 +0000

What's the healthiest city in America? It appears to be Burlington, Vt.
Vermont's largest city is tops among U.S. metropolitan areas by having the largest proportion of people — 92 percent — who say they are in good or great health.

It's also among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes, and other measures of ill health, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This New England city of 40,000, on the shores of Lake Champlain, is in some ways similar to the unhealthiest city — Huntington, W.Va. Both are out-of-the-way college towns with populations that are overwhelmingly white people of English, German, or Irish ancestry. But Burlington is younger, better off financially, and more educated.

Healthiest City in U.S.

Recession-Proof Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:31:00 +0000

During these difficult times when jobs are being lost and new jobs are sometimes hard to find, there are some jobs that seem to be recession- proof.

Medical-related jobs appear to have the greatest potential for job security. Medical / healthcare, computer, and veterinary jobs are the highest paying recession-proof jobs according to Laurence Shatkin.

The best recession proof job is Computer Systems Analyst which pays nearly $70K a year. New positions are growing at 29% a year.

Other fastest growing and recession-proof jobs are:

Network Systems Analysts
Data Communications Analysts
Veterinary Technologists
Medical Assistants
Pharmacist - national average earnings over $94K
Economist - $77K
Veterinarian - $72K
Nurse

Jobs missing from the list include those in:

Real Estate
Construction
Finance
Banking

For more information check out 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs by Laurence Shatkin

Largest Provider of Jobs in Cleveland is Medical Industry

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:03:00 +0000

The biggest provider of employment in Cleveland, Ohio, is the medical industry.

In University Circle alone the total number of jobs provided by the Cleveland Clinic and University hospitals is 75,000.

University Hospitals, Medical Research at Case Western Reserve, MetroHealth Medical Center and the ever-sprawling Cleveland Clinic each lead the way in Cleveland's economic future.

The Cleveland Clinic's economic engine generates $9 billion a year for the Cleveland economy.

If you are seeking a new career or job you might consider a position in the healthcare industry.

Cleveland's Largest Provider of Jobs is the Medical Industry

Bad News for Auto Industry

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:22:00 +0000

Year-end auto clear-out sales could start as early as this week, a reaction to the worst October sales, per-capita, since World War II.

General Motors October sales fell 45 percent compared with October 2007.
Chrysler was down about 35 percent
Mercedes-Benz posted a 34.3 percent sales decline
Nissan, sales were down 33.6 percent
Hyundai's October sales fell 31.1 percent
Ford 30 percent
Honda 25 percent
Toyota 23 percent

Analysts had expected a massive drop in sales with almost every economic indicator working against auto companies. Consumer confidence has fallen to record lows, and banks and finance companies are either cutting the amount they will loan or lending only to consumers with great credit.

Projections from GM and Ford have October sales at their worst level since the 1970s. And when you take into account population growth, you have to go back to just after World War II, when companies were shifting back to car production from tanks and Jeeps, to find numbers this bad, DiGiovanni said.

In response, companies are doing the only thing they can do: cutting prices. GM will start its year-end sales event this week instead of waiting until after Thanksgiving as it typically does. Chrysler extended some discounts it began offering last month, and LaNeve said he expects Toyota and Nissan to continue their marketing and incentive offers.

At Ford, GM and Chrysler, sales have been down all year, but the reasons for the drops have changed. During the first few months of the year, high gas prices were pushing consumers out of trucks and sport utility vehicles into cars and crossovers. Toyota and Honda gained in those months because they had more of the small cars people wanted to buy.

But as the year continued, the pain spread. Jittery banks and finance companies began to tighten credit standards, making it harder for customers without superior credit to get loans.

General Motors Acceptance Corp., a lender co-owned by GM and private capital company Cerberus, stopped writing loans to consumers with credit scores lower than 700. Nationwide, the average credit score is about 692, according to Experian, one of the three major national credit bureaus.

In the past several weeks, analysts said consumers getting rejected for credit are the least of the industry's problems. More problematic is the fact that people just aren't shopping for cars.

Anxiety and Depression Linked to Overtime Work

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:05:00 +0000

People who work overtime are more likely to be anxious and depressed - and the more they work, the higher the risk, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Bergen, Norway, and published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The researchers assessed anxiety and depression by means of a standardized questionnaire in 10,350 Norwegian women and men who were taking part in a larger study. Nine thousand of the participants were working 40 hours a week or less, while 1,350 were working between 41 and 100 hours per week.

Among those who worked 40 hours a week or fewer, women averaged a 7 percent "possible" depression score, while men averaged 9 percent. In overtime workers, however, this percentage went up to 11 percent in women and 12.5 percent in men. Those who worked between 49 and 100 hours per week were the most likely to experience anxiety and depression.

The researchers also found that those with lower incomes and those working in less skilled positions tended to be more anxious and depressed. At the same time, those working the most overtime also tended to have a lower level of education and to be in less-skilled positions involving manual labor or shift work. As such, the researchers were unable to tell to what extent the overtime actually causes the anxiety and depression, to what extent it is associated with another cause (such as low-income physical labor), or to what extent anxiety and depression are influenced by a more complex interaction of several of these factors.

Prior research has shown that those who work overtime are more likely to be stressed and fatigued, and also to become sick or injured. Based in part on such studies, the European Union allows workers to refuse to work more than 48 hours per week.

Your Birth Order May Effect Your Career

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Depending on birth position, there are special roles within families, leading to different adaptation patterns and different personalities, says Ben Dattner, a New York City-based organizational psychologist.

Here's a look at the effect birth order may have on you:

1. Firstborn
Personality: Firstborns are ambitious, assertive, dominant and disciplined compared to their younger siblings. They're determined to succeed yet fearful of losing position and rank, and are defensive about errors and mistakes, Dattner says.

Compensation: A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found that workers who were the firstborn child in their families were more likely to earn $100,000 or more annually compared to their siblings.

Professions: The oldest tend to pursue vocations that require higher education, like medicine, engineering, or law. Firstborns from the CareerBuilder.com survey reported working in jobs in government, engineering, pharmacy and science. Ohio State University researchers found firstborn children were more likely to pursue "intellectual" jobs.

Job level: Workers who are firstborn are more likely to report holding a vice president or senior management position, according to the survey.
Famous firstborns: Oprah, Hillary Clinton, Winston Churchill, Sylvester Stallone, and Bill Clinton.

2. Middle
Personality: Middle children are good at negotiation, peacemaking, and compromise, Dattner says. They are easy-going, diplomatic, and are usually closer to friends than family.

Compensation: More middle children identified themselves as earning $35,000 or less per year than firstborn or youngest children, according to the CareerBuilder.com survey.

Professions: Middles tend to have excellent negotiating and people skills -- anything that employs these skills is a great fit. Middle children from the CareerBuilder.com survey said they work in nursing, law enforcement, firefighting, and machine operation.

Job level: Middle children were more likely to identify with professional and technical staff level positions in the CareerBuilder.com survey. They also reported being the most satisfied with their current positions.

Famous middles: David Letterman, Richard Nixon, Madonna, and Princess Diana.

3. Youngest
Personality: Youngest children love the limelight and are used to sitting in it. They are charming, creative, have a good sense of humor, and manipulate others when they want to get their way.

Compensation: Last borns were the least likely to report earning six figures, according to the CareerBuilder.com survey.

Professions: Youngest children often gravitate toward artistic and outdoor jobs, according to the OSU survey. They're also successful in journalism, advertising, sales, and athletics. Those who responded to the CareerBuilder.com survey reported working in art, design, sales, and information technology.

Job level: The majority of last borns in the CareerBuilder.com survey held administrative and clerical level positions. They also reported being the least satisfied in their current jobs.

Famous younglings: Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Cameron Diaz and Rosie O'Donnell.

4. Only children
Personality: Only children are similar to firstborns in that they are motivated to conform to parental expectations. They are also achievement-oriented, successful in school, and have problems delegating work. Research shows they are more confident, articulate, and imaginative than other children. They also hate criticism and tend to be perfectionists.

Famous only children: Jack Welch, Tiger Woods, Alan Greenspan and Maria Sharapova.

5. Twins
Personality: Because of their equal status in terms of age and genes, twins are usually treated the same and turn out similarly. They tend to have different personalities and interests, but are closer to each other than other siblings and tend to have less conflict with each other than other siblings, Dattner says.

Famous twins: Abigail and Esther Friedman ("Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers"); Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen; Joel and Benji Madden; and Jenna and Barbara Bush

Your Birth Order May Effect Your Career

JobRadio.fm

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:24:00 +0000

JobRadio.fm features audio content from Total Picture Radio, Secrets of the Job Hunt and Jobs in Pods. These “jobcasters” are at the forefront of career advice. Listen at work or at home. Right now about 10 hours of audio from these shows plays on a loop. Check the Current Playlists for whats playing. Every week, new content will be added to the rotation to keep it fresh and lively. This channel is a great resource for job seekers, recent grads, or anyone who wants to sharpen their job search skills. This site can help you to educate yourself on the art of job hunting.

JobRadio.fm

Expect Your Job Search to Take Longer

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:47:00 +0000

The time it takes to find a job is growing longer according to a survey of 3,000 job seekers conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm.

According to Challenger, “the median job search among those winning positions in the third quarter lasted nearly 4.4 months,” up from 3.6 months in the second quarter.

It’s also notable that 13.4 percent of the job seekers ended up relocating to take new positions. That’s up from a first-quarter figure of 8.9 percent, but still lower than the share who relocated in 2006 and most of 2007.
Moving is stressful and expensive, and some people may simply be unwilling to take that step. But the lower percentage of relocation no doubt stems at least in part from the housing market. Job seekers who are eager to move for the right job may find themselves trapped by an inability to sell their homes (and perhaps wishing they were renters right now).

Expect Job Searches to Take Longer

Jobless Claims Higher Than Expected

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:37:00 +0000

The government says new claims for jobless benefits increased by more than expected last week as companies cut jobs due to the slow economy.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that new applications for unemployment benefits rose 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 478,000, slightly above analysts' estimates of 470,000.

The four-week average, which smooths out fluctuations, dropped slightly to 480,250, down from a seven-year high in the previous week.

Jobless claims above 400,000 are considered a sign of recession. A year ago, claims stood at 333,000, the department said.

Jobless Claims

How to be Happier in Tough Economic Times

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:31:00 +0000

"One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy;
One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself."

Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

Two ways to help others, make them happy, and increase your own happiness:

The Happiness Project

Increasing Your Chances of Getting a Job

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:10:00 +0000

In these frightening economic times it is important to remember:

If you are employed, do not quit your job until you have secured a new one.
Since 80% of jobs are found through networking and according to one study Internet job searches have only a 4% success rate, don't spend all of your time sending resumes to jobs posted on job boards on the Internet.
If you send your resume as an e-mailed attachment, when possible, follow up with a snail mailed copy on good quality paper in a 9x12 white envelope.
Always send a handwritten thank you note within 24 hours after an interview - your name printed or embossed on the note will enhance your chances. Since only 10% of all candidates send thank you notes, this will imoress the employer and may clinch the job offer for you.

For more tips visit http://www.aresumes.net/

Women Are More Stressed by Economic Fears

noreply@blogger.com (JobFinder) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:06:00 +0000

According to the American Psychological Association's recently released Stress in America survey, conducted in June and August, more women than men (84 percent to 75 percent) expressed fear about the economy, and many reported new physical and emotional symptoms, such as headaches, irritability, insomnia, fatigue, overeating and chest pain.

The gender difference is probably attributable to a combination of the extra family responsibilities carried by women, especially working women, and the fact that "women are just more open about reporting stress," says Katherine Nordal, the APA's executive director for professional practice.

Women 44 and older reported feeling the most anxious about finances, and that could have a real impact on their long-term well-being, according to Nordal.

Economic Stress is Worse for Women