Columbia JobSpot

We've Combined Our Blogs Into One Site

2008-12-14T20:22:00.002-05:00

Since the economies and the job markets of both North and South Carolina are so closely related and intertwined, we have combined all of our blogs into one site. To read interesting post and articles about employment in the Carolinas, click here.

5 Tips for Recruiting in a Recession

2008-10-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

Recruiting in a recession can be difficult. We understand that and empathize with all of our customers whose budgets have been cut. There still remains a problem. If you stop advertising your open positions, the longer they'll be open. So we've come up with a few options that will help you recruit during a time when your budgets are tight, save you a little company cash and not to mention a headache for you.

1. Getting Most Value Out of Current Advertising.
Oddly enough the first place to start is to look at what you're currently doing. Writing a good job description and being clear about what the job offers and what you expect will help immensely as well. Learning how to recruit candidates in tough economic times will also help you overcome objections from great candidates that maybe seem less interested. If you're currently utilizing EmploymentGuide.com or any one of our products you can call one of our advertising consultants on how to optimize what you currently are using. We have job posting templates and can assist in wording and information that will help you attract the candidates that you are looking for. You can also check out ERE for the latest tips on advertising and recruiting to help you as well.

2. Job Fairs.
Try a community college career fair or participate in an Employment Guide Career Fair. This is a great way to piggyback off of the host's advertising and attract hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of candidates all at once. Not only that but you can pre-qualify candidates right at the event. We've experienced several times where a company hires a job seeker on the spot at our job fairs.

3. Diversity and Niche Publications.
For example: The Veterans Transition Guide. This is a quarterly publication that we send out to ex-military personnel who are finished with their duty and want to move into civilian life. This publication has a shelf life of about 4 months and can help fulfill your diversity requirements. We've gotten some great feedback on the quality of candidates - after all our troops are trained to a high standard and it's also a great way to give back to the soldiers who serve our country. Not only that but advertising starts as low as about $150 a month. It includes print and online advertising too. Not too bad.

4. Advertising Showcases or Packages.
For example: right now in the Carolinas we're doing a healthcare showcase. We do these occasionally to get a group of industry specific jobs in one place and attract qualified candidates for that industry. Because there is such a draw for recruiters we're able to lower your cost and bundle products together. This particular showcase is going to go on for 5 weeks and feature your company. We'll utilize not only The Employment Guide Print publication but also EmploymentGuide.com and HealthCareerWeb.com as well. You can take advantage of a showcase like this one, bundle products together and save yourself some money in the budget. Right now our Healthcare Showcase can help attract medical professionals for you at up to a 70% discount.

5. Get Online & Network.
Surprisingly enough just your company's presence online can help you recruit. Utlize social media outlets like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter to recruit and get people interested in what you're hiring for. There are also industry sites like HealthCareerWeb.com where you can post community events or connect with candidates through the profiles or forums. Jim Stroud's "The Recruiter's Lounge" has some great tips for sourcing resumes online.

Any other low-cost or free tips on how you can better your recruitment during a tough economic situation? Got a question about what you've read or want more information? Leave it in the comments or email us at scjobs@employmentguide.com

- Rosie Reilman, original photo by unk's dump truck

Entrepreneur's Dream: 2009 New Ideas for Carolina Contest

2008-10-22T09:29:00.005-04:00

What's your dream? If your dream job is to start up your own business, here's your chance! If South Carolina's fourth annual New Ideas for a New Carolina Business Idea Contest officially launched October 1, 2008 and you have until December 2nd to submit your idea to NewIdeasSC.com. The grand prize is $5,000 and access to resources to help you launch your new business idea.

What a great opportunity from The New Ideas Dream Team and SC Launch! New Carolina! Some may worry about the recession and starting a business but here are some articles about why it's good to start a business in a bad economy. Sometimes you just have to focus on reinventing instead of recession. Besides this contest is a good way to help you get started!

Get the details at the Columbia Visitor's Bureau Blog. Good luck Columbia - Let us know if you enter an idea and what it is in the comments!

- Rosie Reilman, Photo by wryonedwards

Columbia Job Fair Live

2008-10-21T08:42:00.001-04:00

Ever wondered what a job fair was like? Now you can watch our Columbia Job Fair live as it happens, Tuesday, October 21st, 10 am - 1:30 pm ET. Click HERE to watch live on the day of the event or a recorded version at other times.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - October 20-26, 2008

2008-10-20T15:05:00.001-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - October 20-26, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - October 13-19, 2008

2008-10-13T13:17:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - October 6-12, 2008

2008-10-06T12:47:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - September 29 - October 5, 2008

2008-09-30T08:52:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - September 22-28, 2008

2008-09-23T13:16:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - September 15-21, 2008

2008-09-17T10:39:00.001-04:00

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Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - September 8-14, 2008

2008-09-08T12:27:00.000-04:00

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Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - September 1-7, 2008

2008-09-03T09:43:00.000-04:00

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The Employment Guide Columbia September 1-7, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - August 25-31, 2008

2008-08-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia August 25-31, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Caution: Is This Job A Scam?

2008-08-21T13:45:00.003-04:00

Ok so this could be a really long blog post. It could go into debating over what type of job you want, money vs. happiness and job satisfaction, but I'm not going to do that. What I want to talk about are major warning signs that you should not accept a job offer. Things that scream employment scam or that are more obvious red flags.

Requesting too much information.
Generally, companies won't ask for Reference, personal information such as Social Security Number, personality tests, banking information and other personal information unless there has been an expression of mutual interest. All this information probably will be requested of you by the Human Resources department after an interview where the Employer is seriously considering hiring you and you have expressed that you'd be interested in accepting, or after a job offer has been made. Be wary of an Employer that requests this information too early on.

Lack of information available.
What does their website look like? How much information is available? Check out the contact information listed. Is it just a P.O. Box? Is there a phone number? Is there a Hotmail or Yahoo email address? This might not apply to smaller companies or start-ups but it's definitely something to take note of. Make sure you Google the company and do some research. You can also use the Better Business Bureau to research employers. Online you can also go to whois.com and search for the domain name. Who comes up as the Registrant? The company name, or an individual? It is possible that the website domain could be registered under the owner's personal name instead of the company name, so this alone doesn't mean they are a scam. Is it a private registration (you can't get the details)? Again, that alone doesn't mean it's a scam necessarily. Finally, look at the date the domain was registered. If the website gives details about how long the company has been in business and the domain registration differs greatly from that, be wary. If they claim they've been providing work at home jobs for 10 years, but upon looking up the domain name you see they've been online for a couple of months, that's a red flag.

Unwilling to offer information or is too quick to make a decision.
This may seem a little weird because most the time, job seekers sit in agony for days (maybe even weeks or months) over a hiring decision to be made. But sometimes it's good that the decision takes a little longer. Certainly make sure you only accept an offer after you interview. An Employer who is willing to offer a job before they have even interviewed you is definitely a red flag. How does a company that knows nothing about you but a few words on your resume know if you're the right fit, or if they are the right fit for you? Some other red flags are being unable to see where you will be working or meet your coworkers. Also, if during the interview, it seems that the recruiter is not answering any of your questions directly or is unable or unwilling to give a detailed description of the opportunity and job duties that you will be performing, that can also be something to raise caution.

Wants your money.
This is an institution that is supposed to be paying you. If they ask for money to process your application or require a fee, more than likely, this is not a legitimate job opportunity. Now there are some work at home and franchise opportunities that do require a fee to startup, but be sure to do your research on these companies before you invest your cash. Equally, companies that require you to transfer funds, receive and deposit funds or receive packages, particularly from addresses located outside of the United States should also cause you to use caution or drop the opportunity all together.

If you feel that you may have been a victim of fraud or provided too much information to an employer, you can report the incident at the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center or contact the Employment Guide's Customer Service Line at 877-876-4039.

Learn more about current employment scams Better Business Bureau's Employment Scams website. The Federal Trade Commission can offer some helpful information about identity theft and ways to protect yourself.

- Rosie Reilman, Photo by Shavar

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - August 18-24, 2008

2008-08-18T16:37:00.000-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia August 18-24, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - August 11-17, 2008

2008-08-12T09:38:00.002-04:00

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The Employment Guide Columbia August 11-17, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - August 4-10, 2008

2008-08-04T15:36:00.001-04:00

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The Employment Guide Columbia August 4-10, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Guide 2 Careers Series: Daycare Workers & Child Care Workers

2008-07-31T10:03:00.000-04:00

In conjunction to our Employment Guide to Careers and the help of the Department of Labor Career Guide, I'll be doing a blog post series on different careers that are popular on EmploymentGuide.com. This hopefully will give you insight as to what a particular job will entail, the types of qualifications and skills that you'll need to get the job and any other relevant information. Please feel free to comment or email suggestions as to what you'd like to see in this series.

Child Care Jobs: Day Care Teachers

Significant Points

Preschool teachers, teacher assistants, and child care workers account for almost 8 out of 10 wage and salary jobs.

About 42 percent of all child care workers have a high school degree or less, reflecting the minimal training requirements for most jobs.

More than a quarter of all employees work part time, and nearly 18 percent of full-time employees in the industry work more than 40 hours per week

Job openings should be numerous because dissatisfaction with benefits, pay, and stressful working conditions causes many to leave the industry.

On the Job
Helping children grow, learn, and gain new skills can be very rewarding. Preschool teachers and child care workers often improve their own communication, learning, and other personal skills by working with children. The work is sometimes routine; however, new activities and challenges mark each day. Child care can be physically and emotionally taxing, as workers constantly stand, walk, bend, stoop, and lift to attend to each child’s needs, interests, and problems. Child care workers must be constantly alert, anticipate and prevent trouble, deal effectively with disruptive children, and provide fair, but firm, discipline.

Opportunities for self-employment in this industry are among the best in the economy. About 37 percent of all workers in the industry are self-employed or unpaid family workers, compared with only 8 percent in all industries. This disparity reflects the ease of entering the child day care business.

The median age of child day care providers is 38, compared with 44 for all workers. About 21 percent of all care providers are 24 years or younger as opposed to about 14 percent for all industries (table 1). About 6 percent of these workers are below the age of 20, reflecting the minimal training requirements for many child day care positions.

Child care workers account for about 31 percent of wage and salary jobs, as well as a large proportion of the self-employed who care for children in their homes, also known as family child care providers. Regardless of the setting, these workers feed, diaper, comfort, and play with infants. When dealing with older children, they attend to the children’s basic needs and organize activities that stimulate physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development.

Benefits and Salary
In 2006, hourly earnings of nonsupervisory workers in the child day care services industry averaged $10.53, much less than the average of $16.76 throughout private industry. On a weekly basis, earnings in child day care services averaged only $316 in 2006, compared with the average of $568 in private industry. Weekly earnings reflect, in part, the large number of part-time jobs in the industry.

Employee benefits in child day care services often are minimal. A substantial number of child day care centers offer no healthcare benefits to any teaching staff. Reduced day care fees for workers’ children, however, are a common benefit. Wage levels and employee benefits depend in part on the type of center. Nonprofit and religiously affiliated centers generally pay higher wages and offer more generous benefits than do for-profit establishments.

Experience & Required Education
Child care centers have staffing requirements that are imposed by States and by insurers. Although requirements vary, in most cases a minimum age of 18 years is required for teachers, and directors or officers must be at least 21. In some States, assistants may work at age 16—in several, at age 14. Most States have established minimum educational or training requirements. Training requirements are most stringent for directors, less so for teachers, and minimal for child care workers and teacher assistants. In many centers, directors must have a college degree, often with experience in child day care and specific training in early childhood development. Teachers must have a high school diploma and, in many cases, a combination of college education and experience. Assistants and child care workers usually need a high school diploma, but that is not always a requirement. Many States also mandate other types of training for staff members, such as on health and first aid, fire safety, and child abuse detection and prevention. Some employers prefer to hire workers who have received credentials from a nationally recognized child day care organization.

Read more about being a Child Care Worker or search jobs on EmploymentGuide.com

Photo by woodleywonderworks and howcheng

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - July 21-27, 2008

2008-07-21T16:40:00.000-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia July 21-27, 2008

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - July 14-20, 2008

2008-07-15T09:35:00.002-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia July 14-20, 2008

Some of this week's advertisers are:

Rea Contracting, LLC
Jiffy Lube
AAA Car Care Center
Centura College
Southeastern School of Neuromuscular Massage
Alliance Tractor Trailer
U.S. Security Associates
Andersen Services
Securitas

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Jobs

2008-07-07T16:07:00.004-04:00

South Carolina’s jobless rate rose to 6.5 percent in May, the highest mark since January 2006. Those who monitor employment trends attributed that jump to people such as Ouzts, who are re-entering the job market because of economic pressure on their household budgets.

Sam McClary, labor market analyst with the S.C. Employment Security Commission, said that trend should hold through the summer.

Why?

There’s no end in sight for rising gas prices. And, as gas prices go up, so does everything else in a family’s budget.

Source: Driving back into the job pool, The State

Gas prices don't make it easy on anyone. This article particularly highlights stay-at-home moms and retirees. Have you thought about going back in the workforce? How has it changed (if at all) your job search?

By the way, don't forget you can win a Gas card from us by entering our weekly contest.

- Rosie Reilman

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - July 7-13, 2008

2008-07-07T15:02:00.002-04:00

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The Employment Guide Columbia July 7-13

Some of this week's advertisers are:

Centura College
ECPI College of Technology
AAA Car Care Center
Sodexo
Gaz-Bah Mini Shop
Teleperformance
Andersen Services
Penhall Company
Rea Contracting
Asphalt Matericals Company

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - June 30 - July 6, 2008

2008-07-01T08:35:00.002-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia June 30 - July 6, 2008

Some of this week's advertisers are:

Andersen Services
Jiffy Lube
ECPI College of Technology
AAA Carolinas
Penhall Company
Sodexo Carolina Dining Services
Teleperformance
Phoenix Landscape Management

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.

Job Market Raises Questions About Career Choice

2008-06-26T10:14:00.000-04:00

I read a really interesting post on Brazen Careerist by Beth Harris today. The post, Today's Job Market Makes Me Question My Career Choice, I think pretty much sums up a lot of sentiments people have when looking at the job market. While certain industries are having a harder time, there are industries that can't seem to fill positions at the same rate they are opening.

Every other day there are stories and reports of job losses, and “natural” attrition in the industry has grown 10 fold. It is really unavoidable, because ultimately it is all about profit, and no company in this market will retain employees that it doesn’t really need. Downsizing happens everywhere. But the human toll, and the revelation of the contradictions of the market, bear noticing.

Healthcare, particularly nursing and government agencies like the Border Patrol are two of the industries that she talks about as being in real need of people.

She brings up a good point. When searching for a career do you consider what the job market is like when deciding what you want to do? Most of us when we're younger, we don't usually consider the economy or pay scale when we dream about what we want to be in we grow up. I know several times I've looked at a few of my nursing friends and seen all the benefits and different things they've been able to do because they are in a career that is in high demand.

Then again, according to an NPR story, new graduates hitting the job market don't have much to worry about, it's still a good year to be graduating and hittin the job market. Employers project an increase in new graduate hires this year as opposed to last year. The report also suggests a book called What is that Job and How the Hell Do I Get It by David J. Rosen.

The book sounds especially good for high school seniors (and maybe even new graduates) who aren't sure what they want to do as far as a career goes. It picks out 50 cool and interesting jobs, what exactly the job responsibilities are and how you go about getting hired.

In my opinion, I think it's good to keep your dreams and goals. Sometimes you have to get creative and find a less obvious way of doing your 'dream job'. Things like the economy might hold you back for awhile but it's important to remember that the job market always changes. Sometimes, you can find happiness without having a specific career path and if for some reason you can't have a 'dream job' you can still find ways to live your dream.

So should you consider economy? Sure. But that doesn't mean that everyone should quit their jobs, change their majors or go back to school to get their nursing degree. (Unless of course that's what you'd really be happy doing.) Just take some time and get creative. Seek out and ask people who are in the career you want about th work they are doing - what they like and don't like, what they do during their work hours, etc. Get a little creative about your job search and in picking your career.

- Rosie Reilman, Photos by patrick dodson and adtmarin

The Employment Guide Columbia Edition - June 23-29, 2008

2008-06-23T10:52:00.003-04:00

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide.

The Employment Guide Columbia June 23-29

Some of this week's advertisers are:

ECPI College of Technology
Andersen Services
Centura College
AAA
Teleperformance
The Cleaning Authority
Gaz-Bah Mini Shops
Personnel Management

Don't forget to visit http://Columbia.EmploymentGuide.com/ for more job listings and to learn more about the employers you see in this week's edition.