Job Pundit

Three hot jobs may not be for you

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:22:00 +0000

For some occupations, they looks glamorous on magazine and TV. They are on the hot job lists. You may have relative who does it and seems to like it. Or you heard you could earn a lot of money at it, without much extra training. But beware those jobs may not for you. Many people were lured to those job at the beginning, but soon they find that it's way more difficult than they imagined to achieve the storied success of others. Below are 3 occupations occupations with mystique that exceeds reality for many people:
Attorney
(1)The Appeal:
Many college students decide to go to law school by default. After all, a legal career promises prestige, money, and the chance to use the law to make a difference in society. Many aspiring attorneys also picture themselves as the lawyers on TV, making scintillating closing arguments in an expensive suit before a rapt jury.

(2)Reality:
Most lawyers' lives bear little resemblance to those of the hotshots on Law and Order. Even litigators spend lots of time drafting or poring over sheaves of detailed information and negotiating with other lawyers prone to contentiousness and chicanery. And most lawyers rarely go to trials, working instead as transactional attorneys who need to bill 2,000 hours a year or more to meet the firm's targets. That can mean long evenings drafting lengthy, airtight contracts or other documents. In the corporate world, many lawyers find little fulfillment and burn out. (see my early post regarding lawer career)

(3)Alternative:
Mediation or a less contentious niche within the law, such as adoption law.

Small-Business Owner

(1)The Appeal:
Work for yourself, and you're automatically the CEO. You get to make all the decisions, set your own hours, and keep all the profits. And you're inspired by the stories of other entrepreneurs who became wealthy.

(2)Reality:
Most new businesses fold within a few years. There are good reasons. For one thing, running a small business requires you to be good at many jobs: salesperson, buyer, accountant, marketer, operations manager, even janitor. Few people can do it all. Yet hiring others cuts–often too deeply–into profits. In addition, you must be a self-starter–no one is going to make you do anything or structure it for you. It's all on you. Even though you set your own hours, they tend to be long. And you have to provide your own healthcare benefits, which as an individual can be very expensive, especially if you or a family member has a pre-existing condition.

(3)Alternative:
Be the No. 2 person in someone else's small business. You'll have a seat at the table and a say in company decisions. But you'll go home with fewer headaches than the owner. And probably go home earlier.

Chef

(1)The Appeal:
You envision yourself concocting delectable delights for a clamoring clientele at the latest "in" restaurant. Maybe you'll even get to be one of those TV chefs.

(2)Reality:
Most chefs don't work in frou-frou restaurants or even blaze trails in the kitchen. Instead, they're assembly-line cooks, cranking out dozens of the same item, night after night. And they're the executive chefs. For each executive chef, a few assistant chefs–the most typical job–spend much of their time chopping ingredients and assembling salads. Plus, chefs typically work until the wee hours, especially on weekends, while most people are enjoying themselves. As a result, chefs often end up hanging out with the same restaurant crowd, after the patrons have finally left.

(3)Alternative:
Personal chef, cooking for busy or wealthy families.

Employer preferences of colleges graduates

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 03:35:00 +0000

Came across a couple of interesting lists in an article in the latest issue of Bloomberg magazine: Employer Preferences, All Undergraduates:
1.Google
2.Walt Disney
3.Apple
4.US Department of State
5.Peace Corps
6.Central Intelligence Agency
7.PriceWaterhouseCoopers
8.Microsoft
9.Federal Bureau of Investigation
10.Teach for America

Employer Preferences, All MBAs:
1.Google
2.McKinsey
3.Goldman Sachs
4.Bain & Co.
5.Boston Consulting
6.Apple
7.Microsoft
8.General Electric
9.Nike
10.Bank of America

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Bulletproof jobs you can't lose

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:12:00 +0000

These days, jobs that offer total security are few and far between. Granted, no job is completely bulletproof. But there are some that come close.

Although there's a lot of school and plenty of vetting to endure, perhaps nothing is more steady than becoming a federal judge. Sure, it's nearly as impossible as becoming president (that's a reasonably secure job too), but once candidates get approved by Congress, they receive lifetime appointments.

Out of thousands of federal judges, only seven have ever been convicted and removed from office. Reasons for removal from the bench range from perjury to tax evasion to mental illness. What constitutes an impeachable offense? In answer, President Gerald R. Ford once put it this way: Anything the Congress says is an impeachable offense.

If being nominated by the Congress seems too challenging, becoming a tenured educator might be a bit easier to achieve. Those in the field are quick to point out that getting tenured doesn't mean having a job for life. It means there must be "just cause" for removing the employee. The educator receives due process, similar to what American citizens expect when charged with violation of a law, according to the National Educators Association. They have the right to a fair hearing, and administrators have to prove their case.

Some unionized employees can have similar protections. While contracts differ from union to union, one thing remains the same. Before companies can do a significant lay-off, they're obligated to discuss and bargain with the union and seek alternatives. In the Steel Workers Union, when a company says they're bringing employees in to work eight-hour days, five days per week, they're required to pay the staff even if they don't have enough work to give them. If a shortage of work becomes extreme, they can use the supplemental unemployment benefit that pays employees about 80% of their wages. If there's a turndown in business during the length of the contract, the union and the company work together to figure out what other options are available. For example, downturns are a good time to get union members additional training and skill sets.

Ever think of becoming a civil service employee? Those are the people employed by federal, state and local government agencies. Virtually every type of job imaginable exists within those guidelines. These are often considered more secure jobs since the process for removal is so intricate. To fire someone for poor performance, the administration must prove that doing so will "promote the efficiency of the service." Talk about subjective. From there, the administration's action must be supported by a preponderance of evidence. Plus, the employee must be given 30 days written notice of poor performance and from there has between 30 and 90 days to improve his or her work. After all of that, if the employee is fired, he or she has the right to an appeal process.

Even religious vocations are no longer the totally unassailable career they may have once been. The traditional perception of the Roman Catholic priesthood was of being a job for life, no matter what. Today, that's certainly not the case. It used to be that priests who had been proved to have sexually assaulted children were treated with therapy; today that is unacceptable. When there is a credible accusation of pedophilia, a priest is removed from the ministry. That means there's no room and board or any other type of caretaking.

Some jobs are secure simply because they're in such high demand. Nursing fits that category. They are at the top of the Department of Labor's 10 fastest-growing occupations. There are several reasons for the growth, including an aging population and chronic illness.

And nurses need not focus their job search only at a hospital or doctor's office. They're also hired to work as insurance investigators, quality-control representatives, in medical sales and in research and development. While there might be job security now, a change in the structure of the health care system might alter that. Back in the early '90s, there was a nursing shortage, For example, in '92 or '93, the spiraling cost of health care and managed care caused lay-offs of nurses in US. We are having a shortage now because so many nurses are retiring, combined with the aging population. If the health care system that exists today stays this way, US will continue to have a shortage. Whether something comes along that disrupts that is always a possibility.

Outsourcing, of course, has affected the workforce. But there are jobs that can't be moved overseas. For instance, doctors, home health care workers, fire fighters, law enforcement officers and long-distance truck drivers all show up among jobs that can't be sent to India or Asia.

Best Jobs for Enterprising People

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 03:12:00 +0000

Would you rather sell it than analyze it? More interested in the big picture than the details? Such "enterprising" types of people tend to be competitive and aggressive—and they're often behind the success of thriving businesses. Here are top career picks for go-getters who feel more at home leading a group or project than being a rank-and-file team member:

Manager/executive. The stereotype of the boss is changing: Today's successful manager is generally more of a facilitator than an autocrat. Yes, managers can unilaterally hire, fire, and evaluate employees, but much of the job entails running meetings, guiding teams, building consensus, collaboratively setting policy, and troubleshooting. Happy managers enjoy that process, and would rather plan, inspire, and guide than crank out reams of paperwork. Over the coming decade, the job market is likely to be most robust in computer systems, health services, financial management, and many areas of government. Training managers, who figure out what kind of instruction employees need and who should conduct it, tend to be unusually happy across a wide range of fields.

Financial manager/officer. Money is the lifeblood of every business, and the stewards of that vital resource are treasurers, controllers, senior accountants, and other financial managers. These professionals are no mere bean counters—they're often on the leadership team that decides where the company should spend its money. One frustration: With recent accounting scandals at big companies, financial officers spend an increasing amount of time on government-mandated paperwork, such as that required by the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. But these careers are often quite rewarding, and since this role is critical and requires high-level quantitative skills that aren't easily acquired, pay is often excellent.

Sales manager. A few salespeople need no management—they have a knack for selling virtually anything, with good business ethics to boot. But most salespeople need a bit more shepherding. Enter the sales manager, who hires, trains, cheerleads, and when necessary, whips the sales force into shape. Day-to-day duties include watching the salespeople in action and offering feedback, and maybe even figuring out how to lead a former high-flier back to cruising altitude.

Sales representative. Every product needs somebody to sell it, and sales reps in certain specialties, such as medical, electronic, and mechanical equipment, can earn good pay. But not just anybody can sell. A good salesperson makes a warm first impression, listens more than he or she talks, and responds wisely. Rejection comes with the turf, so you have to be resilient. And please be ethical, even though sleaziness is often tolerated by bosses and even customers. Cheaters do sometimes win in the sales game but lose in the game of life.

Best Jobs for Artistic People

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 02:50:00 +0000

Many people enjoy decorating their home, orchestrating a wardrobe, or tending a colorful garden. But for some folks, creative inclinations are much more than hobbies. True artistic types prefer jobs where they can do creative, expressive work rather than structured tasks. They think of themselves as nonconformist, artsy, and often disorganized. Here are top career picks for people with the artistic temperament:

Landscape architect. With just a bachelor's degree, you can be designing resorts, industrial parks, and rich people's backyards. And today's hottest religion is environmentalism, so many landscape architects work in fields like coastal habitat restoration.

Literature or arts teacher. Teaching is one of the few bastions of job security for artistic types. Job availability is expected to be better in colleges than in K-12 schools. In addition to art talent and teaching ability, a knack for dealing with unruly students comes in handy.

Graphic designer. Here's the catch: You must be an artist who accepts the reality that the best shot at making a living in your field is to design ads, magazine pages, and websites. And keep in mind that even though computers are now the predominant tools of the trade — and they can do wonders—excellent freehand drawing skills are still essential.

Director. Most director gigs are far from the Hollywood studios. Plays, movies, commercials, instructional and promotional videos, and TV shows—including local, cable, and satellite TV productions—all need directors. So do direct-to-Web videos, like many on YouTube. And relatively few people have the right mix of skills. A director must be able to manage a complex project with diverse and often temperamental casts and crew members. The job also requires an artistic and literary bent, along with knowledge of sets, lighting, sound, costumes, music, and choreography.

Producer. Most productions need, well, a producer. This entrepreneur comes up with the idea, raises the money, hires the director, makes or approves key hiring decisions, and makes the business decisions throughout the production.

Interior designer. Partway between an interior decorator and an architect, interior designers figure out how to make a space functional and beautiful. While they may suggest finishes for floors, walls, and windows, they're as likely to recommend where to knock down a wall (without the building collapsing). A bachelor's degree should suffice, as long as it's from a program accredited by the American Society of Interior Designers.

Editor. Most editors do much more than processcopy. They also choose which stories to pursue, select writers, and occasionally attain the wordsmith's holy grail—writing about the things that really interest them, knowing it will get published. The job market will probably be best for Web editors with expertise in both video and text.

Perfumer. What do laundry products, candles, lotions, and colognes have in common? Their fragrance was created by a perfumer. Most members of this small but enjoyable profession learn via an apprenticeship, such as Procter & Gamble's. Jobs aren't terribly plentiful, but it's great work if you can get it.

Best Jobs for Orderly People

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Thu, 10 May 2007 03:02:00 +0000

If anybody has ever called you a neat freak, chances are you have skills that go well beyond tidying up. People who find comfort in the predictable nature of numbers, office routines, and computer programs are considered to have "conventional" or "orderly" personalities. And they're essential to well-run organizations. Below are top choices for folks who prefer structured activities and have a knack for following through.

Accountant. Isn't it boring? Not for precision-minded people who are comfortable with numbers. And there's growing demand, especially in a few intriguing specialties. Forensic accountants, for instance, unearth basic embezzling, along with higher-level chicanery like backdated stock options that can reach all the way up to the CEO. International accountants help that U.S. company that manufactures a widget in China and distributes it in Mexico make sense out of the financial Babel. One specialty that allows for self-employment: professional estate executor, the person who handles all the paperwork and other details involved in disposing of an estate after someone dies.

Finance specialist. A company needs to raise money. Should it go public? Get a bank loan? Obtain private-equity backing? Finance specialists address such questions and perhaps negotiate the deal. Once the money is in, a finance specialist advises the company on how to allocate it between bank accounts and other investments. Finance specialists work for commercial banks such as Chase or Citibank, or investment banks like Goldman Sachs. For top jobs, an M.B.A. and/or chartered financial analyst (CFA) certification is standard.

Financial planner. Individuals, too, use financial experts, usually called financial planners. Or they're called account managers when working for financial services firms such as Merrill Lynch or Smith Barney. Success in this career depends as much on the quality of your Rolodex and your cold-calling moxie as on your knowledge of stocks and bonds.

Actuary. How long will you live? What are the odds you'll get into a car crash in the next year? Actuaries figure out such things to help insurance companies decide how much to charge individuals and groups for premiums. Six-figure salaries are common. Most actuaries have a bachelor's degree, and the training includes 10 arduous exams. You can coach yourself for them or pay for prep courses.

Administrator. Every program, project, and office needs an administrator to handle the details: keeping the staff on schedule, watching for budget overages, ensuring that the janitor cleans the bathroom on schedule. Such jobs tend to be more pleasant on a college campus, or with a company in a cool business, like a radio station, architecture shop, or video-game design firm. The job market is likely to be strongest in government agencies.

Technical writer. When a new product comes out, a tech writer is needed to produce the manual and online help pages. Deadlines are usually tight—you can't write the manual until the product is completed, and at that point the manufacturer wants to get it shipped as quickly as possible. Trade publications also hire tech writers to explain new products. If you enjoy getting an advance look at new stuff, have technical acumen, and can write quickly, you'll have good prospects. Writers uncomfortable with deadlines can often find work preparing white papers on technical issues, or technical parts of proposals, for corporations.

Building inspector. You get to play detective, figuring out what's wrong with the building. Plus, you don't have the hassle of fixing it. Building inspectors are hired by government agencies to ensure that building codes are followed, whether it's a home, skyscraper, or shopping mall. Property owners also hire inspectors to unearth termites and to ensure that that whiz-bang electrical system won't short-circuit.

Best Jobs for Social People

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 03:06:00 +0000

Lots of people enjoy helping others—whether it's simply offering a kind word or propping up a friend or family member during a crisis. And, of course, many people choose service professions in fields like medicine, education, or counseling. Here here are some top choices for "social" types of people who prefer to work in a cooperative environment—rather than a competitive one—and have a knack for helping people:

School-based counselor. The job today requires more sophistication than simply dealing with kids kicked out of class for chewing gum. School counselors coordinate activities that often include sex education, health awareness, career counseling, gang violence prevention, and on-site social-work services. And yes, counselors still spend a lot of time telling Johnny that he'd better shape up—or else. The quality of these jobs varies: Some counselors are respected members of the faculty, while others are glorified clerks.

School psychologist. Typical assignment: Melissa is doing poorly in school. What should teachers and parents do? In comes the school psychologist, who will observe the child, test and talk with her; powwow with parents and teachers, and write a report. School psychologists may also conduct parenting workshops and screen children for gifted-students programs. Among the pluses: You work one on one in a peaceful setting, you get summers off, and pay and prestige are high.

Personal coach. Struggling people, from unfulfilled executives to shy singles to disorganized housewives, are increasingly forgoing therapists in favor of a personal coach. These mentors focus on developing practical solutions, not probing psychological depths. Personal coaches are usually self-employed, so to succeed, you must be a willing and able marketer. Anyone can hang a coaching shingle, so consult some training resources to help set yourself apart.

Mediator. Instead of hiring a lawyer to settle disputes, more people are turning to mediators who can reach resolution with less fighting and expense. Typical client pairs include warring spouses, landlord and tenant, or employer and employee. A good mediator needs the listening skills of a suicide counselor, the patience of Job, and the wisdom of Solomon. The marketing skills of P. T. Barnum help, too.

College student affairs administrator. It's a little like going to college all over again. Student affairs administrators coordinate the nonacademic part of student life, from student orientation to graduation. For example, they supervise fraternities, coordinate residence hall activities and intramural sports, and sponsor antidrug programs.

Employee trainer. New employees, from fresh college grads to aging baby boomers, often need guidance to succeed in today's globally competitive workplace. Enter the trainer, who may teach anything from basic reading to advanced Oracle. The ability to develop and teach online courses will be particularly helpful in coming years.

Best Jobs for Investigative People

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:55:00 +0000

Do you think of yourself as scientific, precise, and analytical? Good at developing intellectually rigorous solutions to problems. Here are some top career picks for "investigative" folks who love to absorb detail, prefer logic over whimsy, and don't mind working alone:

Science researcher/professor. The coming decades will see a revolution in how we prevent and treat disease, cope with environmental degradation, and address health threats such as bioterrorism and drug-resistant bacteria. Be advised, this a tough field to enter: Advanced degrees are rampant, and a plain ol' Ph.D. in molecular biology is no longer enough. Landing a good job usually requires extra expertise in fields like computational biology, computer programming, or biophysics, and one to three years as a post-doc student. After that, however, you'll have the opportunity to become involved in work that might save countless lives.

Software engineer/developer. Designing and creating new applications and operating systems requires a rigorous, logical thinker who can, at the same time, divine what interfaces work best for human beings. Computer security remains a growth industry, with demand for experts likely to increase indefinitely.

Computer systems analyst/architect. When you're tired of cranking code, you can become a systems analyst or even architect—if you have the people skills and ability to see the big picture. Your job is to analyze the organization's needs, propose computer-centric solutions, and supervise implementation.

Physician assistant. You get to do many of a physician's most rewarding tasks—conduct exams, treat basic problems, and provide health education—without the enormous cost, time, and stress of medical school. Nor does this job require those insane, 100-hour-week internships.

Optometrist. Here's another M.D.-like career, with less training required than for ophthalmologists, who do surgery. Optometrists typically train for four years after getting a bachelor's degree. Once practicing, there are many rewards: Optometry is a profession with a high cure rate, regular hours, good pay, and realistic potential for being successfully self-employed.

Veterinarian. Vets have to go to school for four years after college, but no internship, residency, or board certification is required. And because most patients—well, the owners of patients—pay out-of-pocket, there's much less hassle with insurance companies. One downside: Veterinary clinics can be noisy: ruff-ruff.

Librarian. Forget the mousy bookworm image. Tomorrow's librarian will be more of a high-tech data sleuth, using computers and sophisticated software to track down information. Some of the best jobs are as special librarians: those who work in corporations, universities, and law firms.

Best Jobs for Hands-On People

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 03:42:00 +0000

Consider yourself a tinkerer? Enjoy working with tools and machines? "Hands on" people tend to be practical and straightforward and like to work with concrete objects such as wood, plants, or jewelry. They're comfortable working alone and prefer doing to talking. Below are careers for hands-on types:

Aircraft pilot. The perks include prestige, money, and travel—plus, you get to fly a plane. And the job market for pilots is finally starting to come out of the tailspin that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But before you start flapping your wings, remember that if you're flying for a national airline, you're away a lot, so it's hard to maintain a stable home life. The good news is that many pilot jobs don't require overnight travel, such as spreading seed for reforestation, ferrying executives in small jets, or flying traffic helicopters. One other downside: Before earning good money, you'll need to pay for lots of flying hours—unless you're in the military, in which case it's all free.

Electrician. Unlike plumbing or carpentry, this trade is unlikely to short-circuit your body by the time you're 40. And here's something shocking: Electricians are seriously injured by electricity at only half the rate of the general population. Just don't be color-blind: All electrical wires are color-coded!

Electrical or electronic engineering technician. With just two years of training or less, you get to play a key role in helping engineers design and develop electrical or electronic products

Biomedical engineer. Want to design the next-generation artificial heart? Or a noninvasive alternative to biopsy? Or an implantable vital-signs monitor that spots anomalies and transmits a report to the patient's doctor? Over your lifetime, this field promises to save millions of lives—and create thousands of jobs.

Locksmith. This career offers many pluses: The training is short, there's strong demand, customers tend to be grateful, and it's not physically demanding. Think of all the people who get locked out of their homes or cars and the companies and homeowners who need to keep the bad guys out. As perceived security threats rise, demand for high-tech entry-access systems will grow.

Orthodontist. It's one of the few medical specialties in which self-employment is still possible, and the average self-employed orthodontist earns more than $200,000 a year. Plus, at the end of treatment, you've succeeded with nearly all your patients—they walk out with a better smile. Unlike some hands-on careers, this one calls for good people skills—you're developing long-term relationships. It also requires two or three years of training after dental school.

Radiologic technologist/diagnostic imaging specialist. X-rays are giving way to an alphabet soup of higher-resolution, lower-radiation imaging machines: MRI, PET, CAT, CT, and sonography. These newer techniques help provide more accurate, noninvasive diagnoses of everything from prenatal health to cardiovascular disease. Imaging specialists move patients into position and then take pictures of the desired area. Say "cheese"!

Renewable energy technologist. With an intensifying focus on energy independence, job prospects for technologists are strong in all renewable energy fields: wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydropower. This is one of the few disciplines in which rural jobs are increasing. Windsmiths, for example, operate and maintain the turbines on windmills. And technicians are needed to run bioenergy operations that produce fuel from plants.

Surgical technologist. When that surgeon on ER calls, "Sutures! Clamp! Retractor!" he's yelling for a surgical technologist. With just a bachelor's degree, and sometimes less, you can play a role in the life-and-death drama of the operating room.

Jobs for Different Personality Types

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 04:18:00 +0000

When seeking your true love, you had better look for someone with a compatible personality. The same thing is true when choosing your career. Researchers have observed that most people have certain characteristics that can be grouped into a small number of categories. One popular methodology developed by respected career psychologist John Holland, who identifies six general types of people in relation to jobs: realistic, hands-on people, investigative people, artistic people, social people, enterprising people, and conventional people. This system for categorizing personality types obviously isn't perfect. Many people, for instance, are an amalgam of two or three different types. A few people might feel they don't fit into any of these categories. But whatever your attributes and idiosyncrasies, the odds of finding a fulfilling career are greater if you match your job to your personality. It may not be as easy as jumping at the first opportunity that comes along. But most people probably wouldn't marry their first dates, either.

Open position requirements

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 05:22:00 +0000

I bet you all have read some of those half-joking, half-truth open position requirements. I got those from a friend's email. Please tell me they are not true.
Ability to take charge: Your boss works 60-70 hours a week and has been looking very pale lately;
Ability to work independently: No support staff, you're on your own;
Boss's right hand: 1. Boss has two left hands; 2. Boss needs someone to do his work also;
Casual environment: 1. Dress down on alternate Fridays; 2. Personnel reviews done in company lunchroom or at company parties;
Challenging environment: Everyone here hates each other;
College degree required: We want to brag about having a college-degreed person doing this menial task;
College grads encouraged: We hope you'll accept any job, even this one, so you can pay off your loans;
Diverse environment: We have one of everything here;
Entrepreneurial culture: We really don't know what we're doing so we're making it up as we go along;
Entry Level: Low pay, lotsa work, no future;
Excellent benefits: The salary is below average;
Excellent opportunity: The rest of that phrase should read "to earn a paycheck" because that's all you're going to get;
Experienced: No training provided;
Experienced only: You'll be the only one who can do your job;
Fast-paced environment: You'll have to meet unreasonable deadlines with few or no proper resources to get the job done; lots of stress;
Flexible hours: Overtime and weekend work required with no advanced notice;
Ground-floor opportunity: Either an entry-level position, minimum wage grunt job, or another MLM scheme;
Leadership abilities: Your boss wants someone to cover for him while he plays golf;
Managerial experience: You'll be expected to supervise a bunch of children;
Motivated: Desperate;
Must be detail-oriented: You have to correct everyone else's sloppy work, but heaven help you if you make even the slightest error;
Re-entering the work force:1. You earn the same as you would as a stay at home mom without the cute smiles; 2. We'll pay you entry level wages and expect managerial experience
Recently founded by a leading ______ : The person who started this company was fired from every job he's ever had;
Room for advancement: We want you to replace your future boss but at a smaller salary;
Salary history required: We don't want to pay a lot for your work;
Salary requirements: We don't want to read all the resumes we receive. Note: also see Salary History.
Salary negotiable: 1. We don't know how much to pay; 2. The more you can do, the less we can pay;
Self starter: You must do the job perfectly as soon as you start;
Some travel required: don't expect to see your family in the foreseeable future -- and this phrase almost never means that you'll be traveling to Paris, Rome or NYC;
Supervisory position: We'll blame you for the other people's screw ups;
Team player: 1. Your boss gets the credit, you get the blame; 2. Don't you dare have an opinion of your own
VC-funded start-up: We don't have a product, we don't have a service, we don't have any customers and we can barely make payroll.

Blogging as a profession

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 03:20:00 +0000

According to indeed.com, in the US job market of the past year, the number of job postings containing the word 'blog' has doubled. See graph above. This is a strong indicator that blogger has become a profession recognized by the the business and market.
However beware that there are only 0.01 - 0.02% of job postings contains the word 'blog'. As a reference, during the same period, 0.5% of job postings having the word 'writer', and 0.15% of job posting using the word 'chemist'.

Top 10 Most Popular College Majors

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 05:07:00 +0000

The Princeton Review recently published list of the ten most popular majors for 2005 - 2006. The list don't change much in the last decade from what I can see. It reflects interests and the intellect level of student masses. Several majors are stepping stone for medical and law schools. Be aware that the popularity of majors often has little to do with actual demand for related fields in the workplace. The career fields with the most opportunities do not always appeal to students. And the majors that sound most exciting to students don't always lead to equally snazzy-sounding jobs.

Below is the list of top 10 most popular college majors:

1) Business Administration and Management

2) Psychology

3) Elementary Education

4) Biology

5) Nursing

6) Education

7) English

8) Communications

9) Computer Science

10) Political Science

Having a science or engineering bachelor's degree is a boon

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 02:25:00 +0000

No matter what you choose to do with your life after college, having a science or engineering bachelor's degree is a boon, according to a National Science Foundation survey released last week. In a survey of adults with science and engineering undergraduate degrees, only 27% had science or engineering occupations, but 63% working in non-technical fields still said that their jobs related in some way to their degrees. Even those who had followed up their science and engineering degrees with advanced degrees in other fields reported that scientific knowledge remained necessary for them.

Follow the money

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 11:18:00 +0000

"Do what you love, and the money will follow," the life coaches say. But in reality, for many people, it is " follow the money, and you will love what you do".

15 best paid jobs in America, 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:22:00 +0000

The medical profession dominates the top end of 2006 Forbe's list of the 25 best- and worst-paying jobs in America, again. (and may be for another 50 years).

If you just look at top 15 jobs (see list below), Surgeons are No. 1, with the next seven spots taken by various sorts of specialist medical practitioners. Chief executives, at No. 9, and airline pilots, at No. 13, are the only two non-medical occupations in the top 15. Since US needs far, far more medical practitioners than Chief executives and airline pilots, no wonder financially pushy parents want their children to become or marry doctors.

The top 15 jobs and their mean annual salary:
1) Surgeons - $181,850
2) Anesthesiologists - $174,610
3) Obstetricians and Gynecologists - $174,490

4) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons - $169,600
5) Internists, General - $156,790

6) Prosthodontists - $156,710
7) Orthodontists - $153,240

8) Psychiatrists - $151,380
9) Chief Executives - $140,880

10) Pediatricians, General - $140,000

11)Family and General Practitioners - $137,980
12) Physicians and Surgeons, all other- $137,100

13) Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers - $134,090

14) Dentists, General - $132,660

15) Podiatrists - $111,130

(No. 16 profession is Lawyers, with mean annual salary of $110,590).

Why employee satisfaction is higher in small companies ?

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 13:00:00 +0000

I have written before (part 1 and part2) about the general observation that employees are happier when working for smaller companies. Why is this so ? While most people can give his/her answer based on personal experience (rather similar, I bet), I like to suggest the followings - from conpanies' organazation point of view:

1) Employee satisfaction is entirely related to the respect and autonomy employees are given. Over and over again, it has been found that you cannot buy employee happiness, but you can earn it by treating people with respect and giving employees the autonomy to make decisions.

2) Small companies are like people. The buffers between what the company does and who is doing it are very small because you can see everyone who is involved. Small companies act in a personal way, treating people the way they'd like to be treated. Small companies act like people; people who work there get respect and autonomy, and so employees are happy.

3) Big companies evolve a personality onto themselves. They're the machine, they're the man. Lots of people are willing to act in ways they would never act on their own and ascribe that behavior to the fact that it was the company's decision. Since there are many people working there, company need to make up rules, regulations and policies. Those policies inevitably lead to treating people with less respect, giving them less autonomy and having people do things for reasons they don't understand — because the company said they have to.

Why we are losing motivation on the jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Fri, 05 May 2006 01:38:00 +0000

A survey conducted by Sirota Survey Intelligence (Purchase, New York) found the great majority of employees are quite enthusiastic when they start a new job. But in about 85% of companies (52 primarily Fortune 1000 companies with total 1.2 million employees), employees morale sharply declines after their first 6 months and continues to deteriorate for years afterward, and ( to my surprise) the numbers are the same no matter the company size.

A recent HBS article did a superb job of analyzing above data. According to authors, following management practices will diminishes or even destroys employee's enthusiasm.

Many companies treat employees as disposable;
Employees generally receive inadequate recognition and reward;
Management inadvertently makes it difficult for employees to do their jobs. Excessive levels of required approvals, endless paperwork, insufficient training, failure to communicate, infrequent delegation of authority, and a lack of a credible vision contribute to employees' frustration.

IT job market is REALLY coming back

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:02:00 +0000

If you looking around, signs are everywhere - IT job market is really coming back. Although more IT jobs being slowly moved to offshore, there are simply more IT jobs being created in the US at the same time. Company's stronger security/regulatory measures, another cycle of upgrading ever complex systems, needing new Web2.0 applications, all demand more talented IT labor forces.

After analyzing industry growth and compensation levels, looking into such things as job satisfaction, stress levels, flexibility and advancement opportunities, a recent survey shows that software engineer job, once again, tops list of best jobs.

Google's job search engine ?

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:29:00 +0000

There is a blog entry saying that Google is developing its vertical job search engine, similar to the Google Real Estate’s launched the past week. This development appears to be a very logic step for the Company.

By looking at the "Google Real Estate" search user interface, you can easily tell what this job search engine interface will be like. The thing scares me is that it will be identical to that of simplyhired.com and indeed.com.

Are simplyhired.com and indeed.com will be big losers in this? I hope not, as long as both companies can quickly develop business revenues outside of the Search Engine/Ad model. It is going to be hard.

What to say when you ask for a salary raise ?

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 03:06:00 +0000

Based this report, next time when you negotiating a salary raise, you should mention to your boss following two facts :

1) Watson Wyatt (a human capital management consulting firm ) found that companies with the highest percentage of their budgets available for merit increases and promotions outperformed their peers, as did companies that made the largest distinctions in their pay for top performers and everyone else.

2) PricewaterhouseCoopers Saratoga (a human capital measurement firm) found that in 2004, for every $100 spent on salary and benefits, the average U.S. company enjoyed $42 in profit, double from the year before.

The return of two-year Associate Degree

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Mon, 10 Apr 2006 02:41:00 +0000

There was a recent report showing the return of the two-year Associate degrees in the US educational scene:

"No long time ago, community colleges and other career schools were way stations for students who couldn't get into or afford a four-year school. These students would typically get their Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree and then, either find a low-paying job, or transfer to a university to pursue a bachelor's degree. Today, many students are bypassing the four-year degree to enter the workforce straight out of career schools. Jobs in some of the most vibrant and growing fields today, such as many healthcare disciplines, are available to those possessing a two-year Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree". Many such programs already have student enrollment waiting lists.
In my opinion, from the job market perspective, this is one of the best thing happend to the community colleges (or other career schools) in the last 15 years. Comparing with 4-year colleges, community colleges are more flexible to build new curriculums, more adaptive to the dynamic job market. They know what kind of education they should offer to average kids, which enable them to get good jobs after graduation, and at a low cost.
People go with the trends and the times. A few years ago, everyone flooded the IT (information technology) programs in the community colleges. People got in the program early gained many years of experience already when the .com bubble busted, so they stayed on the jobs and moved up.

Currently, it is healthcare jobs that are targetd by many Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees from community colleges. According to United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), two occupations requiring only an associate's degree--physical therapist assistant and dental hygienist--are projected to be among the top ten fastest-growing jobs in the next decade. The demand for both jobs is expected to rise more than 40 percent by 2014, and both are highly rated in terms of annual compensation. Dental hygienists typically make at least $43,600 per year, according to the BLS, while physical therapist assistants make between $28,580 and $43,590 annually.

Other in-demand jobs that career-school graduates are targeting include surgical technologist, respiratory care therapist, optician, forensic scientist, and cinema/television.
How far can a graduate go with a A.A.S. degree ? As far as with any other degrees, in my opinion, MBA degree included.

MBA degree is optional for top jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 17:17:00 +0000

Business week published a piece demonstrated that for TOP management level jobs (CxO level), the MBA degree is not a requirement. Case in point:
1) two researches show in 2000-04, companies run by CEOs with MBAs have modestly better, sometime same, return on equity than those run by non-MBAs. But median shareholder return for the MBA-run companies was significantly worse -- 7.4%, versus 9.9% for companies run by non-MBAs.
2) research has found that fewer than 1/3 executives who reach those lofty heights do so with the help of an MBA. American Express , Citigroup , FedEx Corp, IBM ,Microsoft Corp and Wal-Mart Stores Inc all have CEOs without MBAs.
Headhunters say that while an MBA may help land a first job after graduation, the career benefits from that moment on are almost nonexistent. It's the instinct, the hard work, and the raw intelligence get people to the top.
However, for non-top management positions, MBA do get degree-holder paid better, the more prominent the school, the higher the salaries. This can be explained by the B-schools' carefully crafted brands, or the signal theory.

Jokes that are not so funny

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 04:10:00 +0000

world's best Resignation Letter ?
a working day of an office assistant

Are you ready to change job ?

noreply@blogger.com (Job Pundit) — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 03:29:00 +0000

When the job market returning back to normal, many employees waken up from hibernation, starting looking for better jobs. One of my co-worker will start a new job ( less stress, close to home, newer system) in 2 weeks.
The trigger of this post are some comments I saw posted on the Business2.0 blog -
"I think the whole 'Web 2.0' is also having people leave their jobs to start their out companies or to join startups. I see a lot of people fed up with the 'day to day' work, and willing to go for something exciting. I took the plunge myself, and although you miss the 'job security', you make up for it in the new and fun technologies you can play with".
"I left my job as an investment banker recently to start my own custom gift company - a complete 180 but a perfect fit for me. Part of it was the long and unpredictable hours, and part of it was that I always felt that the job underutilized my core strengths: creativity, design, and my ability to connect with people. I feel like many (not all) large organizations look for a cookie cutter employee: one that works efficiently and effectively, doesn't question 'the system', and looks to their peer group for confirmation of success. Those with a visionary spirit often don't tend to flourish in such an environment ".
Are you ready to change your job ?