Thursday, November 20, 2008

Recession Proof Jobs?

Wow, I am somewhat astonished at how bad things are progressing with our economy. The S&P under 800 today. Goodness. The Dow and NASDAQ appear to be at a free-fall and are now at levels we haven't seen in nearly a decade. We Americans took it square on the chin big time. The wealth stripped from a great majority of us Americans is staggering at this point. This recession seems to be bridging into a depression. We are all in this together for certain. Put your seat belts on and please, plan and prepare.

As I closely watch the jobs data unfold, I am now more inclined than ever to take notice in jobs that are seemingly recession proof - if that is possible. Also, while we all hear on a daily basis the geographic areas that are hit the hardest, I am researching areas of the U.S. that have been hit the least - if that is possible.

What I continue to find is that the health care industry can be a safe haven of sorts in terms of career stability.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Current Employment Statistics, the health care sector overall has grown by 363,000 jobs thus far in 2008, thus making it the largest industry in the United States, accounting for 13.5 million jobs. Further more, analysis suggests that the health care sector will generate 3 million new jobs by 2016, more than any other industry. Obviously baby boomers are a leading factor to this growth.

For those of you looking to either embark on a new career or looking for a career to focus your education on, what may be intriguing to you is that most positions will require less than four years of college education. For example Registered Nurses, Health Information Technicians, Dental Hygienists, and Health Service Managers (a.k.a. Health Care Administrators).

My search continues with regard to another safe industry in terms of career stability. For now, health care seems to be the most stable industry. Time will tell.

So where are the best performing cities in the U.S. with regard to job growth? Fortunately for me, since we have one of our offices there is #2 on the list - Raleigh, NC. Here is the list of the top 25. Certainly worth a look.

Again, readers, plan and prepare. At this point it is critical and our future depends on it now more than ever.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

More Bad Economic News...

Well, evidently we are now looking to bailout the auto industry? I wonder if my own business fails, if I can apply for bailout money? I don't want to get on a soapbox about politics here, believe me. But I cant help wonder the impacts of a bailout for the auto industry vs. not bailing them out. I can't help wonder where this ends. I cant help wonder when and where this impact will stop. At what industry? At what geographic location? I cant help wondering a lot these days. Seems to be a growing trend around the nation at this point thanks to our government robbing us blindly. After all, this is the biggest robbery of the century.

With the auto industry specifically, since that is the bailout topic du jour, either way I see it hurting the economy. Nice, a lose-lose situation. We bail them out and we the taxpayers will pay. We don't bail them out and people are without jobs which will push up the unemployment rate further, deepen consumer confidence and hence negatively impact the economy overall as well. To me, the metric would be what is the better longer term effect?

We cant get hung up in this rut. Sure, it's easy for me to say - I haven't lost my job. But that doesn't mean I am not fearful. I have a family to feed and can't create a crutch for me to rely on. I have to rely on myself, preparing and planning. After all, I am the CEO of my family.

So the question I guess would be, what if I did lose my job? What would I do? If you read my blog you might guess most of what I would do to attain my next job.

I would find ways to remain confident in myself. There is always a way, when there is a will, right? You pick the pieces up and you move on. You have to. You discover openings and you enter. This is Darwinism of sorts. The strongest survive. If we are all equal, then we all have an equal chance to be the strongest.

Yes, times are extremely difficult right now, but it is also very strange to me. I mean, JTL has had the best month this fiscal year in October which coincidentally was probably the worst economic month for the US economy in my lifetime. Unemployment is the highest since the mid 1990s. I realize some geographic areas were hit more than others. I realize that some industries were hurt more than others. But I also realize that companies are hiring.

Heck, just go to Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com and look for yourselves. I know I despise those sites but just take a peak and see that there are lots of available jobs across the US.

Look, have some faith. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Grab the bull by the horns. Figure this out. You can do it if you want. Trust me everyone of you/us that has been hurt has at least someone else who has been hurt much harder.

This disaster will pass.

For those looking to start over, get yourself organized. Need help? Reach out for us at JTL and see if we can help. Obviously we cant help everyone, but we can help some. So give it a chance.

Oh yeah, what would I do if I lost my job? Here are the top 10 items I would have on my list:

  • Get my resume organized immediately. That should already be ready since you should always have one prepared.
  • Initiate a LinkedIn.com account. That too should already be ready, but if not I would get one organized. Reach for connections and seek recommendations.
  • Initiate a FaceBook.com account. Build up my network there. You never know who may know of an open position that may fit.
  • Google myself to make sure there is no digital dirt on me. Potential hiring managers will Google me so I want to be prepared.
  • Get some letters of recommendations together. Preferably from previous bosses.
  • Get copies of my college transcripts.
  • Get a suit together and prepared and have ready to go at all times.
  • Try to put together a one minute video giving summary highlights of my education, experience and past accomplishments.
  • Find two or three good local recruiters that understand my industry and that have had years of success hiring in my industry.
  • Call them. I would not send my resume out of the gate. I would talk to them first to find the one I like the best.

What I wouldn't do? Throw my resume on Monster or Careerbuilder. Read my blog. There is a plethora of information about why I would advise against this.

Stay strong!


Turn Off Your TV

Ok, now that the election is over and we have a new President elect, it’s time to look for opportunities. If you’re spending you time watching the news rehash itself with the same half dozen headlines over and over, then you’re quite frankly leaving yourself behind the eight ball.

October was our best month of the fiscal year and to add to that the month of November is shaping up just as nice. Can I explain this in how it relates to the economy? No, I cannot. All I can say is that, while the news showcases a down market for jobs, there are still great opportunities out there and we are working on finding them.

JTL Services, Inc. works on jobs that pay from $65K and up. So far we have been fortunate enough to have not seen this $65K and up market affected in any way by the souring economy. In fact, throughout 2008 we have seen companies hire, and hiring quickly. Many have been hiring after the first interview. We have not seen that activity since 2001. If you have a concern about your present job then give one of our recruiters a call and let us explain in detail how we can help you with your career. Keep in mind that JTL is a national search firm and has expert recruiters that specialize in most verticals.