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.

Job Security? Yeah, OK, Keep Dreaming!

So, what is job security? And what can we expect in today’s job market with regard to what very well should be placed in our history books as a primitive job term?

Forgive me, but I must be “blunt” on this topic because of how often it is mentioned in our early interview discussions with potential candidates. I am often troubled when I hear a candidate’s response to the generic question, “What kind of a job are you looking for?”

Too often, and much to our dismay, a portion of their answer is, “job security”.
OK, great I say. But what does that really mean nowadays? And who really has job security today?

What the imprudent candidate is referring to is a job in which they can potentially ride out their careers and enter into retirement. I have to admit, I chuckle even at the thought of this.

They so strongly desire a stable job much like, perhaps, their parents had where they may have worked for a company for 25-30 years accumulating pensions and not having the stressful tasks of shifting through multiple jobs through their mid-life years.

In the modern era of our job market, we have to think differently, and more cautiously. While these very rare jobs may still exist, the probability of finding and getting and keeping the job is about as high as winning the lottery in my humble opinion. And if you are lucky enough to land this job and retain it to your retirement years, you still have to hinge your golden years on the management and overall financial health of the company.

Look at Bear Stearns, and Enron just to name a few more recent tragedies that we may want to keep on our minds as a recollection of how much we can rely on job security or job stability. Thousands of loyal employees at these very companies worked hard for decades preparing themselves for retirement. They were “set”. They had stable and secure jobs for decades. They put in their time. They built up their pensions. And then… just like a real-life nightmare the proverbial rug got pulled out from under them and changed the course of their remaining years in ways that would set many into downward spiral depression for years.

And what about corporate buy-outs or corporate realignments? Why not call it what it really is when employees are about to get screwed out of what they worked so hard for, for so many years?

When I was in my early 20’s my father was told that he should take a package to leave the company he was working for because the company could no longer guarantee him a job. So at the age of 57 he took an early retirement package and was told that this particular package was the best that the company had ever offered and that they would never offer one like this again!

A few years later the same company did come out with a better retirement package. However, for him it didn’t matter because he was stuck with the package he got. And this was a company where job security was the backbone and each employee gave everything they had. I won’t say the name of this company but the initials’ were IBM.

So again, when a candidate tells me that their looking for job security, I cringe. I tell them to get out of the bubble they climbed into and look around them. Today, you have to stay sharp. You have to change with the times. You have to keep your skill-sets up-to-date and keep your resume polished. Most importantly you have to prepare.

We’re living longer and social security benefits are dissipating right along with job security and right before our eyes. Don’t ever believe that your job is a secure one because that rug may get pulled out from you some day! Don’t set yourself up to rely on a company as the only variable determining your retirement financial stability.

Take charge and learn how to prepare for your financial retirement as a separate entity. Don’t confuse the two items here – job security and financial health. Sure we need a job to earn an income and grow our nest egg. But there are so many ways to do that and a job alone is not the best way anymore. You know what they say about putting all your eggs into one basket…?

For more job advice and information, please visit http://www.jtlservices.com/

Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone: (860) 426-0583
FAX: (860) 628-5008

216 East Chatham Street
Suite 101Cary, NC 27511
Phone: (919) 465-7289
FAX: (919) 465-7281

Job Recession?

Are we in a recession? When you factor in our export numbers which are very healthy, it may be difficult to claim we are in an official recession. Officially, we need to wait to see if we actually have had two quarters of negative numbers from the feds, but unofficially....

Well, the news late last week wasn't good. And yes. the official jury is still out as to whether or not we are in an official recession. But when you look at increasing gas prices, increasing food costs, and the sinking housing market and now you add in the job loss data - I think a majority of us laymen would agree that we are at least at the beginnings of a recession.

The official news from the Labor Department was that 63,000 jobs were lost last month. Surprisingly, the actual job losses were 100,000 jobs lost in the private sector, but because there was an increase in government hiring the net loss was 63,000.

The more disturbing news was that this was the first month-to-month loss in jobs since May and June 2003. So with regard to jobs, the news and trending is not good at all.

BUT DO NOT PANIC! If you are working for a stable company you probably shouldn't be concerned. But just because you are in a stable company doesn't guarantee any real financial long term stability these days. Therefore, it is never a bad idea to be prepared for the worst.

So... instead of panicking, be proactive and prepared. And that goes for those of you who are unfortunately already unemployed.

Get your resume polished up is the first step. As a general rule, regardless of the economy, your resume should always in fact be polished up and ready to deploy.

Just like a company needs to market their brand, - you need to market yourself. But also just like a company, you have to use the right means of marketing. Using a recruiter is key for anyone to assist with marketing themselves as a candidate for a viable company. Why use a recruiter you ask? Below is a video with information on that exact question. Spend two valuable minutes of your time to listen and learn. Also check out http://www.jtlservices.com/ for information on Connecticut and North Carolina job recruiters.



Greg Angelillo
Online Editor
JTL Services, Inc.
725 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Southington, CT 06489
Phone 860-426-0583
FAX 860-628-5008

216 East Chatham Street, Suite 101
Cary, NC 27511
Phone 919-465-7289
FAX 919-465-7281