Tuesday, April 28, 2009

How Can I Find a Job Without a Degree?

So here was a question that was asked on the Spherion Career Blog. The job seeker asked how he could find a job without a degree and here is what Seymour, the columnist had to say.

You're not alone, and many would say that you're even in great company. Some
of today's top professionals didn't get their college degrees, including Bill
Gates and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. You don't have to have a college education
(and a burden of student loans) to be successful and have a rewarding career.
Vocational training or an associate's degree may be needed, and all jobs will
require on-the-job training, but many of today's fastest growing and
recession-resistant careers don't require a four-year degree.

Here are some of the tips that he recommends using when job hunting:

Do a self-assessment.
Before you launch a new career, do a little research about different career options and also about yourself. Many of today's hottest non-degree positions include sales, education, law enforcement, construction, administration, transportation, and management. Think about who you are and what you like to do in your free time. Do you like to interact with people, or are you more technical? Are you great at organizing, or do you love working with your hands? Knowing your goals and being passionate about what you want will help you to land that first position in a new career.

Once you have a goal in mind, research the position and the industry.
When you have an idea of what you want to do and why, do a little more digging and find out what you would need to do to land a job in that field. What certificates, seminars, workshops, training, or even volunteer activities would boost your attractiveness as an applicant? Find out ways to start getting experience and knowledge that will help you get the job you want. Recent experience will be a great leg up as you start to apply.

Remember that personal qualities count.
Attitude is everything, and if you're great to work with and are clearly happy with what you're doing, people will want to hire you. Think about it--would you rather work with someone who dislikes their job, or with someone who is happy to be at work? Be dependable, positive and honest and you'll be the kind of person that anyone would want to hire.

Just remember that there are plenty of people out there that choose not to go to school and are very successful. Failure is not an option when times are hard, so make sure you set a goal and do everything you can to achieve it!

Also here is a story that shows sometimes "experience" is not everything. This story to me is very frustrating to hear and if anyone else is having similar difficulty finding work, I suggest trying WiserWorker.com. This is a website that assists mature workers in finding work.

So Portland, give us some feedback on those of you trying to find a job without a degree and what tips you can offer. Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Portland Employment Guide April 27th - May 3rd

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

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Oregon Unemployment News And Tips On How To Interview

In last weeks post I stated that Oregon might be number 1 in the nation for unemployment, but as it turns out Michigan has the unfortunate honor. However, we are still number 2 in the nation as of right now and not that far behind Michigan and the spring is not bringing the usual seasonal bounce back that is normally predicted at this time of year. These unsettling facts have caused people to resort unusual tactics just to find work. Just look at Nick Willard and what he is trying to do just to stand out from everyone else looking for work.

With all of this said it is critical for those who are job searching that they focus on the interview process especially since they can be tough to come by. It is also a good idea not to sell yourself short and just take any old job that comes by, which can lead to unhappiness or a series of short hops that could lead to career derailment. I know times are tough and things can be really stressful but if you concentrate your energy on things you can control, you might just find success. Take for example this article from yahoo finance about interviewing tips. It is a great collection of tips that are geared towards helping those who are job searching in a tough economic climate, but at the same time you can always use these tips moving forward. Here is another great tidbit that you can use on the hardest interview question of them all! I don't think there is anyone out there that likes the "what are your weaknesses?" question.

So Portland, in closing what are you doing about the increased unemployment? Are you being creative and thinking outside the box like Nick Willard or are you sticking to what you've always done? Also what are your tips for job hunting or the interview process. As always the Employment Guide is here to help. Please leave your comments below.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Portland Employment Guide April 20th - April 26th

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

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

We Could Be Number 1...

I know everyone is tired of seeing headlines like this that dominate local papers and websites everyday, but in Oregon, those headlines might not go away for a while. The unemployment numbers for March were released on Monday and they are not pretty. We may have the highest unemployment rate in the country when all is said and done. Michigan is the only other state that might beat us out for that distinction, but we won't know until Friday when their numbers are released. Washington state is also hurting right now as their numbers were released today. they are not as high but still higher than the national average. Though those numbers are a little troublesome, not everything is doom and gloom. Just take a look at this story, which shows us during times of crisis you need think on your feet and not always settle for the norm. However, we may not be out of the woods on the economic situation, but Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke seems to think that better times are ahead and the recession maybe slowing. Even Obama is optimistic, which he is going to be no matter the situation, but he still warns that this is far from over.

In other news highway 217 in west Portland is going to get another lane added which means that that the construction will create and sustain 490 jobs over the next two-and-a-half years. That is good news for those searching for construction jobs and for those who travel that way during the day. Also it was reported that gas prices are going to remain relatively low this summer. This is great news for those on a tight gas budget for commuting.

Lastly, for those who have jobs right now, here is what not to do to keep your job. I think most of us already know that anyways.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Portland Employment Guide April 13th - April 19th

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

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Tweet My Jobs And Other Northwest News

I am sure we have all seen various stories on who is Twittering these days. Well now you can even have jobs Tweeted to you. Twitter is basically a social network site that allows you to leave messages about what you are doing or what's going on. So, TweetMyJobs is great way to have jobs sent to you fast and electronically. Basically all you have to do is sign up and select the job channel you want, and you will start receiving jobs via text messages or by twitter. It is just as simple if you are a recruiter. All they would have to do is sign up, post the job to any of the job channels with a link to the job and TweetMyJobs will take care of the rest. Alot of the jobs that are being tweeted are coming over from Indeed.com, which helps to build volume as this website steadily grows. Even, I have tried twittering myself, but I am not that interesting compared to others that have twittered before me.

Portland might be receiving some good news on Tuesday, with the announcement that we could be 1 of 8 states to receive an electric car plant from the company Think North America. The Norwegian company has been scouting places to build car plants that could employ up to 900 people when all is said and done. The U.S. is quickly overtaking Europe as an attractive market for building electric vehicles. This could potentially re-invent the U.S. auto industry and help bring back some of the manufacturing jobs that have gone abroad.

Also, Portland Community College is having a job fair on May 5th at their Cascade Campus in north Portland. There is said to be over 40 employers on hand from AAA Oregon/Idaho to Willamette Dental.

So Portland, let us know if you receiving jobs via TweetMyJobs in the comments sections below. Let us know if they work out or if they are waste of time. Also, if you can not make the PCC job fair, remember that the Employment Guide is having theirs on June 4th at the downtown Hilton.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Portland Employment Guide April 6th - April 12th

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