Monday, June 29, 2009

Portland Employment Guide June 29th - July 5th

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Some Tips on Turning Your Temp Job into a Permanent One

I have been following a blog recently called the Spherion Career Blog that gives some pretty good advice on what to expect when job searching. I always seem to find something useful to add on here from their blog. Well I came across one of their post that features a little Q&A from one of their writers named Seymour who gives monthly insider tips. The topic that was presented this time was turning your temp job into a permanent one.

Q: Dear Seymour, I am currently working as a temporary employee
at my company. My coworker (who was also working temporary) was just offered
her position permanently. How can I turn my temp job into a permanent
one?

And here are tip that Seymour lists:

Confirm the opening. Ask your staffing employer or the HR contact at the organization where you are assigned if the position offers the possibility of permanent work. If it doesn't, you can still keep your eyes and ears open for other full-time job openings within your department or elsewhere within the organization.

Make your intentions known. It's important to share your intentions of securing full-time work with the company. Do your best to communicate your goal to coworkers and supervisors.
Exceed expectations in your temporary tasks. Remember, not only is a temp-to-perm assignment an opportunity for you to "try out" the position, your employer is likely sizing you up for the role as well. The single best way to make sure you are considered a candidate for permanent employment is to exceed your boss' expectations in your current assignment. In today's competitive labor market, becoming a star employee may even result in the organization creating a position for you if one is not currently available.

Take advantage of your inside contacts. If you've done a good job at building your credibility and proving your worth to colleagues and superiors, they can help serve as references and stepping stones to a permanent position within the organization.

Don't get complacent. Even though you're considered an "insider," it is still important to approach the interview and hiring process seriously. Make sure you convey why you're a good fit for the position, and the benefits of hiring you, such as your existing knowledge of the company.

These are some great tips for anyone right now that is in some kind of temporary position and wants to make it permanent. There are plenty of news stories out there right now that talk about how bad things are, so it is important to take advantage of all the help you can get. Even if it is as simple as smiling or showing more confidence, because you never know what might happen.

So Portland, let us know what your advice is on making your temp job permanent. Please feel free to leave comments in the section below.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Portland Employment Guide June 22nd - June 28th

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

15 Most Popular Job Sites And 10 Big Companies That Continue To Thrive

I came across an article on Forbes.com about the best ways to find jobs online. In the article it talks about how the online job sites have leveled the playing field for people searching for work and employers trying to hire. They also mention how unique visitor traffic has increased on many sites nearly 50% in a years time due to the recession. The part of the article that grabbed my attention the most was Forbes list of the 15 most popular job boards. It was great to see that The Employment Guide made the list at number 15! Some of our partners also made the list like, About.com at number 8, Job.com at number 7, Indeed.com at number 5, and SimplyHired.com at number 4.

Another article that I came across was about 10 big companies that have not quit on the US. This is great article that shows that not everything is going wrong with the manufacturing industry in the US. It is a great slideshow outlining each of the 10 companies and what their status is like during the recession. Here is another great article on the myth of the US industry demise. It focuses on the myth that all the manufacturing jobs have been outsourced to other countries. That is the furthest thing from the truth! The United States is still the biggest manufacturer in the world. Our numbers may have dipped due to the recession but we still produce the most factory goods in the world.

So Portland, what are your favorite jobs boards to use? Do you agree with the list on Forbes? Also, has anyone tried applying or received a job from any of the 10 companies that were listed? If so, give us a little more feed back on what the manufacturing industry is like right now.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Portland Employment Guide June 15th - June 21st

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Monday, June 8, 2009

Portland Employment Guide June 8th - June 14th

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Thursday, June 4, 2009

Portland Job Fair Video

Here is what the event looked like today:

Portland Job Fair Photos June 4th

Here are the photos from the June 4th job fair in Portland. Let us know what you thought of the job fair and if anyone has any photos to share let me know!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Portland Employment Guide June 1st - June 7th

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