What's Going On Around Portland And The Northwest

Here are some links to some stories that are going on around Portland and the Northwest that I thought I would share:

• It appears that the economy shrank less than expect in quarter 2, which is another sign that the economy is actually growing.
• Despite a drop in income, Nike's first quarter profits held steady due to saving from job cuts and a smaller marketing budget.
• Nautilus, the Vancouver-based fitness equipment company is trying to sell its entire commercial operation to focus solely on the consumer side of business.
• It looks like Washington state along with Oregon will not increase their minimum wage.
• Intel and Nike make the top 10 list of the 500 greenest corporations in America.
• The Biggi family has decided not to sell their land to Beaverton, stopping the Portland Beavers from moving there.

So Portland, what is going on around the Northwest that we should know? Please leave your comments in the section below.

Portland Employment Guide September 28th - October 4th

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

Is Your Facebook Profile Stopping You From Getting A Job?

Who isn't on Facebook these days? The once student only website has become a mega sensation in the past couple of years, but it doesn't mean you should post anything and everything to it. This month's question for Seymour on the Spherion Career Blog has everything to do with Facebook and how it might stop you from getting a job.

Q: Dear Seymour, Could my Facebook Page be Keeping me From Landing a Job?

His response is...

A: Facebook started in 2004 as a pet project of then Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg. It was originally designed for students, but in no time it exploded into an international social networking phenomenon that included everyone and excluded no one. Though it was once a forum for students to chat and post photos, now Facebook is for anyone and everyone--including potential employers - which means if you're serious about your career, there are rules to follow.

Is this professional?
Before you post anything to Facebook, ask yourself: Is this professional? If you knew a boss or a potential boss would see it, how would you feel? What might they assume about you? Social networking is about being friends with people, but now that business and career networking has become part of it as well, it's important to mind your p's and q's. If you wouldn't do it or say it in an office, don't put it on Facebook.

Consider creating a career-only profile.
It's a great idea to make a profile that is only for business and networking. You can easily create a separate e-mail address to help you manage this, and it will eliminate the question of whether it's okay to post something on Facebook. Make this profile only about your work and your career goals. Post a professional photo if you choose to post a photo at all, and make your updates about industry news. If you have a career blog, link to it there. This is also a great idea for friending people you work with--office rumors can spread quickly, so only having work friends on your business profile will protect you. This will allow you more freedom on your personal site.

Manage your friends and your privacy.
Many people have hundreds, even thousands of Facebook friends. It's smart to create lists to help you manage your friend list and also to regulate the privacy settings of each group. You may have one group for closest friends, one group for family, and one for career networking. Privacy settings are so sophisticated now that you can manage who sees what, so it's easy to still post your beach vacation photos but only make them visible to your social friend group. Think about what is appropriate on your profile for friends and what is appropriate for business and use the privacy accordingly.

You never know who is watching.
This is true in life, and it's also true on Facebook. Even if you think your privacy settings are set, even if you think you are unsearchable, you never know how word could get out about something you said or did. Maybe one of your friends ends up knowing your next hiring manager even if you are unaware of the connection. Most hiring managers are eager for information about candidates, and while using a friend to view other's profiles may not be completely ethical, it's wise to expect the unexpected.

So with that said, just be careful what you promote on your social networking sites and make sure that you would be able to show them to anyone including potential employers. In closing, has anyone ever been denied employment for having something on their Facebook page? Please leave you comments in the section below.

Portland Employment Guide September 21st - September 27th

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Is The Recession Over? And The 10 Best Cities To Earn A Living

A bit of news was released today by Ben Bernanke that I think everyone will be happy with. According to the Federal Reserve Chairman, the recession is "very likely" over. However, the economy might be growing now but, it probably won't speed up the recovery of the unemployment rate which is at a 26 year high.

So now that the recession has "officially" ended, here is a list according to Forbes of the top cities to make a living. Of the top 10 cities to earn a living only one is in the Northwest. Three of the top 10 are in the state of Texas.

7. Seattle, Wash.

Number of Forbes’ Best Big Companies: 0

Number of Forbes’ Best Small Companies: 1

Median Income: 32,836

ACCRA Cost of Living Index # (100 Median): 123.8

Five-Year forecasted Annual Job Growth: 1.09%

So Portland, what are your thoughts about the recession "very likely" being over? I for one am very happy about the news. Also, what are your thoughts about the cities that are listed as the best places to earn a living? Does it surprise you that Portland is not listed? Please list your comments below.

Portland Employment Guide September 14th - September 20th

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

America's Most Stressful Cities

Every year Forbes comes out with a list for the most stressful cities in America and right now we have four cities in the Northwest that are in the top 15 out of 40 cities listed. They determine how stressful a city is by the quality of life factors, unemployment rate, median home prices, population density, and the number of sunny days in a city. The four cities that I mentioned are:

15. Sacramento, Calif.
With a June unemployment rate of 11.6% and a year-over-year median home price drop of 34.5%, it's a good thing the number of sunny and partly sunny days in the Sacramento metropolitan areas is high, measured at 265 days in 2007.
Read on for more lifestyle coverage, including information on the most expensive places for health care and best cities for a housing recovery.

14. Portland, Ore.
Portland takes the No. 1 spot for the least amount of sunny days of the 40 metropolitan areas we examined--only 142 in 2007. Another drawback is its 11.7% June unemployment rate.
Read on for more lifestyle coverage, including information on the most expensive places for health care and best cities for a housing recovery.

11. Seattle, Wash.
Seattle scores high for its ninth highest cost of living and low amount of sunny days--only 164 in 2007. Unemployment was just slightly below the national rate at 9.3% in.
Read on for more lifestyle coverage, including information on the most expensive places for health care and best cities for a housing recovery.

6. San Francisco, Calif.
The Golden Gate city takes the No. 1 spot for its 42.7% year-over-year median home price drop. It holds the No. 2 spot for high cost of living. Its sunny weather and good air quality, however, lower its rank on the stressful cities list.
Read on for more lifestyle coverage, including information on the most expensive places for health care and best cities for a housing recovery.

After seeing the list, do you agree with the cities listed? Or should there be others added to the list? Please leave your comment in the section below.

Portland Employment Guide September 7th - September 13th

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

What's Going On Around Portland And The Northwest

Here are some interesting news stories that I have come across that I thought I might share with everyone:

• ReVolt Technology, a company that makes zinc based batteries that are used to extend the range of electric cars has chose Portland as there US based headquarters and will hire 250 people.
• Downtown Portland has been hit hard by the recession and the number of jobs that available are lowest since 2002.
• Here is the forecast for Oregon's economy and as the article states, it will be a slow recovery.
• Oregon's State Government is wasting $200K on unnecessary phone charges.
• Evans Glass is hiring for sales reps in the Portland Area.

So Portland, what's going on in your area? Please share your new stories in the comment section below.