November 4th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
With unemployment reaching and expected to surpass 10%, job security is one of the top desires of employees today. Along with good pay and benefits, people want to find a company that’s not going to give them a pink slip any time soon.
Here’s a group of companies that earn high marks in that regard. Nine companies on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 2009 have never undergone layoffs – ever.
1. Nugget Market
This company has avoided layoffs because of careful job placement and shrewd labor management. Instead of laying off workers, the 81-year-old grocery store refrains from replacing employees who leave. Its stores are 15 miles from each other, making it easier to fill positions, and employees are trained to fit various roles. The Woodland, Calif.-based supermarket chain filled 173 jobs, for a 22% job growth in the year before the list was released in February.
Sandwiched between Goldman Sachs and Adobe Systems, the store ranked number 10 on the overall list. Store directors make an average of $116,440 in annual salary, and checkers, the most common hourly workers, earn $34,490. The store also offers 100% health care coverage.
2. Devon Energy
An oil and gas producer headquartered in Oklahoma City, this company takes a conservative approach to its finances, yet still treats its employees well. Ranked 13 on the overall list, it started a 401(k) retirement plan featuring company contributions of 11-22%.
Flexible and prudent management helps avoid layoffs. The company, which cut its operating budget before the recession, withholds raises in bad years but gives midyear pay increases in good times.
3. Aflac
Known for its quacking duck ads, this company sells supplement insurance. The company, based in Columbus, Ga., keeps its eyes on its budget and ears open to employees. Employee suggestions like telecommuting and flex schedules have saved it millions of dollars. Other company benefits include an onsite fitness center, subsidized gym membership and the largest onsite corporate child care center in Georgia.
4. QuickTrip
Because this 24-hour convenience store is privately held, it can send profits back to its stores and workers instead of shareholders. Smart financial management has helped it thrive in the downturn. It offered over new 1,400 jobs last year. Wages and benefits are so good that over 200 employees have stayed with the company more than 20 years.
5. The Container Store
The storage retailer, based in Coppell, Texas, froze salaries and watched spending to avoid layoffs. Still, it kept expanding last year, opening four stores and adding 70 employees. Extensive employee training makes the company stand out.
6. NuStar Energy
Considering layoffs harmful to company productivity, NuStar management avoids them like the plague. The San Antonio-based pipeline and refinery operator also offers bonuses that can exceed $10,000 and 100% 401(k) matches for up to 6% of pay.
7. Stew Leonard’s
Known for flashy store displays, this privately-held grocery chain focuses on customer service and long-term sales rather than short-term earnings. CEO Stew Leonard Jr. says selling groceries is a stable business, which helps avoid layoffs. No matter how the economy is faring, people still have to eat.
8. Scottrade
This privately-held online discount brokerage has cut bonuses instead of cutting employees. A conservative growth strategy has also helped it avoid layoffs.
9. Publix Super Markets
A strong balance sheet with no debt helped this grocery chain acquire 49 stores and hire over 1,250 people last year. In its 79 years, it has never had layoffs. No wonder – it’s entirely owned by employees.
Besides never laying off employees, at least as of early this year, companies on the list are also some of the best to work for. Treating employees well means good pay and benefits – two factors that are attracting all the right workers. (Preparation can help you land on your feet after getting the “old heave-ho.”
Copyright (I)Investopedia
August 13th, 2009 | Posted in Infogle Network
When it comes to hiring, some employers act like they hold all the cards–and they can treat job seekers as poorly as they want, without consequence. They’re wrong: Smart employers know that good candidates have options (to say nothing of the ethical implications of being rude just because you think you can). Here are five common ways employers behave badly when hiring:
Having no regard for the candidate’s time. From last-minute cancellations, without apology or acknowledgement of the inconvenience, to not paying attention in the interview, some employers act like their time is the only time that matters. Most candidates go to a lot of trouble to prepare for an interview — reading up on the company, taking time off work, and often traveling–and their time should be respected too.
Not sharing their timeline. Employers have some idea of whether they’ll be getting back to candidates in a week or a month. There’s no reason not to share that information, and it can be agonizing on the job seeker’s side to have no sense of the timeline the employer will be moving on — and yet many employers keep job seekers uninformed.
Refusing to share their salary range, but asking you for yours. Employers know roughly how much they’re willing to pay; there’s no reason not to share that info, other than that they’re hoping to get you for a lower price. But that’s lame: If they lowball you now and you figure out later that you’re underpriced for the market, they risk losing you over it. They should tell you the range they expect to pay and put an end to all the drama and coyness.
Misrepresenting the work. Interviewers who make the job sound more glamorous or downplay less attractive aspects of the job–such as long hours–are guaranteeing they’ll end up with a bitter employee. Truth in advertising works to everyone’s advantage, because candidates who won’t thrive in the job, or the culture, can self-select out before they become your disgruntled employees.
Not notifying candidates that they’re no longer under consideration. This is both common and inexcusably rude. Candidate are often anxiously waiting to hear an answer–any answer–and end up waiting and waiting, long after a decision has been made. It’s about simple respect and courtesy (and it just doesn’t take that long to email a form letter).
Provided by CNNMoney.com
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
March 17th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
A Florida-based firm will soon close one of its North Dakota offices for a reason that seems unfathomable during the deepening US recession: it can’t find enough employees to hire.
Sykes Enterprises, which specializes in creating and maintaining computer customer care services for corporations, opened a telephone call center in Minot, North Dakota in 1996. Last May, management wanted to increase the number of employees to 450.
Yet an unexpected thing happened: so few people applied for the Minot jobs that the Tampa-headquartered company will have to close the call center on May 10 — a cutback by Sykes that will result in 200 people losing their jobs.
“We’ve been working for several months there (in Minot) to find enough applicants for the work, since we have been experiencing significant growth in the US,” said Sykes spokeswoman Andrea Burnett.
She also told AFP that Sykes advertised for many months in the local Minot electronic and press media for applicants.
The state of North Dakota has bucked the national trend which has seen the US economy hemorrhage 651,000 jobs in February, pushing the unemployment rate to a 25-year high of 8.1 percent and pointing to an ever-deepening recession.
But the unemployment rate in North Dakota stood at just 5.1 percent, one of the lowest in the nation.
And Minot in particular has been seemingly recession-proof with the city’s economy being based on agricultural commodities and oil production, and with it being the home town of a US Air Force base. The micro-economies of all three are productive, leading to Minot’s economic healthiness.
Geography, demographics and weather may have kept outsiders from applying for the jobs. The sparsely populated state of just 640,000 residents is in the far northern Great Plains, one of the remotest regions in the contiguous United States.
Parts of North Dakota, including the northwest where Minot, a city of about 40,000, is located, can be as cold as Alaska during winter months.
From AFP
January 13th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
These days, it’s almost impossible to open a newspaper or turn on CNN without hearing one dreaded word over and over: recession. Our economy has suffered 2.7 million job losses since December of 2007, and experts predict the situation will get worse before it gets better. It can be a scary time to enter the work force, or to be newly unemployed. However, there are some bright spots on the horizon.
Losing a job can offer you the chance to re-evaluate your professional wants and needs, pursue a long-held passion, or further your education. And while the overall economy is suffering, certain industries continue to grow, offering exciting career opportunities for a wide range of experience levels. Here are some of the fastest-growing careers for those considering a change.
Physical Therapist Assistant
What could be more rewarding than helping injured and disabled patients get back on their feet? With a mean average salary above $40,000, you can get back on yours, too.
Job Outlook
Physical therapist assistants are expected to grow in number by 29 percent over the next eight years.
Career Training
Most physical therapist assistants earn a two-year associate’s degree. Some states require an additional license to practice.
Salary
$44,340 is the average annual salary for a physical therapist assistant.
Dental Hygienist
One perk of this job is a flexible schedule. Many dental hygienists work just two or three days a week. Evening and weekend schedules are also frequently available.
Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics calls this one of the fastest growing careers, with 30 percent job growth expected by 2016.
Career Training
All fifty states require dental hygienists to be licensed. Additionally, an accredited associate’s degree in dental hygiene is often required.
Salary
A dental hygienist can expect to make about $64,910 annually.
Network Systems and Data Communications Analyst
Techies, rejoice. Computer science careers are growing faster than almost any other field, and growth is expected to continue as technology rapidly advances. After all, companies need someone to test, analyze, and design their computer systems. With the right career training, that could be you.
Career Training
A two-year associate’s degree in computer science or information technology is necessary for many positions. A bachelor’s degree in computer science, information science, or management information systems may be preferable for more advanced positions in this field.
Salary
$70,760 is the mean average salary for this job.
Social Worker
Opportunities abound for social workers today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts “much faster than average growth” as social workers are called upon in all areas. Schools and hospitals are in need of social workers, as are public health organizations and private practices.
Career Training
A bachelor’s degree in social work is usually the minimum requirement. Psychology and sociology majors might also be useful for entry-level positions. A master’s degree in social work is often preferred for clinical work and in health settings.
Average Salary
Depending on what type of social work you practice, annual earnings can range from $39,380 to $47,170.
Entrepreneur
Believe it or not, a recession can be the best time to start your own business. According to Forbes magazine, recessions provide a great platform for those with a solid business idea. Costs are low on everything from supplies to labor, and digital technologies make it easier than ever to work from home. “There is a rock-solid base for expansion once better times return, as they inevitably will,” reports Forbes.
Career Training: Online courses, or an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business education or business administration can be great preparation for running your own business.
Average Salary: Earnings vary greatly, of course. With small business ownership, the sky’s the limit.
A crucial part of any job search is to know what your strengths are. Take the time to evaluate the talents and skills that you have to bring to a new career. And finally, don’t hesitate to go the extra mile. Make looking for a job your new full-time job. It may not be easy, but with smart planning and persistence, you can find a new career, maybe even one that makes you happier and allows you to grow to new professional heights.
by Patricia Cecil-Reed
