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
April 16th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
In today’s economy, it can feel as if there are few jobs to be had, much less ones with six-figure salaries attached. However, there are careers to be found in a range of fields that can boost your earning power. What’s more, you can achieve a high income without a doctorate or a law degree.
Of course, achieving a six-figure salary will always require hard work and motivation. There are no free rides or successful get-rich-quick schemes. Sometimes continuing your education is the best way to prepare for a new career.
Below are some steps that may help you take your current salary to new heights.
Consider the benefits of online education.
Online training programs offer an alternative to traditional in-classroom education that can be very appealing for working students. Pursuing an online degree, whether it’s a bachelor’s, associate’s, or higher, allows you to study from home, at your own pace, so you can keep your current job while training for a better one.
Scenario 1: Earn a two-year associate’s degree.
Believe it or not, there are some high-paying careers out there that you can prepare for with about two years of study. For example, court reporters are known to pull in six-figure salaries, and often train for their careers with just one year to 33 months of study. If you’re surprised to see this career on the list, consider that court reporters often take on freelance work in addition to their regular hours to significantly boost their incomes. While the average salary for a court reporter technically weighs in at about $48,000, many use freelance opportunities to top the $100,000 mark.
Scenario 2: See where a bachelor’s degree can take you.
Train for a career in fine arts, finance, or technology, and find high-paying careers in each area. Art directors average about $83,000 annually, with the top 25 percent earning over $100,000 per year. Many art directors hold a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Some begin their careers as graphic artists in advertising, publishing, design, or film, and work their way up to the position of art director while proving themselves through experience and hard work.
In the financial sector, actuaries pull in hefty salaries assessing risks and their financial impacts while often working for insurance companies. The mean annual salary for an actuary is $95,420. A bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, actuarial science, or business should offer solid footing for you to embark upon this career path.
If your interests lie in technology and IT, consider becoming a Web systems manager. The mean annual salary for this career is $113,880, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 25 percent can earn over $136,000 per year. A bachelor’s degree is a common requirement for IT managers, along with a strong knowledge of computers and management practices. A degree in management information systems may be especially helpful.
Scenario 3: Looking beyond a bachelor’s — let education take you higher.
If you already hold a bachelor’s degree and are looking to advance within your current field, consider the options that might be possible with a master’s degree.
Becoming an educational administrator can be a great option for teachers looking to advance their careers with a two-year master’s degree. In most cases, a master’s in educational administration or educational leadership is required, as well as related experience in teaching or school administration.
A high school principal might expect to earn around $92,000 annually, according to the BLS, while a chief academic officer can earn over $140,000 per year.
Look into further career training.
Research your potential new career, what further experience you might need, and how to get it. In today’s fast-paced job market, current job skills are essential, especially if your career involves using computers or technology in any way. Many professionals remain at the top of their careers with short educational stints or extra certifications in their fields.
Do what makes you happy — the money will follow.
You’ve heard it from everyone from your mom to Oprah: Do what makes you truly happy, and the financial side of things will fall into place. While it may be difficult to swallow this notion when you’re about to leap into a career change, you will likely be happy you did, especially if you follow these guidelines.
by Patricia Cecil-Reed, FindtheRightSchool.com
April 15th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
In recent weeks, recruiters for Consolidated Container Co. have seen job candidates arrive up to an hour early for interviews. Other candidates have alluded to financial hardships while in the hot seat, and one person even distributed bound copies of documents describing projects he completed for past employers.
These sorts of tactics aren’t exactly winners.
In today’s ultracompetitive job market, even getting an interview is a feat. Yet recruiters and hiring managers say many unemployed candidates blow the opportunity by appearing desperate or bitter about their situations — often without realizing it.
“People are becoming a lot more aggressive,” says Julie Loubaton, director of recruiting and talent management for Atlanta-based Consolidated Container. “They often wind up hurting themselves.”
At an interview, you want to stand out for the right reasons. To do so, you’ll need to leave your baggage and anxiety at the door. For starters, wait until 10 minutes before your scheduled interview time to announce yourself. Arriving any sooner “shows that you’re not respectful of the time the hiring manager put aside for you,” says Ms. Loubaton, adding that a candidate who arrived an hour early made workers uncomfortable. “Companies really don’t want someone camped out in their lobby.”
Signal confidence by offering a firm handshake, adds Wendy Alfus Rothman, president of Wenroth Consulting Inc., an executive coaching firm in New York. Focus your attention on the interviewer. Avoid looking around the room, tapping your fingers, or other nervous movements.
No matter how you’re feeling, keep your personal woes out of the interview process, asserts Ms. Alfus Rothman. Instead, always exude an upbeat attitude. For example, if you were laid off, instead of lamenting the situation, you might say the experience prompted you to reassess your skills, and that’s what led you here. “You want to demonstrate resilience in the face of unpredictable obstacles,” she says.
Meanwhile, show you’ve done your homework on the company by explaining how your background and track record relates to its current needs, adds Deborah Markus, founder of Columbus Advisors LLC, an executive-search firm in New York. This is particularly important if the firm is in a different industry than the one you worked in before. To stand out, you’ll need to look up more than just basics on company leadership and core businesses. You’ll also need to find out — and understand — how recent changes in the marketplace have affected the firm, its competitors and industry overall. Read recent company press releases, annual reports, media coverage and industry blogs, and consult with trusted members of your network. “Companies that may have been performing well just a few months ago might be in survival mode now,” says Ms. Markus. “You want to understand how [they're] positioned today.”
Also, be sure to show you’re a strong fit for the particular position you’re seeking, adds Kathy Marsico, senior vice president of human resources at PDI Inc., a Saddle River, N.J., provider of sales and marketing services for pharmaceutical companies. Offer examples of past accomplishments — not just responsibilities you’ve held — and describe how they’re relevant to the opportunity. “You must differentiate yourself like never before,” she says. “You need to customize yourself and make yourself memorable.”
Sherry R. Brickman, a partner at executive-search firm Martin Partners LLC, says a candidate recently impressed her with this sort of preparation. “He knew the company’s product line and what markets it was already in,” she says of the man, who was interviewing for an executive post at a midsize industrial manufacturer. “He clearly and effectively explained how he could cut costs, increase sales and expand market share based on what he’d done in his current job.” The candidate was hired.
Be careful not to go too far, though, in your quest to stand out. For example, it may be tempting to offer to work temporarily for free or to take a lesser salary than what a job pays. But experts say such bold moves often backfire on candidates. “Employers want value,” says Lee Miller, author of Get More Money on Your Next Job … In Any Economy. “They don’t want cheap.”
Your best bet is to wait until you’re extended a job offer before talking pay. “In a recession, employers are going to be very price sensitive,” says Mr. Miller. “The salary you ask for may impact their decision to move forward.” Come prepared having researched the average pay range for a position in case you’re pressured to name your price, he adds. You might say, for example, that money isn’t a primary concern for you and that you’re just looking for something fair, suggests Mr. Miller. You can try turning the tables by asking interviewers what the company has budgeted for the position.
In some cases, you may be looking just for a job to get you through so you might consider a less-than-perfect fit. But if you aren’t really excited about an opportunity, keep it to yourself, warns David Gaspin, director of human resources at 5W Public Relations in New York. “I’ve had times where people come in and it’s clear that if they really had their preference, they’d be doing something different,” he says. “You don’t want to put that out on the table. Nobody wants to hire someone who’s going to run for the door when times get better.”
After an interview, take caution with your follow-up. If you’re in the running for multiple jobs at once, make sure to address thank-yous to the right people, career experts advise. Also look closely for spelling and grammatical errors. In a competitive job market, employers have the luxury of choice, and even a minor faux pas can hurt your chances.
If all has gone well, don’t stalk the interviewer. Wait at least a week before checking on your candidacy, adds Jose Tamez, managing partner at Austin-Michael LP, an executive-search firm in Golden, Colo. Call recruiters only at their office, even if their business card lists a home or cell number. Leave a message if you get voicemail. These days, recruiters typically have caller ID and can tell if you’ve tried reaching them multiple times without leaving a voicemail. “There’s a fine line between enthusiasm and overenthusiasm,” he says.
by Sarah E. Needleman – Provided By The Wall Street Journal
April 7th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
Revenue may be down and the pressure to slash costs intense, but some companies say job cuts are not an option.
Companies that have avoided layoffs amid this recession are the exception, not the rule. Employers have cut 5.1 million jobs since the recession began, including 663,000 last month alone. But some are looking to shave costs while keeping their work forces intact, so that when the economy does turn around, they’ll be ready to ratchet up production again.
Economists say that’s a wise move.
“If you overshoot on the downside and lay off workers, it puts the company at a disadvantage when the economy comes back to life,” said Sean Snaith, economics professor at the University of Central Florida.
Costco Wholesale Corp.’s profit is down 27 percent year-over-year, but the discount store has not laid anyone off, choosing instead to freeze hiring at its corporate offices. The only workers let go have been holiday seasonal hires.
The company says it recognizes that labor remains its most valuable — if costliest — resource.
“We’re certainly sharpening our pencil everywhere we can,” said Bob Nelson, Costco’s vice president of financial planning and investor relations. Nelson couldn’t recall any layoffs at Costco since the closing of some stores in the 1980s.
Other steps companies are taking to cut costs are not exactly harmless to workers. Chief among them: capping the number of hours employees can work, cutting or freezing pay and suspending matching payments to 401(k) plans.
Casino operator Wynn Resorts is trimming pay and cutting back on retirement fund matches. Credit agency Equifax Inc. froze pay for all U.S. employees for 2009 and at some of its foreign offices as well.
A survey by job placement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas this year found 71 percent of companies polled had laid off some workers. More than a quarter had implemented pay freezes or cuts.
Despite the alarming job losses nationwide, John Challenger, the firm’s CEO, said it’s more common now than in past recessions for companies to find other paths to savings than laying people off.
That’s because many companies have concluded that layoffs could be costlier down the road. Employers who have laid people off have to find, hire and train new ones when the economy recovers. Workers with specialized skills or strong customer contacts aren’t easily replaced.
Marvin Windows and Doors, a Minnesota company, hasn’t laid off any of its 5,300 workers — despite the collapse of the housing market. Its sales were flat in 2008 and have fallen this year.
“We can’t easily replace skilled craftspeople and their decades of experience,” said Susan Marvin, president of the company.
Instead, Marvin Windows and Doors has trimmed the time factory workers are on the clock — from 40 hours a week to 32. It’s a sacrifice David Peterson, who is 56 and has worked there for five years, is willing to make.
“You may have your hours cut, and that’s not easy,” said Peterson, who maintains machinery for the company. “But you still have your job, which gives me a lot of peace of mind.”
Layoffs typically mean companies have to pay severance costs, which vary widely by occupation and industry. A retail clerk, for instance, might cost a company $1,000 in severance. A low-level white-collar manager paid $50,000 a year could get $5,000.
And higher-paid professionals who earn well into six figures — accountants and lawyers — could get $50,000 in severance, estimated Terry Connelly, dean of Golden Gate University’s Ageno School of Business in San Francisco.
There also are other costs that are harder to put a price tag on, including the loss of talent and leadership. Layoffs can drag down the morale of those who managed to survive the job cuts but fear they could be next.
And when it comes time to rehire people, a company usually ends up paying a new hire more than what the laid-off worker got paid. That’s because an improved job market gives workers more negotiating power than if they’d remained at the company, Connelly said.
Some companies that have had layoffs say they’ve done so in targeted ways. Many have decided they can’t cut any more. Defense contractor ITT Corp., for example, plans to cut about 1,200 jobs, mostly factory and office staff.
“We are certainly not looking to cut engineering positions, because of how valuable those jobs are and how difficult they are to replace,” said spokesman Andy Hilton.
Manufacturing has been clobbered by the recession. The industry lost 161,000 jobs in March and has lost 1.5 million since the recession began. But “a lot of these companies are hitting the limit of where they’d like to be,” said Craig Giffi, U.S. head of consumer and industrial products at Deloitte LLP.
From lathe operators to specialists in computer-controlled industrial machinery, some manufacturers have made costly investments in skilled workers and want to keep them.
“When you have talent that is really special, and you know what you got — it would be costly to let them go,” said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.
Economists say unemployment, now at 8.5 percent nationwide, could climb above 10 percent by year’s end. Some economists say the labor market may not return to normal, meaning a jobless rate of about 5 percent, until 2013.
And once the economy rebounds, companies that didn’t slash payrolls could emerge with an edge.
“You don’t want to lay off 15 percent of your work force, because you want to be prepared to move quickly when the economy turns around, and that will obstruct your ability to do so,” said Dean Baker, co-director of the liberal-leaning Center For Economic Policy and Research.
By Jeannine Aversa, AP Economics Writer
March 30th, 2009 | Posted in Important Career
Choosing a career path can be challenging. Half of all college students change their majors at least once as they travel the sometimes bumpy road that will lead right degree. If you want to follow your dreams as well as provide for a certain future, take heart. As long as human beings continue to inhabit the planet, there are many worthwhile and fulfilling jobs that will never go away.
Accountant
As long as there are taxes, there will be a need for skilled accountants to work with clients, helping them keep their books in order. While accounting technology becomes more sophisticated, many accountants also assist clients with the technological aspects of record keeping and tax preparation. An online degree can prepare you for this field by providing accounting coursework and career training. Many assistant accountants begin with training and an associate’s degree. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, you could make an average annual salary of $63,180, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Computer Support Specialist
If you thrive on helping your friends and family solve their computer woes, consider becoming a computer support specialist. With computers playing such an important part of daily life, computer support specialists provide their clients much needed technical assistance. As a computer support specialist, you will meet with clients in person or answer questions remotely, via Internet, or on the phone. Many computer support specialists either have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or an associate’s degree in a computer-related program. In 2007, computer support specialists made an average annual salary of $45,300, according to the BLS.
Entrepreneur
To be an entrepreneur you need to be an independent, outgoing risk taker as you establish your own business or company. Although it may be hard to know whether a business will succeed, there will always be a need for a variety of goods and services and businesses to supply them. An online degree in business can help make your dreams a reality, as you earn your associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Although salaries can vary greatly with the self-employed, small business owners made an average annual wage of $36,000 to $75,095 in 2008, according to Pay Scale.
Mechanic
As anyone who commutes or runs to the store knows, we live in a nation of automobiles. If you know the make and model of every automobile that zips by and have an interest in what’s under the hood, consider becoming an automotive service technician or mechanic. Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose problems with cars and light trucks and fix them. Mechanics need to be analytical, good problem solvers, and willing to work with computerized diagnostic tools and programs as well as traditional tools. You can also specialize in an area such as brakes or cooling systems. Online career training can get you started. Programs range from six months to two years. Mechanics made an average annual salary of $36,480 in 2007, according to the BLS.
Paramedic
Paramedics make life and death decisions, assessing injuries and providing emergency medical care. To be a paramedic you have to be agile, strong, and be willing to work under pressure. Although the hours can be long, many paramedics find great satisfaction in helping others. An EMT paramedic has usually taken courses in anatomy and physiology and completed a one-to-two-year program — or the equivalent of an associate’s degree. Basic and intermediate certification can get you started in this fast paced, much needed career. According to the BLS, paramedics earned an average of $30,870 annually in 2007.
Teacher
As long as human beings continue to have children, there will be a need for teachers. If you enjoy working with young children and want to teach, you can make $50,040 on average annually if you are an elementary school teacher, and $52,450 annually if you are a secondary teacher, according to the BLS. Elementary teachers have the pleasure of teaching all subjects. Secondary teachers also get to follow their bliss. By focusing on specific certification areas, secondary teachers specialize in the subjects they want to teach. Many online programs can get you started towards a bachelor’s degree in education and certification.
Whatever your calling may be, with the right degree and career training, your career prospects for these much-needed jobs can help keep you from becoming outsourced or even worse, obsolete.
by Romy LeClaire Loran, FindtheRightSchool.com
