Career Spotlight: If you are good with words, keyboards, and technology, you might enjoy being a stenographer. They earn an average of $48,380/year, and the 10-year job growth is predicted by the U.S. Department of Labor to be 25%.  Approximately 38% of stenographers hold a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the Week:

For this one, I went back to my days in college.  We had a saying  that seems very relevant to the job search process -

Remember: if you got shot down today, it builds character.

Of course, the corolary is that anyone only needs so much “character” building, but if you’ve had a tough day in your job search, maybe this will help you feel a tiny bit better.  Perhaps there’s a nugget of positive learning you can extract from the bad experience.  May tomorrow be a better day for you!

4 New Articles:

• Avoiding Nightmare Interviews
  Interviews can be difficult for anyone, but they can be particularly troubling for those with chronic illness.  However, avoiding nightmare interviews is possible, as described by Rosalind Joffe, Job-Hunt’s newest Job Search Expert, in  her inaugural post as Job-Hunt’s Job Search with Chronic Illness Expert. 
• Work from Home: Making-Life-Easier Businesses
  Many service businesses exist to make life simpler for busy people, and in this article, Job-Hunt’s Lifestyle-Friendly Careers Expert Nancy Collamer describes 5 of them, how to set them up, and where to find more help.
• Natural Resource Management Careers
  The growing field of natural resource management offers many opportunities, and Job-Hunt’s Green Industry Job Search Expert Carol McClelland describes the major sectors of this industry and the career opportunities that are developing.
• Using Twitter Lists 
  Twitter Lists are a valuable resource largely untapped by most people new to Twitter.  In this article by Job-Hunt’s Social Media & Job Search Expert Miriam Salpeter, learn how they can help you understand Twitter and grow your Twitter resources.

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s Experts here:  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

This week, we are very proud to welcome Rosalind Joffe to the growing roster of job search and career experts who help Job-Hunt’s visitors succeed in 21st century job search.

Rosalind is Job-Hunt’s Job Search with Chronic Illness Expert.

According to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in 2005, chronic illness was a fact of life for 133,000,000 Americans (or 1 of every 2 adults).  The most common chronic illnesses include arthritis, diabetes, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, and renal failure. 

Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis more than 30 years ago, Rosalind lives with auto imune diseases and pain conditions. 

Rosalind is a nationally-recognized expert on chronic illness in the workplace, quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, More Magazine, ABC Radio, as well as numerous regional and national media outlets.

President of ciCoach.com, Rosalind is a chronic illness coach, focusing on the issues of work and career development.  Rosalind holds a Masters in Education, is a certified Mediator, and has completed the Corporate Coach University certificate program.

Rosalind’s website ciCoach.com (Chronic Illness Career Coach) offers advice and resources for people working with chronic illnesses.  She also publishes a widely read blog, WorkingWithChronicIllness

In addition, find Rosalind at Facebook.com/cicoach, and follow her on Twitter @WorkWithIllness.

More Job-Hunt Job Search and Career Experts.

Career Spotlight: If you are physically strong, interested in the healthcare industry, and enjoy helping people, a job as a Physical Therapy Assistant might be right for you.  Physical therapy assistants earn an average of $46,000/year, with expected 10-year job growth of 32%.  Approximately 23% hold a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers. 

Quote of the Week:

From @InterviewAngel, a good one for job seekers right now -

“It’s the things you DO in life that make you happy & successful, NOT the things you wish and hope for.” ~Author Unknown.

New Articles of the Week:

• Introverts as Leaders in Job Search
  Many of us don’t normally think of introverts as leaders, but in this article by Job-Hunt’s Job Search for Introverts Expert Wendy Gelberg, you’ll see that introverts can not only be leaders in work, they can also be leaders in job search.
• Coming to Term with Change
  Dealing with change can be the most difficult part about being laid off,  Job-Hunt’s Job Loss Recovery Expert Nan Russell helps job seekers understand how it works and how to work through phase one – letting go of the old job.  This is the hardest part of job loss for many, including me.  But, letting go is an important part of moving forward into the brighter future.
• Considering a Career in Non-Profits?
  If you are a Boomer ready for a change and considering working in a non-profit (or even if you’re not considering non-profits), you’ll find excellent food for thought in this article by Job-Hunt’s Boomer Job Search Expert Phyllis Mufson.
• Moving Your Job Search Forward
  The way you naturally “operate” to get things done impacts your job search, and in this article, Job-Hunt’s Career Assessments Expert Susan Guarneri helps you understand how to leverage your natural inclinations to move your job search forward.

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

In case you’re wondering how well your state is doing, or if you’re in the market for a move to a better location, you might want to check these states out, assuming you don’t already live in one of them.

Of course, if you are considering moving to one of these states, you would do some research into what parts of their economies are growing, the cost of living, who you know there, best places to live, etc. 

And, the possibility exists that where ever you are right now may be the next hot spot.  Bad economies encourage entrepreneurs who know that – if they can – a bad economy is the perfect time to grow their businesses and their market share when less confident competitors are backing off or laying low.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis in the U.S. Department of Commerce just released the “real GDP” rates in 2009 for each state.  And the data reflects growth in the economies of these 11 states as measured:

 1.  +6.6% – Oklahoma

 2.  +5.4% – Wyoming

 3.  +3.9% – North Dakota

 4.  +3.5% – Alaska

 5.  +2.5% – Louisiana

 6.  +2.2% – South Dakota

 7.  +0.8% – District of Columbia

 8.  +0.7% – West Virginia

 9.  +0.6% – Arkansas

10.  +0.3% – Nebraska

11.  +0.2% – Virginia

One state, Montana, stayed flat at  0.0%. 

All other states declined varying from a 0.7% drop in Vermont and Washington state to a 6.4% drop in Nevada.

The obvious losing industries were durable-goods manufacturing (cars, etc.) and construction, but the growth industries were somewhat surprising, at least to me: agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and mining.  The mining industry led Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Louisiana to their impressive growth. 

Nationally, GDP growth for Q3 2010 averaged +2.0%, so things seem to be improving, if gradually, for the country as a whole.

Career Spotlight: Are you very good at coordinating a lot of things simultaneously? Do you enjoy meeting with and working with new people in new locations? You might excell at being a Convention Planner.  Convention Planners earn an average of $44.000 a year and, according to the US Department of Labor, the expected 10-year job growth is 22%. Over 65% of Convention Planners hold a bachelor’s degree. For more information about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers

Quote of the Week:

This one comes from one of my favorite sources, Mike Folsom Tweeting as @Silixell:

“You have not failed until you quit trying.” ~ Gordon B. Hinckley

New Articles of the Week:

• Resume for Mom Returning to Work (& Changing Careers)
  Job-Hunt’s Resumes Expert, author (and genuine guru) Susan Ireland offers ways that a Mom returning to work after taking time off to care for her children can have an effective resume, one that helps her navigate a change in career direction, too.  See how Susan demonstrates her points in this sample resume (new page or tab will open).
• Executive Power Play: Why-Buy-ROI
  Continuing her “Executive Power Play” series, Job-Hunt’s Executive Job Search Expert Deb Dib shows how executives can lay out their personal ROI to connect with that next executive position.
• Successfully Navigating Job Fairs
  Job fairs can be particularly effective for transitioning military and veterans, and Job-Hunt’s Job Search for Veterans Expert Diane Hudson Burns describes how to find and to leverage these opportunities. 

Favorite New Resource:

Job-Hunt’s Fortune 500 Employer Directory – links to each company’s recruiting pages and internships, plus the Fortune Profile of the company (which includes goodies like profitability, competitors, hq location, etc.)

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

Career Spotlight:

If you are comfortable with wiring diagrams, electronics, and computers, and have experience with some of the equipment used in line installation, you might be happy in a career as a Telecom Equipment Installer.  They earn an average of $56.000/year, with expected 10-year job growth of 3%. Only 13% hold a bachelor’s degree. Find out more about this and over 200 other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the Week:  

This one often applies to your job search -

 Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win.  ~Jonathan Kozel

Then, give yourself credit for winning those battles, and move on with greater confidence.

New Articles:

• Handling New Unexpected Interview Types
  Continuing her series on new types of interviews, Job-Hunt’s Job Interviewing Expert Laura DeCarlo describes Job Simulation and In-Box Exercise interviews. 
• Penetrating the Hidden Job Market
  We’ve all heard about the famous (infamous) “hidden job market” but in this article by Job-Hunt’s Working with Recruiters Expert Jeff Lipschultz we get a recruiter’s perspective on how to find those “hidden” jobs.
• Why Academics Need a Plan B
  The tough economy is hitting all segments of the employment, including higher education.  In this article by Job-Hunt’s Careers for Academics Expert Dr. Kate Duttro, Dr. Duttro lays out the reasons why people working in academia should consider developing a “Plan B” for their future. 

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

Career Spotlight: 

Working with doctors and RN’s (registered nurses),  Licensed Practical Nurses are part of the healthcare team, and do the nitty-gritty routine work of taking care of sick who are sick, injured, convalescent or disabled.  They earn an average of $38,940/year, with expected 10-year job growth of 14%. Only 7% hold a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the Week: 

Popular on Twitter probably because it applies to job search, too:

In human endeavor, chance favors the prepared mind. ~Louis Pasteur

New Articles:  Three great new articles this past week:

• Prospecting the Hidden Job Market with Google’s Buzz
  Google’s new Buzz is a useful application that can help you in your job search, as described by Job-Hunt’s Job Search Technology Expert Jim Stroud. 
• Benefits of a Fortune 500 Internship
   Job-Hunt’s Fortune 500 Job Search Expert Laura Labovich delineates the benefits of an internship with a Fortune 500 company.
• Affording Career Change
  In this 2nd part of a 2-part series on affording career change, Job-Hunt’s Career Change Expert Randi Bussin and Sherrill St. Germain help you address the issues of debt management, benefits, and taxes during your career change.

 Job-Hunt’s Fortune 500 Employer Directory – links to each company’s recruiting pages and internships

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

Newest (free!) Book:

If you are still employed but your employer has started “cutting back” or having layoffs, you should read this short ebook.  It is the second edition of this Job-Hunt 15-Minute Guide, written by 2-time layoff “graduate” Susan P. Joyce, Job-Hunt’s editor.

Layoff Self-Defense: 7 Facts You Need to Know + 7 Steps to Take
(this link opens a new window or tab)

More free ebooks for job seekers…

Career Spotlight:

If you love working with computers, staying on the leading (or the “bleeding”) edge of technology, you may want a career as a Computer Systems Manager.  Computer systems managers earn an average of $112,000/year, and the US Department of Labor predicts a 10-year job growth of 16%. Over 70% of computer systems managers hold at least a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the week:

Another gem from a fortune cookie, whether or not you’re in a job search right now -

Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.

New Articles: Three great new articles this week:

• Volunteering: Giving Back Can Pay Off
  Job-Hunt’s Fired-to-Hired Transition Expert Tory Johnson offers strategies for filling in that “employment gap” between your layoff and that new job.  Learn new skills, expand your network, and fill the gap by volunteering.
• Strategies for Competing with More Experienced Job Seekers
  New grads and job seekers starting their careers often feel like they are in a lose/lose situation when competing with older and/or more experienced job seekers.  Not really, as Job-Hunt’s Job Search for New Grads Expert Chandlee Bryan explains in this article.
• Networking Lessons from Frankenstein’s Monsters
  Job-Hunt’s Job Search Networking Expert Robyn Greenspan offers an early Halloween treat in this article which shows the networking lessons we can learn from a very unlikely source – Frankenstein’s monsters, in their various cinematic variations.

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

And, of course -

Good luck with your job search!

Career Spotlight: If you are interested in buildings and houses, how they are designed, made beautiful and functional, you might enjoy a job as an Architect.  Architects earn an average of $70,000/year, and, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, expected 10-year growth in the demand for architects is anticipated to be 18%. Over 85% hold at least a bachelor’s degree. More about this and other careers in Job-Hunt’s Career Changers’ Guide to Careers.

Quote of the Week: My favorite quote this week came from a fortune cookie, and it applies to so many things, but, most assuredly, to a job search in this economy.

Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.

Newest Free eBook: GL Hoffman, Job-Hunt’s Job Search Expert at Large, is a serial entrepreneur.  Based on that hands-on experience, he has written an excellent ebook for job seekers thinking of starting their own businesses and beginning entrepreneurs -

100 StartUp Tips to Get Your Business Going (new window will open) 107 pages of advice in an ebook.

More free ebooks for job seekers…

New Articles: As usual, we added great, new articles this week, 5 of them this time:

• 3 Tracks to Accelerating Job Loss Recovery
  This is the first of  a series of wonderful articles helping unemployed job seekers deal with the event known as job loss.  As anyone who has been through being laid off, as I have, or being fired, as our author has, coping can be a problem, and NOT coping can be an even bigger issue.  So be sure to read this great article by Job-Hunt’sJob Loss Recovery Expert Nan S. Russell.
• Work-From-Home Option: Caretaking
  Nancy Collamer, Job-Hunt’s excellent Lifestyle-Friendly Careers expert, offers the first of a series of 5 articles about work-from-home options.  This article covers the field of caretaking and is a natural fit for so many.
• Build Your Likeability, Key to Success
  The most popular Job-Hunt article on Twitter this past week is this long one about being likeable.  Written by Job-Hunt’s Expert-at-Large GL Hoffman, learn 10 ways to be more likeable – a key to getting hired, as well as a key to being successful in your job.
• Fighting Age Bias
  Anyone over 35 feels they have experienced age bias, and, in this article, Job-Hunt’s Job Search for Women Expert Deborah Shane offers ways to fight it, which aren’t limited to women.
• Employer Benefits of Employee LinkedIn Participation
  No question that LinkedIn offers great benefits to job seekers.  It can also offer great benefits to their employers, as well, and in this article, Job-Hunt’s editor Online Job Search Expert Susan P. Joyce describes those benefits.

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

More next week, as usual, although they may not show up until Tuesday, given my schedule right now.

And, of course, good luck with your job search!

Career Spotlight: If you like helping people and have a facility for helping people resolve issues, you might find your perfect career fit as Child & Family Social Worker. They earn an average of $40,000/year, with expected 10-year job growth of 19%. Over 75% hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

Quote of the Week:  My favorite quote this week is from Steve Keating of Minnesota who Tweets as @LeadToday -

When you fall, make sure don’t get up empty handed.

New Articles: We launched 4 great new articles this week:

• Age Discrimination in Hiring
  If you’re over 40, you strongly suspect this has happened to you a few times.  Get some insight into what you can do about it in this article by Job-Hunt’s Boomer Job Search Expert Phyllis Mufson.
• 5-Step Facebook Makeover for Your Job Search
  If you have had a Facebook account for a while (and 550,000,000 people have them) and you are now in a job search, take Job-Hunt’s Social Media & Job Search Expert Miriam Salpeter‘s advice on how to make it work for your job search.
• Personal Branding with Color
  Color as part of your personal brand? Well, of course! This makes perfect sense, but it didn’t occur to me until I read this article by Job-Hunt’s Personal Branding Expert Meg Guiseppi. Read Meg’s insight into what certain colors mean and how to fit color into your personal brand. 
• Leveraging LinkedIn for Your Stealth Job Search
  You are job hunting, but – of course – don’t want your boss to know.  But leveraging LinkedIn without raising any concerns from management can be difficult to manage.  Read this article by Job-Hunt’s editor, Online Job Search Expert Susan P. Joyce to learn how.

Meet all of Job-Hunt’s  Job Search Experts.

Stay tuned, more next week, as usual. 

And, of course, good luck with your job search!