Job Search

It's over, America. The breaking news alerts, the Twitter speculation wars, the aerial shots of the big guy being whisked from private jet to late-model, tinted-window SUV, the grainy photos of him meeting with the rich-guy NFL owner du jour -- all of it comes to a merciful end. Yes, wonderful news: Peyton Manning has found a job. He'll quarterback the Denver Broncos next year. (That thumping sound you just heard was Tim Tebow being tossed out the back door of the Broncos' complex like the morning's trash.)

Members of the Class of 2012, As a former secretary of labor and current professor, I feel I owe it to you to tell you the truth about the pieces of parchment you're picking up today. You're screwed. Well, not exactly. But you won't have it easy. First, you're going to have a hell of a hard time finding a job. The job market you're heading into is still bad. Fewer than half of the graduates from last year's class have as yet found full-time jobs. Most are still looking.

Dear Joyce: I have been a senior executive who is now facing outplacement status. I probably will accept counseling but I do want to know about using computers in job search. What can you recommend? -- P.N.C.Dear P.N.C.: Concentrate on the red meat of job search -- the underlying principles of who gets hired, why and how -- and become a Master of the Universe in Job Search before you examine its tools. Start reading to play catch-up for the decades you've spent pursuing other areas of expertise.

It's over, America. The breaking news alerts, the Twitter speculation wars, the aerial shots of the big guy being whisked from private jet to late-model, tinted-window SUV, the grainy photos of him meeting with the rich-guy NFL owner du jour -- all of it comes to a merciful end. Yes, wonderful news: Peyton Manning has found a job. He'll quarterback the Denver Broncos next year. (That thumping sound you just heard was Tim Tebow being tossed out the back door of the Broncos' complex like the morning's trash.)

Dear Joyce: I was conned by a local job-search marketing firm, which has offices in one other city. With so many people out of work today it seems doubly unjust for the unemployed to be the target of a swindling job-search marketing firm.I was laid off from my job as an engineer in January. After a month of playing the job field and finding that pickings were slim, I came across an ad for a job-search marketing firm we'll call Brand X. In a meeting with my wife and me, the firm's representative told us the Brand X method of job-finding would provide me with information and insight that would give me an edge.

Whether you're unemployed or just interested in advancing your career, Maryland residents can take advantage of a new service provided by Maryland Job Service, which is part of the state's Office of Employment Services.And you can do it in the comfort of your favorite shopping mall.It's called the Chesapeake Job Bank System -- an array of self-service, computerized kiosks at shopping malls throughout the Baltimore area. They're easy-to-use tools that let potential job applicants search a nationwide listing of job openings while they shop.

During this time of the year, many workers are looking for new careers. One of the best ways to find job opportunities is through the Internet, whether it be Craigslist or one of the numerous job-posting Web sites. Knowing how to navigate the online labyrinth could mean the difference between your resume getting lost in the pile or snagging an interview. "In the past, you opened up the Sunday Baltimore Sun and that was it," says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, a recruiting technology consulting firm in Kendall Park, N.J. "Now, it's 24-7, 365 days.

Getting a new job can be hard work. Classifieds and job boards are good sources for job leads. It is easier to find the right job when you ask others for help. Try this: Take a sheet of paper and take three minutes to quickly jot the names of 30 people you know ... from anywhere. Church, syna gogue, day care, parents of children in same activities, the gym, friends of friends, etc. Create a plan to ensure that each one knows of your job search. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find the perfect job. Open up your options by getting others to help you with your search.

One of the big don'ts in searching for a new job is insulting your most recent employer. That holds true when in interviews with a potential new employer and when conducting your job search. It's in poor taste to openly search for a new job while at work, which can lead to other repercussions if your employer wasn't aware you are looking to leave. Take advantage of private moments to pursue your job search. The Wall Street Journal reports that many employees who can telecommute make good use of the days they work from home.

WHEN ONLY THREE of 25 job seekers actually find work in two months, you might say it's a discouraging employment market. But the encouraging aspect is that these people were welfare applicants, pushed to find work under Carroll County's new Up Front Job Search program.Applicants have been told since March 1: Make five contacts each week to find a job, or lose full welfare benefits. That's been enough to motivate most eligible applicants -- 80 percent were exempt because they have children under 3 years old -- to at least make the required effort.

Sunday, Feb. 5 Black History Month Vocalist Ashley Parker will perform songs of hope and inspiration in observance of Black History Month during the 10 a.m. worship service at Christ United Methodist Church, 7246 Cradlerock Way in the Owen Brown Interfaith Center in Columbia. All are welcome. Information: 410-381-6329. Tuesday, Feb, 7 School news The Board of Education will hold a public work session on the superintendent's proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2013 at 1 p.m. in the boardroom, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

Despite the fact that Mitt Romney ranks among the top 1 percent of richest Americans, the bottom line is that he is one of the 8.5 percent of unemployed Americans (as he had no earned income in 2010, according to his tax return). To his credit, he is actively seeking employment (President, U.S.), and taking extraordinary actions to become a wage earner. Throughout this time of hardship, he has not made a single plea for a government handout, only handouts (campaign contributions)

I find it disconcerting and quite troubling as I read opinions being sent in to this paper stating that people collecting unemployment are just lazy and aren't looking for work because they're getting money for nothing and have no incentive ("Benefits in hand, unemployed are content not to work," Dec. 23). While I will agree there are people like that out there, I must say that just making a blanket statement like the one above does a disservice to unemployed folks like myself who work hard every day to try and find work and just come back unsuccessful.

American employers added more jobs than forecast in July and wages climbed. Payrolls rose by 117,000 workers after a 46,000 increase in June that was larger than earlier estimated, the Labor Department said Friday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey called for a gain of 85,000. The jobless rate dropped to 9.1 percent as discouraged workers left the labor force. Average hourly earnings climbed 0.4 percent. Faster job gains are needed to bolster consumer spending, which makes up 70 percent of the economy and rose last quarter at the slowest pace in two years.

Tiffany Burgess, 15, is just finishing her freshman year at Aberdeen High School, but she has already set her sights on an advanced degree. When a Harford County company offered a free business literacy course, she jumped at the chance. "I already know that I am a people person," the aspiring law student said. "I like helping people solve problems. The course helped me with communication skills. " Burgess and 11 other teen members of the Aberdeen Boys and Girls Club said they feel more prepared for the workforce after completing Career Launch, 14 weekly sessions at Rite-Aid's Mid-Atlantic Customer Support Center in Aberdeen.

— To hear Mark Turgeon at his introductory news conference Wednesday, how he became Maryland's new basketball coach is something out of a sit-com. The story begins last week, not 24 hours after Gary Williams dropped the bombshell that he was leaving as Terps coach after 22 seasons. Turgeon got a call the next morning asking if he'd be interested in the job. In so many words, he said: Hell, yes. After hanging up and practically levitating to the ceiling, he sat down with his wife, Ann, told her about the opening and said: "We might have a shot there.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - In a job market so tight that every edge counts, some laid-off workers are hoping that a face lift will give them a foot in the door. At the residents' cosmetic clinic in the Stanford Medical Center, about half the patients in the past couple of years have been tech industry workers looking for a boost in their job searches, said supervisor Dr. David Apfelberg. The clinic offers cosmetic surgery by residents in their final year at reduced rates, and operates on 75 to 100 patients a year.

You may have had a hunch individual confidence and effort are key in finding a job.Now there's empirical data to support that.Ellen Jackofsky, who heads the department of organizational behavior-business policy at Southern Methodist University'sEdwin L. Cox School of Business, is busy plowing through the data from a study of about 285 managers who lost their jobs.Her most striking early finding: "People who feel they can get a new job first of all take a shorter time to find a job -- but also are able to do better financially."

Some people like Lori Hite of Ellicott City are still venturing back into the work force after being away for a decade, despite an economic tailspin that has vaulted the nation's unemployment rate to its current 9.5 percent. Hite, a Howard Community College student, is aware that most professions are ever-changing in what they demand from workers and is concerned about where she fits among those who have been out looking for work almost as long as she's been away. So she turned to resources at her school to get back on track.

Teen idol Annual "Hear My Voice Teen Day" and "Teen Idol" competition will be held from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at Lake Kittamaqundi, 10221 Wincopin Circle in Columbia. Event will be emceed by comedian Jason Weems. Teen idol winner will be awarded a $300 cash prize and, for the first time, the audience will choose the winner of the People's Choice Award, who will receive a $100 Lord & Taylor gift card. Information: 410-992-3726. Vendors needed Hickory Ridge Community Association seeks vendors for its Holiday Craft Show, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Hawthorn Center, 6175 Sunny Spring in Columbia.