On Labor Day 2012 and every day, one of my top priorities is to help those looking for work get the training they need for good-paying jobs.
By 2020, 17 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations will require a postsecondary certificate or degree. In fact, employers are actively looking to fill nearly 4 million job openings in America right now. Getting the skills employers want and need are critical to a successful career.
Here are a few tips:
Get started! Your first step is to check out your local American Job Center. These nearly 3,000 "one-stop-shops" are part of a nationwide network where you can work with experts to update your resume, strengthen interview skills and explore current job openings. Find your local center by visiting CareerOneStop.org.
Looking for a fresh start? Check out MySkillsMyFuture.org to discover different careers that build off of your existing skills, connect you to free training programs and even find employers in your area looking to hire. The site also shows how much different jobs pay near you or across the country, as well as the additional skills you'll need to succeed.
Not sure what career is right for you? Visit MyNextMove.org to find the job that's the perfect fit. Fill out a questionnaire listing your interests and abilities, and get suggestions for different employment paths in more than 900 careers. This site will also identify local apprenticeship and certificate programs to help you train and get a job in high-growth industries.
Are you a veteran? “My Next Move for Vets” is designed just for you! Enter your military occupation code and the site matches your military skills to civilian jobs. If you're a post-9/11 era veteran, you can also download a Veterans Gold Card at DOL.gov/VETS to get specialized services from your local American Job Center.
Don't have Internet access at home? We've partnered with local libraries all around the country to make sure that you always have a place to log on to our online resources. Most American Job Centers offer free access for those looking for a job, too.
Have more questions? Call us. You can reach our toll-free helpline at (866) 4-USA-DOL for the most up to date resources. Nearly 160,000 people do it each month.
The United States Department of Labor has other resources to help you find a first job, new job or different career. And our services are free. Happy Labor Day!
Hilda Solis is the 25th U.S. Secretary of Labor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QMDwLWz4UA
"For their book "The Real Romney," Boston Globe reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman interviewed Bill Bain, the founder of Bain & Co., who asked Romney to head Bain Capital. The story he tells couldn't be more different than Mitt and Ann Romney's. "He saw the opportunity [at Bain], of course, but he also saw risks. Romney explained to Bain that he didn't want to risk his position, earnings, and reputation on an experiment. He found the offer appealing but didn't want to make the decision in a 'light or flippant manner.' So Bain sweetened the pot. He guaranteed that if the experiment failed, Romney would get his old job and salary back, plus any raises he would have earned during his absence. Still, Romney worried about the impact on his reputation if he proved unable to do the job. Again the pot was sweetened. Bain promised that, if necessary, he would craft a cover story saying that Romney's return to Bain & Company was needed because of his value as a consultant. 'So,' Bain explained, 'there was no professional or financial risk.' This time Romney said yes." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/25/ann-romney-speech-_n_1838228.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
"Two months after the Department of Labor launched a special program to assist and protect illegal immigrants in the U.S. the Obama cabinet official who heads the agency is personally encouraging undocumented workers to report employers that don’t pay them fairly. In a Spanish-language public service announcement, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis assures that “every worker in America has a right to be paid fairly, whether documented or not.” Illegal aliens who are not getting fair wages are encouraged to call a new hotline set up by the agency on a new “Podemos Ayudar” (We Can Help) web page designed to administer worker protection laws and ensure that employees are properly paid “regardless of immigration status.” http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2010/06/labor-sec-pledges-help-illegal-workers/
For a government agency to protect law breakers in this fashion may seem unbelievable but not if you consider the source. A Former California congresswoman, Solis has close ties to the influential La Raza movement that advocates open borders and rights for illegal immigrants. She made the protection of undocumented workers a major priority upon being named Labor Secretary, assuring illegal aliens that “if you work in this country, you are protected by our laws.”"
out-side list). The process is corrupt and pathetic. Hiring a veteran means that medical care can be transferred from the VA to an insurance company thus saving the VA expenditures that they cannot afford. Having said that I know that you cann't get hired if you don't submit an application so on we go. Take care, take heart and keep plugging away. Every so often a qualified person as opposed to a friend is hired.
We have seen many jobs-private and public-jobs listed to the public go in-house. That's not surprising-hire a known quantity. But we have seen those jobs re-listed with different parameters go to people we have coached who had the credentials. It's very competitive-so learn how to compete and persevere.
Once that is understood you can get beyond the unfairness and get on with the job of finding your next job. That said-it is cathartic to yell.
Since it is nearly impossible to fire a government worker in the absence of serious criminal misconduct, it make sense that managers want a known quantity. I think a lot of the sentiment about government hiring is sour grapes by folks who did not get the job they wanted. The interview is all about getting to know a candidate and having a feeling for how they will fit in.when someone is a known quantity, much of the guess work is eliminated. I think it is rare these days that the scales are tipped for unqualified candidates.
I respect your input on a lot of issues but this is just plain naive. Personal experience = it happens more than you can imagine. Right now the Federal Government is overhiring so that they can cut-back and look good when the next round of cuts comes. Unfortunatly it is the qualified employees that are in place that will be let go rather than the newly hired Veterans and friends. I thought that the Vets were fighting for freedom - not for the right to displace workers. I am all for keeping a great Federal workforce but I understand why we need to set things straight first. And you are absolutly correct about the 'death do us part'. I have seen employees simply simply moved to a different department after admitting to misconduct. Worse yet - allowed to retire with full pay. By-the-way= I have not been turned down for a Federal job. I have been on on the investigative side for Congressional inquiries. Take care.
The world is corrupt. We have to live in it, but we have a choice how we will live in it and what we may be able to do to bring justice to it. I started 2 job clubs to help folks find the employment they want in a very competitive environment. I don't make a dime. When you can whistle blow-do it, when you can fix something-fix it, when neither is possible-pray and get out of Sodom.
walk ins account for less than 1%. I highly recommend using linkedin and indeed.com to boost your networking and job search capabilities. Additionally, keep a spreadsheet tracking all the jobs that you have applied to, and the dates when your application went out - along with the titles and names of the resumes that you have sent to the business that you applied (for easy tracking later on). Each resume and cover letter should be tailored to the specific position that you have applied. If they are not, then you are only hurting yourself, because someone out there IS tailoring their resume for that position. Cover letter tip. Write a cover letter that shows how your past experience makes you the perfect fit for this job, and explain how much you really want it. I'm not in HR, but I am very good at putting people in jobs. I don't know why. http://www.ere.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2011-sources-of-hire.jpg
But it was for me and cashed myself out of the BS corporate world over 14 years ago and have never looked back. I can't be fired, don't ask to go on vacation and if my son has an event, I'm there. That said, it's hard work - both marketing your business and running it. But if you have a skill or some kind of niche and are self-disciplined then you need to consider it.
However, their contact email will never state this. Instead, they use fake job title, most involving the word "manager." Google and http://glassdoor.com are your friends. If you get contacted by a company, do a search. If it's a 100% commissions job, it'll likely show up on page one. Then search Glass Door. Even some MLM's pose as "real" jobs. Even if you get sucked into an interview, watch out of stuff like this: 1) It's a group interview. If so, just say you're going to the bathroom, then climb out the window. 2) The person interviewing you talks about their "opportunity" and says you can make six figures. 3) The interview is more about the the company and how much you can make and very little about you, your skills, past jobs, references, etc... 4) The manager interviewing you is very young - early 20's. I'm sorry but legitimate corporations don't have 24 year-olds conducting jobs interviews for salaried positions. Some of these outfits flat out lie during interviews - state there's a base pay of say $35,000 but it's either a draw on commission or the base pay doesn't kick in until after some kind of probation period.
A very important article, Thank you.