What’s the Jobs Outlook for New Grads?

The last four years have been dismal ones for new college graduates on job-hunting quests. As the father of two grads of that era, I should know.

But some hope may be starting to spread over the new grad jobs market, according to an article in the University of Portland newspaper.

You be the job hunter, don’t rely on anyone else to hand you a job.

“According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ (NACE) data collected over the summer shows that employers ‘plan to hire 13 percent more new college graduates in 2012-13 than they did in 2011-12,'” the student paper reports. Continue reading

Posted in finding a first job, job hunting, Job search tips | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Facebook Has a New Jobs App

CIO.com is reporting on a new job search app on Facebook called Social Jobs Partnership.

“The social network, on which many users have struggled to define their work-life division, partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the DirectEmployers Association and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies to produce a new Facebook app to let you find and share employment opportunities.

“The Social Jobs Partnership app is “a central location where recruiters can share open positions with the Facebook community sorted by industry, location and skills,” Facebook says,” reports CIO.

I gave the new app a try but was a bit disappointed. It found no journalism jobs in the Chicago area. I’m not sure if that speaks to the lack of journalism jobs or the lack of jobs in this new app at the moment. But using it seems to be free, so perhaps you might have better luck in your chosen field.
John N. Frank

Posted in job hunting, Job search tips | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How Can You Help Hurricane Sandy Victims?

While I normally write about jobs here, it’;s difficult to be thinking about job hunting when your home and everything you own has been destroyed.

That’s what’s happened to countless people on the East Coast after Hurricane Sandy hit. I’ve lived in the Chicago area all my adult life, but I was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. During my high school years, we lived in Coney Island, on a street where the New York Aquarium is, a street that was inundated by the tidal surge the hurricane brought to New York.

Destroyed home, and students helping to rebuild them. Please help.

My high school in Manhattan, Xavier, has been there for 165 years, making it one of the oldest schools in New York. It reports that some 80 students in its school community are without homes now. Just writing that makes my heart ache for them. I have donated to the relief fund and urge you all to do the same, you know your money will go directly to help rebuild homes there. Please help by clicking on this link to make your contribution.

Posted in management issues, working conditions | Tagged | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Manager, Communications & Public Relations – Chicago

This opening came to me through a daily job listings e-mail I receive from Careerbulder.com. Set up searches on job sites and ask for daily updates so you can keep current on who is hiring in your area of expertise. The full listing is here. Some details are below:

HELP WANTED

Continue reading

Posted in Job opening | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Meet the Author of ‘Always Be Job Hunting’ at Linked’N Chicago Nov. 14

Here’s your chance to get job hunting tips and advice from me, the author of ‘Always Be Job Hunting.’

I’ll be signing books and chatting about job hunting lessons at a Linked’N Chicago event this Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Close Up 2 Chicago, a Chicago jazz club at 416 S. Clark St., Chicago. I’ll also be raffling three free resume reviews, collecting business cards for that drawing throughout the event which starts at 6 p.m and extends until 8:30 p.m.

I’m be serving up some job tips Nov. 14 from 6-8:30 p.m., come see me.

If you’re in Chicago, I would love to meet you and chat at our table. If you don’t belong to the Linked’N Chicago group, click here for details.

See you Wednesday.
John N. Frank

Posted in finding a first job, job hunting, Job search tips | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Social Media and Public Relations Manager, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

This opening at Jonhsville Sausage came to me through a LinkedIn group of Marquette University alumni I belong to. The more LinkedIn groups you can join, the better. Some of the details are posted below, click here for the listing.

Job Overview
The primary focus of this role is to work with members of the Marketing team and agency partners to define, plan and execute long-term social engagement and PR initiatives, including day-to-day execution.

HELP WANTED

Continue reading

Posted in job hunting, Job opening | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening — Category Manager, Chicago

This one came to me in a job postings roundup I receive from LinkedIn. The link is:

http://www.linkedin.com/jobs?viewJob=&jobId=4046557&trk=rj_em&ut=2MEspxURbTSls1

Support Divisional Sales Managers by monitoring, analyzing, and summarizing category and brand performance.

We currently have two openings for Category Managers and one position would ideally be functioning within the West Coast and the second position would ideally be functioning within the East Coast. Specific regions to be discussed upon interview.

HELP WANTED

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Track and analyze category, brand, and item performance
Make recommendations for optimal customer product mix
Use syndicated and customer data to evaluate business trends
Analyze new item performance
Help develop fact-based sales presentations
Continue reading

Posted in job hunting, Job opening | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Where Should You Spend Money on a Job Search?

Job hunting can get expensive, depending on how many interviews you go on, what career coaching and other services you use and how you decide to present yourself to potential employers.

I came across an interesting post recently on which expenses you should prioritize when job hunting. Spending on professional clothing and grooming made the Top 5 list, as did a cell phone and maintaining your health.

What’s on your job-hunting expense list?

“While compromises like living at home with the parents are fine (don’t feel alone; lots of people are doing it), these five expenses should never be cut when you’re searching for a job,” the post from brazencareerist.com notes.

Good advice, you have to look professional and feel good to come across as competent and able to take on any challenge, especially in today’s hyper-competetive world.
John N. Frank

Posted in finding a first job, job hunting, Job search tips | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening — Internal Strategy Communications Director, Chicago

Came across this posting for a one-year stint as an internal communications specialist through one of my alumni groups. If you’re in or coming to Chicago, it might be for you. The link to apply is:

http://jobs.mcgladrey.com/job/Chicago-Internal-Strategy-Communications-Director-Job-IL-60290/2234184/

Location: Chicago, IL, US

Internal Strategy Communications Director

Position Summary

The internal strategy communications director is a full time, one-year temporary role that will be responsible for developing strategies, tactics and deliverables to create communications programs that align current and prospective employees with firm’s vision, purpose, values, strategy and brand. The position will be responsible for building strong relationships with the firm’s senior leaders, managing the day-to-day work of internal communications team members and outside agency resources assigned to strategy messaging projects, and coordinating with McGladrey’s internal design department and demand generation team. This position can be based in our downtown Chicago office or our Schaumburg, Illinois office.

HELP WANTED

Specific Duties:

– Develop internal communications strategies, tactics and deliverables to engage, motivate and align employees with McGladrey’s vision, purpose, values and strategies, including supporting the leadership team, strategy program manager and corporate communications leader with the development of communications plans to support McGladrey’s 13 strategic change missions. (40 percent)
– Develop an ongoing communications channel and platform to keep McGladrey’s 600+ partners informed and engaged around strategy execution. (20 percent)
– Oversee the alignment and integration of strategy messaging into regularly scheduled internal communications in coordination with other communications team members. (20 percent)
– Oversee alignment of firm’s internal communications platforms, such as Yammer and SharePoint, with strategy. (15 percent)
– Collaborate with counterparts on the public relations team and in other functional areas (marketing, human resources, finance, etc.) to ensure that communications are planned, sequenced and integrated across the enterprise. (5 percent)Image

Required Qualifications

– BA/BS in Journalism or Communications
– 10+ years of corporate communications experience; exceptional writing and editing skills
– Proven experience managing staff and agency resources
– Demonstrated experience defining and managing internal communications strategy in support of a complex business environment
– Effective presentation and communication skills; ability to learn new subject areas quickly
– The ability and willingness to commit to one-year/full time on a temporary basis

Preferred qualifications

– Experience in professional services
– MA/MS in Journalism or Communications

~McGladrey is an EEO/AA Employer~

You have high expectations for yourself and your career. So does McGladrey. Imagine what we will achieve together.

You want your next step to be the right one. You’ve worked hard to get where you are today. And now you’re ready to use your unique skills, talents and personality to achieve great things. McGladrey is a place where you are valued as an individual, mentored as a future leader, and recognized for your accomplishments and potential. Working directly with clients, key decision makers and business owners across various industries and geographies, you’ll move quickly along the learning curve and our clients will benefit from your fresh perspective.

Experience McGladrey. Experience the power of being understood.™

EEO/AA

Location Street Address:
City: Chicago
State: IL
Region: Full Time
Position Type: Experienced
Job Type: Experienced
Degree Required: Bachelor
Travel Required: No
Relocation Eligible: No
Sponsor candidates who are not eligible to work in US: No
Requisition ID: NMKT9452

Posted in job hunting, Job opening | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How Much Will a Job Ad Ask You to Do?

I thought I’d seen everything in terms of weird job ads until I read a story in Ad Age recently about an advertising agency looking for social media types.

The story was about the agency that works on Old Spice advertising, itself a bit over-the-top in a fun way.

“Beginning today, the posting says, applicants will have a week to complete “one or more of the challenges listed below” and then create a “case study presentation deck outlining what you did and why it was effective,” Ag Age reports.

How much will you next potential boss ask you to do to get a job?

Continue reading

Posted in job hunting, Job search tips | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment